Baguio’s first cosplay held

AMAZING, staggering and shocking cosplayers projected different dramatic characters in Baguio’s first cosplay held at the Baguio Convention Center. It was a thrilling and an extraordinary experience to be one of the judges of the first Baguio Cosplay competition in coordination with Bruce Limmayog, Benj Cruz and Zeal Benjamin.

The costumes were unique and artistically made with colorful ornaments, metals, wigs, body paints and other notable materials. It is an ingenuity of the mind of the cosplayer, which creates an incredible persona of the character chosen, project the role live onstage of that particular character in a dramatic way connecting, staging, and performing in costume play.

50 visually-impaired join White Cane Safety Day

MORE than 50 visually-impaired trainees of the Department of Social Welfare and Development 7, through the Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center (AVRC) II in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City joined in the celebration of the White Cane Safety Day held recently.

Joint outreach program serves 150 beneficiaries

ABOUT 150 people participated in community and education services jointly organized by the AJD Angels of Hope Foundation and the Can+Hear Marco Emmanuel Charity in Barangay Parian, Cebu City last month.

Dubbed as feeding and reading outreach programs, the activities were conducted in connection with the first anniversary of AJD Angels and the third commemorative year of Can+Hear in humanitarian services.

CMC holds ‘Clean-up Walk’

THE Cordova Multipurpose Cooperative (CMC) capped the Cooperative Month last October with the holding of a “Clean-up Walk” along the main roads of Cordova town from Pilipog Market, which serves as the boundary between Cordova and Lapu-Lapu City, up to the town’s Poblacion.

Dermcare Luxe opens new branch at Centrio Mall

KAGAY-ANONS will finally experience royal treatment that can delight their senses, soothe their minds, melt away their stress and just experience full rejuvenation as Dermcare Luxe, one of the Philippines’ leading skin, hair and wellness centers, recently opened at the 3rd floor of Centrio Mall.

The newest establishment of Zenaida E. Palisoc, who owns all Dermcare branches nationwide, has evolved into higher levels of luxurious pampering and a more soothing ambience by catching up with the modern trend and state-of-the-art facilities to provide excellent service to its valued clients.

Essay contest on West Philippine Sea

NEW YORK, USA -- For the education and increased awareness of Filipino students regarding the issues on the West Philippine Sea (particularly the Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands) with China, Celia Lamkin, chairwoman of the US Pinoys for Good Governance-Marianas chapter, has launched an essay contest for high school and college students.

The contest is open to all Filipino students or of Filipino descent in the Philippines or overseas, from 10 to 25 years old who are enrolled in high school and college.

SM City launches Candyland Christmas

IN CELEBRATION of the Yuletide season, SM City Cagayan de Oro has again decorated its mall, making its shoppers feel that Christmas is just around the corner.   The spirit of Christmas has filled the atrium of SM City as goody gumdrops and candies were set up for the mall’s Candyland Christmas.

Dychaauco: Sugar! Sugar! Sugar!

FOR every baker, decorator, cook or just “plain” citizen, sugar is one staple that is as important as the other ingredients in our lives. It gives not only the sweetness of the finished product, but also so much more. It is a must to achieve wonderful results.

Pusong Minero Awards inspire miners

PHILIPPINE Mine Safety and Environment Association handed the Pusong Gintong Pala award on the 59th Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference on Thursday.

PMSEA probes ‘whys’ of Philex disaster

PHILIPPINE Mine Safety and Environment Association president Louie Sarmiento said a team of mining engineers and experts in tailings dam design will investigate the collapse of the Philex’s mine tailings dam.

Sarmiento said they will look into the possibility that the design of the tailings pond may have been “flawed.”

Speaker stresses social aspect of mining

THROUGH Rene Ford’s paper entitled Integrated Social Development Planning, the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association stressed in the Mineral Industry Symposium the roles of mining companies in community relations.

Ford, Far Southeast Gold Resources, Inc. representative, presented how sustainable development happens in Mankayan, Benguet which is now a first class municipality.

Coalition recruitment on

COALITION for Responsible Mining in Mindanao is interested in recruiting the 2012 PMSEA awardees as new members.

CORMINE2 is a group of recognized responsible mining companies. Joseph Palanca, COREMINE2 secretary, said, “Being part of COREMINE2 is considered prestigious for a responsible mining company and we recruit members proven to practice best in health, society and environment.” The group advocates good governance among stakeholders along with a technical exchange of education. It provides inspiration for mining companies for a responsible mining.

A trip to Camiguin Island

CAMIGUIN, formerly belonging to the province of Misamis Oriental, boasts of a very enticing beauty that captivates just any tourists who come to visit the area.

Cobcobo: Hollywood glam

LAST Nov. 6, at Rockwell (the tent), Makati, I was fortunate enough to be one of those who were invited to attend the hair show of the new Loreal Fall Winter Collection which was called retro nouveau. It's a collection from past Hollywood glam and it's not just about the hair but clothes were also included; it's really the total package.

The hairstyle collection included the blonde pixie cut of Twiggy, the iridescent bob cut of Elizabeth Taylor and the copper long layered wavy hair of Brigitte Bardot.

Oliphant presents mining model

SOUTH African Deputy Minister for Mineral Resources Godfrey Oliphant presented the successful mining model in his country aiming to harmonize culture, tourism and economics here.

“South Africa and the Philippines have a long history of cooperation and international solidarity. From our time in the Non-Aligned Movement when we asserted that the needs of our people, their prosperity, and security should take precedent to a world that sort to divide us between two exogenous poles.”

PMSEA opens new landmark in Baguio City

PHILIPPINE Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) president Engr. Louie Sarmiento lauded the development of their 5000-sq. m. adopted area in the Botanical Garden last Tuesday.

According to Arch. George Mendoza, chief architect of PMSEA Park, the park’s concept was adopted sceneries from the Mt. Province. It showcases endemic and indigenous plants from the Philippines. Moreover, the humidity and the climate in Mt. Province were also considered. Mendoza said, “Two to three years from now, these trees are grown up and we can already feel the coldness here.”

Mineral industry symposium today

THE ANNUAL National Mine Safety and Environment Conference Minerals Industry symposium series includes the Implementation of the First Free Trade Agreement Act on its list of topics to be dealt on November 15.

Oceana Gold Philippines, Inc. representative Brennan Lang will give a background on the FTAA and its mechanism of putting it to practice.

Burger in a bordello?

WHY not? But this new joint adjacent to Silom’s latest lifestyle hotel, Pullman Bangkok Hotel G, only mimics the look of one – red walls, the bar in wood, oversized leather winged chairs— it’s plush and funky, Old Hollywood meets modern vibe, and it serves burger. The place—25 Degrees.

Films enabling the nation screened in Cebu

THE Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival commemorated the National Deaf Awareness Week with the screening of four short films that deal with issues of the deaf at the Cebu Public Library last March 14.

In partnership with the Gualandi Volunteer Services Program and the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines in Cebu, Dakila presented the short films “Feeling the Faith” by Paul Halili and Alan Obenza, “Kubli” by Dr. Liza Martinez, “Abot Kamay” by Victor Villanueva and “River of Dreams” by Mike Dagnalan.

Celebrating the heritage of Max's restaurant

MAX'S, one of the country's leading and oldest restaurant, gives Dabawenyos more of its superb taste as it opened its second branch here at the SM Lanang Premier last November 7.

Groups sustain drive against malnutrition

CENTURY Pacific Group-Ricardo S. Po (CPG-RSPo) Foundation, in cooperation with the Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (Cite), continues to wage war against malnutrition and hunger among Filipino children during its October relaunching of Kalusugan at Isipan Naalagaan (Kain) Po supplementary feeding program.

CIC Batch ’77 reunion set

THE high school batch who graduated in 1977 from the Colegio dela Inmaculada Concepcion (CIC) will mark its coral jubilee, with activities lined up from Dec. 1 to 5.

Thirty-five years since their high school graduation, members of Batch ’77 will open the reunion activities with a welcome brunch at 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 1 at the Don Merto’s Restaurant at Casa Escaño, Cebu City.

CVIF-DLP orientation held

SMART Communications Inc. and the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) recently conducted simultaneous orientation sessions on the award-winning Central Visayan Institute Foundation (CVIF)-Dynamic Learning Program (DLP) in key cities all over the country.

The simultaneous activity was part of the groups’ efforts to spread to the schools the good news about this non-traditional yet effective learning method.

Shakey’s V-League

THE Shakey’s Girls’ Volleyball League, an inter-school volleyball tournament among high school girls’ teams from around the Philippines, and has since earned a solid reputation of being THE PREMIERE GIRLS’ LEAGUE among both private and public high school girls volleyball teams nationwide, is on its 10th season.

Red tokens in tote

WE MAY say, their love affair all began sometime autumn of 2004, with that one trip to Manhattan.

Love & pamper your feet

SHOES are important tools that would measure comfort and discomfort and a gauge in maintaining the correct walking technique. These also deliver a statement about one's sense of style, making one feel good when complemented.

Some may just endure an aching feet in favor of the outward appearance, or find it impractical to buy comfortable shoes and resort to cheaper quality or secondhand kind of shoes, not knowing the importance of that simple pair you wear in your feet.

Reading made easy, fun for school kids

READING, aside from being challenging, is also enjoyable.

This was the experience of students who underwent a special reading activity at Nasipit Central Elementary School in Agusan del Norte. Students with difficulties in reading and comprehension were exposed to various activities to measure reading capabilities and weaknesses.

A soldier and a family man

SERVING the public and protecting the people amid the dangers of their profession is his commitment and what inspires Major Jacob Thaddeus Mamauag Obligado, chief of the Army's 10th Infantry Division's Civil Military Operation "Kalinaw" Battalion (CMOBN), in his 21 years in the military service.

He did not dream of becoming a soldier in his youth, but he never regretted this turn in his life.

Water-tubing adventure

WHILE many people stayed either at home or at the cemetery to pay respect for their departed loved ones, I and my travel companies, two of whom were newbies in Davao City went on an extreme water adventure in Talomo.

Free workshop for PWDs set

FR. LORETO Jaque and his group, Deliverance and Uplift in the Wonders of the Arts (Duwa), will host a free workshop for persons with disabilities (PWDs) on Nov. 18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the social hall of the Cebu City Hall.

Dubbed as “Arts Day with PWDs,” the event, which is sponsored by Globe Telecom and IROC Vis-Min, aims to give PWDS a voice to express their thoughts and artistic capabilities. It is meant to celebrate their stories and to honor them by letting them explore their creativity and imagination through fun activities. Art materials, snacks and lunch will be provided for free.