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Category: Views & Opinions

  • A Review: Start Rolling with JustRollIt (Online Board Game)

    A Review: Start Rolling with JustRollIt (Online Board Game)

    Board games are now becoming a novel and an exciting form of social entertainment again. More and more bars and cafés are catching up on the latest trend, offering a wide choice of board games available for guests to play while having some drinks and snacks.

    Just recently, Gameclub Philippines has released an online board game that’s another fun activity which can surely entertain and hype up your planning and strategic skills. What gives? JustRollIt is like Monopoly, where gamers take turns to roll the dice and move forward to become the richest player by buying, selling and trading property and cash, and by bankrupting their opponents.

    Unlike the popular board game Monopoly though, in JustRollIt, you have the chance to win money and amazing prizes in real life: at least PhP 1,000 daily from a monthly prize pool of PhP 62,000. Qualified players can also join weekly and monthly raffle draws over three months for a chance to win part of a total prize pool of one million pesos. Interesting, right?

    JustRollIt: How to Play

    1. Download and install the game from http://justrollit.ph/.
    2. Register for an account in ph.gameclub.com.
    3. Login to the game with your username and password.
    4. Select a character. (Note: There are 8 characters you may choose from, with each having its own special abilities or luck that will be useful during the game. A brief description about each character is displayed to help you decide which to go for.)
    5. Follow the step-by-step tutorial.
    6. Start the game (with initial PhP 20M).

    JustRollIt: Know the Basic Dynamics

    Buy Cities and Construct Buildings

    Simply put, after rolling the dice and your character lands on a blank land or spot, you may buy the city and construct buildings.

    Pay Fees

    Aside from the fees incurred from buying a property, you may also be asked to pay rental fees when you land on other users’ properties.


    However, if you don’t have enough money left to pay for the rental fees, you may either declare bankruptcy, request for a bank loan, or sell a property to gain back some cash.


    I have tried declaring bankruptcy and lost (game over), so it may be better to just opt for the other two moves to continue the game.

    Festival City

    If you land on a festival city, everything is doubled. This means that if the festival city you stepped on is owned by someone else, you will need to pay him/her double the price. On the other hand, if others land on your festival city, they will need to pay you in double as well in return.

    Color Victory

    Color victory is a kind of small win where you earn double points or cash if you get all the same colored blocks. Don’t worry if other players got one of the colors you are targeting to complete because you may still acquire their assets later by purchasing it on a higher bid.

    Win Conditions

    There are four types of winning styles or strategies: get the other players bankrupt (automatic win for you), target the Triple Color Victory where you should own three sets of same colored blocks, achieve a Line Victory by having an entire line of properties on one side of the board, and aim for the Tourist Victory by owning all tourist cities to win the game.

    A Review: Start Rolling with JustRollIt

    Likes

    1. Attractive animations
      The colors, layout, and font faces used are neat and appropriate. With cool graphics in place, any user can definitely enjoy and become hooked into the game.
    2. Catchy background music
      The sound effects and background music are quite catchy and amusing. You will feel more excited about the next things to happen!
    3. Fun engagement with other players
      JustRollIt features a chat room where you can communicate with other users you’re playing with. In this way, there will be no stiffed time as you engage with them while waiting for your turn.
    4. Solid rules
      Having a clear definition of the rules is very important for any game. With well-explained mechanics, players, especially the beginners, may understand the game better and appreciate it to the fullest.
    5. No interruptions
      Several games today are partnered with interruptions. Ads would suddenly pop up during game time. But here in JustRollIt, there are no ads to shock and disturb you and that’s a good plus point.

    Dislikes

    1. Quite overwhelming for beginners
      Although the theme of the game is not entirely a new idea, the modules of the whole program may be quite overwhelming for beginners. A lot of things seem to be happening at the same time and there are several sections in the game that still need to be navigated to know about it. To cut it short, puzzle pieces must be discovered and connected first to know all the areas and functionalities of the game.
    2. Can’t play alone or even with a bot 🙁

      There may be times that there are no available game rooms to join or even if you create your own room, no user might be available at that time. Thus, it would have been better if there are options to play alone or with the computer.
    3. Internet-dependent
      Another sad part for those who don’t have good Internet connection is that the game is heavily dependent on it. So if you are not connected to the Internet, you may not access and start the game.
    4. No mobile app version 
      JustRollIt is a client-based program installed on the PC or laptop. If Gameclub Philippines wants it to be visible to more users, offering the game to be played via a mobile application as a forward-thinking approach will make it more noticeable. Mobile apps can greatly contribute to brand awareness as it’s like a hip, functional, and stylish billboard sign that can be accessed anytime and anywhere.

    Wrap Up

    To sum it all up, JustRollIt is a great game to have a good time. Being addicted to the game is definitely not a surprise. I took pleasure in playing the game as the enjoyable interaction satisfies my inner competitive urges and desire to not only win cash prizes but also to master new concepts including an enhanced visual perception.

    There’s definitely a lot to look forward to in this online board game in the coming months. If you have some spare time, definitely check this out! You might even find yourself meeting a new friend—or a lifetime partner—and become richer by a million pesos. Who knows? 🙂

  • What’s Your Favorite Restaurant? Vote Now for THE CHOICE 2015!

    What’s Your Favorite Restaurant? Vote Now for THE CHOICE 2015!

    “What’s your favorite restaurant?” That’s the most basic question that I get asked almost all the time whenever someone learns that I’m a food blogger. The funny thing is, I also almost always pause and all of a sudden my mind turns blank. Wahaha! Especially when followed by “why,” it’s the most difficult to answer—simply because I have been to quite a number of restaurants and there’s too many that I find outstanding.

    Metro Manila has developed the obsession with visiting and trying out all sorts of restaurants and cuisines over the last few years. People buzz about the latest trending bistros and cafes like someone just figured out how to time travel. Oh yeah.

    We all want to have an incredible meal, leaving our degustation destiny in the chef’s hands! 🙂 We are always very curious about the crowd favorites. The popular vote, if you will.

    What’s Your Favorite Restaurant? Vote Now for THE CHOICE!

    So, Our Awesome Planet and the Blogger Collective known as the KTG (Kain Tulog Gang) have partnered to conduct the first ever People’s Choice for their Favorite Food, Restaurants, Bars, and more~ or simply, “The Choice“.

    You can participate and answer the survey here: (Note: Last day of answering the survey is on August 3, 2015.)

    www.surveymonkey.com/r/TheChoice2015

    The Survey Parameters

    About The  Awards

    We conducted an intense first round of voting among ourselves, and our resulting Top Tens have made us very pleased: we feel it’s a very diverse and fair representation of all our Metro Manila favorites. The categories are very broad, as they should be in a democratic vote.

    However, we’d like to emphasize that this is NOT a “Best of…” list. Our good friends and respected colleagues from The MBKRS are doing an excellent job of recognizing the restaurants and restaurateurs in their prestigious bi-annual awards.

    The MBKRS are rightly regarded as the Oscars of our ever growing foodie community. So we’d like “The Choice” to be the Golden Globes~ a bit more irreverent, surely less formal, and yes, it ought to be greatly biased. After all, YOU will be voting for your favorites, this is YOUR CHOICE!!!

    The KTG

    “The KTG is a group of friends who all just happen to be some of the top food bloggers in the Philippines; every one of their individual blogs ranks among the highest ranking and most influential online publications dedicated to food, entertainment, and travel.

    The KTG is composed of some of the more senior food bloggers in the country, including Richie Zamora of “The Pickiest Eater in the World,” and Richard Co of “Tales from the Tummy.” Representing the younger generation are “The Hefty Foodie,” “The Food Scout,” and “Nines vs. Food.” And from the world of showbiz, Mr. Chuckie Dreyfus, a foodie who’s also a respected tech blogger.

    The KTG’s objectives are not limited to discovering the best restaurants, however. While it’s affectionately called the “Kain Tulog Gang,” it’s officially participated in relief efforts in Tacloban and Iloilo after Yolanda; and in Metro Manila, this “Kapatiran sa Tulong at Ginhawa” is on a constant mission to contribute in providing joy and comfort to the less fortunate.”

    The KTG Blogs:
    http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/
    http://www.clickthecity.com/
    http://www.juice.ph/
    and the Philippine Star’s “Let’s Eat” magazine, now nationwide every last Sunday of the month.

    BLOSOMEX

    Our Awesome Planet, the Philippines #1 Food and Travel Blog and Kain Tulog Gang (KTG), a collective of the top food and lifestyle bloggers in Manila, in partnership with World Food Expo (WOFEX), the Ultimate Food Show Experience in cooperation with Vikings, NIU, and Four Seasons restaurants present the first BLOSOMEX (Blogging and Social Media Expo) on August 8, 2015 Saturday at the SMX Mall of Asia.

    Blogging and Social Media Expo (BLOSOMEX), co-located event of the country’s biggest and most effective food show, WORLD FOOD EXPO (WOFEX), focuses on exploding the commercial activity in the blogging and social media scene in the Philippines in 2015 and beyond. Blosomex aims to be the catalyst in preparing both the businesses and the bloggers/ social media practitioners to take commercial advantage of the digital opportunities.

    • Early Bird Registration – P1,497
    • Regular Walk-In Price – P2,000
    To register and purchase tickets for the BLOSOMEX Summit, please email Blosomex@gmail.com.

    PROGRAMME

    8:00am – 9:30am Registration
    9:45am – 10:00am Introduction
    10:00am – 10:30am ANTON DIAZ, Founder, OurAwesomePlanet.com
    Keynote: “State of Food and Travel Blogging in the Philippines”
    10:30am – 11:15am VIP Guest Speaker : Mark Wiens, Founder, Migrationology.com
    Keynote: “Food is the Reason YOU Should Travel: Viral Video Blogging in the YOUTUBE Era”
    11:15am – 12:00nn Panel Discussion with Department of Tourism Secretary Mon Jimenez
    The Global Filipino Fiesta: “The Value of Social Media and Blogging in Promoting Philippine Tourism Worldwide”
    12nn to 1:00pm Lunch Break
    1:00pm to 2:00pm VIBER and INSTAGRAM Presentations: “The Future is on The Move; Social Media’s Dominant New Directions are on Instant Mobile Apps”
    2:00pm to 2:30pm Spanky Enriquez, Marketing and Social Media Consultant “Restaurant Industry Engagement in the age of Digital Influencers”
    2:30pm to 3:00pm Richie Zamora, Founder, thepickiesteater.net
    “Romancing Generation NeXt : Reaching out to the Millennials”
    3:00pm to 4:30pm THE CHOICE: THE OAP/KTG RESTAURANT FAVORITES AWARDS
    4:30PM to 5:00pm Closing Program
    5:00PM to 8:00pm AFTER-PARTY COCKTAILS: Sponsored by Zomato
  • Whodunnit? Crime Investigation Case Solved at Breakout Interactive Theater (Commercenter Alabang)

    Whodunnit? Crime Investigation Case Solved at Breakout Interactive Theater (Commercenter Alabang)

    Novels and TV series have a longstanding love affair with crime scene investigation, evoking a natural impulse on readers and viewers to embrace the story and ride along with the adventure. In every murder story, different characters in a setting ultimately make twists and turns into an unpredictable nail-biting extravaganza. If you’re one who’s fascinated with this kind of genre, you might have thought of playing the role of the investigator yourself. So given the chance, are you game to do detective work for a day?

    My answer was YES! 🙂

    Brought by Runtertainment, Inc., the team behind Outbreak Manila, the 5-km zombie infested fun run, Breakout Philippines—the country’s premiere escape room game, and the 1000 ft slip-and-slide for Slidefest Philippines, Breakout Interactive Theater (BIT) had organized a one-day event last Saturday, July 11, 2015, for crime investigation enthusiasts to experience and solve a murder mystery filled with suspense and live action going on.

    I teamed up with Franc, Louie, and Gianne, and together we interrogated probable suspects and accomplices of the murder and looked for evidences to answer one basic question: WHODUNNIT. As each character revealed information about what might have happened, the plot transpired to be riveting and simply nerve-wrecking.

    Crime Investigation Case Solved at Breakout Interactive Theater (Commercenter Alabang)

    Background

    Commercenter Alabang has grown from a humble movie house in the 1990s to one of the most prestigious malls in the country. The company started with three founders: Brian Valdez, Julio Rodrigo, and Tinio. However, as fate would have it, Tinio had parted ways with Valdez and Rodrigo because of a misunderstanding after some years.

    In 2014, Valdez died of lung cancer and it was his last will and testament to have his only son, Nicholas Magnus, run the company as president and CEO. The business went on smoothly under Magnus’ leadership, and he was in fact awarded as the “Best Executive of the Philippine Malls” with Commercenter Alabang located in the south.

    As part of the game play, the event we attended was Commercenter Alabang’s Appreciation Night and 25th Anniversary Celebration.

    It was supposedly a momentous occasion where Magnus would thank loyal patrons and the people working for the success of Commercenter through the years. Sumptuous dinner was served by Belly Grub, and guests (participants of Whodunnit) were treated with a warm welcome by Magnus himself even before he went onstage.

    Murder Occurrence

    Shortly, Magnus was called up by the host to deliver his speech. While thanking guests, someone called his phone alerting on the emergency. Simultaneously, we heard gunshots on the background.

    Two private investigators entered the scene. Apparently, they were hired by Magnus to protect and secure the mall since he had been receiving threats on its safety. Julio Rodrigo, one of the founders and friends or Valdez, now Head of Security, was appalled when he learned about it as he felt bypassed for his role.

    An undercover agent named Jojo Garcia was killed—and this signaled the official start of our mission. Who was the killer and what were his motives?

    WHODUNNIT Investigation

    A set of evidences was presented on the Evidence Table. It consisted of the victim’s shirt and pants full of blood and a parking ticket detailing the date and time of arrival and plate number. This hinted us to check if the car was still parked in the parking area so we can get the next leads.

    Suspect # 1

    On the way to the car, we met one of the primary suspects of the murder. Butch Balmaceda, the guard on duty hired by Julio Rodrigo, was wearing sunglasses indoors and appeared too drunk to be fully cognizant of what was happening. We saw him smoking quite a bit of cigarettes and heavily sweating through his polo. He admitted feeling stressed because his wife was in the hospital and he terribly needed money to pay for the bills.

    Amidst all his reasoning, he could be just lying or feeling a pang of guilt for murdering someone (thus the sweating, drinking, and fidgeting) in exchange of money out of desperation. If he were really the killer, it still wasn’t clear who could have hired him and why the murder had to be done.

    Moving on, we found the car we were looking for. Inside were a ticking bomb, bags, some documents, and a box labeled with the name “Julian Rodriguez.”

    The car had a dent on the back corner by the trunk. Beside it was a finished can of San Miguel beer which we thought could be a trace of Butch Balmaceda as he came clean on drinking the same can of beer earlier.

    Could Butch be the one who had set up the bomb? This would only make sense if he had the car key. Our next questions were: who drove the car and whose car was it?

    Suspect # 2

    Next, we interviewed Nicholas Magnus and learned that the car was his and Manu was the name of the driver who drove him that day. With these info, our minds wandered on the possibilities that either Magnus planted the bomb in the car so he could claim insurance or Manu the driver did it with another hidden agenda.

    The reason why Magnus’ last name wasn’t taken after his father was that he was born out of wedlock from Valdez’s second wife. Also because of this, many believed that it was not right for an illegitimate son to be handed down the major shares of the company and become its most powerful controlling entity.

    Suspect # 3

    Julio Rodrigo was one among those who opposed the idea—for without the presence of Magnus, he could have been the next lawful successor of Commercenter. He strongly stressed though that he would not reach the point of killing someone just to be at the top.

    When asked why he did not think of starting up his own business and maybe even compete with Commercenter, he said he loved the company so much like his own “baby.” Hence, he could not forgo the thought of leaving it despite that he remained as the head of security as originally appointed.

    Suspect # 4

    While we were having dinner, we’ve known Manu Tinio as the guy in white barong walking around the sides of the dining hall.

    After the incident, we saw him outside the mall wearing a black polo.

    Why did he change clothes and why was he not found with everyone with us inside when the commotion took place? He said that food spilled on his barong and he had to make security rounds in the mall building to secure the perimeter as part of his job being the assistant head of security next to Julio Rodrigo.

    When asked if he knew Magnus’ driver (who goes with the same name “Manu”), he said no nonchalantly. His expression didn’t betray his speech.

    Suspect # 5

    Working in Commercenter for 25 years, Rina Cruz personally did know Valdez and she would be compensated with a commission from the insurance if anything goes awry with the company. She was found carrying a logbook containing all the “time in” and “time out” entries of employees at Commercenter. We noted the entry log of Manu Tinio and discovered that it did not matched the time of arrival he stated. We were then convinced that Manu Tinio was a liar. Conversely, it was also possible that Rina altered the logs to further complicate weaves in the murder mystery.

    As the operations manager in charge of all the staff sourcing in the mall, Rina must be holding critical personal information of people being hired in Commercenter. Since the “Manu Tinio” we met previously held the same surname as Tinio, the former partner of Valdez and Rodrigo, we inquired on the odds that the two could be related. Additionally, we asked if she’s aware that “Manu Tinio” was the same “Manu” pertained as Magnus’ driver. Rina denied both accounts and told us these could be passed off as mere coincidences.

    Case Analysis

    It was 20 minutes before the two-hour limit and we had to fill out the accusation sheet and evidence sheet to be surrendered at the end of the game for evaluation. We initially decided that Butch Balmaceda was the killer because there were more evidence to back the accusation and support its demise.

    Fortuitously, we ran across the Emergency Exit at the second floor and found more solid proofs that convinced us to change our answer and conclude that the real suspect was Manu Tinio. My gosh lah! White barong with blood stains, gun, picture of the founders, Marlboro cigarette box—all these were solid indications that pointed to him.

    A bartender named Cocoy testified that he smoked with Manu Tinio a while back and that it was only Manu Tinio who wore the same barong.

    The guy wanted revenge because of the falling out of Valdez and Tinio. It’s vague for me though how Manu Tinio was related to the founder Tinio.

    Wrap Up

    Breakout Philippines has taken interactive entertainment to a whole new level. Whodunnit, Breakout Interactive Theater’s first public release, fell in the same vein as the unpredictable and suspenseful nature of CSI, Sherlock, etc. It’s the perfect game for detectives at heart! 🙂 Everything was planned out well in the mall. The great acting of the cast, the realistic plot and setting, and the game mechanics helped build the excitement that fueled us participants to compete and unravel the mystery.

    Watch out for more crime solving cases and detective work by Breakout Philippines next time. 🙂

    Thanks, Franc, for the invite!

     

  • Pop Talk GMA News TV Guesting: Lilac Street, Marikina Food Crawl

    Pop Talk GMA News TV Guesting: Lilac Street, Marikina Food Crawl

    Thanks to the endorsement of my KTG Dad, Richie, I had another opportunity to guest on a national TV show, meet interesting people, and gain new experiences that I might not have otherwise had. We filmed a “food crawl” episode of Pop Talk last month in three restaurants that are within walking distance of one another along Lilac Street in the second district in Marikina. It will be airing this Saturday, July 11, 2015 at 8:00PM on GMA News TV so please mark your calendar and watch it. 😀

    Hosted by Kuya Tonipet Gaba, “Pop Talk” features different trending restaurants, travel destinations, and innovative gadgets to audiences weekly. At the end of program, host and guests in the show decide and conclude whether the restaurant/destination/item reviewed is a “pop” or a “flop.”

    Pop Talk GMA News TV Guesting: Lilac Street, Marikina Food Crawl

    When food crawling, pacing is an absolute key and walking in between is always good. Adapting the two-bite strategy sounds most ideal, but when faced with food that look so good, it’s tempting to opt in and eat more to make the most out of the dining experience.  💡 

    Together with Kuya Tonipet (TV Host, GMA Network), Chef Mark E. Bernardino (CEO, Center for Asian Culinary Studies-Subic Bay and Owner of Organico Gourmet), and Ashley Ortega (Artist, GMA Network), I embarked upon the journey of adventurous eating where we sampled a total of 20+ dishes from three of the hottest restaurants now in Lilac Street.

    People working behind the scenes were amazing. I saw how a team of program writer, researcher, camera men, make-up artist, host and guests collaborated and worked to make the show happen—rain or shine.

    First stop: Miguel & Maria

    Freshly modeled and boasting a stylish modern interior, Miguel and Maria has just joined the pioneering old restaurant favorites in Marikina last February 16, 2015 to create a much more vibrant food culture in the neighborhood. Dishing out an inspired mix of ultimate comfort food, this joint served us with hearty European cooking executed with precision and well-sourced ingredients.

    with Ash and Miguel

    Did their food specialties successfully appeal to our palates? With a price point of PhP 180-PhP 300 per dish, does this restaurant deserve a return visit soon?

    Location Address: 89 Lilac Corner Panaroma Street, Concepcion Dos, Marikina City
    Contact Numbers: (02) 4232624, +639989722456
    Opening Hours: Mon-Thu, Sun 11AM to 2PM, 5PM to 10PM, Fri-Sat 11AM to 2PM, 5PM to 12MN

    Second stop: Brad and Pit’s Ribshack

    A sweet addition to the row of restaurants left and right along Lilac Street, this charming rib shack offers a delicious Latin American menu written on the wall behind the counter. Focusing on ribs, wings, sandwiches and inventive drinks, Brad and Pit’s Ribshack is festooned with design elements that preached immense impression of a funky and casual vibe.

    Will this restaurant be able to inspire first-timers to become regulars? With food prices ranging from PhP 149 to PhP 335, is dining here deceivingly expensive or reasonable?

    with Brad
    with Chef Pit

    Location Address: 116 Lilac Street, SSS Village, Concepcion Dos, Marikina City
    Contact Number: (02) 503 1656
    Opening Hours: Mon-Thu 10AM-10PM, Fri-Sun 10AM-11PM

    Third stop: Burrito Brothers

    For four years now, Burrito Brothers has been churning out Mexican fare including tacos, burritos, flauta, quesadilla, nachos and wraps in Lilac Street. While filling food and tasty sides keep customers queuing at this al fresco setting, did we all agree that it’s an impressive place that’s worth checking out?

    Burrito Brothers owner

    Can Burrito Brothers possibly be at the forefront of the “burrito revolution”?

    Location Address: 69 Lilac Street, SSS Village, Concepcion Dos, Marikina City
    Contact Number: (02) 5009637
    Opening Hours: 11AM-11PM daily

    Wrap Up: The Verdict

    The dynamics of guesting as food/restaurant reviewers in Pop Talk included not just stuffing ourselves with enticing food and discovering what’s recommended and what’s not but also judging and describing them critically while in the spirit of a day-long binge on camera.

    To deliver our verdict in terms of food tastes and quality, restaurant ambiance, and price for value after the Marikina food trip, we moved to Breakfast Brothers to reveal and explain our “POP or FLOP” votes individually. Which of the restaurants are a hit and which of them are a miss? My lips are sealed for now. 😛

    UPDATE: Here’s the video uploaded on YouTube. 🙂

  • Behind the Scenes: I Juander GMA News TV Guesting on Food Episode

    Behind the Scenes: I Juander GMA News TV Guesting on Food Episode

    I Juander is a local TV show in the Philippines which airs every Wednesday at 8:00PM to 9:00PM on GMA News TV Channel 11. Featuring trends in the society and interesting lifestyle topics, veteran GMA reporters Susan Enriquez and Cesar Apolinario try to answer what makes us Filipino by demystifying and investigating the origins of different aspects of Filipino culture. The show is both fun and informative, one that suits all ages.

    In some episodes, they welcome guests to share views and provide feedback in participation to find certain conclusions. And guess what…last Saturday (on my birthday), I received a tweet from a program researcher of I Juander inviting me to the next day’s shoot! 🙂

    My role in the segment? All I knew was that I had to judge food prepared by chefs. Just as how I review and describe food served up by restaurants through writing in my blog, I would have to critique how the cooked dishes taste like on national TV—on the spot. The tactic hence was to prepare for the unexpected, as no prompters, no script, and no gimmicks would be given. It was the real deal.

    To confirm my attendance, I responded positively and asked for meetup details. Fortunately, I had a great support system and my dad was kind to accommodate me to GMA Network Center in Diliman, Quezon City at the agreed time on Sunday.

    After waiting for almost 3.5 hours, the I Juander crew finally reached GMA headquarters and met with us. Hooray! 🙂 We drove to the shoot venue in a village in Cainta, Rizal and had some snacks in a café upon arrival, while the crew started setting up the props, fixtures, and lighting outside.

    Behind the Scenes: I Juander GMA News TV Guesting on Food Episode

    The TV guesting experience was worthwhile and truly memorable. In the shoot, I had the opportune chance to get to know Chef Nap Sol (Co-owner of Casa del Sol Catering, Trainer for Bread and Pastry Production NC II, Product Endorser of ELBA, and ARKIDS Food Products Piano Teacher), Chef Rhon Aguilar a.k.a the “Chunky Kusinero” (Consultant at Sugarleaf foods that nourish), Papa Buboy (actor-turned-radio jock at Barangay LS 97.1), program researchers, and videographers.

    I learned about their profiles, success stories, work experiences, and personal views and opinions. I asked questions—they shared answers. But what exactly happened in the episode? What food were prepared? How did they fare? You have to watch I Juander on June 24, 2015 at 8:00PM on GMA News TV Channel 11 to find out! 😛

    Meanwhile, here are some BTS pictures:

    Watch the episode here:

    Enjoy! 🙂

  • Review of Qeryz Microsurvey Tool (Know Your Traffic)

    Review of Qeryz Microsurvey Tool (Know Your Traffic)

    Notice the small pop-up window that shows up at the lower left after a few seconds of staying in any of my blog’s page? Well, that’s Qeryz. It’s an as-you-go microsurvey that helps bridge the thoughts and opinions of website’s visitors to the site owner.

    I have been using Qeryz (free version), as recommended by Sean Si, and enjoying reading responses of different readers since last month. For all it’s worth, let me share what I think of this plugin through this review of the Qeryz WordPress Microsurvey Tool. 🙂

    Review of Qeryz Microsurvey Tool (Know Your Traffic)

    Survey Creation: ★★★★★

    Creating surveys in Qeryz is easy and users don’t need to attend some formal training or read a user’s manual to complete one. To create a new survey, users just have to follow the tabs at the top of the page: Create/Edit, Target, Design and Install. I finished creating the survey in about five minutes and I bet you can do it quickly, too. 😉

    Create/Edit: Users are given the option to choose from popular templates and then name the survey. Qeryz allows customization on the question and answer selection type (with order randomization).

    Targeting is also functional. The referral condition options allow the site owner to narrow down the data’s purity based on where the viewers came from. In my case, I just chose “came from anywhere on the web.” That way, anyone who lands on my blog through search engine, other referral sites, or direct visits will see the Qeryz microsurvey.

    Other components of Targeting that I appreciated are: the frequency the survey should be displayed, survey scheduling or activation period, and email notifications.

    In terms of design, the colors of the Qeryz survey window can be redefined according to your preference on what will best complement the layout and design of your site. I didn’t bother to alter the default black and dark gray combination. I like that it looks good and simple—always edgy and never passé.

    For the position, I chose “Left” since I already have upPrev, a flyout box that shows the related posts from the same article category, which is positioned on the right.


    The last step is Installation. Once you’ve successfully copied and pasted the code to your blog, you can sit back, relax, and see answers of visitors in the coming days.

    Survey Analysis: ★★★★★

    Qeryz is a great survey tool with analytical and statistical tools. It features simple info for analysis, such as percentages of subscription status (days consumed) and conversions (responses vs. the total number of views) on the dashboard, so you can see them immediately as you log in every time.

    Out of over 45,000 readers who saw the Qeryz survey in my blog in a month, I only got 235 responses. 😆 But hey, I’m not complaining! I’m even grateful because I wasn’t at all expecting to receive such good answers in my first attempt to show a microsurvey in a non-forceful manner. 😛 From this overview, the survey result seemed to indicate that the majority liked reading my food reviews the most, followed by beauty posts, travel posts, and personal experiences.

    Wrap Up

    If you are looking for some simple feedback from your visitors, want to know your traffic, and you’re pretty tech savvy, I recommend giving Qeryz WordPress Microsurvey a crack. With Qeryz, creating surveys and analyzing the data do not have to be complicated. This tool is powerful enough to produce relevant and reliable results, but of course that depends on the respondents as well. As the saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out.”

    Check out the pricing and details below. Note that you can try out the plans for free in 15 days and get your money back if not satisfied. Interested? You can subscribe here now or read here for more information.

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  • #TeamAlphario at GTMACCON: Comic Book Characters in Live Cosplay

    #TeamAlphario at GTMACCON: Comic Book Characters in Live Cosplay

    WHAT IS GTMACCON?

    GTMACCON stands for Gaming, Toys, Manga/Anime, Cosplay, Comics Convention, and it aims to promote local comics by featuring Pinoy comic book characters in live cosplay.

    Now on its fourth season, GTMACCON adds six more comic titles to its roster, and these teams will battle it out at the main event on December 6, 2014 for the title of Pinoy Komiks Cosplay Grand Champion in a 4-minute onstage presentation.

    WHAT IS ALPHARIO?

    Alphario: The World Connection (commonly known as Alphario TWC) is a novel and manga project of Solomon Lim (Sol). The story centers around Dennis Blake, a 20-year-old photographer who wins grand prize in a photo contest organized by Shutter Technologies and is subsequently awarded an all-expense paid trip to Japan. Restless and curious, Dennis sets off in search of new friends as he embarks on a wild adventure in a different world he accidentally discovers.

    As of today, Alphario has released a total of eight (8) books, and the whole set is available for 490 pesos. They also offer other products including prints, keychains, mugs, and plushies. Alphario has also been consistently active in Philippine comic conventions.

    Last November 15, 2014, Alphario has been awarded as the Best Serialized Comic Book (Grassroots) in the Komikon Readers’ Choice Awards, an awarding ceremony that takes place every 3 years and aims to recognize the best comics in the local industry.

    Recently, Alphario has been invited to join GTMACCON, and Alphario creator Sol, along with editor Wilhansen Li (Wil), promotions staff Lorianne Halago (Yoyi), and logistics staff Mark Par (Hiro) have joined forces to form #TeamAlphario, the first team where the creators are the cosplayers.

    WHO IS #TEAMALPHARIO?

    #TeamAlphario is composed of several characters from the Alphario storyline: Dennis Blake (portrayed by Sol) the photographer, Senjo Tamura (portrayed by Wil) the lone wolf, Franck Ringe (portrayed by Yoyi) the Shutter employee, and Eurid (portrayed by Hiro) the kyvix guardian. Aside from the main cast, #TeamAlphario also includes SPOT (portrayed by Ainsley Robes) the robot dog and Jinka (portrayed by Liza Ramos) and the rest of the Dennis Blake Fan Club.

    #TeamAlphario has released numerous photos and videos online, asking for the support of the public by voting through a Facebook poll. If you wish to support #TeamAlphario, please do visit this link and click on the circle beside their name: https://bit.ly/teamalphario

    #TeamAlphario currently rehearses long hours on weekends to bring everyone an impressive presentation at the GTMACCON 4 Main Event in the Fisher Mall UGF Event Center on December 6, 2014.

  • Review of Aion Plas Chamois Super Absorbent Towel (Made in Japan)

    Review of Aion Plas Chamois Super Absorbent Towel (Made in Japan)

    We have always referred to it as “the yellow cloth.” 🙂 Aion Plas Chamois (known before as Kanebo Plas Chamois) is a synthetic, super absorbent microfiber towel that leaves almost zero water after a wipe and lasts for years. Trust me, our Chamois has been in use for the last three years and it’s still usable to date. For the purpose of this review, I just bought a new one and because sharing is caring, this is how the package looks like:

    Through the years, we have observed that there’s a great number of fake Aion Plas Chamois and “copy cats” which have entered the market. They are advertised to also work as a great absorbent towel. The consistent power of sales talk by staff in Ace Hardware, Blade, Handyman, etc. had prompted me to go ahead and buy one each of the three major competitors’ product.

    I asked my dad to test and compare the performance of the towels because he’s the one who’s mostly responsible for washing our cars and doing house work. 😀 Among all, he declares hands-down that the Aion Plas Chamois Super Absorbent Towel as the champion. No wonder this brand of microfiber towel is the number 1 chamois brand in Japan! Here are four ways we use the Aion Plas Chamois:

    4 Ways We Use the Aion Plas Chamois (and 4 Ways It is Proven Effective)

    1. Drying the Car

    Aion Plas Chamois features unparalleled water-absorbing performance. It is made with material that absorbs more water than regular towels to dry the car without scratching the surface. It’s fast and easy to use, ideal for auto detailing as well. The size is large enough so you can also try it with cleaning your motorcycle and boat.

    2. Wiping the Bathroom Floor

    Although we have a sliding door inside the bathroom that separates the shower area and the rest of the toilet and have a drain in the middle, water running out of the shower area can’t be helped. Thus, to clean out the mess, after bathing, we maximize the use of Aion Plas Chamois for its absorbing action by wiping the bathroom floor and wringing the cloth to remove excess water onto the sink directly.

    What’s even commendable is that it while mops and ordinary rags normally leave a bunch of hairy clumps (even after multiple washes), the Aion Plas Chamois does not. It neither accumulates hair nor form mold or mildew.

    3. Cleaning the Kitchen

    My mom stands as the official cook at home, and she cannot stand seeing water spilling from the kitchen counter to the floor when she’s preparing the ingredients. Mopping the floor and removing liquids on the counter proved to be taxing especially when done over and over again. In the same vein, replacing a non-absorbing 100% cotton tea towel one after the other adds on the chore. There’s really nothing worse than a crap dishtowel.

    One day, we tried the Aion Plas Chamois and found that it also worked like a reliable old friend in the kitchen. The more we wash it, the softer and more absorbent it becomes.

    4. Drying Sweat

    Haha. I guess drying sweat is one of the more creative ways we have used the Aion Plas Chamois. Have you ever thought that the Aion Plas Chamois can be used as a hand towel? It’s a compact cloth that you can store in your gym bag and you don’t have to carry a bulky one. It’s a good traveling companion, as it occupies just a small space in your suitcase and it serves multipurpose.

    As a synthetic sponge made of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA), it can absorb up to 12 times its dry weight in water. This makes it also as an excellent option if you decide to go trekking, camping or playing sports that will make you perspire big-time. Try it and learn how smooth and soft it goes on the skin. In fact, I know someone who uses it as a bath towel. :mrgreen:

    Wrap Up

    The Aion Plas Chamois has been existing for over 40 years now globally, and it comes with no surprise that many customers from around the world have also recognized the same benefits. At PhP 379 in retail stores in the Philippines, it’s notable that it is costlier than cheaper-quality alternatives and generic brands, but the price for value is high.

    Ordinary rags as well as the product of other brands can only do much, moving around the water without absorbing anymore water when it becomes “full and heavy.” The winning factor must be that the Aion Plas Chamois features a three-layer construction that makes it sustain its usability and durability so it absorbs more and lasts longer. Hence, consider it as a safe investment piece in your home. 😉

    For more information, visit the website of Aion Plas Chamois Philippines at www.aionabsorb.com or their Facebook page. You can also watch the video here: