Biographies of world figures

What comes to mind when we think of Switzerland? Vatican Swiss Guards, skiing at the Alps, Swiss Army knife, watchmaking, chocolates, cheeses, Roger Federer, and Banking, but there are more to the country than these. In honor of Swiss National Day, Cafe Marco at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu has prepared a Culinary Journey across the different regions of Switzerland. French, German, and Italian influences dominate the Swiss food atmosphere. Swissness from A to Z is available from July 30 to August 4 . Lunch and Dinner Buffets will feature traditional Swiss dishes and specialties. Monday to Friday Lunch is at 880PHP and Dinner is at 1440PHP. I've listed 6 Swiss foods that you can enjoy when you take advantage of the festivity. And I do recommend these dishes since I was able to try them during the opening of the Swiss festival last Sunday, July 30. A word of caution to would be diners, there is an abundance of sweets, carbohydrates and dairy products in the buffet spread. You might wa...

Si Kalipay ug ang Kinagamyang Tiktik Brooklyn-based, Filipino-American Christina Newhard pays homage to her Filipino roots by launching three Children's books written in local Filipino languages. The Book Launch will be held on June 26 at Casa Gorordo Museum in Cebu City. The books are designed for children 5 to 8 years old and can be used as teaching tools. Each book  includes a bilingual glossary and discussion/activity questions. The stories teach core Filipino  values (community, respect for elders, tolerance) and Philippine subjects (weaving, folklore,  migration). The book “Si Kalipay ug ang Kinagamyang Tiktik” is in Cebuano, “Si Melo A Mahakay A  Umang” is in Ivatan, while “Si Amina Y El Ciudad de Maga Flores” is Chavacano. The stories were developed during Ms. Newhard's many trips back to the Philippines. She worked with various talented illustrators, translators, and authors. For the book, "Kalipay and the Tiniest Tiktik", Ms. Newhar...

In recent years, Thai food has been gaining traction with the Cebuano palate. And we have seen the growth of Thai restaurants in the province.  From June 23 to 27, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu features the creations of Thai Chef Nontra-Udon Buapha from Marco Polo Prince Hotel, Hong Kong. Cafe Marco's Thai Sojourn will include traditional and signature Thai dishes that Filipinos are familiar with.  Brian Connelly, the new General Manager of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, was on hand to introduce Chef Buapha to the guests. Thai Chef Nontra-Udon Buapha and GM Brian Connelly The level of complexity and flavor structure found in Thai food can be attributed to 5 basic ingredients that are essential in the cooking preparation: spicy chilies, lime juice, red curry paste, sweetened cream, and fish sauce. Looks simple but when you pound and mash all of these ingredients together, the result is that unique taste that you can easily identify and savor. There were three things that I highly enjoyed durin...

CEBU, June 3, 2017 –  Launched globally in February and just last April in Manila, Philippines, the multi-awarded LG G6 smartphone makes its way to the Queen City of the South. Award-winning social media phone LG G6 is now in Cebu.  Seen in the consumer launch at SM Seaside are (L-R): Model and program host Blinky De Leon, LG Philippines Corporate Marketing Head Mayan Salapantan and LG Mobile Philippines Product Manager Faith Mijares. During the event in SM Seaside, Cebu City, consumers, and media partners gathered together to experience LG’s 2017 flagship, which projects itself as the ideal social media smartphone for digitally-savvy users. Among its unique selling points are: FullVision display  – The G6 has a 5.7-inch QHD+ FullVision display and the industry’s first 18:9 screen-to-body ratio for a more immersive viewing experience, all encased in a sleek, minimalist body. It’s also the first smartphone to support Dolby Vision and HDR 10 formats, which ar...

I recently had an awakening. I didn't realize that working in one industry and being surrounded by the same people sheltered me from the realities of living in Cebu. I felt I was in a cocoon all these years. And in the past few days, it felt like I've been through a metamorphosis that culminated on that extraordinary Friday night. We have to look beyond our perception of things. Dig deep into our consciousness. Remove our biases and prejudices to have a clearer vision of what Gabii Sa Kabilin is all about. Harry Potter at the Rizal Memorial Library and Museum I have to admit that in the decade that I have been in Cebu, I didn't have the inclination to go out of my comfort zone. It would have been a totally different story if I was still living in Manila. I have my family there, my friends, people I've grown up with, and familiar places that I've been to. These thoughts entered my mind as I counted the number of hours until I officially ended my workday that Friday e...

It took me 25 years to join a McDonald's Kiddie Crew Workshop. Even though it was just for a couple of hours, it was fun seeing kids from SOS Children's Village participate in the Summer Workshop. The Cebu Bloggers Society together with McDonald's celebrated with these kids for a memorable afternoon. For 650php, your kids will have a 5-day workshop at 500 participating McDonald's stores in the country. They'll receive freebies and will enjoy making new friends.  McDonald's Kiddie Crew participants will learn how to make cheeseburgers and desserts, greet and serve customers. Summer is not yet over. Enroll your kids to the workshop, sessions are available until June 2, 2017. Take a look at the following photos that show how kids can enjoy their time as part of the McDonald's Kiddie Crew. Cheeseburger Making Activity Dessert Making Activity Front Counter Assignment Drive-Thru Meet and Greet McDonald's Kiddie Crew activities and merchandise

The iconic and endearing characters of the comic strip, Peanuts, created by Charles Schultz will be brought to the stage by Vaudeville Theatre Company and Create Cebu from February 17-19 at SM City Cebu. The 1967 musical comedy, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown was created by Clark Gesner and was originally staged off-Broadway. It has become a symbol of childhood memories and innocence. I remember watching this musical when I was younger and singing along with the Peanuts Gang.  If you're part of the Baby Boomer generation or Generation X, you'll be able to recognize and relate to Charlie Brown, Sally Brown, Lucy and Linus Van Pelt, Schroeder, Marcie and Peppermint Patty. And who can forget about Snoopy and his bestfriend Woodstock. The musical can be best described as A Day in the Life of Charlie Brown. It's a rollercoaster kinda day for our protagonist as he goes through his daily routine.  Charlie Brown's journey of finding what it means to be a "good man...

Majority of Filipinos have Chinese heritage. It's ingrained in our culture, food, and the society as a whole. A few years ago, we officially started recognizing the first day of the Lunar New Year as a Holiday.  Lion Dance for luck The Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated either in January or February. This year of the Fire Rooster, January 28 was marked as the day of the celebrations. Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City has been honoring this Holiday every year. They commemorate it during the eve. For this year, January 27 was filled with dragon dances, lion dances, Wushu performances, noodle-sharing and fireworks display. They never falter in ushering another year of prosperity, happiness, and health. Cebu Waterfront never fail to impress their guests. I was lucky to be invited to this year's celebration. One thing that was a surprise for me was when they unveiled the biggest serving of pancit or chow mein noodles. It's a staple for Filipino and Chinese families espe...

One of the things that I love the most is Philippine History. I've always been attentive in school whenever this subject was being talked about especially the Spanish Colonization years.  I've been fascinated with the architecture, artifacts, designs, food, and customs that the Spaniards imparted in our National Psyche. And living in Cebu for the past few years have been an eye-opener.  And I admire people or institutions who promote the preservation of this heritage of ours. Casa Gorordo Museum holds art contest As a way of getting more young Cebuanos to appreciate local culture and heritage, the Casa Gorordo Museum is holding its art contest called “A House in the Parian: The Casa Gorordo Museum Art Contest”. This contest is open to youths aged 12-16 years old and residents of Cebu or enrolled in Cebu schools. The competition is in two categories – “House” and “Object”. Contestants can choose to send an entry for either or both categories. If a contestant chooses to join the...

Asia's Songbird, Regine Velasquez, soars again as she holds a mini-concert today (July 30, 2016) at SM City Cebu. She will be joined by Christian Bautista. The performances will be directed by Ramon Mitra. And this special event is sponsored by PLDT Home. It will also serve as a kick-off for the Sing like Regine Visayan Tour.  The concert will start at 3pm at the Northwing Lobby Atrium of SM Cebu. Fans of Ms. Velasquez will be treated to her top hit songs.

Do you have what it takes to be the next Regine Velasquez-Alcasid?  Can you hit the high notes just like Asia's Songbird?  Then this is the opportunity of a lifetime for you. Join the PLDT HOME Regine Series at SM City Cebu Northwing Atrium on July 30, 2016, 3PM. OPM icon and PLDT HOME ambassador, Regine Velasquez will be kicking off the launch of the Southern leg of the PLDT HOME Regine Series Nationwide Tour in Cebu.  Be treated to a world-class musical performance as Regine sings her well-loved hits. Get to meet her in person as she graces the Queen City of the South with her presence. Join the Regine Sing-a-like contest and get the chance to see Asia's Songbird in person. Submit your voice-video demo, personal information and contact details to pldthomeregineseries@gmail.com. The Regine Telset Series—a set of limited edition landline phones available for only P99 per month—launched last year to great acclaim, is still available. Get them now as stocks are ru...

Last month, SMART has just finished #SmartDigifest in CDO. And Cebuanos would be experiencing the same this month. They're bringing the celebration of faster and stronger data connectivity to our shores. Mark you calendars, as Smart Communications invites all Cebuanos to one big Digifest party filled with awesome activities, great music and prizes on August 6. photo courtesy of SMART All weekends of July, starting July 9th, are booked to the brim with exciting events. July 16-17 - SM CEBU Atrium C: social media weekend. July 23-24 - SM CEBU Atrium C: gaming weekend. July 30-31 - SM Seaside: Streaming weekend Virtual Reality at your fingertips. photo courtesy of SMART I can't wait to try the Gaming weekend. Let's see who wins in the Clash of Clans tournament.  COC rules! photo by SMART

What are your passions? What are your talents? OWN IT! Showcase them and live your life! Your favorite Youtube acts will be painting the town red on Sunday at Liv Superclub, Cebu City, as they get you into the groove. Get to watch Leroy Sanchez, At Sunset, and other Filipino Youtubers ‪#‎OwnIt‬ on July 10, 6pm. OWN IT! Concert How to snag your concert tickets? For EXISTING SMART SUBSCRIBERS : LOAD 50 and REGISTER to GIGA SURF 50! For NEW SUBSCRIBERS: BUY a SMART LTE SIM (P25), LOAD 50 and REGISTER to GIGA SURF 50! Tickets will be available onsite at LIV during the event day. You can also get them from these sites: 1. Pueblo Verde (At the back of 7/11) 2. Prince Warehouse, Bulacao Pardo 3. Gaisano Grand Mall, Jai Alai 4. Across Gaisano Grand Mall, Centro Mandaue City Ticket selling will be available on July 9-10. Don't miss out on this exciting concert! Let's party! See you! OWN IT! Concert Tickets