...the Beauty Influencer of 2019

Bretman Rock won Beauty Influencer of 2019

Gabriela Baron
Manila Bulletin
11 November 2019

Filipino internet star Bretman "Da Baddest"Rock was named The Beauty Influencer of 2019 by the E! People's Choice Award (PCA).

The Hawaii-based vlogger dedicated the award to his dad who he said “supported and loved him unconditionally.”

“I love you so much and I will always be grateful for allowing me to express myself and defended me whenever haters said anything. This one is for you Papa. I hope I make you the proudest,” he shared on Instagram.

The online sensation also thanked those who voted for him.

“This means the absolute world to me. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I’m just lost for words,” he added.

Bretman Rock won against James Charles, Nikita Dragun, NikkiTutorials, Jeffree Star, RCL Beauty, Desi Perkins, and Jackie Aina.

...the Philippine coffee

Philippine coffee wins big in 5th int'l coffee contest in Milan

ABS-CBN News
04 November 2019

MANILA - Two Philippine coffee firms won top prizes at the 5th International Contest of Locally Roasted Coffees in Milan, Italy last month, the trade department said.

Mirabueno Coffee, harvested in Bukidnon, and SGD Bodega Coffee, grown in Sagada, bested 700 other producers from 25 countries for the Gourmet and Bronze prizes in separate categories. 

The competition aims to "recognize the excellence of some producers, too often forgotten in the midst of mass marketing," the Coffee Heritage Project (CHP) said in a statement.

"We hope that with this recognition, we are able to highlight Philippines coffee and the great work of Filipino coffee farmers like those behind Mirabueno Coffee and SGD Coffee, growing one of the finest coffees in the world to be the true artisans of the Philippines' coffee industry," CHP official Richard Watanabe said.

This marks the second time that the Philippines prevailed in the competition following the victory of the collaboration of Bana's Coffee from Sagada and the CHP in 2017.

Mirabueno Coffee and SGD Coffee are part of the CHP, a non-profit private initiative which takes "quality-focused approaches in coffee production," according to the Department of Trade and Industry.

“The coffee competition helps us showcase the broader work we do to reforest land with sustainable and ecological integration of coffee, the high returns and quality of life offered to coffee growers, and our endless pursuit of the next frontiers in coffee roasting and taste," CHP official Butch Acop said.

The Philippine Consul General's Office in Milan received the prizes on Oct. 21 on behalf of Acop, Watanabe, Raymund Mirabueno, Andrew and Mary Tomeg, Felipa Villicana, and Zo Lim.

...the paper from pineapple

Pinoy-made paper "Pinyapel" is produced from discarded pineapple leaves and it just won an int'l award



GMA NEWS
29 October 2019

"Pinyapel" is a Pinoy paper product made from discarded pineapple leaves and it just won the D&AD Future Impact Awards for Environment and Sustainability in New York City.

With the help of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Design Center of the Philippines (DCP), Lolita "Luchi" Cabanlet of Cagayan De Oro Handmade Paper was able to develop "Pinyapel" a "locally-manufactured specialty paper" produced from discarded pineapple leaves from plantations in Bukidnon.

DCP helped coin the term "Pinyapel" from the Filipino words pinya (pineapple) and papel (paper).

A press statement from DTI Misamis Oriental describes Pinyapel as "the future of packaging." It's water-resistant making it a good material to be developed into paper cups, paper bags and other food container options.

DTI-DCP partnered with CDO Handmade Paper "to launch a sustainable innovation to transform waste into new and useful material, a forward-thinking approach to combat the growing problem on non- biodegradable plastic."

They collaborated with Nature's Fresh, a pineapple exporter from Bukidnon, to use their discarded pineapple leaves to be developed into pineapple paper sheets using a technology developed by the DCP.

The paper sheets was then supplied to Ideatechs Packaging Corporation, a company producing food container products.

The award will be given in New York City, USA on November 6, the event is an "annual activity recognizing those who put their creative ideas into world-changing projects, products and campaigns."

Check out some of the products developed from Pinyapel sheets in the gallery below.

...the World Travel Awardees

World Travel awards Asia and Oceania 2019 winners announced in Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Tatiana Rokou
Travel Daily News  
 14 October 2019

The finest travel brands in Asia and Oceania have been unveiled at a star-studded gala ceremony in Vietnam. The elite of the travel industry assembled for the World Travel Awards (WTA) Asia & Oceania Gala Ceremony 2019 on the pristine island of Phu Quoc to find out who amongst them had been crowned best of the best.

   

Winners at the red carpet ceremony included Philippines Department of Tourism, which was named ‘Asia’s Leading Tourist Board’ following a year of impressive visitor arrival growth. The stunning natural beauty and intriguing culture of Vietnam was acknowledged with the title of ‘Asia’s Leading Destination’, whilst New Zealand fended off stiff competition to emerge as ‘Oceania’s Leading Destination’.

Hundreds of the travel industry VIPs from Asia and Oceania attended the evening at Vinpearl Convention Center Phu Quoc, the state-of-the-art meeting and event facility and the latest addition to the five-star Vinpearl Phu Quoc integrated complex.

Graham Cooke, Founder, WTA, said: “It has been an honour to host WTA at the Vinpearl Convention Center Phu Quoc. This fabulous addition to the Vinpearl Phu Quoc integrated complex has proven a gracious host of what has been a spectacular evening of travel triumph, and a highlight of our 26th Grand Tour. We have had the privilege of recognising many of the leading hotels, airlines and hospitality providers from across Asia and Oceania and my congratulations to each of them.”

Dang Thanh Thuy, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Vingroup, said: “Vinpearl is proud to have hosted the WTA Asia & Oceania Gala Ceremony 2019 at our Vinpearl Convention Center on Phu Quoc Island. On this special occasion, we have been honoured to present a charming image of modern Vietnam to international visitors, as well as the world’s leading tourism and hospitality brands. This significant event has offered Vinpearl a golden opportunity to showcase its world-class all-inclusive resort complex at Phu Quoc, Asia’s most promising island destination, as well as to promote Vietnamese tourism to the global travel industry.”

In the aviation sector, Singapore Airlines was named ‘Asia’s Leading Airline’ whilst an unprecedented fleet upgrade helped Vietnam Airlines lift the title of ‘Asia’s Leading Airline – Economy Class’. AirAsia collected ‘Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline’ and Singapore Changi Airport was named ‘Asia’s Leading Airport’. Oceania winners included Air New Zealand (‘Oceania’s Leading Airline’) and Brisbane Airport (‘Oceania’s Leading Airport’).

The enchanting mix of French Indochine haute couture in a breathtaking mountain setting led Hotel de la Coupole MGallery by Sofitel to be voted ‘Asia’s Leading New Hotel’. Other newcomer winners included Anantara Quy Nhon Villas (‘Asia’s Leading New Resort’) and Van Don International Airport (‘Asia’s Leading New Airport’).

Vinpearl’s contribution to Vietnam’s travel and tourism economy was acknowledged with victories for Vinpearl Resort & Spa Phu Quoc (‘Asia’s Leading Family & Beach Resort’) and Vinpearl Discovery 2 Phu Quoc (‘Asia’s Leading New Villa Resort’).

Hospitality winners included The Grand Ho Tram Strip (‘Asia’s Leading Resort’); The Ascott Limited (‘Asia’s Leading Serviced Apartment Brand’); InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort (‘Asia’s Leading Green Resort’); Conrad Hotels & Resorts (‘Asia’s Leading Lifestyle Hotel Brand’) and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts (‘Oceania’s Leading Hotel Brand’); and InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto (‘Oceania’s Leading Hotel’).

Travel provider winners included Vietravel (‘Asia’s Leading Tour Operator’), Abercrombie & Kent (‘Oceania’s Leading Tour Operator’) and RezLive.com (‘Asia’s Leading B2B Travel Provider’).
  
The VIP ceremony formed the sixth and final leg of the WTA Grand Tour 2019 – a search for the finest travel and tourism organisations in the world. Other 2019 regional ceremonies included Montego Bay (Jamaica), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Mauritius, Madeira (Portugal), La Paz (Bolivia), with the winners progressing to the Grand Final in Muscat (Oman) on 28.                                            

...the Busan Asia Content awardee

Maja Salvador lone Filipino winner at Asia Contents Awards in Busan 

Manila Standard
08 October 2019


Actress and Star Magic artist Maja Salavador bagged the first-ever Best Actress award for drama in the 1st Asia Contents Awards held in Busan, South Korea, for her portrayal of the lead character in the hit TV series, Wildflower. 



Maja, who is also the lone winner from the Philippines, portrayed the role of Lily Cruz who changed her identity to Ivy Aguas, a feisty young woman out to avenge her parents’ death and fight the oppression brought by the cruel and corrupt Adriente clan.

The actress and her show were the only nominees from the Philippines as Wildflower was also nominated in the Best Drama category.  


Wildflower competed with other outstanding Asian TV series from South Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.

The 1st Asia Contents Awards recognized the region’s finest TV dramas that were produced in the last five years. It is organized by the renowned film festival Busan International Film Festival and Asian Film Market, an annual film market in South Korea.


Wildflower has begun airing in three French-speaking countries, including New Caledonia, Polynesia, and Reunion Islands, with the recent partnership of ABS-CBN with Ampersand fiction, a French content distributor and will soon air in Madagascar this October with ABS-CBN’s deal with Startimes.

...the fintech and digital awardee

Union Bank of the Philippines bags prestigious fintech and digital awards, 3 years running

Media OutReach
08 October 2019

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 8 October 2019 – Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), with its vision of transforming into “A technology company, also a bank,” recently made waves as its top executives won big at the Singapore Fintech Awards 2019. 

UnionBank Chairman Justo A. Ortiz and Senior Vice-President and Fintech Business Group Head Arvie de Vera each won the Asia Fintech Leaders Award which recognizes remarkable leaders across the region for their continuing commitment to excellence, developing best practices and pursuing innovative strategies.

The Awards aims to highlight those across Asia who have made extraordinary contributions to the fintech industry’s meteoric rise on the global stage. Indeed, Ortiz and de Vera have been making strides globally, advocating for smart banking as a way to realize the bank’s purpose of elevating lives, fulfilling dreams and enabling communities. 

The Awards were hosted by the Singapore Fintech Association, while the rigorous judging process was helmed by none other than PwC Singapore. 

The winners were announced at a Gala Night graced by Ravi Menon, Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Minister Ng Chee Meng, Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) of Singapore. 

In addition, UnionBank also won, for the third year in a row, the Best Digital Bank — Philippines award at the Asiamoney Best Bank Awards 2019 in Singapore on September 25. Asiamoney also identified UnionBank as one of 30 financial institutions to watch out for in Asia, and among 5 on its radar for digital banking. 

In awarding the bank for the third year straight, Asiamoney considered the long list of innovative initiatives UnionBank is pursuing, some of which include the first fully digital branch The Ark, a tokenized fiat cross-border transaction pilot from OCBC Bank in Singapore to a rural bank in the Philippines, and the country’s first central bank-compliant two-way virtual currency ATM among many others.

...the Taiwan literary awardee

Filipino factory worker to receive second literary award

Chen Cheng-wei and William YenFocus Taiwan

28 September 2019

Taipei, Sept. 28 (CNA) Filipino factory worker Melinda Babaran will collect her second award at the Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants Sunday following her win at last year's awards.

Melinda Babaran / Photo courtesy of Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants

Babaran will be presented with the Choice Award at the 6th Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants award ceremony for a poem titled "Kapirasong Papel," which is written from a man's perspective about facing his wife who has been having an affair while working abroad.

The inspiration for "Kapirasong Papel" came about one day when she was in her dormitory and heard a woman scream at her husband on the telephone because he was having an affair while the woman was working abroad in Taiwan, Babaran said.

But when she started composing the article, she changed the story to the wife committing the affair while overseas, while the husband was at home looking after their family and children, Babaran said.

Babaran said she got the inspiration from her father, who did not betray the marriage and instead concentrated on taking care of the children while her mother was working overseas.

The part in "Kapirasong Papel" that touched her the most was that when the husband discovers his wife's affair, he is on the verge of losing control, but eventually calms down when he hears his child's voice, Babaran said.

Babaran, who lives in Taoyuan, works in a semiconductor factory and has been in Taiwan for 12 years.

Prior to this year's award, Babaran won the Jury Award at the 5th Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants in 2018 for an article titled "Latay sa Laman," in which she expresses her love for her father.

The award ceremony for the 6th Taiwan Literature Award for Migrants will be held Sunday at the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area in Chiayi County.

The awards saw a total of 680 submissions this year and had a total of eight prize winners in nine categories.

...the winning lensman in Russia

Filipino lensman bags second place in int’l photo contest



Gabriela Baron
Manila Bulletin
17 September 2019


A Filipino photojournalist bagged second place in the Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest in the Top News, Singles category in Moscow, Russia recently. 

Basilio Sepe's "Baywatch" (Photo courtesy of Photojournalists' center of the Philippines, inc./Manila Bulletin

Basilio Sepe, a member of the Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines (PCP), won the award with his photo capturing informal settlers scavenging recyclable materials in Navotas after Typhoon Karding hit in August 2018.

The photo contest was launched by Rossiya Segodnya under Russia Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to support young photographers and to popularize the challenges of modern photojournalism.

Photographers from 80 countries on five continents participated in the photo contest with over 6,000 works submitted.

The 24-year old photojournalist has previously won the IPA (International Photography Awards) Filipino “Photographer of the Year” last year for his work on the Philippines war on drugs.

Sepe was the former chief photographer of the Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas (UST), and an alumnus of the Angkor Photo Workshop 2016.

He is currently an independent photographer based in Manila and has done multimedia works for local and international news agency.

...the NASA awardee

Philippine Team wins NASA Award



Roy Mabasa
Manila Bulletin
21 February 2019


The team iNon from the Philippines on Thursday received an award from the United States government for capturing the Best Galactic Impact category in the 2018 NASA Space Apps Challenge beating out 1,395 other teams from around the world.

Teams iNON and Space Force will represent the country in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Apps Global Challenge
(Photo courtesy of Animo Labs via Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)

US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim awarded the certificate of recognition to iNON team members Revbrain Martin, Marie Jeddah Legaspi, Julius Czar Torreda, and Matthew Concubierta during the ceremony at the US Embassy. Leandro de Guzman, the fifth member of the team, was unable to attend the ceremony.

The Filipino innovators ISDApp, from the Filipino word "ísda" (meaning fish) to communicate crucial information about real-time weather and sea conditions to fisherfolks.

The app enables local government officials to provide potentially life-saving information to fisherfolk's analog cellphones using NASA globe observer data.

"I am deeply impressed by team iNON's fantastic achievement in defeating teams from around the world to win first place in the Galactic Impact category of the NASA Space Apps Challenge . They can inspire other Filipino youth to develop innovative solutions to problems in their own communities, " Kim said at the event.

ISDApp was conceived by the Team iNON at the US Embassy-sponsored NASA Space Apps Challenge in October 2018.

US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission LAw, who served on the panel of judges, said Team iNON's approach to getting important information out to fisherfolks without internet connectivity struck him as "clever and compassionate.

"I am pleased they received global recognition," Law said.

For Team  iNON member Legaspi, he explained that ISDApp is a "simple solution with an important purpose" which helped the technology swim to success. "This is proof that even technology needs a heart."

His team mate Martin said: "We saw the problem, and figured we could do something to help the lives of coastal communities around the world."

...the Energy Globe awardee

Two PHL projects win Energy Global Awards



By Iris C. Gonzales
Philippine Star
May 24, 2015


MANILA, Philippines - The energy Globe Foundation has selected two Philippine projects as winners of the energy Globe Awards, which proponents dubbed as the largest and most important environmental prize worldwide.

Founded in 1999 by Austrian energy pioneer Wolfgang Neumann, the awards are given annually to projects focusing on energy efficiency and renewable energies.

 It covers more than 170 participating countries and over 1500 project submissions annually.

In the Philippines, the first winning project is the “Bell and Bottle: Low cost early warning system for landslide prone communities in remote areas” by David Manalo of the Farming Systems and Soil Resources Institute (FSSRI) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

 The other winning project is by Apolinario Carino of the non-profit Pederasyon sa Nagkahiusang mga Mag-uuma nga Nanalipud ug Nagpasig-uli sa Kinaiyahan Inc. (Penagmannaki) dubbed as the “Rainforestation: A community-based forest restoration initiative on Negros Island.”

 The two winners received an Energy Globe Certificate signed by Energy Globe Jury chairperson Maneka Gandhi and Energy Globe’s founder, Wolfgang Neumann.

 The award for Dr. Manalo was presented by the Austrian Embassy – Commercial  Section on behalf of the Energy Globe Foundation last May 19,  while the award for Carino will be presented at a later date.

 Dr. Manalo received the winner’s certificate from Commercial Counsellor Lisa Koscak and Albay Governor Joey Salceda.

 According to the Energy Globe Foundation, Manalo’s Bell and Bottle innovation is as early warning system for landslide prone communities which are often in hard-to-reach areas where modern  transportation and communication facilities are lacking.

 “The project established the critical rainfall rates at which landslides will most probably occur and the people were trained to use an empty soda bottle (cut into half and turned upside down) to measure the rainfall. Once the rainfall readings reached the critical rainfall levels, the people will hit the bells (made of old gas tanks) to inform and advice the whole community for preparation and evacuation to safe areas,” the Foundation said.

 At least 20 villages have already benefitted from the project and no more casualties were reported in the project site since the installation of the Bell and bottle early warning system, according to the Foundation.

Carino’s Rainforestation project, meanwhile, involves restoration farming through the planting of native or indigenous tree species in combination with agricultural crops.

 “The two-ha rainforestation demonstration site in Negros Oriental proved that planting indigenous and endemic trees can be done along with income-generating fruit trees, cash crops, ornamental plants and cut flowers which provided additional livelihood opportunities for the community,” the Foundation said, noting that six municipalities have adopted the program.

The foundation will announce the other winners in other countries.

...the 2014 Tony awardee

Pinoy producer wins 2 Tonys

 

 

 

By Don Tagala,

ABS-CBN News North America Bureau

06/09/2014

 

 

NEW YORK - A murderous musical called "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" came out as the 68th Tony Awards' biggest winner on Sunday night.

"Gentleman's Guide" won 4 Tonys out of its 10 nominations -- including Best Musical, Best Costume, Best Direction, and Best Book of a Musical.

Meantime, Denzel Washington's "A Raisin in the Sun" won a Tony for Best Revival of a Play.

But what many kababayans do not know is that behind these productions is a Tony-winning Filipino.

Jhett Tolentino, of Joanjhett Productions, is the recipient of 2 Tonys on Sunday night as one of the co-producers of the 2 shows.

Tolentino, an Iloilo native, is the third Filipino to receive a Tony following Lea Salonga's Best Lead Actress in a Musical award and Robert Bobby Lopez's 2 Best Original Score and Best Book wins.

"I kept thinking of Lea Salonga and Bobby Lopez, those Filipinos who's been there. I'm carrying the tradition that we have to be represented every year, and I'm so honored to be in the producing side," he said.

This is also his third Tony win after receiving his first Tony last year for co-producing "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" -- the 2013 Tony winner for Best Play.

"It's a home run, it's fantastic. I'm so appreciative of all the love of the community and all the supporters, really. Thank you, thank you, and bringing pride to the Pinoys," Tolentino said.

Meantime, Filipino-American Broadway star Adam Jacobs, who plays the lead role in the Tony-nominated musical "Aladdin," performed live at the Radio City Music Hall last night.

"Oh my God, I still believe he is our Hugh Jackman in the Filipino community, and I'm so glad he got the drama desk nomination for the lead actor. He's underrated, he has to be there. I can't wait for him to be up there too to get a Tony himself," Tolentino said.

Tolentino is also one of the producers of another 2014 Tony-nominated play, "The Velocity of Autumn," as well as the hit musical "Here Lies Love."

 

...the 2014 Time 100's most influential people

Fil-Am composer is in Time 100's 'Most Influential' list

By Kim Arveen Patria

Yahoo Southeast Asia Newsroom

 

 

Reuters/REUTERS - Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez pose with their Oscars for best original song for "Let it Go" in the film "Frozen" at the Governors Ball at the 86th Academy Awards …more in Hollywood, California March 2, 2014. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

 

 

A year after Time named President Benigno Aquino III and a Filipino doctor among the world’s “most influential,” the magazine included another Filipino in its list.

Robert Lopez, a U.S.-based songwriter of Filipino descent, shared a spot in the Time 100 list with his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez for the song “Let It Go.”

Robert and his wife “are both completely steeped in the traditions of Broadway musicals,” their colleagues Trey Parker and Matt Stone said in their Time profile.

The couple won an Oscar for Best Original Song earlier this year. They rose in popularity along with the highly acclaimed Disney animated film “Frozen.”

Robert also became one of the few people who have won the grand slam of entertainment industry awards or the “EGOT”—Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

“[T]hey’re really smart and would never be happy just regurgitating what’s come before,” the couple’s profile in the Time 100 issue said further.

With their inclusion in Time 100, Robert and Kirsten joined the ranks of international pop superstar Beyonce, as well as U.S. President Barack Obama and Pope Francis.

The Time 100 is compiled through the help of journalists around the world, as well as the lists’ alumni, “many of whom are as influential as ever,” the magazine said.

“The vast majority of this year’s roster reveals that while power is certain, influence is subtle,” Time said, highlighting the power of the media to shape public opinion.

Last year, Time named Aquino among the world’s most influential. It also honored Katherine Luzuriaga, a doctor born of a Filipino father, for her work on HIV-AIDS.