Event Geek

There is going to be a Midweek Music Plus at the Outpost on February 9, 2011 which will be 9pm onwards. The Midweek Music Plus will be featuring Rescue a HERO, LOWELA, EVE's Garden, and A Mint Performance by LEAPYEAR.

Midweek Music Plus is hosted by Sandy Kiamko and brought to you by: The Outpost, Rhythm Central, Artist ko and Midweek Sessions.

Shop and Dine at SM City Cebu's Finest Boutiques and Restaurants this upcoming CHINESE NEW YEAR! It's CHINESE NEW YEAR on February 3! Celebrate the Chinese New Year to welcome the Year of the Metal Rabbit with Family and Friends at SM City Cebu!

On February 3, 2011

• Drum roll for the Lion Dragon Dance at the Mall, 10AM onwards
• CHINESE Interlude will showcase CHINESE CULTURE, 6:30PM North Atrium.
• CHINESE LANTERN LITTING. Limited slots. 8PM Al Fresco Parking lot. Read the Posted below on how to get your free CHINES Lantern (200 slots)

Even more events on February 4, 2011 at SM City Cebu's Chinese Mascot TSAI SHEN YEH, 4-6:30PM!

A Filipino physics teacher who received the Ramon Magsaysay award last year for showing the way in innovative high school education is arriving in Cebu this weekend to spread his message of improving high school education.

Dr. Christopher Bernido will be speaking before fellow past pupils and alumni of Don Bosco schools during the alumni homecoming celebration at the Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) in Punta Princesa on January 23, 2011. Bernido is an alumni of Don Bosco Technical College in Mandaluyong.

Bernido, along with his wife Maria Victoria, had turned a small high school in Jagna, Bohol, into a showcase for high school education especially in science and math in the country and abroad. Both received the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Awards, the Asian equivalent to the Nobel Awards, last year.
Aside from inviting Dr. Bernido as guest speaker, homecoming organizers are also launching the “Blessed Alberto Marville Award” to honor outstanding work and achievements of past pupils and alumni of the Don Bosco Technical High School (DBTHS), now known as Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC).

“Aside from our goal of improving secondary education, we want to inspire Bosconians who are now successful businessmen and professionals to help schools, churches, civic groups, and communities,” said Jonathan Vestil, chairman of the Don Bosco Cebu Alumni Inc. (DBCAI).

According to Vestil, the award is dedicated to Blessed Alberto Marville, a 28-year-old Bosconian who helped save people from being sent German concentration camps during World War 2 and became a leading civic leader in post-war Italy.

He was beatified on September 5, 2004 by Pope John Paul II.

“Marville’s life is an inspiration and worthy of emulation,” said Vestil who had been instrumental in the organization of this xyear’s homecoming.

During the homecoming, successful businesses owned and operated by Bosconians in Cebu will be displaying their products in an exhibit led by such establishments as Giardini del Sole, Southtrends, Bon Ace, and Lamesa ug Aparador.

Last year, Bosconians who are into business in Cebu had organized the Bosconian International Chamber of Commerce (BICC) which is part of an international network of past students of schools run by the Salesians of Don Bosco or SDB.

Formed by Saint John Bosco, the Salesians has since established schools in almost all countries in the world. The first Don Bosco school in Cebu was established during the 1950s at Punta Princesa, Cebu City.

The best of both worlds – touchscreen and keypad – all in one device

Manila, Philippines – Nokia has announced the availability of its latest handsets – the Nokia X3-02 and Nokia C3-01 – which boast of a unique combination of a touchscreen and traditional 12-button phone keypad. Nokia’s affordable “Touch and Type” phones allow you to tap quickly on the touchscreen, as well as enjoy the familiarity of the full keypad for quickfire text messages and phone calls.

“Innovation is not just a high-end game. The Nokia X3-02 and Nokia C3-01 devices are both great examples of bringing new consumer value to lower price points,” said Benoit Nalin, General Manager of Nokia Philippines.

“With the Nokia X3-02 and Nokia C3-01 we are giving young consumers the best of both worlds by combining a touchscreen and a keypad in one device. We made the screen larger with clear icons and menus plus kept critical keys such as the send and end keys,” he said.

“We have designed the Nokia X3-02 and Nokia C3-01 to be touch and type devices because typing is ideal for SMS and social networking where fast and frequent input is needed, while touch is ideal for functions such as setting alarms, smooth browsing and controlling applications like music and games,” continued Nalin.

Nalin added that Nokia’s research revealed that consumers who have invested years in becoming fast one-handed, one-thumb texters want to maintain their speedy edge for SMS, chat and instant messaging – yet enjoy the benefits of touch as well.

Nokia X3-02 has a sleek and modern design coming in at a very thin 9.6mm – making it one of the slimmest Nokia phones ever. It slips easily into the purse or the pocket, and looks the part with its brushed aluminum back cover which comes in five vibrant colors designed to suit any mood or wardrobe – dark metal, silver white, pink, lilac and blue.

Despite its size, the Nokia X3-02 is jampacked with features that include 3G, WLAN, music player and FM radio. Lovers of the snapshot and social networks will enjoy a great 5-megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom that can take both still and video images. This sleek handset also features dedicated music and messaging keys to allow instant connection to important Ovi services including social and entertainment applications. In addition to Ovi Mail, your favorite consumer email and chat accounts can be pushed direct to the phone via Nokia Messaging. With a gentle glide over the Nokia X3-02’s touchscreen, you can go online and get access to many services including hundreds of apps from the Ovi Store.

The Nokia C3-01, on the other hand, is an affordable design classic that features a full stainless steel body and a 2.4-inch QVGA display that boasts of up to 262k colors. Perfect for the fashion-savvy techie, this stylishly modern device offers a classic yet contemporary feel, thanks to the classically colored cover that comes in warm gray, silver and khaki gold.

The timeless beauty of this Touch and Type device is complemented by a host of great features that include 3G, WLAN, music player, FM radio, and a 5-megapixel camera with flash. It also lets users connect quickly to email and instant messaging and allows them to tune the device for apps, themes or games of their choice from the Ovi Store with an easy touch. Posting and sharing on Facebook and Twitter is also a breeze with the Communities client. It also supports up to 32GB memory card.

The Nokia X3-02 and Nokia C3-01 are affordably priced at P8,999 and P9,770, respectively and are now available in Nokia stores nationwide.

For high-res product photos visit www.nokia.com/press/media_resources/photos

There will be a 3 Headed Dog Philippine Tour this coming January 22, 2011, 10pm onwards at the Outpost, Gorordo Avenue, Cebu City, Philippines. 3 Headed Dog will be with special guests: REKLAMO, PANDORA, EVE's GARDEN.

There will be a worldwide V-DAY benefit performance to stop violence against women and girls. The V-DAY 2011 will be done through the VAGINA MONOLOGUES 2011 by Eve Ensler. The Vagina Monologues 2011 will be on February 19, 2011 at 7:30pm onwards at the OnStage Ayala Center Cebu.

The ticket prices for the Vagina Monologues will be:

• Queen V Seats  750
• V-Angel Seats   500
• DiVine Seats     300
• Valentine Seats  200

Tickets for the said event are available at the Ayala Center Cebu Cinema Ticket booth. Seats are limited so get you tickets now!

Vaginas are coming, one night..one performance..SPREAD THE WORD!

There will be a Sinulog Henna Tattoo event this coming January 15-16, 2011 at the Club Ultima Driveway, Osmeña Blvd. Cebu. This Sinulog Henna Tattoo is organized by Club Ultima and Krayola Art Workshop for the benefit of Tsinelas Association, Inc..

Get your Henna Tattoo for Sinulog with them Today!

There will be another Fun Run for Cebu runners and enthusiasts! This run is by PLDT in partnership with SMART this coming January 30, 2011. Join the PLDT-SMART 10 MILER Run on January 31, 2011, and you can help underprivileged people through PLDT/Smart Foundation's Educational Programs. Registration started last January 10, 2011.

They’re called discount vouchers or coupons and consumers in the US, UK and some countries in Asia have been buying them online to avail themselves of items or services sold at half their usual prices.
This online discounting concept has finally caught on in the Philippines with the launch of Buyanihan.com (http://buyanihan.com), a group buying site developed by Platform2u.com Phils. Inc., a provider of complete e-commerce solutions.

A pun on the word bayanihan, the Buyanihan website offers discounts ranging from 50 to 90 percent on goods and services that many Filipinos love to indulge in like eating out, shopping, sightseeing, taking holidays, spa treatments, among others.

The deals are featured for a limited time only, not more than seven days. Buyers will be asked to sign up for the discounts and will be charged only if the minimum number of customers is reached and that will make the deal valid.

Group buying adds excitement to the buyer’s experience because those who like the discount promo so much will have to pass on the information to their social network to make the deal successful. If not enough sign up for the offer, the deal will not push through.

Victor Fajardo, Buyanihan.com Vice President for Business Development says, “We’re the first to bring to the Philippines this business model. It is a cost-effective business strategy because a company can continue generating income even during their ‘off-season’ or ‘off-peak hours’. It is also a guaranteed means to increase brand/company awareness and bring in new customers to the business without resorting to paid advertisements.

In a nutshell, the business, the brand and the customer base keeps growing. It’s a win-win.”
Buyanihan.com founder Eddie Lee concurs, “Companies, big or small, can turn their non-utilized capacities into upfront cash sales. Buyanihan.com features one deal at a time so that the company offering a deal enjoys the spotlight to itself. Through the website, our merchant-partners can reach directly customers 24x7. We promote the deals through e-newsletters, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and other social media. In like manner, customers will share the information virally if they like the deal.”

Eddie adds that the easiest way to know about the different discounts being promoted is to sign up as a subscriber. Subscribers can even recommend to them what businesses they like to be featured on the website. “When consumers suggest deals, this gives companies 100% confidence that what is being offered is what buyers want,” he says.

Initially, Buyanihan.com’s service covers only Metro Manila, but now we have expanded here in Cebu and by the second half of 2011 we target to service Davao and many other key cities in the Philippines.

About Buyanihan:

Launched on 2 August 2010, Buyanihan is the first ever group buying website in the Philippines where Filipinos can find the best deals or discounts offered by commercial establishments in the country. Products and services are offered at reduced prices for a limited period (1-7 days) and online consumers who want to get the items must sign up to commit to buy. Discount deals go live when the targeted number of buyers is reached during the time offer.

About Platform2u.com Phil. Inc.

Platform2u.com Phils. Inc. is a provider of a brand new complete e-commerce platform that small, medium and large enterprises who go into the Internet retailing industry, can use. The company began operations in July 2009 and the following month, it launched SMILDS.com, a fourth generation e-commerce solution that is now being used in the country by over 200 online retailers selling nearly 2,000 products on the Internet. The company’s vision is to be the largest e-commerce platform company in Asia Pacific, and to be the leader in providing a complete, brand new Business-to-Business-to-Consumer-to-Consumer (B2B2C2C) platform in Asia’s internet retailing industry.

Top consumer lifestyle household name Philips celebrates life as it joins the province of Cebu in celebrating the colorful and festive Sinulog 2011. Philips will hold a special 3-day showcase billed "Celebrate Life" as it features its latest products for each part the home at the Ayala Activity Center from January 7-9.

Shoppers visiting the showcase will be treated to experience various Philips products and gadgets as they are used and applied at home. The living and bedrooms will showcase Philips audio-video and multi-media line from TV to Home Theater systems. The kitchen will showcase Philips Domestic Appliance such as top of the line Alu series blenders, juicers and steamers. The newest personal care gadget Sonicare toothbrush will be featured in the bathroom alongside super hi-tech men shavers and must-have women's hair dryers and stylers. In the kid's room, well-loved Avent baby products are available for touch and feel.

"Just as we endeavor to celebrate the Sinulog Festival every year, Philips Consumer Lifestyle Believes that life in itself is a celebration and intends to "Celebrate Life" with the many happy and experiential moments that we can share with families and love ones each time one uses our products," explains Philips Consumer Lifestyle Business Leader, Victor Caindec. "Moreover, given the Cebuano's changing lifestyle of spending more time at home with the family, we believe that Philips is the perfect partner to "Celebrate Life" by making sure of the quality of time spent with our dear ones. Through our showcase, we hope that Cebuano's will be able to visualize how each Philips product can function and exist in a home setting, for example, allowing parents to joyfully prepare meals together with their kids, mom and daughters to have happy bonding moments through styling each other's hair, and also for dads and sons to enjoy action-packed movies in the family den."

Aside from on-the-spot product demonstrations, shoppers are also treated to special discounts for the products they wish to bring home during the 3-day "Philips" Celebrate Life" showcase.

About Royal Philips Electronics:

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX PHI) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle, and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of "Sense and Simplicity".

Head-quartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs more than 118, 000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 23 billion in 2009, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newsletter.

Sonic Boom Sinulog Blast-Off 2011 is Here for you! Sonic Boom Philippines will once again mark the Sinulog Festival with a bang! The annual Mosh Pit-Senyor, Sonic Boom Sinulog Blast-Off will happen this January 15, 2011 at the Grand Ballroom of Cebu Grand Convention Center. This is their 5th year of doing this event and Sonic Boom promises that it will be massive. 22 Bands from all over the Philippines and a guest from Malaysia will rock the crowd!

Main show will include - Gasulina from Cagayan De Oro City, Cebu’s Massive sound – Campbell,
Powerspoonz, The Line Divides, The Ambassadors, Urbandub & headlining the event, FASPITCH,
Manila’s rising stars - Midsummer, Jejaview & December Avenue & our guests from Malaysia – Love Me Butch!

This year, Sonic Boom will also give us the first-ever THREAD! Fest, a celebration of merch & music. It will be a gathering of Cebu’s top indie clothing brands, showcasing their merchandise. It will be the first that they will converge in one venue & launch their new designs all-together! Brands featured will be Nick Automatic, Scars, Killapinas, TeeDee Hear & Wear, Spread the Virus, Monster Ink, Strawberry Clothing, Schizo, Product of Uranus, & Markov Clothing. Bands featured during THREAD! Fest will be Cebu’s Foc Fashion, Drop Out Club, & Shuffled with Manila’s Kuwago, & Good Morning High Fives.

Tickets will be sold at the venue. Early Birds are in for a treat. If you get in between 2:00pm to 5:00pm, gate fee will only be at Php 250. Above 5:00pm, regular gate fee at Php 350.00. Early Bird & Regular gate fee will come with one glass of Jack Cola (Jack Daniels + Cola). VIP rate is also available at Php 650 – VIP fast lane + Shirt + Drink + Platform. Selling will start at 2pm, Gate will open at 4:00pm, Event will start from 5:00pm onwards!

Sonic Boom Events & Music Management is the Philippines premiere Rock event group. They showcase quality rock bands from all over the Philippines. Sonic Boom is also the only rock events group that has made a mark on the South East Asian stage. They have made events in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand & Malaysia. The partner venue is the Cebu Grand Convention Center. The venue is known for conventions, meetings, party celebration, & concerts. This will be the first rock concert in the venue. It can accommodate 2500 persons and is fully air-conditioned. Cebu Grand Convention Center is at the 2nd floor of Grand Majestic, Archbishop Reyes Ave., For more details, visit http://sonicboomph.com/

Enjoy the Sonic Boom Sinulog Blast off 2011!!

See below for the Winners of the Sinulog sa Kabataan “Dakbayan” 2011!! Congratulations to all the participants of the Sinulog sa Kabataan “Dakbayan” 2011:

Elementary level winners:

• 1st place: Talamban Elementary School
• 2nd place: “Tribu Mabolokon” of Mabolo Elementary School
• 3rd place: Tejero Elementary School
• 4th place: Pardo Elementary School
• 5th place: City Central Elementary School
• Best in Costume: Talamban Elementary School
• Best in Musicality: Talamban Elementary School

Secondary level winners:

• 1st place: Abellana National High School
• 2nd place: Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. Memorial National High School
• 3rd place: Apas National High School
• 4th place: Tisa Night High School
• 5th place: Basak, Pardo Night High School
• Best in costume: Abellana National School
• Best in musicality: Abellana National School

Source: Markg87

Below are the Winners of the Sinulog sa Kabataan “Lalawigan” 2011!! Be proud of this Sinulog sa Kabataan “Lalawigan” 2011 participants!

Elementary

• Champion: San Roque Elementary School of Talisay City
• 2nd Place: Pajo Elementary School, Lapu Lapu City
• 3rd Place: ‘Karansang Danawanon’ of Cambanay Elementary School, Danao City
• 4th Place: DepEd Cordova District, Cordova, Cebu
• 5th Place: Basak Elementary School of Mandaue City
• Best in Costume: Pajo Elementary School, Lapu Lapu City
• Best in Musicality: San Roque Elementary School of Talisay City

Secondary

• Champion: DepEd Carcar City Division
• 2nd Place: Division of Danao City, Sabang National High School
• 3rd Place: Pooc National High School, Talisay City Division
• 4th Placer: ‘Mandawehanong Kaliwat’ of Tipolo National High School
• 5th Place: Toledo National Vocational School
• Best in Costume: Division of Danao City, Sabang National High School
• Best in Musicality: ‘Mandawehanong Kaliwat’ of Tipolo National High School

Source: Markg87

United Professional Tatoo Artists in cooperation with Skills and Bones, Pepsi, and Crols Tattoo presents the Pinatikai: A night of Music and Ink this coming January 15, 2011, Mango Square - Roofdeck, Mango Avenue, Cebu City.

More than a decade ago, Nokia, set the trend that would change the way Filipinos get in touch. Through its cutting-edge mobile phones, it popularized the short messaging system (SMS) or texting that paved the way for Filipinos to discover instant and real-time communication that revolutionized the communication habits of Filipinos and putting the Philippines on the map as the texting capital of the world.

This year, Nokia has again blazed the trail in the mobile phone category. From introducing texting that allowed Filipinos across all market segments to experience the convenience of communicating anywhere in the world, Nokia is now elevating communication by allowing more and more consumers to share what they feel instantly with all their contacts through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, using any of its wide range of handsets – from high-end smartphones to affordable internet-capable mobile units.

Since Nokia started in the business, the company has committed itself to leading the industry bycreating innovation in mobile phone technology. The familiar Symbian operating system has been upgraded and combined with engaging services like Nokia Messaging and Ovi Store that keep pace with today’s lifestyle, making it possible for consumers to enjoy and enhance the way they communicate.

“When we launched Nokia Messaging with the Nokia C3 for example, we saw the eagerness and excitement of Filipinos to go beyond SMS and into the realm of social networks, chat and email at that affordable pricepoint. The device itself was half the story, the other half was the services and operator plan that went with it. The same thing happened with our Ovi Store downloads. Since we started to engage more developers to create locally relevant apps, we’ve seen more frequent visits and downloads from the Ovi Store," said Benoit Nalin, General Manager of Nokia Philippines.

Undisputed leader in high-end category

Nokia changed the game in the high-end category when it recently introduced the highly anticipated Nokia N8, which was dubbed the world’s best entertainment smartphone. With the Nokia N8, smartphone users were introduced to a new way of expressing themselves with features that shattered all expectations, giving users the chance to capture pictures or videos in HD quality. The entry of the Nokia N8 model helped Nokia regain its mobile leadership amidst strong competition from widely raved about brands.

Nokia aggressively complemented the launch of its innovative smartphone handset with a marketing and advertising campaign that was nothing short of genius. Shared Nalin: “Staying true to being an innovator, Nokia highlighted the launch of the Nokia N8 smartphone with a fresh, intriguing marketing and advertising concept that we now know as the Pier Roxas story. This campaign provided the perfect platform to incite curiosity among customers while highlighting the best features of the Nokia N8 and harping on its credibility as the best entertainment smartphone.”

Innovating the mid-range segment

Nokia has always been known as a pioneer in mobile phone technologies and this year, the company proved that it remains on top of the innovations game. It recently launched its Touch and Type handsets – the X3-02 and C3-01 models – which offered customers the unique combination of a touchscreen and traditional 12-button phone keypad.

“Like what we’ve said before, innovation is not just a high-end game. Introducing the Touch and Type handsets has given Nokia the chance to bring the best of both worlds in one device to customers at an affordable price,” explained Nalin.

The positive market response to the launch of the Touch and Type devices, added Nalin, has proven that users are open and responsive to product innovation despite the bandwagon of feature-rich and price-reduced touch screen devices in the market today.

Web-ready handsets that boost mobile lifestyle of every Pinoy

The year also saw Nokia sustaining its lead in the affordable mobile phone segment. Nalin revealed that despite a deluge in cheap China-made brands, Nokia continued to gain a stronghold in this category by introducing reasonably priced, Internet-capable handsets while building on the company’s equity of reliability and user-friendliness.

An example of which is the now hugely popular Nokia C3, which has revolutionized the mobile habits of Pinoy by allowing them to easily communicate with their family and friends online. This handset makes messaging easier for customers by enabling them to connect to the Internet faster through a quick and reliable Wi-Fi connection, which means staying in touch instantly with friends through their Facebook or Twitter sites. It also allows them to keep in touch easily through email, IM or Conversational SMS, in easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard.

Complementing this Web-ready handset is Nokia’s partnership with leading network provider Smart Communications to introduce customers to easy and affordable messaging. Added Nalin: “Because of the affordability of the Nokia C3, Filipinos can now get in touch with their family and friends any time of the day through their social networking sites for as low as P20 a day.”

Ready to introduce more breakthroughs

Next year, Nokia will be stepping up its game even more to continue on with its commitment of revolutionizing communication. More than the products by themselves, Nokia will push its services so that almost any Juan dela Cruz may experience social networking, chatting and email on their mobile and make those services work for them.

The company likewise aims to capitalize on the growing popularity of its Ovi Store, which now gets 3.5 million downloads per day worldwide. Locally, Nokia is eyeing to achieve 1 million downloads per month and if all goes as planned the local developer community will grow three-fold.

The tagline ‘Connecting People’ now becomes ‘Connecting people to what matters most to them’. And Nokia will continue to remain more relevant to Filipinos than ever before.

About Nokia


At Nokia, we are committed to connecting people. We combine advanced technology with personalized services that enable people to stay close to what matters to them. Every day, more than 1.3 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia device – from mobile phones to advanced smartphones and high-performance mobile computers. Today, Nokia is integrating its devices with innovative services through Ovi (www.ovi.com), including music, maps, apps, email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, while Nokia Siemens Networks provides equipment, services and solutions for communications networks globally.

The Balik Cebu booth at Ayala Center Cebu just opened yesterday! Now on its 10th year, the Balik Cebu project spearheaded by the Cebu City Tourism Commission and members from the public and private sector aims to make the homecoming of balikbayans for the Sinulog celebration a special experience.

The Balik Cebu booth at Ayala Center will help provide assistance on information needed for the various events and tours as well as have tickets to Sinulog events. The booth will also be selling dinner cioupons to the Balik Cebu Welcome Party next Thursday, January 13, 2011. For the 10th year now, Cebu Holdings, Inc. (CHI) has been hosting the welcome party for free to 150-300 balikbayans.

Also available at the booth are grandstand passes for the Sinulog Grand Parade next Sunday, January 15, offered at a discounted price available for balikbayans only. Suroy-Suroy Sugbo Northern Escapade tour packages will also be available at the booth.

Balikbayans are free to drop by Ayala Center Cebu’s Turista Desk at the South Entrance to avail of various perks and discounts. This is CHI’s and Ayala Center Cebu’s way of giving a special welcome to balikbayans and recognizing their contribution to the economy.

The Balik Cebu booth at the Ayala Center Cebu is specifically right beside the Concierge Area, near Guess at the ground level of the mall. be sure to drop by and Happy new year & pit senyor!!

Photo Credits: Sinjin

The Jamespee show presents SINULOG ONSLAUGHT 2011 this coming January 14, 2011, Friday with an entrance of Php70.00!

Nokia recognizes real-life Santas – Nokia Philippines’ general manager Benoit Nalin (3rd from left) recently awarded plaques of recognition to its top business partners for their philanthropic projects., Jun Sy of TAO Group of Companies and Altus Communications (2nd from left) and Michael Tan of Axis Global Technologies (2nd from right) were dubbed real-life Santas by Nokia Philippines. Sy’s companies support youth sports development through its sponsorship of the Nokia RP Team and by providing public education to indigent beneficiaries through the Taus-Puso Foundation.

Tan’s Axis Global Technologies, on the other hand, has been recognized for actively supporting youth development through the KIDS Foundation and providing assistance to poor schools in Negros.

The real-life Santas were awarded during Nokia Philippines’ annual Christmas celebration dubbed “Search for Santa” held at the Newport Plaza in Resorts World, Pasay City. With the awardees are (from left of top-photo) host Jess James; John Quimbo of TAO Group of Companies and Altus Communications; Edison Ng of Axis Global Technologies; and host Lani Pillinger.

There will be a Lords of the Loud in Cebu this Sinulog 2011 presented by Colt 45! The Lords of the Loud Cebu Event will be this coming January 14, 2011--Intolerant, Valley of Chrome & Oremuz; January 15, 2011--SkyChurch, Bad Burn & Arcadia.

Lords of the Loud Cebu Sinulog 2011 will be at the Outpost Bar, 8pm, Nevil Hills, Cebu City.

Ayala Center Cebu welcomes 2011 with a bang through an ELEVEN-DAY SALE! The Grand Fiesta sale aims to be the Fiestest Sale of them all! See the Grand Fiesta Sale 2011 at Ayala Center Cebu below:

January 6 - 18
Sto Nino Exhibit (between Celine and Kamiseta)

January 7 - 17
Grand Fiesta Promo

January 7
Carbo Loading Pasta Party, 7 PM The Terraces

January 10-13
Sinulog Dancers Mall Parade, 3PM Along Mall Paseos

January 13
Balik Cebu Party, 6PM Activity Center
Handumanan, 8 PM The Terraces

January 14
Kapuso Night featuring top-billed GMA stars, 5PM The Terraces

Jaunary 15
Kampamilya Fiesta Caravan featuring top-billed ABS-CBN stars, 5PM South Surface Parking

January 16
Sinulog Dance Party with Elmer Dado and Grupo Tribale, 7PM The Terraces
Globe Sinulog Event with Vice Ganda and Itchyworms, 7PM South Surface Parking
Grand Fireworks Display, 9PM Big Foot Property across South Surface Parking

January 22
Re-launch of Children's Hour Activity Center

Be there at the Grand Fiesta Sale 2011 at Ayala Center Cebu!

As the prestigious Miss Cebu 2011 pageant draws nearer, the Cebu City Tourism Commission is giving everyone an opportunity to support their favorite candidate via online voting until 11:59 p.m. on January 9, 2011.

The Miss Cebu 2011 online voting booths were launched last December 15 at Ayala Center Cebu, Ground Level, Active Zone Entrance attended by CCTC Commissioner Joseph Gaisano and Executive Director Cinbeth Orellano, and last December 16 at the 2nd floor of SM Northwing near Cyberzone attended by Cebu City Mayor Michael L. Rama and CCTC Commissioner Marissa Fernan.

Anyone with a valid email address is eligible to vote. One (1) registered email address is equivalent to one (1) vote. Those around the country and world may also take part in this process by going to the Miss Cebu 2011 page on the Cebu City Tourism Commission website at www.cebucitytourism.com/misscebu2011. Scroll left to right to find your favorite candidate. Click on any of the candidates’ photos to view their information. Click Vote. Enter your complete name, valid email address and address, then complete your vote by clicking on “Vote Now”. Online Votes will comprise 50% of the criteria for Miss Photogenic.

To know and see photos of what the candidates have been up to in the past few months and the workshops and seminars they have attended plus daily updates on the Miss Cebu pageant and from the reigning Miss Cebu court, join the Miss Cebu community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/misscebupageant.

There will also be a Pre-Pageant night that is open to the public on January 7, 2011, 7:00 p.m. at the Fuente Osmeña. The 27th Miss Cebu 2011 Coronation Night will be held on January 12, 2011, Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. at the Pacific Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino and will be telecast live on Studio 23.

Tickets to the Coronation Night are now available at the online voting booths, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino and the Cebu City Tourism Office at the 2nd floor of the Rizal Museum and Public Library in Osmeña Boulevard. Miss Cebu 2011 is presented to you by The Cebu City Government through Cebu City Tourism Commission and Cebu City Tourism Foundation Inc., Cathay Pacific Airways, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino and co-presented by ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., Go Large Graphics, Ngenius IT Hub, PLDT myDSL, and Philippine Bisayan Society Of Las Vegas, Nevada.