Text2Teach was featured as one of the exemplary ICT innovations for education in the recent Asia-Pacific Ministerial Forum on ICT in Education (AMFIE) 2013 organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). “Less than 10 projects, representing the best practices in the region, were selected to participate in the AMFIE Gallery Walk, withText2Teach included among the selected projects. We are proud of Text2Teach and also of Globe for being the only telecommunications organization present in the forum and recognized for its involvement in the Text2Teach project,” said Fernando Esguerra, OIC, Globe Corporate Social Responsibility. AMFIE is an annual platform for policy-level knowledge exchange and dialogue. The Forum showcases a number of promising ICT innovations and experiences in developing, adapting and/or monitoring ICT in Education policies and practices in countries at different development levels. During the AMFIE 2013 held in Wuzhou...

Globe Telecom announced on Monday (December 9) that it will offer iPad Air with Wi-Fi + Cellular and iPad mini with Retina display with Wi-Fi + Cellular in the Philippines starting December 19, 2013. The new iPad Air is unbelievably thin and light. And yet it’s so much more powerful and capable. With the A7 chip, advanced wireless, and great apps for productivity and creativity — all beautifully integrated with iOS 7. iPad mini with Retina display is amazing to hold -- and behold. With 7.9-inch Retina display, very photo will surely be incredibly detailed and vibrant, and every line of text is remarkably crisp and clear. Globe Telecom will offer these new iPads with a range of attractive data plans that will allow customers to connect to its fast Long Term Evolution (LTE) network with speeds up to 42mbps. For more information on iPad, please visit www.apple.com/ipad.

AXE Apollo Team Philippines members began their actual Space Camp training by taking on LYNX Space Academy® tests at the world-famous Kennedy Space Center in Orlando, Florida, USA. At the Jet Ranger Centre in Kissimmee, Ramil Santos and his pilot/trainer climbed on board a SIAI Marchetti SF260 for the Air Combat Training where they flew the plane through various tactical flight maneuvers including parabolic and spiral moves, engaging in multiple “G-Pulling” and high and low Yo-Yo’s for the Filipino astronaut-aspirant to experience the physiological effects of four times the force of gravity (4Gs). The Air Combat Training pilot/trainer was impressed with how Ramil handled himself during the flight and how he was enthusiastic and even asked a lot of questions. For the next two days, Ramil will take on the LYNX Space Academy® Zero Gravity Training via parabolic flights onboard a modified Boeing 727 that will simulate the feeling of complete weightlessness and G Force Training wher...

I’ve never been a fan of boxing or any contact sports for that matter. But watching Manny Pacquaio fights with ease -- sometimes almost blemish-free as if he just had a jab practice or gym workout—made me appreciate the sports. And like many fans who thought Pacquio to be “god or demi-god” inside the ring, I pity him seeing him lying face down on the canvas in his last fight with his fiercest rival, the Mexican fighter Juan Manuel Marquez. “Ma, is he still alive? my then nine-year old daughter asked in between sobs. She too was bothered by the hero’s fall. Voted 'fighter of the decade' for the 2000s and formerly world champion at 8 different weight divisions,Pacquiao is considered by many as the best fighter/boxer ever. Only Pacquiao has done this feat ever ---world champion at 8 different weight divisions! And I feel so lucky to have watched the latest Pacquiao fights that showed his greatness: against Marquez (fight 2 and 3), against boxing’s Golden Boy Oscar dela Ho...

A night of glitter and glam is expected to prevail as the 27th Star Awards for Television unfolds, starting at 6PM, on Sunday, November 24, 2013, at the AFP Theater, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. To emcee the proceedings are sisters Alex and Toni Gonzaga, together with the Gutierrez twins, Raymond and Richard Gutierrez. Sisters Toni and Alex will also do an opening musical number, side by side with brothers Rodjun and Rayver Cruz showing off their greatly admired terpsichorean skills, with the talented Kim Chiu! To render some inspirational songs of hope, as tribute to the newsmen being the unsung heroes of the recent Yolanda (Haiyan) super typhoon coverages, are balladeer Erik Santos, Radha and 'Voice of the Philippines' champion, Mitoy Yonting. The evening show's finale is slated for the gorgeous Dawn Zulueta, who will do a very special musical number with the Kammerchor Manila Choir and Ms. Tricia Howard. Special awardees for this year are: producer K...

Saturday nights would be a lot of fun with the addition of newest game show- PICTURE! PICTURE! over at the Kapuso network. The program premieres November 23 after 24 Oras Weekend. Program host Ryan Agoncillo reveals, “This [Picture! Picture!] is my first time to do a game show, like a proper game show, with just me as host so medyo doon, nangangapa pa. It’s very exciting.” “It’s a very good thing that I have a very good team that I’m working with, the team of Direk Rico Gutierrez and our pool writers headed by Senedy Que. It's just a matter of seeing how I fit into their framework,” he adds. What makes Picture! Picture! stand out from the other game shows out there? “The best part is, this is an original concept, not a franchise show. So this is a new show that we’re giving birth to. So basically, every little thing is new to everyone. That’s very exciting.” Picture! Picture! comes timely that Oxford dictionary has chosen 'selfie' to be the word of the year and have...

Do you know that there are about 2 million bacteria per inch that can be found in a bathroom? Yet over 90% of local households are unaware of proper toilet hygiene and sanitation practices. Unilever, through its leading specialized toiler cleaner brand Domex, took the initiative to promote better bathroom sanitation on the occasion of World Toilet Day on November 19. Dubbed as the One Million Clean Toilets Movement , the campaign aims to encourage a culture of cleanliness by increasing the public’s awareness on the importance of maintaining proper toilet sanitation through a series of year-long cleaning and education initiatives, starting with a multi-sector partnership with UNICEF, the Philippine Public Health Association, the City of Manila and Pilipinas Shell. Launched at the Manila City Hall, Domex will deputize Germ Busters through a series of training activities on the proper servicing of restrooms covering City Service employees, NLEX and SLEX Shell gas station service pers...

The first ever BABY & FAMILY EXPO PHILIPPINES 2013 to be held in December 06-08, 2013 at the SMX Convention Center promises to be fun and exciting as the whole family can enjoy and participate in exciting activities like the Family Olympics, Family Fashion Weekend, and the Baby & Family Awards featuring the Golden Family Awards, ParentPreneur Awards and the crowning of the Bibong Baby of the Year. “Our vision was to come up with a fun and meaningful event where families can bond and learn together. With our tagline –Welcoming Life, Love and Care, we want to give a message that having a new baby in the family is not just the mom’s responsibility but the entire family’s – no one is left out. Together with our partners and sponsors we want to nurture family development and raise the awareness on responsible child care." said David Abrenilla, MediaCom Solutions, Inc. president and Baby & Family Expo Philippines 2013 organizer. The media launch, hosted by Bb. Pilip...

My first baby came in 1991 when I was ready and prepared emotionally and physically at age 29. (You see, I thought I would be single for life, and I was prepared for it!) Oh, what a joy this bubbly handsome boy we named Mark Anthony has brought us! We had given him all the attention he could probably ask for even when we, his parents, were working full time. Preparing for the new member of the family and childbirth was a breeze, and so I thought. I asked veterans moms, including my mother, their experiences and helpful tips. I consulted medical books… and so I thought I was prepared for everything. But I was wrong…I had to undergo ceasarian operation after 13 hours of labor. At the first sign of childbirth, which was droplets of blood in my undies, I went home from work to consult my gynecologist who said I have wait for my contractions. My husband and I already secured a hospital room when the doctor told us to go and rest at home. Once at home the contractions become regular un...

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is one with the whole nation in expressing its deepest sympathies to the families and victims of the Super Typhoon Yolanda (international code name “Haiyan”), one of the strongest typhoons that made landfall in recorded history. The towns that were severely affected are located in the provinces of Leyte and Eastern Samar, as well as a few places in the Southern Tagalog Region (particularly Coron in Palawan). The government remains on top of the ongoing search, rescue, retrieval, and relief operations for the victims of the Super Typhoon Yolanda. The DOT is focused on the safety and monitoring of tourist movement in all affected areas and has no reports so far of any endangerment. The DOT’s objective is to focus on quick recovery so that tourism income is restored at the soonest possible time. Bulletin announcements will be posted via the DOT website (www.tourism.gov.ph), while DOT overseas and regional offices are also on standby to assist potential ...

The right way to brush the teeth is in circular motion and it should not be less than 2 minutes. One should not rinse his or her mouth with water immediately after brushing to give enough time for fluoride to work and cause effect to the teeth. These are some “little things” I learned during the kick-off campaign of Pepsodent Brushing Adventure at the Rafael Palma Elementary School on Tuesday. Through its No. 1 toothpaste brand Pepsodent, Unilever strengthens its commitment to improve the brushing habits of Filipino children. This is part of Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan to build a billion better lives, the campaign which empowers moms to teach the healthy habit of twice daily brushing to their kids. Pepsodent and its partners FDI World Dental Federation, and the Philippine Dental Association (PDA) invited hundreds of young students – kinder and grade one --from this public school in Manila to encourage parents especially the moms to turn brushing, a potentially boring ac...

LOVE for family is one inherent value which is true among Filipinos. Each and every member of the family give importance to the family. By putting importance to family, a member puts a high regards and concerns over the family before anything else. This is also one of the reasons why a father or a mother in will seek employment abroad just to earn decent earnings for the family, to meet its basic needs and want. But Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Glenda Duque of the United Kingdom have done more than that – by caring for thier extended families, the migrant and OFws in London. In 2003, Michael established the Philippine Nurses Association of the United Kingdom (PNA-UK) to address the challenges Filipino nurses face in the UK. The organization worked with the Philippine Embassy and various health and government sectors, as well as nursing and trade union groups, to develop what is now known as the Overseas Nursing Program (ONP). Through the years, ONP provides Pinoy nurses with work...

Teen actress Lauren Young is happy with the projects given to her by the Kapuso Network. She signed contract with GMA-7 only last year and already, she has bagged back-to-back projects with the network namely the recently concluded soap “Mundo Mo’y Akin” and “Dormitoryo” which premiered last Sunday, Sept. 22. Dormitoryo is topbilled by Lauren Young together with GMA’s teen stars Joyce Ching, Wyn Marquez, Ruru Madrid, and Enzo Pineda. Completing the cast are Mayton Eugenio, Annicka Dolonius, Ash Nordstrom and Mel Kimura. The series focuses on the search of Hazel Mendoza (Lauren Young), an incoming freshman Mass Communication student at Branwood College, for answers on the death of Maika Benitez (Wyn Marquez) who died in the same dormitory she’s staying at—the Holy Spirit Manor. It may just be a mere accident for the police but the dormers have a different speculation on Maika’s death. Tickling Hazel’s curiosity more is her snappy roommate Weng Dimagiba (Mayton Eugenio) who be...

Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you If you're young at heart For it's hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind If you're young at heart You can go to extremes with impossible schemes You can laugh when your dreams fall apart at the seams And life gets more exciting with each passing day And love is either in your heart or on it's way So goes the song of Young at Heart by no less than the legendary crooner Frank Sinatra. This song immediately comes to my mind as I watched the pilot episode of Prinsesa ng Buhay ko on a rainy Monday evening. After their memorable performances in Coffee Prince, Kris Bernal and Aljur Abrenica reignite their onscreen tandem in Prinsesa Ng Buhay Ko which is the first program shot in full HD using DLSR cameras. It replaced Binoy Henyo beginning September 23 before 24 Oras. Prinsesa Ng Buhay Ko’s storyline, as in fairy tales, aptly aims to inspire viewers to always have a positive outlook in life, and ...

Stellar performances will be delivered by the powerhouse cast topbilled by Kapuso leading lady Heart Evangelista and her two leading men Sid Lucero and Dominic Roco together with Alessandra De Rossi, Isabel Oli, and Katrina Halili in the upcoming afternoon drama of GMA network titled Magkano Ba Ang Pag-ibig? Completing the cast are renowned actors and actresses Ana Capri, Pen Medina, Sharmaine Centenera, Luz Valdez, Vangie Labalan, Mariel Pamintuan, Nicky Castro, Angelo Ilagan, and Ms. Celia Rodriguez. Set in the rustic town of San Sebastian, the story revolves around the struggle of Eloisa Aguirre (Heart Evangelista) in providing her family a good living. While making herself busy in their family's small piggery, Eloisa meets Lucio Aragon (Sid Lucero), the disinherited achiever working as a professor in Manila. Their interest in agriculture will make them closer and eventually develop feelings for each other. But while Eloisa basks in the happiness of her love life, fate wil...