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 ...