Text and photos by Leony R. Garcia Imagine a young man in his early 20s trying to eke out a living and raising a family by knocking from one door to another selling shampoos and retractable clothing lines among others. He also peddled products on the streets with items such as non-stick woks and video cleaners in the streets of Penang and East Malaysia. In 1984, the enterprising Malaysian went to the Philippines to promote his invention, the Super Slicer, to test his unwavering resolution to succeed in a foreign land. He started demonstrating his kitchenware product in shopping malls. Sooner than he expected, Sam Low Ban Chai and his products became household names. Slowly but surely, Sam Low has successfully adopted the network marketing business model in his company, Edmark Philippines, Inc., and has brought hope and the opportunity of entrepreneurship to thousands of Filipinos nationwide.   Now a multi-million dollar company with market presence in 26 countries,...

I'd like to buy the world a home And furnish it with love Grow apple trees and honey bees And snow white turtle doves I'd like to teach the world to sing In perfect harmony I'd like to buy the world a Coke And keep it company That's the real thing What the world wants today Is the real thing... So goes the one of the most successful jingles – and  television commercials in history  – by the world’s first and oldest beverage, Coke. The spot begins with a blonde woman, eyes clear blue, lip-syncing the strange lyric. The camera pans across rows of young singers smiling with the rising sun—Spanish, Swedish, Nigerian, Nepalese, dressed in a dashiki, a kimono, a dirndl, a Nehru, a turtleneck. Together they lip-sync, “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.” Each holds a green glass hobble skirt bottle in their right hand, one branded in English script, the next in Arabic, another in Thai. “I’d like to buy the world a Coke,” they sing, “and keep it com...

This early, Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) observers are already predicting a surefire box-office reign for “My Bebe Love: Kilig Pa More!” And why not? It star the country’s comedy giants - the undisputed Philippine box-office king of comedy Vic Sotto and box-office queen Ai-Ai delas Alas, plus the phenomenal loveteam AlDub of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza. While the country is being swept away by the record-breaking loveteam , MMFF is poised to be another territory for conquest by the AlDub phenomenon. This is the duo’s most exciting film debut. Moreover, the movie features heartwarming romance, wholesome fun,  and excellent Filipino values written by Jose Javier Reyes and Bibeth Orteza and directed by Jose Javier Reyes. “Kadalasan kasi ng ginagawa ko mga fantasies o yung tipong pang comedy talaga. For this movie, first time kong sumabak sa isang romantic-comedy o yung tinatawag nilang rom-com,” Bossing Vic, as Sotto is popularly called, said during the blog...

The province of Oriental Mindoro  turns 65 as it celebrates its Founding Anniversary on November 15. As highlights of this year’s celebration, the provincial government has initiated the holding of Mimaropa Festival on November 9-15 in Calapan City. The festival  serves as an avenue to showcase the region’s best products in terms of agriculture, tourism and trades. Likewise, said event is seen to strengthen the partnership of among regional offices and local government units. It was participated in by Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan, Calapan City and Puerto Princesa City. Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso Umali Jr. (center) answering queries from the media regarding the festival The three major events of Mimaropa fest were the Agriculture Tourism and Trade Fair on Nov. 9-15 held at the provincial capitol grounds; the Dance Parade Competition and Festival Queen Pageant Night, both held on Nov. 14. Sharla Santillan: 1st M...

Calata Corporation president and CEO Joseph Calata (3 RD  from left) receives the certificate of Guinness World  Record  on the largest serving of roast pork. With him are, from left:  Lydia’s Lechon CEO Ricky de Roca, Guinness officer Lucia Sinigagliesi, Calata corporate secretary Atty. Jose Marie Fabella, Calata VP for Corporate Communications, Sales and Marketing Michael Angelo Lobrin and Brookfields Meat Inc. president Halmon Parker Ong. WHAT a way to celebrate a milestone year --  clinching a World Guinness Record, treating the less privileged residents of Metro Manila and granting scholarship to students of agriculture! Indeed, it was a new world record for the Philippines via Calata Corporation’s feat of the largest serving of roast pork (locally known as lechon) in the world.  Calata Corporation is the largest retailer and distributor of top agrochemical brands, feeds, fertilizers, veterinary medicines and seeds throughout the count...

Mention Batangas province and immediately Taal Volcano comes to mind. This is so because Taal Volcano is one of the top tourist drawers of Batangas aside from the  beaches of San Juan, Calatagan, and Nasugbu. And because Batangas is just 3 to 4-hour drive from Manila, it has the third largest tourist arrivals in the Calabarzon (Calamba-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) region in 2014, after Quezon and Laguna. The whole region last year attracted 15 million tourists, who spent an average of P1,000 a day for food, transportation, and souvenir, based on DOT estimates. To further spur tourism in Region IV-A, the Department of Tourism (DOT) through the help of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) c onstructed a 4.6-kilometer Taal Lake Circumferential Road in Agoncillo which is part of a 122.9-kilometer road project for Batangas under the government’s Convergence Program on Enhancing Tourism Access. The DOT and the DPWH officially turned over the roa...