The Department of Tourism-National Capital Region made history as it officially launched the Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) Travel by Hub Program held at Glorietta 2, Makati City on May 28. The HOHo is a tour program using state of the art bus transport and a digital application where tourists can enjoy the Cities of Manila and Makati through specially-crafted tours using the hop on hop off system and a contactless payment card. The project takes inspiration from world-class hop-on hop-off buses in cities such as Abu Dhabi, Argentina, London, Madrid, New York, Singapore, among others, will feature a dedicated website with all essential information, a reloadable EMV-capable card, and to complete the tourist experience, a mobile app for booking tours, making cashless payments, GPS networked-bus arrival monitoring and video guides, as well as information on hotels, food, and tourism merchants. It is expected to go full blast by mid-year of 2023. DOT Sec. Christina Garcia-Frasco led the lau...

  Outgoing 2022 PHA President Dr. Jude Ericc Cinco greets participants of UPP DO you know that 88% of adult individual in the Philippines are physically inactive? This is according to the latest data gathered by the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), a recognized and trusted group of heart doctors in the country which aims to reduce the ravages of heart diseases among Fillipinos and to make the Philippines a leading center of cardiology in the region. Further, the 2022 Global Status Report on physical activity released in October 2022, found that 81 percent of adolescents and 2.75 percent of adults worldwide “currently do not meet WHO’s recommended levels of physical activity." With the release of the first-ever global report on physical activity, the World Health Organization (WHO) cautioned that this finding has an impact not only on individuals and their families over their lifespan but also on health services and society as a whole. 52100 TURNS 10 That’s why the PHA has been ...

On May 27-31, 2023, the City of Ilagan is expected to launch and host various events featuring colorful parades, harvest offerings by the farmers, and a food festival of corn-based dishes for Mammangi Festival 2023 . Started in 2011, the festival also features much-anticipated occasions like the vivid buoy parade and road-moving exhibitions executed by youthful Ilagueño artists wearing local ensembles made of indigenous materials. Awesome events like the Little Miss Ilagan, Miss Gay Mammangi, and Mammangi Festival Queen showcase the creative gifts of Ilagueños.  From mangui or corn in the local Ibanag dialect, the city which is known to be the Corn Capital of the Philippines aptly celebrates the Mammangi Festival with such pomp and festivity while honoring its farmers for the bountiful harvest.  Snacks made of corn Yummy cornbetes! A must-visit in the city would be the Mangi Food Hauz and Pasalubong Center which is run by the Department of Agriculture-Cagayan Valley Research C...

"It's a form of communication that you do not want to communicate." JC Crescini stated on April 28, 2023, during the exhibit opening. Heritage Art and Antiquities presents the artworks of JC Crescini, himself a gallerist, avid art collector, and supporter of Filipino artists and the community. Starting out as an ace salesman for Megaworld, JC also started collecting Filipino art leading him to be an art broker and established his own gallery. Eventually, he found his own art. Also acknowledged as the Bad Boy of Philippine Art, his latest works are an attack on overrated artists, and even on Philippine Art itself! CID REYES ON JC Born in October 1981, JC looks like a typical millennial except that his artistic mind is askew. His works display the influences of Arturo Luz and Ivan Acuña but he is sometimes shunned by his peers. But the new artworks he keeps in his storeroom may stir the sewer. World-renowned Filipino artist and art critic Cid Reyes wrote about JC as so...

Representatives of the national media pose before the giant Bambanti 2023 signage The province of Isabela isn’t called the “Queen Province of the North” for nothing. It is the second largest province in the Philippines, situated in the northeastern part of Luzon or the Cagayan Valley Region. It comprised of 34 municipalities and three cities: Ilagan, Cauayan, and Santiago serving as trade centers along with the municipality of Roxas. Isabela is the 9th richest province in the Philippines as of 2021 with Santiago City considered to have the fastest-growing local economy in the entire country.  Isabela is divided into three physiographical areas that contributes to the beauty of the province. Eastern Isabela is rugged and thickly forested. The massive Sierra Madre Mountain range straddles the entire length of the province from north to south. There is a vast natural park, home to variety of wildlife. It is also where Isabela’s best timber can be found. Coastal Isabela which is genera...

The International Symposium & SAORI Hands Weaving Workshop in the Philippines is being held virtually for the first time on March 6, 2021 at 10:00 am. Titled, International Symposium for Arts, Inclusion and Diversity (ISAID), the program highlights the exchange of experiences of nine Asian countries, namely, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan. "The new normal -- with COVID 19 still hounding us -- touches and transforms all lives differently. But during this pandemic and challenging time, life can still be good. We can still be together, one heart, one mind. Learning happens and friendship continues to strive. It is through this symposium that we could gather valuable resources among families with person/s with disabilities, professionals, and the general public," said Mrs. Rebecca Martinez Santos, ISAID chairperson and Founder / Executive Director of St. Francis Integrated Arts School (SFIASI)/SAORI Hands ...

If there is one thing we can be thankful about the lockdown,  it was the opportunity to stay at home and become one real family. We only had each other and there were no distractions such as office meetings and late night deadlines. For  three months, we listened to our stories, helped clean the house and do other chores together, watch TV eat, laugh, sing, dance, paint, exercise and pray together. Indeed, we were in the best place we could be -- at home. There's no place like home The Enhanced Communiry Quarantine has also definitely  given us time to transform our house into a wonderful place to stay during the hot summer months, and appreciate it as a safe haven during the pandemic. And while at home, we all learned the "new normal" together -- basically distancing ourselves to the rest of the world and becoming healthy, fit and hygienic -- by eating nutritious home-made meals, hydrating, getting the right sleep and having some exercise routine, keeping ourselv...