Red Bull Dance Your Style National Winner “JXYB” Takes the Philippines to Germany

Manila, Philippines - Excitement builds as the clock ticks down to the most awaited dance competition of the year. In a celebration of creativity, individuality, and the rich genres of dance, the Philippines is gearing up to take over the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Finals in Frankfurt, Germany. Set to take place on November 4, this event will feature dancers from all over the world battling it out on the international stage.

After securing his win at the National Finals in Manila, Louries “JXYB” Dhztine Bernardino will be representing the country in the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Finals. His unique style and technique shined through fifteen other dancers who came from all different provinces across the Philippines – Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, and Baguio to name a few. The variety of provinces brought a mix of cultures and identities onto the stage, but in the end, “JXYB”’s unique style stood out and won them the crown. With the World Finals now approaching, “JXYB” is ready to bring his A-game to the international dance floor.

“I plan to maintain using Krumping as my style, but I really think I have a lot more to enhance when it comes to crowd-pleasing and crowd interactions. There’s a lot I’m working on to improve but luckily, I come from the Philippine dance community, which is very competitive. We are very advanced in freestyle battle here so that is a big advantage, but at the same time that puts a lot of pressure on me,” “JXYB” said.

The Philippines’ representative believes this competition will be the hardest one-on-one battle he’s faced so far, but still remains optimistic that his skill, talent, and determination will take him far.

“I’ll stay true to myself and my style, and I’ll bring a lot of prayer into this. I know that God will have my back, and we’ll get this win in Jesus' name,” he said.

Louries “JXYB” Dhztine Bernardino will be competing against over 30 dancers from all over the world, each with his own style, flair, and personality. While the competition will be nothing short of fierce, “JXYB” remains hopeful they can properly showcase Filipino talent for the world to see.

The Red Bull Dance Your Style World Finals is set to take place in Frankfurt, Germany on November 4, 2023, and will be streamed live on Red Bull’s Dance Your Style TikTok and YouTube account (@redbulldance) at 9PM CET.

PEZA Investment Approvals up by 107.15%in April

Pasay City – With strengthened investment promotion and facilitation efforts, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has recorded an increase of 107.15% in investments for the January to April period.

“From January to April 2023, PEZA has approved a total of 60 new and expansion projects worth Php 33.094 Billion investments, which is 107.15% higher as compared to the Php 15.975 Billion approved investments on the same period in 2022,” reported PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga.

For the same period, the projects are also expected to generate about US$ 1.012 billion exports and create 7,469 direct jobs.

April Board approval
This comes as the PEZA Board greenlighted 14 new and expansion projects expected to bring in PhP 20.556 Billion investments and create2,233 jobs.

Among these 14 projects, seven (7) are into logistics service enterprise, four (4) into export manufacturing, and three (3) IT enterprises. These projects will be located in Baguio, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Cebu, and South Cotabato.

The biggest project pre-qualified by the PEZA Board for FIRB approval is engaged in the manufacturing of biomass fuel products made from Buyo-buyo(Piper aduncum-shrub), with investments worth PhP 19.701 Billion.

Increase in PEZA exports

For the first quarter of the year, PEZA also recorded a total of US$ 15.753 Billion actual exports despite the recent report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on widening trade deficit.

Panga said, “In March alone, we have generated US$5.396 billion export revenues which account for 82.65% of the total country's US$6.528 Billion exports in March this year.

Strengthened investment promotions

“We believe that we are now reaping the results of the ongoing investment missions of President Ferdinand Marcos and his administration’s investment initiatives and it is now up to us to follow through the pledges,” explained Panga.

The PEZA Chief noted, “We remain positive that more investments will come to the Philippines withthe big-ticket investments that we secured during the President's visits to Japan, US, and Switzerland among others.”

The US$1.3 billion in investment pledges and 6,700 jobs generated from the President's trip to the US is an indication of the American investors' renewed interest in the country. Based on the investment climate statement on the Philippines by the US Department of State, “The business environment is notably better within the special economic zones, particularly those available for export businesses operated by PEZA, known for its regulatory transparency, no red-tape policy, and one- stop shop services for investors.”

With the recently working visits of the President and his key cabinet and business delegation to the US, UK, Indonesia, Panga stated that, “We hope to attract FDI in advanced manufacturing, EV industry, RE development, mineral processing, regenerative agriculture, and frontier technologies particularly in digital health, fintech, blockchain, AI and big data—to boost our mix of industries and value-adding in the ecozones.” 

TI-CAR for MSME Product and Market Development

Creative Industries and Market Showcase

The Department of Trade and Industry – Cordillera Administrative Region continues to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through its capacity-building and livelihood seeding programs. The agency has also been active in promoting Cordillera MSME products through various local and national trade fairs both through physical fairs and online platforms as support to the local sectors and industries. The Local Government Unit of Baguio, in collaboration with various agencies such as DTI, initiated a new normal marketing avenue for MSMEs through Sunday Market Showcase in Session Road, Baguio City.

In his virtual State of the City Address during the 112th Baguio City Charter Day Celebrations on September 1, 2021, Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong presented various programs that the city has undertaken including collaborations with other agencies. “The strengthening of Livelihood and entrepreneurial Service is evident in the way we have transformed Session Road as a regular venue for family fun and bonding as well as artistic displays of admirable creativity, and a showcase of local entrepreneurship through our strong collaboration with DTI-CAR. To date, 9.3 million pesos in receipted sales to these homegrown MSMEs had been recorded.”

One Town, One Product (OTOP)

The OTOP program is a priority stimulus for MSMEs that assists and enables localities and communities to determine, develop, support, and promote products or services that are rooted in its local culture, community resource, creativity, connection, and competitive advantage. As their own ‘pride-of-place,’ these are offerings where they can be the best at or best renowned for. It endeavors to capacitate our ‘OTOPreneurs’ to innovate and produce market-ready products and services. There are two components under the program, the OTOP NextGen and OTOP Philippine Hub. The NextGen side of the program refers to the package of assistance provided to capacitate the MSMEs. This component is primarily the product development initiatives, training, referral, and others with the goal of leveling up the products in the areas of design, quality, volume, among others. The OTOP Philippines Hub is the response to the demands side of the program. The hub provides the physical and online channels and market access platform where OTOP products – especially those which has been assisted via product development – are showcased on a day-to-day basis.

The Negosyo Center of Tuba conducted seminar on Product Packaging and Labeling Design for Tuba MSMEs. Photo shows resource speaker Joel M. Wanhay giving pointers to participants from Poblacion, Tuba, Benguet. The seminar is meant to capacitate and train MSMEs to grow and develop their products through the enhancement of product packaging and labels.

Student Housing Guide in College Cities in the Philippines

Lamudi Philippines identifies how much rent students should expect in key areas in Metro Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Dumaguete, and Davao

Apart from tuition, college education is considered a significant investment because of other expenses involved. These include the purchase of learning materials, daily meals, and commute or travel fees, to name a few. If the student happens to study away from home, then this also includes the cost of living space.

While areas having schools always have places to live for students, particular locales stand out, as they not only are the home of the country’s foremost universities, they also feature areas that are ideal for student housing, condos, and accommodations, and thus offers real estate investors potentially good sources of recurring income.

Baguio City

Considered by many as the educational center of Northern Luzon, Baguio City is home to many colleges and universities. These include the University of the Philippines Baguio, Saint Louis University, the University of the Cordilleras, the Philippine Military Academy, and the University of Baguio, to name a few.

The city’s relatively compact urban core and cool climate make it an ideal place for students to live, as inconveniences like extremely hot weather, long commutes, and heavy traffic are minimal here compared to other cities. While real estate is a little pricy in Baguio, rental rates are quite reasonable, with several offering total areas adequate enough to share with roommates.

At present, one-bedroom homes for rent in Baguio currently go for as low as Php6,000 per month and are ideally located in areas like the Burnham and Legarda areas, which are just a jeepney ride away from the business district and the most of the schools situated around it.

Dumaguete City

Best known for Silliman University, the Philippines’ first Protestant university and first American university in Asia, Dumaguete is considered the “center of learning in the south” because it is also the home of other notable schools like Foundation University, Negros Oriental State University (NORSU), and St. Paul University Dumaguete.

The city is ideal for student living because of the proximity of the schools. Silliman’s campus is adjacent to and merged with the city’s downtown district, while NORSU’s two main campuses are both located in the city. While a costal locale, Dumaguete is not too prone to typhoons.

Homes and apartments for rent are very reasonable in Dumaguete where, based on the current listings on Lamudi, one can rent homes with two bedrooms and two bathrooms for Php13,000 per month, which is ideal for two to four students. Rental properties at this rate are common in the Candau-Ay and Batinguel areas of the city, which are a few kilometers away from downtown and the university district.
 

Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City

Metro Manila is home to some of the Philippines’ finest educational institutions, and with such a diverse real estate market, it has a number of areas that are great for students. If it had to be narrowed down to just one place, the Katipunan Area stands out.

A national highway, Katipunan Avenue runs from the University of the Philippines Diliman and is in the vicinity of Ateneo de Manila University, Miriam College, and the Multiple Intelligence International School. Expectedly, the area has a number of residential spaces for rent, particularly condos geared toward students.

Understandably costly due to their location, rental properties in the Katipunan area are quite pricy. For example, one-bedroom condo units’ monthly rents can range from Php13,000 to Php20,000. These spaces are in projects like Berkeley Residences and Blue Residences, which are a stone’s throw from the aforementioned schools. In addition to condos, there are also dorms and boarding houses nearby for those opting for the traditional student housing option.

Pablo Ocampo Street (formerly Vito Cruz Street), Manila

With schools like De La Salle University, College of Saint Benilde, and Saint Scholastica’s College within its vicinity, and with others like Philippine Women’s University and Arellano University within its proximity, Pablo Ocampo Street cannot not be included among ideal places for students to live.

Formerly named Vito Cruz Street, the thoroughfare’s section within the city of Manila is close to the Vito Cruz Station of LRT-1, while its Makati section is close to Ayala Avenue and Circuit Makati. The street is close not only to colleges and universities but also to condos, hospitals, and upcoming township developments.

While most would expect living space to be costly in the area, there are a number relatively affordable condos close to Pablo Ocampo Street, with rates ranging from Php5,000 to Php20,000 per month for one-bedroom units. These are situated in developments like the Pacific Regency, the Kingswood Condominiums, and Cityland Vito Cruz, to name a few.
 

Cebu City

The center of Metro Cebu, a highly urbanized metropolitan area on par with Metro Manila, Cebu City boasts plenty of urban conveniences, including a central business district, tertiary hospitals, and an international airport, among many others. The city is also home to a campus of the University of the Philippines Visayas, along with 37 other institutions for higher education, which further cements its position as one of the region’s most ideal places to reside and study.

Accommodations are a bit costly in Cebu. Like Metro Manila, however, Cebu City has a number of residential spaces for rent, thanks in large part to the presence of condominium developments that are typical of highly urbanized and populated areas. Ideally situated near the business district and several schools, these units provide safe and convenient accommodation.

A rate of Php10,000 a month is sufficient for a studio unit in the city, units which typically have as much as between 18 and 25 sqm of floor area, which makes it possible to house an additional student or two. Expectedly, housing is costlier at the center of the city, but outer areas like Brgy. Banilad provide affordable options yet remain in good proximity to a number of schools.

Davao City

Like how Cebu City is for the Visayas, Davao City is center of education for Mindanao. The city is the current home of 33 total colleges and universities, which include the University of the Philippines Mindanao, Ateneo de Davao University, and the University of Southeastern Philippines. The city is also widely regarded as one of the safest in the country, making it ideal student residence.

Davao City offers a wide variety of residential spaces. Expectedly, the neighborhoods that are farther out provide more favorable prices, and the distance is not too much of an issue as the city is well organized.

Some of the most affordable places to rent an apartment in Davao City include the city’s Catalunan Grande area, which is closest to the University of Southeastern Philippines and UP Mindanao. There are various apartments for rent in Catalunan, with rates as low as Php10,000 per month for a two-bedroom, 70-sqm property.



*This is Press Release

Tree Top Adventure Baguio - Yes you can do Team Buildings Here!

Aside from the famous and fun rides and activities you can do in this amazing theme park. You and your team or company can also do team buildings in this park. A pretty good venue to strengthen the team, with nice climate and view.

The place itself have enough facilities that you and your team will enjoy while being challenged at the same time.

The activities have variety of lessons that can help the team move as one. From challenging the creativity, cooperation, patience, communication as well as critical thinking and most specially, the camaraderie that the activities bring.

As much as I like to discuss the activities, I'd rather make it as a surprise for you. Not to spoil the fun for you! But I can say that it will really test you and your group and be happy with whatever the results may be.

Strategize as an individual but most specially think as a group.

Tree Top Adventure Baguio - Conquer Your Fear of Heights!

Not the usual theme park that we're used to, this adds a little adventure as far as heights and activities that you will love. Guests can choose from the extreme to the less and more relax activity/ride depending on what you can handle.

Tree Top Adventure Baguio is in the heart of Camp John Hay just next to Hotel Manor and the other attractions in the Golf Course.

Upon arrival, guests will get a briefing on what's allowed and not allowed in the premise.

Tree Top Baguio has the following activities that you can choose from:

Trekking and Skywalk
Funtional Ride
Canopy
Silver Surfer Ride
Superman Ride
Tree Drop Adventure

Above are arranged from the most relax to  the most extreme order.


Trekking is quite relaxing because you can to walk to a cliff like trail and be one with nature surrounded by pine trees, and on Skywalk it will be a level higher. Literally, there is a view deck for you to get a better view of what's on top, like your on top of the tree. It will be a nice backdrop for your selfies.

Functional Ride is a little cute I can say, because it is just like being in an escalator, only you are sitting. Guests will be sitting in the ride and will be pulled up, then slide back down(slowly).

Canopy, for me is scary(only when looking down) in a way that you'll be above the ground for a few minutes hanging in the air strolling next to the trees but getting a pretty good view while chatting with your other 3 friends.

Silver Surfer, for me this is a little nerve wrecking, maybe because it is my first time but anyway, the challenge there is staying and standing still because the ride will not be bumpy, but shaky so every time it stops in the middle you better hold your ground. Well, I still like it!

Superman Ride, this is fun! really it is because it is technically a zip line ride, but unlike the one that I'm used to. This is a level higher because you have to hold the bar with your armpit and the other bar with both your feet which will make you look like doing a superman. There is this feeling that you might fall if you didn't hold to the bars good enough. I still like the idea and I had a great time

Tree Drop Adventure, well..most of the other guys wasn't able to try this due to the fact that you'll be dropped from 60feet high. To give you an idea about it. Imagine the drop ride from a theme park in laguna, almost the same feeling but this time instead of sitting you are looking at the ground. Surely this will be the longest 2 seconds of your life!

Overall, as a person of adventure this is highly recommended. Nature and adrenaline adventure for you, most specially for me that likes to conquer my fear of heights.

Azalea Baguio - Cozy and Comfy!

I got the privilege to stay in this place for 3 days and 2 nights and boy what a comfort.

To start the day, we had a breakfast buffet that is all waiting for us after the long journey from Manila. Familiar restaurant that's called Tradisyon serves all familiar menu that we all love. You can choose from heavy breakfast to your choice of light meal of salad or choices of bread. Same goes for their lunch buffet. Not to mention that you can also order an Ala Cart meal should buffet be not available when hunger strikes. Let me show you what dining looks like in Tradisyon:



Guests can have a variety of choices depending on their needs and of course availability of the rooms, from a single bed room to 3 door queen sized bed rooms w/ sofa bed. What makes it even relaxing is the view of the residence around the Hotel. In my case, we had the 3 bed good for 5 pax. Aside from that, the service I can say is meeting or exceeding your expectation, always in assistance for what your needs are.



Lastly, the location of this hotel is pretty cool, because it is not near the highway where you can hear the noise, but near enough to the attractions in Baguio that you want to go to.

You can also check out:
Website:  http://web.azalearesidencesbaguio.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AzaleaResidencesBaguioCity/

Travel was also sponsored by www.TravelBook.ph is a top online hotel booking site in the Philippines. With over 2000 hotel partners, it ensures that travelers have the best options for accommodations no matter where their destination is.

Alaska JrNBA/ JrWNBA Baguio Selection

Baguio City – Young players from Benguet Province and nearby Pangasinan distinguished themselves at the Regional Selection Camp of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines 2015 presented by Alaska held at the St. Louis University Laboratory High School in this city, March 15, 2015.

Seven young players from these provinces – four boys and three girls -- had statistics and basketball savvy that impressed Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA coaches and judged them worthy of inclusion in the National Training Camp, the high point of the NBA’s global youth development program, come April.

Jan Zyrus De Ayre, 13, of Berkeley School, Baguio; Magnus Gabriel Ines, 13, of St. Louis University Laboratory High School, Baguio; Christian Allen Magno, 14, of St. Albert the Great School, Dagupan and Manuel Andrey Ober, 13, of Dagupan City National High School are the region’s Jr. NBA representatives to the National Training Camp.

Christine Angela Venterez, 13, of Baguio National High School; Christine Cayabyab, 14, of Judge Jose De Venecia Sr. Memorial National High School, Dagupan City and Rose Marie de los Santos, 13, of St. Albert the Great School, Dagupan City will be the Jr. WNBA representatives for North Luzon in the National Training Camp.

Christine Cayabyab, who made it as far as the NTC last year, said she hopes to represent North Luzon proudly in Manila this year. “Many of us from Dagupan traveled to Baguio just so we could have another shot at our basketball dreams. Joining the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA brings us closer to fulfilling them.”

The next Regional Selection Camps will be held in Bacolod City at St. John Institute on March 21 and 22, Davao City at the University of the Immaculate Conception on March 28 and 29 and Manila at the PICC Forum on April 11 and 12. Qualified boys and girls who wish to join the selection camps may still register at www.jrnba.asia/philippines.

The program is absolutely free. At the National Training Camp ten Jr. NBA and five Jr. WNBA All-Stars will be selected and will embark on a unique, overseas NBA experience together with fellow Jr. NBA All-Stars from Southeast Asia. The Coach of the Year presented by Alaska will also be announced at the National Training Camp that will be attended by NBA talents.

Full program terms and conditions can be found in the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA event website. Fans can also follow Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrnbaphilippines. For all things NBA, fans may visit www.nba.com, and follow the NBA on Facebook (www.facebook.com/philsnba) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/nba_philippines).

Tree Top Adventure Baguio - Experience The Extreme

Experience extreme adventure and extreme relaxation at Tree Top Adventure Baguio, the only motorized zipline in the Philippines and the only Team Building facility in Baguio. With seven outdoor activities and team building facilities, located within Camp John Hay, surrounded by pine trees and overlooking breathtaking views, Tree Top Adventure Baguio offers an adventure of a lifetime.

For the thrill seekers who want to experience extreme adventure, you might want to experience their Tree Drop in which you’ll be suspended 60 feet above the ground, mission impossible style and you’ll be falling as fast as 2 to 3 seconds. This Tree Top’s most extreme activity costs Php 150.00 only and this is one way to really quench your thirst for adrenaline rush. You might also want to try rides done in pairs: the Superman Ride and Silver Surfer. As the name implies, you’ll be ziplining, Superman Style, 200 meters long, 150 feet above the ground, but instead of doing it just forwards, you would also be ziplining backwards. Silver Surfer is a 60 degree diagonal motorized zipline in which you’ll be standing on a specialized platform and you’ll be gliding up and down for three cycles. Expect that there would be stops and swings for every cycle. For Php 300.00 and Php 200.00 respectively, you could experience what superheroes feel as they fly and glide through the air.

For those who want to experience extreme relaxation, you could try the Canopy and Funicular ride which costs Php350.00. The Canopy is similar to the concept of cable cars, but instead, you’ll be seated on cable chairs in which you’ll be transferring from one station to another until you complete all eight stations. When you reach the station four of the Canopy, you would walk for around 2 to 3 minutes to be able to reach the connecting ride of Canopy which is the Funicular ride. This ride is similar to the concept of elevator, but, instead of standing up, you’ll be seated. This is at least a way for you to conquer your fear of heights. But, if you really have extreme fear of heights, you could just avail the Trekking and Skywalk in which you would walk around Tree Top’s area and go up the skywalk area, or the viewing deck in which you could see the mountains of Itogon, Benguet, the so called, old Baguio before. You could stay at the Skywalk areas long as you want to take pictures and feel the cold breeze.

If your company plans to have a convention or seminar at Baguio, you might want to experience Tree Top's Team Building Activities which includes two high element activities (Tree Drop and Silver Surfer), five low element activities, boodle lunch and facilitators for just Php 800.00 per head only. The activities would really challenge each member and how they work with their workmates. Work and play, as the cliché says!

You might also want to try another branch of Tree Top Adventure Subic located at the JEST Area, Upper Mau Cubi Point Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

For more information, you could contact (074) 442-0800 or 0932 404 1112. You could also visit www.treetopadventureph.com. To be more updated, you may like www.facebook.com/treetopadventurecamp and follow Tree Top on Instagram-www.instagram.com/tree_top_adventure.

#TreeTopPH