Creative Agency Secret Menu takes Makati New Year’s Eve Show from Stage to Screen

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Award-winning creative agency Secret Menu played a pivotal role in the monumental success of "Nostalgia Meets the Future: Ayala Avenue New Year's Eve Countdown to 2024." This event, marking 24 years since the epic turn-of-the-millennium celebration at Ayala Avenue, stands as a testament to Makati City's enduring tradition of hosting grand-scale New Year's Eve festivities.

The view from the stage  

(Photo courtesy of Make It Makati) 

The "Nostalgia Meets the Future'' theme took attendees on a musical journey weaving the nostalgia of the original celebration in 1999, and seamlessly connecting it to the energetic performances of P-Pop sensation SB19, Sponge Cola, Al James, Gab Pangilinan, and Myke Salomon. Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez, back on the same stage she first graced in 1999 for the Millennium countdown, came full circle, captivating partygoers and delivering an unforgettable performance. 

Secret Menu's involvement elevated the event to a global scale by orchestrating a livestream— expanding the celebration's reach and engaging audiences beyond physical boundaries that included revelers at home, out-of-town enthusiasts, and homesick Filipinos abroad. Aside from the 130K on ground attendees in Makati’s Central Business District, the livestream generated 330K views and helped the event reach 4.7M people across social media platforms. 

[Photo option: A snap of the Makati skyline seconds after the stroke of midnight from Secret Menu’s livestream.] 

The successful collaboration likewise deepened Secret Menu's partnership with Ayala Land and Make It Makati, which started through the annual holiday showcase “Festival of Lights” at the Ayala Triangle Gardens. 

"This event showcased Secret Menu's adaptive prowess, bridging nostalgia with the cutting-edge demands of the future" said General Manager Bianca Balbuena, highlighting the agency's capacity to provide event and live landscape management aside from branded content. “We are eager to be of service to new partners looking for creative suppliers to take their content and experiences to another level.”

Crucial offstage work to bring the event to as many spectators around the world as possible.

(BTS photo courtesy of Polo Boado)

Secret Menu likewise co-directed a 4-day pre-show timelapse video courtesy of creative director Ernest Gatpandan III. The video documented the New Year's Eve countdown event as it was being built from the ground up. It has had more than 170K views to date. 

For those seeking visionary creative solutions, Secret Menu's diverse portfolio of services offers Branded Content Solutions (TV, Digital), Commercials (TV & Digital), AR & 3D Executions, Event Coverages and Livestreaming, Music Videos. You may visit their Instagram (@studio.secretmenu) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@studio.secretmenu) to see their body of work. You may also email at secretmenu@kroma.ph.   

DTI in Bagong Pilipinas Kick-off Rally

MANILA CITY–Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Fred Pascual joined the call for a Bagong Pilipinas at the Quirino Grandstand on 28 January 2024. The trade chief expressed the DTI's strong support for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s vision to usher the country towards change and development. Aligned with President Marcos Jr.’s administration, the Department champions programs aimed to boost employment, foster business growth, and safeguard consumer rights.

Secretary Pascual reaffirmed the DTI’s steadfast commitment to fostering inclusive economic growth as envisioned in the Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2023-2028. Among the key priorities that he outlined include maximizing the economic opportunities from free trade agreements, which enabled secured market access for the country's export products. He added that the Department will continue to forge green lanes for strategic investments that will promote high-quality and better-paying jobs.

Health & Wellness Confex 2024 Opening Day Highlights Gov’t, Private Sector Collaboration

The Health & Wellness Confex 2024 opened yesterday, Jan. 26, at the SMX Center in Pasay City, with resounding success. The event, a three-day gathering of health and tourism industry stakeholders that will run until Sunday, Jan. 28, was kicked off by such luminaries as Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Dr. Teodoro J. Herbosa, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr., Department of Tourism (DOT) Undersecretary Myra Paz Valderrosa-Abubakar, and Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano.

In his keynote address, Herbosa said supporting wellness tourism is now a priority for the DOH. This was confirmed by Dr. Maria Francia Miciano-Laxamana, DOH undersecretary for medical tourism, who pointed out in her presentation that ensuring the safety and health of tourists is a major department objective. 

Meanwhile, Abalos emphasized the importance of being healthy and leading a healthy lifestyle. He talked about his mother’s passing due to the coronavirus back in 2022. While it was a tragedy, he said it also marked the beginning of his health and wellness journey. “While at the hospital, I had nothing to do. Everyone was wearing masks and PPEs (personal protective equipment). I was the only one in shorts and I had to sign a waiver because I insisted on staying with my mother at the ICU,” he narrated. “I couldn’t do much so I did push-ups. After only three push-ups, my hands were shaking. But I forced myself to continue, and you know what? Today, I’m doing 139 push-ups every day.” 

“I’ve also been running every week and I spend one hour in the gym every day,” he added. “Health and wellness are all about attitude and it should be a priority for everyone regardless of age,” he said.

Calixto-Rubiano echoed the importance of having the right mentality towards health and wellness. She also talked about the various health and wellness programs of the Pasay City government, including the empowering mothers and infants or EMI project. “We are aligned with the First 1,000 Days program, a public health initiative that aims to provide comprehensive health and nutrition support during the first 1000 days of a child's life,” she said.

In addition, the city implements feeding programs, conducts free medical tests, and extends support for COVID-19 patients.

The first day's list of speakers also included Wanda Teo, former DOT secretary, and  Cynthia Lagdameo Carrion, Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) general manager and CEO. Every speaker focused on their unique perspectives, but all of them emphasized the need to integrate health and wellness into the tourism industry.

The messages particularly cited the huge boost the recent collaborative efforts between the DOT and DOH would give to the campaign to promote the Philippines as a prime health and wellness tourist destination.

Another highlight of the first day of the Health and Wellness Confex 2024 conference was a roundtable discussion about the Filipino brand of wellness. The discussion was moderated by Catherine Turvill, Wellness Nurture Village founder and president. The panel was made up of Jennifer Sanvictores, The Farm at San Benito global head of sales and marketing communications, Vikki C. Aquino, Okada Manila director of The Retreat Spa, Kenneth Trullench, Las Caidas Wellness Resort Wellness Resort manager, and Atho De La Cruz, Ilaya Retreat Spa at Damires Hills Farm and Spa Resort Spa and Wellness director. 

The Health & Wellness Confex 2024 is being held to bring together industry leaders, policymakers, and practitioners to foster dialogue, share best practices, and pave the way for a more robust and integrated approach to health and wellness tourism in the Philippines. 

Today, Jan. 27, will be the second day of the three-day event. Attendees can look forward to more informative presentations, as well as workshops and demonstrations on various facets of health and wellness tourism. The focus for today’s presentations will be on travel and technology, as well as natural and organic anti-aging best practices.

Co-presented by the Department of Tourism (DOT), in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), and the Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corporation, the event is likewise supported by the Department of Agriculture, Department of Migrant Workers, Tourism Promotions Board, and Duty Free Philippines.

The Health & Wellness CONFEX 2024 is also made possible by the following:

Major Sponsors: Philippine Retirement Authority, Enjoy Health, Lifecore Bio Integrative Inc., Dean & Deluca Philippines, The Zen Institute, Conrad Manila, The Farm at San Benito, Nurture Wellness Village, Organique, CWC Interiors, Pots for Plants, and Center for Healthy Aging and Regenerative Medicine (CHARM), Lanson Place, Networld Hotel, Lime Hotels & Resorts; 

Minor Sponsors: Food Club, Sonia’s Garden, Annapoorna, Happy Garden Café, Holistic Integrative Care Center Philippines (HICC), Aba Pardes, King Fu Express, Piggy Papa, The Belle Salon, Speir Modern Residences;

Event Partners: IQ Capture Printing Corporation, Ark of Dreams, Market Social, SMX Convention Center, DigitalCircles Marketing Services, and Phildiz Studios;

Media Partners: GMA Network, ABS-CBN Corporation, GMA 7 GTV, Aliw Channel 23, Asian Journal, Balikbayan Magazine, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Business Mirror, Daily Tribune, Digital Out Of Home Media (DOOH), Manila Standard, Rising Tigers, DZRH, Entrepinas TV, and Quezon City Performing Arts Development Foundation Inc.;

Telco Partner: Globe 

Organizers and Event Managers: Mblessed Travel & Marketing, Inc. and Concept One Management Services.

From the creative concept of Mblessed Travel and Marketing, Inc., the Health & Wellness CONFEX 2024 was spearheaded by a team of seasoned event organizers, wellness advocates, travel and tours agencies, and marketing & communication professionals, and with the country's wellness guru, Cory Quirino, as its Executive Director.