Bar-B-Skew: Eat All You Can Skewers Buffet

The busy streets of Manila is not complete without vendors selling street foods almost anywhere. I remember back in my college days, after watching an el cheapo movie (Php25 only!!) we would go straight to eating street foods such as isaw (chicken or pork intestines), kwek-kwek ( quail eggs wrapped in orange colored flour batter), fish balls, kikiam and many more. Simple things that make us happy. Hehe

Speaking of street foods, a Southeast Asian inspired street food restaurant opened recently along Tomas Morato with its very catchy name Bar-B-Skew owned by Wero Doma. Upon entry, the place looks stylish with built-in pipes on top of every table. It looks neat and well-furnished.

They have the buffet counter which serves different kinds of dish to fill in your stomach while waiting for your chosen Bar-B-Skewers to grill. From isaw, barbecue, cream dory, liver,  marshmallows, vegetables and fruits. I just wish they have more choices though.

 Each table has its own built-in charcoal grill. No need to worry about the smoke because it all goes up to the built in pipes located above each table.

My pick! Chicken and pork intestines, barbecue, liver and marshmallows. :)

 While grilling, you have to bask your skewers into different choices of flavors that I miss to take a picture. Anyway, they have a variety to choose from such as ginger sesame, sweet, sweet and spicy, garlic butter, and hot pepper. I chose the sweet and spicy.

The restaurant is an eat-all-you-can buffet ranging from Php299 to Php349. Lunch Buffet starts from 11am until 5pm for P299. Dinner Buffet starts from 5pm until 12am for P349. Midnight Buffet starts from 12am for P299. Perfect for barkada! You can Bar-B-Skew all day long. :)

I enjoyed a lot that I can't wait to bring here my barkada and workmates too. It's just a perfect place to hang out, catch up while waiting for our bar-b-skewers to grill. :) Check out the links below for details.

Facebook: Bar-B-Skew

Instagram: bar_b_skew

Address: UG03 CTTM Square 68 Timog Ave Cnr Tomas Morato, 1103 Quezon City, Philippines

Contact Number: (02) 4128661

Operating Hours: 11am-2am Monday to Sunday

Pamper time at Luxe Aura Nail and Face Studio

Ever since I started working as a nurse, stress has been a part of my everyday life. Giving care to loads of patients is very rewarding, but can also be really exhausting most specially if you are working in a public hospital. Having a shifting schedule can be hectic too that's why sometimes I can't squeeze in a day to go out and have a "ME time" as what they say. So having been invited by a friend to spend a day full of pampering is definitely what I needed to hear! Even if I came from an 11pm til 7am schedule that day and I have no decent sleep, I still said yes. :)

The place responsible for my very relaxing afternoon is the Luxe Aura Nail and Face Studio located along Dona Soledad Ave. in Paranaque. The interior of this nail salon looks simple. It gave me an elegant and classy feel. The owners, Dr. Angel and Eric Bandola came up with this design so as not to scare the males (who would like to pamper themselves too) with furniture and ambiance that looks "too girly and kikay".

I noticed that their staff was too polite and all smiles. They made us feel really welcome. Ms. Dolly was assigned to me and she is too kind to answer all my querries. I like her. :)

I was offered to try the Espresso Foot Spa. Oohhh I smell coffee! :) 

Because the owners were doctors, they were very particular about sanitation. The nail files and other things used for manis and pedis were sterilized. Being a nurse, that's a plus for me and more reason to come back here. :)

The Espresso Foot Spa is a 7-step process which includes the Callous, Scrub, Mask (for 15 minutes), Cleanser, Oil, Butter, and Mist. 

Ahhh I loveeee it! I felt so relaxed and finally my feet feels fresh and free from callous! Hehe They also offered us coffee/tea. I lack sleep so I chose coffee.

I love how they have colorful sets of nail colors to choose from, plus different brands too. :) Some of these were Zoya, OPI, Morgan Taylor and Magnetto.

Since I'm a nurse and we're not allowed to have nail polish on our nails, I decided to be a little pasaway and tried OPI's liquid sand in light pink. I love it! My nails felt like they have sugar on them. Haha

I chose a beautiful blue color for my feet but because I have ugly feet, no pictures to share. Haha :) They also let me try their Muscular Foot Paraffin. I was not prepared because it's too painful but very rewarding by how your feet feels so relaxed after! No pain, no gain as they say. :) 

My tired hands and feet from everyday work finally had their chance to be pampered. They also have other services in reasonable prices so you might want to check their page on Facebook. :)

Facebook: Luxe Aura Nail and Face Studio

                Dona Soledad Avenue Better Living, 1711 Paranaque

                Open from 10:00 am until 10:00pm

         

DAREA SIGNS A YEAR-LONG CONTRACT WITH VALUCARE

Image:  left to right:

Amelia Oliquino, ValuCare finance manager, Rosemarie Yu, ValuCare executive vice president & chief operating officer, Antonia Pascual, DAREA president, Onofre Valdez, DAREA vice president, Elmer Palomata M.D., ValuCare assistant medical director.

March 2013, Pasig City – In line with ValuCare’s recent presentation of the company’s milestones and proclamation, “ValuCare is the healthcare you can count on”, is another announcement of partnership with the Department of Agrarian Reform Employment Association (DAREA).

Value Care Health System Inc.passes the criteria set forth by the DAREA as they sealed client-HMO relationship to cover their member’s healthcare needs.

“DAREA Members are now assured that their healthcare requirements will be provided and delivered to them at the time when it is truly needed, said Ms. Rosemarie Yu of ValuCare.

This partnership between DAREA and ValuCare covers In, and Out Patient Services, Preventive Health, Emergency Care, Dental and Financial Assistance, she adds.

Choosing the right HMO is a choice of the one that you can count on when the need arises.  And the various product enhancements that ValuCare offers make it an attractive choice.

ValuCare is established in 1997, has a solid track record in terms of providing affordable and adequate healthcare to its growing plan holders.  Its steady growth over the years has been guided by its vision of providing quality healthcare with compassion.

About Value Care Health Systems Inc.

ValuCare is a Managed Care Company belonging to the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) industry.  Established by a select group of medical practitioners, ValuCare’s commitment is to provide its members quality healthcare you can count on through a comprehensive out-patient consultation and hospitalization benefits package accessed via its network of health care providers and facilities.  For more information visit its website at www.valuecare.com.ph or call its 24-hour service hotline at 0917-7-WECARE.

Late post: MEGAYAP4GRABS experience.

I'm a person who loves joining online contests, desperately hoping to win. Most of the time, I join twitter and blog contests because I think there's a greater chance of winning as compared to contests on Facebook. I have won a number of twitter and blog contests before so it gives me the drive to continue joining. :)

It was December of last year when Tim Yap held a contest via Twitter called the MEGAYAP4GRABS. This is where, in partnership with SM Megamall, Tim Yap tweets a different question everyday starting December 1 until December 25, 2012. You have to answer it starting 12 in the afternoon until 8 in the evening tagging @officialtimyap and @smmegamall on twitter with the hastag #MEGAYAP4GRABS. Each day, one winner is picked and is announced both by Tim Yap and SM Megamall on Twitter.

I remember It was around 6 pm and I was inside the bus on my way to my friend's celebration for passing the LET Exam. I was bored so I decided to browse tweets on my phone when I saw this tweet.

I took my chance and tweeted my answer but I was not really expecting to win.

It was later that night when I received a tweet mention stating I won the Clinique gift set! What is lucky? :) Early christmas gift indeed. :)

By January, all the 25 winners were invited by SM Megamall for a lunch with Tim Yap in HK Choi, Megamall. I was excited because I'll get to meet my MEGAYAP4GRABS family for the first time. :) We were served with sumptuous food! I also met the marketing people behind Megamall. They were very friendly and accommodating. All of my co-winners were also friendly and nice to talk to. We talked about the things that we won, work stuff and just about anything. Some of us were still in college but most of us are already working.

Photo from Ms. Thea Gonzales

Photo from Ms. Ms. Thea Gonzales

Tim Yap arrived a little later and joined us for lunch. As usual, he is very down-to-earth. He talked to each of us and we even had a fun group picture outside, in front of the humongous christmas tree! :)

Photo from Ms. Thea Gonzales

After a few days, Tim yap's article about MEGAYAP4GRABS was released. It was my first time to see my self in a news paper.. and probably the last. Haha

I had the greatest time and happy to have met new friends through this event. Thank you Mr. Tim Yap, Megamall and my MEGAYAP4GRABS fam! :)

DOCKERS SPRING/SUMMER 2013 COLLECTION

Dockers 2013 Spring/Summer Collection is an inspired collection by the local craft cultures of the Bay Area.  It is for and about the men who tackle the day with conviction and gusto, the guys who go into the world prepared for battle, ready to take on challenges big and small.

This season, Dockers want to challenge men to think differently about dressing – it should mean more that just “putting on clothes”.

Get Dressed Like You Mean It

Bobet Romualdo, commercial director for Dockers ASEAN said, “Spring/Summer 2013 is about getting dressed to impress which is one of the primary motivations why men “get up and suit up”.  Be it for a date night, big meeting, every day or even a weekend – it always come down to getting the proper match, not just for the season but also for the occasion”.

Occasions to keep wearing your Dockers

dy whenever, Wearever with Dockers Stain Defender.  Pack with performance benefits stays crisp and clean from stain with stain-resistant technology, providing worry free comfort through the workday and beyond.

Big meeting

Signature Khaki is your ultimate work khaki with the staying power technology – color fast, no wrinkles, permanent crease and refined fabric.

Get work ready whenever, Wearever with Dockers Stain Defender.  Pack with performance benefits stays crisp and clean from stain with stain-resistant technology, providing worry free comfort through the workday and beyond.

Stain Defenders Khaki and Shirt give you that polished look regardless of what the day throws at you.  These clothes have your back with their ability to repel virtually any spill.  Stain Defender Shirts are available in checks, stripes and solid ways.

Every day

Alpha Khaki, a pant with all the attitude of denim – style, flexibility and character in slim tapered fit.  The right pants for in between jeans and formal wear.  Available in spring colors fall leaf, white wash, fire brush, azul sea, kangaroo, grisaille, and electric blue.

Add versatile Polo Pique in your weekly rotation from colors of cove, blue, and wonderful stripes.  It is sophisticated and lends a formal touch to your wardrobe.

The Laundered Shirt tailored for a slim look and feel. Tuck it for a day at the office and out for a casual weekend look.

Date Night

Dockers SF Khaki is the style that makes you stand out from the crowd, gives you the sharp and ready look.  Stylish pant perfect for special occasions made in slim fit with Tapered leg and sits low on waist.  Let it go with the classic Oxford Shirt, a wardrobe essential in button-down collar and a left chest pocket.

The weekend

Dockers Shorts are available in spring/summer feel in vibrant color palette.

Broken In Chinos are twill pants, worn in look that you won't find anywhere else.  It gives men the sharp and distinctive look that he wants.

The authentic Dockers Cargo takes casual style in classic and slim fit that is unmatched comfort.

Slip into the Iconic 5-Pocket Khaki in straight fit through the seat and thigh.

The Khaki Shirt, rugged and reliable.  Comes in a classic fit of trail, sergeant blue, red ochre, and foil colors.

Ocean Washed Pocket Tee, shirt with a relaxed and washed-in look that’s so comfortable, you’ll want one in every color – red clay and quantum blue; also available in prints.

Check out Dockers Stores for your Spring/Summer shopping – Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall, Glorietta, Robinsons Manila, Power Plant Mall, Trinoma, Cash and Carry, Ayala Mall Cebu and Centrio Ayala Mall CDO.

About the Dockers® Brand

The Dockers® Brand has embodied the spirit of khaki for more than 25 years. Since their introduction in 1986, Dockers® has been perfecting khakis—and the essential goods to go with them—for men and women all over the world. No compromises in quality. Just versatile, essential style. Day to night. Monday to Sunday. Wearing the pants has never looked so good. For information on Dockers® and its products, please call +632-889-9301 or visit www.Dockers.com.

Dockers® 5-Day Special Sale

If you missed the opportunity to get yourself a Dockers® from its 2012 Collection, well grab this chance now! 

Dockers® the most loved khaki will have a 5-Day Special Sale from February 14 to 18, 2013.  Participating branches are – Trinoma, Rockwell, Glorietta, Festival Mall, Robinsons Ermita, Ayala Center Cebu and Centrio Mall Cagayan de Oro.

Avail of 50% off on selected Dockers® spring and fall 2012 Collection.

Ensemble Dockers® Spring/Summer 2012 Collection composed of spring colors of Alpha Khakis, SF Khakis and Wearever Series. 

Complete your set of Dockers® Soft Khaki Shorts,Cargo Pants, also available in shorts, composed of mixed range of styles, fabrics, and patterns in a subdued range of color hues, piques and khaki shirts of the season.

Save the Day Every Day with color hues like browns, reds, and blues, gradually changing to darker shades of blue, violet, and dark-dark brown.  Get a feel of Dockers® Fall 2012 product introductions – All PurposeKhaki, Soft Khaki, Soft No Wrinkle, the Iconic 5-Pocket, Stain Defenders and the Essential Khakis.  Various Dockers® belts are also available on sale.

So what are you waiting for?  Check out your nearest Dockers® Store and make sure to collect (Dockers® 2012 Collection) them all!

For more information about Dockers® and its promotions, Like Dockers® on www.facebook.com/Dockers, follow DockersKhaki_PH on Twitter and add DockersKhaki_Ph on Instagram.

About the Dockers® Brand

The Dockers® Brand has embodied the spirit of khaki for more than 25 years. Since their introduction in 1986, Dockers® has been perfecting khakis—and the essential goods to go with them—for men and women all over the world. No compromises in quality. Just versatile, essential style. Day to night. Monday to Sunday. Wearing the pants has never looked so good. For information on Dockers® and its products, please call +632-889-9301 or visit www.Dockers.com.

VALUCARE IS THE HEALTHCARE YOU CAN COUNT ON

Value Care Health Systems Inc. (ValuCare) one the leading HMO in the country and rated within the top 5 among industry players, recently announced at the Astoria Plaza several milestones and proclaimed “ValuCare is the healthcare you can count on”.

ValuCare, established in 1997, has a solid track record in terms of providing affordable and adequate healthcare to its growing plan holders.  Its steady growth over the years has been guided by its vision of providing quality healthcare with compassion.

More recent figures show that ValuCare revenue and operating income continue to trend positively.  It grew its revenue since 2007 by 40% and improved its operating income to 108% over the same period, guaranteeing that is sufficiently funded to cover the needs of its plan holders.

Year-on-year, ValuCare’s revenue grew by an average of 15% over the last five years, and its operating income grew by 26%.  Showing clearly that the company remains financially strong to provide for the needs of its plan holders when it counts the most.

Ms. Rosemarie Yu, EVP and chief operating officer shared, “Through the years, even during the most trying times, ValuCare remains a stable and reliable HMO.   ValuCare continues to grow steadily, improving its services and further enhancing the quality of healthcare it provides”.

She shared that the success of ValuCare can be attributed to its providers, agents and clients, adding further, 

“they have allowed us to continue to grow by continuing to be a part of ValuCare through the years”.

ValuCare indicated that even with its growing number plan holders, the quality of healthcare they provide continues to be significantly better.   The number of affiliated doctors has increased from 9,024 in 2008 to 15,591 in 2012.  The number of affiliated hospitals has also increased from 236 in 2008 to 373 in 2012.  Adding to this list are 400 clinics and 636 dentists that are affiliated with ValuCare as well, and provide the same level of professional service.

Mr. Armando Macalino, senior vice president for Operations shared

 “It clearly shows that even as our plan holders grew in number, so did the number of doctors and hospitals over the same period of time”. He said further, “So we can conclude the that quality of healthcare ValuCare provides our plan holders have improved more significantly, especially in terms of coverage and availability of services”. 

ValuCare also shared service enhancement such as the ValuCare PALS and its Cancer Coverage plan.

The ValuCare PALS, which stands for Personalized Access to Laboratory Services,is a one-of-a kind service that is only available through ValuCare for Metro Manila residents.  It simply allows home service or office service for laboratory tests.

With ValuCare’s First Group Cancer Insurance, a policyholder is insured with benefits that he or she may use in the event of the onset of the disease.  This is another product innovation from ValuCare.  All the benefits as stated in the policy at an affordable cost as part of his or her corporate health benefit.

ValuCare continues to improve on its products and services, to make available quality healthcare to individuals, family, groups and corporate clients.   ValuCare is the healthcare you can count on.

About Value Care Health Systems Inc.

ValuCare is a Managed Care Company belonging to the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) industry.  Established by a select group of medical practitioners, ValuCare’s commitment is to provide its members quality healthcare you can count on through a comprehensive out-patient consultation and hospitalization benefits package accessed via its network of health care providers and facilities.  For more information visit its website at www.valuecare.com.ph or call its 24-hour service hotline at 0917-7-WECARE.

Best-in-class: Huawei Ascend D1 quad XL and Ascend G600

Last December 16, HUAWEI, a leading global information and communications technology solutions provider unveiled the Huawei Ascend D1 quad XL (its flagship quad-core Android 4.0 ICS smartphone), and the Huawei Ascend G600 smartphone (dual-core Android 4.0 ICS succesor of the popular Huawei Honor.

The Ascend D1 quad XL is a combination of both good looks and performance. It is a turbo-charged all-rounder with an exceptional audio visual experience. It is also very impressive because it delivers 15 hours pof talk time and 500 hours of standby time with its ultra-powerful 2600mAh battery. Great for keeping us all on the go! :)

It also offers a mobiel cinematic experience with its high definition

4.5-inch, 1280 x 720 Toshiba screen providing crystal clear images even under direct sunlight. For a superb audio experience, Huawei Ascend D1 quad XL has a Dolby Mobile 3.0 Plus sound enhancement and Audience earSmart voice processor.

Its 8-megapixel BSI rear-facing camera, 1.3 megapixel from-facing camera, and 1080p full HD video-capture and playback capabilities enable you to record your special moments in clearer, richer detail. Measuring just 64.9mm wide, 11.5mm slim and weighing approximately 145g, it fits your hand like a glove. It also features  an 8GB ROM, which can be easily increased up to 32GB with microSD. It will be available in carbon black.

Running on Google's sweet Android Ice Creama Sandwich 4.0 OS with an 8-megapixel BSI auto focus (AF) rear-facing camera, and double speakers with DTS surround sound, the HUAWEI Ascend G600 is at the forefront of innovation placing great technology within reach for more people around the world.

It provides more of the features that improve people's mobile phone experiences everyday. The mega 4.5-inch IPS HD LCD screen with 960 x 540 pixel resolution brings unsurpassed visual clarity.It can be fully charged in four hours, powered on five seconds, and with Huawei's power saving technology, provides more than 15 days of standby time.

The HUAWEI Ascend G600 offers more connectivity and file sharing with Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth and DLNA. It can also be supplemented with MicroUSB 2.0 and Micro-SD up to 32GB. It is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. It will be available in black.

About Huawei Device

Huawei Device believes that everyone can be the center of information and that the world would be a better place if access and information barriers were knocked down. Its strong suites of mobile phones, mobile broadband devices and home devices testimony to Huawei Device's focus on customers and its commitment to providing user-friendly mobile internet experiences through ongoing innovation. Based on more than two decades of success in the information and communications industry, and with our own channel expertise, operational capabilities and global partner resources, Huawei Device is transforming from a company that sells millions of devices in single transactions to large businesses, to a 'Business-to-People" (B2P) brand that also sells individual devices directly to millions of people. As at the end of 2011, Huawei Device serves more than 500 operators all over the world. 

For more information, visit Huawei Device online: www.huaweidevice.com

For regular updates on Huawei Device, follow them on:

Facebook: http;//www.facebook.com/huaweideviceph

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/HuaweiDevicePH

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/HuaweiDevicePHL

Flickr: http://flickr.com/huaweidevice

WILDCARD WINS FIRST ASI TECHNOVATION CHALLENGE

Pasay, November 18, 2012 – It was a good fight among the five schools that entered the finals of the Advance Solutions Inc. (ASI) Technovation Challenge, and a wildcard finalist brought home the grand prize. Informatics Eastwood Iconsheaded by Frederick Lee with members Romeo Roque, Joboy Hiceta, Nikko Espiritu and Isaac Pabuayon led all other schools and garnered the admiration and approval of a demanding panel of judges.

Winning cash and IT Products, the team jumped for joy when the Champion spot was left for them to fill.

‘iLight’ project is a system that is inspired for busy households and small businesses.  It will make use of Internet connection and mobile devices to conserve energy even if you’re out.

Awarded as Top 4 finalists (in alphabetical order) are teamsA.R.C.from University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (UPHSD) with the project ‘ASI Eco Fan’ composed of Alvin Angeles, Ronell Ian Lomibao, Ma. Cherrie Estrellado; The BBN Project from De La Salle University with the project ‘Recycle Reward’composed of Patrick Delos Reyes, Valerie Jean Lualhati, Daniel Gravador, Erina Therese Valdes and Erin Joy Caiga; Royal from University of Sto. Tomas with the project ‘Water Sensor’ masterminded by Jasmon Delfin; and SMSDRalso from University of Perpetual Help System Dalta with the project ‘Aluminum Cans and Plastic Bottle Waste Management composed of Edlen Joy Salazar,Kris Angelique Melicano, Zingso Santera, Emman Rillo and Ernest Alphonzo Diez.

Meanwhile, declared the Runners up of ASI Technovation are teams Cyber Arceri also from De La Salle University composed of Theresa Mendoza, Arianne Caitlin Ong, Baron Dimaranan, Wilbert Luy and Zedfrom University of Sto. Tomas, on solo is Jian Mateo. 

UPHSD teams bagged Special awards gathering the most number of likes on Facebook and votes during the COMDDAP Expo 2012.  Team A.R.C. awarded People’s Choice, voting duration from November 16-18, 2012.Team SMSDR awarded Most-Liked Prototype on Facebook with almost 3,000 ‘Likes’.

ASI Technovation Challenge: Green I.T.! is endorsed by the Commission on Higher Education, in partnership with Computer Manufacturer, Dealers, and Distributors Association of the Philippines (COMDDAP). Supported by Acer, BenQ, Coby, CaféFrance, HP and Intellipen.

“Technovation challenge was a thrilling experience. Not just for the organizers but also for everyone who worked hard for it – students and participating schools, said Jefferson Plaza, general manager of Advance Solutions Inc.

When asked what would be next year’s challenge, “Definitely more challenging and rewarding for 2013.  We hope more students and schools would take on the challenge”.

See project demonstrations and awarding photos on Facebook, visit and ‘Like’ www.facebook.com/asitechnovation.

For more information about Advance Solutions Inc., its products and services, please call 524-7710 or visit www.advancesolutions.net.

About Advance Solutions Inc.

Advance Solutions, Inc. (ASI) is one of the premiere ICT source provider engaged in selling cutting edge and innovative products, services and solutions that enhance the productivity of its clients. A wholly Filipino company founded in 1996 that belongs to the 2,000 corporations in the Philippines.