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Shamcey Supsup Visits Coffee Dream Cebu

Posted by Agnes Embile Jimenez
Categorized Under: Entertainment, Foods, People
Comments: 2

Earlier this evening, Miss Shamcey Supsup, Miss Universe 3rd Runner up, visited and graced Coffee Dream’s 15th Anniversary Celebration and the launching of their newest branch in Paseo Arcenas, Banawa, Cebu City.  Miss Supsup was the special guest of Coffee Dream Company, Inc. as they celebrated their 15 years of living the passion - bringing the ultimate coffee experience to every Filipino.

Supsup along with Mr. Glenn Anthony Soco, President and Founder of Coffee Dream, led the the launching of the 15th-year activities and graced the ceremonial ribbon-cutting.  The Arcenas Estate branch (in Banawa) is the latest addition to the growing number of stores of Coffee Dream.  This branch features a different feel using new set of furniture, new colors and an expanded menu.  The store offers wines and premium beers with additional food items to compliment it.  This concept came to mind to enhance the “third place” definition of Filipinos as part of Coffee Dream’s effort to be adaptive to the needs and wants of the community.

In lieu with their 15th anniversary celebration, Coffee Dream also launched several campaigns as part of their way of thanking their loyal costumers.

1. Pick-a-prize promo - entitles customers to a freebie/privilege for a minimum purchase of 150 pesos.  The customer will pick-a-prize and instantly get a prize.

2. Capture your dream - an on-line photo contest where entries will be submitted and posted on-line through the Coffee Dream’s Facebook fan page.  The most creative photo showcasing Coffee Dream will win cash prizes and gift certificates.

3. Coffee Dream extends a 15% discount on a special featured Chilled Blend of the Month.

4. Free re-fill of freshly brewed coffee from 10:15AM to 1:15PM every 15th of every month.

About Coffee Dream

Coffee Dream, a Cebuano-owned coffee chain, has been serving the Cebuano coffee drinkers for over 15 years now through their 33 branches all over the country. Their very first shop was built in 1996 located at the 4th floor of Ayala Mall (near the Cinemas). In the first half of 2011, they opened 3 new stores to fully serve the coffee-loving Cebuanos and of course, the Filipinos as a whole. Read more here.

About Shamcey Supsup

Miss Shamcey Supsup is a top-notched  architecture graduate from the University of the Philippines Diliman.  She recently bagged the 3rd place in the recently held Miss Universe competition in Brazil.

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The Finalists of the 5th RAFI Triennial Awards – Today’s Unknown Heroes

Posted by Agnes Embile Jimenez
Categorized Under: Events, People
Comments: 0

Today’s unknown heroes (who selflessly dedicated themselves for the betterment of our community and our less fortunate brothers and sisters) are not the typical sword-wielding katipuneros nor the ones we see in the class of the over-publicized politicians and company CEOs. Today’s unknown and un-named heroes are ordinary individuals who do extraordinary things without any expectations of rewards and fame.

The rich and the famous who build foundations and charitable institutions are called philanthropists, but the poor and unknown people who make use of everything they have to help the needy and influence leaders and policy makers to constitute change have never been tagged with anything. Today’s unknown heroes are are at par (or even better) with those famous philanthropists who are commonly featured on the front page of magazines and in big talk shows on TV. Today’s unknown heroes are the brave individuals who went through hardships and sacrifices for the good and betterment of their communities despite undergoing personal hardships themselves.

Last June 15, 2011, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) presented the top five finalists per category of the 5th RAFI Triennial Awards for Visayas and Mindanao in a public forum at the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center.

Below are the 5th RAFI Triennial Awards Finalists with their work, advocacies, and contribution to the community. Presenting today’s unknown heroes for the Ramon Aboitiz Award for Exemplary Individual.

The 5 finalists of the 5th RAFI Triennial Awards during the Public Forum last June 15, 2011

  • Mr. Apolinario Leyson, Sr. – At the age of 6, Leyson was left alone in Carbon, Cebu City to take care of himself. Often referred to as “bugoy”, “askal”, and other street names, young Apolinario earned money for his survival by engaging in several jobs like shoe shining, dishwashing, being a “kargador”, and selling fruits and vegetables, among others. He described himself as a young rascal. But even if he needed to work while studying, he managed to finish his elementary and secondary education with flying colors. His passion for scouting – not minding the low allowance, high risks, and intense demands of job – gained him several awards and distinctions. Read more about Tatay Apolinario here.
  • Fr. Dennis Tamayo – One of his most challenging types of development work is that which requires to deal with indigenous people like the Baja. Helping those groups requires more than just having the right skill and enough resources to sustain the project. In a place like Basilan where kidnap for ransom is the most lucrative way of life, it requires a special character or an unconventional mindset to choose it as your place of assignment. This is most particular, especially for those who have the option on what to do and where to do it, like Fr. Dennis Tamayo, CMF. Read more about Fr. Dennis here.
  • Prof. Estrella Cantallopez – She saw massive deaths, regular displacements of communities, and the unthinkable damage of various levels and the hurts of different communities because of armed confrontations. She is by far known by in NDU as someone who has established contacts and gained respect from three warring parties: military, MNLF and MILF. Read more about Prof. Estrella here.
  • Mr. Rene Vendiola – He is a high school drop-out and is considered as a local dendrologist and parataxonomist by many environmentalist in Negros island. He used to be a hunter and a slash and burn farmer but at a certain point in his life, has been transformed into one of the Negros Island’s leading and respected environmentalist. His efforts in environmental protection, promotion and conservation have influenced policy makers and local chief executives in the town of Bacong and the Province of Negros Oriental, particularly the former Vice Gov. Of the Province to adopt environmental conservation efforts. Read more about Mr. Vendiola here.
  • Fr. Angel Buenavides – Aside from being a Catholic priest who is very active in evangelical works, Father Angelo “Angel” Ruyeras Buenavides is contributing a lot to society. He has provided some MNLF ex-combatants access to decent peaceful living and livelihood, advocating peace and environment conservation, organized and empowered the youth, mobilized resources for relief assistance to the displaced communities, and was able to implement the Integrated Rehabilitation Project for IDPs in Barangay Gasi, Kiamba Saranggani Province funded by UNDP Stride Mindanao. His ability to make people converge for volunteer works/regardless of religion, sex, and sector has helped him realize his own definition of peace (in Mindanao) that is “food on the table”. Read more about Fr. Angel here.

About RAFI Triennial Awards

The RAFI Triennial Awards aims to provide a platform in recognizing individuals and institutions who are instrumental in leading change in their respective communities. Established in 1996, the awards honor the men and women who, through their efforts to bring about change and improve the lives of the less-privileged, reflect the humanitarian and holistic ideals of RAFI founders, Don Ramon Aboitiz and Don Eduardo Aboitiz.

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CBS Castaways stirred Sumilon Island’s Silence

Posted by Agnes Embile Jimenez
Categorized Under: CBS, Events, Fun, People, Personal Rantings, Places
Comments: 4

Where could you find a group of sociable cyborgs who has this “cam-whoring” personality disorder, but were courageous enough to play with big waves and survived a sandstorm?  They are a group of unique and happy individuals who love even the pettiest of things, and laugh at the cheapest and lamest of jokes.  Well, I’m referring to my fellow CBS barkada, the second main reason why I enjoyed our Sumilon Bluewater Island trip last 1st of August.

The main reason is of course, the island resort itself.  Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort is one of the finest Cebu destinations that I’ve been to, so far.  We were picked up by their three caravans at SM for a two and half hours of land trip to Oslob.  The road trip itself didn’t take so long because I didn’t notice the time since we were so busy with our chit chats and nonsense talks inside the van.

We arrived at Sumilon’s port area twenty minutes after we toured the whole island (in a pump boat) .  I noticed how raucous the whole gang every time the ocean waves carelessly wobbled the whole boat.  They screamed, laughed, shouted at each other, and others were amused looking at other people’s reactions.  A few were too busy capturing photographs and did some sight seeings at the upper deck.

And, at the very moment we set foot in Sumilon’s 24-hectare virginal island, the calm and still surroundings of the place was disturbed (I was the only one who noticed all these.  Hehehe).  The meek white sands sensed something is not all right, the old Ipil-Ipil trees bent their slender trunks to investigate, the white seashore waves moved closer to the seashore’s end to take a peek, the beautiful water in the infinity pool wanted to jump out to greet us, the kayaks at the small river’s end were nervous, the snorkels were optimistic, the delectable foods served on top of the table were scared, the famous white sandbar was unaffected, and the sandstorm had something deadly in mind…And wait, the innocent, chinky-eyed Koreans were dumbfounded. LOL!

Well, the rest of this careless, I mean carefree bunch of cyborgs was not aware of all these commotions.  They were too awed with the resort’s beautiful attractions, unaware that there were other creatures watching us, checking our every moves, listening to our thoughts (creepy).

Nothing can stop our giddy spirits.  It’s because when we entered the resort’s Island Pavilion (the building that houses the resort restaurant that serves delectable fare of local and international cuisine), a few heads turned, chairs and tables murmured at each other, and the mouth watering foods on the buffet table turned pale.  Once again, all of us (except me), noisy androids, were totally unaware how our presence affected the creatures around us.

After the resort background briefing, and after consuming our mid-morning snacks, we proceeded to check and to take photos of the island resort’s deluxe rooms.  And as expected, the harmonies of the cozy private verandas, comfortable lounge bars, privacy of the toilets and showers, and the coolness of the rooms’ mini bars, were soiled by the our unending “cam-whoring” sessions.

Famished after over an hour of whoring our bloody faces before our lowly and poor cameras, we voraciously  attacked all the mouth watering foods that were served on the buffet table.  These foods got no time to faint because they were already consumed before they could react.  Acid filled stomachs were their final destination.

Full and ready to ramble, we tried every possible island activity.  From snorkeling, paddle boating (kayaking), hiking (trekking) to skim boarding, swimming, and playing with the big waves (in the sandbar).  It was during our fun-filled-challenge-the-waves moment that we encountered the mischievous sandstorm.  While we held each other to face the big waves, we were surprised by a sudden violent rush of wind, and it only took us a few seconds to discover that we were already hit by a sandstorm.

It was like rain of tiny bullets were fired toward us.  The intensity of the ocean wind served as a momentum that ignited the fiery white sands to ambush us unexpectedly.  An angry current violently squashed us as we ran with all our might toward the safety of the caves at the seashore’s end.  It was like  a tragedy is unfolding on our very eyes as we ran for our lives, forcing our legs to run as fast as it can.  A few minutes later, we found ourselves groggy, tired, out of breath, and full of red patches.

Still not satisfied from our sandstorm encounter, we jumped in to the very relaxing water of the resort’s Infinity Pool.  There, we tried to relax our tired bodies and feed our eyes with the beautiful island sceneries.  From the magnificent ocean below the pool, the graying sky above us, the chirping of birds in the nearby tress, the salty humid air that caresses our tired senses to the “delectable” pretty Koreans squealing and playing at the other side of the pool…  It seemed like we were in paradise.

We ended the escapade with warm cups of tea and palatable plates of carbonara.  Thank you very much to Sumilon Bluewater for the very great and hospitable accomodation.  That trip was indeed one of our most memorable island adventures.

Photo Credits: Bryan, Atty. Ouano, Tiborsho, Xerxes, Mikyu.  Dili na nako maidentify ang uban.  Sori jud au.  Huhuhu.

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Senator Mar looks better in person

Posted by Agnes Embile Jimenez
Categorized Under: CBS, Events, Organizations, People, Personal Rantings, Politics and Current Events
Comment: 1

He has better skin complexion, and has this wholesome aura in person. (I think he has a facial routine in Belo.  Hahahahaha!)  I had the opportunity of meeting him along with my fellow blogging cyborgs when Kevin, CBS spokesperson, organized a one-hour interview that was held in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, IT Park about a month ago.

Honestly, I’m not campaigning for him, nor do I have any plans of giving my precious vote  to him on the upcoming 2010 presidential election.  It just happened that Kevin is his die-hard supporter here in Cebu.  The blogging cyborgs got no other choice, but to interview him. LOL!

Anyways, after listening to his very nice platform and observing how he carried himself during the course of the interview, I think that he’s not bad at all.  I don’t want to be so bias.  Let’s give our beloved senator a chance to prove his capability.  I mean let’s give all those people who are vying for the presidential seat a chance to prove themselves.  Just think of it.  What will happen if no one is interested to become a president?

N.B.: Senator Mar Roxas was 30 minutes late.  Hahahaha!

Photo Credits: Doyzkie

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Buy A Sketch For Charity(From People of the Behind Closed Doors Exhibit)

Posted by Agnes Embile Jimenez
Categorized Under: Arts, CBS, Events, Organizations, People
Comments: 5

Title/Subject: Buy A Sketch For Charity
Dates: June 10, 13, 17, 20, 23, 27 & 30
Venue: Turtles Nest, Gorordo Ave.
Time:
Notes/Details:
The artists from Behind Closed Doors exhibit are selling their sketches for Charity. They highly appreciate those lovers of the arts who use what they CAN as an instrument to make life a bit easier for those who are underprivileged. If you can think about it, you don’t have to be filthy rich. You just need to share what is spare and share a bit of your TIME. (from Dan, one of the artists)

Coordinator’s Name: Dan Guillano
Contact: 09263567270
Email: dan@sigbin.com

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