Blog - Page 45 of 92 - Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Jan212013 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

AKTV on IBC airs 2013 Australian Open

Hello fellow tennis fans! I have great news to share. AKTV, the country’s premier sports channel, will once again give sports fans the opportunity to catch the heart-stopping tennis action of the Australian Open starting January 22, 2013. The 2013 Australian Open is being held in Melbourne and it also offers the biggest prize money in the tournament - US$ 2.5 Million each for the men’s and women’s singles champions. The biggest names in tennis have already advanced to the next stages the Australian Open 2013. Defending champion Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Roger Federer are hitting the hard courts this year. Defending Women’s Singles champion Victoria Azarenka, on the other hand, is hoping to continue her winning streak. Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Svetlana Kusnetsova are also ...

Jan212013 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Back from the hospital

Musings, Personal

I first felt sick about a week ago. It all started with what I thought was a slight fever. I slept it off, thinking that I'd feel better when I woke up. I thought wrong. Not only did my fever stay, I also experienced pain all over my body and I also experienced chills. Good thing my mother and I just stayed at home that day so I asked her for some paracetamol and body pain reliever. I could barely sleep that night. The next day, my mother and I did the next best thing we could think of --- (Now don't judge us. We've been doing this all our lives and well, let's just say that we're really not fond of doctors and hospitals) we called for our regular "manghihilot" (a person who practices the ancient art of healing by using long, deep strokes as well as stretching techniques). After the mas...

Jan112013 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Singer Mark Bautista launches new business Foot Notes Socks

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Fashion, Features, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Shopping, Style

These are what Kagay-anon singer and fellow Mindanaoan Mark Bautista says are "inspirational socks." Foot Notes Socks are socks that can serve as "inspiration at your feet." Foot Notes Socks is the latest business venture of Mark Bautista, a son of Cagayan de Oro City and a nationally acclaimed Filipino singer, actor and model. Mark shares this on how he came up with "Foot Notes Socks by Mark Bautista": "Growing up I loved the stage, but it didn't come easy. Stage fright was something that always held me back and I still remember all the emotions, just like it was yesterday. Strangely enough my mom had the perfect solution: She put coins in my socks before one of my competitions, and told me this would help calm me down. That day I went on stage with the coins in my socks and...

Jan42013 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Thy Womb in CDO – A Social Media Experiment (plus messages from Nora Aunor and Direk Brillante Mendoza)

Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanaoan Update, Movies, Northern Mindanao, Society

Ever since I got the chance to watch "Thy Womb," a film starring one of the finest Filipino actors of all time, Nora Aunor, I've been campaigning for others to watch it. Not only is "Thy Womb" a visually appealing film (it is set in beautiful Tawi-Tawi, an area in Mindanao, Philippines that's often misunderstood and ignored - mostly because people think it's laden with seemingly endless violence), it also discusses women's rights, empowerment and how all of these play a role in a community that deeply follows culture and tradition. I like how writer Jessica Zafra said it: "Thy Womb" is respectful of Islamic and Badjao traditions even as it gently raises questions about the rights of women. On Twitter, I started campaigning for the film by saying that people should watch "Thy Womb" becau...

Jan32013 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Sinulog 2013 Schedule of Activities

Cebu City, Entertainment, Events, Features, Festivals, Fiesta, Tourism

Finally, it's Sinulog Festival 2013 time! I attended the Sinulog 2010 and 2011 festivities - I only missed this Sinulog 2012 for some reason I no longer remember. Hmm. I think it was because I was already in the thick of preparing for the first ever Islamic Fashion Festival in Manila (I did PR, media and social media work :) ) and the Greatest Hits Tour featuring a1, Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees and Blue. Anyways, I'm pretty excited to attend the Sinulog 2013 festivities this time around. Sinulog is the biggest and grandest festival held annually in Cebu in honor of Patron Saint Santo Nino. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, devotees, tourists and visitors from all over the world come to the Queen City of the South to celebrate. My family and I were actually in Cebu City over the holid...

Jan22013 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Flawless comes to Cagayan de Oro @myFlawless

Beauty, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Corporate, Fashion, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Northern Mindanao, Society, Style

Flawless, a beauty clinic, has finally opened its Cagayan de Oro City branch. Keeping true to its promise of making it easier for Filipinos to have access to world-class yet affordable beauty solutions, Flawless CDO is now open to serve customers in the capital of Misamis Oriental, Philippines. The new Flawless CDO clinic is located on the 3rd Floor of Ayala Centrio Mall, along Corrales Avenue, Cagayan de Oro. Flawless CDO offers face, body and aesthetic services. Flawless Cagayan de Oro also offers products specially formulated to match each skin type – acne-prone, oily skin, sensitive, mature skin, or combination – for both men and women. Powered by Skin Professionals, the new Flawless CDO is part of the 35 strategically-located Flawless clinics nationwide. Flawless and its ...

Dec282012 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Family Holidays 2013: What to Expect from your Florida Getaway

America, Travel, United States of America

For those of you who have been following this Mindanao lifestyle and travel blog, you may know that I was sent to the U.S. earlier this year to participate in a U.S. State Department fellowship. One of the U.S. cities that I visited was Orlando, Florida. Now if you're thinking of bringing your family there soon, this article will be useful for you. Read on... Low cost family holidays are the ticket to oversee adventures and quality time with your nearest and dearest. When it comes to your first time travelling abroad, short haul destinations such as holidays in Turkey, Majorca or the Greek Islands are an excellent choice. Spreading your wings a little further afield, holidays Florida style are bound to be the trip of a lifetime for you and your youngsters. Known as the ultimate holid...

Dec252012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Malipayong Pasko from Mindanaoan.com!

Mindanaoan Update

Merry Christmas, folks! Or in what we say in my area in Mindanao - Malipayong Pasko! Merry Christmas to all of you - malipayong Pasko kaninyong tanan :) I'm writing this from Cebu City - where one of my brothers now work. My entire family is here in Cebu right now to celebrate Christmas with my brother. It's such a blessing that he doesn't have work on the 24th and 25th - so at least my family will be complete on those days. He goes back to work on the 26th, see. My other two brothers will be back in Mindanao on the 26th while my mother and I will be home come 30th. It'll be quite a rough goodbye since we won't see my brother again in a while. Parting is such sweet sorrow in cases like these. Anyways, our Christmas Eve was loads of fun. Loads of laughter, overflowing food, movie mara...

Dec212012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

MANGO Centrio Mall CDO Launch

Beauty, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Fashion, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Shopping, Style

The Centrio Mall Cagayan de Oro branch of international brand MANGO is finally open! MANGO CDO, the very first flagship store of the Spanish brand in Northern Mindanao, Philippines, opened at Level 1, Centrio Mall, Cagayan de Oro last December 2, 2012. MANGO is an international clothing design and manufacturing company and their products are endorsed by no less than the likes of supermodels Kate Moss and Miranda Kerr. It currently has more than 2,000 stores in 103 countries all over the world! I personally love the MANGO brand - as I previously mentioned in this blog post, one of the MANGO pieces I own is this green MANGO suit that has truly survived the test of time. I just love their products - all quality, affordable and there's something for every girl :) Anyways, going back t...

Dec212012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

How to Find Cheap Holidays

Travel

Cheap holidays are not a myth. Sometimes it may seem harder to find them, especially as the original ‘cheap fights’ and penny fares are now a thing of the past. But it is possible to find a low-cost holiday without compromising on quality. Of course this all depends on the type of holiday you’re after. If you’re happy with local destinations such as Spain, Portugal and Greece, then you should have no problem finding a real bargain - especially if you’re not looking for five-star luxury. If however you’ve got Jamaica holidays on your wish-list then it might be time to go back to the drawing board... or wait for that lottery win. One of the obvious ways to bag a low-cost holiday is to book a last-minute package break. Late deals are big business and by booking a last-minute holiday thr...

Dec202012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Christmas: How it Came To Be

Arts, Beauty, Culture, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Society

Curious about the history of Christmas? The history of how Christmas came to be is pretty interesting, if you ask me. This article will shed light into the annual tradition we know as the Yuletide season. If you want to know more about Christmas, then read on. Basically Christmas is that one special day for Christians to come together to remember, commemorate, and celebrate the birth of their savior, Jesus Christ. Let’s just say it’s like a birthday, only, it’s the birthday of that special one who is mainly the reason why we are here in this world. As we consider it as a birthday of some sort, it is, of course, celebrated annually and can also easily be associated to events like the Nativity, which most Churches would re-enact during masses on the eve of the event; gift giving within fa...

Dec192012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

WAGW Davao Style Ambassadors Launch

Beauty, Blogging, Business, Consumer, Davao City, Events, Fashion, Features, Society, Style

After their successful WAGW CDO Style Ambassadors 2012 launch, What A Girl Wants then invited me to their Davao City launch (see the WAGW Davao invitation here). Good thing the date fell on a weekend when I was set to be home in Davao! Unfortunately, my friends and I came in terribly late so we missed the main program. However, we did make it up to the lovely folks behind WAGW by doing a little shopping that day :) The What A Girl Wants Young Ambassadors of Style for Davao 2012 campaign is an annual selection of Davao City's fresh new faces and stunning style setters, individuals who epitomize the brand’s image of style, substance and youthful exuberance. WAGW Davao chose 3 young fashionistas - all fitting to be called Style Ambassadors of WAGW - eco-advocate Lorenzo Rabat, fashionable ...

Dec182012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Sendong Memorial In Iligan City

Features, Iligan City, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Society

Hard to believe but yes, it's been a year since that deadly Typhoon Sendong (international name: Washi). Typhoon Sendong claimed more than 1,000 lives and to this date, more than 500 people remain missing. Yesterday, December 17, 2012, a group came up with a Sendong Memorial Wall in Cagayan de Oro City, one of the two major cities that got hit by Typhoon Sendong. The Sendong Memorial Wall in CDO was made of Romblon marble and had the names of those who died and those who remain missing. Today, I found out that a Sendong Memorial in Iligan City was also unveiled last December 17, 2012. A creation by artist Julie Lluch, this masterfully crafted bronze sculpture depicts a little girl riding a log. The girl was one of the survivors of Typhoon Sendong. She apparently rode the log from Barang...

Dec172012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Tokyo Tokyo: Now Serving CDO

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews

Tokyo Tokyo CDO is finally open! The very first Cagayan de Oro City branch of Tokyo Tokyo opened last November 29, 2012 at the 2nd Floor of Limketkai Mall but I was pretty lucky. The night before the grand launch, Mindanaoan was among the very first to try their signature dishes - I was invited to a special gathering of friends from Tokyo Tokyo and the local media community. By the way, a few days before its grand launch, Mindanaoan shared the news about Tokyo Tokyo Cagayan de Oro via this blog post. I was pretty stoked especially since I frequently visited Tokyo Tokyo back when I was still working in Manila. My "usuals" over at Tokyo Tokyo are the shrimp tempura, maki, pork tonkatsu and miso soup. Of course, the popular and truly delicious Tokyo Tokyo red iced tea is never far behind. ...

Dec172012 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Typhoon Sendong Memorial Wall Unveiled

Announcements, Cagayan de Oro City, Society

A year after Typhoon Sendong (international name: Washi) hit Northern Mindanao (particularly the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro), more than 1,000 people died and more than 500 persons remain missing. In an effort to provide the bereaved families with a place where they can honor their loved ones who untimely passed away, a group composed of female community movers conceptualized the Sendong Memorial Wall project. JCI Bai Lawanen, Mindanao's first all-lady chapter of the Junior Chamber International - Philippines, started the Sendong Memorial Wall community project, which aims to serve as a sanctuary for the grieving families. The Sendong Memorial Wall is an 8x12 ft. size memorial wall, made of Romblon marble. Names of those who died and who remain missing due to Typhoon Sendong are...

Dec162012 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Meet the WAGW CDO Young Ambassadors of Style 2012

Beauty, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Fashion, Features, Gifts, Mindanaoan Update, Northern Mindanao, Personalities, Society, Style

Mindanaoan was invited to meet the What A Girl Wants (WAGW) CDO Young Ambassadors of Style 2012 last November 24, 2012 during the official launch of the WAGW Centrio Mall branch. It was an invitation I could never decline! Not only did I like the WAGW brand and the people behind it (did you know that popular Filipina fashion blogger Kryz Uy is their creative director?) and the organizers of the event (thank you Jaja and Vanessa!) but one of the style ambassadors was a dear friend and my brother (Bon of One Happy Story Photography) was the event's official photographer :) I was also asked to bring blogger-friends to the event and any event that makes it possible for bloggers to help promote great brands and products always has a plus on my book :) The What A Girl Wants and What A Girl Wa...

Dec122012 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

All female rock band General Luna to rock Flawless Centrio Mall launch

Beauty, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Entertainment, Events, Features, Music

General Luna, an all female rock band, is set to perform during the grand launch of the Ayala Centrio Mall branch of Flawless Face and Body Clinic on Friday, December 14, 2012, 4 PM at the Atrium of Centrio Mall, Corrales Avenue corner CM Recto Street, Cagayan de Oro City. General Luna band, composed of Nicole Asensio on vocales, Audry Dionisio on rhythm guitar, Alex Montemayor on bass guitar, Caren Mangaran on lead guitar and Bea Lao on drums, will give the Kagay-anons a taste of their music - a wonderful blend of cool guitar riffs and distinct sultry yet solid vocals. Among General Luna's hit singles are "Nandito" (theme song of "Glass Castle"), "Sa Pangarap Ko" (theme song of "Mga Nagbabagang Bulaklak") and "Red Heaven" - the music video of which can be viewed below. Catch these p...

Dec122012 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Top 10 Hen Weekend Tips

Travel

It's time to get the girls together for the ultimate hen weekend! Traditionally speaking, it is the Maid of Honour or Chief Bridesmaid who puts plans in place and pulls the final touches together on this one, and there is no limit on how epic your event can be. All it takes is a little sprinkle of savvy. 1. Use Travelodge to book group accommodation. Not everyone in your group will be 'flushed for cash' and the important thing is to ensure as many people as possible can make it to your friend's hen do. Booking low cost accommodation from Travelodge means that as many as three guests can share a room. With rates as low as £19 in the sale, you are guaranteed to get more girls on board. 2. Decide on a destination. Cities are a good choice; everything you need will be conveniently close...

Dec122012 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Typhoon Pablo – How To Donate, Help, Volunteer

Advocacy, Announcements, Compostela Valley, Davao City, Davao Del Norte, Davao del Sur, Society

If you've been following me on Twitter, you may notice that I've been calling for donations for Typhoon Pablo (international code name: Bopha) survivors. I've been posting lots of infos and links as to where you can help, volunteer or donate for Typhoon Pablo relief operations and I've also been using the hashtags #PabloPH and #reliefPH. I would like to take this opportunity to WHOLEHEARTEDLY thank each and every one of you who retweeted, reposted, shared my tweets and Facebook status posts. Thank you so much for the support. Special thanks to those who answered my call for donations. Thank you for trusting me and thank you so much for sharing your blessings! May God bless you a hundredfold :) If, for any reason, you still want to send donations through me, please leave a comment below ...

Dec72012 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

What A Girl Wants Davao Young Ambassadors of Style 2012

Beauty, Blogging, Consumer, Davao City, Fashion, Mindanaoan Update, Style

Young and stylish Dabawenyos will be launched as What A Girl Wants (WAGW) Davao Young Ambassadors of Style 2012 on Saturday, December 8, 2012, 4 PM to 7 PM at the WAGW Ayala Abreeza Mall branch. The Young Ambassadors of Style is an annual selection of Davao City's fresh, new faces and stunning style setters. This year, the WAGW Davao Young Ambassadors of Style are stylish Milen Aquino, Lorenzo Rabat and CCia Ang. Along with the launch, What A Girl Wants Davao will also offer a very special 20 percent discount on all products. The discount will also apply on What A Girl Wants...For Her Man's collections. The discount will only apply on December 8, 4 to 7 PM. Great reason for you to start your Christmas shopping, right? :) Visit the What A Girl Wants (WAGW) boutique at the 2nd L...

Dec62012 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Three Mindanao youth groups win in TAYO Awards 2012

Announcements, Mindanaoan Update, Society

Three youth groups in Mindanao were just declared as part of the winners list in this year's Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards 2012. I CAN Make A Difference (Zamboanga), Monte Verde 4-H Club (Zamboanga) and Dire Husi Initiatives (Cagayan de Oro) were among the 2012 TAYO Awards winners. Representatives of each Mindanaoan youth group were at the Heroes Hall in Malacanang today, December 6, 2012, to personally receive their specially-designed trophies plus cash prize from President Benigno Aquino III. I'm familiar with these 3 Mindanao youth groups because about two months ago, I was one of the judges of the Mindanao Area Finals of the TAYO Awards 2012 :) You can read the brief profiles of I CAN Make A Difference, Monte Verde 4-H Club and Dire Husi Initiatives in this blog p...

Nov302012 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

CONFIRMED: Adam Lambert Live In Manila 2013

Announcements, Blogging, Entertainment, Events, Features, Manila, Mindanaoan Update, Music, Personalities, Society, Style

It's CONFIRMED, folks! Flamboyant American Idol alumnus and hitmaker Adam Lambert is coming to Manila! The Adam Lambert Live In Manila 2013 concert is happening on March 1, 2013 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The Adam Lambert Manila 2013, which is part of the Trespassing Tour, is definitely good news for the Glamberts! Book your tickets this early because this Adam Lambert 2013 Manila show will definitely be one for the books! Please scroll down as well for some exciting news - EXCLUSIVE only to Mindanaoan.com! Ticket prices (Adam Lambert Live In Manila 2013): General Admission - Php 500 Upper Box - Php 1,500 Lowerbox B - Php 2,500 Lowerbox A - Php 3,500 Patron - Php 4,500 Patron VIP - Php 6,000 * rates are exclusive of service charge You can purchase...