L’ Fisher Hotel in collaboration with the Wedding & Event Planners of Negros, Inc. (WEPON) is holding the Ultimate Wedding & Events Fair at  the Grand La Proa Ballroom of L’ Fisher Hotel. Different wedding & event suppliers in Negros Island gathered in one venue to showcase what they have to offer. The ribbon cutting followed the wine pairing at the Ripples Restaurant.

In the past 20 years of its existence, L’ Fisher Hotel has been one of the favorite venues by Negrenses for weddings and other occasions. Resident Manager, Mr. Robert Balde has been with the hotel for the past 18 years  bear witness to how the Negrenses patronized their hotel. He also enumerated the various developments made such as the L’ Fisher Chalet Tower II, renovation of the interior and the Grand La Proa Ballroom. The hotel facade is also currently undergoing renovation.

The new Marketing Officer, Ms. Imelda Tinsay, who by the way is a big asset to the hotel, invited the guests to sample the various offerings of the hotel in relation to L’ Fisher Hotel 20th anniversary. Imelda’s presentation says it all, why L’ Fisher should be the venue of your most memorable occasion.

Cocktails were served to guests who eagerly waited for the parade of wedding gowns from local designers. The whole La Proa Ballroom was turned into a one-stop shop for weddings and other events.

Photos courtesy of Anton Manso

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It’s already the third year that the ELINJ Aviary of La Castellana had a Bird Show at SM City. Various bird collection of DENR licensed breeder Mr. Elik Divino were featured in cooperation of the La Castellana LGU. Children and adults alike were all excited in seeing the colorful birds of different sizes.

I had a chance to chat with Mr. Divino and I’m quite impressed by his dedication to the birds. When I asked him which among his collection is his favorite he said all of them. Each is special and cannot be compared to each other.

Mr. Divino started collecting birds, reptiles and other animals upon his return from the United States in 2000. He now has 125 different species of these animals given to him as gifts by family and friends. The animals are so dear to him that he worries about them and hopes somebody will take care of them since he’s already getting old. Well, he need not worry. Because of his advocacy, he will awaken the interest of a lot of people in taking care of these animals.

If you want to see the collection of Mr. Divino, you can visit the ELINJ Aviary in La Castellana, Negros Occidental.

Address: Gomez St., La Castellana, Negros Occidental
Tel. No.: (034) 4850121 / (034) 4858130
Open 9am – 4pm (Monday – Friday)

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The 888 Chinatown Square Bacolod opened its doors to the public last August 8, 2008. This year, the mall dubbed as Bacolod’s Divisoria, will celebrate its second year anniversary and will treat its mall goers with promos and shows.

Robinsons Movieworld launched it’s 3D Cinema at Robinsons Place Bacolod last June 18 and we were invited to experience it. A press briefing was held before the film screening and guests from the media were treated by the management at Bob’s Cafe.

Robinsons Movieworld, one of the largest theater chains in the country, is poised to ride the digital 3D boom by converting their existing theaters to 3D starting with one thearer at Robinsons Movieworld Galleria to nine nationwide. Robinsons Movieworld Bacolod is one of the targeted nine nationwide to have one 3D Cinema.

The 3D screen of Robinsons Movieworld will surely make watching movies more exciting. Robinsons Place Bacolod Cinema 1 has 569 seats and equipped with digital projector by Christie Digital Systems, 3D System by MasterImage and Digital Server by DTS Doremi. 3D tickets are priced at P250 and already include a regular popcorn and 12-oz softdrink as introductory promo.

We lined up to get our 3D glasses together with the kids who were as eager to watch Toy Story 3. If you watched Toy Story 1 & 2, you can follow the adventures of Woody, Buzz and the rest of Andy’s toys. I will not spoil the movie for you. Watch it at Robinsons and know why it is the biggest animated movie of this year.

Here are more 3D movies to watch for this year:

• Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore – August 4
• The Hole – August 25
• Step Up 3 – August 11
• Despicable Me – September 1

We often think technology can only be appreciated by the youth but a visit to the SM Cyberzone Summer Festival last May 23 at SM City Bacolod proved otherwise. There were a lot of kids, pre-teens, teenagers and even those belonging to the senior citizens category. Technology has indeed reached to a point where everybody can enjoy its benefits.

The Gaming Station featuring Wii and Playsataion were the most visited booths. Even though I was a little embarrassed playing in front of the kids, who play better than me, I still tried my hands at the different games. I waited my turn to play bowling at the Nintendo Wii. It’s quite fun but I still need a lot of practice.

There was this girl, probably 9 yrs. old, who played at the Playstation booth. We jokingly told her to ask her dad to buy her a Playstation when she gets home. Our mistake, the kid probably has one at home! She’s really good at it! We joked that we will bully her into quitting the game. I felt like a child again when it was my turn to play. The kids kept looking at me quite impatiently. They probably thought  I’m wasting their time. Kids! Next thing you know toddlers are playing Dota. Or aren’t they already?

The Girl was very good at playing the Playstation

The kids were obviously impatient and exasperated at how I play.

I think I could use some of the gadgets at the Epson and MSI booths like the Epson photo printer and the MSI netbook. A photo printer can be very handy at home since I do take a lot of shots of different tourist destinations in Negros Occidental that I feature in my blog. A triple sim Torque mobile phone can likewise be very practical since people nowadays has one sim from each network.

I often bring my bulky laptop wherever I go for lack of a better choice. If I leave it at home I will be free of the almost 2kg weight but I will not be able to work on my projects anywhere I go, which I could not afford to do. Well, I just need a lighter version then, and the netbook would be perfect. Technology has really made life so much easier especially to young professionals like me. I also checked out the latest model of Samsung Digicams. They had a photo wall where visitors had their pictures taken which were immediately printed on Epson photo printer.

Today’s generation are very lucky since they are exposed to technology at such a young age. I saw parents checking out the MSI laptops with their kids. I think it’s very good that parents are open to technology and how to use them to their advantage. There were also some senior citizens checking out the different booths. These senior citizens who are not afraid to use technology are quite impressive. Even simple use of email can be very beneficial to them. Imagine a 60-yr-old Lola getting in touch with relatives abroad! That can be a good way to keep families intact despite distances and keep the young generations living abroad stay in touch with their Filipino roots through their grandparents.

The best part of the Cyberzone Summer Festival was the freebies. Visitors line up to get a chance to win Torque mobile phones through the Pick-A-Prize game. Nobody went empty-handed since those who were not able to win the mobile phone get to bring home other freebies such as T-shorts, caps, game CD, posters, etc.

It was a tiring yet exciting day. It’s good to be exposed to different technologies so that we will have different choices. Good thing you can always find them in one place, at SM Cyberzone.

The Havaianaticos still have the hangover from the Havaianas Summer Games held at Punta Bulata White Beach Resort. Thanks to Havaianas, the party isn’t over yet. This time, it’s a Havaianas Beach Bar at the historic Ruins in Talisay.

I came with blogging and Skyscrapercity.com buddies who were just too willing to come in white and their favorite pair of Havaianas.

The evening started with cocktails and an awarding dinner for the contestants of the Havaianas Summer Games held last May 18 – 19 at Punta Bulata. The Havaianas contestants received their brand new iPods, Havaianas merchandise and Rubber Ducky products.

Professor Sapo and his students at the Bacolod Escola Brasileira Capoeira performed and showed Bacolod how to party, Brazilian style. Brazilian and Latin Beats were played featuring the music of Tribo Manila and DJ Christian Raeuber. Guests enjoyed free-flowing Havaianas Tropical Spike and Piña Colada.

Fire dancers added to the beach ambiance with their skilled performance.

Kudos to Havaianas and In Touch Events for a great party!

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Some photos courtesy of Anton Manso

What better way to cool the scorching heat of El Niño than to go to the beach? What’s even better is if it’s not just any beach but Punta Bulata White Beach Resort and Spa and clad with your favorite pair of Havaianas! Well, thanks to Ms. Antoinette Begre-Lacson, the woman behind the company that made Havaianas available to Negros Occidental and Panay, I was one of those invited as one of the media partners to cover the Havaianas Summer Games at Punta Bulata White Beach Resort and Spa last May 18-19, 2010.

Ever since Havaianas came to the Philippines in 2003, Pinoys never looked at slippers the same way again. Havaianas made the lowly tsinelas stylish and trendy. Havaianas are so fashionable that Pinoys started to wear them practically anywhere. Ilonggos are no exception. The versatile Havaianas appeal to the laid back lifestyle of the Ilonggos.  Plus the patented rubber material which Havaianas are made from is both comfortable and highly durable.

In Touch Events Network organized the Havaianas Summer Games so we expected to have lots of fun. There were four competing teams from Brazil and the Philippines. Each team members brought their friends to cheer for them.

Green Team was composed of Professor Sapo and his students at the Bacolod Capoeira School.

Yellow Team was composed of Brazillian exchange student Andre and friends.

Yellow Team-Cassandra Paula Camato,Bea Francine Rodriguez, Alton Yu, Jeric Villanueva

Blue Team were student Havaianaticos.

Blue Team-Teija Lacson, Kathleen Lacson, Vidal Londres,Derick Sibug

Red Team was Team Punta Bulata.

Red Team-JD Valderrama, Vicky Zayco, Chiqui Okol, Gringo Benedicto

Green Team had an earlier lead when they won the Havaianas Cheer. Judges just can’t say no to Professor Sapo’s team when he did back flips while the rest of the team sang in Portuguese. The Red Team dominated the Flip Floats Relay and Going to Havaianas Market. The Yellow Team proved they’re the team to beat when it comes to brawn when they won the Tug of War. Creativity-wise, the Green Team impressed the judges with their Sand Flipflops Building.  The Red Team has again taken the lead when they won the Fill Me Up Challenge and Havaianas Puzzle. The Blue Team made a last attempt by winning the Havaianas Relay.

After a few scratches and bruises and lots of fun and laughter, the home court advantage of the Red Team proved hard to beat and they were announced as Champion. Close second was the Green Team, third Yellow Team, and fourth place was Blue Team. The contestants were treated to a Spa courtesy of Punta Bulata.

Punta Bulata was exclusively for Havaianas guests for two days and we enjoyed swimming at the beach and at the pool. To cap a rather tiring day, dinner and cocktail by the beach were prepared for the guests.  Dinner was by candlelight amid the soothing rhythm of the waves and the gentle breeze from the sea.  It was a fitting way to bid farewell to summer and say hello to new friends.

Media Partners

To keep the feel of summer even when it’s over, grab yourself a pair of Havaianas from the following outlets:

Bacolod

• Robinsons Place Bacolod
• Learning Gallery
• Pink Elephant
• Whole Kids

Iloilo

• Robinsons Place Iloilo
• All Flip Flops Iloilo
• Days Hotel Spa Iloilo

I was recently invited to the blessing and launching of Whole Kids located at Terra Dolce Building. Whole Kids is an activity center designed “to provide young children with opportunities to socialize, build confidence, and get creative through meaningful play.”

The place was conceptualized by two young moms who were looking for a place in Bacolod where they can let their kids play aside from the usual places at the mall and arcades. When they can’t find any appropriate place, they thought of opening Whole Kids in order to serve the needs of working moms like them.

The growing number of obese kids nowadays may be attributed to their sedentary lifestyles. Most kids are hooked on television and video games thus they lack physical activities. At Whole Kids, children ages 6 months to 8 years can make use of the vast array of educational toys, games, structured activities and safe gross motor equipment to interact with other kids.

The play place is padded so moms need not worry about the safety of their kids. There’s a specific play area for pre-schoolers/big kids and infant/toddlers. Books and toys are also available for sale so your kids can enjoy their favourite books and toys at home.

Their fees are as follows:

Free Play (Mon-Fri)
(6 mos – 8 yrs)P150/hr
10-12 children maximum at one time

Arts & Crafts (Tue, Thu)
(4 – 8 yrs)
P250/session – 60minutes
PM only
Maximum 6 children

Playground (Mon, Wed, Fri)
(2 – 6 yrs)
P200/session – 60 minutes
AM and PM
Minimum 3 children, Maximum 8 children

Music & Movement (Tue, Thu)
(2 – 6 yrs)
P200/session – 60 minutes
AM and PM
Minimum 3 children, Maximum 8 children

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Whole Kids is open year-round (except on weekends and holidays) from 9am to 6pm and is located at the 2/F Terra Dolce Building, 13^th corner Hilado Sts., Bacolod City. Please call 034.435.66.30 for more information. You can also visit their Facebook Fan Page.

Whole Kids Location:
View Whole Kids Activity Center in a larger map

The Ayala Land Inc. has unveiled to the public last March 27 another unique attraction, two putting greens inside a 3,159 square meters park right in the middle of Ayala North Point’s Phase 3. Skyscrapercity forum members were among the invited guests during the event.

The launching of the putting greens was part of Ayala North Point’s Summer Fun Days which was also a venue for its homeowners to enjoy and bond among friends and families. Food stalls were also set-up around the 9-hole putting area. The putting green will be another reason to enjoy being home at Ayala North Point.

Ayala Land Inc. has 3 major projects in Negros Occidental: the Ayala North Point, the Verdana Homes Plantazionne; and the Verdana Homes Asyana.  Ayala Norht Point is the first  Ayala land Premier subdivision in Western Visayas and the only subdivision in the region with an existing village management program which ensures customers satisfaction, comfort and security.

Additional facilities at Ayala North Point are the St. John Institute, Sadhana Garden, for meditation, and Wetlands for sewage treatment.

For more info, visit Ayala North Point

At last, Digital 3D entertainment is already available in Bacolod City courtesy of SM City Bacolod Cinema. You will surely enjoy the clarity of the images as I have when we watched How to Train Your Dragon at SM Cinema 2 last March 19.

Call me manol since I haven’t watched a 3D movie before.  The actions come alive on screen, like they’re going to come out of the screen. I laughed at myself when, like the children around me, I would be surprised with the splash of water on screen like I would get wet.

From SM City Bacolod‘s blogsite:

The SM Digital Theater projection system has the ultra-fast DLP chip. This has an unparalleled 16-microsoecond pixel response time. The SM Digital Theater projector system powered by the DLP all-digital chip , with its millions of microscopic mirrors, delivers a precise, lifelike image in 35 trillion vibrant colors , making it ideal for action-packed or fast-moving scenes.

The technology is nothing new, in fact moviegoers are already enjoying watching 3D movies at SM City in other provinces and Manila moviegoers are enjoying the more sophisticated IMAX technology. For Negrenses, this is the first 3D Theater in Bacolod City. We hope there will also be an IMAX Theater in Bacolod in the near future.

Go treat your kids to How to Train Your Dragon for they’ll surely love the movie. At P250 you’ll be able to give your kids an experience they will treasure for life. Unless of course they’re not as manol as I am. Nonetheless, 3D film experience makes going to the theater more exciting and something to look forward to. It’s something you don’t get in a pirated movie. SM has already lined up Clash of the Titans and Shrek 4 in their 3D Theater.