Move on … that's what young Filipinos nowadays would say after a relationship breaks up. That's actually good advice when you consider how liberating it could be to leave the pain and heartaches behind. Still, it's easier said and done. I know. I've been there, too, many years ago :) 

Songwriters are fortunate because many of them can translate their pain into music. Take Taylor Swift as a very good example. Just think of the many "hugot" songs she has composed by now that turned into bestselling hits! 

This 2016, the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, Inc. (FILSCAP), the sole and official music copyright society in the Philippines, together with Pioneer, one of the top life and non-life insurance companies in the country, are proud to launch the FILSCAP Campus Caravan. This is a series of talks that aims to guide aspiring musicians at the college level in the different aspects of songwriting. 

FILSCAP Campus Caravan is to be held in different campuses which include De La Salle University-Manila, San Beda College Alabang, UP Diliman, University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo De Manila University, University of Makati, and Ateneo de Davao. Each visit is set to have a songwriting workshop talk to be conducted by well-known Filipino singers-songwriters via face-to-face sessions while also introducing the collaboration's #MoveOnLang Songwriting Competition.

One of things I regret not learning early in life is proper personal finance management. I wish I knew more about wise budgeting, saving, and investing when I started working and receiving salaries. I believe that would have effectively guided me and my husband in handling our finances better when we got married and started a family 23 years ago.

we all want the best for our families the question is: what are we doing about it? photo credit: www.woodcome.com

Still, it's never too late to learn anything as long as you're willing to do so and we've pursued financial literacy (read my related blog posts, here) with a passion when we were finally introduced to it several years ago. As a parent, I am thankful that I can now to help steer my children towards making good financial decisions while they are still young. The learnings never stop though and I always welcome new opportunities to know more about eventually achieving financial freedom someday.

This coming first week of October, the Philippine Life Insurance Association (PLIA) is marking "Life Insurance Consciousness Week"with a string of activities aimed to further boost financial literacy in the country and help Filipinos understand how life insurance can help us fulfill all our life goals.

PLIA President Gregorio Mercado acknowledges that financial literacy among Filipinos remains low thus the need to constantly address this concern. "PLIA strives to contribute to the Insurance Commission's efforts to propagate the importance of financial literacy," he explained. "Moreover, it's a building block for nation-building, because teaching Filipinos how to manage their finances better with the help of different instruments, such as life insurance, will certainly boost our economy."

representatives of FALIA with Commissioner Dooc (second from left) and PLIA President Gregorio Mercado (third from left)

Drinking Mountain Dew was part of my childhood. I remember being fascinated by the green bottle and its yellow green liquid that's very different from the dark-colored sodas many of my friends would usually buy. 

Now, the iconic green color is joined by two new ones as Mountain Dew makes another historic mark by launching #DEWmocracy, a campaign where Dew lovers are invited to take a stand and let our voices be heard.

Choose your favorite between two new and exciting limited-edition flavors. Blue Shock is charged with raspberry citrus and is known to be cool and stunning. The distinct raspberry-like flavor lets action do the talking and leaves you, well, in shock! Conversely, Live Wire with a blast of orange is loud and electrifying. It is said to be the Dew that hypes the crowd before they start jumping.

I love watching movies but, at my age, I don't think I could dance for 24 hours straight! What's the connection, you ask?

Last June 27, Star Movies kept moviegoers on their feet all day and all night for a movie marathon that required non-stop dancing. They could only rest a bit while there's no singing and dancing on screen but should start moving and grooving once more when the music starts.

I arrived at the venue around 12NN that day to check out the amazing contenders. By that time, they were already on their third movie since the competition started at 5AM. The groups of avid film viewers were expected to shimmy and shake their "groove thang" while watching famous movie musicals such as Annie, Magic Mike XXL, Dirty Dancing, Frozen, Pitch Perfect 2, Happy Feet 2, and Mamma Mia for the chance to win the grand prize of P200,000.

Have you been telling yourself that 2016 is the year you'll really start to pursue a wellness lifestyle? How's the fitness journey so far? If you need a little push, here's a fun, fun way to start!

Those who have been following this blog for the past two years may know that I only started running again sometime in mid-2014 because I finally realized how important it is to stay genuinely healthy for my family. Since then, I've joined my husband in various races, which greatly helped increase my stamina. We've also been very game in trying and other fitness activities to see what else we'd like.

However, outdoor activities such as running, biking, or swimming expose my skin to sunlight and cause uneven skin tones or, worse, painful sunburn. That's why when I know I'll be out under the sun for quite awhile, I make sure to use sun protection products such as sunscreen and soothing gels. Watsons, I store I frequent for my skin care needs, carry a lot of brands that help keep the harmful sun's rays at bay.

Filipino food has been featured worldwide time and again. And why not? We have some of the most flavorful dishes one can find on this planet. Numerous people from different countries have already testified how much they enjoyed eating food prepared in the Philippines, including those found along sidewalks.

Pinoy street food has definitely captured the palates of both locals and foreign visitors and SM Hypermarket recognizes that. Last year, I wrote about the Pinoy Best Street Food 2014 Grand Finals and it's amazing how fast time passed because the 2015 edition has also just been concluded! 

Some of the country's most talented street food cooks once more competed this year for a chance to win a life-changing prize. Ten finalists recently gathered in SM City Sucat to have Kusina Master Chef Boy Logro and his fellow judges choose who will get his/her own food stall at SM Hypermarket rent-free for one year. The grand winner was also awarded P100,000 worth of prizes including large food packs, ingredients, cooking equipment, and more courtesy of SM Hypermarket's Food Service Center, the home of big packs and big savings, plus other hotel, restaurant, and catering needs.

For many years, people think of life insurance as a tedious and uninteresting topic that you only think of in times of illness and untimely deaths. Contrary to that belief, getting an insurance early will actually allow you to enjoy life now while you invest for the future. 

Honestly, I deeply regret not knowing how to manage personal finances well while I was younger. That's why as early as now, I teach my kids what I've learned these past few years about saving and investing for the rainy days.

Likewise, I always find it nice to hear local celebrities' stories on being finance-savvy. TV host, lifestyle blogger, and fitness entrepreneur, Bianca King, for instance, shared during a recent press con how she made it a goal to have a house of her own at age 22, almost eight years ago. 

How often do you clean your bathroom? Did you know that every year, children around the world miss an estimated 443 million school days due to illnesses caused by poor sanitation and hygiene practices, including the use of dirty toilets? To better illustrate, those number of sick days is equivalent to all grade school and high school classrooms in the Philippines being empty for one month!

win this!

I find it really sad to know that many children don't get to learn as much as they should because of sanitation-related concerns. This November, be part of the 1 Million Clean Toilets program, an advocacy of Unilever through Domex that aims to empower and inspire Filipinos to properly clean our own toilets using the right product so we can prevent our families from acquiring diseases related to lack of proper toilet sanitation.

In celebration of World Toilet Day this November 13, Domex is leading a toilet clean-up in East Avenue Medical Center to symbolize its commitment in helping people, especially those who have been afflicted, to fight diseases through clean toilets.

post something like this!

People love telling and hearing stories. Whether they are true-to-life experiences or tales from the imagination, interesting stories will always find an enthusiastic audience. That's exactly what happened at the De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde early this week when Pioneer Insurance's Virgin Labfest 11 Campus Tour was held there.

Students, teachers, and guests raptly watched Dalawang Gabi and Hintayan ng Langit. Both stories have engaging plots and excellent actors. We laughed at the witty lines but also felt emotional during the sad parts. 

As an avid theater fan, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the stories come to life. The playwrights, directors, and the rest of the crew likewise did an amazing job putting everything together. The many questions thrown during the Q and A session evidently showed how interested the students were about the creative processes of playwriting as well as acting. I am sure the answers they heard inspired those who have the passion to also pursue their dreams. 

Aside from insuring Filipinos and the things we value most, Pioneer has also been advocating for the artistic community through insurance coverage and sponsorships. The life and non-life insurance company, established in 1954, has already supported theater plays such as Miss Saigon, The Little Mermaid, and Trumpet's N.O.A.H. 

Last year, Pioneer rolled out the Stories of Friendship Video Competition where participants were encouraged to share their take on friendship via a three-minute video. Ateneo de Davao's My Friends Who Ran won first prize.

This year, as a means of continued support for the Filipino talent, the company is holding Pioneer   Stories of Hope Playwriting Competition. This new campaign paves the way for fresh ideas from young, aspiring playwrights who have 'hope-full' stories to tell.

Many of us love to go dining out with family and friends. Wouldn't it be great if the meal you just had could give you a chance to win nice prizes? 

Foodies all over Metro Manila are in for a culinary experience as more than 35 top restaurants participate in the first-ever Australian Grass-Fed Beef promotion. These dining establishments will showcase a wide variety of dishes that uses Australian grass-fed beef, which have been raised exclusively on natural pastures. 

Choose from a wide variety of dishes using customized menus carefully prepared by some of the top chefs in the city. Ordering these may get you a chance to win P5,000 dining privileges or round-trip tickets for two to Australia via Qantas Airways. This promotion, jointly presented by the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), and the State of Victoria, is ongoing until August 23, 2015.

Anthony Weymouth, Austrade Senior Trade Commissioner, confirmed that there is a growing demand for quality beef in the Philippines, "and this promotion reiterates the fact that Australia is in the best position to provide this, as Australia produces premium quality beef that suits the Filipino taste and budget."

I agree with Mr. Weymouth because I have been buying and cooking different cuts of Australian beef in the past year for my family. The cost is not as high as I previously expected imported beef to be and the meat is way more tender than any of the local beef I've bought in the past. (Read my other blog posts on Aussie beef, here.)

Everybody loves winning prizes and if those are stuff that we really want to have, the more we'd make sure we get them, right? Great Taste White Coffee drinkers are in for a treat within the next two months as there are more than P27 million worth of prizes at stake in the Choose Great, Win Great raffle!

There will be four regional draws in five areas: Greater Manila Area, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. For every regional draw, one winner will get P200,000 while another will have P100,000. Two winners will also get to bring home a white MacBook Air, four winners will receive a white iPhone 6 each, and six winners will get their own white iPad Mini. 

But wait! Aside from the already awesome prizes mentioned above, the Great Taste White: Choose Great, Win Great Promo will culminate in a Grand Draw where one lucky winner will take home P3 million in cash with eight others getting to own a white Toyota Vios 1.3 E M/T each!

My family spent part of Father's Day last Sunday at the Papa John's event in Blue Bay Walk. It was my first time to visit this place and we found it really nice. The open, grassy areas make the environment such a good place to hang about in. 

Father's Day with the boys

What was special during this particular event was the Dine and Win Raffle Draw for a brand new Mazda 3 Skyactiv car. 

waiting for the winner's name to be drawn

I've been to Malaysia a few times in the past and have always enjoyed my stay because there are a lot of activities to do and beautiful sights to see. This year, Tourism Malaysia marks 2015 as the Year of Festivals with the theme "Endless Celebrations." 

Legoland Malaysia's Opening Day - September 2012

Likewise, Tourism Malaysia-Manila launches the BFF or Be Friends Forever campaign that aims to let others know what to expect when they go to Malaysia through the experiences of those who have already been there. 

Travelers who visited the beautiful country are encouraged to post their favorite vacation photos on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #mybffxoxo for a chance to win special monthly prizes from Tourism Malaysia and the grand prize of a three days and two nights stay in Malaysia accompanied by his or her best friend (or family member).

Malaysia captured in photos

We all grew up enjoying M&M's Chocolates, right? So what better way to reminisce our childhood than to meet the world-famous M&M's Characters! Yesterday, media and mall-goers got to meet "Mr Know-It-All" Red, cool Blue, optimist Yellow, sexy and confident Green, and worrisome Orange at The Atrium, Eastwood Mall.

Filipino fans of the brand are in for a treat because the meet-the-fans session happens until tomorrow! From April 24th to 26th, patrons of Eastwood Mall are invited to join the M&M's characters as well as Luis Manzano for a fun-filled weekend of activities and prizes. 

I love traveling and discovering new places. If I have the time and the budget, I'd do it as often as I could, while I can! I believe this is also how Cebu Pacific's Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge 2015 Adventure Coaches feel, too, as they are all enthusiastic travelers who enjoy having adventures anywhere they go.

These certified adventure seekers signed up for JFF 2015 to serve as mentors to five student teams who will be going on an all-expenses-paid trip across Cebu Pacific's extensive network of destinations. The coaches will be staying in touch and cheering for their respective teams through social media throughout the whole duration of the eight-day backpacker challenge happening from June 23 to July 1.

All five Adventure Coaches expressed excitement at being part of Juan for Fun and are looking forward to meeting their teams soon. Here, they share some tips and pointers to aspiring participants so they could make their experiences even more memorable. 

Traveling is one of the most exciting things you should do while you're young and physically capable to take on one adventure after the other. Previous participants and winners of Cebu Pacific's Juan for Fun Backpacker Challenge can definitely attest to that. 

This past weekend, I met four young people whose adventurous spirits led them to audition, get accepted, and go to exciting destinations for several days -- for FREE! These Juan for Fun alumni shared how much they enjoyed their trips and sharpened many of their skills. 

Esme, Mara, Gian, and Patrik may have come from different teams and JFF editions but they have at least two things in common -- a zest for life and the desire to discover new things through traveling. Fortunately, Cebu Pacific came up with a unique and exciting travel adventure program for college and university students like them. 

"Especially in this day and age …

I have always believed that great accomplishments

will come without compromise of one's ideals and principles.

To this end, we should always pursue our businesses with honor,

and never waver in our commitment 

to the principles of professionalism, integrity, and patriotism."

- Ambassador Ramon V. del Rosario, Sr. (RVR)

Don't you just love reading those words? I hope, if you've read it for the first time, you'll be encouraged as I was to keep working hard without compromising principles. RVR passed away in 2008 and while he's no longer here physically, his vision, the values he stood for, and his commitment to nation-building still live on particularly in his most significant institutional legacy -- the Philippine Investment and Management Consultants (PHINMA) Group.

RVR also founded the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) and FilOil, the first Filipino-owned oil company. He was also the first national president of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Manila, and the first Asian world president of JCI.

An estimated 235 million people worldwide suffer from asthma with 250,000 deaths being recorded every year. By 2025, 100 million more are projected to suffer from this medical condition. In the Philippines, there are over 10 million cases of people with asthma, which remains the most common chronic disease of childhood morbidity as measured by school absences, hospitalizations, and visits to the emergency room.

It is frustrating to know that despite the availability of guidelines and medicines for the treatment and management of asthma, majority of patients' condition remain uncontrolled thus leading to compromised lives. According to a study, only 1% of Filipino children has well-controlled asthma. That is such a low statistic!

Thus, what more Filipinos need to know is that yes, asthma can be a serious condition BUT it can be controlled! Having access to doctors and treatment has proven to significantly decrease asthma deaths and hospitalizations. People with asthma can and do lead normal and active lives. They can even excel!

Kim Chiu

Freeway is one of the fashion brands I personally love because it consistently comes up with great designs for clothing and accessories. The sizings of their clothes fit me very well, which is why some of my favorite items inside my closet have the Freeway label.

Aside from outfits though, I love, love, love Freeway's Art Bags! I own two but would love to collect more designs. A friend of mine, who's an art teacher, complimented my Ang Huling Babaylan bag just last New Year's eve. It is that eye-catching!