Global Pinoy Bazaar, Championing Filipino Entrepreneurialism since 2007

For eight years running, the Global Pinoy Bazaar has been successfully championing the excellence of proudly Filipino brands, proving that we can compete with big international labels. The flagship project of Yabang Pinoy has built a community where business owners focus on craftsmanship and consumers expect loyalty.

In the 10th Global Pinoy Bazaar on 22-24 August 2014, Yabang Pinoy moves to the World Trade Center, a venue three times larger, to showcase the breadth of Filipino entrepreneurialism. The lineup features almost two hundred local brands and business concepts, from loyal merchants to budding startups, in art, design, music, travel, technology, home, fashion, and food and beverage.

“A Filipino entrepreneur is someone who believes that Filipinos have the ability to exceed or at least be at par with established international brands in terms of product quality, process efficiencies, marketing, and branding,” says Mark Carrillo of men’s lifestyle brand Fledge Clothing. The new entrant to the bazaar is equally as committed to product quality. “People are always surprised when they learn that our products are locally made. We are joining Global Pinoy Bazaar to support the local industry, and show the quality of local independent brands,” says Mark.

This conviction is not lost in Martha Rodriguez of Vesti Clothing, which has been joining the bazaar since the brand was founded four years ago.” I started Vesti in October 2010 to showcase the beauty of hand-woven indigenous fabrics from Mindanao. I joined Global Pinoy Bazaar in November the same year because I felt that it was the perfect venue where people appreciate local art, culture, and heritage.”

The bazaar is also marked by various activities, from talks by crowdfunding platform Spark Project and app developer JoomaJam, to workshops by crafts studio Craft Manila, and a jamming session by dance school Samba School Imperatriz Filipinense, among others.

The Global Pinoy Bazaar also coincides with Buwan ng Wika and with the “Made in the Philippines Products Week,” as declared by Presidential Proclamation No. 76.

By showcasing globally competitive Filipino brands, Yabang Pinoy strives to support and empower local micro, small, and medium enterprises, and develop the community of globally competitive Filipino brands.

The 10th Global Pinoy Bazaar will be held on 22-24 August 2014, from 11am to 9pm at the World Trade Center. Please visit www.yabangpinoy.com for more information.



© Enrico Dee for BYAHILO, 2014. | Permalink | Be the First to comment! | Add to del.icio.us

DOT, IA join Alliance Francaise de Manille in Fete de la Musique 2014

The Department of Tourism (DOT) and its attached agency, the Intramuros Administration (IA), join hands with Alliance Francaise de Manille (AFM) in presenting the 20th edition of Fete de la Musique this year.

One of the most celebrated cultural events in the world, Fete de la Musique is slated to mark its second decade of festivity on 21 June 2014 (Saturday) from 3:30PM onwards, with free live music and cultural events simultaneously happening at A-Venue Mall Open Parking and Greenbelt 3 Park in Makati, and at the Maestranza Plaza in Intramuros, Manila. There will also be a kick-off party on 20 June 2014 (Friday) from 8PM onwards to be held at Baluarte de San Diego, Intramuros, featuring French, Filipino, and Indian artists such as DJ M.MAT, SinIndia, Caliph 8, and Kate Torralba. The Fete de la Musique’s 20th edition will also mark the four-year partnership and collaboration of AFM with B-Side Productions in handling the festival program and logistics.

Summer solstice of 21 June 1982 saw the launch of Fete de la Musique, which spread to five continents around the world in less than 15 years. Also known as World Music Day, Fete is a global phenomenon where every music genre is represented in various venues simultaneously around the city for one night. At present, more than 450 cities in 116 countries celebrate the Fete de la Musique, promoting live music performed by amateurs and professionals on a wide range of musical styles and genres. The Philippines has been a staunch supporter of the France-based fest, having organized the free event for years and making it the biggest and most attended free outdoor music event in the metro today. Last year’s edition gathered more than 12,000 music enthusiasts with several pocket stages representing jazz, blues/soul/ska, reggae & world, indie, rock/pop-rock, hip-hop, electronica, and Latin.

“We are very honored to be part of this important milestone celebrating two decades of the Fete de la Musique, one of the most popular free music events in the metro’s cultural life today. This festivity is a testament to the Filipino and French people’s many commonalities, and in no small measure, our great affinity with music. There is definitely a lot to celebrate and to be grateful for. Our warmest congratulations to Alliance Francaise de Manille, the Embassy of France to the Philippines, and to all our friends from France for the event’s continued success worldwide. Thank you for giving the best of Filipino talent the joy to share together with other foreign artists that same passion for music,” Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr. remarked.

For more information about Fete, please contact Ms. Sabrina Durand of Alliance Francaise at sabrina@alliance.ph or visit www.alliance.ph, www.facebook.com/alliancefrancaisedemanille



© Enrico Dee for BYAHILO, 2014. | Permalink | Be the First to comment! | Add to del.icio.us

Cleaner Toilets for Better Philippine Tourism

One of the thinfs that we may have overlooked in the travel and tourism industry is the provision of a clean toilets in our tourist destinations. Agree or disagree?

As a travel blogger, I have been to various destinations around the country and it is my observation that clean toilets is oftentimes a rarity in many tourist destinations.

8665241719_2f09608820_o (1)

I

have seen some resort owners who really make an effort to provide clean restrooms, yet there are still those who might have forgotten its importance. I have seen toilet cubicles vandalized with grafitti and even cellphone numbers! Some urinals are just left unflushed, while some doesn’t evenhave runningwateronits faucet.

Providing a clean restroom in public places especially in tourist destinations is very essential. A destination with a clean toilet means people have high regard for cleanliness, sanitation and hygiene.

I have seen some of the dirtiest restrooms, and I have to tell you, it not pleasing to the senses. How can we even invite more foreign or even domestic tourists to experience the veauty ofour islands if we can’t even provide a decent restroom in many of our public spaces.

Hats off to many local government units who make a conscious effort in maintinging their toilets clean in places like parks, beaches, bus stations and many others. I have also been to probably some of the best restrooms in the county, some of which even have air conditioning and even free WiFi access!

We should always remeber that having a clean toilet is essential in having a good health, and a clean toilet is always a big plus in enticing tourists to come into our tourist destinqtions.

More tourist arrivals means more income for our local government and more jobs for the people.

It is a domino effect. And we hope that our local government, resort owners and hotels would take and extrastep in making our restrooms clean. We just can’t easily invite travelersto come to the Philippines if we cannot even provide them with the basic need like clean toilets.



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Getting Wild and Wacky at Maitum Whitewater Tubing

It’s not really bad to try out something new from time time. Especially if we get to try death-defying activities. Wait. Not really death defying. I was just exaggerating on that part. But trying out adrenaline pumping activities once in a while is a perfect way to kill the monster called “Monotony” and that monster sometimes breeds offsprings called “boredom”

Haha enough with the words.

And to kill those monsters living deep inside of me, off we went to the town of Maitum in Sarangani province Philippines to test our courage, through the white water tubing.

maitum whitewater tubing

photo by Mimi Boldios

MimiWayfareness

Maitum is around 45 minutes away from General Santos City. One of the prime business and oppurtunity centers in the Mindanao region. You may check out Lamudi for a complete listing of real estate for sale and for rent in General Santos City if youre interested. Also, for more information on what General Santos has to offer, go to Its More Fun In The Philippines.

This is going to be my second time to do this heartstopping whitewater tubing in Maitum, so I know what to expect, more or less.

whitewate tubing  2014    00001

Coming from Maitum Municipal Hall, we drove to Barangay New La Union around 11 in the morning. It was drizzling when we arrived at the whitewater tubing registration site. There was another group ahead of us who’ll be going down the river, so we decided to just take our lunch first take rest before we go down the river.

For lunch we had fried bangsi, salted eggs, latô salad and a few other local dishes. Bangsi is dried flying fish, the One Town One Product of Maasim. It’s yummy! Perfect for rainy day weather.

After we had lunch the young girls of Maasim performed some T’Boli dances to us. Once they were done with their dancing, we gamely traded places. We also did some Tboli dancing while the kids where watching us.

whitewate tubing  2014    00002

After an hour, it was finally our turn to try the whitewater tubing. From the registration center, we took a habal-habal going to the jump off point. But since it rained earlier, the road got slippery. It was scary, I must say.

At the jump off point, had a short briefing of what to do when approaching the rapids.

Finally it was time. Geez, the water is sooooooo cold. And the river current is much stronger compared during my first tubing experience in 2010. This means that this is going to be one hell of an experience!

Each one of us had guides that would assist us in “driving” our tubing away from the huge boulders. Going through the rapids is a surefire adrenaline pumping experience. The thrill of getting splashed with lots of water and falling off the boulders getting smashed with the water current an experience you should truly experience at least once in your life! Hahaha

Photo by Mimi Boldios

Photo by Mimi Boldios

And I did it already twice, with no scratch or bruise or whatever. Everything is safe at the Maasim Whitewater Tubing! The whole stretch of awesomeness is about 1.6 kilometers. I first tried it December 2010, and recently, just a few weeks back.

The current of the river on a normal day is more than enough to make you scream, but it is even more exciting during rainy season as the current gets wilder!

This was in 2010

This was in 2010

You wanna experience this one of a kind water fun too? Contact Go Sarangani Travel and Tours. They are the premier tour operator in General Santos City and in the whole South Central Mindanao Region

Go Sarangani Travel & Tours
Lagao, AH 26, General Santos, South Cotabato 9500
(083) 304 4398
gosaranganitravel@gmail. com



© Enrico Dee for BYAHILO, 2014. | Permalink | Be the First to comment! | Add to del.icio.us

Getting Wild and Wacky at Maitum Whitewater Tubing

It’s not really bad to try out something new from time time. Especially if we get to try death-defying activities. Wait. Not really death defying. I was just exaggerating on that part. But trying out adrenaline pumping activities once in a while is a perfect way to kill the monster called “Monotony” and that monster sometimes breeds offsprings called “boredom”

Haha enough with the words.

And to kill those monsters living deep inside of me, off we went to the town of Maitum in Sarangani province Philippines to test our courage, through the white water tubing.

maitum whitewater tubing

photo by Mimi Boldios

MimiWayfareness

Maitum is around 45 minutes away from General Santos City. One of the prime business and oppurtunity centers in the Mindanao region. You may check out Lamudi for a complete listing of real estate for sale and for rent in General Santos City if youre interested. Also, for more information on what General Santos has to offer, go to Its More Fun In The Philippines.

This is going to be my second time to do this heartstopping whitewater tubing in Maitum, so I know what to expect, more or less.

whitewate tubing  2014    00001

Coming from Maitum Municipal Hall, we drove to Barangay New La Union around 11 in the morning. It was drizzling when we arrived at the whitewater tubing registration site. There was another group ahead of us who’ll be going down the river, so we decided to just take our lunch first take rest before we go down the river.

For lunch we had fried bangsi, salted eggs, latô salad and a few other local dishes. Bangsi is dried flying fish, the One Town One Product of Maasim. It’s yummy! Perfect for rainy day weather.

After we had lunch the young girls of Maasim performed some T’Boli dances to us. Once they were done with their dancing, we gamely traded places. We also did some Tboli dancing while the kids where watching us.

whitewate tubing  2014    00002

After an hour, it was finally our turn to try the whitewater tubing. From the registration center, we took a habal-habal going to the jump off point. But since it rained earlier, the road got slippery. It was scary, I must say.

At the jump off point, had a short briefing of what to do when approaching the rapids.

Finally it was time. Geez, the water is sooooooo cold. And the river current is much stronger compared during my first tubing experience in 2010. This means that this is going to be one hell of an experience!

Each one of us had guides that would assist us in “driving” our tubing away from the huge boulders. Going through the rapids is a surefire adrenaline pumping experience. The thrill of getting splashed with lots of water and falling off the boulders getting smashed with the water current an experience you should truly experience at least once in your life! Hahaha

Photo by Mimi Boldios

Photo by Mimi Boldios

And I did it already twice, with no scratch or bruise or whatever. Everything is safe at the Maasim Whitewater Tubing! The whole stretch of awesomeness is about 1.6 kilometers. I first tried it December 2010, and recently, just a few weeks back.

The current of the river on a normal day is more than enough to make you scream, but it is even more exciting during rainy season as the current gets wilder!

This was in 2010

This was in 2010

You wanna experience this one of a kind water fun too? Contact Go Sarangani Travel and Tours. They are the premier tour operator in General Santos City and in the whole South Central Mindanao Region

Go Sarangani Travel & Tours
Lagao, AH 26, General Santos, South Cotabato 9500
(083) 304 4398
gosaranganitravel@gmail. com



© Enrico Dee for BYAHILO, 2014. | Permalink | Be the First to comment! | Add to del.icio.us