Loalde welcomes the Summer in Style

SUMMER is just around the corner but that doesn’t mean throwing out your nice clothes for sleeveless shirts and shorts. Instead, look chic and stay cool with the Summer Casual Collection from Loalde.

For women, Loalde’s summer’s relaxed wardrobe makes everything look absolutely fresh with lighter pieces in bright, cheerful colors. Check out the new collection of warm earth tones with pops of pastel and lively stripes.

The Summer line is made of dresses and tops that are casually relaxed and refined with ruffles & stripes in superfine cotton, spun to give it a hint of stretch for an exceptional fit. Basic and casual perfect for that summer getaway. For the guys, grab some of their signature polo shirts that are comfortable and refreshing to handle the summer heat.

Wear at work, at home or even around town. Loalde’s Summer Casual Collection is the latest part of their Style Generation line - casual yet classically elegant pieces to suit an active, on-the-go lifestyle.

Make Loalde a part of your Summer fashion wardrobe. Visit any of the Loalde boutiques at the Ayala

Center Cebu Ground Level; SM City Cebu Northwing 2nd Level; SM City North- Edsa The Annex 3rd Level; Glorietta 3 Makati 2nd Level; SM City Fairview Annex 2 Level 2; Robinson’s Place Bacolod 2nd Level; SM City Bacolod Ground Level; SM City Iloilo Upper Ground Floor; Robinson’s Place Iloilo Ground Level; Gaisano Mall Davao Ground Level; SM City Davao Ground Level; and Limketkai Center Cagayan de Oro Ground Level West Concourse.

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Easter egg hunting underwater

GO Easter egg hunting underwater at Alegre Beach Resort & Spa!  This novel Underwater Easter Egg Hunt along with several fun beach and sea activities in the “Play all Day at AquaSports” is an exciting way to celebrate the Easter holiday.

From April 1 to 4, 2010, Alegre’s Easter promo includes roundtrip land transfers, an overnight stay with a full breakfast for two, free use of sports facilities and game room activities.

The room rate is at P7,700 per room per night single or twin-sharing. More details on Alegre’s Easter promo are available at Tel. Nos. (In Manila) (02) 634-7505 (In Cebu) (032) 2311198 and 2549800.  Also visit www.alegrebeachresort.com or email reserve@alegrebeachresort.com for additional queries.

Special activities include Reef Walk and Talks with Gerry Sola, Alegre Beach Resort and Spa’s in-house biologist, where the young and the young at heart will have walks-through across the diverse world of marine life.

There will also be snorkeling lessons and sessions, intro-dives, kayaking, and the Underwater Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday with prizes that include free thirty minute jet ski, free one hour kayaking and many more!

Fronting the resort premises is the Alegre House Reef– a 200m x 800m sea marine sanctuary – where you can snorkel to view Alegre’s rich marine life or simply feel the sand on your feet at the longest stretch of natural sugary white sand beach.

Alegre Beach Resort & Spa is a five-star resort at the seaside town of Sogod, 75 kilometers (90 minute drive) from the Mactan Cebu International Airport in Cebu City, Philippines. Luxury and exclusivity are the trademarks of the resort with its 19 individual cabanas with 2 spacious rooms each (60 sqm per room) fully equipped with five-star amenities and elegant oversized verandahs overlooking the sea and three private coves naturally endowed with pristine white sand beach.

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Oro whitewater rafting: A pioneer in the country

By JOE PALABAO
Correspondent
FIRST Rafting Adventure, the PIONEER in whitewater rafting in the country since 1995 based in Cagayan de Oro gives you an exhilarating experience, rising adrenaline beyond control, excitement as your raft is being carried away and seeing the nature around that captivates your mind and its beauty beyond the capacity of human describing as you explore the rapids of Cagayan de Oro River down to its point of destination.

Whitewater rafting adventure is a summer get-away, an exciting and eco-friendly river sports being experienced by our own President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with a very interesting statement: “I had a great time.

It’s pleasant and exciting to visit Mindanao ... .I want show the whole world that Mindanao and other areas of the Philippines is peaceful and beautiful.”
In 2002, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to Cagayan de Oro to experience whitewater ratting together with First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, son Dato Arroyo, Presidentiable Richard Gordon, Vice-Presidentiable candidate, Mar Roxas and his wife known broadcaster, Korina Sanchez and followed by other important people of the government and dignitaries as they rafted the rapids of the tributaries of Cagayan de Oro starting at Mambuaya river down to its point of destination.
Indeed whitewater rafting has attracted the foreign, domestic and local tourists, the celebrities, like Sports TV newscaster Dianne Castellejo, celebrity sports enthusiasts, Mark Nelson, Richard Gomez, equestrian Mikey Cojuangco-Jaworski, heart throb celebrities, actor and actress, Piolo Pascual and Angel Locsin, and many other celebrities.

The corporate groups, the people of the academe, the environmentalists, the yuppies, the businessmen the entrepreneurs and many other enthusiasts as they relax and enjoy the amenities of the water while taking away all the stress in life and in the business world.

In whitewater rafting, you are ready to get wet as you enjoy the graduated rapids as they offer course for beginners, 3hrs actual river run for 14 rapids, advance course, 6hrs. river run for 21 rapids, professional course for 5hrs at 17 rapids. They also let you experience Kayaking at 3hrs actual river run for 13 rapids and night rafting for 3hrs actual river run for 13 rapids.

A very successful entrepreneur Mr. Rupert Domingo started this successful eco-tourism business after years of enjoying the rapids of Cagayan de Oro river and founded the 1st Rafting Adventure in 1995, a member of the Federation of International Whitewater Rafting in the world.

He often competed in whitewater rafting here and abroad and in 2007 headed the Philippine Team in the World Rafting Championship Competition in Korea.
Whitewater raftirig is a local, domestic and global eco-tourism business with the concern of protecting the river, its biodiversity and its environment for economic prosperity and sustainability.

For more information and reservations call or text: 0917-707-3583; 09177073255544, 0920-445-6473: Telefax (088) 856-3514; (088) 857-1270.

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Dr Rosalina S. Huerbana: Outstanding researcher

By Joe Palabao

Correspondent

Dr. Rosalina S. Huerbana, executive director of Safer River, Life Saver Foundation, Inc. of Liceo de Cagayan University was recently adjudged as one of the Outstanding Researchers of the recently concluded Northern Mindanao Conference for Higher Education Research and the Rodelsa Award for Research Excellence held at Pearlmont Hotel, Limketkai Drive, Cagayan de Oro City on February 25.

Dr. Huerbana received the prestigious Commission on Higher Education Research and Rodelsa Centennial Award for Research Excellence as Outstanding Researcher 201O-Gold in recognition of her research track record for having secured research grants, has peer viewed publications which are disseminated in local, national and international fora, the results of research are utilized by intended beneficiaries making her a deserving model for other teachers and researchers of the university and in her commendable and tremendous work in preserving the biodiversity of Cagayan de Oro River.

Dr. Huerbana is a deserving researcher awardee since being an Executive Director of SRLSFI she has been very active in preserving the biodiversity of Cagayan de Oro River through projects in cleaning up the river, patrol monitoring, coastal clean-up, tree growing, eco-tourism-river tour, fingerlings dispersal and livelihood projects of the river barangay beneficiaries. 

The Conference on Higher Education Research and Rodelsa Award for Research Excellence was sponsored by Liceo de Cagayan University, and Regional Offices of National Economic Development Authority and the Department of Science and Technology.

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Festival of rituals

By Joe Palabao
Correspondent

“GIVING faces and voices to the rich culture of the Manobos, Talaandig, Higaonon and Bukidnon tribes of Kiokong, original name of Quezon, in Bukidnon highlights the Festival of Rituals celebrated every second week of February to preserve their rich culture for generations.”

  The main highway thoroughfare and streets of Quezon came alive as the foreign tourists, thousand of lumads dressed in traditional costumes coming from the 22 barangays of the town, with eight tribal chieftains, residents, town officials, dignitaries and guests gathered to watch the colorful Civic-Cultural Parade and Ethnic Street Dancing marking the SUNGGOD TA KAMANGA Festival, a grand thanksgiving celebration of the tribes held February 13-14.

  The tribes in full bright colored regalia together with the tourists, visitors and guests filled Dona Resing Park as they moved from one booth to another to see the yield of their bountiful harvests, cultural exhibits/the indigenous handicrafts and livelihood products of the tribal folks from ticus, beautifully woven backpack, native mats, decors and rattan sala set displaying their craftsmanship. 

  Festival of rituals and tribal traditional songs and dances were witnessed and enjoyed by the visitors as the different tribes performed the Ulaging- a dance and song worship to the Magbabaya.

  The songs and dances depicted their rich tribal costumes and traditions down to the pre-festival preparation for a rich and bountiful harvest wherein their farm tools, implements and other household paraphernalia were displayed for blessings from the Magbabaya and the dance for a bountiful harvest where the yield of the farms were displayed and being cooked like chicken, fresh water fish, root crops, vegetables and other native food as a sign of a bountiful harvest from the richness of the land the till. And to make the ritual so meaningful, the tourists, the visitors and guests together dined with them and savored the native food with gusto. 

  Deri Husi Tribal Band conquered their Freedom Park as they provided tribal songs from soft to rock tribal music enjoyed by everybody and the Tribal Disco which rocked the town and enjoyed by thousand of lumads, young and old alike dancing to the beautiful sounds of the tribal instruments.

  Laro ng Lahi showcasing traditional ethnic sports exhibition were witnessed b he tourists and guests on the last day of the festival.

  Games like Bag-id ha Kagtulro from making fire to cooking rice inside a bamboo tube called Kalumbo, Babayo Ta Para HLubok sa Humay by producing clean rice and other tribal household activities. Duso a human tug of war, a game using strong piece of stick wherein the lumads show their strength by pushing one outside the circle and be out.

The winners are then considered having strength and can give security to tribal women. The traditional Galing Ta Bato hu Kamais (corn grinding using stone grinder) mesmerized the crowd how the tribal women with precision put the corn kernel to the grinder and produce white corn grits ready for cooking.

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Oliver! at Rodelsa

ON February 24-27, 2010, Liceo de Cagayan University brings to life Oliver!, one of the most beloved British musicals, vividly bringing to life Charles Dickens’ timeless characters with its poignant story of the boy who struggled against adversity for a better life.  The musical staging at Liceo’s Rodelsa Hall is directed by the multi-awarded Guam-based ace director, Benjie Diola.

This production, which serves as Liceo U’s annual play, is part of the university’s commitment toward “Total Human Formation.” Liceo U continues to pave the way for the students’ active involvement in the performing arts, thereby truly molding them into well-rounded individuals whose excellence is defined not only academically but artistically as well.

The original production of Oliver! premiered in the West End in 1960, enjoying a long run, a successful Broadway production in 1963 and further tours and revivals.

It was made into a musical film in 1968. A new London production opened in January 2009. Oliver! played for over three years at the London Palladium (1,366 performances), grossing £40 million at the Box Office.

Oliver! has played in 22 different languages: Basque, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Faroese, Finnish, French, Frisian, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Slovakian, Spanish and Swedish.

The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens with music and lyrics by Lionel Bart.

Catch Oliver Twist the Musical at the Rodelsa Hall, Liceo de Cagayan University, starting February 24 until February 27. (Matinee- 2:00 PM / Gala- 7:30PM) Tickets are available at the Box Office.

For more information you may call Liceo de Cagayan University Office of Cultural and Public Affairs (OCPA) – (088) 8584093 to 95 local 249 or email: ocpa@liceo.edu.ph

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Bewell-C: The Non-Acidic Vitamin-C

IT was a day dedicated to health and wellness as Bewell Nutraceuticals Corp. introduced Bewell-C, the non-acidic vitamin c, to members of the press and media.
Guests received special gift packs from Bewell-C so they can experience the benefits of taking Bewell-C first-hand.

Present at the press conference were Bewell C’s Gem Encarnacion-Managing Director (second from left) and Chay Flores-Executive Assistant (second from right) of Bewell Nutraceuticals to discuss Bewell-C’s beneficial effects to the body’s health and well-being.

Promo girls Joana Co and Richel Polinar were also present at the event to hand out product samples and giveaways.

Bewell-C is sodium ascorbate and is a non-acidic form of vitamin c so it can be safely taken in large doses even on an empty stomach without the risk of hyperacidity.

Aside from improving over-all health, Bewell-C is also a powerful anti-oxidant which aids in the detoxification of heavy metals and other toxins in the body.
It boosts the body’s immunity and helps protect against viruses and bacteria.
Bewell-C Vitamin C is available at Watsons Drugstores, Mercury Drug, Southstar Drugstore and other leading drugstores nationwide.

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Ballet Phils at SM City-CDO

KAGAY-ANONS will get to see the country’s talented dancers perform as Ballet Philippines presents Masterworks on February 9 at 6 p.m. at the Atrium of SM City Cagayan de Oro.

The event will feature Ballet Philippines’ classical, neo-classical and contemporary repertoire and will showcase excerpts from Igorot, Ensalada, Gaano Kadalas, Swimming sa Ilog Pasig, Bach Concerto, Romeo and Juliet (Balcony Scene) and Evacuation.
The dramatic Te Deum, a Denisa Reyes creation based on the music of Georges Bizet will be the finale performance for the evening.

Ballet Philippines, now on its Vismin mall tour hopes to bring culture closer to the Filipino people, by performing various classical ballets, Filipino folklore and widely-recognized masterpieces.

As the resident dance company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Ballet Philippines is now globally recognized as the flagship company in ballet and contemporary dance.

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How moms can deal with their ‘fear of frying’

THE fear of frying isn’t uncommon among moms. It’s quite understandable, though, since some of them have associated it with skin burns and smoky as well as unpleasant odors that stick to the clothes and skin. Add to that the worry that food might easily get burned or overcooked.
This doesn’t mean that one should just surrender, though. Like most moms who personally prepare meals for their family, there are a lot of things that could go wrong when frying is involved especially when not done right.
There are a couple of preventive solutions that one can do to make frying an enjoyable task.
Riz Silva De Leon, 45, enjoys cooking dinner for her family. Raising three boys, frying has been a regular cooking method for her especially during breakfast.
“Frying is quite easy when mastered, but there’s always the risk on certain ways one can actually prepare great meals using this. More often than not, food is sometimes undercooked or worse burned,” says De Leon.
Choose the right cooking oil. When it comes to frying, it’s best to use cooking oil that has a high temperature tolerance. Oil’s heat tolerance is relative to when it starts to smoke. Here, oil has reached its maximum usable temperature and affects the frying process. When oil starts to smoke, its flavor and nutrition quality decreases. Oils with high smoke points are less likely to lose their quality easily.
You see, cooking oil that has reached its smoke point easily produces unwanted compounds that are bad for the health.
A very good example of commercially available cooking oil that can resist high heat is palm oil like Golden Fiesta Palm Oil. Unlike coconut oil that has a low smoke point, palm oil does not burn easily when it reaches its smoke point. This makes it more versatile for frying foods requiring high frying temperature.
Long exposure to heat could actually trigger the cooking oil to erupt into flames. Palm oil’s high heat tolerance not only prevents food from being over-cooked, it also allows the food to cook evenly inside and out and still maintain its clear state at a higher temperature.
Keep in mind that frying is dry cooking. When frying, food should be dry enough to prevent extreme oil sputter. Pad meat with paper towels or tissue to absorb any excess moisture before placing in oil. This process solves most burns that moms fear with frying. Another way to deal with oil sputters is to keep the pan’s lid within arm’s reach to easily cover it when sputters become uncontrollable.
Choose a pan deep enough for the food you are frying. Make sure that your pan’s depth is similar to the average thickness of the meat or food you’re frying. For example, a skillet’s rim should be high enough to prevent the spitting oil to reach the flames underneath the pan. This is a major reason why oil catches fire and causes most domestic fire incidents.
Other problems that moms encounter with frying are the unpleasant odors and sudden changes of the pan’s heat.
“There was this incident during my son’s birthday party and I was cooking fried chicken for the ‘handaan’ we were planning. I was running a little late so I placed the chicken in the pan and turned up the fire to hasten the frying. Our kitchen got so fogged up and, worse, the chicken turned out to be extremely crispy outside but undercooked inside. We ended up not serving the chicken to our guests,” shares Sarah Gulle, 36, mother of three.
Knowing your oil’s readiness for frying. A good way to know if your oil is ready for frying is to simply place your palm just a few inches above the pan. Once you feel heat emanating from the oil, then it’s ready for cooking.
Contrary to popular belief, oil smoking isn’t an indication of its readiness but actually the beginning of its deterioration. Over-cooking any type of oil leads to the production of chemical components that is actually bad for your health.
Palm oil has a high smoke point, which means it won’t smoke for a longer period of time when heated compared to coconut oil.
Do not overcrowd your pan. Frying should be done in batches. Too many ingredients thrown may change the temperature of both the pan and the oil. This results to an uneven distribution of heat and is the reason why most fried foods are undercooked inside.
Have a good ventilation system in the kitchen. Burnt cooking oils usually cause smoky kitchens. Your fried food should not emit any unpleasant odors or smoke at all. Fish should smell like cooked fish, likewise for chicken, or pork. Some oils cloak food in a masking odor that overpowers the actual aroma of what’s cooking. Have a good ventilation system especially for small kitchens. Do not let smoke clog up your kitchen as too much can actually cause suffocation.
Cooking should be a fun activity. Don’t let the risks ruin it for you. Simply take note of these tips and you will surely look forward to your next fry.

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Be well in 2010

NOW that the holiday season is over, life returns to normal. We go back to school, or to work, or to all our other usual activities. And in the course of our busy days, we need the strength and stamina to accomplish everything we need to do.

For all these, we need to maintain strong and healthy bodies. One of the best ways to keep healthy is to take our daily dose of Vitamin C.

Vitamin C is known to strengthen our immune system and fight upper respiratory infections before they can bring us down with the dreaded cold or flu.

The downside of Vitamin C, however, is its acidity. Too much Vitamin C intake increases the acid levels in the stomach and this could be uncomfortably painful.

But now, with Bewell-C, we can say goodbye to the problem of acidity.

Bewell-C is sodium ascorbate and is the non-acidic Vitamin C.

Because it is an alkaline-based form of Vitamin C that is 100% pure and natural, it does away with the problem of acidity. Bewell-C can be safely taken in large doses, even on an empty stomach.

It also dissolves five times faster than other vitamin C forms, with 95% being absorbed by the body.

Aside from improving over-all health, Bewell-C is also a powerful anti-oxidant which aids in the detoxification of heavy metals and other toxins.It boosts the immune system and helps protect against viruses and bacteria. Bewell-C also eases constipation, promotes cell repair mechanisms in wounds, helps reduce allergic reations and asthma attacks, and is part of cancer treatment.

With Bewell-C, you can face a whole day’s (and night’s) worth of work without worrying about your health. Rain or shine, in hot or cold weather, it shields you from the threat of cough and colds.

You can have the energy to live a productive life and be well, not only in 2010, but all the years to come.

Enjoy good health with Bewell-C! You can find Bewell-C at Watsons, Mercury, Southstar and leading drugstores nationwide.

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Beer belly, not just due to drinking beer

SCIENTISTS have discovered that beer belly is not solely caused by beer but by the overall lifestyle of a person.
According to one study published in European Journal on Clinical Nutrition this year, moderate beer consumption does not cause beer belly. The study was conducted on 20,000 people who were under observation for six years.
The research, done by experts from German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrucke, Fulda University of Applied Sciences at University of Gothenburg in Sweden, further added that right nutrition and regular exercise also play an important part.
Before the conduct of the study, which was sponsored by German Cancer Aid, German Federal Ministry of Education, and European Union, beer belly was attributed to beer. Beer belly is one of the causes of cardiovascular or heart disease.
In that study, each person’s beer consumption was gauged and determined if it directly affects one’s waistline. It was found out that a man or a woman gets beer belly out of too much beer consumption.
Another scientific paper released by Brewer’s Europe entitled “Effects of Moderate Beer Consumption,” in 2008 stated that highly caloric content and fatty foods often cause beer belly.
This was confirmed by “Alcohol and diet in France” published in European Heart Journal in 2004 and the 2002 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study entitled “ Alcoholic preference, diet and health habits in the UNC Alumni Study” and other published researches.

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