Happiness comes in many forms: DBS Party 2015

If there is a single aspiration that everybody is searching for, that would be happiness. This aspiration however, is a generic idea that comes in many forms and it gets a little complicated as we grow older.

In my younger years, a simple treat from my parents or a reward or a yummy food would make me the happiest person in the world but now that my goals and my priorities have changed, the level of happiness I get from the usual things I reward myself has also changed. True to you, too, right?

HAPPINESS COMES FROM THE WORK YOU LOVE.

This year, I am proud to represent one of the city's most luxurious hotel and being part of the MarCom team. It is a very challenging job but it becomes very rewarding when you partner and work together with your friends.

Ria: First word, two syllables
Group: Computer Screen?
Ria: O-em-gee! Publish A Post!

Shoti: One word
Group: TUMBLR!
(So ninja-like, we cant even create a GIF!)

Momie Verns: Move over kids, English, Two Words

HAPPINESS COMES FROM A HEALTHY COMPETITION

This is probably a lesson I learned from my fellow DBS members--competition can be really fun! Its a very odd experience but losing and competing against the brightest most competitive team brings you out of your shell. Winning is, of course, a bonus and we had one big bonus this day--we won!

Way to go VP! Most Photographed!

HAPPINESS COMES FROM LEADING A GROUP

Just like any other volunteer work, the reward comes from leading a group is a type of happiness that is very meaningful. Kudos to you, our officers! Thanks for all your hardwork.

Awesome Officers, Gateway Bloggers, Food Bloggers, Lifestyle Bloggers, Fashion Bloggers, Parenting Bloggers, Travel Bloggers, Photobloggers, Group hugs!

HAPPINESS COMES FROM BEING PART OF THE COOLEST BLOGGING COMMUNITY

And coming together from different niches, different places and colorful personalities. The DBS is a community that allowed me not only to meet new people but also get new friends. After three years of blogging, my blog has not only turned to a means to express myself (another way to be happy) but also to fill a cup of sunshine in my life.

Hahaha, Dont worry Quima, we still love you no matter what! :D

HAPPINESS COMES FROM PARTNER COMPANIES WHO SUPPORT DBS-all the way!

Thank you and we look forward to another awesome year ahead. Special mention to our friends from Smart Communications! Davao Bloggers Society is officially powered by Smart and was announced during the party.

Smart Communications

MySkin Origins

Krispy Kreme

Lachis Sans Rival

The White House Fusion Cuisine and Wine Lounge

Sun Life Financial

Air Asia

Campaigns & Grey

TGIFridays

Bulgogi Brothers

Italiannis

Eden Nature Park and Resort

Crocodile Park

Maxima Aquafun
SM City Davao & SM Lanang Premier

NCCC

Martish Marketing

Glamourbox

Marco Polo Davao

Alor's A Home Kitchen

Waterfront Insular Hotel

Annipie
The Brewery
Fujifilm Philippines
Fujifilm Instax

The Davao Bloggers Acquaintance Party 2015 was held last May 16, 2015 at The White House Fusion Cuisine.

Photo credits to Alfredo Agreda. Thanks, Red!

Hip Hop to a Healthy Skin with MySkin Fitness Series

As you may have known by now, I am big fan of MySkin Origins products. Not only because its a local product and it uses natural ingredients, MySkin Origins has proven to be effective and very gentle to people with allergies like me!

I started using MySkin for about two years already and I have now my sisters snatching my stash of soap whenever they visit me. Unlike some brands that make you "unnaturally white" or have that skin peeled-off-too-much-you-look-like-you're-on-the-last-layer-of-your-skin, MySkin would give you a beautiful glowing healthy skin. And I kid you not when some people that I haven't seen in a few years would have notice the big difference of my old-haggard skin before to a more presentable lady-like skin nowadays.

Well, the deeper truth to that did not only rely solely on the products of MySkin Origins. It was also coupled with a healthy lifestyle and a change in diet. Quitting coffee (at least, lessening it) and trying to get as much sleep also helped!

This is the reason why MySkin Origins has been promoting the fitness series among its clients as being beautiful really don't happen overnight. 

So here is the latest fitness soiree we had with a Hip Hop theme this time. Coaching everybody was no other than Master Bryan Grandeza of Groove Unlimited Dance Community together with Ryan.  

With fellow Davao Bloggers. (c) Alan Echano , MySkin Origins

Group Hug!  (c) Alan Echano , MySkin Origins

Special thanks to Sir Alan and Ms. Jen Echano for inviting us again and for making us part of the Team Beautiful from MySkin. Also a special shout out to Greene Dare for partnering with MySkin Origins in this advocacy.

Cheers to being beautiful, inside and out! :)

Photography: Wrapping Up 2014 with Portraits

Year 2014 has come to its final kick and since there hasn't much photography projects aside from my food reviews, I'd like to share my favorite portraiture collection.

Noticeably, I have had no male models for the last two years and I also realized that most of my faves are in black and white. The drama in portraits seem to have been my major theme. Gladly, comparing my old portraiture to this collection, there has been a change of style and a little refinement in detail (whew!). Indeed, the first 10,000 photos are the worst photo that a photographer can take. Reaching almost my 10,000th photo, I am happy that I am learning more and (not to brag) improving.

What mirrors and bed sheets can do
Model: Lara Kim   HMUA: Paulyn Dy   Lights: Darryl Lara

My mentor once said that "If you want to do something wrong, do it right"...thus balloons? BALLOONS IT IS!
Model: Joy Dalumpines for her 18th birthday

Best in Production Award--tons of power!
Model: Chrizza Estanislao   Lights: Darryl Lara and William Pedraza

Cleanest Shot of the Year
Model: Celeste Lagera    HMUA: Karina Asetre   Lights: Darryl Lara

Beauty Shot of the Year
Model: Shannon Soriano   HMUA: Karina Asetre   Lights: Darryl Lara

Snow White: Any source of light is the best source of light
Model: Danaea Alexis Mabini for her Sweet 16 birthday

Also a year of flower crowns!
Model: Kristelle Allyne Cordora    HMUA: Yours Truly

Never throw your stock photos
Model: Claire Dodo   HMUA: Karina Asetre

Best source of soft light: big window side
Model: Nina Teresa Herrera

Foreground and flowers: frame your subject in foreground
Model: Sophia Lavina

Location, location, location
Model: Shane Penaranda   HMUA: Ramona Sabando

Domex's One Million Clean Toilets Movement

Every view of this video gets, counts as a pledge. Help communities gain access to clean toilet facilities today. Let's save lives together!

It’s a scene typically played out during fiestas: People rushing to the streets, drawn to the sound of a marching band. Everyone is smiling, eager to see the “star” of the celebration. But instead of showing the face of a movie celebrity, a beauty queen or a politician, the video reveals an unlikely, yet welcome sight—a new, clean toilet facility.

Aptly titled “Fiesta”, the Domex video, produced by Unilever Philippines, is available on Youtube and shows how underprivileged Filipinos welcome the “arrival” of clean toilet facilities in their communities. “The video aims to make people realize the value of a toilet which most of us, unfortunately, take for granted,” said Dennis Chua, Domex Brand Manager.

The “Fiesta” video contributes to the efforts of Domex’s One Million Clean Toilets Movement. Each unique view translates into a pledge for the advocacy campaign which collects pledges from households to conscientiously maintain their own hygienic bathrooms. For every pledge received, Domex will donate P5 to UNICEF’s sanitation program, towards improving access to basic sanitation in deprived areas around the world, including the Philippines.

“By watching the ‘Fiesta’ video and asking our friends to watch it, we are not only raising awareness for toilet appreciation and sanitation, more importantly, we are helping less privileged communities gain access to clean toilet facilities,” said Benjie Yap, Unilever Foods and Home Care Vice President.

Clean toilets, germ-free communities

All over the country, people are welcoming the construction of new toilet facilities and the repair of dilapidated ones, since becoming aware of its role in disease prevention, especially among children.

According to the Department of Health, of the estimated 3,420 diarrhea-related deaths among Filipino children under 5 every year, around 2,000 could have been prevented by access to safe water, improved toilet sanitation and personal hygiene.

“This video should serve as a wake-up call for most of us. The little things we take for granted, like having a clean toilet, could mean the world to others and could definitely help save lives,” Chua said.

Carte Blanche: Davao's Party of the Year

2014 is almost over but things are just getting better and better. On November 15, the Crocodile Park Concert Park is expecting to be shaken by 20,000 people-both young and old for this year's Carte Blanche.

Manic Nightnings Productions, the group who brought the party life back in Davao is preparing a carnival festival that will not only cater a "Rave Field" for dancing but also a "Carnival Field" with rides and booths for added attraction. The event will be bigger and more awesome than last year.

This year’s lineup of DJs are to watch for! The musical styles will be as varied as the carnival colors and will surely relieve your dreams of a wonderful festival of music.

Carte Blanche’s gates will open at 2PM. The music will also start at the same time.

Tickets are now available at the following locations: Nike Athletic Club branches (Abreeza Ayala Mall, GMall Davao and SM City Davao Annex) and Sneaker Club (Abreeza Ayala Mall). Regular Carte Blance tickets are priced at P2,000 (Full Madness), P800 (SVIP), P400 (VIP), P150 (GA). Sunset Carte Blanche tickets are priced at P500 (SVIP), P250 (VIP), P100 (GA).

For more information, you may visit the event page at: http://bit.ly/CarteBlanche2014 or follow Manic Nightnings Production at https://www.facebook.com/MANICNIGHTNINGSPRODS

MySkin Essentials Zumba Party

Getting that healthy glowing skin does not solely depend on using natural products and making sure that we cleanse, tone and moisturize. Some factors that also affect our skin are diet, exercise and mood. Our environment also play a crucial role to having that beautiful, young-looking skin. It goes to say that our lifestyle is a major factor that affects how our skin looks--the healthier lifestyle we have, the more healthy, glowing and young-looking skin we attain.

In its advocacy to promote a healthy lifestyle, MySkin Orgins partnered with the Greene Dare and the Metro Lifestyle Gym  in promoting a healthy living by: using natural products for your skin, cleansing with natural juices, and sweating all your stress out. A Zumba Party was held last April 26 which was attended by bloggers, customers, and health-conscious individual together with friends and family to help promote this advocacy. 

 Our most energetic Zumba Instructors all the way from Gensan! Super love! <3

Even Kids <3 Zumba and joined our fun fun evening!

Everyone had a chance to taste the Greene Dare's juices. I love the Beet flavor especially when ice-cold!

Stress-free, beautiful people who partied for a healthier lifestyle and a more glowing skin!
(c) Alan Echano

Princess

While the entire Mindanao is troubling with electricity during the Easter, I decide to grab my camera and invite my young friend to pose for me. We have been planning this shoot for months and it took us less than 20 minutes to finish this shoot because the weather did not permit me to continue.

Nevertheless, here are some of my favorite photo from another newbie model/subject, Allyne. 

Giving my special shoutout to my crew this day, Tita Nene, Tita Vivian, Ate Sheila and the whole bunch of 'kulit' students from Cotabato Moo Duk Kwan.

  

"Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old."

2014 Summer Teambuilding

It Blue Warrior's biannual teambuilding and we head back to our campsite in Buda!

Many people believe that martial arts is not a team sports but I would like to share that in the past 14 years of my experience being a karate-ka (student) and an instructor, teams are still important even if the nature of martial arts in most competition is individual. 

Whenever we play or participate in tournament, teamwork has played a vital role in the success of each members and I think this is true in every aspect of our life. Our teams--be it our family, friend, classmates and acquaintance are our support group that catches us in times or trouble and lifts our spirit when we are down. True indeed and especially in Moo Duk Kwan, NO ONE GETS LEFT BEHIND.

So here are some snippets of what our weekend was. Feel free to grab photos as the full set of album will be uploaded in Facebook later tonight.

BRIEFING AND ORIENTATION 

ACIVITIES

THE BLACKBELTS

AND THE FEAST

AND MORE ACTIVITIES

CLOSING WITH A PHOTO OPS

Our deepest gratitude to our ever enthusiastic parents who made the teambuilding more successful with their unending support and encouragement. Thanks for entrusting us with the welfare of your kids (our students) and for supporting our advocacy in creating disciplined and well-rounded individuals.

Special thanks to our Clubmaster Master Bing Grandeza for allowing us to conduct the program to the students.


More photos to be uploaded in Facebook!
Kamsahamnida!