Republic of San Marino and the Philippines: Inter-country adoption partnership

The Republic of San Marino, one of the European microstates in the Council of Europe, has partnered with the Philippines for its very first inter-country adoption program.

Jean Henri Lhuillier, PJ Lhuillier Inc. president and CEO and the Honorary Consul General of San Marino to the Philippines, initiated the inter-country adoption program between the two countries.

The Republic of San Marino Head of Affairs Sylvie Bollini recently visited the Philippines to scout for orphanages with the help of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Inter-Country Adoption Board (ICAB).

ICAB, created by Republic Act 8043 of 1995, is the Philippine government’s central authority on inter-country adoption of Filipino children. It seeks to place Filipino children with suitable foreign adoptive families abroad to ensure their protection, security, and best interests.

“Life today is very hard, especially for orphaned children. Because we have good relations with the Philippines, we decided to help through the Inter-Country Adoption Program,” said Bollini.

She emphasized that the agreement respects the rights of the children as it adheres to laws enacted by the United Nations. These children’s rights include regular parent assessments and assistance in the issuance of visas to children to be adopted.

An enclave landscape surrounded by Italy and situated on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains, San Marino has approximately a population of 30,000. It has one of the most stable economies in Europe.

“The country has the lowest unemployment rate and zero national debt. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of gross domestic product per capita,” Lhuillier said. 

                    *************************************************************************************

Top 10 Things You Should Know About San Marino

1.      Full name: The Most Serene Republic of San Marino (Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino)

2.      The world’s oldest constitutional republic and oldest written constitution still in effect (301 A.D.)

3.      Geography

·         The third smallest independent state next to the Vatican and Monaco, with 60.5 sq km land area.

·         Located in Western Europe, landlocked within Italy

4.      Total population: 30,000

5.      Official language: Italian

6.      People in San Marino are called Sanmarinese

7.      Sports in San Marino: Foorball, Baseball, Grandprix Racing and Tennis

8.      Economy:

·         Currency is the Euro and is officially a part of the Eastern Union

·         GDP (2007) Total: $904 M (195^th)

·         Per Capita: $34,600 (12^th)

9.      Tourist Arrival is 3.5M per year. This contributes over 50% to their GDP. It was recently included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

           Top export product is Wine and is also known for their coins and stamps.

Over 10,000 runners join 2nd NatGeo Earth Day Run

Over 10,000 runners join 2^nd NatGeo Earth Day Run

More than 10,000 professional and recreational runners took part in the second NatGeo Earth Day Run at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City. The annual race for the environment featured 3K, 5K, and 10K categories and a new and more competitive 21K chase.

“I thank our runners for supporting NatGeo Earth Day Run and National Geographic Channel’s advocacy to create awareness on caring for our planet. This shows how far they are willing to go to help save the environment,” said Jude Turcuato, Fox International Channels territory director.

“We are pleased with this year’s field which has more than doubled to 10,335 from last year’s 5,000 runners,” said Turcuato, who credits the huge turnout of participants to the growing popularity of running as a sport.

This year’s NatGeo Earth Day Run attracted students, professionals, athletes, health buffs, weekend runners, mid- and long-distance runners, and celebrities, including celebrities Kim Atienza, Venus Raj, Sponge Cola’s Yael Yuzon, and last year’s women’s 3K champion Karylle Tatlonghari.

One of the most popular runs in the country today, NatGeo Earth Day Run is sponsored by PLDT My DSL, in cooperation with Petron Turbo Diesel and Canon, in partnership with Bonifacio Global City and Greenbelt, and with the special participation of Cushe and official insurance provider Prudential Guarantee.

NatGeo Earth Day Run is also sponsored in part by Tapa King, Del Monte, First Endurance, Magnolia Lite, Anchor Shape-up, Intel, San Mig Coffee, Ayala Multisport, and Merrell.

Overall, there were 24 winners in the men’s and women’s divisions in four categories. Each received a cash prize, trophy, and certificate from National Geographic Channel while all 21K runners who crossed the finish line received finisher’s medals.

 

Enjoy Star Movies' April epic romance and fantasy flicks

Enjoy Star Movies’ April epic romance and fantasy flicks

Are you looking for an escape to the time of magic and imagination? Or are you up for a tear-jerking heavy dose of teenage coming of age story and a romantic New York love affair?

Witness an action-packed trip through the deserts of Persia, a heartwarming cougar-style love affair in New York, a teenage story of two star-crossed lovers, and a journey through imagination with awesome visual effects and choreography.

This April, you don’t have to choose as Star Movies lets your mind travel the depths of fantasy and reality.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (April 3). Go on a journey with Jake Gyllenhaal in this epic adventure in the heart of Persia. After he was falsely accused of killing his adoptive father, Prince Dastan (Gyllenhaal) tries to avenge his death by discovering the identity of the true killer. Along the way, he joins forces with the mysterious Princess Tamina (Gemma Artenton) as they go against the dark forces and guard an ancient dagger, which holds the famed Sands of Time.

Remember Me (April 10). Robert Pattinson switches from brooding vampire to rebellious NYU student Tyler Hawkins in Remember Me. After his brother’s suicide and his parents’ divorce, Tyler becomes isolated and troubled. He meets fellow NYU student Ally (Emilie De Ravin), and find strength and inspiration in each other. As Tyler and Ally strive to overcome their own tragedies, love seems like a possibility on the horizon, until their secrets start to unravel and threaten to tear them apart.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (April 17). Experience a fantastic visual ride into the world of imagination and stories of Doctor Parnassus. Played by Christopher Plummer, Parnassus leads a traveling troupe, which includes Anton (Andrew Garfield), Percy (Verne Troyer), and his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole). Because of a deal with Mr. Nick (Tom Waits), Parnassus is on a race against time to save Valentina from becoming another soul sacrifice. Then Tony (played by Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law), an unpredictable comical man with amnesia, enters the picture, and he might be Valentina’s only hope.

The Men Who Stare at the Goats (April 24).  George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Spacey star in a comedy war film that is loosely based on Jon Ronson’s book of the same name. Reporter Bob Wilton (McGregor) lands himself a story of a lifetime where he meets former U.S. Army member Lyn Cassady (Clooney). Together, they try to uncover the secret of a unit that employs paranormal powers and goats in their missions.

Spread the love with Star Movies’ Valentine flicks

With the month of love coming in, you’d expect nothing but mushy and sweet nothings to flood your senses. But this February, there’s more to just the usual lovey-dovey romance in the air as Star Movies gives you a different kind of love each week.

Whether you’re looking for true love between a princess and a frog, the ineffable love of one man for seven women, or the parental love between a super spy and his girlfriend’s kids, tune in to Star Movies every Sunday night at 9 p.m, and you’ll see some of the funniest comedies and heart-warming flicks for the whole family. Make sure to bring the cuddles and the hugs for this emotional month.

The Princess and the Frog (Feb. 13). After a long hiatus from creating princess films, Disney comes out with a classic love story with a twist. Set in jazz age period in New Orleans, waitress Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) helps the cursed Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) as they try to get rid of the curse that turned them into frogs. Along with Louis the alligator (Michael-Leon Wooley) and Ray the firefly (Jim Cummings), they must journey through the bayou and beyond to stop with Voodoo Man Dr. Facilier’s (Keith David) evil plan.

Labor Pains (Feb. 20). Lindsay Lohan stars in this romantic comedy as Thea Clayhill, a secretary on the verge of losing her job at a publishing company. To keep her employment, she fakes pregnancy with the help of her friend Lisa (Cheryl Hines), and for the next nine months, she has to keep the baby bump intact as she climbs the corporate ladder. When her boss’s brother Nick (Luke Kirby) takes over, Thea has to find a way to win him over without popping her cover.

Nine (Feb. 27). When talented filmmaker Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) experiences mid-life crisis in the form of writer’s block, he gathers all the women in his life to become his muses. From his wife Luisa (Marion Cotillard), his mistress Carla (Penelope Cruz), to the memories of Saraghina (Fergie), the prostitute from his childhood years, he tries to get his talent and his life back on track.

Meralco Appliance Calculator (M.A.C): my electricity budget buddy

Have you heard about the new Meralco website and Meralco Appliance Calculator? 

Yes, Meralco has a new website! and they have this new Meralco appliance calculator which can help you better manage your electric consumption, electric bill; make wiser decisions in buying home appliances and help you get energy efficiency tips!

 

The Meralco Appliance Calculator (M.A.C.) has been a consumer’s electricity budget buddy since 2003.  The M.A.C. is designed to be an electricity bill management tool of Meralco residential customers to help them: a) better manage their electric consumption and their electric bill; b) make wiser decisions in buying home appliances, and; c) get home energy efficiency tips that are customized to their home electricity consumption. Any consumer can access the M.A.C. from Meralco’s website: www.meralco.com.ph.

Although the M.A.C. has been around for many years now, new features and enhancements are constantly being introduced to enable it to cater to the growing demands of electricity users.

With the new Meralco Appliance Calculator (M.A.C), users can now have the option of using either “My Appliance Calculator” or “My Bill Manager”. “My Appliance Calculator” allows the user to calculate the estimated consumption cost of appliances - one at a time.

“My Bill Manager”, on the other hand, allows the user to calculate the estimated consumption cost of appliances in a table format. It allows the user to get an estimate of the household’s total electric consumption cost and see which appliances consume more electricity.

Other features of the “My Bill Manager” menu include: consumption manager, energy efficiency adviser and target bill amount estimator. Consumption manager allows the user to see the corresponding electric consumption pie chart and some text description of the chart based on the information provided by the user. The energy efficiency adviser, meanwhile, allows user to see some energy efficiency tips based on the information provided by the user. The target bill amount estimator, on the other hand, allows the user to see an estimate of his “monthly target kWh consumption” and “estimated price per kWh” by just inputting the “target electric bill amount”.

Other new features of the M.A.C include: a) e-mailing of the M.A.C web link to friends through the “email” button; b) sharing the M.A.C web link to Facebook and Twitter accounts through the “share” button; c) sending feedback to Meralco regarding the new M.A.C through the “feedback” button; d) printing the computation results of “My Bill Manager” through the “print” button (for easy access and future reference of the computations), and; e) viewing the basis for computing the estimated electricity consumption of home appliances for the M.A.C application through the “formula” button (so that users can validate the results of the computations).

The M.A.C. is truly a user-friendly, interactive and valuable tool for cost conscious

electricity consumers. Go give it a try!

Join the McHappy Day Fun Run for RMHC’s ‘Bright Minds Read’ Program

Calling all families, friends and running enthusiasts! It’s time to run, have fun and help thousands of kids learn how to read as McDonald’s celebrates McHappy Day with a Fun Run this November 28 at the Venice Piazza at McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. 

For only P350 per individual or at a discounted rate of P1,250 for a group of four runners, participants can run the race of their choice- 3K (individual and family category), 5K, 10K or the 500 meter dash for kids 7 years old and below. To qualify for the family category in the 3K distance, the group/family should be composed of 2 Adults regardless of gender and two Kids 12 years and below. The fun run will also feature games, prizes and other exciting surprises for the whole family to enjoy.

The McHappy Day Fun Run is a special run that aims to raise P1 million for the benefit of the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), the charity of choice of McDonald’s and its banner program, Bright Minds Read (BMR). Bright Minds Read is a program in partnership with the Department of Education that provides reading toolkits to different public schools all over the country to help grade 1 students learn beginning reading. To date, over 2,600 public schools nationwide are under the BMR program.

So get on your feet, put on those running shoes and lend a helping hand for a good cause. Registration for the McHappy Day Fun Run is from October 15 to November 21 at selected McDonald’s stores in Metro Manila or you can visit www.mcdonalds.com.ph for more details and updates.

Launch of Total Fitness Magazine

Last week, we got an invite from our media friend at the Trinoma activity center. It was a whole day event of fitness and wellness - with lots of games, sports activities, free health consultations, product exhibits for the invited guests and participants.


That day also marked the formal unveiling of Total Fitness magazine.  Total Fitness is the culmination of A&F magazine’s five years of covering the health, wellness, sports, and fitness genres. It is packed with all the fitness-related articles in one handy monthly magazine that can be shared and enjoyed between couples and even within a family or among friends.

yum

The event aims to promote the holistic active and healthy lifestyle to its target market. Total Fitness Live also had an array of surprises for their guests in the event - my colleague got a Reebok shoes, other lucky ones got GCs, Sony MP3s, Redfox, signature watch, not sure if they gave away Oakley shades...it was really an exciting event!  

Everyone also got a lootbag filled with products from their sponsors and partners, and a copy of the Total Fitness Magazine with Daniel Matsunaga on the cover....he was in the event too! <kilig>

Blaire is lucky that night!!!

Congratulations to the organizers and team behind Total Fitness!

Total Fitness Live partners are :Fitness First, Mizuno, Fit Inc, Oakley, Ajinomoto, Fruitmagic, Sennheiser, Brooks, Jkexer, Calcium Cee, Vitwater, Gardenia, Figaro, Redfox, Goody, Finix, Dermplus, Sexy Chef, Trinoma, Ayala Malls, Tribu, Toby’s, PDBA, Blue Water Day Spa, Biokos, Osim, PAC, Decisive Moments, Digital Worx, Myphone, Nesvita, Milo, Geronimo Photographico, Sony, 360 Resto, Yoshinoya, Century Bangus, Nestle Pops and Lasermaxx.

Media Partners: Speed magazine, The Manila Times, Business Mirror, One Sport, UNO magazine, Solar sports, Basketball TV, AXN, Auto Review, Auto Extreme, NU 107, Jam 88.3, Dream 106.7, Real Sports, 99.5 RT, Her World.com, Etc, 2^nd Avenue, Jack TV, Runnerspeak, Sports 37, Takbo.ph, Padyak.ph, MJ46 Center, Padyak.ph, Philonline.