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| (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/Department of Trade and Industry - Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions) |
As the 72nd edition of Manila FAME draws near, the Department of Trade and Industry's Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (DTI-CITEM) is currently accepting nominations to one of its main features – the KATHA Awards 2024. Now in its 41st year, the Manila FAME 2024 will be held on October 17-19, 2024 at the World Trade Center (WTC) Metro Manila in Pasay City. The Philippines’ premier trade show for quality home, fashion, and lifestyle (HFL) products, Manila FAME 2024 carries the theme “Reimagination” – centering on the transformation of abundant raw materials into functional and aesthetic pieces as powered by Filipino design. “Reimagination” is explored in different subthemes, demonstrated at the creative settings namely Design Commune Home, Design Commune Fashion, Artisans Village, and two new settings: Nostalgia and Philippine Components.
Manila FAME has been home to many of the country’s top designers and furniture makers, bearing witness to the rise of some of today’s global household names in the field, such as Budji Layug, Kenneth Cobonpue, Ann Pamintuan, and National Artist Arturo Luz who also designed the KATHA Awards Logo. Some of their works will also take center stage in a special showcase this year entitled “Nostalgia: The Manila FAME Design Retrospective". The KATHA Awards is CITEM’s way of celebrating Philippine export products from Manila FAME exhibitors that embody craftsmanship, excellence, and innovation in design and function including aspects that embody responsible sustainability efforts. From the materials used to the processes employed, the translation of ideas into impressive pieces, the various categories of the KATHA Awards validate the dedication and hard work of Filipino creatives behind each winning piece produced for the various sectors.
Aside from the Special Citation for Best Booth Design and Best Sustainable Design for Booths Awards, nominations and the deliberation for this year’s KATHA Awards will be done prior to the show. One winner will be selected for each Best in Design category: Furniture; Home Décor and Houseware; Lamps and Lighting; Fashion; and Holiday Décor and Gifts. There will also be an Eco-Design Award for products made with sustainability in mind. The winners will be announced as part of the opening day activities of Manila FAME at the WTC Lobby on October 17, 2024 and will receive a KATHA Awards Trophy, a free spot at Manila FAME 2025, and an opportunity for Product Showcase, Market Sensing, and a Round-trip Ticket to an Overseas Trade Fair. Interested parties must provide the necessary requirements such as the self-nomination form, product photos, product information/narrative, and other conditions relevant to the submission to the CITEM Katha Awards Secretariat either via e-mail thru Pinky Valero at mgvalero@citem.com.ph or SJ Nacino at sjnacino@citem.com.ph or at the CITEM office at Golden Shell Pavilion corner Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Pasay City on or before September 30, 2024.
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Mang Inasal Supports Gastronomy Tourism Through "Love The Flavors" Campaign
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| (Image Source: Mang Inasal) |
Mang Inasal, the Philippines’ Grill Expert, is playing a key role in promoting gastronomy tourism through its new “Love The Flavors, Love The Philippines” campaign. “Food connects people, and at Mang Inasal, we’re proud to be a part of that connection for tourists visiting the Philippines. We’re excited to share the flavors of the Philippines with the world. Every bite of Chicken Inasal, every spoonful of Halo-Halo, connects tourists to the heart of our culture, making their travels more meaningful and unforgettable," said Mang Inasal President Mike V. Castro.
During a special event attended by Mang Inasal executives and Department of Tourism (DOT) Assistant Secretary Gissele R. Quisumbing, the “Love The Flavors” Tourism Week Treat was unveiled where local and foreign tourists can enjoy a FREE 8oz. Extra Creamy Halo-Halo when they order Chicken Inasal Paa or Pecho Large on September 23-27, 2024 by presenting a valid ID along with a boarding pass or e-ticket dated at any Mang Inasal branch between September 1 and 27. The “Love The Flavors, Love The Philippines” media launch was also graced by some of the Philippines’ most popular travel influencers including the Blackman Family featuring Australian father Joshua, Filipino mother Jeraldine, and their charming children Nimo and Jette; award-winning celebrity mom Melai Cantiveros-Francisco with her kids Mela and Stela; Japanese content creator Fumiya Sankai; and Canadian explorer Kyle “Kulas” Jennermann of Becoming Filipino who each shared their love for the distinct flavors of Mang Inasal, highlighting how its signature dishes have become an essential part of their joyful travels around the Philippines.
The Tourism Week Treat is only the beginning! There’s plenty more to look forward to in the “Love The Flavors, Love The Philippines” campaign as the journey to savor the best of Philippine flavors has commenced. For all the exciting updates on the campaign as well as upcoming deals and events, visit and follow Mang Inasal’s social media channels and check out www.manginasal.com.ph.
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OPPO Offers Massive Discounts In Nationwide Spare Parts Sale
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| (Image Source: Manila Standard/OPPO Philippines) |
Leading global smart device brand OPPO brings an exciting opportunity for its users across the Philippines to score significant price drops on mobile repairs. OPPO’s ongoing Spare Parts Sale covers huge discounts on screen replacements and motherboards for select Reno and A Series devices, until supplies last.
Customers can avail of the promo in OPPO Service Centers and Drop-off Points nationwide for both on-site and send-in repairs. OPPO users can take advantage of discounts up to 60% off on motherboards and up to 40% off on screen replacements, restoring their devices to tip-top shape at a fraction of the cost. Check out the participating models below:
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| (Image Source: Manila Standard/OPPO Philippines) |
To know more about the Spare Parts Sale, visit any of the 26 participating OPPO Service Centers and Drop-off Points nationwide for inquiries. These include OPPO Service Centers in SM Masinag, SM Manila, SM North EDSA, SM City Cebu, SM Gensan, SM City Cavite, Davao, Baguio, Pampanga, Iloilo, Cagayan De Oro, Legazpi, Lucena, Bulacan, Novaliches, Tacloban, Lipa, Nueva Ecija, Citymall Laguna, Robinsons Santiago, Robinsons Tuguegarao, Eton Ortigas and Ayala Malls Bacolod and OPPO Service Points in Palawan, Vigan and Zamboanga. OPPO ensures a hassle-free experience for all customers as repairs are handled by expert technicians, guaranteeing the utmost care for your smartphone.
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PH President's Gift Of Public Service, A Success For The Provincial Government Of Batangas
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| (Image Source: Batangas Provincial Public Information Office) |
The Provincial Government of Batangas successfully took part in the "Handog Ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Tapat Para Sa Lahat" event held last September 13, 2024 at the Provincial Capitol in Batangas City. The provincial government led by Gov. Hermilando I. Mandanas collaborated with various local and national government offices and agencies in the Simultaneous Conduct of the Nationwide Distribution of Comprehensive Government Assistance, coinciding with the birthday of Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., at the Capitol's Laurel Park.
A hybrid gathering was staged at the Provincial Auditorium where various activities held nationwide were simultaneously witnessed through online video conferencing, including the message of President Marcos, who was represented by Finance Secretary Ralph Recto. On the other hand, the Community Food Market was opened through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist as the province's own Kadiwa store while the Mobile Kitchen of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office distributed free rice porridge (lugaw) and the Department of Health (DOH) CALABARZON initiated the vaccination against pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis through Pneumococcal vaccines.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Batangas Provincial Office, PAG-IBIG Batangas, SSS, GSIS, Philippine Statistics Authority, PHILHEALTH, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry – Batangas, Department of Information and Communications Technology, DILG Batangas, DSWD Field Office IV-A, and the Philippine National Police have also offered their services to the public. At the same time, financial assistance under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) was also distributed to 703 beneficiaries in the province. Also gracingthe almost day-long activity were Vice Governor Mark Leviste, 5th District Senior Board Member (BM) Claudette Ambida, 5th District BM Bart Blanco, 2nd District BM Wilson Rivera, Provincial ABC (Association of Barangay Captains) President BM Fernan Rocafort, AnaKalusugan Representative Hon. Congressman Ray Reyes, and heads and representatives of national and local government agencies.
(With words by Junjun De Chavez, Batangas Provincial Public Information Office)
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Riot Games Unveils LoL eSports Global Power Rankings Powered By Amazon Web Services
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| League of Legends (LoL) eSports Global Power Rankings for Tier 1 Teams (Image Source: ONE eSports/Riot Games) |
Continuing to innovate and elevate the world of League of Legends (LoL) eSports, Riot Games has officially unveiled Global Power Rankings – a dynamic, data-driven rankings engine powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) technology that aims to contextualize team strength across Tier 1 Leagues and promises to become a staple companion amidst the sport's highly competitive landscape. Built on an ELO-like model, the LoL eSports Global Power Rankings system for Tier 1 LoL teams worldwide evaluates not only individual team performances, but also the strength of the regions they hail from, which will result in a comprehensive and transparent snapshot of the global competitive landscape, updated after every day of play during Worlds 2024.
The Global Power Rankings is designed to address the specific challenges of League of Legends considering that it sports an ever-changing meta influenced by bi-weekly patch updates and the varying structures and skill levels across different leagues. At the core of Global Power Rankings is a blended ELO metric, a weighted average between a team's ELO and their league's ELO. This approach ensures that the rankings are both simple enough to be easily understood yet sophisticated enough to account for the complexities of the game. The Power Score formula — where team ELO and league ELO are weighted at 80% and 20% respectively — is fine-tuned for optimal predictive accuracy. Several key features of the system include:
• Game-Based Resolution: The model updates after every game in a series of matches, taking every game played during a regional split or international event into account.
• Contextualized Match Weighting (K Factors): International events are weighted more heavily than regional events with knockout matches carrying more significance than group-stage matches. This ensures that high-stakes fixtures have a greater impact on rankings.
• Evaluation Windows: A three-year evaluation window for league ELO and a two-year window for team ELO allow the system to balance the impact of roster changes while maintaining a robust sample size of international games.
• Predictive Accuracy: The system's ability to predict match outcomes has been rigorously tested, with results indicating a strong correlation between expected and actual outcomes.
Riot Games has began exploring several enhancements on the LoL eSports Global Power Rankings, heading towards 2025, including the incorporation in-game stats to adjust power scores based on match performance, the introduction of player-based power rankings to better reflect individual contributions, and more granular K-factors that will further refine the system's accuracy. The Global Power Rankings will be featured throughout Worlds 2024 on lolesports.com and on LoL eSports' official broadcast channels. The final rankings for 2024 will be released following the conclusion of the Worlds 2024 Final on November 2, 2024.
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The World Celebrates Batman Day 2024
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| (Image Source: Warner Bros. Discovery) |
Some Super Heroes are born. Others are made. Batman’s story of determination and grit has inspired generation after generation. Batman, notable not for having any superpowers but for his intelligence, skill, and technical savvy, is one of the most iconic characters in the world and is recognized across the globe thanks to his portrayal in universally beloved comics, TV shows, cartoons, movies, and more since he first appeared in 1939’s Detective Comics #27. Fans around the world gathered for Batman Day 2024 last September 21, 2024, celebrating their love of DC’s Dark Knight. In commemoration of this annual tradition and celebration of one of the most enduring characters in popular culture, DC and Warner Bros. Discovery have prepared an incredible choice of content and activities to make Batman Day 2024 a memorable and fun experience for fans.
Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong has also collaborated with premier licensees to celebrate Batman’s 85th anniversary. Products available to fans to commemorate the timeless DC character will include figurines, apparel, food and beverage items and many more. Filipino fans can visit a Batman-themed activation at SM City Santa Rosa until September 30, 2024 while an extensive suite of products were released exclusively for the occasion, ranging from food and beverage items to figurines, apparel and more. This included a collection comprising a limited-edition Batman figurine and credit card wallets released by Royal Selangor and made available at all Royal Selangor outlets worldwide as well as its online store with intricate designs of the products, bringing the iconic expressions of Batman and The Joker to life.
Across Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, other brand collaborations in celebration of Batman's 85th anniversary include Philippines’ Petrol and Comic Central; Thailand’s 425 Degree, Pena House and CPS CHAPS; Malaysia’s Aurora Italia, Cheetah, Pustaka Sri Dunia, Maxx Sport, Vanzo, Dashing and Tealive; Indonesia’s PT Bank Central Asia, PT Matahari and PT Elang Mulia; as well as Taiwan’s Lee Jeans, Hong Kong’s Dah Sing Bank and Craft Hub. On the other hand, fans can revisit their favorite movies and series of the Caped Crusader including Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, The Batman, Suicide Squad ISEKAI and Batwheels, all available to stream on HBO GO. Subscribe to HBO GO online at https://www.hbogoasia.ph/, the mobile app via the Apple App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) for only Php1,190 on the 12-month plan, or via Cignal and Globe. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
