Author: Rochelle Sy Chua

Rockwell’s 2nd Ultimate Taste Test

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 19, 2012

Rockwell's 2nd Ultimate Taste Test

It’s that time of the year again where foodies have a chance to try out food from a lot of establishments in one day. I really appreciate this rare chance considering it takes a lot of time and effort to go to a single establishment.

With Ultimate Taste Test, we don’t need to go to 40+ different places to try out their bestseller product/s. All we need to do is to sign up for the event, pay a minimal fee and then go & enjoy the yummy specialties from home-based food businesses in one single venue.

I was pretty impressed with how organised last year’s Ultimate Taste Test event in Rockwell Tent was. So when I got an invite for the 2nd Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test, I couldn’t say no. I would imagine myself going through each booth sampling food and appreciating what I tasted. I wasn’t able to try out all items last year that’s why I’ll be early this time so that I get first dibs!

For those who heard about Ultimate Taste Test just now, it’s a yearly event wherein we can be food critics for a day by sampling food products from different participating merchants. We will be given a scorecard when we register for the event. We will then get to rate the food on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the highest. We will also get a chance to share our feedback to the food supplier/s.

Interested?

Take note of the ff. information below:

Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test — Be a Food Critic for a Day!
September 15, 2012, Saturday, 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.
Rockwell Tent, Makati City
exclusive to a maximum of 1,000 foodies with a limited sit-down capacity
Php 585 per person
Ticket covers (1) Food Taste Portions from a minimum of 40+ Home-Based Food Vendors & Power Plant Mall Restaurants and (2) A bottle of San Miguel Super Dry, Premium All-Malt or Cerveza Negra (for foodies 18 years old & above)
Purchase tickets from Rockwell Customer Care (+63-2-8981702) during mall hours or Creative Juice Office (+63-2-5707827) during office hours

UPDATE:

I spent almost the whole day at Ultimate Taste Test X!

We tried to split our visit into two. First 20 stalls on our first 2 hours in the event and then we tried the rest of the food after we spent some time shopping. Guess what? In spite of the one-hour break, we just couldn’t eat anymore! The non-stop food tasting was tiring but it was very enjoyable!

Just like last year, each participant was given a passport. The passport served as a score sheet. Guests were asked to rate each of the dish that they tried out. Comments were also encouraged. I put several notes in there (not just how the food tasted but also the experience itself).

Ultimate Taste Test Scorecard

My friend Maus experienced UTT for the first time. She told me that it was a great bonding event and I do agree! The three of us even participated on a chicken dance game and got ourselves a box of yummy Villa del Conte chocolates! <3

UTT Friends

Without further ado, here’s a list of my foodie finds at UTT X (I rated them all with a 5!):

Maria’s Ilocos Empanada

UTT Orange Empanada

More commonly known at the event as the orange empanada, this yummy piece of Ilocano dish was unforgettable! I enjoyed every bite of it! The ingredients inside were cooked and stuffed perfectly inside the crispy wrapper. I did notice that they missed the egg though. I had to try Maria’s Ilocos Empanada in its normal serving so that I can appreciate it better.

Maria’s Ilocos Empanada is located at 41 Regalado avenue corner Dahilia Fairview, QC. They also has a stall in Mezza Norte every thursday-saturday, 6pm to 3am at UP AyalaLand Technohub.

New Zealand Natural

UTT New Zealand Ice Cream

New Zealand Natural is the leading ice cream brand in New Zealand and Australia. I actually knew about it only during the event. I was just glad that they offered Superfruit sorbet during the taste test. I prefer sorbet over dairy ice cream not because it’s 99% fat free but it just tasted better. This was a nice discovery and I shall be on the lookout whenever I go to a mall where New Zealand Natural has a stall in.

Branches:
Ground Floor, Annex 1, SM City Fairview, fronting Gerry’s Grill.
5th Floor, Building A, SM Megamall, near the Atrium. Also near SM Business Center.
2nd Floor, Taste Buds, Pedro Gil Wing, near Dencio’s Grill, Robinson’s Place Ermita

Frisch Liquor Ice Cream

UTT Liquor Ice Cream

UTT Liquor

Fire & Ice… Satisfy your desire.

What a tagline! I’m not a big fan of alcohol and I can’t even enjoy a bottle of beer! However, Frisch Liquor ice cream is too unique that I couldn’t help myself but take a scoop and try it out. I must say the combination of ice cream and wine was a nice one! It was good! I think this is one of the few products that has alcohol which I can take in.

Fischa Liquor Ice cream currently has eight flavors: Wine Berries, Choco Rumboozle, Lemony Snickety Punch, Zhivago Coffee, Chili Manjaro, Copabanana, Russian Winter, and Carami de Cerveza (my choice!).

You can get your fix of Fischa’s ice cream at Soderno in Molito Alabang Lifestyle Center, 6:00pm-12:00am.

Masatami Shave Ice

UTT Shave Ice Cream

I was itching to try out Masatami Shave Ice when I saw several people eating and enjoying it. When I finally arrived at the stall, I excitedly asked for the cheese flavour. I loved how fine the ice was plus the flavored syrup was mixed perfectly in it. It was super yummy!!! I wish I could have more!

Masatami Shave Ice can be found at the ff. branches:
South Arcade, SM Mall of Asia
Robinsons Galleria (in front of supermarket)
Cinema level, Glorietta 4
Robinsons Magnolia

Villa del Conte

UTT Villa del Conte

I’m not fond of chocolates but I’m starting to like it! I guess peer pressure is working now since everyone just loooooves chocolates! Maus was telling me that Villa del Conte’s chocolates are uberly delicious and that we should try it out! As soon as we arrived at Villa del Conte‘s stall, the owner jokingly told me to stop taking pictures and start indulging on the chocolates or else I’d regret it when I get home and review the pictures. He was funny! The blogger in me really had to take those pictures so I have something to share in this blog post about Villa del Conte.

From Villa del Conte’s brochure:

The cacao beans used in making our cioccolato are handpicked to ensure that only the beans of the highest standards are used in making our artisanal creations. Each piece passes through our unique process, which we perfected throughout the years. We believe that aside from our age-old practices, premium-quality cacao is the foundation of great chocolate.

Branches: 3/F Trinoma, 2/F Greenbelt 5, 3/F Shangri-La Plaza Mall & G/F Resorts World Manila

Saint’s Alp Teahouse

UTT Saint's Alp

The first item that I tried out at UTT was the blueberry double chocolate drink by Saint Alp Teahouse. I was so impressed with how good it was. There are tons of tea places in Manila but this kind of drink is unique to Saint Alp! Also, Saint Alp Teahouse was generous with the chocolates. With every sip, there were bits of chocolates! I loved it!

Saint Alp Teahouse can be found at:
2/F Regis Center, Katipunan avenue, Quezon City
G/F Forbeswood Parklane, Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
G/F Fox Square, Connecticut, San Juan, Manila

Bayani Brew

UTT Bayani Brew

It feels good whenever you see a product made by a non-profit organization such as Gawad Kalinga. Gawad Kalinga helps out fellow filipinos by providing them business opportunities such as this product that was made from their farm, Bayani Brew. There were two flavors available: lemongrass (calamansi mixed with lemongrass & pandan) and purple tea (made from camote tops). Each bottle costs about Php 35 and will be available soon in Metro Manila.

For now, you can get the product from Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm at Brgy. Encanto, Angat, Bulacan.

Carlo’s Kitchen

UTT Carlo's Kitchen

WOW! That was the only word that came out of my mouth when I had my first bite of crunchy belly! My golly! It was too good but I know it was also unhealthy but what the fudge, I did not care! Carlo’s Kitchen must have perfected the process of cooking pork belly! I’ll surely get some more in the future 🙂

Carlo’s Kitchen branches:
Midnight Mercato – Fri and Sat 10pm to 3am
Distrito at the Makati Med Open Parking – Wed to Fri 9pm to 3am
Mezza Norte at the UP-Ayala Technohub – Thur to Sat 6pm to 3am

The eight items I listed above got a 5 rating from me! If you stumble upon any of the establishments that serve those yummy food, do not miss the opportunity of trying out their food items. You won’t regret it! They were so good that I wish I got more servings.

Anton’s foodie notes was a good guide so I’m sharing with you my own thoughts after attending the event.

Battle of the Empanadas: Which is the BEST for you, Maria’s Laoag Ilocos Empanada (Orange) or Mac Vigan’s Empanada (White)? I liked the orange empanada (Maria’s Laoag Ilocos Empanada) better because it was tastier and had more flavor. I had to say though that Mac Vigan’s owner was one of the friendliest suppliers in the UTT event.

Is Villa del Conte the best chocolate in Manila? It’s not a secret that I’m not a lover of chocolates. I, however, would say that I respect the brand very much. Considering how everyone would go back to their stall a lot of times to get more chocolates says a lot about Villa del Conte. My friend was raving about it all day too! Not to mention, our memorable chicken dance stint at the stage just to win a box of Villa del Conte. It was well worth it!

Bato Bato Pick: Baked Bites by ABC’s Nutella Rocks or Chow Fun’s Dark Chocolate Buchi? Chow Fun’s Dark Chocolate Buchi! 🙂 You have to be careful while eating the buchi as the chocolate oozes out of the ball once you get a bite of it!

Will Fruit Garden’s new flavors (Berry Dream and Tropical Paradise Jam) and Baked by Anita’s new flavors (Wild Mushroom Pie w/ Gruyere & Truffle Oil and Surprise Tart) win UTT X? I think Fruit Garden has a chance to win because their jam stayed true to the original taste of the fruit. While I liked Baked by Anita’s products, I think other suppliers might snatch the win from them.

Foodies are raving about the Panchados (Mechado on Pandesal), do you like it? Too bad Panchados was one of the items that we couldn’t try anymore. We were too full! 🙁

Battle of the Ice Cream: Pinkberry’s Yogurt vs. Frisch Liquor Ice Cream vs. Lulubelle’s Frozen Custardvs. New Zealand’s Premium Ice Cream vs. Masatami’s Shave Ice? Which is the best? Among the 4, my choices are New Zealand’s Premium Ice Cream and Frisch Liquor Ice Cream. Both tasted unique and memorable.

Perfect Combination: Skew U‘s USDA Beef Tapa and Kusina Reyes‘ Aligue Rice. I agree 100%!

Battle of the Drinks: Will Gawad Kalinga’s Lemongrass Pandan Iced Tea and Purple Leaf Iced Tea or Swizzle’s Caramel Beer and Swizzle’s Rainbow Shots win the drinks battle? Gawad Kalinga’s Bayani Brew wins for me! Their Purple leaf iced tea was my favourite drink during the day! I can’t wait for them to make Bayani Brew available on all leading supermarkets in the Manila.

For those who missed the Ultimate Taste Test events this year, don’t fret! 2013 is fast coming. I’m already looking forward to the next UTT!

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Rockwell’s 2nd Ultimate Taste Test
September 15, 2012
admin@ultimatetastetest.com
Rockwell Tent, Makati City, Philippines

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Project NOAH

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 12, 2012

Project NOAH

It’s really admirable that government agencies are easier to reach now. The first agency that most of us are happy about is MMDA. Recently, when we were badly hit by a nameless monsoon, another agency stood out: DOST-Pagasa.

We saw how those two agencies helped us out fellow Filipinos through information dissemination via social media. I’m particularly happy as both MMDA & DOST-Pagasa are now embracing technology. We became more effective!

During the habagat days, I noticed tweeps following a certain @nababaha. @nababaha is the Twitter account of Professor Mahar Lagmay, a disaster scientist. Mr. Lagmay mentions Project NOAH frequently on his Twitter account. I still did not know what Project NOAH is until I got invited for a media event (organized by GetReadyPinas & #SmartActs) regarding the tool.

Project NOAH Mahar Lagmay

In this post, I’ll be sharing what I learned about Project NOAH: how it started, how it works and how we can use it effectively.

Background

Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) was launched by the Department of Science and Technology when President Noynoy Aquino instructed the agency to put in place a program for disaster prevention and mitigation.

Considering our country’s location, Philippines cannot escape typhoons, tsunamis or earthquakes. That’s why it is important for the government to implement measures so that we can prevent fatalities, infrastructure damages and economic losses due to our sensitive climate. If DOST can provide a 6 hour lead-time warning to vulnerable communities against threatening floods then it can definitely make a lot of difference.

Project NOAH’s vision is to assure homeland security by reducing casualties and property loss from extreme hazard events and build disaster resilient communities in the Philippines by way of establishing research and development platforms and the promotion of frontier science and technology in disaster efforts.

To become a world leader in programs that leverage on advanced science and technology to mitigate the impacts of natural hazards.

During the past months, NOAH integrated existing disaster science research & development projects and initiated new efforts in order to achieve its objective. Companies like Smart Communications and Digitel Mobile Philippines partnered with DOST through the NOAH program in developing systems, tools and other technologies to help prevent and mitigate disasters.

DOST will install 600 automated rain gauges and 400 water level measuring stations (river sensors) for 18 major river basins of the Philippines, namely: Marikina River Basin, Cagayan de Oro River Basin, Iligan River Basin, Agno River Basin, Pampanga River Basin, Bicol River Basin, Cagayan River Basin, Agusan River Basin, Panay River Basin, Magaswang Tubig River Basin, Jalaur River Basin, Ilog-Hilabangan River Basin, Agus River Basin, Davao River Basin, Mindanao River Basin, Tagum-Libuganon River Basin, Tagaloan River Basin and Buayan-Malungun River Basin. Other river basins will follow soon after the work on the 18 major river basins is completed.

Sensor readings from both the rain gauges and river sensors will be transmitted to the central database of DOST at least four times every hour. Information generated shall be shared to all of us through media and communication channels.

Project NOAH

We are in luck! The NOAH team has made the system available online! I heard that an Android version is on the works while there are plans to have it made for iOS and other platforms.

Here’s the site where we can access Project Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH): http://noah.dost.gov.ph/.

Now that weather monitoring tools are accessible to us, we are equipped to prepare for the next disasters to come. We must embrace this development. I must admit it took some time for me to understand the system but it’s all worth it 🙂

Accessing Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH)

Get in the NOAH site by typing noah.dost.gov.ph in your browser
Type in a location in the Philippines where you want to get information. For me, I typed Quezon City as I live there. You can also use the zoom feature of the Google Maps (located at the left side of the map) to get to a location.

NOAH 1

You can choose which view you want: Street, Hybrid or Terrain. Default view is Terrain. Personally, I opt for Hybrid. It just looked so much cooler 😛 You can toggle options on the right hand corner of the map.

NOAH views

NOAH Features

There are a lot of information that we can get from the system. Honestly, just by going through the NOAH site made me learn a lot of things about rains and floods. I have renewed respect for the hardworking people in DOST especially PAG-ASA.

Weather Outlook/Probability of Rain

NOAH Weather Outlook

The percent chance of rain (PCOR) is calculated every 30 minutes for all major cities of the Philippines. The forecast is done for 1, 3 and 6 hours lead time.

According to DOST, this feature isn’t only used for disaster preparedness but for farmers who want to know when to dry rice grain, fishermen who would like to check the sea condition, construction workers who need to know when to pour cement, and housebands who need to ensure fresh and sweet-smelling laundry.

This feature alone is already extremely useful and this is just one of many!

Flood Map

NOAH Flood Map

Flood maps indicate flood height and extent given a rainfall scenario. In order to understand the colors, you have to press the “legend” tab in the top right of the panel. The flood height was based on an average height of a Filipino: 5 feet and 5 inches in height. Red color means flooding greater than 1.5 meters, orange means flooding 1.0 meter high and yellow color means flooding less than or equal to 0.5 meter.

The intensity of rainfall is categorized by how often rainfall of that amount falls in a given area. Both light and heavy rains happen regularly in a certain area, but the volume of rainfall is proportional to the recurrence interval; moderate rainfall occurs every 5 years, heavy rainfall occurs every 50 years, extreme rainfall such as Ondoy occurs only every 100 years or longer.

Weather Stations

NOAH Weather Stations

NOAH Weather Stations Info

Weather stations (Temperature) show the amount of rainfall, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, air pressure, and humidity of a geographic area.

Stream gauges (Water Level) show the water level in rivers in real time. Sudden increase or unusual height of the river may indicate possible flooding.

Rain gauges (Rainfall) reflect the amount of rainfall that pours in a given area. The intensity of rainfall can be classified into light (<2.5 mm/hr), moderate (2.5<7.5 mm/hr), heavy (7.6 < 15 mm/hr), intense (15 < 30 mm/hr), or torrential rain (>30 mm/hr). They are color coded as light blue (light rain), blue (moderate rain), dark blue (heavy rain), orange (intense rain) and red (torrential rain). The amount of water collected by the rain gauges are measured in millimeters every 10, 15 or 20 minutes. The graphs that represent the measured values are in millimeters/hour.

Overview

NOAH Overview

MTSAT or Multi-Functional Transport Satellite are a series of weather satellites which contain Infrared sensors which detect the extent of cloud cover, as visible from space. The images provide a view of the clouds and general weather condition of the Philippines and surrounding seas.

Rain, temperature, and pressure values are shown in different contour maps for the whole country using linear interpolation. By looking into these contour maps, you are provided with a quick look at the rain, pressure and temperature condition of every part of the Philippine land territory.

Doppler

NOAH Doppler

Doppler radars are configured to detect moisture or precipitation in the air and calculate its volume and movement. The different colors of the doppler image represent rainfall intensity in mm/hr and would help you determine if the rain cloud hovering your area could precipitate light, moderate, heavy, intense or torrential type of rain.

It’s rainy season again. I’m just glad that we have NOAH to refer to for weather-related information. I cannot wait for the mobile versions to come out! For now, we stick to the web to access the tool. I suggest that you follow @dost_pagasa and/or @nababaha via Twitter as well for updates.

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Project NOAH
http://noah.dost.gov.ph

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Binalot is on Multiply

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 4, 2012

Binalot on Multiply

“Binalot ka ba kasi pag binuksan ka, busog na ako.” said a blogger during the Binalot-Multiply launch two months ago. When I think about it, it actually holds true to the company, Binalot Fiesta Foods, Inc.

The name Binalot is a tagalog term for wrap. Binalot wraps all their food items in banana leaf, a unique concept in the food industry here in the Philippines. I remember that I used to see Binalot in mall food courts. I’m glad that through the years, they expanded into a full restaurant.

Binalot

This year, Binalot has achieved another milestone! Binalot is now available for delivery online! It’s a partnership between Binalot and online shopping site, Multiply.com. Executives from both companies explained what the partnership is about and how they came into it.

Binalot

Binalot CEO Rommel Juan explained the history of Binalot. Binalot started 1996 when Rommel and his 2 friends decided to open it up after getting tired of the usual fast food choices in the metro. Their first branch was in Jupiter which coincidentally is where the Binalot-Multiply launch was held (maybe the owners are sentimental :P). Real success happened when they started opening Binalot in mall food courts. From there, they started to offer franchises as well as expanded to more Binalot branches.

Binalot Multiply Rommel Juan

I especially liked when Rommel shared Binalot’s vision:

To be the Preferred Truly Filipino quick-service restaurant in the Philippines which promotes Filipino Culture and sustains the environment.

I appreciate the advocacy of Binalot’s team. They provide our favourite Filipino food yet they also help out in the community by using environment-friendly packaging. Apart from that, the advocacy also supports 50+ families in Laguna, Zambales and Albay.

With regards to their new food delivery service, Rommel had this to say, “We are excited about this new innovation for Binalot. Binalot is the first fast food delivery service to partner with Multiply and take advantage of their advanced ordering systems and vast online reach. We believe that with this partnership Binalot’s customers may enjoy a faster and more convenient way of ordering their favorite Binalot meals.”

Multiply

Meanwhile, Multiply’s Senior Manager for Merchant Relations Raffy Maramag introducted Multiply.com. Multiply launched in 2004 and was a social networking site with people sharing blog entries, photos and videos. However, the company dropped the social network aspect of Multiply completely and shifted to E-Commerce in 2012.

Binalot Multiply Executive

Raffy provided a demo of the Binalot ordering process. He also answered questions from the audience about the service. Binalot made use of the Multiply e-commerce platform which a lot of people are familiar with. This is definitely a step to the right direction considering the numerous advantages of ordering online versus calling the delivery hotline. Payment is also made easy since customers can pay online with credit card, debit card or Paypal.

Binalot on Multiply is focused on bulk orders. We were given a chance to try out some of Binalot’s bilao meals available for delivery on the Binalot-Multiply site. We were all so excited to try out the food! It’s Filipino food at its best! Eye candy all around!

Binalot Multiply Food

* Legend: Medium-sized Bilao meals are good for 10 pax & Large-sized Bilao meals are good for 15 pax.

Vivo Tocino

Binalot Multiply Tocino

Sweet pork but immersed in oil… wahhh… I guess that’s really the ‘appeal’ of this popular breakfast dish. This is best eaten with rice. A small serving of Vivo Tocino is already good for one whole cup of rice.

No Bones Daing na Bangus (Medium – Php699/Large – Php999)

Binalot Multiply Bangus

I loved that the bangus bilao that Binalot served was boneless! This is one dish that’s so exciting to eat especially if you eat it with side dishes like salted egg and tomatoes (additional Php15 per pax).

Binalot Multiply Salted Egg

Binalot Multiply Tomatoes

Bistek Walastik (Medium – Php679/Large – Php 969)

Binalot Multiply Bistek

Bistek Walastik is commonly known as bistek tagalog. It is beef strips in tasty sauce. The onion rings are one of the obvious signs that you’re looking at a bistek tagalog. However, the super delicious sauce is what made me really like the dish. I’m just glad that Binalot has included this dish in their bilao lineup. This will surely be a hit!

Pork Barbecue (Medium – Php699/Large – Php997.50)

Binalot Multiply Barbeque

Some are picky with Pork barbecue. They only eat the meat part! I, on the other hand, was looking for the pork BBQ stick with the most fat, hahaha! Oh well, the deadliest part of a yummy dish is always the best part! Binalot’s pork BBQ can be eaten as is or partnered with rice or fried noodles.

Tapa Rap Sarap (Medium – Php739/Large – Php1,054.50)

Binalot Multiply Tapa

Among all the dishes that night, I enjoyed Tapa the most. I was going for seconds as I loved the sweet and spicy taste of the dish. According to Binalot, the Tapa Rap Sarap is considered as one of their best-sellers.

Hungry yet? I surely do! It’s nice to enjoy old-time Filipino favorite food items done traditional style! I shall order some Binalot meals to bring home. I plan to eat them using my own bare hands (true Filipino style)!

Binalot Multiply Mascot

Why don’t you gather your colleagues, friends and family for a fiesta-style meal? You can order in bulk through the new Binalot-Multiply site located at http://binalot.multiply.com!

Binalot Multiply Website

Order in 6 Simple Steps:

Select PRODUCT from the MENU list
Choose the QUANTITY and click the BUY NOW tab
Provide your EMAIL ADDRESS and SHIPPING ADDRESS
Choose your PAYMENT OPTION and PLACE YOUR ORDER
Put DATE/TIME of delivery in the COMMENTS BOX
Wait for Binalot’s call to confirm your order

More information about Binalot Online Ordering System:

BINALOT will ONLY process bulk-order in their online ordering facility.
A minimum order amount of Php 1,000 shall be strictly observed.
1-day order lead time required. 2–3 days order lead time for orders above Php 5,000/to more than 200 persons
Order Cut-off Time: 4pm.
Orders received after 4pm will be processed the next day.
A minimum 24-hour notice for changes in orders.
Delivery Schedule: Monday to Saturday, 8am – 8pm.
Delivery to Valenzuela/Muntinlupa/provinces is subject for Binalot’s approval

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Binalot on Multiply
Minimum Order: Php1,000
1 to 3 days order notice
http://binalot.multiply.com

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Smart LTE Launched!

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On September 3, 2012

Smart LTE Launched

As time passes by and things are improving fast, I want to do more and more things. Most of my goals can be achieved by going online. Take blogging, for example. I spend 80% of my free time writing articles, editing pictures and thinking of ways to improve my websites. That’s why I cannot imagine living life without being connected online.

Now, if I can only do things faster then I can achieve more. A lot of you might not know this, but I spend at least 5 hours on a single post here in HeaRty’s Haven. Uploading photos online takes about 15-30 minutes considering the large size. However, with a fast connection, I can lessen it to just 5 0r 10 minutes. This is why it is important to choose the right provider for my internet needs.

When I got an invite to attend the Smart LTE launch, I immediately confirmed. Smart Communications, Inc. is the first ever wireless service provider that offered 4G service in the Philippines. I wanted to know about the Smart LTE plan, how much it’ll cost and what areas are covered by the service.

Smart LTE Launch Event

Smart LTE Launch

Celebrating a breakthrough in mobile internet, Smart definitely made a big bang with their launch. It started with a sumptuous lunch prepared for media folks. Smart executives entertained questions about Smart LTE. I arrived a bit late so I didn’t catch the Q&A. However, I did have a copy of the press release so I think I have enough information to share with you about the product! 🙂

We were then asked to go to Resorts World activity area for the event proper. The place was full of personalities like celebrities, executives, shoppers, gamers, bloggers and media practitioners.

I got to meet the Social Media Specialists of Smart: Tob (@Smart_Tob), Myka (@Smart_Myka) & Kimberly (@Smart_Kimberly), they are getting popular! For any questions about new Smart subscriptions, they are the go-to guys! Follow them on Twitter!

Smart Social Media Specialists

Cosplayers were all around the place! Total coolness for the geeks during the time.

Smart LTE Launch Cosplayers

Jinri Park was the most sought after celebrity during the Smart LTE launch. I saw how my blogger friends looked at her when she passed by our area. They were all admiring her beauty. I, myself, find her so pretty as well.

It was also a nice surprise to know that she’s a gamer. I guess that’s why she graced the event. She knew how important it is to have blazing fast connection when you’re playing online games. Smart LTE is the way to go especially with its ability to deliver speeds of up to 42Mbps.

Smart LTE Launch Jinri Park

To prove how fast Smart LTE’s abilities are, Smart partnered with E-Games to fly Korean gaming champion Kim Hong Jae to Manila. Kim competed with Filipino gaming champion Pablo Poblador during the event in a round of Starcraft II.

Smart LTE Game Tournament

It was a nice event! I was glad I attended it. It’s just sad that my future home isn’t covered by Smart’s LTE service. But hey, Smart is increasing availability of the service in the country before the year ends, so it’s something to look forward to!

Smart 4G LTE Plan 3500

Smart LTE Dongle

SMART-Long Term Evolution (LTE) – Surf the web at blazing speeds that can clock up to 42 Mbps. Download movies in minutes, full album in seconds, and real-time gaming with no lag.

With Smart LTE Plan 3500, you receive:

A Smart LTE dongle (Huawei E392) that is capable of going at blistering speeds of up to 42Mbps
10GB of data
Expanded coverage in key cities around the Metro
P3,500 per month
P450/GB charging in excess of the 10GB
Compatibility with 2G/3G/HSPA/HSPA+ networks for areas where no LTE is available.
24 months lock in period

Smart LTE is available in 49 locations but will grow in time. Here’s the location map for your reference:

Smart LTE Locations

Metro Manila
• Taguig – The Fort • Makati City – Salcedo & Legaspi Village • Pasig City – Ortigas • Mandaluyong
• Pasay City – SM Mall of Asia • Manila – Binondo • Muntinlupa City – Alabang

Interested? Go to Smart 4G LTE official site.

Unlimited LTE to First Subscribers

Smart LTE Live Faster Live More

Good news!

For this new service, Smart is offering LTE on unlimited until October 25, 2012! Early subscribers must be in for a treat! Imagine being able to use blazing fast internet speeds without having to worry about additional fees! I’m sure disk space will be a challenge for early adopters during this time.

I’ve been hearing about LTE since last year. Finally, it’s available for everyone here in the Philippines! This is yet another first by Smart. If you have the need for speed, this is definitely the service for you!

Online gaming, streaming videos and downloading files are now much faster than ever. This definitely matches Smart’s vision for people to Live More.

Live Faster, Live More with Smart LTE.

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Get up to 5% rebate with EastWest EveryDay MasterCard

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On August 19, 2012

EastWest EveryDay MasterCard

Today, I learned about this new credit card, the EastWest EveryDay MasterCard! It gives you up to 5% cash rebate on essential purchases like supermarket, gasoline and drugstore. 5% is really a big deal nowadays!

For you to avail of the 5% rebate,a simple condition is for you to spend at least Php 10,000 on non-essential items like clothes, dining and hotel accommodation. If you spend Php 5,000 to Php 9,999 then the rebate for essential items is 3%. Lastly, if you spend below Php 5,000, you get a rebate of 0.5%.

Here’s a visual presentation on how the EastWest EveryDay MasterCard works:

Eastwest Rebates

I like that you don’t need to bring cash with you all the time and just use a credit card for payment. Aside from that, that card seems to serve as a discount card for essential things like supermarket, gas & drugstore purchases!

If I think about my spending habits, I would be able to maximize the benefits of the EastWest EveryDay Master Card. The 5% cash rebate would be easy since I often go to the mall to shop for clothes, shoes, bags or when I eat out at restaurants. I’m pretty sure I can spend more than Php 5,000 on food alone so it wouldn’t be hard for me to get the rebate for my essential spend.

Lastly, you do not need to redeem the cash rebates! Your cash rebates will be automatically credited to your EastWest EveryDay MasterCard account once you accumulate Php 200 worth of it.

Sounds cool? Then you can head over to EastWest Bank website and get yourself an EastWest EveryDay MasterCard!

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EastWest EveryDay MasterCard
To Apply: http://www.eastwestbanker.com/info/ewcc_afnow.asp
EastWest FaceBook Page

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