Fly with the Firefly Brigade

Start:	Jan 24, '10 08:00a
End:	Jan 24, '10 2:00p
Location:	169 Kamias Road corner Langka St., Kamias, Quezon City

Check this out...

Firefly Brigade Activities this weekend, January 24

Happening at 169 Kamias Road near corner Langka St., Kamias, Quezon City

1) Membership Orientation Workshop, January 24, 9.00am-1.00pm

You've been joining our rides, you're already online members...
it's about time you take your Firefly Brigade support to the next level...
Be a Firefly Brigade Core Member!


The Firefly Brigade is now inviting interested applicants for the

Basic Firefly Flight Training (FFT), a 3-Sunday workshop on Bike Safety, Bike Maintenance, Road Etiquette, and the Firefly Brigade work which will start on Sunday, January 24, from 9:00am to 1:00pm.

Registration: 8.30am
Venue: Firefly Brigade Headquarters, 169 Kamias Road near corner Langka St., Kamias, Quezon City.

Application Fee: Php100.00

Bring: pen, paper or notebook, personal snacks & drinks, own bike (if you don't have one yet, please inform us)


For inquiries, please contact:
Rosar Crisostomo
VP & Membership Head
rosar_c@yahoo. com
9225616

Multiply: tourofthefirelies. multiply. com
Twitter: fireflybrigade
Website: fireflybrigade. org

-----------------------------------

2) Garage Sale - Firefly Brigade Merchandise and Members' Garage Sale P20 up
January 24, Sunday, 8.00am-2.00pm

Firefly Brigade Tour & Advocacy Shirts - P100-250
Firefly Brigade Tour & Advocacy Jerseys - P100-250
Deuter Bags, Firefly Lighting Bulbs, Spyder Shades, Zefal Pumps etc.

Please pass on this bulletin to your cycling friends :) Thank you!

Winning the fight vs child mortality

Amidst relief operations to the victims of tropical storm “Ondoy,” the City Government of Valenzuela under the leadership of Mayor WIN Gatchalian, has intensified its health drive with the launching of “Garantisadong Pambata,” Oct. 5, 2009.

Some 200 parents and their children aged five years and below from Karuhatan and San Jeremias daycare centers attended the kick-off. They received a package of services such as free vaccinations, booster shots, deworming tablets and Vitamin A supplements. They were also given a guidebook that underscores proper healthcare.

Punong Barangay Nicomedes Caco of Karuhatan, together with other city health officials, also provided treats at the simple ceremony in SM Valenzuela Supercenter activity area.

City Health officer-in-charge Dr. Jaime M. Exconde Jr., said the Valenzuela public could avail the services until Oct. 17 from 47 government health centers around the city.

Now on its ninth year, the bi- annual Garantisadong Pambata was institutionalized throughout the country as part of the Philippines’ commitment to the UN Millennium Development Goals to reduce child mortality by two-thirds in 2015.

Records of Dr. Manny Mapue II, Chief City Epidemiologist, showed the city has successfully sustained this thrust. Statistics revealed significant decrease in mortality rate in 2008 among children one year to five years of age placing at 17.1 per 1,000 live births compared to 19.15 of the previous year. Furthermore, mortality rate among infants dipped to 13.82 as to 13.93 per 1,000 live births for the same period.

Dr. Exconde encouraged everyone to make Garantisadong Pambata work everyday for our children.

-Mark Lester Cayabyab/Valenzuela City PIO
http://www.valenzuela.gov.ph/

Kayaks will rule the bay

Philippine Kayaking Series 2009: 2nd Leg Kayak Explore Cavite-Corregidor-Cavite

Start:	Sep 19, '09
End:	Sep 20, '09
Location:	Manila Bay off Cavite and Corregidor

Click http://www.kayakphilippines.com for further info and to download your form.

Subtle movers, violent shakers

The world's finest crop of press photography for 2008 in a hard core ensemble at the World Press Photo 2009 Manila Exhibition at the SM Mall of Asia.

See other World Press Photo exhibits in Manila on redmark : http://redmark.multiply.com/photos/album/99/Exhausted... and http://redmark.multiply.com/photos/album/62/2007_World_Press_Photo_Exhibit_-_Manila

52nd World Press Photo exhibit opens in Manila

Start:	Aug 1, '09
End:	Aug 23, '09
Location:	The Podium, The Block, and SM Mall of Asia

At a time when single lens reflex digital cameras are becoming capable of taking not just stills, it all boils down to a single frame of ruthless storytelling.

Photojournalism's finest in a hardcore ensemble at these venues in Manila:

The Podium
Sat 01 Aug 09 Exhibition open for public
Mon 03 Aug 09 18:30 h. Official opening
Sat 08 Aug 09 Last day of exhibition

The Block, SM North Edsa
Sun 09 Aug 09 Exhibition open for public
Mon 10 Aug 09 Official opening
Wed 19 Aug 09 Last day of exhibition

Mall of Asia
Thu 20 Aug 09 Exhibition open for public
Thu 20 Aug 09 18:30 h. Official opening
Sun 23 Aug 09 Last day of exhibition

Bonifacio and Gisele cry eco-chic and more trees

When Daniel Burnham penned the blueprint for Manila in 1900s, his vision would be like Fort Bonifacio: tree-lined streets and parks all over the city.

One hot weekend afternoon in sprawling Fort Bonifacio in Manila, Brazilian sandals brand Ipanema and the Haribon Foundation gathered a throng of environment and fashion advocates for a mile-long walk for a cause.

Garbed in their comfy tops and footwear, participants to the March 21 walkathon called "Walk the Green Mile" trooped around the former military camp in an effort to boost awareness of ROAD to 2020 (Rainforestation Organizations and Advocates) for the preservation of Philippine rainforests.

Haribon Foundation Vice-Chairman Philip Camara thru the NGO's website explained, “ROAD to 2020 movement is an environmental conservation effort to restore one million hectares of our rainforests by the year 2020.”

Further, Patxi Elizalde, head of Ipanema's local distributor said proceeds from the Gisele Bundchen Seeds Collection will be used in sustaining forest preservation initiatives.

Elizalde gave away a pair of Ipanema sandals signed by its designer herself, supermodel Gisele Bundchen to a lucky participant.

redmark SPEAKS: The organizers should consider another round of walkathon in a place where the general tao could absorb their cause. Bonifacio would surely love to see that.

Mag-agri tayo!

The Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards continues its commitment to honor the cream of the crop in agriculture journalism – writers and storytellers who are dedicated to the development of Philippine agriculture. With bigger and more exciting prizes, the 3rd Bright Leaf Agriculture Journalism Awards is now open to all works published or broadcast from June 15, 2008 to May 15, 2009.

The contest is open to all professional Filipino journalists residing in the Philippines, 18 years old and above and with a passion for journalistic excellence. All entries, either news or features, must focus on topics related to Agriculture in the Philippines.

Entries should be in English or Filipino. Works in other Philippine regional dialects will also be accepted, provided that the entry is accompanied by a translation in English.

AWARD CATEGORIES

Agriculture Story of the Year
Tobacco Story of the Year
Agriculture Photo of the Year
Tobacco Photo of the Year
Best News Story (National)
Best News Story (Regional)
Best Feature Story (National)
Best Feature Story (Regional)
Agriculture Radio Program /Segment of the Year
Agriculture TV Program/ Segment of the Year



"Soup in Salad" by Mauricio Victa of BusinessMirror      
                       

"Longest Tobacco" by Andy Zapata of the Philippine Star
                                         

For other inquiries, please visit http://brightleafawards.com or contact the Bright Leaf secretariat and look for:

Shyla Reyes
(02) 332-10-31 local 103
or 09178475264 or 0923-3636802
Email: shyla.reyes@m2comms.com

Visit Bright Leaf's official blogpage at http://brightleafawards.multiply.com

Lakad para sa kalikasan

On March 21 at 5PM, the public is invited to slip into their sandals and Walk the Green Mile at Fort Bonifacio Global City to show their support for a greener, cleener world.

The first 500 participants will receive a limited edition Ipanema GB Seeds baller ID, first 100 participants get a free Walk the Green Mile shirt, while the first 50 participants get a free Ipanema GB Seeds of their choice. Those who purchase at the venue gets a 10% off, a free bag and a chance to win a pair of Ipanema GB Seeds signed by Gisele Bundchen herself!

Registration starts at 3PM.

Walk the Green Mile

Start:	Mar 21, '09 3:00p
Location:	The Fort (infront of Le Souffle)

On March 21 at 5PM, the public is invited to slip into their sandals and Walk the Green Mile at Fort Bonifacio Global City to show their support for a greener, cleener world.

The first 500 participants will receive a limited edition Ipanema GB Seeds baller ID, first 100 participants get a free Walk the Green Mile shirt, while the first 50 participants get a free Ipanema GB Seeds of their choice. Those who purchase at the venue gets a 10% off, a free bag and a chance to win a pair of Ipanema GB Seeds signed by Gisele Bundchen herself!

Registration starts at 3PM.

Earth Hour 2009

Start:

Mar 29, '09 8:30p

Lights off (and swith to CFLs) to curb climate change.

According to Worldwide Fund website, Earth Hour is a global campaign "which hopes to reach out to more than one billion people in 1000 cities around the world, asks individuals, businesses and governments to switch off lights for just one hour on Saturday, 28 March at 8:30PM to create a platform of support for action on climate change.

Earth Hour aims to demonstrate unprecedented solidarity and provide a visual global mandate that will put the heat on world leaders meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009 to strike a new global deal on climate change."

Some two million Sydney residents started out Earth Hour in 2007 by switching off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe took a similar initiative.

(Im not yet sure though if there will be a program in CCP to kick off the event like last year)

Prepare! Dark Night coming on March 28

World Wide Fund Philippines Vice-Chairman & CEO Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan invites delegates to an energy management round table hosted by Philips in Le Souffle, Fort Bonifacio Wednesday night, to join this year's Earth Hour.

According to WWF website, "the campaign, which hopes to reach out to more than one billion people in 1000 cities around the world, asks individuals, businesses and governments to switch off lights for just one hour on Saturday, 28 March at 8:30PM to create a platform of support for action on climate change.

Earth Hour aims to demonstrate unprecedented solidarity and provide a visual global mandate that will put the heat on world leaders meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009 to strike a new global deal on climate change."

Some two million Sydney residents started out Earth Hour in 2007 by switching off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe took a similar initiative.

Ballet slippers

There were pointe shoes strapped to the feet of dancers from the Philppine Ballet Theater.

But forest-inspired flip flops made from recycled materials shared the limelight at The Fort's Le Souflle for the launch of Ipanema Gisele Bundchen Seed Collection, Feb. 19.

Francisco Patxi Elizalde, Managing Director of ELRO Commercial and Industrial Corporation, the Brazilian brand's local distributor, hosted a night of good food and eco-chic fashion for bloggers.

Though Supermodel Gisele Bundchen (proclaimed by Forbes magazine as modeling world's top earner) was not around when her flip flops made their way on the ramp, however, her presence was felt since proceeds from sales will finance "Forests of the Future project" that aims to regenerate the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and local forests as well thru the Haribon Foundation.

Eco chic catches fire in Manila.

Amorsolo, papara na sa Ayala

Last few days of "culture coup" Amorsolo retrospective!

"His Heart, Our Art" reaches its last leg of exhibition in Makati City's Ayala Museum and will run until March 8.

Dubbed as "Amorsolo’s Maidens Concealed and Revealed," Inquirer.net said "the exhibit will focus on women as a way of understanding Amorsolo’s celebration of beauty and feminine sensuality."

It further noted, the collection will "draw attention to his country maidens from the American period in our history and his studies of nudes from the postwar years."

Amorsolo had the following stop overs since September last year:
 
UP Vargas Museum: "Amorsolo, His Contemporaries and Pictures of War: Capturing Anxieties" from Sept. 23 to Nov. 16, 2008.

Lopez Museum: "Tell Tale: The Artist as Storyteller, Amorsolo as Co-Author" from Sept 24, 2008 to April 4, 2009.

The National Museum: "Master Copy" from Sept. 25 to Jan. 15, 2008.

Metropolitan Museum of Manila: "Philippine Staple: The Land, The Harvest and the Maestro" from Sept. 26, 2008 to Jan. 13, 2009.

Yuchengco Museum: "Mukhang Tsinoy: Portraits by Fernando Amorsolo" from Oct. 1, 2008 to Jan. 17, 2009.

GSIS Museum: "Rituals and Amorsolo" from Oct 2, 2008 to Dec 20, 2008.


* http://amorsoloretro.com/

Pasinaya 2009 na, CCP 40 pa!

Start:	Feb 1, '09
Location:	Cultural Center of the Philippines

PASINAYA 2009 OPENS AT CCP
ON February 1, 2009, the Cultural Center of the Philippines will become the most creative place on earth when more than 2,000 artists, led by the CCP Resident Companies perform at least 70 short previews of upcoming shows included in the 2009 performance season at the CCP.

Dubbed as the biggest one-day performing arts festival, Pasinaya 2009: CCP Open House Festival is the opening salvo of CCP’s 40th Anniversary celebration and National Arts Month in February.

Pasinaya 2009 will be held in all the venues of the CCP. Activities and events will be held indoor and outdoors, and will include Harbour Square and Star Theater for the first time.

The public is invited to pay what they can and see all they can in one day. Various activities will be held in different “Zones” all over the CCP.
CCP Resident Companies will regale audiences with snippets of their performance seasons in the Resident Company zone. Featured are Ballet Philippines, Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company, National Music Competitions for Young Artists, Philippine Ballet Theater, Philippine Madrigal Singers, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, Tanghalang Pilipino and the University of Sto. Tomas Symphony Orchestra.

Other such zones are the Music Zone, Dance Zone, Theater Zone, Film Zone, Literary Zone, Visual Arts Zone, a culinary zone and the Children’s Zone. Pasinaya 2009 offers workshops, information booths, exhibits, Cinemalaya film screenings, puppet shows, storytelling, performance poetry, a culinary fair and cooking demos, and an arts and collectibles market.

The CCP Pasinaya is a yearly event of the CCP which seeks to increase awareness of the CCP performance season and programs. This year’s Pasinaya is expected to once again draw crowds to the CCP as it offers audiences a day of fun and excellent entertainment through the popular pay-what-you-can, see-all-you-can scheme.

Pasinaya 2009 is the first event in the year-long celebration of the CCP’s 40th Anniversary.

For inquiries, contact the CCP Performing Arts Department at 832-1125 loc. 1602-1607.

UP Film Institute fetes best film of all time "Himala"

I thought the cocoon shape thingie was a flower vase misplaced on the table. I later found out it's the trophy from CNN APSA.

I went to the "Sa Likod ng Himala" event in UP Film Institute's Ishmael Bernal Gallery, Dec 16 and saw Ricky Lee, The Ricky Lee of Philippine Cinema standing infront of me.

Ricky Lee wrote the screenplay of "Himala ('Miracle') which was gloriously adapted to the big screen by the late National Artist for Film Ishmael Bernal.

The Institute paid tribute to the 1982 flick for bagging the CNN APSA Viewers Choice Award for Best Asia-Pacific Film of all Time last month in Queensland, Australia.

The UP Film Institute also screened behind the scenes footage of Himala that ran for some 20 minutes. At some part, the grainy documentary had the feel of an actual eye witness account of a shooting incident. The spritely filmmaker Bernal was so moved, he was heard commenting "ang galing ng ano... realistic!"

Screenwriter Ricky Lee and producer Bibsy Carballo in an open forum said they felt "vindicated" with their work being proclaimed "best film" not by an award-giving body but by nameless individuals of cyberworld who felt the movie deserve such distinction.

"Himala" failed to please most critics when it was first shown in 1982 citing the work was "ahead of its time." [Vilma Santos was cannonized on that awards season as Grand Slam Best Actress for the movie "Relasyon," same director-writer tandem]. Critics however saw the light and embraced the beauty of "Himala" in later years.

The best film which "tells the story of Elsa, a barrio lass whose visions of the Virgin Mary changed her life and caused hysteria in a poor, isolated village" bested cinematic heavyweights like Akira Kurosawa, Satyajit Ray, Wong Kar-wai and Ang Lee (...such names so often seen on pages of Time magazine) from a list made by CNN critics and industry insiders.

Backpacking Around The World: Pinoy Style

Start:	Aug 12, '08 7:00p
End:	Aug 12, '08 9:00p
Location:	R.O.X., Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Backpacking Around The World: Pinoy Style

Location: ROX -CORE (Center for Outdoor Recreation and Expedition), R.O.X., Bonifacio Global City

"Due to public demand, we are doing the backpacking talk for the 3rd time! Learn expert tips and hear stories of our Pinoy backpackers on Aug 12, 2008 at ROX."

"Register by emailing us your full name and mobile number at rox.cs@primergrp.com."

Admission is Free.

Anong kwento ko?

"Anong kwento mo?" bungad ng isang dambuhalang tarpaulin ng Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival 2008 sa CCP Tanghalang Pambansa.

"Bakit ikaw lang mag-isa?" Dugtong pa niya. "Nasaan sila?"

"Potah ewan," sagot ko. "May mga trabaho. O baka may tinatrabaho. Char!"

"Keri na. Pasok ka na; papatapos na yung show ni Adela."

At dahil ako ay nahuli sa opening film at walang oras magbabad sa higanteng blokeng gusali, inaliw ko na lamang ang aking sarili sa paglaro ng liwanag.

Ang still kamera. Kahit sa isang pitik, sa kwento'y hitik. :D

The Cinemalaya 2008 runs from July 11 to 20, 2008 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Tanghalang Pambansa. Tickets: P100 (flash your school ID and you'll get 50% discount, P350 for a day pass. But if you're filthy loaded and uber hungry for great Pinoy indie flicks, shell out P950 for a mahiwagang festival pass.

Kadangyan performs at the Adventure Philippines seminar

It was Philippine-American Friendship Day at the Hotel Stotsenberg in Clark Special Economic Zone when Kadangyan, an ethno-tribal rock quintet performed for the the guests of Adventure Philippines' Seminar on Adventure Tourism. There were a number of foreigners (who are experts in adventure tourism industry) around but the distinct Pinoy atmosphere was abound. Thanks to these guys, their music is one good reason why it's rockin' nice to be Pinoy. :)

Visit them at www.kadangyanband.multiply.com

"KADANGYAN is an Ifugao term which means “Rich in Culture”.

The band started from a group of visual and performing artists who shared the same passion and advocacy then they decided to venture into music.

After few performances and positive feedbacks from the audience, came more invitations from different event organizers all over Cebu, and there it started. The band was officially formed on the month of October way back year 2000.

With members coming from the different parts of the country. Kadangyan produced songs that were very distinctive and unique using Filipino indigenous instruments which were mostly hand crafted.

Now KADANGYAN specializes in ethno-tribal rock music, and likewise plays in an acoustic set-up, provides natural ambient music and performs different kinds of Filipino native rituals on music bars, on-stage, theatres, universities, conventions or even on private parties and special gatherings.

As what KADANGYAN always says that “The beauty of every place in the world is it’s own culture!”…

MEMBERS:

* || Bhava Mitra || A pure native Igorot, Baguio City, Luzon
* vocals, mityapi, acoustic guitar, native flute & kubing

* || Govinda || Iligan City, Mindanao
* Back up vocals
Bidjang, kubing, budjong & devils- water chimes

* || Agit || Samar, Visayas
* Bass and other percussions

* || Saryu || Cebu
* Drums, tukatok and other percussions

* || Bhakta || Tacloban City , Visayas
* Back-up vocals, gabang (bamboo xylophone), d'jembe"

We Shall Come to Eiga Sai 2008

Start:	Jul 8, '08
End:	Aug 16, '08
Location:	Shangri-La Plaza Cinema Cinema 3, CCP Dream Theater, UP Film Institute

It's the time of the year for some silver screen sashimi! Feast on five contemporary, one classical and two animae/manga films in 35mm format FOR FREE from the land of the rising sun!

Opening film will be "We Shall Overcome Someday (Pacchigi)" by director Kazuyuki Izutsu. The Japan Foundation website said," the film story tells about the situation during the 1960’s in Japan, the romance between a Japanese and an ethnic North Korean high school student, the sets of cultural differences intertwined by love and passion conquering its boundaries, which is torn by the realities of issues of life that still prevails. Likewise, it deals with music, sexual liberation, freedom and about doing what you want. We Shall Overcome Someday was ranked as the best Japanese film by the venerable Kinema Junpo in 2005."

SHANGRI-LA PLAZA

July 8 (Tue) 7:00 PM We Shall Overcome Someday

July 9 (Wed) 2:00 PM Hanging Garden
4:00 PM Canary
6:00 PM A Stranger of Mine
8:00 PM Juvenile Jungle

July 10 (Thu) 2:00 PM Hanging Garden
4:00 PM Linda Linda Linda
6:00 PM Juvenile Jungle
8:00 PM A Stranger of Mine

July 11 (Fri) 2:00 PM Canary
4:00 PM Hanging Garden
6:00 PM Linda Linda Linda
8:00 PM We Shall Overcome Someday

July 12 (Sat) 2:00 PM Linda Linda Linda
4:00 PM Canary
6:00 PM We Shall Overcome Someday
8:00 PM A Stranger of Mine

July 13 (Sun) 2:00 PM A Stranger of Mine
4:00 PM We Shall Overcome Someday
6:00 PM Juvenile Jungle
8:00 PM Linda Linda Linda
J-POP ANIME MATSURI
July 26 (Sat) 11:30 AM Doraemon
1:30 PM Doraemon
4:00 PM Chibi Maruko Chan (Movie)
6:00 PM The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
8:00 PM Chibi Maruko Chan (Movie)

July 27 (Sun) 11:30 AM Doraemon
2:00 PM The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
5:00 PM Chibi Maruko Chan (Movie)
8:00 PM The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

CULTURAL CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES

Aug 7 (Thu) 2:00 PM Canary
5:00 PM Juvenile Jungle
7:00 PM Hanging Garden

Aug 8 (Fri) 2:00 PM A Stranger of Mine
5:00 PM Juvenile Jungle
7:00 PM Canary

Aug 9 (Sat) 2:00 PM Linda Linda Linda
5:00 PM We Shall Overcome Someday
7:00 PM A Stranger of Mine

Aug 10 (Sun) 2:00 PM Chibi Maruko Chan (Movie)
5:00 PM We Shall Overcome Someday
7:00 PM Linda Linda Linda

UP FILM INSTITUTE

Aug 11 (Mon) 4:00 PM We Shall Overcome Someday
7:00 PM Linda Linda Linda

Aug 12 (Tue) 4:00 PM Juvenile Jungle
7:00 PM Hanging Garden

Aug 13 (Wed) 4:00 PM A Stranger of Mine
7:00 PM Canary

Aug 14 (Thu) 4:00 PM Canary
7:00 PM We Shall Overcome Someday

Aug 16 (Sat) 4:00 PM Chibi Maruko Chan (Movie)
7:00 PM A Stranger of Mine

Featured films are subtitled in English as usual. For more synopsis and schedule, leap thru: http://www.jfmo.org.ph/events_eigasai08.htm