TV5 JasMINE premieres this June 1

If you love romantic, drama series with suspense, a little mystery, unpredictable story lines, can't guess the ending, then you should watch the latest TV series of TV5 starring Jasmine Curtis Smith (playing as a fictional version of herself).

 TV5's most promising young actress and posed to be the on-screen partner of the network's hottest hunk actor, Alexis Vergara (Vin Abrenica). As she clinches the lead role in the network's (fictional) flagship series Ur Loved, Jasmine finds adversity from her co-actresses which exposes her to the bitter realities of being famous. And as if things can't get any worse, Jasmine acquires a stalker named Maskara who becomes the source of a series of unfortunate events to befall on her.

Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, known for its award-winning advertising campaigns, is in-charge of the program's creative content, while Unitel Entertainment, a respected name in the field of commercial and film production, is the program's line producer. 

JasMINE (the series) is also the first-ever TV series in the country that goes across digital platforms, boasting its second-screen feature that allows its audience to enjoy content both from their television and mobile screens. With this feature, viewers can follow JasMINE on-air and online, get access to relevant and exclusive content, and engage with the show and their fellow fans.

The series is just the first in TV5's list of programs that can be enjoyed via multi-screen media consumption as the network continues to respond to the changing media landscape in the country.

Mark your calendars and watch the premiere of JasMINE this June 1, 9:15PM on TV5.

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It Takes GUTZ To Be A Gutierrez only on E!

Let me tell you a secret.. I follow and watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians on E! haha! I'm curious kasi of their lifestyles, what's going on in their lives, living the luxury life, etc. And it's on free tv, so why not watch it, right? It's like an escape from your world and peeking on how other people live their life. Somtimes, we want real drama, real comedy, that's why we are easily hooked on reality shows. And it's one of my fave reality shows on E! And now, Asia will have our own reality show! Exciting! And it's none other than the Gutierrez Family!

Last Monday, I was invited to the Red Carpet premiere of It Takes Gutz to be a Gutierrez! It was held at Century Mall Plaza, Makati City. A lot of media people, celebrities were all excited to watch the show!

One of the year’s most highly anticipated reality series is set to make its mark on Asian airwaves as E! presents its first-ever Asian original, It Takes GUTZ To Be A Gutierrez. Featuring the Philippines’ most sensational showbiz family, this sizzling six-episode series premieres on Sunday, June 1 at 9pm, exclusively on pop culture powerhouse, E! (Sky Cable and Destiny Channel 57, Cignal Channel 25 and Cablelink Channel 33)

“As the home of the most topical pop culture buzz on celebrities, daily entertainment news and live red carpet coverage, E! is the perfect fit for a no-holds-barred series on the Gutierrez Family,” commented Christine Fellowes, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Universal Networks International. “We are delighted that they are opening up their lives and that we are able to bring this locally relevant content to our E! audience in the Philippines

Christine Fellowes, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Universal Networks International

The Gutierrez family may be synonymous with showbiz but it’s not all glitz and glamor for them. Viewers across Asia will get an unfiltered access into the dramatic lives of this one-of-a-kind Filipino family as Ruffa, Richard, Raymond and their parents Eddie and Annabelle live up to their name and show that it really takes GUTZ to be a member of their clan. Whether at home or on a cruise, each family member cannot escape the crazy controversies that surround them as they deal with issues of insecurity, failed attempts on marriage and politics, as well as rumors of pregnancy out of wedlock.

Will a supposedly gossip-free family vacation put rumors to rest? Will the family be forced to deal with issues they feel towards one another? How will the hardworking and protective Annabelle keep her family together amidst all the tension-filled family fights? Catch all these sensational emotions and jaw-dropping moments on the first season of It Takes GUTZ To Be A Gutierrez.

Being the global destination for ‘Pop of Culture’ and the renowned leader in entertainment news, the series marks E!’s first foray into original Asian reality programming and continued commitment to shine the spotlight on local Asian personalities and celebrities.

Eddie Gutierrez is a veteran actor with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 movies. He was one of the top matinee idols in the ‘60s and ‘70s, being the leading man of the biggest Filipino blockbusters like Susan Roces, Amalia Fuentes and Pilita Corrales. He loves to sing and is often imitating his idol, Elvis Presley.

From where she is right now, one could hardly believe that Annabelle Rama-Gutierrez was born and raised in Cebu City and remains to be humble. Coming from a family that is no stranger to the Philippine political arena, Annabelle considers herself to be 100 % Cebuano. 

Eddie is married to Annabelle Rama, a former actress who runs a talent management company. She grew up in a political family from Cebu and knows what she wants - from the first time she met Eddie she was star struck, fell in love and pursued him until he committed to her. 

Married for more than 35 years, Eddie and Annabelle have been through it all and continue to be partners, best friends and each other’s greatest supporters. Eddie and Annabelle have six children: showbiz darlings Ruffa, Richard and Raymond, as well as Elvis, Rocky and Ritchie Paul. Eddie also has two sons from previous relationships: actors Tonton Gutierrez and Ramon Christopher. 

Through the good times and bad, Eddie and Annabelle enjoy a life filled with love, warmth and happiness. They cherish their time together with the whole family and being grandparents to Ruffa’s daughters, Lorin and Venice.

EDDIE GUTIERREZ. The Legend and ANNABELLE RAMA, The Boss

Raymond is a TV host, editor, columnist, endorser and actor in the Philippines. Best known for hosting Pinoy Idol in 2008, which earned him the praise of US TV personality, and E!’s Live From The Red Carpet host Ryan Seacrest, Raymond is currently one of the hosts of entertainment newsmagazine Showbiz Police. 

In October 2011, Raymond became the style director for Esquire Magazine Philippines, representing the men’s lifestyle publication at the 2012 Men's Fashion Week in London. He is also an ambassador for brands in fast-moving consumer goods (Magnum Ice Cream), haircare (TRESemmé) and beauty (Sexy Solution by Belo). In July 2012, he became an endorser for casual apparel retailer, Bench/Fix Salon. 

RAYMOND GUTIERREZ, Funny Fashionista

Richard is an actor and producer, known for reality series Survivor Philippines (2008), musical variety show SOP Gigsters (2004) and fantasy TV drama Mulawin (2004-2005), which led to a feature-length film of the same name, Mulawin: The Movie (2005). Richard is an adventure-seeker by nature, enjoying the thrill of exploring the outdoors and riding his treasured motorbike. He is currently dating actress Sarah Lahbati. 

RICHARD GUTIERREZ, Hunky Adrenaline Junkie

 Sharmaine Ruffa Gutierrez, more popularly known as Ruffa Gutierrez, is a premier Filipino actress, model, television personality, beauty queen, commercial endorser and charity fundraiser. With a colorful career that spans over 20 years of being in the local and international entertainment industry, Ruffa’s showbiz experience covers five continents across multiple media platforms such as TV, movies, print and online. Truly a Filipino media and entertainment icon, she has starred in more than 50 film and television productions in a variety of roles. 

 She was married to Turkish businessman Yilmaz Bektas from 2003 to 2007, and they had their daughters Lorin and Venice. In 2009, she joined international beauty brand Avon as their ambassador for the “Speak Out Against Domestic Violence” campaign, championing the cause to empower women in the fight against domestic abuse. 

To date, Ruffa remains to be one of the most in demand celebrities in the Philippines and one of its most celebrated faces. Ruffa continues to shine in every field that she finds herself in and continues to grow after every experience that she is faced with in her professional and personal life. 

RUFFA GUTIERREZ, Beauty Queen, Actress, Model and Brand Ambassador

Don't forget to catch the Episode #101: The Price of Fame on Sunday, June 1 at 9PM

Of course, photo op with super aliw Ms. Annabel Rama and Mr. Eddie Gutierrez

Thank you E! for having me! :) 

Save the date and time! It takes GUTZ to be a Gutierrez premieres June 1, Sunday at 9 pm on E! (Sky Cable Channel 57 and Cablelink Channel 33). 

Inanc Balci, co-founder and CEO of Lazada Philippines

While many of us can only dream of changing the world, Inanc Balci is already doing it. At 26, he co-founded South East Asia’s online retail tiger Lazada and now, at age 28, he sits as the Chief Executive Officer for Lazada Philippines. 

On Being a young CEO

Balci, a Turkish raised in London, attended Purdue University in the U.S. with a double-degree in Industrial Engineering and Economics. Afterwhich, he worked on mergers and acquisitions for an investment bank in London. While working for the investment bank, Balci saw the eminent potential in e-commerce which led him to join Rocket Internet and eventually co-found Lazada in Southeast Asia.

In the Philippines, Balci heads a pool of more than 300 employees, all of which he works very closely with. With an unabashed outlook, agile wit, and a laser-sharp eye for details, Balci perfectly fits the bill to lead a rapidly-growing online company.

Inanc Balci, co-founder and CEO of Lazada Philippines

Online Shopping in the Philippines

In a country where shopping malls are practically part of the fabric of the society, online shopping is something quite a number of Filipinos are unaccustomed to—there comes the perennial trust issue on using credit cards, the surprise surcharges, and unfortunately, the products not arriving at all. 

The malls in the Philippines, on the otherhand, have creatively articulated themselves to be not just shopping destinations but also as a means of recreation (i.e. be it the cinemas, the gaming zones, the restaurants, or as simple as the airconditioning they offer as a break from the raging tropical weather outdoors)—all of these were the issues that Balci had to dispel—and dispel he and his co-founders did. Lazada has made shopping quick, effortless, and risk-free to South East Asia and in the Philippines, this is the same principle that Balci is harping on to the Filipinos. 

How is this so? First, Lazada accommodates all those shoppers without credit cards via its cash-on-delivery payment mode. This is essential given that not everyone has a credit card or is keen on sharing their credit card details to someone—or anyone for that matter. This makes online shopping risk-free for everyone. 

Being an archipelago of 7,100 islands, accessibility is always an issue—a significant portion of consumers doesn’t have time or access to visit the malls but with a minimum of PhP 1,000 purchase, Lazada offers free nationwide delivery, to customers anywhere in the Philippines, just log-in, shop, and the products will be delivered at the customer’s doorstep. 

Lastly, Lazada offers the flexibility of having the customers return the products within 30 days for free—provided that the products are in mint condition.

In a span of two years of being in the Philippines, Balci has steered Lazada to further heights and now with more than 40,000 SKUs, reaching 90-precent of the online population of the Philippines, and ranking as the 4th top Facebook brand in the country with a direct audience close to 2 Million. 

What the dot-com bubble holds for Lazada is still yet to be revealed, but one thing is for certain, Inanc Balci, the 28 year-old co-founder and CEO, is definitely changing the way Filipinos buy.

About Lazada

Lazada (www.lazada.com.ph) is Philippines’ largest online shopping mall and is pioneering e-commerce by providing a fast, convenient and secure online shopping experience combined with an extensive product offering in categories ranging from mobiles & tablets and consumer electronics to household goods, toys, fashion and sports equipment. Lazada is continuously striving to offer its customers the best possible shopping experience with multiple payment methods including cash on delivery, extensive warranty commitments and free returns. Lazada mobile applications for Android, iPhone and iPad provide additional convenience to its consumers’ allowing them to shop anywhere, anytime. 

For more information, please visit http://www.lazada.com.ph. For updates on Lazada’s latest innovations, as well as activities, contests and promotions, connect with us via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LazadaPhilippines).

Cohen's Lifestyle Program for Mommies and Babies

Motherhood is one of the greatest privileges that come with being a woman. But not everyone finds it easy to conceive, and medical science reveals that the risk for infertility especially runs high among the obese.

And just because you're a mom and you're always tired from your daily activities, it gives you an excuse to eat and eat. Or binge yourself or dwell yourself in stress eating. Some of us mommies have a love/hate relationship with our body. And when I attended the Cohen Lifestyle event, I learned that we really need to take care of ourselves, our body. Our health should be our top priority.

Cohen's pa-healthy lunch and desserts

“Weight loss is the cornerstone in the treatment of obesity-associated infertility. Every 0.1 unit increase in the waist-to-hip ratio of women decreases the probability of conception by 30% per menstrual cycle. This is due to the imbalance in hormones leading to problems in ovulation, fertilization and implantation. In addition, obese women who do get pregnant are more vulnerable to pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, stillbirths, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes,” explained Dr. Angel Bandola, an obstetrician-gynecologist at University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital and St. Luke’s Medical Center and Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre’s executive director. 

If you look closely at the picture, from 240lbs last 2008 to 127lbs at present, thanks to change of lifestyle at Cohen, Dra. Angel managed to lose almost 100lbs. Amazing, right?

Some of us mommies might be trying for another baby(like ME!!! hehe). And I may not look obese, but this should be a warning or a reminder for me not to go there..

Can you believe that all these mommies were overweight before? Enter the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program, a rapid weight loss and wellness solution through nutrition based on a person’s unique blood profile. Through its holistic approach to beating obesity, the Cohen program has helped many aspiring moms lose the flab, experience the joys of motherhood, and stay in shape after giving birth. Without requiring exercise, injection, or intake of pills, the program delivers results, with clients averaging a loss of up to 8 to 10 lbs a month. 

The stories of “Cohen mommies” (women who credit the Cohen program for their successful pregnancy) often begin with disappointment and desperation, but end in pleasant surprise and profuse gratitude. 

One such mom is Cheryl Alcantara: “We have been praying to get pregnant. My seven year-old daughter had been wishing for a sibling ever since she was four, with birthday candles, tooth fairies, or Santa Claus.” 

The wish was finally granted after she lost 51 lbs in six months through the Cohen program: her menstrual period became regular, and soon enough, she tested positive for pregnancy. And despite being over 35 years old and more prone to complications, she was cleared of hypertension and gestational diabetes.

Conceiving through Cohen

Another Cohen mommy is Love del Rosario, 32. It took three years, two infertility specialists and several work-ups before she got pregnant with her eldest, especially since she was obese and was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). 

At 168 lbs, she found it difficult to conceive again. But through Cohen, she shed 58 lbs in less than six months. As soon as she reached her goal weight, she got pregnant: “I never thought it was possible for me to get pregnant without a fertility work-up!” 

Like her, Leah Alingog, 34, was diagnosed with PCOS before she got married, which led to great difficulty conceiving. But after losing over 20 lbs in three months, she got pregnant without going through any work-up.

For her part, Imelda Acidera, then a mom of three, enrolled in the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program to lose the flab. But when she shed 32 lbs in four months, she was able to conceive unexpectedly, more than eight years after the birth of her third child. Now, she is on her way to being slim again, and has been conscientiously following the Cohen’s lifestyle to shed the post-partum fat, or the “baby weight.”

The gift of motherhood is one that Cohen mommies cherish every day. As Love shares, “I feel blessed being able to love them, and discover who they are, and be a witness to the kind of persons they will be. It’s one adventure after another.” Leah, meanwhile, says, “My favorite part of being a mother is the everyday learning experience with my baby.”

As a bonus, the Cohen program has also been aiding Cohen mommies in losing the baby weight, by teaching them to watch what they eat. As Imelda explains, “Now, I know what food to choose and I have become more conscious of my eating habits,” adding that she had even acquired a more acute sense of taste, allowing her to truly enjoy every bite. 

Finally, Cheryl says: “The Cohen lifestyle is about the discipline that we take with us even after the program. The meal plan teaches us about better food choices, thereby allowing these meals to be our medicine…I changed my wardrobe, bought nice-fitting clothes and started wearing heels!” 

By the looks of it, Cheryl, Love, Leah, and Imelda have not just become moms, but moms in great shape, thanks to the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program. As Dr. Angel shares, “Our mission at the Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre is to help people adopt a lifestyle change, to become better, happier versions of themselves. To be able to let these women experience motherhood, and retain their figure after giving birth, is such a great blessing.”

You can now have your chance to be like them! Check out Cohen Lifestyle Centre and have a wellness and weight loss journey with them.

For more info and updates, add them on facebook.

Cheers to a healthy lifestyle!

Tagai driving eyewear is now in the Philippines

Affiliated with Paris Miki Inc., Japan’s largest optical chain store with more than 800 stores established in Europe, Asia, Australia and the USA, TAGAI is now launched as the newest top-of-the-line eyewear brand offering the best options in driving eyewear to the very meticulous consumers here in the Philippines. TAGAI comes from the Japanese character 互 which means “unity”. In Japanese, TAG = fold and AI = love.

TAGAI has been conceptualized based on the corporate philosophy that is founded on the principle of putting customers and their future first.  Geared towards providing quality in the products offered to the market and with an assurance of straight-from-the-heart customer service given in excellence up to the point of after-sales, TAGAI’s product development team gives consumers a chance to once and for all get value for their money. Furthermore, a portion of our total sales will be used for charity support funds.

Men and women drivers in the Philippines can now conquer the road not only with assurance in safety and reaching peak performance in driving by wearing TAGAI, the newest driving eyewear created using the latest in polarity technology. Designed to meet standard requirements for eye protection, visual aptitude optimization and performance enhancement for drivers’ especially professional auto racers while ensuring fashion and style, TAGAI’s product development team has been keen in each detail of this great innovation in both sports and casual eyewear. At the onset, TAGAI puts a spotlight on driving eyewear that gives anyone who is active with various day and night activities maximum eye protection, optimized use of visual aptitude and to cap it off, the guarantee of driving in fashion and style. 

TAGAI has two (2) frame designs, the TAGAI (α) ALPHA and TAGAI (β) BETA. These designs were rationally made based on the two most significant things for its endorser F1 Japanese racer KAMUI KOBAYASHI which are protecting his eyes as the first and seconded by being stylish & trendy.

TAGAI (α) ALPHA

 

Black Frame and Yellow Temple, Gold Mirror with Diurnal Lens

 Matte Black Finish in Gold Mirror Nocturnal Lens. 

TAGAI (β) BETA

85% Dark Matte Black in Gold Mirror Lens

Sporty Red finish in gold mirror lens

With more than 80 years of experience in how to enhance our vision, TAGAI manufacturer Paris Miki is proud to release the Diurnal and Nocturnal Lenses. The unique experience of crystal-like lenses made in Japan.

Using the original manufacturing method of lenses with the integration of the fusion method of polarizing film and lenses, Diurnal Lenses were crafted to be surprisingly thin and highly durable. These lenses are very difficult to crack and will not easily come off. These anti-reflective lenses can diffuse reflection or glare coming from the road or that from a car’s dashboard even when it is raining to make driving stress-free.

For more information about the Tagai Eyewear collections, visit them at www.facebook.com/TagaiPhilippines or contact Tagai Trading (Mr. Manu T. Ofiaza) at Tel. 687-0483 and Mobile no. 0917-8719388 or manu.ofiaza@parismiki.ph. You may also check their website for more details http://www.tagai.co/