UniSilverTime Campus Ambassadors of the Philippines 2014!

This lone microphone on center stage will ultimately make or break a person's life once that UnisilverTime finds their winner in the search for Campus Ambassador of the Philippines 2014. This search is for students currently enrolled this  2014-2015 school year, male and female 14 to 25 years old. Almost a hundred hopefuls tried out and only a handful got qualified. The grand finals held at SM Manila a few days ago left 20 contestants to vie for the title. Winning this would make them a part of the family of new endorsers for UnisilverTime along with celebrity Timebassadors from ABSCBN, GMA and TV5. 

We went backstage to take a look at some of the contestants. They did not disappoint with the costumes afaik!

UnisilverTime Executives including VP Willam Ong Co were in front to see the event. I'm sure they've had a hand in choosing some of the finalists in the preliminaries. They need to embody UnisilverTime's brand to become stylish, professional, efficient, precise but stay affordable to the masses. These guys and gals come from really good schools in Manila and nearby provinces. A couple or more of them come from Adamson University. I also saw the crowd rooting for them since the school is pretty close.

Judges were from TV5, UnisilverTime Executives, including this guy from Juan Direction, Martin Escudero (which I'm so glad he remembered me!) and actress Ritz Azul.

Twelve Cupcakes: Handmade with Love

I love cupcakes and I've probably seen them in various shapes, tastes and forms. I'm scared of the sugar though so in the times that I do get the chance to have a bite, I'd make sure that it has to be the best. In a quaint little shop at the Mall of Asia's left wing near the Music Hall, we visited the store named Twelve Cupcakes. It's a known brand in Singapore and they've finally set up shop in the Philippines through local franchise partners. Now, I always thought cupcakes would all be on the same level but these ones, are obviously premium. It's not like "just another cupcake". It's not like the ones you buy off the street corner bakery and you can tell the difference on your first bite. I'd have to warn you though, because these ones are a little addicting. You might need to come back once you get to taste it. You can quote me on that. Let's take a look on what they have to offer shall we?! 

Strawberry Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, Peanut Butter and Chocolate, and Red Velvet.

The 12 cakes name signify the permanent ones on their store. 12 flavors that makes up their best sellers since their inception. They initially had cream based ones but figured the Filipino palate wanted chocolate based cupcakes and it was easy for them to oblige. This first few cakes above were my favorite, the moist cupcake actually differs in flavor too, so it's not just the toppings that you should watch out for. I didn't know cupcakes of this caliber could exist in Manila. The one people are asking for more is the Red Velvet Cupcake because it's not too sweet, tangy and salty just the way we like it.

Nutella Banana, Mudslide, Espresso, and Mocha.

I highly recommend the Nutella Banana. It's fragrant banana smell just takes you away to a different world. The essence I think made the difference and the banana they use locally probably made it even sweeter. For a more chocolate fix, the mudslide would be perfect for you. It's a little playful but doesn't disappoint in the flavor department. The Espresso and Mocha tasted much like an intense coffee variant you often see in shops. I liked them a lot too.

Vanilla Chocolate, Salted Caramel Banana, Nutella, and Chocolate Chocolate

Soft fluffy cream on top of deep moist chocolate cake, anything better than that? How about Salted Caramel and Banana that's not so sweet but very fragrant. The Nutella is intense, just like taking a whole bottle of it on top of the cupcake. The Filipinos LOVE chocolate so much that they put this one on the number one spot on their best sellers. Yes, it's chocolate chocolate. It's deep milk chocolatey flavor and a few balls to crunch along was something really awesome. They also have a couple more cupcakes that they feature every week so you get to see a new one regularly on their store. You might be around SM Mall of Asia and happen to see this store on the left wing, I STRONGLY suggest you stop by and get one of these wondrous treats. I'm sure would even surpass your standards when it comes to cupcakes. I almost had myself into a trance after my first bite. Come inside, get a box or more and bring it home to your family, friends or just anybody special. It'll surely make them extra happy if it has the name twelve cupcakes on it.

They're at the Ground Floor North Entertainment Mall, Mall of Asia Complex Jose Diokno Boulevard, Pasay City. You can also try the one in Lucky Chinatown Mall on the Ground Floor LCTM-11D Reina Regente Street, Manila. There's definitely a good reason why they are the #1 Cupcake store in Singapore, Manila should definitely know better.

For more information about their stores:

Twelve Cupcakes Philippines

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://twelvecupcakes.com/

Plastic Bags Turned Into Artwork; Wins Awards for SM Eco Bag Campaign

Leigh Reyes of Lowe Philippines

 

SM Prime Holdings and Lowe Philippines just opened an ecologically apt exhibit at the ground floor of SM Aura Premier a few days ago. The SM Eco Bags campaign has won several accolades abroad, apart from that, they also launched this exhibit that makes plastic bags into publicly displayed art. 

The event was graced by Mr. Hans Sy of SM Prime Holdings

While SM is the biggest retail giant in the country, they also felt it was time to steadfastly campaign for this cause and sure enough, they made it quite interesting by lashing out 3 artworks that would represent the campaign starting with the plastic bags which mostly caused floods during Typhoon Yolanda. They made really good ones as seen below.

What they now plan to do is ask everyone to contribute more plastic bags for a 4th art piece so they placed a box right front and center of the exhibit in the hopes of getting them something even bigger as part of this project.

List of awards for the campaign

As mentioned earlier, they won awards for this campaign and they are crediting this to the stern support they are getting from everyone who helped buy the SM Eco Bags and also those who donated for the cause. Mind you, they won a Silver Lion and Bronze Lion from the Cannes Lions Awards which is like the Oscars for public relations held in France. The campaign bested thousands of entries from around the world.

To know more about the campaign, please visit their channels below. Or the Lowe Philippines Facebook page. It only takes a few minutes to understand what it's all about. Do your share in helping the Philippines become a little greener than when you found it.

For more information about their campaign:

Lowe Philippines

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.lowephilippines.com

Sweet Chili Thai Fish and Noodle House

Gerry's Grill has been a staple in Filipino and Asian food since 1997 and it has been able to give friends, family, some of the best dishes and beer pairings since then. Owner Gerry Apolinario felt it was time to diversify their portfolio and since he's been well traveled, he wished of a place that would be able to take authentic Thai flavors to the Philippines but not charge an arm and a leg. It's important for him to earn just like any business but if the Filipinos couldn't afford it then no one would be able to experience these dishes. This is the start of how they pictured this new joint at the new Fisher Mall in Quezon Avenue, Quezon City. They called it "Sweet Chili Thai Fish and Noodle House".

The Ambiance

The place has got seating of a round 40-50 people and extended outside for around 30 more. The interiors consist of a couple of "spices in spoons" murals in walls and has ample amount of natural light coming from the back. The space got maximized since the floor area is a bit small, but it's got an Open Kitchen as a focal point. There are also two huge aquariums on the side for the fresh and live fish that they serve to diners. It does make a difference when you taste something freshly caught of course! There's also a loft to house the kitchen's extension because they need the space for prepping ingredients of a fabulous menu. Let's take a look at that next! 

The Food

The available condiments

If it's Thai food that you're after, they have the condiments that go with it. In Thailand, small stores have these on bowls. Sweet Chili Thai Fish and Noodle House wants you to experience what it is like in Thailand so you've got pickled chilis, sambal chili, dried chili, and pickled ginger. I had the sambal chili on my plate and it was so good, I almost emptied the whole jar!

Kamias Shake

I've tasted one of these in Cebu, but I think Sweet Chili Thai Fish and Noodle House wants a small fusion too of Thai and Filipino so they made this available for drinks. Pretty good too and not too tangy.