ABS-CBN University opens its doors!

JULY 2014
http://www.facebook.com/lopezlinkonline
www.lopezlink.ph
ABS-CBN University
opens its doors!
See story on page 5.
www.twitter.com/lopezlinkph
PLAY HARD!
THIS year, sports fans can look forward to the Pinoy trinity of the most exciting sporting events—basketball, boxing and football—courtesy of a new channel called ABS-CBN
Turn to page 6
Sports+Action.
Comptrollers at
PICPA confab
in Japan…page 2
‘Hawak Kamay’ this July…page 4
Powerhouse
picks
…page 12
Biz News
Lopezlink July 2014
Lopez Holdings investees moving
toward sustainable growth
LOPEZ Holdings Corporation investees are well on the
way to achieving their strategic
objectives to grow their respective portfolios in a sustainable
manner. Lopez Holdings owns
46% of First Philippine Holdings Corporation (FPH) and
holds a 56% economic interest
in ABS-CBN Corporation.
At its annual meeting on
June 16, Lopez Holdings president Salvador G. Tirona told
shareholders the company is convinced ABS-CBN will be able to
achieve its targets in executing its
digital convergence strategy.
“ABS-CBNmobile is gaining traction with its chosen
markets because of its highly
desired exclusive content using
applications like iWant TV
and iWant Stars. We expect
them to reach break-even point
by next year,” he said.
Lopez Holdings invested
over P1.5 billion in ABSCBN in 2013, together with a
strategic partner (The Capital
Group) which invested P2.5B,
to launch ABS-CBNmobile’s
commercial operations, as well
as roll out its digital TV service once implementing rules
are published.
Meanwhile, the energy units
under FPH are improving efficiencies and getting more
power plants back online after
being hounded by untoward
incidents in 2013, including a
fire and a typhoon. Its property
subsidiaries, Rockwell Land
Corporation and First Philippine Industrial Park, are also in
expansion mode.
“To use a favorite analogy of
the FPH chairman (Federico
R. Lopez), FPH has the right
people on the right bus going in
the right direction. They are very
clear on their objectives and are
aware of the risks and challenges
along the way,” said Tirona.
The core investments of
Lopez Holdings are in media
and communications through
ABS-CBN and in sustainable
energy development, infrastructure, property development and green manufacturing
through FPH. (Carla ParasSison)
EDC reactivates Bacman unit
ENERGY Development Corporation (EDC) has recommissioned the second of its two
Bacman geothermal plants
after a shutdown lasting more
than a year.
The 55-megawatt Bacman
Unit 2 was shut down in early
2013 due to a technical problem.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, EDC
said that the unit has success-
fully completed its reliability
runs and is delivering electricity into the grid.
It, however, remains subject
to close monitoring and/or to
additional tests, the company
added.
Unit 1 was recommissioned
in February after being shut
down late last year after hairline cracks were spotted in its
turbine blades.
EDC said that the targeted delivery dates of the
brand-new turbine rotor and
diaphragms from Toshiba for
both Bacman units are still by
the last quarter of 2014 for the
first unit and the first quarter
of 2015 for the second unit.
The 150-MW Bacman
complex is located in the
towns of Bacon, Sorsogon and
Manito, Albay.
Biz News
Lopezlink July 2014
Dispatch from Japan
AMML leads celebration of Independence Day
Rockwell Land opens
Aruga serviced apartments
ROCKWELL Land Corporation has opened Aruga Serviced
Apartments, its maiden venture
into the hospitality business.
Aruga, located at Edades
Tower and Garden Villas, offers
114 studio, one-bedroom and
two-bedroom units catering to
the perceived growing market
of businessmen, professionals
and travelers seeking temporary
residence close to the Makati
Central Business District.
“The
Aruga
Serviced
Apartments at Edades will be
the first of Rockwell’s several
ventures into hotel and leisure,
which we plan to expand to different locations in the country,”
said Nestor J. Padilla, president
and chief executive officer of
Rockwell Land.
Aruga, a Filipino word that
means “nurture,” embodies
Rockwell’s goal of delivering
genuine Filipino service to
guests, Padilla added.
The venture, which is being
undertaken through subsidiary
Rockwell Hotels & Leisure
Management Corporation, is
part of Rockwell’s bid to grow
its recurring income from a mix
of retail, office and hospitality
segments. The goal is to attain
a 65%-35% mix of residential
development to commercial
portfolio by 2016.
Rockwell plans to develop
three more Aruga properties
over the next five years.
According to Ellen Almodiel, Rockwell Land senior
vice president for Finance and
Accounting and chief finance
officer, around half a billion of
the company’s estimated P10
billion capital expenditure for
the year will be allocated for the
Aruga project.
“We saw the demand for
short-term accommodations.
There were a lot of inquiries for
weekly, monthly accommodations,” Almodiel said.
Prices for a unit at Aruga
start at P7,000.
In-room features include
a fully equipped kitchen, audiovisual equipment, HDTV,
electronic safe, electronic key
card access and housekeeping
services. The two-bedroom
units also have a maid’s/utility
room.
However, until August
31, 2014, clients may avail of
Aruga’s special introductory
rates starting at P6,000. Inclusions are a set breakfast for two
at The Rockwell Club, WIFI,
and access to a state-of-the-art
gym facility, swimming pool
and a host of other sports and
recreational facilities as well as
the spa and wellness center.
For more info, call 818-0000
or visit arugabyrockwell.com.
Comptrollers’ Circle joins PICPA intl’l confab in Tokyo
“KONNICHIWA minna-san!”
or “Hello, everybody!” was the
greeting of the Lopez Group
Comptrollers’ Circle delegates to all the participants
of the Philippine Institute
of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Metro Manila
Region’s 11th International
Conference held in Tokyo,
Japan in May.
Lopez Group chairman
Ambassador
Manuel M. LoAMML (center) with the Lopez Group Comptrollers’ Circle delegates at the Japan convention
pez (AMML) was the guest of
honor and the keynote address
speaker of the international
convention.
AMML’s speech centered
on the conference theme, “The
Philippines: Rising to Global
Growth, Challenges and Opportunities.” He emphasized
that globalizing economies
facilitate the free flow of
services. The journey toward
the ASEAN economic community, he said, poses various
challenges and opportunities
and necessitates the operationAMML and spouse Maritess L. Lopez with Comptrollers’ Circle delegates, PICPA executives, SGV partners and alization of mutual recognition
agreements between member
Philippine Embassy officers at the ambassador’s official residence
states. He believes that the
Philippines has the potential
to become a top 20 global
economy by 2050 if proper and
purposive action is taken now.
AMML added that PICPA members are recognized
leaders who can significantly
contribute to inclusive growth
and sustainable progress for
the Philippines and their fellow Filipinos. He encouraged
and challenged the accounting professionals to step up to
fulfill their role in the changing landscape.
Various technical sessions
were presented by the executives of the Japanese Institute
of Certified Public Accountants and the officers of the
big four accounting firms,
Pr ice w aterhouseC ooper s,
Ernst & Young ShinNihon,
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
and KPMG AZSA LLC.
Before the conference,
AMML and his spouse Maritess L. Lopez hosted a dinner
for the Lopez Group delegates,
PICPA officers and SGV part-
ners at the official residence
of Philippine ambassadors to
Japan in Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku
which is also the only national
historical landmark outside the
Philippines. In addition, the
Lopez Group delegates and
PICPA officials were warmly
welcomed by the Philippine
embassy in Roppongi Minatoku during their official courtesy
call on AMML.
Lopez Group Comptrollers’ Circle delegates
included Group comptroller
Mon Pagdagdagan (First
Philippine Holdings Corp.),
Marvi Marcelino (Lopez
Holdings), Jingle Hernandez
(Lopez Inc.), Vicky Martinez
(FPH), Lanie Caimol (Lopez
Holdings), Aldrin Cerrado
(ABS-CBN), Benito Japitana
(Rockwell Land), Lucy Landayan (INAEC) and Jei-Jei
Gertes (Third Generation
Holdings and PICPA 11th
International
ConferenceProgram chairman). Doumo
arigatou gozaimasu! Thank you
very much! (Jei-Jei Gertes)
THE Philippine embassy in
Japan, in cooperation with the
Philippine Assistance Group
(PAG) representing the Filipino community, celebrated
the 116th Independence Day
with a National Day Reception and the “Damo nga Salamat” thanksgiving concert
in Arakawa, Tokyo to express
appreciation to the Filipinos
and Japanese who helped the
victims of last year’s typhoon
Yolanda.
In his message to the audience before the start of the
concert, Ambassador Manuel
M. Lopez (AMML) said
the story of Tacloban’s REO
Brothers is one of inspiration,
proving that despite the tragedies and adversities in the
life of the Leyteños, there is
always hope.
The members of the REO
Brothers were left homeless
by Yolanda. With only the
clothes on their back, the
guitars they saved from the
Promos & offers
Ambassador Manuel M. Lopez (right) and Minister
of the Environment Nobuteru Ishihara toast
Philippines-Japan relations
typhoon and faith in their talent, they left Tacloban with
other members of their family
to try their luck in Manila.
Also appearing at the concert were the Filcom Chorale,
Japanese-Filipino actress Sayaka
Akimoto and jazz singer Charito, who also chairs the Tokyo
Manila Jazz and Arts Festival.
Following the concert,
AMML hosted the National
Day reception at the Sun Pearl
Arakawa attended by some 300
SKYcable Select
exclusive: beIN
Sports HD Pack
For P500 a month, enjoy exclusive
access to top football and other
sporting events with the threechannel beIN Sports HD Pack
available only through SKYcable
Select. Delight in over 4,876
hours of football action on beIN
Sport 1, while on beIN Sport 2,
catch over 812 hours of diverse
sports content plus live coverage
of top football leagues. Finally,
beIN Sport 3 is dedicated to the
Barclays Premier League.
Make life easy with O Shopping
Discover a new retail experience through O Shopping’s friendly
customer service and products delivered right on your doorstep.
All you need to do is watch TV, call to order the item and transact either via COD, credit card or debit card. O Shopping airs
24 hours exclusively via SKYcable and offers a wide range of
items, from household, sports, leisure, beauty, cosmetics, fashion and accessories to products with innovative functions.
guests, including the ASEAN
diplomatic corps, Japanese
parliamentarians,
Foreign
Ministry officials, Japanese
businessmen and leaders of
Filipino organizations.
Nobuteru Ishihara, Minister of the Environment,
conveyed the greetings of the
Japanese government and offered a toast for the further
enhancement of PhilippinesJapan relations. (Excerpted
from tokyo.philembassy.net)
Reyes named UP
distinguished alum
ABS-CBN Integrated News
and Current Affairs head Ging
Reyes was recognized by her
alma mater, the University
of the Philippines, during an
awarding ceremony held recently.
The University of the Philippines Alumni Association
(UPAA) Distinguished Alumni Awards, which recognizes
individuals for their outstanding achievements in their respective fields, was held at the
UP Diliman campus.
Reyes was honored for
her work in the field of communication, along with Prof.
Yvonne Chua and Dr. Susanah
Lily Mendoza.
Reyes, who obtained a BA
Broadcast
Communication
degree from UP, joined ABSCBN in 1986. She rose from
production assistant for News,
executive producer and head
writer of “The World Tonight,”
and director for news production before becoming North
America News bureau chief.
She has headed ABS-CBN’s
News and Current Affairs Division since 2010.
The rest of the awardees include Ivan Henares for culture
and the arts, Dr. Alfredo Mahar Lagmay for disaster mitigation, Rep. Isagani Amatong
for good governance, Solicitor
General Francis Jardeleza for
law and judiciary and Amb.
Virgilio Reyes for public service, among many others.
Department of Science and
Technology Sec. Mario Montejo was named most distinguished alumnus by the UPAA
for 2014, while Dr. Manuel
Alba, Engr. Claudio Altura
and Dr. Jesusa Bagan-Lara
were given lifetime achievement awards.
Integrated News and Current
Affairs head Ging Reyes
Distinguished
service
awardees, meanwhile, include
Dr. Mimosa Cortez-Ocampo,
Dr. Eric Talens and the UP
Singing Ambassadors founded
and conducted by Prof. Edgardo Manguiat. (Kane Choa)
Osorio, Choa lead
communicators’ groups
THE Corporate Communications Department of ABSCBN now has two association
presidents among its ranks.
Bong Osorio, ABS-CBN
spokesperson, is currently
president of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines and Kane Choa, officer
in charge of ABS-CBN In-
tegrated Corporate Communications, was just inducted
president of the International
Association
of
Business
Communicators
(IABC).
Lopez Holdings SVP for
Corporate Communications
Rosan Cruz, meanwhile, is a
member of the IABC board
of trustees.
PRSP president Bong Osorio and IABC president Kane Choa
First Balfour joins Philconstruct Visayas
Destiny Cable adds Lifetime
With the addition of female-focused entertainment destination Lifetime Channel to the analog and digital channel lineups of Destiny Cable, replacing BIO, subscribers now have 92
channels to choose from, including recently added channels
E!, Asian Food Channel and RTL-CBS Entertainment. All
these for only P550 a month! Subscribers can also customize
their cable TV subscription by adding standard-definition or
high-definition channels to their basic plan.
For more info, call 381-0000 (Metro Manila, CAMANAVA
and Rizal) or visit www.mysky.com.ph (SKYcable); and 4180000 or www.destinycable.com.ph (Destiny Cable).
Corporate Communications head Vicente de Lima II discusses First
Balfour’s nationwide footprint to students who visited the company’s
booth in Philconstruct
FIRST Balfour was among
the 200 companies that participated in the recent 5th
Philconstruct Visayas 2014
held at the Waterfront Cebu
City Hotel and Casino.
Organized by Philconstruct
Events, Exhibitions and Conferences Corporation and the
Cebu Contractors Association
Inc. together with the Philippine Constructors Association
Inc. and the Philippine Society
of Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigerating Engineers, the exhibit featured the
latest products, equipment,
technologies and services in
Follow us @lopezlinkph on Twitter and Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/lopezlinkonline
construction and other related
industries.
The 3,700-square meter
exhibition space drew over
8,000 trade visitors from different areas of the Queen City
of the South and neighboring
provinces.
Meanwhile, as part of the
series of activities planned
to celebrate its 45 years in
the industry, First Balfour
will also be joining Philconstruct Mindanao in Davao
City in September and the
main Philconstruct exhibit in
Manila in November. (Dolly
Pasia)
Lopezlink July 2014
couch potato treats
‘Pure Love’ will make
you want to love more
“Pure Love,” a local adaptation of the Korean TV
series “49 Days,” tells the story of rich girl Diane
(Alex Gonzaga) and Ysabel (Yen Santos), who is
mourning her boyfriend’s death. Their fates become entwined following an accident, when a comatose Diane discovers through the “Scheduler”
that she will be given a second chance at life upon
completing a special task. “Pure Love,” which
also features Arron Villaflor, Arjo Atayde, Joseph
Marco, Matt Evans, Yam Concepcion and Anna
Luna, premieres this July 7 before “TV Patrol” on
ABS-CBN’s Primetime Bida. (Aaron Domingo)
Return to Paris
Kim Jung-eun returns as Vivian
in the comeback of “Lovers in Paris” on
ABS-CBN.
Relive the
love story
of Vivian
and Carlo (Park Shin-yang) that began in Paris.
Reminisce their “Aja!” moments in this series that
started the Korean romantic comedy trend in the
country 10 years ago. How can a free-spirited girl
and a rich bachelor who pretended to be lovers
actually find love despite their differences? Fall in
love all over again with “Lover in Paris,” weekdays
at 10:15 a.m. on ABS-CBN’s Umaganda.
Gems from the Lifestyle
Network
Hitting screens this July are shows that showcase what the Lifestyle Network is all about.
Check out some of its offerings! The drama-musical series “The Boston: The Kitchen Musical” airs
on Wednesdays at 10pm, Fridays at 1pm, Saturdays at 3pm and Sundays at 5:30pm. Catch
Gordon Ramsay in the fifth season of “Masterchef,” which premieres on July 5 at 9:30am, with
back-to-back episodes every week. Ramsay has
another show, “Gordon Ramsay’s
Ultimate Home Cooking,” which
premieres on July 8 at 9am.
“Bollyblast,” a dance workout with health and
fitness
expert
Hemalayaa Behl,
and “ Yoga for
Life” with Kurt
Johnson will both
premiere on July
6. For the complete
lineup and schedules,
visit the Lifestyle Network’s official Facebook
page, www.facebook.
com/LifestyleNetwork.
Creative Comm head Labayen
gets lifetime achievement award
ROBERT Labayen, head of
ABS-CBN Creative Communications, was recognized by the Creative
Guild of the Philippines
with its prestigious Lifetime
Achievement Award
for his outstanding
works and significant contributions
to the Philippine
advertising industry.
Labayen is the creative
genius behind ABS-CBN’s
station IDs (SIDs), including the 2009 Christmas
SID “Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng
Pasko” that sparked hope in
the hearts of Filipinos
after the onslaught
of typhoon Ondoy.
Another popular work of Labayen is the Choose
Philippines theme
song “Piliin Mo Ang Pilipinas”
sung by Angeline Quinto.
“Instead of talking about how
good ABS-CBN is, we talk about
how good the Filipino is. That’s
what I usually tell my team. I explain to them that our job is not
a ‘pampapogi.’ Our works should
touch Filipinos lives and give them
hope,” Labayen said.
Since he joined ABS-CBN in
2004, Labayen has led his team in
producing SIDs and other video
content that have inspired countless Filipinos.
Labayen, who spent 22 years of
his career in advertising, collaborated on such memorable ad campaigns as “I Love You, Sabado” for a
local fast food chain and the “Donut, bai” ad for the 16th Philippine
Advertising Congress in 1999.
He accepted the Creative Guild of
the Philippines’ Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2014 Ad
Summit in Subic. (Kane Choa)
Why Piolo is excited about ‘Hawak Kamay’ More fun
ALTHOUGH he has done a
treats for
number of television shows in the
past, Piolo Pascual said he is still
OFs on ‘TFC
very excited about his upcoming
family soap, “Hawak Kamay.”
Connect’
In an interview with ABS-CBN
News, Pascual said the new ABSCBN series will focus more on the
family.
“Filipinos are very family oriented so I believe na makaka-relate ang maraming pamilya. Para
sa mga Pilipino talaga ito,” he
said.
Piolo plays the role of Gin, a
frustrated singer who is left by his
girlfriend (Nikki Gil) for a job on
a ship.
With little purpose in life, Gin
is forced into responsibility when
his sister ( Jennifer Sevilla) and her
husband (Lander Vera Perez) die
in a car crash, leaving their three
adopted kids (Xyriel Manabat,
L-R: Piolo Pascual, Iza Calzado and Andrea Brilliantes
Zaijian Jaranilla and Yesha Camile)
without parents.
Gin gets the help of Bianca (Iza
Calzado), a lawyer who arranged
the adoption, in transitioning him
into a responsible guardian of the
children. He also meets a girl under Bianca’s care (Andrea Brillantes), who develops a friendship
with the three foster siblings.
“Hawak Kamay” is the third major project of Piolo and Iza together, after the films “Milan” (2004)
and “Starting Over Again” (2014).
The primetime series will also
be a reunion for Piolo and Zaijian, who both starred in the action-fantasy series “Noah” in 2010.
(Excerpted from www.abs-cbnnews.
com)
New from ABS-CBNmobile!
‘Happy lang, walang ending’ with Vice Ganda
VICE Ganda teams
up with ABS-CBNmobile for the latter’s
new unlimited text
promo that dramatizes what
“happy lang,
walang ending” truly
means.
“For ABS-CBNmobile, this is
perfect because subscribers can
now enjoy unlimited texts to all
networks through the Kapamilya Text All Network Unli promo
load. For just P10, subscribers can
enjoy 24 hours of unli texting to
any network,” said Nandy Villar,
ABS-CBNmobile head of Marketing.
Subscribers simply need to text
KTANU10 to 2135 using their
ABS-CBNmobile SIMs to get
unlimited texts to all networks.
“Ngayon, no need to worry na
how many texts we send or to what
network,” said Vice. “Basta texting,
pwede ‘yan sa ABS-CBNmobile.
‘ Yan ang happy lang, walang ending pagdating sa texting.”
IN celebration of its seventh
year and in line with TFC’s
20th anniversary, “TFC Connect”
delivers more fun treats and exciting surprises for kapamilya
abroad and their families in the
Philippines.
Hosted by Dimples Romana,
the rebirth of “TFC Connect”
welcomes segments such as
“MissMo,” featuring a family
of an overseas Filipino (OF) in
the Philippines and airing every
Monday and Tuesday; “Kids of
the Week,” featuring the talents of young relatives of an OF
and airing every Wednesday;
“Dear Dimples,” a Q&A talk
show airing every Thursday;
“Kapamilya Treat” giving a featured OF a special homecoming
treat; and “Kapamilyang Bisita”
featuring a balikbayan who will
be interviewed live on the set
of “TFC Connect” every Friday.
Social media segments such as
“BidaCam” and “Kapamilya
Greetings” also put OFs in the
spotlight as they can send in
their photos and videos through
the “TFC Connect” official Facebook fan page featured at the
end of the program.
ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra’s Spotlight Series
Clarinetist Andrew Simon to regale Pinoys this July
THE ABS-CBN Philharmonic
Orchestra (ABS-CBN P.O.) follows up its Spotlight Series with
Andrew Simon at the Meralco
Theater on July 24.
Simon, the principal clarinet of
the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, has been noted for his superb
playing style and “almost god-like
technique” (Auditorium Magazine).
On this night, he will demonstrate his skill on the clarinet
through masterworks written for
his instrument. The program includes Copland’s Clarinet Concerto, Weber’s Concertino in E-flat
and Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie,
Baerman’s Adagio for Clarinet and
Orchestra and other pieces prepared by the orchestra.
Only the second feature
concert of the ABS-CBN
P.O. this year after “The
Music of Ryan Cayabyab”
at the CCP, the performance will fuel the
momentum of the
orchestra’s signature
brand, Spotlight
Series, a chain of
concerts featuring masterpieces
from world-renowned composers, performers and music masters.
For tickets, call
TicketWorld at 8919999 or the ABSCBN P.O. at 4152272 loc. 2409 or
0915-6246808.
Councils
Lopezlink July 2014
HR Council
ABS-CBN University is now open!
ABS-CBN chairman and ABS-CBN University president Eugenio
Lopez III (center) cuts the ribbon to signify the opening of ABS-CBN
University with the assistance of ABS-CBN president Charo SantosConcio and ABS-CBN University head Gabriel Orendain
CLASSES have formally
opened at the new ABS-CBN
University, a corporate learning
environment that aims to empower ABS-CBN employees
to be more competitive in their
respective fields.
ABS-CBN University is
composed of six academies:
the Moving Images Academy
headed by ABS-CBN president Charo Santos-Concio,
Leadership Academy headed
by Mark Nepomuceno, Digital Academy headed by Donald Lim, Journalism Academy
headed by Boo Chanco, Service and Business Excellence
Academy headed by Raffy
Aguado and Liberal Studies
Academy headed by Fr. Tito
Caluag.
These academies will provide employees with practical
knowledge, business knowledge,
managing of competencies, and
task-oriented education.
ABS-CBN chairman and
ABS-CBN University president Eugenio Lopez III (EL3)
stressed the importance of
emergent leadership as ABSCBN moves into a digital environment.
“Emergent leaders are the
ones who know when to lead
and when to follow. They are
very different from the typical Type A leaders who always
need to be the one in control.
And ABS-CBN University will
be a way to identify and develop
emergent leaders,” said EL3 in
his speech at the launch event
held at the Dolphy Theater.
Santos-Concio meanwhile
assured the future students of
ABS-CBN University: “You
will not be treated like high
school or college students whose
all actions will be judged. Let us
take the example of the advance
management programs of the
graduate schools, where we are
all equal, there’s no boss, no subordinate, we are all students.”
University head Gabriel
Orendain said that the teaching
technique of ABS-CBN University will be based on a 70-2010 learning philosophy—70%
action-based, 20% partnership
with mentors and coaches and
10% formal classroom training.
He added that 21 courses will
be delivered in 2014 across the
six academies. In 2015, 11 more
courses will be added.
Details for the enrollment
process for each course can be
accessed on the official website of ABS-CBN University
(http://university.abs-cbn.com).
(Kane Choa)
ABS-CBN wins int’l Gold Quill for restoring Pinoy
film classics ABS-CBN Corporation’s campaign to restore classic Filipino
films and reintroduce them to the current generation won an Award of Excellence
at the international Gold Quill Awards 2014. Leo Katigbak, ABS-CBN head of
Content Management Group, Film Archives and Special Projects, received the
award from the International Association of Business Communicators during
the IABC Gold Quill Awards Gala in Toronto, Canada. Thus far ABS-CBN Film
Archives has restored “Himala” in partnership with Central Digital Labs, as
well as “Oro, Plata, Mata” and “Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?”
Prior to winning the Gold Quill, ABS-CBN’s restoration of “Himala” also
won a Philippine Quill Award, the international award’s local counterpart
given by IABC Philippines, and an Anvil Award given by the Public Relations
Society of the Philippines. (K. Choa)
SKY
has ‘best Employees’ Day ever!’
By Dimpy Jazmines
NEARLY a thousand employees from SKY’s Mega Manila and South Luzon offices
trooped to the Ynares Sports
Arena in Pasig City to participate in the company’s Employees’ Day event on June 6.
The day’s theme was “Wow
‘Em, Win ‘Em.” This message
moved the employees to always
find opportunities to deliver
“wow at saya” to customers even
as they played games together.
The various divisions, departments and areas were
divided into six color-teams
which tried to outdo each
other in fun games, a cheering
competition and even a best
muse contest.
For the games, the Blue Team
emerged as the overall winner.
The Orange Team was chosen
The big reveal in September!
22 make it to semis of LAA’s Cycle 2013
AFTER
surviving the penetrating, often
humorous and
sometimes
stressful questions from the
screening committee, 22 nominated achievements out of
a record-breaking 50 entries
were chosen as semifinalists
in the Lopez Achievement
Awards’ (LAA) 2013 cycle.
ABS-CBN, which submitted the most number of nominees, ended up with 10 semifinalist nods.
The semifinalists for Customer Focus are Kapamilya
Kita: SKY’s Personal Concierge Service Spreads the
Gospel of “WOW at Saya” to
Subscribers; and 60 Years of
Philippine Television: Kwento
Natin Ito: Celebrating the
Shared Story of ABS-CBN
and the Filipinos; It Takes a
Man and A Woman—Beyond
PH; Halalan 2013: Selling
the Midterm Election Cover-
age to a Diverse Audience; Got
To Believe: Bridging the Gap
Between Television and Social Media; and Growing the
Business Out-of-the-Box and
Beyond the Realm of Visual
Storytelling Expertise, all from
ABS-CBN.
Asian Eye’s Quick Turnaround from an Imminent
Loss; ABS-CBN’s Star Events
Integrated Music Experience:
Revolutionizing Multi-Revenue Streams; and First Balfour’s Strategic Contracting
for Sustainable Growth are the
semifinalists in the Business
Management category.
For Operations Management, Energy Development
Corp.’s Adapting the Cloud
to Revolutionize EDC Computing and Collaboration, and
Immediate Return to Service
of LGBU Power Plants; First
Gen Hydro’s Relentless Pursuit to Restore Pantabangan
Unit 1 Averts P690-Million
Revenue Loss; and ABS-
CBN’s ABS-CBN News Integration—“One News Service,
360 Delivery” made it to the
semis.
SKY Star Awards: Recognizing SKY’s Winner Who
WOW! is the lone contender
in the Human Resource Focus
category, while Corporate Image-Building netted Animo
SKY Zambo—The Spirit of
SKY-Zamboanga and the
ABS-CBN Film Restoration
Project: Bridging Generations
through the Revival of Philippine Cinematic Gems.
Six hopefuls made it to the
semis in the Public Responsibility category. They are ABSCBN’s Tulong Na, Tabang Na,
Tayo Na: A Paradigm Shift
in Disaster Response Management; Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc.’s LEEP
(Learning Effectively through
Enhanced Pedagogies) A
Program for Teachers and
Principals in Response to the
Reforms in the Philippine Ed-
ucation System Particularly as
it Transitions to K+12; Ang Tugon ng SKY sa Yolanda: Saya at
Pag-Asa Para Sa Kapamilyang
Nasalanta; EDC’s Humanity,
Humility and Hope: Our Story of Kapamilya Spirit Shining
Through Despite the Yolanda
Crisis; ABS-CBN Lingkod
Kapamilya Foundation Inc.’s
Championing Puerto Princesa Ecotourism Sites: Paving the Way towards Greener
Philippines; and ABS-CBN’s
Failon Ngayon: Moving People
to Action— Internationally
Recognized People’s Partner
in Bringing About Positive
Change in the Philippines.
The semifinalists are slated to
undergo an even more intense
Q&A session with the panel
of judges, which will then pick
the finalists and recommend
them to the executive committee. The 2013 LAA awarding
ceremonies have been set for
September 24, 2014. (Amy dela
Rea-Agaton)
as the best team in cheering.
Meanwhile, Karen Atienza of
the Yellow Team was the best
muse.
After this successful event,
everyone now refers to the
2014 SKY Employees’ Day as
the “best Employees’ Day ever!”
The overall champions, the Blue Team
SKY holds product blitzes for employees
ORGANIZED by SKY’s Marketing and HROD teams, the
product blitz activities are quarterly learning sessions where
employees are updated about
the company’s products, services
and upcoming activities.
The intent of these activities
is for the employees to be more
knowledgeable about the offerings of the company so that they
can more effectively serve cus-
tomers and become ambassadors
of the company’s services.
During the months of May
and June, SKY held product blitz
activities in its offices in Vergara,
Mandaluyong; Tektite, Pasig; Reliance, Pasig; Cavite; and Laguna.
The product blitzes were held
in packed rooms with a lot of
SKY employees listening, learning and participating during the
discussion. (D. Jazmines)
Adtel solar kit up for
grabs in new contest!
WE have seen the light—and
it’s solar! Thanks to the recent
Facebook frenzy over the solar products of our kapamilya
Adtel Inc., LopezLink decided
to give away a Baron Solar Kit
as the prize in our Kapamilya
Solar Blog contest.
But this time, we’ve added
a twist: the winner will receive
two Baron Solar Kits, one for
himself and the other for
his chosen recipient or beneficiary.
To get a chance to win your
very own Baron Solar Kit
worth P8,000, write a blog
post in answer to the question
“Why do we all need a Baron
Solar Kit?” Don’t forget to add
our hashtag, #ADTELSolar.
Post the link of your blog
entry on http://bit.ly/adtelsolar, again with the #ADTELSolar hashtag.
This contest is open to all
LopezLink Facebook community members and ends
on July 25.
One winner will be selected
by a panel of judges
from Adtel Inc. on
August 1.
Lopezlink July 2014
Lopezlink July 2014
Photos by Ryan Ramos
By Carla Paras-Sison
L-R: March Ventosa, Dino Laurena and Vince Rodriguez
Sports kapamilya
L-R: ABS-CBN executives led by chairman Eugenio Lopez III and president Charo Santos-Concio toast the new channel during the January 2014 launch; The ABS-CBN Sports team with boxer Donnie Nietes and ALA Promotions’ Michael
Aldeguer; The Azkals fresh from their AFC Challenge Cup stint; Welcoming the “Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire (center), whose world featherweight title fight was aired on ABS-CBN Sports+Action
PLAY...
from page 1
Why a sports channel, when
you had Balls on SKYcable and
even Channel 2?
As it explains on its website:
“Sports will always be a part of
the Pinoy lifestyle. Our competitive instinct has led us to countless victories on the international
scene. This unwavering passion is
the driving force behind ABSCBN Sports+Action, a free TV
channel that serves as your primary go-to hub for all the sporting events you care about.”
ABS-CBN Sports+Action
filled the void for a free-to-air
dedicated sports channel, Balls
being a cable channel and the now
defunct Studio 23 more of a general entertainment channel with a
bit of sports thrown into the mix,
explained March Ventosa, head of
ABS-CBN’s Narrowcast group,
told LopezLink in an interview.
“We had enough original
local sports content that we
could actually put in a channel,
so we said, why don’t we make
best use of these and create a
platform where we can promote
sports development as part of
our mission,” he said.
According to Ventosa, the
network had several things going for it as it hatched plans for
ABS-CBN Sports+Action as
early as two years ago.
It had built up a solid relationship with local partners
such as the University Athletic
Association of the Philippines
(UAAP). It also boasted a healthy
portfolio of sports programming,
both local and foreign, including
the National Basketball Association (NBA), boxing promoter
Top Rank, the homegrown ALA
Boxing Group and the Azkals,
the national football team.
“We said yes, this is the
right time to do it,” recalled
Ventosa, a former Hemisphere
Leo
Burnett
Advertising
managing director who joined
ABS-CBN in 2006 as head of
Corporate Marketing.
The task of running ABSCBN Sports+Action went to
channel head Vince Rodriguez,
a longtime Kapamilya who
Front row, l-r: Tootsy Echauz-Angara, Integrated Sales cluster head; Jennifer Jimenez, production manager;
Jojo Neri-Estacio, Balls channel head; Terry Villareal, Narrowcast Group and DTT Channels Marketing head;
Cecile Estanislao, HR head; and Carmelita Ramos, Finance head; Back row, l-r: Chris Wong, Integrated
Sports CMG; Vince Rodriguez, Sports+Action channel head; Dino Laurena, Integrated Sports Division
head; March Ventosa, Narrowcast Group and DTT Channels head; Al Neri, executive producer; and Alberto
Ramos, executive producer
1996
Studio 23 Inc. premieres in
October as the “Premium
Network,” a more upscale
alternative to ABS-CBN
Channel 2
1998
Ventures
into sports
program-
ming by airing the games of
the Metropolitan Basketball
Association
2000
Begins its broadcast partnership
with the University Athletic
Association of the Philippines
Launches MYX, a program block which aired music
videos during early morning,
afternoon and
late night;
MYX is spun
off into a standalone 24-hour music channel
on cable TV by 2002
2000s
Becomes the No. 3 channel in
the country, after Channel 2
and GMA-7
joined ABS-CBN straight out
of college in the mid-1990s.
With his experience as writer,
executive producer and eventually head of the old Studio 23,
Rodriguez is raring to go to bat
for the next big thing—volleyball—and other ABS-CBN
Sports+Action offerings.
“Beyond just airing them,
we need to make our audience
and advertisers more excited
about our other sports properties, particularly football and
volleyball. I think we’ve been
successful in volleyball because
it’s gaining a following,” Rodriguez stated.
For Dino Laurena, creating a home for the ABS-CBN
sports brand on free TV gave
the network a first-mover advantage: “We can attract not
only the TV audience but also
the sports property owners who
are looking for a platform on
which they can broadcast their
property,” said the head of Integrated Sports, the new group
tasked to develop ABS-CBN’s
sports properties.
More than that, the audience benefits from being exposed to the “wider variety of
sports categories as well as the
values that sports allow us to
experience,” stressed Laurena,
who joined ABS-CBN after
retiring from UniversalMcCann as its managing director
less than two years ago.
‘Kapitan’ sets his sights
on UHF
In March 1986, Eugenio
“Geny” Lopez Jr.—also known
as Kapitan—gathered a band of
his former executives to rebuild
ABS-CBN, one of the valuable
Lopez assets that was seized
and plundered during the martial law regime.
Some 200 longtime employees threw in their lot with
the faltering channel, putting in
countless hours to propel ABSCBN back to the No. 1 position.
By 1988, its 15.2 rating and 28
audience share had decisively
beaten GMA’s 13.0 and 24, reported Raul Rodrigo in the book
“Kapitan.” Half of the country’s
top 20 primetime weekly programs that year, moreover, were
ABS-CBN productions.
But Kapitan was not done
yet. With ABS-CBN once again
ruling the airwaves and the cable
TV operations safely off the
ground with the establishment
of SKYcable in the mid-1990s,
he set his sights on UHF.
He set up Channel 23 and
with then EVP Freddie M.
Garcia, put together a team to
run the new channel: Manuel
Quiogue as managing director,
Leo Katigbak (now head of the
Content Management Group,
Film Archives and Special
Projects) who took over upon
Quiogue’s retirement in 2001,
and Carandang’s son Dennis as
engineering head.
Back in those days when
cable TV was the paramount
entertainment source, Studio
23, as the new channel was
called, became go-to place for
American TV fare among ‘90s
kids and millennials, with shows
like “Alias,” “Dawson’s Creek,”
“Charmed” and “Seventh Heav-
Begins airing “Y Speak,” a
youth-oriented debate show,
with host Bianca Gonzalez.
The multi-awarded program is
endorsed by the Department of
Education, the National Youth
Commission and Anak TV
lifestyle program hosted by
Angel Aquino, Cheska GarciaKramer and Iya Villania. The
program goes on to win awards
as Best Lifestyle Program, including the KBP Golden Dove
Award, PMPC Star Awards
and UP Gandingan Award
Launches “Us Girls,” a weekly
Introduces what would
2003
2006
2010
en.” The lineup was boosted by
a handful of local shows as well
as UAAP and NCAA basketball
games—foreshadowing its future
as a channel dedicated to sports.
By 1999, three years after it
first went on air, Rodrigo wrote,
the upstart channel had broken
even with earnings of up to P70
million a month. It had also overtaken channels 4, 9 and 13—all
VHF stations—to become the
country’s No. 3 channel.
On January 16, 2014, Studio
23 ended its 17-year run after
airing its last two programs,
MYX and O Shopping.
On January 18, it was time
for a whole new ballgame.
What’s on the calendar
In addition to the ongoing
2014 FIFA World Cup—ABSCBN was the first Philippine
network to air one of the
world’s most watched sporting
events in full in 2010—ABSCBN Sports+Action’s calendar
is pretty much filled up for the
rest of the year, channel head
Rodriguez said.
With the 2014 NBA championship trophy in the hands
of the Spurs, the ball will soon
be in Gilas Pilipinas’ court as
it tries its luck in the International Basketball Federation
(FIBA) Basketball World Cup
in Spain this August.
Meanwhile, after the Asian
Football Confederation Challenge Cup in May where the Azkals finished in second place, fans
will be in for more pitch action
as ABS-CBN Sports+Action
trains the spotlight on the Philippine Peace Cup in October
become its
final slogan,
“IbaKaBarkada!”
2014
After 17 years, airs for the
last time as Studio 23 on
January 16
On January 18, ABSCBN Sports+Action signs on
in the service of the Filipino
and the 2014 ASEAN Football
Federation Suzuki Cup starting
in November.
Gladiators from the ALA
Boxing Group’s stable show off
their speed and cunning in the
bimonthly “Pinoy Pride,” while
international boxing is represented by the weekly Top Rank
matches. Mixed martial arts enthusiasts, on the other hand, can
have their daily fill of Ultimate
Fighting Championship events
during the late-night slot.
To provide a break from the
adrenaline rush, roughly a quarter
of the channel’s programming is
turned over to movies, entertainment and newscasts, particularly
“News +” and “The Score” presented by Anthony Taberna and TJ
Manotoc, respectively.
Of course, this time of the
year is synonymous with the
UAAP and collegiate basketball,
volleyball and football. This July,
expect to see old rivalries flare
up as fans dust off their foam
fingers and reprise the familiar
chants when UAAP Season 77
begins on July 12.
By December, the best
collegiate liberos, hitters and
setters will bring the thunder
as UAAP volleyball games get
under way, alternating with
football matches.
For next year, boxing and
football will be the sports
events to watch on ABS-CBN
Sports+Action.
“It will be a big year again for
boxing, with Nonito Donaire,
Donnie Nietes and Manny Pacquiao as well as the ALA boxers
gunning for new achievements,
while in football the Azkals
have ranked themselves up in
the Challenge Cup. Of course,
the NBA will always be exciting and the UAAP keeps hitting new highs year on year. But
watch for boxing and football,”
Ventosa promised.
With only six months on
air under its belt thus far, ABSCBN Sports+Action may have
only gotten started, but it stands
firms on its commitment to
put forward the best and most
relevant sports content for the
Filipino audience, Ventosa said.
GRASSROOTS -level athletes also get their turn in
the spotlight on ABS-CBN
Sports+Action.
Earlier this year, the new
ABS-CBN channel covered
the Palarong Pambansa, the
annual athletic competition
for elementary and high school
students.
This was something that
was never done before by any
local network, said Narrowcast
head March Ventosa.
The games of rising superstars from around the world
were also beamed to the rest of
the country as they competed
in this summer’s Olivarez
Cup-Philippine International
Men’s Tennis Championship
at the Rizal Tennis Center.
Of course, for years, athletic competitions such as the
Southeast Asian Games, where
the Philippines had always
done very well, had been aired
on the old Studio 23.
“By putting ourselves out
there, we attracted the key local
events. It’s good because there’s
awareness that we’re here and
MARCH Ventosa, head of
Narrowcast at ABS-CBN
Corporation since 2012, never gets into anything without
ample preparation. When he
was invited by ABS-CBN
chairman Eugenio Lopez III
(EL3) to first head Marketing
in 2006, he had several conversations not only with EL3
but also with other members
of the management committee like the heads at the time
of the News, Channel 2 and
Research departments.
“They opened my eyes to
the mission of the company,
which is to be in the service of
the Filipino. I thought, that’s
easy enough to say, but they
convinced me that they were
committed to live up to that
mission,” recalls Ventosa, who
spent 22 years in advertising
where he also served international postings. The process of
deciding and finally moving to
ABS-CBN took more or less
six months.
Thus,
when
ABSCBN’s UHF Channel 23
was transformed into the
Sports+Action channel, it
was not on a whim. It took
Ventosa’s team almost two
years of work, reviewing and
evaluating each sports property,
researching and doing pretests,
approaching partners and finally
deciding that they had enough
content to support a sports
channel on free TV.
“Not only did we have
enough of a portfolio, we had
the right portfolio. This was a
source of confidence in launching the new channel. We needed
a comprehensive lineup to offer
our audience,” Ventosa says.
Engaging with partners
Dino Laurena, head of
Integrated Sports, manages all
the sports properties of ABSCBN which means engaging
with local and foreign partners
for all kinds of sports that air
on Sports+Action as well as on
Balls channel on cable.
“I immediately saw the need
to create a strong branding for
ABS-CBN Sports. I thought it
important to develop a strong
affiliation with the sports audience of ABS-CBN. A conscious
and consistent effort in developing the ABS-CBN Sports brand
was a key success factor and so
we had to immediately work
on this,” says Laurena, who has
a double degree in psychology
and marketing and 27 years of
experience in advertising.
“My academic background
and work in advertising have
allowed me to have a very deep
understanding of the Filipino
audience and consumer. This
knowledge has been a significant tool for me to understand
how to develop sports and make
it more attractive to the Filipino
TV audience,” Laurena adds.
First job
Vince
Rodriguez,
Sports+Action channel head,
graduated with a degree in literature and had no broadcast
nor communication background
when he applied for a writing job with the News team in
1996. He was accepted to write
for “The Weekend News.” It
was his first job and he did well,
moving to segment producer
and then executive producer.
Four bosses and several assignments later, he continues to find
fulfillment in ABS-CBN.
“What’s kept me going is
the public service aspect and the
value of teaching and learning.
There is always something new
to learn. I’ve been assigned to
new roles, different roles and it’s
always a new experience. I also
get to teach at classes held in
ABS-CBN for new employees,
or to orient advertisers on how
we operate,” says Rodriguez,
who at one time served as executive assistant of the News and
Current Affairs head (20002001) and later programming
head and then channel head
of Studio 23, now known as
Sports+Action.
Today, Rodriguez searches
for where efficiencies can happen in the organization, and
challenges his team to always
look for something new to offer
the audience.
“Sometimes when you’ve
been doing something for a
long time, there is that tendency to miss the bigger picture. I
challenge the team to take new
perspectives,” Rodriguez says.
Premium on teamwork
All three heads put a premium on teamwork as the key
to moving forward in the quest
to attract and hold chosen
niche markets, whether for
Sports+Action, for Integrated
Sports or for the bigger Narrowcast group.
Laurena tells LopezLink
readers: “We will always be
part of a group, a community,
a team…we are kapamilya and
that, too, is a team. Let’s work
together to reach our goals
stronger, faster and higher.”
Ventosa says, “We believe
there is a future in sports that
dovetails with our mission of being in the service of the Filipino.
We want to push pride in our
country and in our athletes. We
hope our Lopez Group kapamilya enjoy our programming and
give us feedback to improve the
way we deliver our programs.”
Rodriguez
says,
“Sports+Action aims to serve a
bigger audience and deliver the
message of sportsmanship and
teamwork even to the youth.
We want to inspire people and
be relevant to them. We are all
employees, but we are also dads,
brothers, kids and relatives of
kids. Please help us get feedback from your own kapamilya,
participate in the growth and
longevity of our channel.”
Shaping the athletic aspirations of Filipino youth
we’re committed to develop
sports in the country,” added
Ventosa.
Additionally, ABS-CBN
Sports+Action, through the
all-new sports documentary
and advocacy program “Team
U,” pushes young athletes to
dream even bigger and reach
for higher heights in their respective fields.
Hosted by Piolo Pascual
and Gerald Anderson, “Team
U” will feature stories of young
men and women who are on a
quest to bring pride and glory
to the country through their
athletic talents.
“Team U” aims to encourage viewers and organizations
to be part of building a Sports
School, which aims to develop
athletes through proper training and development under
the wing of established sports
practitioners.
The show is also hosted
by other popular names in
the world of sports such as
Gretchen Ho, Armand del
Rosario, Marco Benitez
and Eski Ripoll.
“Team U” hits
the screens Sundays at 11:30 a.m.
on
ABS-CBN
Sports+Action
and
at 1:30 p.m. on the Balls
channel. (Kathy Solis)
CSR activities
Lopezlink July 2014
97th partner for BINHI module
EDC, BenCab team up
for the environment
By Toni Nieva
ENERGY Development Corporation (EDC) and National
Artist BenCab (Benedicto Cabrera) have joined hands in saving and propagating endangered
premium native trees.
With the University of
the Philippines-Baguio and
the Philippine Society for the
Study of Nature, EDC and
BenCab Art Foundation Inc.
(BAFI) planted 100 seedlings
of 18 endangered tree species
at BenCab’s farm in Tuba, Benguet recently.
The tree-planting activity is
part of EDC’s BINHI: A Greening Legacy project, a nationwide
reforestation and biodiversity
preservation project to arrest
forest degradation, contribute to
climate change mitigation and
provide sustainable livelihood for
forest communities.
BAFI, EDC’s 97th partner
for the project’s Tree for the
Future
module,
will host
the permanent
planting area
within
the ecotrail of
BenCab
L-R: Lopez Group Foundation Inc. president Cedie Lopez Vargas, Museum
and share
artist BenCab, LGFI Operations head Angela Lopez Guingona
in the reand EDC CSR manager Rei Medrano
sponsibility of implementing the
long-term protection, monitoring
and maintenance of the planted
trees until these have grown into
mother trees.
Launched in 2008, BINHI is
focused on bringing back highvalue but fast-dwindling native
trees such as yakal, tindalo, kamagong, mangkono and ipil.
Rei Medrano, EDC manager for CSR, said: “We source
the few remaining seedlings of
endangered premium native
trees and grow them into mother trees in planting sites where
they can be best protected and
nurtured…. These mother trees
will be used to propagate more
seedlings for transplant all over
the country.”
EDC has already rescued 85
premium endangered tree species
out of the 96 target priority species with the help of its BINHI
partners nationwide, Medrano
added.
Kids enjoy ‘best summer ever’
as OFY scholars play it forward
By Tinky Cruz
THE music scholars of the
Orchestra of the Filipino Youth
(OFY) played it forward this
summer through Teach Kids
Teach, a program that provided
music lessons for free to children
of Lopez Group employees.
Teach Kids Teach not only
inspired the spirit of mentoring and volunteerism
in the OFY members,
but also helped them master their own musical instruments
through teaching younger kids.
One of the beneficiaries was
Karlo Bautista, son of First Gas’
Venus Bautista, who shared: “I
love music but I never dreamed
of learning the cello in just one
summer! It was so much fun
learning from my ate and kuya in
OFY. They played so well in each
rehearsal and they inspired me to
pursue this new discovery of my
love for music.”
Charmaine Modrigo, daughter of Lopez Museum’s Tina
Modrigo, chimed in: “Nung una
po nakakakaba mag-aral ng violin
pero maski araw-araw ang lesson
construction efforts after super
typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan); and
advance climate change adaptation strategies.
Lectures were delivered by
invited experts, including OML
Center program manager Perlyn Pulhin. IPCC AR5 WG 2
lead author and PhilCCA WG
1 and 2 author Lourdes Tibig
as well as representatives from
Northern Iloilo Alliance for
Roma Nepomuceno, daughter of Ang Misyon’s Guia Tieng,
said she was happy with her
experience: “Nadisiplina po akong
sumunod sa mga instructions
tuwing violin lessons namin.
Napakagaling po ng mga ate at
kuya ko tumugtog at tinuturuan
din nila kaming maging magaling
na tao at musician.”
Formed in 2012, the OFY
youth ensemble is a joint venture
between First Philippine Holdings Corporation and ABSCBN that provides free music
education as well as performance
allowances, transportation assistance, meals, uniforms and
instruments to its 55 members.
The Orchestra of the Filipino Youth (OFY)
recently joined the centennial celebration
of the Diocese of Pasig’s Young Catholic
Social Circle or YOCASOCI. The OFY
performed in the musical tribute and
Marian serenade during the episcopal
coronation of the Virgen de las Flores de
Pasig at the Pasig Cathedral. The OFY
is the youth ensemble of the ABS-CBN
Philharmonic Orchestra. The scholars,
who were handpicked from existing
ensembles throughout the Philippines,
are trained by some of the country’s most
well-known classical musicians and
artists. (Jei-Jei Gertes)
Coastal Development, Green
Forum-Western Visayas Inc.,
Christian Aid, Jaro Archdiocesan Parish and NEDA also
gave presentations.
The organizers and participants agreed that similar conferences should be conducted
regularly to increase awareness
of climate change and share
best adaptation practices. (Perlyn Pulhin
From Manila to Davao, SKY employees help out
By Dimpy Jazmines
Calendar
BAYAN Academy offers
the following certificate
training courses this month:
July 3-4: HR Management
July 17-18: Sales Training
July 22-23: Comprehensive
Leadership
July 31-August 1:
Whole Brain Approach to
Customer Service
For rates, call Carol
Arcaya at 426-3140. Bayan
Academy reserves the right to
change course dates.
ay pumunta talaga ako sa Benpres
galing pa sa Cavite. Ang sarap ng
pakiramdam yung babasa ka ng
music notes tapos papagalawin
mo yung mga kamay mo para
makatugtog ng magandang tunog.
Ito na ang pinakamasaya kong
summer vacation.”
Ria Espino, daughter of
Southbend Group’s Remy Espino, said she discovered the
oboe: “My teacher in OFY said
there is a great demand for oboists in the Philippines and even
abroad. It was hard to practice
but I feel proud of myself. Even
my family couldn’t believe that
I can play at this level in such a
short time.”
OFY performs at
centennial celebration
OML Center presents update on climate change project
THE OML Center gave an
update about the Philippine
Climate Change Assessment
(PhilCCA), a joint project with
the Climate Change Commission, at the roundtable discussion
on the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth
Assessment Report (AR5) of
Working Group (WG) 2 held at
the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)
regional office in Iloilo City.
The conference aimed to
acquaint some 40 participants
from national and local government units, civil society,
academe and the private sector
with their vulnerabilities to
the impacts of climate change;
enhance rehabilitation and re-
Teach Kids Teach beneficiaries and future
classical musicians (l-r) Charmaine
Modrigo, Ria Espino and Roma Nepomuceno
500 BayaniJuan pupils receive school kits
from Cherry Mobile FIVE hundred pupils from kindergarten
to Grade 6 of BayaniJuan in Calauan, Laguna recently received school
kits from Cherry Mobile. ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation
Inc. (ALKFI), through its educational arm Programa Genio, partnered
with Cherry Mobile to distribute notebooks, pads and pencils to
chosen students of Dayap Elementary School-Annex and Santo Tomas
Elementary School-Annex as part of Cherry Mobile’s “Be Cool in School”
campaign. Freebies and prizes like armbands, collapsible drinking bottles
and fans were also given away. ALKFI’s Programa Genio aims to bring
out the best in the children of BayaniJuan through its soft programs and
partnerships with corporations. (Kathleen Krystel Legaspi)
AS part of SKY’s CSR efforts,
SKY employees in Davao and
in Mega Manila volunteered in
cleaning up and repainting chosen public schools to support the
Brigada Eskwela program of the
Department of Education.
In Davao, SKY volunteers
helped prepare Zonta Elementary School for the arrival of the
students come school opening
day.
In Mega Manila, SKY volunteers did their part in Bagong
Ilog Elementary School in Pasig.
Earlier, in Cebu, SKY employees and the SKYcable Employees Union conducted a successful Labor Day community
service activity in Jugan Gym in
SKY Mega Manila employees are ready to work on the floors and walls of
Bagong Ilog Elementary School
Jugan, Consolacion. Children
from the nearby communities
benefited from the SKY team’s
Operation Tuli, free haircut
and feeding program.
The SKY Cebu employees
also set up a viewing station for
the occasion, where barangay
residents were able to watch
SKYcable shows.
Museum/Values
Lopezlink July 2014
On the shelf
Ongoings
Artist Talk
with de Chavez
on July 9
LESLIE de Chavez, one of the
featured artists in the ongoing
exhibit Complicated, will have
his Artist Talk on July 9, 2
p.m.-4 p.m.
Known for his acerbic cultural commentary, De Chavez
will discuss his processes, choice
of materials, subject matter and
challenges and possibilities of
art as engagement.
De
Chavez
earned
his
b a c h e l o r ’s
degree in
fine arts
(major in
painting),cum
laude, at
the University
of the
Philippines.
He was
t h e
Bizet. They will also perform
kundiman and sarswela such
as “Bayan Ko,” “Pilipinas Kong
Mahal” and “Dahil Sa ‘ Yo.”
The concert ticket costs
P300 per person (P270 for
students and museum members) and includes admission to
Complicated.
prize winner of the Ateneo
Art Awards in 2010 and has
been awarded residencies by
International Art Programme
in Leipzig, Germany, NeoEmerging Artists Residency in
Seoul, South Korea and Asian
Artists Fellowship Program
in Korea. He has had solo
exhibitions in the Philippines,
Singapore, China, Korea, Switzerland and Germany. He has
also participated in art fairs
in Singapore, Manila, Hong
Kong, Miami, Zurich and New
York. He is currently represented by the Ariao Gallery in
Seoul, Korea.
Registration fee for the
lecture is P120 (P100 for students).
‘Complicated:
The Concert’
returns on July
15
Due to popular demand, Complicated: The Concert will have
a repeat performance on July
15, 2-4 p.m. The concert is in
partnership with Viva Voce, a
group that trains and supports
talented classical singers. The
concert repertoire will include
songs inspired by the artworks
in Complicated.
Led by their musical director, soprano Camille LopezMolina, 10 performers will
sing songs from operas by
Verdi, Mozart, Gounod and
and library resources by signing
up for the Lopez Museum membership program. Members can
borrow books from the lending
section and get discounts on lectures, workshops and services for
only P1,500.
Art objects
Show your love for Philippine
art with exclusive items inspired
by paintings and other works in
the museum’s collection. These
tumblers, art books, fans, pens
and notepads will make great
all-occasion gifts
or additions to
your collection.
Grab one now!
The
Lopez
Memorial Museum is at the ground
floor, Benpres Building,
Exchange Road corner
Meralco Avenue,
Pasig City. Museu m
days and hours are Mondays
to Saturdays, except holidays,
8 a.m.-5 p.m. Avail of unlimited access to exhibitions
‘Yamashita’s
Ghost,’ by
Allan A. Ryan
SHOULD
a
commander be
held accountable
for the crimes
of his troops
even if he has
no knowledge of
them? Attorney and professor
Allan A. Ryan reopens the
case against Gen. Tomoyuki
Yamashita, the commander
of the Japanese troops in the
Philippines whose atrocities
illuminate the questions that
have surrounded his trial and
conviction. Ryan draws directly from the tribunal’s longneglected transcripts, vividly
chronicling this tragic tale and
its personalities. His trenchant
analysis of the case’s lingering
question has profound implications for all military commanders. (Vicente Olaybar Jr.)
Members can now borrow
Yamashita’s Ghost at the Lopez
Museum Library. Call Ethel or
Paolo to inquire about the membership program.
Jose Maria Zaragoza: The architect of landmarks
RECENTLY,
President
Aquino named Jose Maria
Velez Zaragoza a National Artist for Architecture. Although
awarded posthumously, Filipinos discovered that here was
a distinguished and devoted
Catholic architect who not
only designed churches but also
other landmarks such as the
then Lopez-owned Meralco
Building along Ortigas Ave.
According to Ruben David
F. Defeo in his book “Jose Maria V. Zaragoza, Architecture for
God, For Man,” Zaragoza, who
passed away in 1994 at the age
of 81, “had a mission to build
churches. His works comprise
a significant body of ecclesiastical architecture of about 45
churches all over the country.”
As Zaragoza rose to prominence in 1954, wrote Defeo, he
designed and supervised the construction of the Santo Domingo
Church on Quezon Avenue, the
Pope Pius XII parish church in
Manila, the St. John Bosco church
and the Union Church of Manila
in Makati, and the National
Shrine of the Miraculous Medal
in Parañaque, to name a few. The
Villa San Miguel in Mandaluyong was one of his earlier works.
Commissioned by EL Sr.
Lopez Group founder Eugenio Lopez Sr. (EL Sr.), who had
The Manila Chronicle published
on the same day, also included
the John F. Cotton Hospital,
the Jollye Recreation Center,
Employee Facilities Building,
Operations Building, Power
Center and General Shops
Building.
pher Raul Rodrigo in “Phoenix:
The Saga of the Lopez Family”:
its “very modern design for
1960s Manila”; the first-class
Lighthouse restaurant at the
top floor that reflected the
owner’s “abiding love for good
food”; and the Meralco Theater.
Defeo wrote that Zaragoza,
in designing the building, made
use of the louver as a significant
feature of the structure. He was
believed to have been inspired
in designing the building from
the fender of the fashionable
car during his time, the Cougar.
The facade of the Lopez
Building, described Defeo,
alternates solids and transparencies. The sides are solid, like
two monolithic towers. Inside
are four sections: the pedestrian
level, the main structure, an
additional level and a crown
with a flat roof. A bridge which
connects the offices, corridors
and the elevator lobby supports
both portions of the building.
Zaragoza likened these to
“two people supporting each
other, with the bridge serving
as outstretched arms.”
seen in his stamp on the Lopez
Building, wrote Lopez biogra-
When Zaragoza designed
and built the Lopez Building,
Meralco president Eugenio Lopez
Sr. (rightmost) graces the blessing
of the Lopez Building in 1969.
Architect Jose Zaragoza is third from
right, in white
acquired Meralco from General
Public Utilities in 1962, commissioned Zaragoza to design the
company’s Ortigas headquarters.
Meralco was previously based in
San Marcelino, Manila.
The new Meralco Building
was inaugurated on March 14,
1969 when the electric company celebrated its 66th anniversary. The Lopez Building, as
it was also known, actually has
13 floors with the top floor as
the 14th. It became the main
building in the Meralco complex housing the administrative
offices of the company, said
Defeo.
The sprawling complex, according to an advertisement in
Aerial shot of the Meralco Building
Owner’s stamp
Height of architectural
EL Sr.’s personality can be career
he was at the height of his architectural career. A graduate
of BS in Architecture from the
University of Santo Tomas in
1936 with highest honors, he
was ably assisted by his wife
Pilar Rosello in most of his architectural projects. Together,
wrote Defeo, they were the
“tandem to beat, Zaragoza doing the structural aspects of the
building, and his wife the interiors made of wood, including
the carpentry and furniture.”
She designed the theater’s
wooden paneling that lines the
walls of the auditorium, whose
strongest facet was the interplay of textures involving the
natural grain of wood, wrote
Defeo.
The building, which faces
east-west, is equipped with a
phalanx of brise soleil. During sunrise and especially at
high noon, these sun breakers
filter the rays, preventing the
scorching heat from getting
in the building. The structure
is founded on adobe, ensuring
its resilience to withstand any
force majeure.
Supremacy of form
Up to the present, “no other
building in the country has
duplicated his feat of having
a series of vertical blades in
concrete, arranged in a concave
manner, not only to shield the
building from sunlight and
even rainwater, but to breathe
subtlety and supremacy of form
into the structure.”
Its structural strength was
seen when it remained undamaged during the earthquake of
July 16, 1990 which measured
7.7 on the Richter scale.
Other landmarks designed
by Zaragoza were the former
Philippine Banking Corporation building in Port Area, Manila, Virra Mall in Greenhills
and the PAL building on Ayala
Avenue, Makati.
According to his daughter
Loudette
Zaragoza-Banson,
in an interview by Joanne Rae
Ramirez for People magazine:
“Dad conceived of magnificent
things for others but for himself, he was content with his reliable white Volkswagen Beatle
[sic]…. His life was so deeply
rooted in his love for God and
his devotion to Mama Virgen.
That is why I am confident that
perhaps with the help of those
who believe in the preservation
of cultural treasures, Dad’s work
and memory will live longer
than a hundred years.”
And indeed Zaragoza’s
structures are showing that
these may just last longer than
a hundred years.
10
Lifelong Wellness
Lopezlink July 2014
Walk the Talk goes to Tanay
JULY
13: Takbo.ph RunFest,
5K/10K/21K (BGC,
Taguig), 3am. Fee: P750P1,000. Contact www.
takbo.net
20: CarbTrim TBR All
Woman Race, 5K/10K/
21K (Filinvest Corporate
City, Alabang), 4:30am.
Fee: P1,000-P1,600.
Contact tbrallwoman@
gmail.com
20: Botak at Kadla ni
Pidol, 3K/5K/10K/16K/
21K (Luneta, Manila),
3:30am. Fee: P500-P950.
Contact runtarantantan@
yahoo.com
INAEC president
Benjamin R. Lopez
Adtel AVP Japs
Batara
were greeted with challenging
trails of concrete.
Arriving back at the Sierra
Madre Hall, they were treated
to a meal of adobo. As the day
closed its curtains, several participants opted to enjoy their
food at the viewing deck, which
had a spectacular view of the
mountain ranges of the Sierra Madre, coupled with cool
mountain breezes.
WE made it through what must have
been one of the hottest summers in recent
memory. Now, faced with the prospect of
the worst El Niño in 17 years, the country
is also in for fiercer typhoons. According
to ReliefWeb’s June 6 Humanitarian
Snapshot for the Philippines, “Typically,
the El Niño phenomenon causes the
behavior of tropical cyclones to become
erratic, affecting their path and intensity.
The paths tropical cyclones follow this
year could shift northward to the islands
of Luzon.” And with some 18 typhoons
expected to lash the country this year, the
National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council has said that we must “assume that most of
these are strong.”
How prepared are you and your household, even your workplace?
Do you have standby power, emergency kits that include medicines
and non-perishable food items and even your important documents?
We start our rainy season series with some tips on keeping healthy on
page 10.
We’re big on sports—wellness is a Lopez Value, after all—so the
University Athletic Association of the Philippines games and other
big-ticket athletic events that are aired over ABS-CBN Sports+Action
(including the ongoing FIFA World Cup) will surely have many of
us glued to Channel 23. Launched in early 2014, the newest Kapamilya has three men at the helm—March Ventosa, Dino Laurena and
Vince Rodriguez. For this month’s cover feature, we asked them what
sports fans can expect from the fledgling channel and how it upholds
ABS-CBN’s mission of serving the Filipino.
ABS-CBN University is the other new thing from the Kapamilya
network as it lays the groundwork for grooming future leaders. It
currently has six academies offering 21 courses focused on mediaand business-related fields and will surely be a magnet for employees
looking for a refreshed perspective. Why not, with deans like ABSCBN president Charo Santos-Concio and long-time Kapamilya and
veteran newsman Boo Chanco? We would enroll there ourselves if we
could!
Meanwhile, three Kapamilya made headlines of late: Ging Reyes,
Bong Osorio and Kane Choa. Integrated News and Current Affairs
ALKFI chairman Gina Lopez (seated, center) and (l-r) Mayor Ponferrada of Basey, SINP-PAMB
DENR’s Leonardo Sibbaluca, DOT’s Trina Dacuycuy and PAWB and Coastal Zone Management
Service’s Danilo Javier sign a memorandum of agreement to develop Sohoton Cave and
Balantak Falls as ecotourism destinations
ALKFI to help push Basey
as ecotourism destination
LGFI president Cedie Lopez Vargas
and Adtel president Andrew Ramos
The participants hit the trails
Shoo
the flu!
THE rainy season is officially
upon us! According to the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical
Services Administration, with
the onset of the wet season,
the country can expect “near
(81-120%) to above normal
(>120%) rainfall conditions”
this July and August. Monsoon
breaks or dry spells, however,
“are likely and may last for
several days,” the state weather
bureau said.
Sudden weather changes
such as these weaken our immune system and make us more
vulnerable to the pesky flu.
What you have is flu if you
have a fever of at least 38 degrees Celsius and which lasts
for up to four days, headache,
runny nose, sore throat, cough
or other respiratory manifestations, fatigue or extreme
exhaustion, and severe muscle
or joint pains.
Sudoku
Commune with nature
​Photos by ​Mike ​Barateta
Sports & Wellness
calendar
by Whiplash’s Trini Trinidad
and his Rockwell gang, as LGFI
president Cedie Lopez Vargas
and Adtel president and COO
Andrew Ramos gamely joined in.
August Villalon from Energy Development Corporation’s
Emergency Response Team discussed the Environment, Safety
and Health Reminders for a
safer “journey” during the trek.
After the distribution of bananas, suman and mineral water
by the sponsors, the walk proper
commenced as the participants
Lopezlink July 2014
Maglaro tayo ng Sudoku, ang bagong libangan ng bayan!
Ayusin lamang ang mga numero simula 1 hanggang 9 para
ang bawat numero ay minsan lang magagamit sa bawat row,
column at kahon.
By Gerbs De Castro
DESPITE several showers the
past few days due to the onset of
the rainy season, the June edition
of the​​ Lopez HR Council-Lopez Lifelong Wellness’ Walk the
Talk at the Sierra Madre Hotel
and Resort in Tanay, Rizal was
blessed with good weather.
Around 300 employees
from the Lopez Group, family
members and friends, attended
this monthly event, which provides participants with the opportunity not only to improve
on fitness, but also to enhance
camaraderie as they discover
interesting places in Luzon.
Sponsored by Adtel, INAEC,
Lopez Group Foundation Inc.
(LGFI) and Lopez Inc., with
Japs Batara, Adtel’s assistant vice
president for Renewable Energy
taking on emceeing chores, this
wellness undertaking opened
with an invocation courtesy of
Adtel supervisor Rachel Sulit.
This was followed by a moment of silence, initiated by Ma.
Carmen Marbella, Lopez Inc.
AVP for HR, Administration
and Property Management, in
commemoration of the 15th
death anniversary of former
Lopez Group chairman Eugenio “Geny” Lopez Jr.
INAEC head of Maintenance Constantine Cano led
the participants in the Lopez
Credo recitation.
Enhancing Lopez Group
pride among the employees was
the inspirational speech of INAEC president and Lopez Inc.
senior executive vice president
Benjamin R. Lopez, who asserted that “we may not be the
largest company in the Philippines, but we are the best.”
The warm-up and stretching
exercises were spearheaded anew
Interactive
www.clipartheaven.com
PUT Basey, Samar on your list
of places to visit for the next
time you feel the urge to get
away from it all.
ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. (ALKFI), through its Bantay Kalikasan (BK) program, recently
partnered with the local government of Basey to preserve
and promote Sohoton Caves
and Balintak Falls in the area.
These natural attractions, located in Brgy. Inuntan and Brgy.
Rawis, respectively, are identified
as protected areas under the Samar
Island Natural Park-Protected
Area Management Board. ALKFI, among others, will promote
them as tourism destinations
and put together livelihood programs for the victims of typhoon
Yolanda even as it continues to
distribute relief goods.
The local government unit,
headed by Mayor Igmedio
Ponferrada, will assist in developing the area into an ecotour-
ism site. ALKFI also assigned a
patrol boat and pledged to provide training in patrolling the
sea in order to protect marine
biodiversity from dynamite and
other forms of illegal fishing.
This endeavor is one of the
many projects of BK’s Green
Initiative movement that aims
to nurture and protect the environment with pathways that
ultimately benefit the communities living in the area. (Ana
Terrese Junio)
6 things to consider when
choosing eyeglass frames
By Charizze Henson and Audrey Trinidad
The best way to shoo the
flu is actually something easy
enough to do several times a
day: wash your hands using
soapy water for at least 20 seconds to remove germs.
According to the Department of Health, treatment of
flu may include:
•Antiviral agents, such as oseltamivir or zanamivir, within
the first two days to shorten
the illness and help prevent
serious complications.
•Adequate rest and sleep.
•More oral fluids and nutritious foods
•Paracetamol for fever. Aspirin should not be given
to children and teenagers as
it could cause a potentially
fatal reaction called Reye’s
syndrome.
CHOOSING the perfect
frames for your eyeglasses can
be overwhelming. With numerous styles and brands available
on the market, what should you
consider when getting yourself
a new pair?
Dr. Jesse Caguioa, Asian Eye
Institute’s chief optometrist and
low vision and rehabilitation
expert, says that eyeglass wearers
should consider these factors:
Style. Find the frames that
best match your face shape and
skin tone.
Price. Find what fits your
budget. Make sure you’re getting the best value for your
money.
Lifestyle. Do you play
sports frequently, drive or do
computer work? Using the right
frames can make such activities
easier or more convenient.
Materials. Are you getting
metal or plastic frames? Are
they lightweight and durable?
Always compare the pros and
cons before making a purchase.
Comfort. Check if the
frames are lightweight, and if
they fit your head correctly or
put pressure on your temples, or
if the shape at the nose bridge
grips too tightly, making them
difficult to wear.
Prescription. Unless you are
going for thin and lightweight
lenses, it is not advisable to get
rimless or semi-rimless frames,
especially if you have high eye
grade.
Dr. Caguioa advises patients
to know what they need and
not just settle for stylish or lowpriced eyewear.
“The main reason you’re getting eyeglasses is to have clearer
vision. If you’re disregarding important factors like your lifestyle
and comfort, your eyeglasses
won’t really be useful,” he says.
Asian Eye has trained optometrists to guide you and of-
Follow us @lopezlinkph on Twitter and Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/lopezlinkonline
fer a wide variety of frames. Recently, it added more brands to
its selection of frames. Patients
can now choose from the new
collection of Ray-Ban, Tory
Burch, Coach, Bvlgari, Emporio Armani, Oliver Peoples,
Paul Smith and Prada.
Kapamilya discount applies:
10% on all optical products.
New brands are available at the
Asian Eye Optical Dispensary
in Rockwell Center. For more
info, call 898-2020.
 Very



Easy
Easy
Medium
Hard
Answer to June puzzle
Solution, tips and
computer program
available at
www.sudoku.com
Eats
Chorizo pasta
11
Dear Rosie
head Reyes was honored by her alma mater, the University of the
Philippines, while ABS-CBN spokesperson Osorio and Integrated
Corporate Communications OIC Choa are now head honchos of the
country’s biggest communicators’ associations. Congratulations!
This early, we’re counting down the days to the 2013 Lopez
Achievement Awards. Our homegrown awards program is getting
bigger with each passing year, netting a greater number of entries
as the competition among companies grows fiercer. This cycle saw a
record 50 nominees making their bids for the coveted trophies, with
22 making it to the semifinal round. We’re so looking forward to
another “dramatic” awarding ceremony come September.
It’s a good time to drop by Power Plant Mall, with interesting new
stores opening one after the other. The blogosphere, in fact, is anticipating the entry of a super big name in grocery stores—yes, it’s Dean &
DeLuca!—in Rockwell Center before the end of the year. Yummy!
ooOoo
Where can we buy the Adtel solar setups? Thanks!—A
According to Adtel’s Japs Batara, you can buy Adtel solar kits from
one of their authorized distributors, Hotdisk. Call (02) 837-9849 or
0908-8916273. If you want a chance to win one, we’re actually giving
a unit away as the prize in our ongoing Facebook contest. Check out
page 5 for more info!
ooOoo
Kudos to the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth for undertaking the
Teach Kids Teach program last summer. I hope they or the ABSCBN Philharmonic can also do something like that for “seniors” in
the future.—Ness
ooOoo
Sana magkaroon ng reunion project ang Kimerald, isang movie o
teleserye. Malakas ang chemistry nila. Interesting na makita sila
magsama na gumanap sa mas mature na roles.—Anita
If you have questions, comments, opinions, suggestions and reactions
about anything and everything about the Lopez Group, please send
them to Dear Rosie through email DearRosie@benpres-holdings.com
or lopezlink@gmail.com or be a friend or fan on Facebook.
REFINERY at Rockwell: Where coffee
counter, wine store and bar intersect
AT REFINERY, craft isn’t just a buzzword used to brand a
beverage. Behind the counter are people passionate about
drinks, so that every cocktail or cup of coffee is the product of
rigor, precision and personal investment.
The textured milk used in espresso beverages can be cacaoor orange-infused. Mountain water is used to process the Brazilian coffees in the decaf. Servers are mindful about the proper
density of foam topping your beer or cappuccino.
Consider REFINERY a hub for
the mindful beverage. It is where the
takeout coffee counter, wine store
and neighborhood bar intersect.
Drop in before work for an organic
cuppa or hunker down with a pint of
draught or expertly-shaken cocktail.
With warm woods, rusticmodern lighting and a view of
Rockwell’s quietest corner, REFINERY is a refuge for the better
beverage.
Fine brews made from
LAMILL Coffee
REFINERY pours coffee from
LAMILL, a California-based
company that sources its top-end beans from eco-sensitive coffee estates in Indonesia, Africa and Central America. Staples
include the Black Velvet, expressed by deep chocolate tones and
a caramel finish, as well as seasonal single origins from El Salvador and Guatemala Pucal Carmona.
Slow roasted in state-of-the-art machines, LAMILL produces
brews like the Bliss Espresso, a blend of six beans from three continents characterized by complexity, sweetness and delightful density.
REFINERY also serves LAMILL’s well-curated selection
of organic loose-sachet teas. Alongside modern-blend twists to
classics like Rooibos and Earl Grey teas, playful brews abound. A
light Bai Mu Dan surprises with pineapple pieces and shredded
coconut while the organic Up All Night revives with chamomile
flowers, hibiscus and citrus peels.
LAMILL espresso is used in coffee beverages such as specialty vanilla lattes with housemade Madagascar vanilla, a salted caramel latte
and a tiramisu beverage that combines Grand
Marnier, whipped cream and cacao powder.
For special tea drinks, expect clever concoctions like milk teas with masala chai or spiced
Rooibos.
flair and filling
snacks. Brunch
staples such as
shirred truffled
eggs with toast
and
grilled
cheese abound,
along
with
shareable plates
like sirloin burger sliders and a
hefty NY Prime
grade steak and
eggs.
Lagarde supplies the wine at REFINERY. Produced in its own
vineyards located in Argentina’s best wine region, Lagarde is known
for its superior quality, unique terroir and price accessibility.
From imported sausages to desserts such as
tiramisu
made with the house’s LAMILL Coffee, a cuppa
joe, glass of primo wine or a mug of the craft beer on tap will
make for a great accompaniment.
REFINERY, located at Joya Lofts and Towers, Rockwell
Center, is open daily from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Fine wine from Lagarde
Fine bites
Inspired by the casual bistros and cafes of Los Angeles, REFINERY’s food is characterized by seasonal ingredients, French
12
Lopezlink July 2014
What’s new
By Cherry Pineda
from ABS-CBN Publishing this July
Kathryn is all woman on
‘Metro’ cover
On the cover of this month’s Metro, Kathryn Bernardo channels
Penny Lane in ensembles from designers Eric delos Santos, Mak
Tumang and Chris Diaz, among others. In the spirit of our advocacy to help our readers achieve their best look, we’ve compiled
the ultimate guide to achieving star style. We also name our 25
Best Dressed Celebrities and pick their best #OOTDs. This issue comes with a special edition of Metro Him featuring Joseph
Marco on the cover and Metro Weddings Special with cover girls
Ana Sideco and Ria Bolivar.
‘FOOD’:
An ode to
breakfast
‘Metro
Home’:
Experts answer design
questions
In Metro Home and Entertaining’s Expert Advice Issue, design authorities give
their best advice to improve
your space and avoid decorating mishaps. More than
40 pages of fantastic homes
are also featured in this issue that includes a modern Filipino
family haven, a cosmopolitan Makati dream home, a Tagaytay
hideaway and a contemporary dream house.
Rockwell Power Plant Finds
By Nikki Nava
new home. There’s also a
special feature with Daniel’s
thoughts on screen partner Kathryn Bernardo and
a look back at his musical
journey with his band. Plus,
we have stories on Jamvhille
Sebastian of the YouTube
tandem Jamich, and DJ
Chacha of MOR 101.9.
At home with Daniel in
‘StarStudio’
Daniel Padilla gives StarStudio the first top-to-bottom look at his
FOOD celebrates the obsession with breakfast with
special features like modern
Pinoy breakfasts by chef JP
Anglo of Sarsa Kitchen+Bar
and blogger Lori Baltazar’s
ode to her 10 favorite breakfast dishes. This issue also includes a guide to Third Wave
coffee in Manila, a merienda cena party by Claude Tayag and lots
of recipes and food finds.
Get the newest issues of your favorite magazines at leading bookstores and magazine stands nationwide. To download, users on Android devices must download the Zinio app from the Android Market. The app is also available through the iPad App Store. PC and Mac
users can access Zinio at zinio.com.
Powerhouse picks
WELCOME the second half of the year with these edgy new additions to the Power Plant Mall family!
Ronnie & Joe
The new standard: it’s not just about wearing beautiful pieces of
eyewear, it’s also about the exploration and expression of individual
style. That’s what Ronnie & Joe believes in. This optical salon is a
gallery of eyewear brands from all over the world that are rich in
history and heritage, with strong attention to detail. Ronnie & Joe
opens at the R1 Level this month.
to eight cuts of beef—chuck, rib eye, short ribs, sirloin, brisket,
hanger, flank and oxtail—that only this restaurant offers. All beef
patties are made of 100% pure US beef and are hand-pressed,
freshly-ground, custom-blended and seared to order. Now, doesn’t
that sound absolutely delicious?
Focus on Arts
Power Plant Mall’s annual celebration of the arts becomes more
exciting every year. This year, Focus on Arts: Art in Transit will
be held from July to August 2014 and will showcase all forms of
traditional, contemporary and abstract art by Filipinos. Exhibits,
unique art activities as well as live art performances by famous
Filipino artists are in store for visitors. Mark your calendars and
celebrate the arts at Power Plant Mall!
Ultimate Taste Test
Editorial Advisory Board
Executive Editor
Mike Lopez / Boo Chanco
Rosan Cruz
Contributing Editors
Carla Paras-Sison (Lopez Holdings)
Estela de la Paz (First Gen) Kane Choa (ABS-CBN)
Cherry Pineda (ABS-CBN Publishing)
Dimpy Jazmines (Wellness)
Hazel Velasco (FPHC)
Arlene Torres (SkyCable)
Vienn Tionglico (Rockwell)
Dulce Baybay (LGFI)
Fernando Diaz de Rivera (EDC)
Circulation
Editorial and Layout
Lucy Torres (Tel. 449-2468)
Mousetrap Publishing
LopezLink is published by Lopez Holdings Corp. PR Group
4/F Benpres Bldg., Ortigas, Pasig City
Tel. no. (63-2) 449-2345
For feedback, email rcruz@lopez-holdings.ph
Follow us on Twitter: @lopezlinkph
Available online at www.Lopezlink.ph
Vom Fass
The first Vom Fass shop opened in Regensburg,
Germany in 1994. The Kiderlen family started out
by importing wine from South Tyrolia. Due to
the changing times, the company was expanded
and renamed Vom Fass (“from the cask”). Vom
Fass now has franchises all over the world and
is coming to the P1 Level this July. Its products include natural and fresh vinegars, oils, spirits,
spices and nonalcoholic specialties.
8 Cuts
8 Cuts Burger Blends is coming to the P1 Level!
“8Cuts,” as it is more commonly called, is a reference
It’s time to start the countdown to Rockwell’s
fourth Ultimate Taste Test, themed “New Flavors of
Manila”! Enjoy a quality selection of food from over
65 chef-driven booths at the Rockwell Tent. Have your
fill of appetizers, main dishes, drinks
and even desserts!
It’s going to be
a unique foodtasting experience for everyone!