4 "The Voice" Philippines Finalists rock shoppers during SM City Davao's 3-day SALE

Four very talented finalists from "The Voice of the Philippines" namely Thor, Eva, Radha and Kim rocked the SM City Annex during the first day of the Mall's 3-day sale scheduled from October 18 to 20, 2013.

Both Kim Mainit and Eva are from Bohol and they expressed their interest in performing for the benefit of the earthquake victims in Bohol and Cebu. Eva may be one of the oldest in the group but she is definitely one of the most charming and talented as shown by the reaction of the crowd when she started belting out her Whitney Houston songs.

"It feels so cool being with the team and then watching talents as young as Kim (who is 17 years old) and established ones like Radha and Thor and I am there just looking on," says Eva who admitted that her family comes first but since the demand for her talent is hot thanks to The Voice of the Philippines, then wants to strike while the iron is hot. She said it was her husband who convinced her to join the Blind Auditions.

Kim showed members of the media and the bloggers group during the press conference why she was chosen by Coach Leah. She admitted that as Radha has advised her, she is now going deeper into her music, knowing the origins of the songs that influenced her idols.




The audience went wild when Thor, who hails from Panabo City, wowed the crowd with "Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin" and Stevie Wonder's "Lately".  A former student of the Ateneo de Davao University, Thor said he has been staying in Manila for years and it is good to be back home.

Thor and Eva may not have made it to the Top 4 but with their obvious talent and charisma, they will definitely be on stage, television and the radios for a long time.

Dabawenyos who want to do their early Christmas shopping can still catch SM City Davao's 3-Day Sale today and tomorrow. If you stay a little longer, then you also get the chance to see Eric Santos at 6:30 PM tonight during his mini concert at the Annex.

Sony Ericsson Launches 3 Mobile Phones

Sony Ericsson is simultaneously launching three new phones in Davao City today. This was the third leg of the company's road show for the launching of their phones.

"Every purchase of each of these phones will bring joy to children through UNICEF since the company is contributing up to P1 million to support the latter's Mobile Education and Child Protection Program,' Sony Ericsson Product Sales Manager Vince dela Cruz said.

Sony Ericssson's flagship phone is Satio also known as Sony Ericsson Idou in other countries. The phone has a 3.5-inch screen and a 12.1 megapixel camera.

Parents would be better off with Sony Ericsson Kita though since it can be used for gaming ala Wii. You just make the moves in front of your screen and get right on the action.

Another newcomer is the Sony Ericsson Aino which comes with a WiFi feature and allows you to control and access content on Playstation 3.

All the three phones will give you free access to Sony's Entertainment Unlimited to include: free content download from Sony Pictures, Sony Music and Gameloft, discount coupons from Sony Music and Magnavision and raffle coupon to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Red Ribbon opens newest store at NCCC Mall Davao

The Red Ribbon franchise of Wilson Bangayan opened up its newest branch at NCCC Mall davao yesterday.

It was Bangayan who simultaneously put up Red Ribbon stalls/booth at Victoria Plaza, Gaisano Mall and NCCC Davao a few years ago. This is however the first full Red Ribbon food store under the Jollibee Group which recently acquired the food company.

"You are assured that our products are always fresh from the Red Ribbon commissary here in Davao," Red Ribbon VisMin Operations Head Michelle Leslie Llanos said.

Red Ribbon also has a full food store at SM City Davao. The NCCC Davao Mall food store will be opened to the public starting today so go try their newest cake concoctions as well as meals.

Vice Mator Sara Duterte, who was present during yesterday's event, said this is a siginificant contribution to Davao City's economy which is private-sector led. She encouraged consumers to start tasting Red Ribbon's products.

Uswag-Bubai's 2-Day X'mas Decor Demo Starts At SM City Davao Today

The two-day Christmas decoration demo to be conducted by Uswag-Bubai will start at SM City Davao Today. The demo, which is being held in coordination with the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry and SM City will be conducted in two sessions daily at SM City's Car Park C.

For those who want to join the free demo, here's the schedule:

November 7
10:00-12:00 AM Paper Mache
2:00-4:00 PM Gift Box making

November 8
10:00-12:00 AM Flower making
2:00-4:00 PM Crocheted Xmas Decors

SM's 2008 Halloween A Blast But Organizers Should Learn From Their Bloopers

The Heroes and whatever Halloween Costume Party held at SM City Davao yesterday was a blast as it was attended by 294 (registered participants) kids who were all looking forward to getting their trick and treats! However, the ogranizers of the event should be careful next time because there are a lot of bloopers in their show and that's not just the funny ones!

The contract of participation for the Halloween Costume Party signified that registration is only up to 1:00PM of October 31. However, to the surprise and consternation of those who went to the entertainment center earlier (some as early as 10:00 AM), the organizers still accepted late registrants even up to 2PM.

The parade of costumes started too late because the organizers were keen on accepting as many registrants as possible. The organizers also said they were still waiting for something or someone (maybe the judges?) so they can't start yet. It is understandable that since this is a money-making event with each participant required to show a receipt worth P300, the organizers would want as many participants as possible. Perhaps, it would have been better if they had an early registration to accommodate as many kids as possible. An even better option is to stop indicating a deadline for the registration process since this is irritating especially for those who make an effort to come early.

One of the major flaws of the event was the theme itself! The theme was supposedly heroes, villains and their sidekicks. The organizers should have limited the participants to those wearing costumes from the three categories to avoid problems later on. By accommodating everyone even those not wearing costumes in accordance with the theme, the organizers were faced with another problem: how to present each contestant in an orderly manner whiel giving each one a chance to be seen and heard properly.

The organizers were disorganized that no one was briefing the participants on what to do. The original schedule as shown in the posters was for a trick or treat session for the kids from 1 to 2 PM and then again after the costume parade. As it turned out, some kids already made their rounds while the other kids were prevented from doing so as the organizers said the parade will come first. After about 30 minutes, they changed their minds again and said the participants should just wait because the parade may have to start first and then followed by the trick or treat from 4 to 5 PM. The kids were also disappointed when most of the stores they went into did not even had candies for them. Most of those who were generous enough to give something only gave one candy for each kid. I also noticed that the token given by SM, particularly the sweets and candies, were made from Indonesia (which can also be possibly sourced from China!) and at this time when there is a melamine scare, this can really be spooky!

While some kids were asked to properly display their costume and were properly interviewed on stage ( the lucky 15 who were called first), most of the kids crowded on the stage and were just asked their names in passing. It is also questionable if the judges were even aware of the "Super heroes", "Villains" and "Sidekicks"apart from their generation's heroes. Superman and Flash are not the only heroes, you know. Of course, the judges were popular in their own fields and I believe were very good in their own genres. But this is a different genre we are talking about here.

Events like this are supposed to be fun so I hate to be a spoiler. However, the organizers of the event should be responsible enough to organize the event properly because most of those who attend these events spend money for the costumes not to mention the registration. They should at least make sure each participant is given their rightful place in the sun. More importantly, they should try sticking to their theme because the very reason why a theme is chosen for every event is to limit the focus to that theme alone.

SM City Davao Holds Heroes And Villains Costume Party For Kids Today

Halloween is on October 31 and SM City Davao is observing it with a big bang!

Watch children 4 to 12 years old out-costume each other as they join the Heroes and Villains Costume Party at the SM City Entertainment Center at 1PM today. To join, just present a minimum purchase receipt of P300 bought between October 27 to 31, 2008.

Kids who want to join the costume party should dress up as their favorite movie or television hero, villain or sidekick. One winner will be chosen for three categories: Best Hero Costume, Best Villain Costume and Best Sidekick Costume. Winners will win P5,000 in SM Gift Certificates.

Those who have registered for the costume party can go around the mall for their Trick or Treats!

Easter Fun At SM City Davao

Some families in Davao celebrated Easter by soaking themselves wet in beaches and swimming pools. Others however opted for a different kind of fun like spending Family Day at SM City Davao.

SM City sponsored a whole Day Easter Family Day Activity starting with free painting sessions, face painting and Parlor Games for the whole family at the SM Event Center in the morning. A clown hosted the morning games. The fun however started in the afternoon with the Easter Egg painting.

Then came the parade of children in their easter costumes. The kids wore different costumes as an interpretation of the Easter theme.

Most of the kids were in the traditional bunny costumes while others wore non-traditional Easter costumes like a military-inspired Easter bunny and a carrot.

The Easter Egg hunt sent everyone--including the adults, scampering for eggs anywhere. Lots and lots of Unilab milk---Bright and Enervon---were given away as prizes for those who participated in the show.

MediSpa: A Wish Come True

Remember how I was wishing for a day at the Spa to refresh my cob-webbed mind from all the antics of Trillanes, the continued rise of the peso vs dollar (which is unfavorable to the outsourcing industry) amid the rise of fuel prices, erc. etc ---and then I won $12 from PMT but the cash was not enough for a refreshing Spa? Well, that wish finally came true today, thanks to MediSpa.

MediSpa, which is located at SM City Davao (side entrance just near the elevator), hosted a Spa Christmas Party for Davao's business writers. I got pampered with a foot massage while interviewing MediSpa owner Dr. Victoria Patiño-Guillano.Guillano is the only Dermatopathologist in Davao City (and perhaps one of the only two known practicing Dermatopathologist in Mindanao). This young and charismatic doctor, who seemed to be very passionate about what she does, is a Fellow at the American Academy of Dermatology and the Philippine Dermatologic Society.

MediSpa is not your ordinary Spa or derma clinic where you get your facials (although they offer that services as well) in the sense that the doctor is a Dermapathologist which means she is legally and medially armed to provide consultations on skin conditions and diseases like Leprosy and Psoriasis. She also conducts Biopsy of skin conditions that has been treated for weeks but has remained uncured. In fact, dermatologists and other skin clinics from as far as General Santos City and Butuan send patient samples to her for Biopsy since she is also head of the Dermatopathology Department of the Davao Medical Center.

Aside from various Spa Services, MediSpa also hosts Spa Themed Parties and they haev the facilities to provide several hours of spa-pleasure to the celebrant and the guests. The Spa room has an adjustable lighting fixture to suit the needs of the clients. Falling asleep while having a back massage would be nice (although I haven't tried that service yet!) but Dr. Guillano's assistant sure gave a very relaxing foot massage.

Dr. Guillano has a lot to say about other issues in her industry but that will be for the next blog.

How To Win One Of The 3 Kia Picanto At Gaisano Citimal

Before SM City Davao and before NCCC Mall, there was the good old JS Gaisano. Any Dabawenyo who frequented the city's few shopping malls wayback in the 1990s (or was it late 1980's?) will always remember the large fairy-tale like staircase leading to JS Gaisano's second floor. But this was before the fire which gutted the mall. It became known as JS Gaisano Citimall under the management of John Y. Gaisano. Back then, JS Citimall was famous for its entertainment shows at the 5th Level. It's marketing people always came up with promos and shows to lure people to the shopping center. Well. how can they not when Sir John always kept them on their toes. He was a hands-on manager who knew what went on his store. of bigger malls like SM and NCCC, people began to outgrow JS Citimall. I am not sure anymore whose hands JS Gaisano is under but I think the store is beginning to wake up from slumber. Their foodstreet was transferred to the 5th and some seats were placed along the grocery area for those who want to take a quick bite.

They also launched a new promo "Cars & Cash" where they will be giving away 3 Picanto cars--these really cute cars and in my favorite color at that--RED! The promo runs from November 17, 2007 to March 15, 2008. I just hope they assign better staff to take care of the raffles since the woman who was supposedly in charge of counting the raffles was so rude and didn't have the basic skills in handling customers. She also had with her a defective calculator ---to think that she was supposed to be doing the math for the raffle stubs like one stub for every P200 purchase from the Department Store. I haven't had any negative experiences with the other sales people on the top floors; in fact the people at the toys section were very nice. Maybe that girl is just having a bad hair day, oh well. I hope the Citimall Management do something about this soon before they alienate their customers again.

Gaisano Citimall has also launched a ard membership promo much like the NCCC Shoppers Card and SM's Advantage Card. I think the free membership offer expired last November---well haven't submitted mine actually since I really do not shop much here but I'm looking forward to a more vibrant Gaisano Citimall. I used to be a PR consultant with JS Citimall and I know how John Gaisano worker hard to make Citimall one of the best shops in the city. Sad to see something that used to be good for the people of Davao go down the drain. So here's goodluck to the new management---keep it going!

Puentespina Now Selling Poinsettias At SM City Davao

SM City Davao has made its (indoor) surroundings more "Christmasey" by allowing Puentespina Garden to display differently-colored Poinsettia flowers along its escalator. Anyone taking the escalator just in front of Watsons can feast his eyes on the eye-popping Poinsettias on display.

The Poinsettias are available in different sizes and there is a size for everyone's budget. The 12-cm Poinsettia pot is priced at P75, 15-cm pot at P100 (fancy) or P150 (select), 18-cm pot at P180 (select) or P220 (super select) and the 24-cm pot both available for P300 and P400.

Poinsettias have become a permanent fixture during the Christmas season and it is widely available in Davao City despite the fact that it is a native plant of Mexico. It was introduced to the United States in 1825 by US Ambassador to Mexico Joel Roberts Poinsett (thus the name Poinsettia).

White it has always been called Poinsettia in the Philippines, it is also known as Noche Buena, Pascua and Christmas Star in other countries.

Fill The X'mas Tree Of Hope For Bantay bata 163

The Bantay Bata Foundation has launched a very timely fund-raising campaign and any Dabawenyo can contribute to this worthwhile undertaking.

For every Christmas Package you buy from the Bantay Bata 163 booth (located right at the main entrance of SM City Davao) whether it is worth P200, P300 or P500, you will be given a Christmas ornament and you can place it on the Christmas Tree Of Hope. The Christmas Tree of Hope is located right in front of Chowking (which is undergoing renovation).

You can choose from the various Christmas goodies, decors, childrens' books and Bantay Bata items. You can buy these items for yourself or as gifts for gamily and friends---don't forget to mention that such gift gave you a chance to hang a Christmas ornament at Bantay Bata's Christmas Tree Of Hope as this would give a better meaning to the season of giving.

You have until January 6, 2008 to hang your Christmas ornament and at the same time contribute to the Bantay Bata 163 Foundation.

Davao malls all set for X'mas

The various malls and department stores in Davao City are all prepped up for the Holiday Season and each is outdoing the other in terms of their Christmas displays. Talk about commercializing Christmas!

SM City Davao has a nice display of various Christmas trees in all colors. The usual color motif for Christmas trees are red, white, orange and blue. If you want to be different this year, yu an buy the black Christmas balls and otehr blak decorations to math your white Christmas tree right at SM.

Gaisano Mall of Davao reserved their Atrium or activity area for all your Christmas decoration needs and the items are so far cheaper than SM. However, no one can beat the 10% discount offered by JS Citimall on all Christmas decorations so hurry while they still have some wonderful pieces. The JS Citimall display is not as extensive as SM City though.

NCCC Mall has the best Christmas display as they usually have a theme for their decorations so expect similar patterns within the Mall.

SM Davao payphones make life easier for Dabawenyos

PLDT phone booths that have been conveniently installed near the rest rooms of SM City Davao is making life easier for Dabawenyos especially those who need to make an emergency call only to find out they do not have cellphone loads.

What makes these pay phones a cut above the old pay phones installed by PLDT before is the fact that it accepts a minimum of P1 for local calls and P3 for NDD. Customers who need to call a cellphone (but don't have one or who does not have enough batteries) can also take advantage of the P7 minimum for local calls and P8 for international cell phone calls.

Now, that's what you call customer service.