Eden: Sarap ng Pasko, Keso de Gallo Year 2

1 comment

Posted on 17th December 2010 by Mary Jane in Events |Iloilo

, , ,

Keso de Gallo Year 2 of Kraft Eden Cheese made the celebration of Misa de Gallo more memorable yesterday at Guimbal, Iloilo. The people of Guimbal have more reasons to be joyous this Christmas because Guimbal was recognized as the first ever Eden Town among over 100 LGUs from all over the country.

Keso de Gallo Year 2

It is undeniable that Filipinos love Christmas and we are known to celebrate it once the “ber” months start.  When September rolls in we start decorating our homes to prepare for the Christmas season. Because of this Kraft Eden Cheese in partnership with ABS-CBN Foundation and over 100 LGUs from all over the country decided to make Christmas in the Philippines not only the longest but also the most meaningful and creative holiday season in the world by launching Eden: Sarap ng Pasko 100 Days of Christmas.

Pininyahang Manok with Cheese was the creation of Mrs. Melanie Guevarra

100 towns from all over the nation joined this first ever celebration by infusing their indigenous dishes with Kraft Eden Cheese bringing out the culinary expertise of the locals. The nation then voted for their favorite dish and the Top 9 towns will make it to the culminating activity which is the “Keso de Gallo.” Guimbal, Iloilo garnered over 35,000 votes for their sumptuous dish Pininyahang Manok with Cheese therefore proclaiming them as the first ever Eden Town.  The winning dish was the creation of Mrs. Melanie C. Guevarra.

Ms. Anna Sapitan, Senior Brand Manager of Kraft Eden Cheese

Ms. Anna Sapitan, Senior Brand Manager of Kraft Eden Cheese compared the unity of the people of Guimbal to the miracle in the Bible known as the Feeding of the Multitudes.  The same miracle of sharing was experienced in the town of Guimbal. “How can one town get as much as 35,000 wrappers of Eden? Congratulations! So today I humbly stand in front of you but unlike the boy in the story I don’t have loaves of bread or fishes in my hand. All we have are Eden Cheese packs. But this Eden pack is full of inspiration and stories ready to be told to inspire a nation that indeed it is possible to unite for a cause, just like you did here in Guimbal. This is a miracle that we have experienced here in the first Eden Town,” Ms. Sapitan said.

Mr. Alan Dan Tacderas, Category Manager Kraft Food Philippines with the lucky home partner.

Mr. Alan Dan Tacderas, Category Manager Kraft Food Philippines announced the lucky home partner who won Php100,000 in the raffle draw. Mrs. Nimfa Gellangarin is the lucky home partner who voted for the winning dish Pininyahang Manok with Cheese.

Mayor Christine Garin and town officials accepting the prize.

Being the first Eden Town, Guimbal, Iloilo will receive 2-Million Pesos worth of prize. Mayor Christine Garin said that the prize will be an ambulance for the town. Guimbal will also be featured in the 2011 Special Eden Packaging. This will definitely put Guimbal, Iloilo in the map.

Pininyahang Manok with Cheese

The Spirit of Christmas was definitely felt yesterday in Guimbal. We were able to taste the winning dish and it was delicious. Others were also able to enjoy a Kraft Eden Cheese snack after the program.  The Philippines is sure to make a mark in Christmas history throughout the world. Eden: Sarap ng Pasko 100 Days of Christmas made everyone experience the Yuletide warmth and joy spread by the country’s well-loved cheese. Filipino families nationwide will empower and unite the country even more by working together for the good of the community and also for the betterment of the country.

35,000 entries!

100 towns. 100 days. 100 unique dishes. 1 Grand Yuletide celebration. 1 Proud Country to Inspire the Whole World.

Cough Syrup: Synthetic or Herbal?

0 comments

Posted on 9th December 2010 by Mary Jane in Health

, ,

I am proud to say that in spite of my weird sleeping and eating habits I am not a sickly person. In fact I have never been admitted in a hospital. But I’m not a robot so of course I also get sick sometimes. Just last week I contracted sore eyes on the day of the Visayas Blogging Summit and then as if that wasn’t enough I also had itchy throat and continuous coughing bouts right after the heritage tour. This caused me to just stay at home the whole week after the wrap-up of the three major events that we’ve been planning for almost a year.

Thankfully, the pricey medicine I bought for my sore eyes was effective and in just three days my eyes were back to normal again. What bothered me most were the coughing bouts. It rained on the morning and the afternoon of the heritage tour so I guess that precipitated to my coughing ordeal. To alleviate the cough I turned to the cough syrups that my mother always has at the ready for me and my brothers. I had to choose between two over-the-counter cough syrups – Robitussin and Ascof Forte. They were also mentioned here in this very informative article:  Politics of Cough Medicine: Synthetic versus Herbal Cough Medicine.

If you have noticed, pharmacies and drug store shelves are crowded with cough syrups that promise speedy and often non-drowsy relief without needing a doctor’s prescription.  Robitussin is one of the most popular and top-selling cough syrups out there and is supposedly one of the most effective. Robitussin has Dextromethorphan which is a cough suppressant drug. We’ve been using Robitussin ever since I can remember. But recently my mother has added Ascof to our medicine cabinet. I have to admit I was a little hesitant to try Ascof Forte (Vitex negundo L. Lagundi Leaf) at first because I have always been taking Robitussin. But my mother has been using it to treat my brothers’ coughs and she says that it works like a charm and she was convinced that it is a better cough medicine option because it is herbal in nature therefore it is really safe for the body. So yes my mom convinced me to take Ascof and what do you know it was indeed effective and I was able to get a good night’s sleep without having to endure the annoyance of the coughing bouts.

I don’t know if you guys have also noticed the extensive marketing techniques of cough syrup brands today. They are actually starting to become downright dirty because I have seen one of the major brands attacking the herbal products. They imply that cough syrups which are herbal in nature are not really effective at all. In my opinion they are doing this type of marketing technique because the herbal medicines are becoming more popular and people right now prefer medicines that are herbal in nature instead of the synthetic ones.

Therefore I believe that advertising actually influences us on how we choose the kind of cough medication we should take but at the end of the day we are still the ones who decide what cough medicine works for us and what med is really effective. So which do you prefer, synthetic or herbal medicines? I would really love to hear your opinion about this too guys so please feel free to leave me a comment below. Stay healthy everyone!

Practicing Yoga – Pranayama

1 comment

Posted on 4th December 2010 by Mary Jane in Health and Wellness |Yoga

, ,

Let me share with you today one of the most important things I have learned in my yoga practice. Breathing is one of our most vital functions. Breathing is life. Pranayama or breathing exercises is one of the 5 principles of yoga which promotes proper breathing. Proper breathing is to bring more oxygen to the blood and to the brain and to control “Prana” or the vital life energy in a yogic point of view. Pranayama also goes hand in hand with the Asanas (postures). The union of these two yogic principles is considered as the highest form of purification and self-discipline. It covers both the mind and the body.

It is very important to practice all the asanas in your yoga practice with awareness of the breath. Linking respiration with the movements enhances the practice as well as improving our concentration. This is one of the reasons why yoga is much more than just physical exercise. As a general rule, an upwards movement is done on inhalation and is used to lift out of a posture. While a downwards movement is generally done on exhalation – to release tension. Exhalation is also used to relax into a posture.

Try to breathe freely and not hold the breath while in a posture as this will create tension in the body and prevent relaxation into the asana. One should breathe in and out through the nostrils throughout all the asanas.

Another important thing to remember is to listen to our body. The body will tell you when it is feeling uncomfortable or under stress. In our daily lives, messages from the body are often ignored so that tasks can be completed. How often have we pushed ourselves to do one more thing before taking a break? In yoga, one should be more mindful and if a posture or movement feels wrong or painful then gently come out of it and rest for a moment.

If you have questions about pranayama please feel free to leave me a comment below and I will be happy to get back to you. I’ve had people ask me where I practice yoga here in Iloilo, I can answer you guys better if you leave me a comment instead. Namaste.

Blame is the Culprit

0 comments

Posted on 3rd December 2010 by Mary Jane in Fixations |Life |Personal |Random |Thoughts

, ,

Blame – as most of us think – is the melodramatic pointing of a finger towards someone who has done something wrong. But in truth, we are actually into blame in just about every waking moment of our days. From the weather, to rude drivers, to how the toothpaste was squeezed, you know the deal. We blame and never think a thing about it. Yeah sure more times than not we are probably justified in our accusations, but so what?! There is not an ounce of well-being that can squeak through the thick negative energy of blame whether it is justified or not. In fact, the negative energy of blame is so strong and potently charged that it flows from us to others and it can cause those who are usually dependable to mess up all over the place as well. And surely sending the blame energy to someone who has been stupid, abusive, or undependable only amplifies the condition you would like to see changed. What I am trying to say is that blame always makes a bad situation worse.

(more…)