The Global Filipino Classifieds

After a year of preparation, what was once a vision has now transformed into an exciting reality.

Another record event was held last November 14-16 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City.  This event was organized by LiFEDATA Systems Inc. and presented by Globe and Medicard in partnership with DOST & Retirement Healthcare Coalition.

The Digital Life Congress and Expo, with its theme “Go digital! Enjoy Life!”, was a three-day event which showcased products and services coming from various industries such as Healthcare & IT, Lifestyle &Wellness, Business & Entrepreneurship, Food & Beverages, School, Cars and Home & Modern Living.

The program of the event started with an opening remarks from Ms. Malu Florendo, the CEO of LiFEDATA Systems Inc.  The event aims to upgrade and discover outcome for a better quality of life. The proceeds of the expo also aim to help the people affected by the typhoon Yolanda.

Globe also launched HealthCloud at the Digital Life Congress & Expo. Attendees of the event were also able to witness and explore some booths which showcased some of the latest tech innovations.

Representatives from various companies also participated in the conference.  Speakers and experts from various fields discussed relevant topics related to better healthcare, business, entrepreneurship and lifestyle. They also discussed topics related to smarter healthcare, people and motility, smarter economy and environment.

The Digital Life Congress and Expo is one of the biggest innovation expo this year! It is really another remarkable event that brings People, Opportunities and Ideas to improve the quality of life.

“Maki Gulo! Maki Saya! Maki kain!”

Filipinos all over Japan flocked to the two-day Philippine Barrio Fiesta event that was held last September 28-29 at Yamashita Park in Yokohama City.

The Philippine Festival Barrio Fiesta 2013 is one of the main projects of the Filipino community in Japan with the co-sponsorship of the City of Yokohama and support of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan  and  the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo (http://philbarriofiestajapan.com/about/).

More than 100,000 people attended the event to witness various  Philippine culture and tradition. The event served as a venue to showcase the best of Philippine culture, arts, dance, music, products and service. More than 60 booths participated on the said event to showcase the different Filipino delicacies, organizations and Philippine institutions all over Japan.

Crowd trooped near the stage as various Filipino singers and celebrities performed song and dance numbers. On the first day, Andrew E which is known as Filipino rapper, record producer and actor, rocked the stage as he performed some of his famous hit songs. Some comedians of the teleserye “Please Be Careful with my Heart” such as Doris and Sabel, entertained and brought a wide smile on  the audience.

Some of the highlights of the event were the participation of some Philippine officials  and warm welcome of former President and now Manila Mayor, Joseph Ejercito Estrada. On the 2nd day, the audience was also serenaded by mix of traditional and modern Filipino songs by the concert King, Martin Nievera.

Other activities includes presentations of traditional  Filipino songs and dances, parade of Filipina-Japanese beauties in via the Mutya ng Barrio Fiesta and a commemoration of the sister-city partnership between Manila and Yokohama (PBF 2013, Press Release).

GFC Magazine also participated in the Barrio Fiesta 2013 event. One of their main advocacy is to bring business closer to Filipino worldwide.

The PBF 2013 aims to present the Filipino culture to Japanese.  This annual event also aims to bring Filipinos in Japan closer to home and to build sister-city relationship of Manila and Yokohama.

It is really an unforgettable moment for our “Kababayan” in Japan.

The Filipino community from different parts of Japan once again celebrated their annual event called “UTAWIT 2013”. The term Utawit rooted from the words  “Uta” which means music or good fortune and “Awit” which means song.

UTAWIT (Uta and Awit), a national singing competition for Filipinos and Japanese in Japan, was held in Nagoya last September 15, 2013. This event was organized by Philippine Society Japan Nagoya, headed by Mr. Nestor Puno. (second from the right side, wearing red barong)

This event aims to recognize and promote Filipinos as mainstream performers in Japan, enrich cross-cultural appreciation among Japanese and Filipinos, and to generate financial resources for developmental activities of the organization (http://www.utawit.com/).

UTAWIT (Himig ng Pinoy at Hapon) Nagoya Regional Qualifying Round 2013 Winners

1st place winner: Hideki Ota

2nd place winner: Aloha Tanaka

3rd place winner: Arlene Sarmiento

This was another successful event that we have to be proud of because it showcased the  amazing voices of Filipinos. Kudos Pinoy!

Rain or shine! The Molito Cosplay Idol 2 event still took place at Open Ground Molito, Alabang last September 7-8, 2013.

It was the first time that Molito launched cosplay event and played host to Otaku Encore Cosplay Idol 2. The event was organized by Naruto Cosplayers PH together with their media partners and sponsors such as Global Filipino Classifieds Magazine (GFC), Infectius Viral and Out and Fortune Care Inc.

Naruto Cosplayers  Ph aims to inspire others and promote friendship, love, camaraderie, fun, play and promote love and peace through cosplays. This two-day event encouraged congoers to show their creativity and talents in portraying the role of their favorite anime, manga, heroes, video games, and other characters.

Global Filipino Classifieds (GFC) magazine which is under AT International Communications Corp. took this great opportunity to become a bridge and instrument in connecting cosplayers here in the Philippines and Japan. Some cosplayers were featured in the magazine to promote Pinoy style cosplay and to elevate Japanese pop culture internationally. Molito Cosplay Idol 2 event and other cosplayers will be featured on the GFC E-magazine that will be launched this month.

Molito Cosplay idol 2 competition are divided in different categories such as Individual Cosplay Idol, Group Cosplay, Pet Cosplay and Battle of the Bands.  People were amazed at the creativity and efforts done by the participants in order to show their most stunning costumes and to represent their favorite characters.

Folks flocked near the stage to watch various competition and to be entertained by their guest bands such as Aizukurimu Band, Myo’ Hako (Strange Box), Stigma of Discgrace (Ph), OutFly, Dead’Lust, Asylum Escape  and Zoryl.

Here’s the list of all the winners: (Source: Naruto Cosplayers ph)

Molito Cosplay Idol S2 Group Cosplay:

Champion = team buwis buhay

1st place = celestial souls

Molito Cosplay Idol S2 Battle of the Bands:

Kung Fu Day winner

Molito Cosplay Idol S2 Cosplay Competition:

Best Male – Christian Q. Teofisto

Best Female – Alexia Claire Sleridan

Best Child -Ashley Misaki

Best Mecha – Izaiah luke Buelos

Best Naruto series – Bryan Batchiller

1st Challenger for the Cosplay Idol Season 2

Cosplay Idol – Joseph De leon

Molito Cosplay Idol 2 is really another record event! It was fun for all ages!

Franchise Asia Philippines 2013 reaching more than a hundred exhibitors and an estimate of more than 50,000 visitors made it a record event!

One of the most awaited convergence of key franchise players, local and international, for a valuable sharing of global best practices was held last July 17-21 at SMX Convention Center. This event was organized by Philippine Franchise Association, one of the country’s largest franchise associations.

On July 15-16, Franchise Asia Philippines 2013 offered a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) Program. It is a mini-MBA professional development program, duly accredited by the US-based Institute of Certified Franchise Executives (ICFE).

A two-day International Franchise conference for individuals and firms who wanted to franchise and invests on business was also conducted on July 17-18 with its theme “Asia to the World, The World to Asia: Driving Growth to a Philippine Tiger Economy.” Franchise Asia Philippines 2013 continues to provide the platform that showcases the best of Asian brands and provides the gateway for international brands to enter the Asean market.

Adding to the excitement was the three-day one-stop shop International Franchise Expo that was held last July 19-21. This event was participated by different international and local business owners as well as possible investors.  The expo showcased food, retail and service sectors from micro to large, both homegrown and international.

Being one of the media partners of the Franchise Asia Philippines 2013, GFC magazine distributed thousands of magazines. The magazine confers about business and travel articles. GFC Magazine aims to bring businesses closer Filipinos worldwide.

The Franchise Expo is being held annually. Be part of this most anticipated Franchise event!

Everybody say Oh yes! to “Oh-No! Manga!”

Do you want to witness anime-zing cosplayers in all genres and areas? Do you want to see the pride of Japan such as Tokyo Tower? How about the giant Gundam? You don’t have to travel abroad just to witness all these things because “Oh-No! Manga” paved way to showcase everything here in the Philippines.

Oh-No!Manga immersed at the SMX Convention Center last July 7, 2013 with their giant displays such as 30ft replica of Tokyo Tower & 18ft Sinanju Display , unwavering number of sponsors and  loads of booths that sell various items such as comics, toys, contact lenses, anime and cosplay costumes .

A grand slam of activities also excites the participants and attendees of the said event. Hundreds of people gathered near the stage to watch various contests such as Gwiyomi, Karaoke singing contest and a lot more which was headed by a lot of sponsors. One of the highlights of the event was the cosplay competition which is divided into five categories such as Vocaloid, Mecha, Western character divisions, Anime & Manga and Game characters. Winners from the contests received trophies, certificates and cash prizes.

The crowd was also entertained by a choice of band performances such as Asterysk, Ikuzo Wa, Error505 and Se~No. One of the most awaited Japanese band popularly known as “No Leaf Clover” also rock out the stage which made the audience scream with fun and excitement!

GFC Magazine, one of the sponsors, also participated in the cosplay event to support and to promote Filipino cosplayers in different parts of the world. In relation to this, GFC Magazine conducted an activity called “Get Wacky at GFC” and “GFC Choice Awards.” Winners have the chance to be featured in the magazine. It is a great opportunity for kiddos/cosplayers to share their experiences in cosplay as well as served an inspiration to the youth not just to show their phenomenal cosplay talents but also to help them build their confidence and share their creativity in costumes and make-ups.

Ultimately, it is another remarkable event that marked not only to cosplayers but also to all attendees of the event.

It’s a real blast!

The “TOYCON 2013”, one of the country’s biggest toy conventions, celebrated its 12^th year!

Another spectacular event was held at the Megatrade Hall last June 14-16, 2013. Thousands of people filled the trade hall to witness one of the most awaited events for Toy collectors, cosplayers, anime fanatics and young enthusiast.

The “TOYCON 2013” is one of the major toy industry trade shows held in the Philippines.  It is the biggest pop culture event in the country.  More than a hundred of exhibitors participated in the said event.

The first day was filled with comic and toy collectors. Different toy collectors exhibited their most unique and gigantic collections every year.  On an interview with the owner of Toshitoyz Collection, he said, “I’ve been joining in this great event for about 3 years. I started to collect toys since 2011 and decided to sell some of these in a toy trade fair.” He added that most his toys are quality products and originally came from Japan to retain his customers and to have more possible buyers.

Most of the Toy addicts always look forward for this Toy Convention to purchase branded and high quality products that are made not only in the Philippines but also from different parts of the world. Other toy collectors also participated on the exhibit to showcase their favorite toy collections, highly competitive products and newest product lines.

On the second day, Myrtle Sarrosa, one of the popular cosplayers and PBB Teen winner headed the Ribbon-Cutting ceremony to formally open the Toy Convention.  Panel discussions about superheroes, robot culture, transforming transformers, collectors collections, on the road to Justice League Movie, OTA Culture and more were also held in the event. Some bands also performed and entertained the audience with their exceptional songs.

In accordance with the “Superman’s 75th anniversary”,  TOYCON 2013 also featured two of the most anticipated blockbuster movies for this year such as the “Man of Steel” exhibit and “Pacific Rim” display.

No one could ever beat the crowd when Alodia Gosiengfiao started her segment. She performed song and dance number on the stage.  Many cosplayers and participants also joined her in the “meet and greet” session together with her sister Ashley Gosiengfiao.

Another highlight of the event was the individual cosplay competition. Many cosplayers flocked in this conventions to showcase their most creative and extravagant cosplay costumes. Most of them wore their favorite characters from anime, fairy tales, movies and games.

GMA Network’s Maey Bautista and Mike “Pekto” Nacua, who shot an episode of GMA News TV’s lifestyle program “Day Off”,  was also spotted on the 2^nd day of the TOYCON event.

They also featured some of the grandest cosplay event in the Philippines.  In partnership with HERO TV, the Ultimate Hero Face-off Cosplay competition took place on the third day of the event. The winner of the contest will be able to participate in the World Cosplay Summit in Japan.

GFC Magazine is a proud Media Partner of the “TOYCON 2013” event.  Most of the kiddo/cosplayer participated in the “Get Wacky at GFC”, the quest for wackiest and cutest photo with GFC Magazine! The “Get Wacky at GFC” aims to develop the sense of community, friendship, share of interest and way of expressing themselves through cosplay. Other than choosing winners based on the number of likes on their photos, the GFC magazine also considers having the followers coming from the GFC Pinoy Abroad select the winners. The “Get Wacky at GFC” contest aim to better track participation, to nurture engagement and to bring camaraderie among young people and Filipinos abroad. The winners will be featured on the next issue of the magazine that will be distributed all over Japan.

More than 500 attendees of the “TOYCON 2013” event also received a free copy of the GFC Magazine. The magazine contains information about business and travel articles and advertisement placements from investments, tourism, services and others. The magazine also features different events in the Philippines and Japan.

Over all, “TOYCON 2013” was such a successful event! Attendees had ultimate experience of fun and excitement!