GenSan News Online Mag

Straight from Bariles’ INBOX is a piece of exciting news for kids of all ages who have learned to love this Nickelodeon animated character and her sidekick.

Dora the Explorer and her monkey friend, Boots is coming to GenSan by way of two mall shows at the Robinsons Place General Santos!

On June 5, 2010, the “real and authentic” (as emphasized by the mall’s poster) Dora the Explorer and Boots will be flying in from Manila and appearing in two “meet and greet” shows at the Robinsons GenSan atrium, one at 2pm and the last one at 4pm, entitled EXPLORERS WANTED.

Bariles still has no word on whether PRE-REGISTRATION for would-be-EXPLORERS is required.  He hopes to get Robinsons’ say on this soon, before Saturday when this fun activity happens.

If we have to judge by the case of the success of the mall show of Spongebob Squarepants almost two months back at the same mall, then we are certain that Dora the Explorer’s event will surely be a hit too.

That’s how famous Nickelodeon’s characters are in this part of the Philippines.

Now, isn’t that admirable that General Santos City’s newest mall continues to surprise the generals with events like this one, which seemed almost impossible to happen some months back?

Bariles and his readers could only clap their hands with glee. 

A new computer store is soon to open in General Santos City!  And this time, it will be at KCC Mall of GenSan!

Guys, please welcome PCWORX to the Tuna Capital of the Philppines!

PCWORX GenSan is the company’s seventh branch and their first outside of Luzon. It now joins the few Manila-based computer stores which have opened in General Santos City like OCTAGON, COLUMBIA and CDR-King, among others.

Now we can again directly feel the positive  impact of more competition, with computers and computer peripherals and other gadgets getting more and more affordable.

Here is PCWORX Company Profile.  Please scroll down the Scrbd document below to read the total transcript.

Company Profile

By the way, you can check out PCWORX’s website and order online by CLICKING HERE. 

Bariles checked out the prices of their products and was quite impressed by their affordability.  First it was CDR-King-Robinsons and CDR-King KCC which opened the Pandora’s Box for the rest of the computer shops here to lower their prices.

And now with PCWORX opening soon, it’s gonna be a heyday for computer users and computer geeks of Soccsksargen!

Bravo!

Bariles and GenSan News Online Mag received an email from Socoteco II yesterday.

The email which seemed urgent included two attachments. 

 One is the notice of Power Interruption from National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) effective tomorrow, May 30, 2010, Sunday, from 8am to 6pm (11 hours).

The affected areas are those served by the Socoteco II main office, the Ligaya and Leon Llido Sub-stations. 

Below is National Grid Corporation of the Philippines‘ (NGCP) letter.

Please scroll it down to read the whole thing. 

may_30

The second attachment is this new schedule of browounts (3 hours once daily) effective May 31 – June 13, 2010.  That is still another half-month or two weeks of scheduled daily browouts in GenSan.

3hrs Once a Day 4 Groups May31-June13

Bariles hopes this is not late.  He is still resting after being discharged from the hospital yesterday and couldn’t get to finish a post this morning due to another dizzy spell.

For those who adore stand-up comedians, the KCC Mall of GenSan is featuring another famous comic to headline its Midnight Sale tonight.  First it was K Brosas and Anton Diva last April.

Now, get ready to laugh and be amused by the antics of Pooh or the guy who is much better known as Manny Poohkyaw!

Manny Poohkyaw, who is Pacman‘s comic alter-ego was here last year in a jampacked concert at the GenSan Gymnasium in Lagao.  We are pretty sure that with his appearance at KCC Mall of GenSan tonight, all his fans and admirers will be filling up the whole Convention and Events Center.

And we only have KCC Mall to thank for bringing in artists regularly to the Tuna Capital.

Robinsons Place GenSan has another ace up their sleeve!

While the 3D movie Shrek The Final Chapter is being shown in their first 3D cinema, they are bringing in the real SHREK straight from Manila for a Grand Mall Tour.

Shrek’s Mall Tour has been scheduled on Monday Tuesday, June 1, 2010, starting from 4:00pm onwards.  There’s no word yet if kids are required to register their names first for a chance to have their pictures taken with the famous ogre.

What is clear though is the fact that this is the real SHREK to be flown in by the movie producers and not just a mascot from a local birthday party events supplier, according to Robinsons’s publicist.

Whew!  The heat is on!

Even while I am writing this inside my hospital room at General Santos Doctor’s Hospital, I am dreaming of the beaches of Sarangani and how it would be great to be down there lying half-naked while listening to the sound of the surf and drinking a cool tall glass of melon milk shake.

If given the choice, I would be at this time preparing myself for what promises to be the biggest beach party in Southern Philippines, the SARANGANI BAY FESTIVAL 2010!

The annual Sarangani Bay Festival which is a major project of the Provincial Government of Sarangani under Governor Migs Dominguez and Vice Governor Steve Solon will official kick off tomorrow, May 27, 2010 at the newly refurbished and improved Lemlunay Diving Resort at Maasim, Sarangani.

The resort now has an infinity pool and overnight cottages to boot!  Check out the photo of the pool below, courtesy of Ms. Rue Ramas.

Aside from the opening ceremonies at Lemlunay tomorrow, there will be a Crown of Thorns Clean-up, photo contest, Poi and Zip clinic, Sayaw Sarangan Hataw sa Tag-Araw, Boksing sa Baybayon and Reggae Party.

The 2nd day kicks off at various beach resorts in Glan:  White Haven Beach, Rosa White Beach, Coco Beach , Isla Jardin del Mar and Reycon Beach.

Activities include  Swim Across Sarangani Bay, Taichi Exercises, Lumba Bugsay, Sepak Takraw sa Baybayon, Beach Frisbee Exhibition Games, Beach Football, Sarangani Bay Beach Fair, Poi and Zip Clinic, Sand of Thorns Clean-up, Sand Sculpture Competition, Bay Bodies Bikini Open, Summer Night Beach Party.

"ISLA JARDIN DEL MAR'S BEACH WHERE SOME OF THE SARANGANI BAY FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES WILL TRANSPIRE"

On May 29, 2010, the Sarangani Bay Festival reserves the best activities for last. Consider these:  Bancarera, Government Employees Summer Holiday, Cheerdance by the Bay, Skimboarding Clinic, Splash in the Sky Fireworks Display, Concert by the Bay featuring the famous Manila Band CUESHE.

Three fun-filled days of sun, sand, surf, sexy bodies and exciting sea sports all at the Sarangani Bay Festival!

Now, tell me…. what beach party in these parts of the Philippines could top that?

Yes!  You read it right!  Bariles, the author of this multi-awarded blog, the number one blog in South Central Mindanao, got himself interviewed by Ratified.org!

So what’s the big deal?  What is Ratified.org and what does it do?

Its website actually puts it very clearly:

Ratified.org is a new directory featuring the best Filipino blogs in the blogosphere. Using data from Technorati.com and Alexa each blog’s statistics such as rank, links and other information are gathered and stored, therefore “ratifying” it. The data is then used as the basis for ranking Ratified.org’s top 100 Philippine blogs. (highlights ours)

For quite some time now, GenSan News Online Mag has moved up the ranks of Ratified.org since it applied for “ratification” in 2009.

Currently, Bariles’ blog is included in the TOP 50 Philippine blogs and is ranked as number 43! Yey!

Ayway, just very recently, Bariles received an email from Ratified.org containing a set of questions concerning his blog and his blogging experiences!  Wow! Bariles was ecstatic of course!  His blog’s inclusion in the Top 50 Philippine Blogs was one thing but to be featured in an interview at the same site is well, like winning the lotto!

Just imagine, being in the same league as these famous and illustrious bloggers who were interviewed before him – Derek Punsalan, Jayvee Fernandez, Aileen Apolo, Andrew dela Serna, Lyle Santos, Jehzeel Laurente, AJ Mahtela, Dexter Panganiban, Karlo “Pinoyblogero” Licudine, among others!

Bariles is on cloud nine today and couldn’t talk.  So we might us well end this with the link to that RATIFIED.org interview.

Congratulations Bariles!!!

Bariles is certain that the title of this blog post really got your attention and your ire!

Although it is already May 21, 2010, Bariles only got word today through his email that the management of SOCOTECO II is applying an increase in the power rates of their residential consumers for May 2010.

The increase which will be reflected in the May billings is eighty five centavos per kilowatt hour (P0.85).

Here below is their letter.  Just scroll down to read the full content.

 
Rates for May

The letter also states the reason for the increase and if you  just read it thoroughly, you will notice that the blame goes back to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and NPC-PSALM.

Please note that in April 2010, SOCOTECO II also increased by around the same rate.  This makes it a total rate adjustment of almost P2.00 for just two months!

At the end of the letter, SOCOTECO II reveals that the company, together with other electrical cooperatives in Mindanao are asking the Energy Regulation Commission’s clarification on the ancillary charges for the past two months.

Meaning, dear readers, SOCOTECO II is also in dire need of explanation for all these “pahirap sa masa”.

You have to  go to hand it over to KCC Mall of GenSan as it ups the ante this month in  conjuring up wholesome fun activities meant for kids.

If Robinsons Mall brought in Spongebob Squarepants last month and is featuring the upcoming Mad Science show this weekend, what GenSan’s local player did is to fill up the four weekends of May with even more kiddie acts!

During the first two Sundays of May 2010, they flew in Dora and Diego plus Winnieh-the-Pooh and Tigger successively.  Those two events proved to be blockbusters!

Now for this Sunday, May 23, 2010, they have booked the purple dinosaur BARNEY together with the Sesame Street character, ELMO!

Next weekend, on May 30 is Spongebob Squarepants of Nickolodeon and super kid Ben 10 of Cartoon Network!

To allow your kids to meet and greet and have their pictures taken with these famous cartoon characters, you only have to do the following:

• Buy P300 worth of the product items based on each character at the KCC Department Store.
• Show your receipts to any designated booth for your corresponding ticket.
• Your kid is now entitled to a photo session with his chosen favorite character.
• Make sure to share your pic on Facebook.  :)

Easy steps for a chance to a photo with Barney, Elmo, Winnie-the-Pooh and Ben 10.  If I were you, I’d run to KCC right now and purchase the needed requirements for this once-in-a-blue-moon chance for my kids.  Bariles hopes they have school supplies hawking these lovable characters.

And at the rate that GenSan’s malls keep bringing in famous TV kiddie characters to the city, we might as well be called the CHILDREN’S WONDERLAND of the South.

Just before the kids go back to school and right before the final days of summer, East Asia Royale Hotel will once again prove that it is Soccsksargen’s Premier Party Place with the second installment of its famous and much-vaunted Foam Party.

This time, this must-be-there event is aptly called Sarap Mag-Babad Foam Party Part 2, which is a two-nite affair, happening this weekend, May 21 and 22, 2010.

And if the first summer foam party featured a Manila Band, this time, it’s another band from the Big City called, SILENT SANCTUARY, who will be performing on the 2nd night, Saturday.

Check out the poster below.

Here is Silent Sanctuary‘s music video of their single, “Ikaw Lamang“.

Here is their take on the Apo Hiking Society hit, “Tuyo nang Damdamin.”

During the first night on Friday, Playlist Band of Davao City and Tool Box Band of GenSan will be entertaining the crowd at the EARH Park Lot.  They will be joined by the hotel’s resident mix masters DJ Yancy and DJ Moko.

Saturday night, May 22nd, 2010 will be front-acted by another Davao’s Utopia Band and GenSan’s Ninety5Hundred Band.  And since this is a BOOZE FEST by San Miguel Corporation, expect frothy foams from both the foam machines and hundreds of beer to literally flood the whole party area.

Tickets are still sold at the very affordable P100.

Be there for the 12 midnight fireworks display courtesy of hotelier Rombar Bartolome, who is making sure that his last ode to summer will be one foam party that the generals will never forget.

Party Advisory:  Beach wear or light clothing is strongly advised.