Photography 101

Friday, July 26, 2013

2013 NBA 3X fires off

MANILA, Philippines – NBA 3X Philippines 2013 presented by Sprite tipped off 3 p.m. July 26 at the Music Hall of the SM Mall of Asia with the Indiana Pacemates setting the tone of the three-day tournament with high-energy sparks and a fun attitude.

NBA players James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Eric Gordon of the New Orleans Pelicans lent their star presence to the event alongside the Pacemates and Grizz, the Memphis Grizzlies team mascot.

Carlo Singson, NBA Country Manager to the Philippines Asia, lauded the enthusiasm accorded NBA 3X by local streetballers and Pinoy basketball fans and thanked partners for helping spread the NBA 3X experience to the islands. He also said the Philippines is one of 14 countries experiencing NBA 3X this year. The first NBA 3X in Southeast Asia was launched in Manila in 2011.

NBA 3X Philippines 2013 presented by Sprite features a 3-on-3 tournament that provides players with an opportunity to hone their skills and compete amongst their peers. Following the success of Pinoy streetballers Kobe Paras, Thirdy Ravena, Arvin Tolentino and Rashleigh Rivero in the recent FIBA Asia U18 3-on-3 championships, this faster, shorter and more intense basketball format is gaining unprecedented popularity in the country and around the world.

The seven divisions in the tournament include the boys’ U13 (10-12 years old), U16 (13-15 years old), U18 (16-17 years old) and Open Division (18 years old and above), the girls’ U16 (13-15 years old), U18 (16-17 years old) and Open Category (18 years old and above) plus a Celebrity Division which will feature media and entertainment personalities.

Some of the celebrities who will play 3-on-3 basketball on Sunday, July 28 are Rovilson Fernandez, Marco Alcaraz, Ervic Vijandre, Bobby Yan, Young JV, Mark Zambrano, Jace Flores and JC Tiuseco, running guru Rio de la Cruz (Run Rio) and TV sports casters Dominic Uy, Jason Webb, Richard del Rosario, Mico Halili, TJ Manotoc, Marco Benitez and Charles Tiu.

Adding to the excitement of the event, division winners will be entered into a special raffle whereby one lucky team will come away with four (4) tickets to NBA Global Games Philippines 2013 — the first-ever NBA preseason game in the Philippines — between the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers at the Mall of Asia Arena on October 10.

Also, the winning team for the boys U18 division at NBA 3X Philippines 2013 presented by Sprite will automatically receive a slot to participate in the adidas D Rose Tour series of events on September 15-16, including the D Rose Tour 3-on-3 Grand Finals. The players will be given adidas apparel and D Rose footwear as part of their participation in the D Rose Tour 3-on-3 Grand Finals.

Free fan activities at NBA 3X Philippines 2013 presented by Sprite include: the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest; the Sprite Basketball Clinic; the KFC Bucket 3-Point Shootout; the Phoenix Fast Feet Challenge; NBA 3X Half Time, and more. NBA Stars James Harden and Eric Gordon will share their basketball talent with young players, while the Indiana Pacers dance team – the Indiana Pacemates – and Grizz, the Memphis Grizzlies Mascot will add even more excitement to the event. The full event activities schedule can be found below and on the official NBA 3X Philippines 2013 presented by Sprite event website at www.nba3x.com/philippines.

Registration began in June on a first come first serve basis and ran until July 12, 2013. This year, besides the usual registration locations, an NBA 3X Jeepney plied city routes and visited schools to invite registrants and make it easier for them to register in the tournament.

Along with presenting partner Sprite, official partners of NBA 3X Philippines 2013 include adidas, KFC and Phoenix Petroleum. Official NBA broadcasters are SOLARtv Network Incorporated (Basketball TV and NBA Premium TV) and Studio 23. X-Play Online Games Inc. (X-Play) and PhilStar.com will act as official media partners, while Spalding, SM Mall of Asia and SM Cinemas will act as supporting partners.

All participants of the NBA 3X Philippines 2013 presented by Sprite will receive a jersey and NBA sling bag. There will also be prizes for the winner of each division.

NBA 3X is being conducted in 14 countries outside of the US this summer, including the Philippines.

For more information on NBA 3X Philippines 2013 presented by Sprite, log on to www.nba3x.com/philippines. Fans can also get updates on the event by following the NBA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nba_philippines and through Facebook at www.facebook.com/nba3xasia and www.facebook.com/philsnba.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Pontefino Hotel & Residences, The Home of the Azkals in Batangas City

Pontefino Hotel & Residences in Batangas City recently inked a landmark partnership with the country’s national football team, the Azkals at the Café 1771 in El Pueblo Ortigas.

The Philippine Azkals have won the hearts thousands of Filipinos and marked the beginning of the country’s fascination for football —no mean feat in a country devoted to basketball. While very little was expected of the team, they have defied all expectations by winning match after match after more established teams and clubs abroad.

The team officially makes its Batangas home at the Pontefino Hotel, an upscale 60-room accommodation. The hotel is the centerpiece of Pontefino Hotel & Residences, a complete lifestyle community. Apart from providing lodging and hospitality to the team, Pontefino Hotel & Residences will also provide a venue for future activities and efforts undertaken by the team to raise awareness and funds for training and participation in competitions and tournaments around the world.

The Pontefino Residences and Pontefino Prime are exclusive residential developments surrounding Hotel Pontefino. Located in the frontier of progress for secured value, growth and high returns, no other residential development in the area comes close in offering such location and accessibility.

The partnership between the country’s flag-carrying football team and the premier lifestyle and residential development in Batangas coincides with the launch of the latter’s newest offering, the Terraces at Pontefino. As the ultimate expression of the Pontefino lifestyle, the Terraces feature exclusive, lofts and apartments in a private cluster surrounding a private courtyard. As with buyers of other Pontefino projects, residents have the option to reside in the units or lease them to the hotel through a unique leaseback scheme that earns a monthly revenue for the unit owners.

from left to right (standing) are Azkals players: Misagh Bahadoran, Marwin Angeles, Jeffrey Cristiaens, and Marvin Angeles : Seated from left to right: Azkals Team Coordinator Patrick Ace Bright, Team Manager Dan Palami, Pontefino Hotel & Residences President and Chief Executive Officer Ricky Gutierrez, and SVP & Chief Operating Officer Fely T. Ramos

Pontefino Hotel and Residences is located at Gulod Labac, Batangas City and is accessible by the STAR Toll Expressway. For more information, visit www.pontefinohotel.com or www.pontefinoresidences.com.

Get ready for the RUSH!

The epic action-drama stars Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers) as the charismatic Englishman James Hunt and Daniel Brühl (Inglourious Basterds) as the disciplined Austrian perfectionist Niki Lauda, whose clashes on the Grand Prix racetrack epitomized the contrast between these two extraordinary characters, a distinction reflected in their private lives.

Set against the sexy and glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing, Rush portrays the exhilarating true story of two of the greatest rivals the world has ever witnessed—handsome English playboy Hunt and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Lauda.

Taking us into their personal lives on and off the track, Rush follows the two drivers as they push themselves to the breaking point of physical and psychological endurance, where there is no shortcut to victory and no margin for error. If you make one mistake, you die.

Two-time Academy Award® winner Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon), teams once again with fellow two-time Academy Award® nominee, writer Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen), on Rush, a spectacular big-screen re-creation of the merciless 1970s rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

“RUSH” released and distributed by Captive Cinema.Hits theatres soon….Nationwide!

Filipinos Crazy Over the Minions!

United International Pictures and Solar Entertainment Corporation. “Despicable Me 2” blasted onto Philippine screens simultaneously releasing with the U.S. and kick starting 2013

with the year’s all-time highest single day box office sales for an animation last Saturday.

'Despicable Me 2’s biggest opening weekend release for an animated movie of all time with over ~~P100M~~ Php120M box office sales and dominated the market on over 190 screens nationwide!

Weekend Top 10 screens (in rounded figures): 1. Php6,600,000 (SM North EDSA), 2. Php5,380,000 (SM Mall of Asia), 3. Php4,990,000 (SM Megamall), 4. Php3,750,000 (Glorietta 4), 5. Php3,640,000 (TriNoma), 6. Php3,630,000 (Powerplant), 7. Php3,440,000 (SM Cebu), 8. Php3,020,000 (SM Southmall), 9. Php2,970,000 (Gateway), 10. Php2,870,000 (Eastwood)

Despicable Me 2 is the sequel to the 2010 animated blockbuster about a villain named Gru who turns into a crime buster and loving father to three young girls.