Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Visita Iglesia 2015: Churches in Switzerland and Germany

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Water Bottle: Checked
Power Bars : Checked
Train Tickets: Checked
All systems go.

Good Friday, 2015. I decided to go on Visita Iglesia just on the spur of the moment this year. No route planned, no time plan, no stress.
As a backgrounder, I have been doing my Visita Iglesia in the last five years. I am a Filipina who has been a resident of Switzerland in the last 18 years. I am divorced, have an only child, totally single in the last five years and I consider myself quite lucky to live in this beautiful country.

This year is the 6th year I am going to do my Visita Iglesia in Switzerland. Since, I told myself that I am not going to do it with stress this year -- I found myself going to Constance, Germany too.

In the olden times (during my younger years), I used to do Visita Iglesia with my Mother. The rule is, we have to go and visit 7 churches or chapels on Maundy Thursday by simple walking from church-to-church. We don't carry any food with us because there are some families who opens their houses -- offers the people going on Visita Iglesia some refreshments - bread, water, sago at gulaman, fruits and all for free as part of the home-owners house "panata" for a "pakain" on Visita Iglesia days.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

To raise awareness and understanding about hemophilia and related bleeding disorders, the Department of Health (DOH) and various non-government organizations joined the Hemophilia Association of the Philippines for Love & Service (HAPLOS) in marking the World Hemophilia Day at Glorietta Mall in Makati City on April 11 to 12.

The two-day activity called “Count Me In” gathered different hemophilia groups and support groups to highlight the importance of being more active, leading the way to improved access to treatment. The event also called for public support for the hemophilia community, as well as seek government support for persons with hemophilia.
“We are honored to lead the country’s celebration of the World Hemophilia Day, celebrated every April 17, because it is an opportunity not only to generate understanding about hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, but also to inspire change. This event seeks to unite patients, health care professionals, advocacy groups, governments and industry partners to make the world better for the local bleeding disorder community,” said Ric Felipe, president of HAPLOS.

During the opening ceremony, DOH Undersecretary Dr. Vicente Belizario expressed the agency’s commitment in helping those with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders to address the challenges they are currently facing, especially in closing the gaps in care and treatment.

Wazzup Pilipinas!
AXN continued its thrilling streak in Q1 2015, claiming top spot in English general entertainment primetime ratings collectively in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Taiwan.

As the dominant English GE channel across the region, AXN held 37 percent of the primetime viewing share among 20 competing channels, with ratings that were more than 60 percent higher than the next best rated English GE channel.

Asia’s home of thrilling entertainment posted strong ratings gains on the back of the premieres of popular new and returning scripted series including “CSI: Cyber” and “The Blacklist” Season 2, along with AXN Asia’s latest original series “Asia’s Got Talent”. Quarter one primetime ratings grew in all four markets vs 2014. In particular, AXN enjoyed 50 per cent growth quarter-on-quarter in Singapore, 20 percent in the Philippines, 15 percent in Taiwan, while in Malaysia the channel enjoyed more than double the rating of its closest competitor.

Hui Keng Ang, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia said, “Quality, buzzworthy drama and reality series airing day and date with the U.S remain integral to AXN’s success. Adding to this is our focus on producing exciting localized original productions, and engaging viewers for a truly social television experience. ‘Asia’s Got Talent’, while a ratings success on linear TV, has also inspired an active and colorful fan base across several social platforms.”