Araneta Center BusPort Offers More Convenience with Online Booking, Cashless Payment

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Araneta Center Bus Port (ACBP) is taking convenient travel to a whole new level.

Imagine planning a trip to the province for a vacation or a family reunion but encountering long lines and inconvenient bumps. These roadblocks will definitely spoil any trip and tire anyone out even before they step into the vehicle.

Fortunately, there are transports hubs and payment methods that now make traveling a less harrowing experience for passengers.

The Araneta Center Bus Port (ACBP) is taking convenient travel to a whole new level.

Already offering services and facilities that are similar to airports, the ACBP has recently made available the option to book and reserve tickets online. This means passengers no longer have to go through long queues particularly during peak seasons such as the Holy Week, the Halloween break and the Christmas season.

Passengers just have to go to http://www.aranetacenter.net/busport and follow the easy steps of booking and reserving their tickets.

ACBP has also recently launched cashless transactions as passengers can now pay for their tickets through their MasterCard, Visa and JCB credit cards. Another convenient option for passengers is to use their preloaded PayMaya card for their purchase, just like any credit card. They may also download the PayMaya app and use the QR code available at the ACBP to buy tickets.

Aside from being a convenient option, cashless transactions are also deemed safer because passengers no longer have to bring cash to the station to pay for their tickets.

During the launch, Araneta Center executives tried the PayMaya card and QR code transactions with the help from executives from PayMaya Philippines..


“Whether it’s online or at the bus port, booking bus tickets is now more convenient for passengers, and their total experience now made more secure with the help of PayMaya’s cashless payment options,” said Antonio T. Mardo, Senior Vice President for Operations of the Araneta Center.

The ACBP, located on Gen. Romulo Ave. just across Ali Mall, boasts of top-of-the-line facilities like an air-conditioned passenger lounge, a check-in baggage counter, an airport-like centralized automated ticketing system, reliable security, and a food port where passengers can eat and relax.

It serves as the main stop for provincial air-conditioned buses going to and from the Bicol region, Southern Tagalog, Visayas and Mindanao.

PHOTO CAPTION: Araneta Executives Mr. John B. Castelo (SVP, Business Development) and Mr. Antonio T. Mardo (SVP, Operations) try the PayMaya QR Code with Paymaya Philippines Head of Consumer Business Mr. Raymund Villanueva at the ACBP

Renaissance Gallery Celebrates 15th Anniversary Ambidextrous: The Left and the Right

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In celebration of its 15th Anniversary, Renaissance Gallery, a leading purveyor of non-representational art in the country, presents “AMBIDEXTROUS: THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT” which opens on June 24 till July 4 at the SM Art Center, with cocktail reception on June 25 at 6 pm.

A group exhibition of artists working in both representational art and abstraction, “AMBIDEXTROUS” shall feature the works of Hermes Alegre, Art Bermido, Remy Boquiren, Arley Carig, Addie Cukingnan, Egai Fernandez, Sam Penaso, Ronaldo Ruiz, Aner Sebastian, Valen Valero and Janice Young.

“AMBIDEXTROUS” is curated by noted art critic, writer and visual artist Cid Reyes.
The Art Center is on the 4/F, Bldg. A, SM Megamall, EDSA cor. Julia Vargas Ave., Mandaluyong City. For inquiries, call Margaux Romero-Oracion at mobile: 0925-555-7790.

---------------

AMBIDEXTROUS: THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT
By CID REYES

Henry Moore, the great British sculptor, stated, “All art is abstract in one sense. Not to like abstract qualities or not to like reality is to misunderstand what sculpture and art are about … I see no reason why realistic art and purely abstract art can’t exist in the world side by side at the same time, even in one artist at the same time. One isn’t right and the other wrong.”

On the other hand, Picasso declared, “There is no such thing as abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality.” In fact, the greatest titan of twentieth century art who was a genius in representational painting, drove his works in the Cubist style to the very edge of abstraction.

The Renaissance Art Gallery, as part of its fifteenth anniversary exhibition, celebrates the talent of artists who might be regarded as ambidextrous, or possessing the ability to paint with either hand with equal ease or dexterity. Both hands, in this case, do not literally signify the left and the right hand, but rather, that each hand can represent representational art, and the other, abstraction.

Participating artists in “Ambidextrous” are Hermes Alegre, Art Bermido, Remy Boquiren, Arley Carig, Addie Cukingnan, Egai Fernandez, Sam Penaso, Ronaldo Ruiz, Aner Sebastian, Valen Valero, and Janice Young.

The show will be a revelation: some artists better known for their abstraction will demonstrate their skill and talent from years of academic and classical art, in works executed in a range of styles inflected by Impressionism and Magic Realism; while those whose reputations were built on the Mother and Child theme, still lifes, portraiture, or social realist figuration, can be impressive with their purely abstract works.

All this proves that, in certain individuals gifted in both styles, the division between figuration and abstraction is “porous,” allowing for the crossing of boundaries and demarcations, which are, to these ambidextrous artists, essentially non-existent.

Renaissance Art Gallery raises a toast - with two glasses of wine ! - to  celebrate the unlimited skill and talent of the Filipino artist !

Why Sleep Deprivation Leads to Junk Food Cravings

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We live in a fast-paced society where sleep deprivation has become a normal part of many people’s lives. But getting less than the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep each night has a bigger impact than many realize. Without adequate rest, hormones get released in different amounts, altering your appetite and the brain begins craving the high-fat foods that lead to unwanted weight gain. 

Sleep Deprivation Leaves You Hungry
When you’re sleep deprived, the body releases appetite-controlling hormones in different amounts. The brain releases larger quantities of the hormone ghrelin, which makes you feel hungrier while the hormone leptin gets released in smaller amounts, which means you don’t feel full as quickly. Your body naturally feels hungrier, making it difficult to stick with a balanced eating plan. Even though you don’t need those extra calories, you’re more likely to overeat when you haven’t gotten enough rest.
Enticing Snack Foods are Hard to Resist
Lack of sleep affects your brain in other ways too. When you’re sleep deprived, the reward center of the brain goes into high alert. It gets more rewards when you eat high-fat, sugary foods. In fact, the brain gets stimulated during sleep deprivation much in the same way it does while using marijuana. The reward center gets a bigger hit when you’re tired versus when you’re well rested. The munchies also tend to hit in the late afternoon and evening when you’re starting to feel even more exhausted after a long, sleep-deprived day. 

Make a Change for Your Health 

A solid seven hours of sleep every night supports a healthy eating plan and gives your body a chance to recover and rest. Developing good sleep hygiene, all those habits that surround your sleep is key to getting the shut-eye you need. If you need help falling asleep there are many ways to do so other than a recommended sleep supplement. Habits that can help you sleep better at night include:






Setting the Bedroom Up Right 

Your bedroom should be a sleep sanctuary, not a multipurpose space. It should be dark, quiet, and kept at a cool 60-68 degrees at night. If you wake up in the morning achy and sore, you may need a mattress that supports your preferred sleep position. Purchasing a new mattress can be pricey. If it’s not in your budget, you might want to consider a mattress topper to give an old mattress new life.


Regular Exercise 

Exercise not only creates a strong body but improves your overall health. It also wears out your body so you’re more tired at night. While you want to make exercise a regular part of your day, try to avoid strenuous activity too close to bedtime. The rise in body temperature and release of endorphins within four hours of bedtime can keep you awake long into the night.


Smart Snacking 

While you want to avoid eating a heavy meal right before bed, a light snack can be just what you need to prevent hunger pains from waking you during the night. Try to choose foods that promote sleep by helping with melatonin production like milk, cheese, almonds, and bananas.


Avoid Stimulants and Screens 

Caffeine and other stimulants can keep you wide awake if consumed within four hours of bedtime. You also want to avoid staring at a screen within one hour of going to bed. The bright, blue light from televisions, laptops, smartphones, or e-readers can be bright enough to make the brain believe it’s time to stay awake. 

Written by:

Ellie Porter
Managing Editor | SleepHelp.org
ellie@sleephelp.org