Wanna join the Century Tuna Superbods Ageless 2018?

Casting Call for Century Tuna Superbods 2018-02-05

The Century Tuna Superbods is the hottest event of the summer with over 2 Million prizes at stake. This year, Century Tuna goes Ageless, there will now be two age categories:

            Category 1 – The Superbods (18-37 years old)

            Category 2 – The Ageless (38-50 years old)

One male and female for each category will be declared this year’s Superbods and Century Tuna’s next image models, winning Php500,000 each plus other exciting perks.

Are you healthy? Are you sexy? Are you a Superbod? Be part of CENTURY TUNA SUPERBODS AGELESS 2018!

QUALIFICATIONS:

1.     Open to male and female with Filipino Heritage.

2.     Age limit: 18 to 37 years old (Superbods) and 38 to 50 years old (Ageless).

3.     Height requirement: Must be at least 5’7” for Men and 5’4” for Women (and or above).

4.     Physically fit.

5.     Pleasing personality.

6.     No prior endorsements from any competing brand.

7.     PARTICIPANTS MUST RESIDE IN THE PHILIPPINES FROM FEBRUARY 2018 UNTIL APRIL 2019.

8.     No prior record of public misdemeanour.

9.     Must be available on the following dates:

·       February 25, 2018 – Final Callback

·       March 3, 2018 – Grooming of the Finalists

·       March 4, 2018 – Workshop

·       March 5, 2018  – Photoshoot

·       March 15, 2018  – Press Launch

·       March 19, 2018  – Superbods Ageless Ultimate Challenge

·       April 2, 2018  – Zalora Fitting

·       April 7, 2018  – Zalora Fashion Show

·       April 8, 2018  – Superbods Day (Marathon and Fitness Party)

·       April 10 to 11, 2018  – Offsite Rehearsals for Finals Night

·       April 12, 2018  – Finals Night

REQUIREMENTS:

1.     Birth Certificate

2.     Most recent photo (1 Head Shot and 1 Full Body)

3.     Three (3) pcs. of Century Tuna Label

4.     Filled-up application form

5.     Swimwear (two-piece for female and board shorts for male)

GOSEE SCHEDULES:

·       February 11, 2018 – SEDA Hotel, Davao City (10 am – 5 pm)

·       February 17, 2018 – Gold’s Gym, Ayala Center Cebu

·       February 18 and 24, 2018 – Manila (venue to follow)

For inquiries and registration, feel free to contact Apple Marabe-Cuenca at 0917-702-1894.

Be strong and sexy at any age in the Century Tuna Superbods Ageless 2018

This summer 2018, strong and sexy will know no age as Century Tuna, the country’s number one tuna raises the stakes and pushes the envelope once more as it launches the Century Tuna Superbods Ageless 2018.

The hunt for the fittest and healthiest men and women all over the Philippines returns to break the norms of what the body can do. Whatever the age, there should be no limits, no boundaries, in what you can achieve in order to be fit and healthy, especially with Century Tuna.

For the first time ever in this most awaited bi-annual event, the Century Tuna Superbods Ageless 2018 search features two exciting categories with 36 finalists: 20 finalists in the 18-37 years old category and 16 finalists in the 38-50 years old category.

“This year’s Superbods search revolves around the theme of ageless,” says Greg Banzon, general manager of Century Pacific Food, Inc. “This time around, we want to put forth the message that age should not be a hindrance to staying fit and healthy, and that we should never stop in our pursuit of physical fitness and wellness. That’s why we added a totally new category for those 38-50 years old.”

Making their presence felt and serving as the ultimate ageless fitspirations are Alice Dixon, Ina Raymundo, and Sunshine Cruz, Century Tuna’s Power Women, who previously appeared in the all-new ‘Red’ TVC that highlights their ravishing bodies and gorgeous looks despite their age. Joining them are the Yummybodies of Century—Gerald Anderson, Matteo Guidicelli and Paulo Avelino.

Century Tuna's latest brand ambassadors for Superbods Ageless 2018
L-R: Paulo Avelino, Alice Dixon, Gerald Anderson, Ina Raymundo, Sunshine Cruz and Matteo Guidicelli

The Century Tuna Superbods Ageless 2018 kicks off with the nationwide go-sees on February 11, 18, 24, and 25 in Davao City, Cebu and Manila, respectively. These will be followed by a slate of exhilarating activities that are sure to add spice and delight to the search! There’s the VIP Night to be hosted by Mond Gutierrez and Gelli Victor; the Ultimate Challenge that will test the finalists’ mental and physical health to be held at the Inflatable Island, Subic; the Superbods Weekend including the fun Underpants Run in Filinvest; the Zalora Fashion Show, which culminates in the Finals Night on April 12, 2018 at the Cove, Okada Manila.

Up for grabs are a whopping 500,000 pesos each for 4 winners, a chance to have a training contract with Star Magic this year, and a chance to win a Chevrolet Trax!  Also at stake are special awards including Stylish Superbod of the night, People’s Choice, Best in Congeniality, Superbods Photogenic, Runway Superbod of the night, Superbod Beach Bod, and Superbods Challenge Winner.

“Whether you’re in your fittest best at 20 or still in your peak at 40, we want to prove that age is just a number,” Gela Pecson, Century Tuna marketing manager relates. “Which is why, this year, we’re encouraging and motivating everyone, especially those in the ageless bracket, to take part and prove to others that nothing is impossible if you set your mind and heart into it.”

So go ahead, conquer yourself! Show them what you got in the Century Tuna Superbods Ageless 2018.

Century Tuna Superbods Ageless 2018 is made possible by Cove Manila, Philipps, Indesit, Mabe, Tanduay Distillers, Inc., Zalora, and Chevrolet.

For more details, updates on events, and registration, visit Century Tuna Superbods on Facebook: www.facebook.com/centurytuna. Check out the next blog for details on how to join.

Proud Mom of a Cosplayer/Blogger

Time flies all too fast when you're a parent. In less than a year, my baby girl will no longer be a teenager. Soon after that, she graduates from college. All I can do is sigh.

Well, sigh and support her. I'd like to think I am a supportive mom, notwithstanding my limitations.

One of the things I completely support (as long as I can afford it) is her going into cosplaying. Well, to be fair, I did start her at it at a very young age.

That's her at four years old with me and my fellow Trekkies in 2003.

Now, she chooses her own characters. She even dyes her hair to get into the character. It was because of this hobby of hers that we stumbled on Cospray.

Seeing her struggle with hair color got me thinking of ways to help her out. We tried shampoo-in dyes, permanent dyes, even hair chalk. Then there is Cospray. The ease of Cospray's application is already a big plus for us. When we saw the range of colors, we got interested enough to try. By "we", I mean my daughter.

She chose purple for her Raven (from Teen Titans) cosplay. When she donned Raven for the first time for the Asia Pop Comic Con 2017 in August, we used Splat which was a gift from her godmother based in the US. Her hair was quite purple for about three months, then it faded into silver. Her hair right now has three colors-- black nearest to the roots, brown-blonde under that and the silver towards the tips. We were hoping Cospray would give her hair that purple tinge again.

She finished the entire bottle of purple spray and got this:

Based on that result, we conclude that Cospray would be best for highlights and retouches. It's not your base for a full head of hair but it would be perfect for your bag of tools when you go out in your cosplay, especially if you use wigs. Cospray can color those stray strands that tend to peek out from under the wig.

So we tested the Blue Cospray as highlights.  Here is my blue highlight on black hair:

And here is the blue highlight on my baby's silver hair: 

I have to say that for the blue to be seen on black hair, its pigment has to be pretty good. This makes Cospray for me the go-to hair color since I am not really into dyeing my hair, unlike my girl. She did love the way the blue came out on her hair, so I think she'll be using it for highlights and touch-ups too.

Plus, it is washable, hypoallergenic and paraben-free!  You can check them out on their page on Facebook or follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

Wanna try? They're available online at Lazada and Shopify, and at Toys'r US, Toy Kingdom, The Landmark, and Mercury Drugstores.

From the baul: I’m a Mother…Who’d have thought?

Note:
This was written 11 years ago. I was just rummaging through files and realized I have not posted this piece from the baul.

Have you ever truly experienced the miracle of life? 

For more than seven years now, each day has been a miracle of this life — this little hand that knows how to touch me just at the right place that I end up smiling without realizing it; this little voice that shouts out Celine Dion songs like there was no tomorrow; this little body, so warm, so alive and thankful to be so!  She makes me grateful for having survived this arduous journey called life, inspite of myself.  She gives me hope that love could still be so innocent, trusting and pure. And no giddy moment with a man could ever surpass the words, "I love you, too, Mama!" 

A child did all that to me.  And she is my child – seven years old and still my baby.  Mothering is an utterly astonishing experience. After all this time, and I am still taken by the surprises of the “profession.”


When I was still single, I took on jobs that required me to travel and socialize.  I was barely home.  Late nights were common and my friends knew I was ok with all-nighters.  Even my boyfriend back then had almost the same lifestyle.  By the time we got married, that hadn’t changed.  And we didn’t want it to change for a while, but the fates had something else in store.


It all started with a dream

The words came to me at that stage between sleeping and waking.  The rush of ideas came flowing in me and the desire to write them down was overwhelming.  At the time I thought it was inspiration for a special gift for a friend who was a doting dad.

little hands and little feet
innocence and life meet
little mouth and little pout
demanding when you're all out
little hugs and little kisses
privileges one always misses
little steps and little chases
makes your heart alter paces
little cries and that little whimper
making you a little nimbler
little words and little ideas
She uses to describe you and me as
little eyes and little heart
very human in every part

Parenting
October 18, 1997


Unexpected

My husband and I had agreed to wait for about two years before having a baby so that we could have some time alone and to be able to save up for the responsibility.  Thus, it was not a considered a premonition to have dreamt of the poem ten months into the marriage and exactly one year and one day before I gave birth to my baby girl.

In February 1998, things got very hectic at the office due to the preparations for a major event.  The stress of my new job at the time bore down on me so I wasn’t really surprised that my period was delayed.  After a couple weeks I started having suspicions.  I was gaining weight and mass around my hips.  I am not known to be one to eat much, yet there I was munching on any food in sight.

I took the home pregnancy test in the morning when the instructions said it was most effective.  The result was undoubtedly positive and it was the best news I could get at so early a time of the day.  I told my husband first, then my parents, then my sister, then my friends.  The rest found out through this announcement via email:

so this is how it is
to have someone so close all the time
to feel someone's presence in me
to know i have this happiness growing in me...

It was 18 February 1998 and I was about one month pregnant.


Surreal experience

The first trimester was almost unreal to me.  I was so different.  I ate a lot – way more than I usually did (I'd been told I eat like a bird), I gained a lot of weight (from 98 lbs. to 115 lbs.), plus the morning sickness (nausea, dizziness, lethargy, etc.)

Almost exactly a month after the announcement, we had the sonogram done to help us determine the exact age of my baby.  The ultrasound technician commented that the baby was "malikot" and the one hand made it looked like the baby was waving at us through the probe.  While watching the baby play patintero with the probe and wave at us, I was in complete awe.  IT'S ALIVE !!!  ... and it's in me!

Then it dawned on me. Oh gee... I AM pregnant.  Somebody is INSIDE me.  I am having a baby!

And all the anxiety, excitement and bewilderment came flooding to me all over again, just as it did when I saw the pregnancy test result.  I AM GOING TO BE A MOMMY.

I took a month-long leave from work.  I was finding it difficult to adjust to all the changes happening to me.  It was not very easy waking up to nauseous spasms and continuous dizz.  The doctor prescribed vitamins and iron pills.  I also started having palpitations and was warned that I may have to have my heart and thyroid checked.  I couldn’t have caffeine in any form.  No coffee, no chocolates, no softdrinks, no tea... I felt so deprived!  I was a workaholic who couldn't work so hard, a coffee-holic who couldn't drink coffee, and a choco-holic who couldn't eat chocolates... oh life!

I was undergoing a metamorphosis.  In due time, even the things I was going through changed and life became so very different.


Deep thoughts… 

Introspection played a big role then.  There I was at a turning point in my life and the responsibility seemed daunting.

I am headstrong and determined.  But being a mother is like nothing I ever expected.  All of a sudden, my priorities lay on that little someone who seem to dictate how I should be without even asking for it.  I never thought I'd ever let anyone influence me this much.

Emotionally, the pregnancy was a hodge-podge of everything-- anxiety, excitement, fear, joy, anticipation.  I was both nervous and impatient to see this little one who got away with kicking me daily.  And to this day, she still gets away with kicking me (at play and while asleep).

Psychologically, I wondered if I was prepared.  Motherhood had seemed an enigma-- an undefined role that demands a lot from a woman – to set her career aside for a while, right at the time when she is at her prime; to start concentrating on a separate person who is wholly dependent on her – and taking care of a husband is very different.

On one hand, it was scary.  There I was at the threshold of rearing a baby.  I was about to shape someone’s life.  If I foul up, she'd be screwed!

On the other hand, it was also hopeful.  A life was about to come out of me.  An entirely new person!  If I do well, I would be giving a big contribution to humanity...and that was only the beginning of a life-long dream.


Trouble in Paradise

At six months into the gestation, I experienced pre-term labor.  I thought it was only stomach upset, an ulcer or a really bad case of diarrhea.

It’s a good thing we didn’t wait too long before going to the doctor.  At 6 months, pre-term labor means bad news.  It required me to have total bed rest for at least three days at the hospital… and man, was I bored!

As I realized that I experienced only a fraction of what mommies go through at labor, I also learned a valuable lesson in respect for these great women who can endure so much and still be happy about it – so happy they’d be willing to go through more of it.


The Mommy Lifestyle

My lifestyle had to change. No more late nights.  No more unnecessary overt-time at work.  More eating.  More sleeping.

After 28 weeks, I had gained 28 lbs. (a record, understandably).  By the time I was about to give birth, I had gained 50 lbs. and walked like a penguin.  (Yes, I had a figure – round!)  For one who hates pills, I took at least three a day.  For a former insomniac, I slept as early as 9:00 pm.  I was eating so much that I was waking up in the middle of the night to eat something.  And the milk!  A liter didn't last me three days, whereas it took me more than a week to do that before.  My Sustagen (mixed with Swiss Miss with Marshmallows) became like water to me.  I drank about 3-4 mugs everyday ever since I started bringing some mix to the office.

My back was straighter than ever. Bending down and getting up was hard since my center of gravity had shifted considerably.  Movement was slower too.  Running felt too heavy and I panted easily.  Also, I tended to sleep more.  I would get sleepy more often and the desire to hit the sack for an afternoon nap became greater and greater.   I sweat a lot too.  There were some nights when the sweat on my pillow was more than the sweat on my husband’s pillow, yet he weighed even more than I did.

And the people around me were different towards me too.  They all made sure I did not over-exert nor did anything too strenuous.  They gave me food all the time and I was grateful for it.  Even the fruit vendor looked forward to selling me apple-mangoes every morning because she believed a pregnant woman brought her luck by being her first customer for the day.  And my boss, a certified grand-dad, made sure I took my vitamins regularly.

Through it all, I did not resist one bit – this independent strong-willed woman took it all in happily.  I had turned into a Mommy!


D-day-B-day

A pelvic x-ray revealed that my bones had not made enough room for the baby to pass through.  The doctor decided to wait a couple more days to see if I would be able to adjust, but if I didn’t I would have to be induced, hoping that this would trigger more movement on my pelvis.  She feared that if we waited longer, the advanced stage of my baby would create complications.

I checked into the hospital at 11:00 am on October 19, 1998 without signs of labor.  When the medicine to induce labor was administered, I quickly had one centimeter dilation.  Throughout the day, machines were hooked to me to monitor my system and the baby’s.  By 6:00 pm, my dilation was still at one centimeter, the doctor recommended that I go under the knife.  My husband and I concurred.

Ingrid Kimbal F. Galgana was born a healthy baby at 6:20 pm weighing 7.7 pounds at 33 centimeters.  I heard her cry in the operating room but I had to wait for three days before I could see her since I had to recuperate from the surgery.

“Ingrid” is the name of the Norse Goddess of nature.  Further research shows that it also means “princess”.  “Kimbal” means “warrior leader”.  Her nickname is Kimi.  It’s the Japanese name for “princess” or “she who has no equal.”


A baby no more

Kimi at two years old

Today, I can hardly remember how small Kimi was then—so frail in my arms, so delicate.  When I see her perform her antics now, I can’t help but be aware of that miracle of life unfolding in front of my very eyes everyday.

And my baby is growing so fast!  After the many firsts we went through in the last seven years, it still amazes me how there could still be firsts up to now.  Only last week, while watching a newly released animated feature, a character sang an aria and my daughter sang with it – not very well modulated but hitting the correct notes.  I’ve always known she likes music, but opera?

Kimi at seven years old

Times have changed for sure.  At seven years old, she is acting like a little lady already.  Her smiles are becoming more and more demure. She is getting embarrassed about more things, and she is starting to mind the way I mention her to friends in her presence.

I can only sigh – how time flies!


Boys!

Only recently, I got a “wake-up call” to just how fast she is growing – a brush with a boy showing special interest in my progeny. Who would have thought that I would be hovering over her like an eagle, talons out and ready to gouge his eyes at the slightest provocation?

They were at play at the playground. It was never unusual that my Kimi would befriend a child or two within the hour we spend there. Oft times, she would dote on a toddler or play rough with other children her own age until she comes back to us sweating, flushed but happy. This time, the boy was paying a different kind of attention to her.

There was something in the way he stared at her. My daughter speaks fluent English with an American accent (thanks to Sesame Street, Playhouse Disney and Nick Jr.) and he spoke in the vernacular, yet they seem to understand each other. He followed her about, even as she came back to me our table for a sip. He never dared come too close but he was there. Perhaps my brazen stare stopped him. That maybe just as well for I desired to instill in him the fear of a mother protecting her young.  But he did have the audacity, at one point, to ask me if we went to the place everyday, to which I responded with a curt “no,” one brow raised and my face deadly serious.

Upon interrogation, my daughter admitted that she did "like" the boy though she could not remember his name, nor did she know his surname, age and place of residence. On further prodding, she confessed that he had “felt her skin on the cheek.” My feathers were promptly ruffled.  Had I the fangs…

I wasted no time thereafter. Mother and daughter had a heart-to-heart talk. Beware of boys! More especially, beware of boys who pay too much attention! He can hurt you and you will let him. There is nothing wrong with liking them, but know them enough first!

I may laugh at this account in the future. Right now, I have this burning desire to keep my only daughter in an island of Amazons – where men are shown their place and kept at bay, and the women lay the rules of engagement.

Yes, I have turned into an honest-to-goodness-over-protective-mother.  Who would have expected this?


Me, a mommy

Gone are the nights of all-night gimmicks and drinking alcohol.  In fact, I hardly ever go on gimmicks anymore; and I have almost completely stopped imbibing alcohol since I started driving (I can’t risk that precious cargo with me, can I).  I’ve long tossed out the tight-fitting outfits in exchange for the rather loose clothing that hide the “baby fat” that never really “left” since I got pregnant.

I do miss going out with my friends.  These days, these rare get-togethers have to be scheduled around the school activities, children’s parties and visits to the cousins.  Thanks to technology-- instant messaging, emails and blogs-- I keep in touch with most of my friends, IF they are tech-friendly.

Career-wise, I had resorted to freelance work so I could stay home more.  Since her school schedule frees up a lot of my time now, I can to take on a full-time job (which would also help pay for the increasing costs of her education).  As a result, I’m not filthy rich, financially.


Is it worth it?

Hell, yeah!

This four-and-a-half foot tall “princess” gets away with dictating how my life goes – and she doesn’t even realize it.  And Lord knows what else I am willing to give up for her.

My life revolves around my Kimi.  And I’m glad it does.

Soon, I know she will want her own life.  She will have her secrets from me and I may find it hard to understand how she’d think then.  The thought is scary, but it is part of what is to come.  I am bracing myself for that time…and I am hoping (and praying!) I would be prepared by then.  Motherhood, it seems has taught me to be more patient.

These days, I dream of seeing her grow into a woman who has admirable strength and wisdom.  I will let her choose her own path.  This early, I know she will be headstrong and I know only too well that getting in her way would be disastrous.  As her mother, I dream and I pray.

Ten years ago, I never thought I’d be how I am today.  Back then, I didn’t even think of motherhood as something that would actually happen to me.  But life has a way of turning you upside-down.  With the way it is now, I’m pretty much settled with what I am – a mommy.  And it all started with just a dream…

So, here's to the changes, no matter how drastic they may seem!