GeccaFrancisco

Should I start blogging again?

Life Sunday, December 31, 2023

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Co-Sleeping, night routine & getting enough sleep feat. Linen and Homes

Lifestyle Thursday, May 24, 2018

Hi guys!

I wanted to share with you my birthing story with my third baby but that would take forever to write. So for now, I'll share how I get her to sleep at night, what is our bedtime routine and a tip on where to get breathable cooling bedsheets.

Ava, my little baby, is heaven sent! She is pretty behave compared to her older brothers when they were babies. I always thought that she will be pretty easy to take care of. She doesn't need much attention which is something new to me. Both my first and second children were colic babies but much worst for the second!

I thought before that I might go over another roller coaster with my third child but no. Not really. Haven't had that problem and I wish I'll never have to in the future.

So, our bedtime routine is composed of, full tummy, snug clothing, new nappy and fresh, comfy sheets. My husband and I sleep together with our kids so, in addition to the list, that will include the warmth of each other.

To start, we end the day early by cleaning Ava at around 6 o'clock in the evening and after that, it's feeding time. What we do is that we make it consistent so that we create a pattern every day and soon, she'd understand, even though she doesn't have any clue or care about the time, that it is bedtime for her.

Sometimes at night when the lights are out, she'd roll on her tummy and try to start a fit. What we do is that we ignore her. Not actually ignoring her completely, but we don't soothe her at once. And as time passes, she learned how to sleep on her own even though we co-sleep. I can actually leave her alone in bed and she'd sleep on her own. Which is a very different story from my previous experiences with my other kids. They would never sleep unless I lay beside them.

Babies learn how to be independent like soothing themselves. You just have to restrain yourself at times so they would learn. I believe that babies are very smart and can learn quickly. But then again, as a mom of three, all babies are different. I just learned and understood how to manage these things on my third baby!

Once that you've managed to give your baby your nighttime routine, it's time to let them know that it's bedtime. You can either play a lullaby every night or you can turn off the lights and have the room in dim lighting. Make sure that you do these things consistently because if not, your baby would not learn.

A full tummy and clean nappy gets my little Ava to be content. Snug clothing makes her feel warm and secured. Clean sheets make her feel comfortable. These are some of the things that are a must for us so Ava can get an uninterrupted sleep.

I'm completely grateful that I found the perfect bedding for us. If you want something that is lightweight, breathable and hypoallergenic (this last one is the most important for me), you can visit Linen and Homes website.

I got a bit too excited when the beddings arrived at my doorstep. I received it well packaged and comes with two pillowcases, flat sheet, and a fitted sheet. I chose the color gray because with kids, white and ivory gets dirty pretty easily. It promises a 5-star resort quality bed (which in my opinion a must-have) and also I love that it says 'perfect for tropical climate' because right now, the heat is intense and I can't help but check at night if our kids are sleeping well or if they need to change clothes because of sweat. Honestly speaking, I can't turn on the air conditioning every night because the electric bill would blow up! We don't want that do we?

From experience, yes, this fabric made out of premium bamboo feels so nice to the skin. It almost has that silk-like feeling where it just flows smoothly on your body. I am the type of person that never sleeps without a blanket regardless of the weather. So thumbs up for that! Frankly, this gives more comfort on a cool weather or when you have the air conditioning on.

If you're interested to avail them, you can enter my discount code: GECCA or go to this link by clicking here and get 10% off!

Anyway, babies or families, in general, will sleep better together if what you are sleeping on provides comfort and pleasant experience. Uninterrupted sleep is one of the things that I wish for as a parent because if you're a parent, it means that you are just not allowed to have 8 hours of ceaseless sleep. LOL.

Anyway, before this blog post goes off topic, I just want to conclude that co-sleeping is important. It may not be for all (it's a choice) but to me, it is important. In a typical set-up, kids often see their parents leaving for work in the morning and arriving at night. In my opinion, co-sleeping gives you and your family some time to bond before dozing off to dreamland.

What about you? Do you co-sleep with your baby/kids?

Let me know! Cheers!

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What has been going on? (Life, new job & pregnancy)

Thoughts Sunday, January 14, 2018

Hello there!

I know I have tons to make up for this blog. I've obviously been ignoring it the entire year and thus the two blog post for 2017. I can't even believe it! JUST TWO BLOG POSTS! There's just so many things happening this past year.

First of all, I've landed a job at a telephone company, I won't say which one but yeah, that happened early last year and adjusting took us some time that's why I've set aside writing. I've been preoccupied with my career as a part time freelancer, having a full time job and being a mom and wife. So I was really juggling all that. Being B-U-S-Y was real.

Second, I've been pregnant for the third time! I was going on about last year that the idea of having a baby is a no go especially that I have a new job and all. And I was telling my husband that we can have another once our eldest is about 10 years old AND if I was sure to have a girl. I mean, who would've predicted that we would have a baby girl before conceiving right? So I was like, we should wait for another 2-3 years to have another one whether it is a boy or a girl, 3 kids are enough.

Third, health. I WAS hospitalized because of my pregnancy and have my doctor order bed rests twice! The first one is for 2 weeks, second is for a week. Really, my pregnancy was so delicate I had to take medicine that will make the baby stronger and hold on til full term. Nine months of pregnancy was really something. It was not nice. Nope. I'll elaborate my third pregnancy journey in another blog post. :)

But now that I am on my maternity leave for 60 days, I figured I'd get back to writing. I love to write and type my thoughts and feelings away. It is my outlet and I've forgotten how relaxing it is for me. :)

Anyway, I have a lot of products that I bought over the past months that I obviously haven't reviewed yet so I'll have some products for review! Bear with me, it's been a while since I wrote a product review but I promise to be as informative as possible. Writing a review would be like the first time again! I missed it!

Cheers for the new year ahead! Thanks for reading!

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Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette & Too Faced Natural Matte Palette (Try On and Thoughts)

Beauty Monday, July 24, 2017

Hi there!

It's mid year.. well.. a little over mid year but just so you guys know, I have been missing my blog! I've had so many products that I wanted to write about but sometimes, juggling all the things that I do, sometimes it's overwhelming! Anyways, enough babbling, I just want to talk about these two palettes! LOVE!

I have never owned any Too Faced products so I was so excited when I got the chance to review any Too Faced products from the Sephora.ph website. I chose these two palettes because one for everyday use and another one that has a wide range of colors that allows you to get creative (I was also influenced by a ton of raves about these palettes!).

Let's start on the packaging. The designs are very well thought of because it really grabs your attention. I noticed that with all the Too Faced products. Every single product looks and amazing. I love that they are on tins and when you open and close them the products are secured because it also has magnets.

I really love the color selections on these palettes specially the Sweet Peach Palette.

Colors from Top (left to right): White Peach, Luscious, Just Peachy, Bless Her Heart, Tempting, Charmed. I'm sure.

Middle: Nectar, Cobbler, Candied Peach, Bellini, Peach Pit, Delectable.

Bottom: Peaches 'n Cream, Georgia, Caramelized, Puree, Summer Yum, Talk Derby To Me.

These are just some of my favorite shades from the Sweet Peach palette. We have, Luscious, Just Peachy, Cobbler, Caramelized, Puree, Summer Yum, Peach Pit and Delectable. ♥

I've tried the Sweet Peach Palette on and I love it really! Can't remember the shades I used though but I love how it turned out! :D

Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette

My first impression on this the second I got the package is the smell! It does smell like peaches! but the first thing that came in to my mind is that it smells like the kisses scented beads! Took me back to my childhood really. I also love the color selection. It is actually on of the reasons why I chose this palette is because I can see myself wearing every shade. There is just one particular shade that I don't normally go for but I think I am brave enough to pull it off, it is the Bless Her Heart shade. It is an emerald color with little specs of gold. All the colors are wearable and not intimidating at all. In this palette you get mattes, shimmers and metallics. Five stars for me!

★★★★★

If you want to get your hands on it, click here Sephora.ph. It costs Php2,953.00 on the Sephora.ph website.

Colors from Top (Day): Heaven, Cashmere Bunny, Sexspresso.

Middle (Classic): Lace Teddy, Strapless, Rique.

Bottom (Fashion): Nudie, Honey Butter, Chocolate Cookie.

Here's my favorite shades: Strapless, Risque and Chocolate Cookie ♥

Here's my own take of the Too Faced Natural Matte Palette. I just put on mascara and light brows that I would normally wear everyday and soft smokey eye look. I think I'll hit pan on this as this is a perfect go-to everyday makeup (and I love everyday simple makeup on!).

Too Faced Natural Matte Palette

My first impression on this palette is how cute the packaging is and how it fits in my bag. There are trios on the palette, for 'Day' look, 'Classic' and 'Fashion'. There is also a glamour guide that comes with the box that will help you and give you ideas on how you can pull off those three looks. About the shades, a couple of those shades doesn't show up that much on my lid because it almost has the same color as my lid but the good thing is, it is a perfect base for the other darker shadows.

I think that this palette is an all time favorite because the shadows are well thought out you have brown colors, ones with pink undertones just perfect for nudes and everyday wear. This is a hit for me so I'm giving it five stars as well!

★★★★★

You can get this also at Sephora.ph for Php2,042.00. :)

All in all, I picked these palettes that I knew that I would love and Too Faced didn't disappoint at all! I'm clearly impressed and I can't wait to try their other products as well. :) I think if you are really a fan of the brand, it is really worth splurging or if you are like me wanting to try these products for the first time, you'll never go wrong with these two palettes. :)

Thanks for reading!

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Thoughts about 2016 and being hopeful in 2017

Thoughts Monday, January 02, 2017

Hi everyone! I feel like writing an apology letter to this blog because I've been ignoring it for a few months now and if you don't know yet or haven't noticed, I usually always write on my blog and after a while I stop. I don't know why and I am always like that. I always say that I will write a scheduled blog post but never really committed. Like I said in one of my posts or probably on Instagram, that I don't like blogging as something that I am obligated to do. I blog because it is a hobby. This is a hobby of mine and I like to share my thoughts. This is my outlet. Collaborations with brands and PR companies are like bonuses. I don't display my blog out there but merely share my thoughts with other bloggers who loves the same things as I do.

2016 is a blur just like the wind that ran through my face as swiftly as possible and left me with a bed hair. I didn't had a life changing phenomena happen to me. Just the same as the ordinary, and simple as life can be. I realized that that is my comfort zone. I've been in my comfort zone for far too long that I lost my sense of adventure and sense of taking risks. I'd rather be in our bedroom and bury myself on social media while the time passes by. I've never gone to the gym, bar hopped, adventured or just to say, do the things that are new to me. I've been contemplating on doing YouTube videos but haven't really have the guts.

So this year, I am hoping to make a difference. These are just some of the mantras that I like to go over whenever I need to.

Do more and be more.

If not now, when?

There's no point in worrying about something you can't change.

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% is how you react to it.

You were born to be real and not to be perfect.

Fact. You can't please everybody.

I can and I will.

My resolution last year was to be fearless but in reality, I was still the girl who feared risks, challenges and judgments. I stared on the computer screen watching people live their life while I give them 'likes'. I am boring, I know that. That's a fact. I'm not interesting. I have a small circle of friends and I'm not looking for more but always welcome to have more. Do you get what I mean?

Okay. Now I feel like I'm just writing away and not really making any more sense. I'm just gonna leave some well wishes to all who reads this blog.

I hope that your 2017 will be as fruitful as ever and may more blessings and opportunities come your way.

Good luck to us all!

Cheers!

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Why Traveling is Best with Travelbook.ph

Travel Monday, October 17, 2016

Hi guys!

For the past year, I have been craving to travel our beloved country and all I did was manage to go to a white sand beach that was not more than 2 hours away from home... and spend just four hours there. So yes, I am a big adventurer! Hah! I wish! Being a freelancer, the thinking should be "work anywhere and everywhere"! In my case.. well. Do the math.

So, as someone who doesn't travel as much, I sure have plenty of questions! Like, where are the must-see places, where should I stay, how much will it cost, what are the best deals and so much more mind boggling questions! So, I am very much pleased to find out about TravelBook.ph!

If you don't know about them yet, here's a little background.

In 2012, TravelBook.ph, under the management of Summit Media, started as an online catalog catering to more than 4,000 hotels and resorts in the Philippines. The company was established by Recruit Holdings Company, one of the biggest media conglomerates in Japan, and specializes in classified advertisements, publications, and human resources.

To date, TravelBook.ph is the fastest growing Online Travel Agency (OTA) in the Philippines and boasts more than 2,700 hotel listings all over the country. Over the past three years, the company has achieved a record-breaking 200% growth rate and an average of 3,900 paid bookings per month.

With various offline and online marketing efforts, TravelBook.ph has gained exposure through media partners such as TV stations GMA NewsTV through programs like PopTalk and Biyahe ni Drew, CinemaOne, and radio stations Love Radio, Monster Radio, and Barangay LS.

TravelBook.ph also boasts increasing 1.6 million monthly page views, with 455,000 monthly unique visits, 52,000 registered members, and 299,000 newsletter subscribers.

Its social media presence also continues to grow: it has more than 540,000 likes in Facebook, while its Twitter and Instagram accounts have about 2,900 and 10,300 followers respectively.

Why Book with TravelBook.ph?

TravelBook.ph aims to cater to the needs of the ever-growing market, which is why it continuously develops and expands its strengths through various customer-driven initiatives.

1. Convenient Booking

TravelBook.ph focuses on improving its offline bookings through 24/7 Customer Care that offers competitive room rates, promo plans, rewards points, membership promos, and GetGo promos.

TravelBook.ph also has a user-friendly mobile app that offers double rewards for bookings to make the service available for the growing number of smartphone users in the Philippines.

2. Multiple Payment Options

Since only about 5% of the whole Philippine population are credit card holders, TravelBook.ph has made sure that it has various online and offline payment methods to make booking hotels for every customer convenient.

Aside from using their credit cards, customers can pay via online and offline bank deposits or over-the-counter payments. They can also pay at 7-Eleven branches, Robinsons Department Store and SM Department Store branches, Bitcoin, and the newly launched Pay At Hotel, which allows the customer to pay upon check-in.

3. Corporate Partnerships and Alliances

TravelBook.ph has also partnered with top brands and companies in the Philippines, including Cebu Pacific, Robinsons Bank, Sun Cellular, Toys R Us, JG Summit, Robinsons Land, Robinsons Department Store, and Universal Robina to strengthen its presence in the business through various campaigns.

The company also has special partnerships with GetGo, BDO, Union Bank, Eastwest Bank, and Security Bank.

4. Tours

TravelBook.ph will soon launch its 359 Tour Package Plans to cater to the travel needs of its customers.

5. Affiliate Program

The recently launched Affiliate Program now has over 600 partner bloggers. Through this program, both seasoned and new bloggers are able earn income from the hotel bookings made in their websites.

6. Promotion of Philippine Tourism

More than just being an e-commerce company, TravelBook.ph aims to Philippine tourism by encouraging everyone to travel more in the country. The company believes that traveling should become a lifestyle as it promotes education, quality time, and bonding with families and friends.

TravelBook.ph also comes up with various creative campaigns to promote local tourism such as the recently concluded #Juanderlust, an international competition where travelers all over the world participated to be the lucky “Chosen Juan” who will embark on an 80-day adventure to 80 places in the Philippines. The winner, Mr. Dave Agbayani, traveled around the country to explore and experience the best things that the country has to offer.

I am so excited to be a part of the Travelbook.ph and happy that I will soon take my dream adventures in to a reality! ♥

Til next time my little adventurers!

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Fashion 21 Cosmetics Auto Eyebrow Pen

Beauty Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Hi guys!

If you don't know yet, one of the things I love when it comes to makeup is doing my eyebrows! It's so crazy these days that you can see a lot of women or young girls wanting to get that on-point, on-fleek brows! And with all the eyebrow products that are coming out of the market and all the different kinds of techniques that you can do with your brows, it's nice to come back to the natural almost no-makeup look brows.

If you've been with me for a while, you'll notice that I love bold brows but I also like to tone it down a bit. I've posted an updated eyebrow routine before and you'll see what I mean.

Just a little background though, I REALLY have sparse eyebrows so having a set of full eyebrows is like a dream! I've used brow pencils, brow pomades, brow powders with or without wax and there are really some hits and misses with products especially when we talk about the prices. Some are worth it while some are just hyped.

So enough with the chit-chat.

Fashion21 was kind enough to send me their brow products to try. I was so excited to test them out and wanted to let you guys know what I think about them.

So these are Fashion21's Auto Eyebrow Pen and they sent me three different shades, Greyish Brown, Light Brown and Dark Brown.

I've had an eyebrow pencil before in the shade of grey, I was loving that at first then realized that it was too grey and almost looked odd but at the time I didn't care because it was close to my natural hair color. So I'm really looking forward to all these shades!

I love how sleek these brow pens look and it's a major plus that they are retractable so no worries about sharpening them. And the product itself aren't too thick nor too thin, the shape and diameter is just perfect for creating hair-like strokes and would not easily break.

Here are the shades lightly swatched. My fave, as expected, is the greyish brown because I love the taupey-ashy color in person and it is closest to my natural hair color.

For Php85.00, you'll get 0.25g (net wt) of product which for me is definitely worth the money.

In the photo above, I just made an outline as I always do and with a light hand, did small hair-like strokes. You can also use a spoolie to brush out any harsh lines or leave it as it is. Application is really easy, the product isn't that creamy which I prefer. For me, Fashion21's Auto Eyebrow Pen really performs well.

As you can see, from sparse to full in just two easy steps!

I used the dark brown shade for this look and my eyebrows really look natural! Just the way I like it! Love it! I'd recommend you give it a try! ♥

You can check out their products at their website here or hit like on their Facebook page here to be updated of their latest sales, promos and giveaways. If you're on Instagram, follow them here. ♥

Until next blog post, xoxo!

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BeautyMNL Shopping Experience + Mini Haul!

Beauty Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Hi guys!

I know I've been away for quite sometime I'm just breathing in the fact that it is now SEPTEMBER! *heavy breathing*

Where have the months gone? I do not know! So after a bit of procrastination, I was greeted an email from BeautyMNL that said, "Hey, Gecca would you like to shop at our website and give it a test run?" So I flipped my computer and got my game on! It's been a while since I last shopped online and I was so excited because I haven't shopped on BeautyMNL before. So, who wouldn't say no to this kind offer really?

I've visited their website before so I'm not really "new" to it. However, it was my first time to actually shop so I was pretty excited!

If you're not familiar with BeautyMNL, it's just right that I introduce it to you!

BeautyMNL is an online shopping website cateres to all Filipinas! All of their products are Pinay friendly and when I say "Pinay friendly" it'll cater to your needs! Whether it'd be on skin care, makeup, hair care and such, it'll suit the Filipina beauty. Pretty impressive right? So you are bound to find the right shade of lipstick, foundation, skin care and more!

There are a lot of brands to choose from as well. Local, US products and even Korean products are available for you.

Creating an account is fairly easy and fast, so no worries on that! The overall look of the website is stunning specially when Solenn Heussaff's face greets you! *weeps at gorgeousness*

I will just quickly jump on what I liked best about the website.

I love that they have Bloom The Magazine!

Okay, if you're someone who's just looking around the website and stumbled upon this magazine feature, it is IMPOSSIBLE that you can not not want to buy at least one thing on the website. I find this very helpful and genius. It helped me what should I get and tells its customers what's new, what has everyone been raving about and just bringing you the hottest products that you should definitely get! (No wonder their products quickly goes out of stock! Act fast!)

The "Shop" tab is categorized really well and in a very ordered manner so you'll have no troubles whatsoever in looking for the product that you need OR you can just simply type in the search tab on the upper right of the website for faster searches!

Another thing that I liked about this website is that you can see honest reviews of the customers who used the products so you'll know if it will suit you or not. That's really helpful! Thumbs-up for that!

So after looking around and shopped til my heart's content, I viewed my cart first then checked out.

So another feature I did like is this one, the "Some items worth adding" section. You know the part where you go to the grocery store and then you're about to pay the items but there's these little gems on display next to the register? Yep. That's what it is alright. It's like this little area here tells you "Hey, before you go and checkout, might as well add these awesome items in to your cart, yeah?" (Yes. That's what it says.)

So after you checked out, confirmed and paid for your items via credit card/debit card, PayPal or bank deposit, you can monitor your orders in the Order Tracking tab in My Accounts.

You will soon get an email verification of your order together with the order number, tracking number and order summary.

So now, we sit back and wait because, good things comes to those who wait. Especially when those good things are from an online shopping website!

I placed my orders 9th of September and I received the package Sunday evening, so that's the 11th of September and I was not expecting it because it's the weekend, plus it was a holiday on Monday. I was very surprised and impressed! By the way, I live in Quezon Province.

Here's my beauty loot!

Items were safely packed in a bubble wrap and along with the items, you'll receive the Order receipt so you can check that nothing is missing or whatsoever.

Here's what I got!

♥ Biore Micellar Water ♥

♥ Pink Passion Facial Pearl Cream with Sunscreen ♥

♥ Detail Matte in Detail Liquid Lipstick (Loth) ♥

♥ Detail Simply Matte Lipstick (Silly) ♥

♥ Detail Stannic Matte Lipstick (Cannopus) ♥

Yes, I tried to shop at one brand that I haven't tried before and I'm so happy with my purchases! I also love the freebies, St.Ives Facial Scrub (which really I use. How convenient.) and Tresemme (I haven't tried this before so this is exciting!) Yay!

Overall, shopping at BeautyMNL is hassle-free really. Smooth transaction and fast delivery. It's really convenient to shop and you don't need to worry about your items while on delivery because all the items were wrapped delicately in a bubble wrap so that's good! Two thumbs up for BeautyMNL! I really had a good first time experience and I'm looking forward to my next purchases!

Last thing, did you know that BeautyMNL loves selfies? If you love taking selfies, this is your chance to score a Prinster polaroid of your pretty face and Php200.00 worth of GC! Just click here for more details! Get your #selfie game on and join their giveaway!

So that's it for this blog post! If you've shopped at BeautyMNL before, let me know how it went and what did you purchase?

Till next time. ♥

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The Whitney Houston Show 2016: Live in Manila at the PICC, Plenary Hall on August 27!!!

Extras Tuesday, August 02, 2016

The astounding tribute show taking the world by storm! A fun and heart-felt concert dedicated to the incomparable Whitney Houston. The Greatest Love Of All: The Whitney Houston Show celebrates the magnificent catalogue of hits that Houston made famous during her 30 year career. The 2 ½ hour concert and stage show includes hits such as 'How Will I Know', 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody', 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go', 'Didn't We Almost Have It All', 'I'm Every Woman', 'One Moment In Time', 'I Have Nothing' and of course, 'I Will Always Love You' and many more.

Starring the breathtaking voice of Belinda Davids live in concert featuring the full production show from the US. Direct from sell out shows across Europe, plus a full band, dancers and theatrical effects, this show is not just a brilliant tribute but a spectacular concert experience in its own right and should not be missed!

In the wake of Whitney Houston's tragic passing in 2012, her timeless music and awe-inspiring voice have received renewed appreciation from her legion of long-time fans and garnered a new generation of admirers who appreciate Whitney's unique voice, undeniable talent and pervasive charm as a welcome contrast to the artists prevalent in today's contemporary music.

In preparation for such an anticipated show, and in respect for Houston's legacy, Showtime Management dedicated over 12 months to perfecting this production and finding the right star. After conducting over 15,000 auditions in 12 countries, accomplished South African vocalist BELINDA DAVIDS was selected to pay reverence to Houston with her carefully crafted renditions.

Don’t miss this critically acclaimed once in a lifetime live show of a tribute to a woman who has long been an icon of pop music and vocal ability, The Greatest Love Of All – The Whitney Houston Show Tour 2016 on Friday, August 26th, 8PM at the IEC Pavillon, Cebu City and on Saturday, August 27th at the PICC Plenary Hall, Pasay City, Manila.

Presented by DMC Philippines, in cooperation with Gotesco Group Of Companies, and Gruppo Group Of Companies. This event is also brought to you by Hotel Jen, the official residence and Novu hair. Special thanks to our media partners: NET 25, Eagle Broadcasting, RMN, 558 DZXL, 774 DWWW, Radyo Agila, 90.7 Love Radio, 95.5 Pinas FM, 96.3 Easy Rock, 97.9 Home Radio, 101.1 YES FM, 107.5 Wish FM, Business Mirror, Peoples Tonight, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Manila Concert Scene, Philippine Concerts, and When In Manila. Tickets are now available at SM Tickets and Ticket World outlets.