Focus Global Inc. welcomes you to its second home.

Focus Global Inc. welcomes you to its second home.

In celebration of its 19th year as a progressive marketing company, Focus Global Inc. opens its second design center at Greenbelt, Makati.

The 330 square meter display area showcases the latest Ethan Allen modern contemporary pieces in 12 distinct set-ups, cutting-edge kitchen designs from SieMatic, and state-of-the-art appliances from Sub-Zero and Wolf.

Like its flagship design center in Pioneer, Mandaluyong, it also has a working kitchen designed to hold events such as product launches and cooking demonstrations by acclaimed chefs.

Manned by highly trained design consultants who provide complimentary design assistance, this new Makati design center epitomizes style, heritage, excellent craftsmanship and great value.

Focus Global Inc.’s latest showroom sits plush on the ground floor of The Residences at Greenbelt, San Lorenzo Tower, along Esperanza Street in Makati City. It is open daily from 10am to 8pm and can be reached through 794-2095 to 97.


About Focus Global

Established in Manila on October 1991, Focus Global Inc. (FGI) exclusively distributes 12 of the most trusted consumer, home furnishings and needlecraft brands.

Coleman jugs and camping equipment, KitchenAid mixers, Oster small home appliances, and Silverdot bathroom scales comprise the Consumer Division. Under the Home Furnishings Division are luxury brands Ethan Allen furniture, Miele home appliances, Pella windows and doors, SieMatic kitchen cabinets, Sub-Zero refrigerators, Wolf cooking appliances, and Tempur pillows and mattresses. The biggest manufacturer of high quality embroidery threads, DMC, makes up the Needlecraft Division.

Focus Global Inc. is located at Pioneer corner Reliance Streets, Mandaluyong City with contact number 634-8587 and email corporate@focusglobalinc.com. Showroom hours are from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am – 7pm and Sunday, 1pm – 6pm.


About Ethan Allen

Ethan Allen is one of America’s strongest quality home furnishings brand with a global reach. It is known for being a design authority with a modern attitude, a high-quality manufacturer, an innovative retailer, and a destination for the one-stop shopper.

At Ethan Allen, quality is at the root of everything. Focusing on excellent craftsmanship, style and comfort since 1932, they believe that living with quality just makes sense. Creating pieces that are not only beautiful and functional but lasting as well has become a trademark for the brand.

In their never-ending pursuit of the well-designed home, Ethan Allen does it all: furniture, lighting, rugs, mirrors, bed coverings, mattresses, window treatments, shelves, artwork, frames, wall coverings, wall-to-wall carpeting, and all the other finishing touches.

With an in-house design team that has created a kind of signature, three-dimensional interior design manifesto ready to make home calls, the brand has come up with seven distinct and eclectic vibes that reflect the way people live and want to live: the Metro, Glamour, Estate, Country House, Global, Villa and Loft Lifestyles. Each Lifestyle embodies the brand’s fundamental design philosophy: Classic design. Modern perspective.

Ethan Allen is not just a showroom, it is a design center where clients experience the design, feel the pieces, and see which designs suit their lifestyle the most.

About SieMatic

SieMatic is a premium kitchen cabinet brand from Germany that has, for decades, been at the forefront of kitchen design. Since its founding in 1929, SieMatic has been producing quality kitchens that have won great acclaim for both their unique features and impressive designs. The timeless design concept of the handleless kitchens was introduced to the world by SieMatic in the 1960s. SieMatic is also the innovator that first introduced built-in multimedia system into the kitchen with its S1 kitchens where you can watch cable TV, browse the internet, connect your IPod to the IPod dock and listen to music with the sound system that’s incorporated into the kitchen.

Known for its many innovative ideas and patented developments, SieMatic kitchens have become a daily source of pleasure for its owners. From its dust and insect proof cabinets, to the very flexible shelf adjustments, and the silent, self-closing cabinet doors, SieMatic is very much into the details.

With the belief that technical innovation is nothing without aesthetics, SieMatic offers an exceptionally wide selection of design themes, door styles, materials and color combinations that satisfy even the most discerning tastes.

The concept of “quality in its finest form” pervades every aspect of a SieMatic kitchen—the unique satisfaction that every SieMatic kitchen brings draws on a very long tradition of excellence stretching back to the time the company made its first kitchen in 1929.

By using only the finest materials available, the latest production technologies and the most stringent quality control standards, SieMatic makes sure that the clients get the kitchen they’ve always wanted.


About Sub-Zero & Wolf

Unlike many manufacturers, Sub-Zero and Wolf are specialists focusing solely on making the best refrigeration and cooking appliances possible. Everything is built to the highest standards and their workmanship is uncompromised.

Since the 1940s Sub-Zero has been the food preservation specialist. Pioneering in dual refrigeration technology, Sub-Zero refrigerator preserves food freshness for longer periods of time. Built and tested to the highest standards, Sub-Zero is more than just refrigeration, it is a preservation system designed to guard food’s freshness. Controlled by a sensitive microprocessor, food is sure to be always stored at the optimum temperature set point.

With the introduction of Built-In Series, Sub-Zero has taken food preservation to the next level by including an air purification system that eliminates odors, bacteria, viruses, and ethylene gas that causes fruits and vegetables to ripen faster. This system scrubs the air every 20 minutes making sure that freshness will be sustained.

Distilling seven decades of professional cooking into easy-to-use technology, Wolf has created cooking equipment that can be commanded with confidence. For generations, Wolf’s designs have been carefully tailored to satisfy the most demanding professional chefs and domestic cooks worldwide. Its intuitive technology, easy cleaning and superb ergonomics goes to show that Wolf is not one to compromise.

Blending powerful cooking technology with precise control and exceptional ease of use, Wolf is the able, amiable partner every cook needs. Take the Dual Fuel Ranges for example. Its impressive gas cooking on the topside allows refined control that can go from the lightest simmer to a furnace like heat in seconds with its dual-stacked, sealed gas burners. Below it is the massive dual convection electric oven that lets you control its two fans and four heating elements by selecting from 10 cooking modes to suite the dish being prepared.

What started out as corporate companions eventually turned into kitchen soulmates. Combining design flexibility, superior food preservation, and outstanding quality, Sub-Zero and Wolf creates kitchen perfection.

Focus Global Inc. welcomes you to its second home.

In celebration of its 19th year as a progressive marketing company, Focus Global Inc. opens its second design center at Greenbelt, Makati.

The 330 square meter display area showcases the latest Ethan Allen modern contemporary pieces in 12 distinct set-ups, cutting-edge kitchen designs from SieMatic, and state-of-the-art appliances from Sub-Zero and Wolf.

Like its flagship design center in Pioneer, Mandaluyong, it also has a working kitchen designed to hold events such as product launches and cooking demonstrations by acclaimed chefs.

Manned by highly trained design consultants who provide complimentary design assistance, this new Makati design center epitomizes style, heritage, excellent craftsmanship and great value.

Focus Global Inc.’s latest showroom sits plush on the ground floor of The Residences at Greenbelt, San Lorenzo Tower, along Esperanza Street in Makati City. It is open daily from 10am to 8pm and can be reached through 794-2095 to 97.

Asus WGT Winners 2010

WGT Lists of winners:
Call of Duty 4 : Modern Warfare
First Place : TFK-R (Php 100,000)
2nd Place : Q (Php50,000)
Third Place : TFK-S (Php25,000)

Street Fighter 4
1St Place : Marc Madle (Php15,000 + WD Caviar Black 1TB HDD)
2nd Place : Ben Gonzales (Php10,000)
3rd Place : Luigi Penzones (Php5,000)

Cost Play Winners:
First Place: Neo Knives Skariot as Hades from Saint Seiya (Php 5,000)
Second Place: Cykah Malagad as Ybrahym from Ragnarok (Php3,000)
Third Place: Tie between John Rey Sabangan as Noctis from Final Fantasy VS. XIII
and Matt Simon De Mesa as Conan from Detective Conan (Php2,000 each)

PH Gamers to Experience Top Notch Gear at WGT 2010 Finals

July 17, 2010 Manila, Philippines – After showing off their best moves and strategies during the preliminaries, the top gamers of the World GameMaster Tournament will again be facing each other today for the final battle at Cyberzone, SM Manila.

The eight finalists of the Street Fighter 4 game that was held last July 4 will be showcasing their killer combos using the ASUS N61Jv notebook. The multimedia notebook boasts of clear and crisp audio with the ASUS exclusive SonicMaster technology. Players will enjoy great performance without sacrificing battery life as the ASUS N61Jv is with the world’s 1st notebook with NVIDIA Optimus™ Technology and it is also powered by an Intel Core i5 processor for the perfect multimedia computing experience.

The top four teams of Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare namely, TFK-S, TFK-R, Q and UX2 will also compete today using the ASUS Ultimate Gaming Rig. ASUS, the recommended hardware sponsor will be showcasing their ASUS P7P55D LE motherboard in the gaming PC. This motherboard is part of ASUS’ Xtreme Design series. As design provides the foundation for a superior performing motherboard, ASUS has devoted great effort in developing Xtreme Design boards so users experience ultimate performance, ultra-cool operations, and safer computing. The gaming PC also includes the ASUS EAH5750 Formula video graphics card. At first glance, this video graphics card looks more like a race car than a piece of powerful computer hardware. This unique design enables the ASUS EAH5750 Formula to perform 13% cooler than the generic Radeon 5750 – important for gamers and enthusiasts who love to run their machines using the best settings for long periods of time.

This rig also features a SATA III 640 GB Caviar Black HDD from Western Digital, Gold Series Memory from OCZ, Cooler and Power Supply from Thermaltake and gaming peripherals from Logitech. This ultimate gaming rig will be available for gamers and enthusiasts at PC Gilmore stores with a 15% off discount.
Winners of the two games will be taking home up to Php200,000 worth of cash and hardware. The audience will be treated to a Cos Play competition and performances by top bands Up Dharma Down and Franco.


About ASUS:
ASUS, maker of the world’s best selling and most award winning motherboards, is a leading company in the new digital era, with a broad product portfolio that also includes notebooks, netbooks, multimedia, graphics cards, and displays, desktop PCs, servers, wireless solutions, mobile phones and networking devices. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today's digital home, office and person. ASUS won 3,268 awards in 2009, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. With a global staff of more than ten thousand and a world-class R&D design team, the company's revenue for 2009 was US$7.5 billion. ASUS ranks among BusinessWeek's InfoTech 100, and has been on the listing for 12 consecutive years.

ASUS Motherboards: No.1 in the World
ASUS, maker of the world’s best selling and most award winning motherboards, commands the biggest market share globally. Today, one in every three computers houses an ASUS Motherboard. ASUS is the pioneer of numerous innovations that have gone on to become industry standards. Recent examples include Dual Intelligent Processors (TurboV Processing Unit/Energy Processing Unit), Core Unlocker and Anti-Surge Protection. With decades of expertise and dedication to pushing the motherboard design envelope, ASUS is poised to continue leading the industry in performance, safety and reliability.

About WGT:
The mission of the WGT (World GameMaster Tournament) is to provide a healthy environment for the best gamers around the world to share the fun and excitement of PC gaming while challenging each other to be the best that they can be.

The meaning of WGT
•One of the world’s largest game tournaments.
•A rapidly growing tournament that has attracted the elite players to compete against each other for the title of World GameMaster.
•A worldwide youth festival held annually to celebrate the growing popularity of e-sport.

Media Contacts:
Jaime Ysrael
ASUS Technology Philippines Inc.
Office Number: (632) 6340309
PH Mobile: +63 9175787873
Email: jamie_ysrael@asusph.com

Angie Linbaco
Firsttier Branding Solutions
Office Number: (632) 8125764
PH Mobile: + 63 9178628638
Email: info@firsttierbrands.com

Global City Innovative College: Changing with the Times By Lisa Rosales

Education is a great equalizer – different economic classes are deemed on the same level when put in the same school, getting the same information and knowledge that would equip them for the world. And beyond textbooks and factual intelligence that schools teach us, education and awareness arms people with things not taught inside the classroom, such as open-mindedness and the skill to always seek further knowledge.

Times are always changing. What is relevant a decade ago might not be true today, and what is considered important right now might not be in ten years down the line. Globalization has taken over the world, and borders between countries have blurred. The continuing challenge of keeping up with the trends and demands of the modern economy is a task for educational institutions, those that provide training for the future workforce of the world.

Global Competencies

Eight years ago the Global City Innovative College (GCIC) was founded by a group of dynamic individuals. Starting with 500 students in their first year and concentrating mostly on their Nursing program, now GCIC is a full-pledged college that offers a total of 8 programs to date, including Business (major in Marketing, Finance, and HR), Education (major in Early Childhood, Secondary Education, English or SPED), Caregiving, Nursing, Information Technology, Tourism, Hospitality Management, and Culinary Arts.

The Nursing program curriculum is specifically designed to prepare students for all examinations the students will take after graduation. The Commission of Higher Education has currently ranked GCIC as the 9th Top Nursing Schools in the National Capital Region.

Dr. TeresitaPedrajas, a Metrobank Outstanding Teacher Awardee and Dean for the College of Education, calls for more enrollees in the Bachelor of Education program. Teaching professionals are fast dwindling, she says, either they move to another profession because of the low-paying nature of the job, or they get imported to first-world countries to teach their children.

If that trend continues, no one would be left at home to teach our own students. The GCIC Education program only started two years ago but under the guidance of Dr. Pedrajas, aims to produce excellent teachers in the years to come. Teaching is a very noble profession, and more often than not, it is a calling. Teachers have the very big responsibility of shaping our children’s minds; those who will grow up to eventually run the country.

This 2010, GCIC will be introducing two new programs in their curriculum, Tourism and Information Technology.

The Hospitality Industry

The innovative Culinary Arts program was first offered in 2009, and it features a diploma to degree system. After taking the 8-month diploma course, the students have the option to proceed to the HRM program to eventually earn a bachelor's degree. The International Hospitality Management programs of GCIC include the Hospitality Management and Tourism courses. In 2008, the Commission on Higher Education granted GCIC the authority to the Bachelor degree course.

The Diploma for Culinary Arts program combines several methods of teaching including hands-on, classroom sessions, field trips, career development seminars and chef mentoring among others. The subjects include classical cooking, international cuisine, Asian cuisine, baking and pastry, and the more practical side like restaurant and catering business, safety and sanitation, cost control, nutrition, and event management.

The College of International Hospitality Management's newest program, the Bachelor in Tourism provides a comprehensive course that exposes students to various areas in the tourism industry such as travel, hotel, transportation, leisure, resort and destination management.

The current worldwide high demand for skilled workers in the hospitality industry has prompted a lot of schools nationwide to enhance their curriculums. GCIC's programs are competitive, all to provide students with a global outlook and strong industry exposure.

Together with strong business and liberal arts foundation, students are provided with comprehensive language instruction. The ever-increasing world tourism statistics is an indication of how big the market is. Equipped with sound education and solid training foundations, GCIC students are more than ready to take on the world after leaving school.

Strong Foundation for the Changing Times

All programs have carefully selected faculty based on the value of their industry exposure, leadership, communication efficacy supported by their academic achievements and psychological preparation to teach.

Furthermore, in addition to the regular subjects, students are required to take up Life subjects. In Life Skills, necessary things for everyday are taught, such as how checking accounts work, budgeting, parenting, or even dealing with relationship problems. Personality development and training are also included.

GCIC also have “college houses”, named after the Greek gods Aeolus, Gaia, Hephaestus, Poseidon, and Apollo. Students and staff are assigned their houses according to the last digit of their ID cards. These houses compete against each other in sports, cultural presentations, and other contests.

The facilities available at GCIC are state-of-the-art, such as the Mini-Hospital, where nursing students are able to practice their skills in a simulated hospital environment. GCIC also has fully-equipped laboratories such as the Chemistry Lab, Computer Center, and Instrumentation Lab.

Enrolling at GCIC gets you the best value for your money. Compared with leading universities, the tuition fee is very affordable. And it's more than what you pay for - with their excellent faculty members that are top in their fields, and the proximity of the location to one of the best commercial establishments in the metro, it all goes together to give the student a first-rate educational experience. The students are also highly employable with GCIC's assistance after graduation.
GCIC has the flexibility of adapting to the changing needs of the times balanced with the good solid foundation of the old. Engr. Michael Tan, president of GCIC, said "We want our students to be successful not only in their professional life. We don’t just teach our students Competency but build positive Character as well.” Global City Innovative College is what schools of the future are made of. Anticipating the needs of the society, GCIC is preparing students not only for the immediate demands, but for the long-term needs as well.

The location of GCIC at the heart of Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City is very ideal - close to commercial establishments such as Market! Market! andBonifacio High Street, and the entire Fort Bonifacio business district as well. Together with top restaurants, medical institutions such as St. Luke's Hospital, and the upcoming Shangri-La Hotel, the location of GCIC plays an integral role in the whole educational experience. Students enjoy a safe, secure, clean and uncongested environment with GCIC.

Tempur's Ambassadors Testimonial

“Don’t spend a lot of money on a big, giant mattress with double padding
on both sides and all that. Just go out and buy a normal firm mattress.
Then go buy the three-inch Tempur-Pedic pad, the memory foam, and
put it on top. I’m telling you, take my tip. It’s the perfect pressure. I take
full credit for the discovery. You will sleep in bliss forever more… unless
you’ve got a six-week old.”
- Brad Pitt, International Actor

Tempur Celebrates 5 Years in the Philippines

It’s been 5 years since Tempur entered the market. At that time, while the brand was already making waves in the US and in Europe, in the Philippines, there was still very few who have heard of the product that has been hailed as the biggest revolution in sleep technology in the last 75 years.

Armed with confidence in the product’s promise and a strong commitment to helping improve the quality of sleep and of life, the Focus Global team set off to find a home for Tempur. So in 2005, the very first Tempur showroom was opened in Shangri-la Plaza Mall. Initially occupying a 100 sq. m. space, the brand quickly gained popularity as positive word of mouth spread from one satisfied client to another. Today, the flagship store has expanded to over 200 sq. m. to showcase an almost full line of pressure-relieving mattresses and pillows. There are also 2 more branches that have opened since then – the Tempur showroom in Bonifacio High Street, and the Tempur showroom in Greenbelt 5 – thus proving how much people appreciate the value of a good night’s sleep.

Tempur works by relieving the body of pressure caused by unnatural sleeping positions. Unknown to many, unnatural sleeping positions are the usual cause of back and neck pains. Unlike ordinary mattresses which spring back to position as soon
as you lie down on them, Tempur is made of a revolutionary visco elastic material that provides little or no counter pressure as it perfectly moulds to the exact contours of the body. So the mattress conforms to the shape of the body, and not the other way around. The result is proper support and an even distribution of the body’s weight on a Tempur mattress. Studies have shown that tossing and turning at night, which greatly affects the quality of rest, is reduced by 80% on a Tempur mattress.

Many users attest to the effectiveness of the product in delivering its promise of a better night’s sleep. NASA, for which the product was originally invented for, has recognized Tempur for its significant contribution in transferring space technology to help improve the quality of life. Tempur was used for the NASA space programme, in order to reduce the pressure on the backs of astronauts during take-off and landing. In its commercial application, Tempur is being recommended by over 75,000 medical doctors, chiropractors, physiotherapists and osteopaths worldwide.
Among the celebrities who recommend Tempur are Brad Pitt, who has said in an interview that the three-inch Tempur-Pedic pad on top of his mattress provides the perfect pressure and now, he sleeps in bliss. Paris Hilton on the other hand, upon realizing that she hadn’t packed her Tempur pillow chose to miss her NY C flight just so she can leave the airport and buy herself a new one before the trip.
On the local front, we also have many happy and satisfied Tempur users. Ms. Kris Aquino is a very loyal client. Former President Cory once said in one of her interviews that Ms. Kris gave her a Tempur mattress. Among our other loyal Tempur clients are – Edu manzano, Leyte Congresswoman Lucy-Torres Gomez, DJ Mo Twister, Producer/Director Jeric Soriano, UN chiropractor Dr. Walter Brush and TV Host/DJ Grace Lee.

Be one of the satisfied users of Tempur today.
Visit any of the Tempur showrooms located at Level 5 Shangri-la Mall, Mandaluyong City (Tel.#:631-1391), Bldg.5 Bonifacio High St., Global City (Tel.#: 856-4700) and Lower Ground, Greenbelt 5 (Tel#: 728-3015) and experience foryourself why people are raving about Tempur.