Taza Mia Opens 7th branch at SM City Lipa

Lipa City –  A fast growing chain of coffee shops, Taza Mia recently opened its 7^th branch last October 30.  Located at the ground floor of the posh annex building of SM City Lipa, Taza Mia offers casual alfresco dining experience with a jazzy acoustic band performance during weekends.

Taza Mia at SM Lipa is open 24 hours to cater to the growing BPO industry in Lipa City.  They aim to consistently delight customers with the best tasting yet affordable hot, cold and ice blended coffee mixes.  They also have non-coffee based drinks ranging from smoothies, sodas and juices.  Making them unique against other coffee shops is that they are serving full meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Their specialties include baked salmon, grilled barbeque ribs and pork steak. They also have sandwiches and pastas which can be perfectly matched with any beverage for an afternoon or even midnight snacks.

According to Taza’s CEO and President, Rodel G. Lacorte (RGL), the inspiration for Taza Mia were his travels around the world.  The homey and relaxing ambiance of the coffee shops in Europe where families gather, important meetings are held and friends meet up is something that RGL wants Filipinos to experience, thus the tagline “Taza Mia, where family, friends and partners meet.”

Taza Mia CEO and President Rodel G. Lacorte, (far left) together with SM City Lipa Mall Manager Liza F. Dimaculangan and Engr. Roldan Lopez (center) with officiating priest Fr. Russel B. Matuloy (far right) during the cutting of the ribbon and blessing of Taza Mia’s seventh branch at SM City Lipa. 

Started as a family business four years ago by RGL, the company had its first branch in San Pablo City in Laguna where it became an instant hit among the locals during its first months of operations.  Soon prospecting entrepreneurs wanted to franchise Taza Mia. This has catapulted the coffee shop to build another branch in San Pablo and expand branches in Candelaria and Tiaong in Quezon, Sto. Tomas in Batangas, Robinsons Place Lipa and SM City Lipa. They are also set to open two branches in Batangas City before the year ends.  By next year, they are eyeing a branch in Tagaytay and Nuvali in Sta Rosa.

Taza Mia CEO and President Rodel G. Lacorte

As RGL terms it, their company is going glocal – a local brand that can be competitive globally.  With the ASEAN Integration happening in 2016, foreign brands will be entering the market.  RGL intimated that while foreign business is entering Philippines, Taza Mia will also bring their business abroad, particularly in Vietnam and Malaysia. 

Halloween Costume Contest and Trick or Treat 2015 at SM City Lipa

It’s this time of the year where children and children at heart will get in their most creative and spookiest costume- Halloween! SM City Lipa will be a one-stop site for children’s Halloween Trick or Treat as the mall opens at 10am on October 31. No registration needed for the trick or treat.  Kids and adults may also join in the Halloween Costume Contest which will be held on the same day at 11am.

Here are the mechanics for the costume contest:

1.       Participants should have a minimum purchase requirement of Php1000 single or accumulated receipts (for 1 day) from any store at SM City Lipa.

2.        Interested participants should register on or before October 31, 2015, 10 am.  The registration forms are available at the reception area of the SM Lipa Mall administration office.  Completely filled registration forms must have the following attachments:

a.       Birth Certificate or any valid ID with birth date

b.      Signed parents’/guardians’ waiver (if below 18 years old)

c.       Proof of purchase.

3.       Deadline of submission of application forms to Mall Marketing Department shall be on October 31, 10AM.

4.       Below are the categories and prizes at stake:

Teens and Adults Category Each participant must be: -          13 years old and above -          Wearing a Halloween costume with monster theme -          All costumes must be presented and appropriate for the family-oriented theme	Prizes at Stake -          First place- Php5000 worth of SM GC -          Second Place- Php3000 worth of SM GC -          Third Place- Php1000 worth of SM GC. Winners will be announced on October 31.
Kids Each participant must be -          4 to 12 years old -          Wearing a Halloween costume with monster theme -          All costumes must be presentable and appropriate for the family oriented theme	Prizes at Stake -          First place- Php5000 worth of SM GC -          Second Place- Php3000 worth of SM GC -          Third Place- Php1000 worth of SM GC. Winners will be announced on October 31.

5.       Criteria for judging:

Visual Impact                     30%

Creativity                            30%

Adherence to theme            20%

Stage presence                    20%

                Total                                            100%

6.       A DTI representative shall witness the contest proper and the tallying of scores.

7.    Shopping Center Management Corporation and judge’s decision is final in concurrence with DTI.

8.       Employees of Shopping Center Management Corporation, its affiliates, mall tenants, agencies and service providers, their respective officers and the relatives of these employees and officers up to second degree of consanguinity or affinity are not qualified to join the contest

Maulion, Solidarios, David, to represent Batangas in National Sudoku Championship

Lipa City – The Batangas regional eliminations on the search for the next Sudoku Champions was held last October 17, Saturday at the Events Center of SM City Lipa.  The eliminations was divided into three categories the Sudoku Wiz Kid (grades 1 to 6), Sudoku Wizard (junior to senior high school) and Sudoku Grand Master (College and professional). After a series of time bounded number puzzles in increasing degree of difficulty, Abegail M. Maulion from De la Salle Lipa was announced as the only one qualified to participate in the nationals for the Wizard category , while two students from University of the Philippines namely Candice Renee Beatrice T.  Solidarios and Mica Anne Boleyn B. David  were qualified for the Sudoku Grand Master level. 

The national qualifiers together with the Mathematics Trainers Guild (MTG) Coordinators, from left to right, MTG Calamba Center Coordinator Marlyn Ortiz, MTG Tanauan Center Corrdinator Susan Ignacio, Sudoku Grand Master National Qualifiers- Candice Renne Beatrice Solidarios and Mica Anne Boleyn David, Sudoku Wizard National Qualifier Abegail Maulion and MTG Officer Lowela Lupac. 

       Maulion, Solidarion and David will be among the one hundred and ninety nine national finalists for the Sudoku Championships which will be held on The Skydome of SM North EDSA on January 30, 2016.

What’s New at SM Lipa

Hairless

Beyond waxing, hair removal can be permanent and this can only be done through thru laser or Intense Pulse Light (IPL). In the past years, IPL hair removal services is very costly, but with the opening of Hairless, this treatment can be availed in an affordable price.  Hairless is the only laser hair removal service shop in the country that offers 650 pesos per area per session rate. Hairless is located adjacent to The Events Center at the second floor of the main mall of SM City Lipa.

Taza Mia

Founded by mostly Batangueño entrepreneurs, Taza Mia opened its 5^th branch at SM City Lipa last October 8.  With their business tagline, “where family, friends and partners meet”  Taza Mia aims to consistently delight customers with the best tasting yet affordable hot and cold coffee.  They also have non-coffee based drinks ranging from smoothies, sodas and juices.  Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, their specialties include baked salmon, grilled barbeque ribs and pork steak. Taza Mia is located at the ground floor of SM City Lipa’s annex building. 

10th Sudoku Super Challenge Batangas Eliminations set at SM Lipa

This will be a chance for Batangas’ Sudoku enthusiasts to be part of the 10th Sudoku Super Challenge Regional Eliminations which will be held at The Events Center of SM City Lipa on October 17, Saturday.

The regional eliminations will be done simultaneously on SM Supermalls in Cagayan de Oro, Dasmarinas (Cavite), Sta. Rosa (Laguna), Baguio, Cebu, Pampanga, Iloilo, Lucena, Baliwag, Bacolod, Lipa (Batangas), Rosales (Pangasinan), Tarlac, Davao, Naga, Gen. Santos, Olongapo and Marikina, while the national finals will be on January 30, 2016 at SM City North EDSA.

Interested participants may contact MTG’s Batangas Coordinator Susan Ignacio of First Asia Institute of Technology at 09258242729.