‘Covered Court ng Pagbabago’ in Brgy. Lapu-Lapu

With the help of Senator Bong Revilla who provided the necessary funds, Congressman Velasco fulfilled his promise to barangay residents of Brgy. Lapu-Lapu, Sta. Cruz, for the construction of a multi-purpose covered court there, shown in these photos.


Upon completion, Velasco noted the sturdy posts and well installed roofing of the building, adding that under his leadership as Marinduque congressional representative, no such covered courts would be started and left behind half-finished or with mere building posts standing.

Velasco stressed that change has begun towards real development in the barangays and this would gradually be felt, leading to a better quality of life for the local residents.

"Velasco Achievers"

In June 2010, prior to his assumption into office as the newly-elected Representative of the Lone District of Marinduque, Congressman Allan Q. Velasco addressed the matter concerning scholarships for local college students.

This came in amid talks during the election campagn period that Marinduque colleges could face decreases in the number of college students enrolling in the second semester.
Over a thousand college students were granted financial assistance under the congressman’s Velasco Achievers (VA) program with various sponsors and benefactors immediately responding to support the VA program.




Based on official data from the Marinduque State College (MSC), released by the Office of the Registrar the student population, contrary to apparently contrived fears, increased by 25% this year.

A look at MSC records shows that during the 1st semester of school year 2009-2010 the said college recorded 3,679 students which slightly decreased during the second semester 2009-2010 with the figures down at 3,668. By the first semester of the school year 2010-2011 the figures remarkably went up to 4,585 showing a significant 25% increase.



Congressman Velasco also conveyed to the students that he would continue to address the needs of the youth in the six municipalities. This would not be limited to the scholarship program, he said, but entailed finding jobs for graduates enabling them to also help their families.

Velasco also expressed confidence that no less than 2,000 scholars would benefit from the Velasco Achievers program by second semester this year. Erick Abad, Velasco’s chief of staff for Marinduque Affairs has been designated as coordinator of the scholarship program.



(Photos above show Velasco and staff headed by chief-of-staff Erick Abad, with the help of local leaders (like former Mayor Ofelia S. Madrigal of Buenavista and Vice-Mayor Bel Balitaan of Gasan), providing assistance to college students in the towns of Torrijos, Buenavista and Gasan).

A Gem of an Idea: Endless.com Launches New Jewelry Category

This Wednesday, accessory-lovers everywhere had reason to celebrate as Endless.com announced the launch of a new jewelry category on its site.

The new category features 68 brands and over 3500 styles.

"We are so excited to launch jewelry at Endless and believe our customers will love this very diverse, in-depth and trend-driven selection of beautiful jewelry," said Jennifer Arthur, category leader, Jewelry and Watches, Endless.com and Amazon.com. "Whether it's a trend piece from CZ by Kenneth Jay Lane or a high-end timeless bauble, like an Auden or Gurhan necklace, customers will have many style options to choose from."

Arthur isn't exaggerating either - customers can purchase everything from bangles, bracelets, cuffs, pendants, necklaces, earrings and rings.

And for those customers aching for pieces they can't get anywhere else, know this: Endless will exclusively carry the Nicky Hilton Collection and all Devon Leigh styles have been designed just for Endless.

For those skeptics that think the only way to purchase jewelry is in store, Endless offers some incentives to persuade customers to warm up to the world of online shopping.

Endless offers free overnight shipping and free returns on all jewelry items.

Even better, the goal at Endless is to make buying accessories online the next best thing to touch and feel, even offering three separate viewing options: zoom technology, video, and modeling imaging.

Readers, what do you think of Endless.com's new jewelry category? Will you be purchasing your baubles over the Internet now?

CONCRETING OF MARINDUQUE AIRPORT RUNWAY FINALLY

To ensure the continuity of the operation of the Marinduque Airport that re-opened in 2008, a new project has been launched through the combined efforts of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and the Office of Congressman Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco of the Lone District of Marinduque. The said project involves concreting of the Marinduque airport runway amounting to some P 40-Million.


(Photo shows Raul Glorioso, Asst. Chief, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Ildefonso Patdu, Asst. Secretary for Planning and Development, DOTC; Glicerio Sicat, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Development, DOTC and Congressman Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco)

With the opening of the 6-star Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa in 2008, the demand for air transportation has inevitably increased and could only be satisfied by re-opening the airport.

Prior to 2008,the airport had not been in operation for four yesrs. In spite of the limitations of the Marinduque Airport with a runway covered only with asphalt overlay, two domestic airlines, Zestair and Seair started serving the airport with their smaller aircrafts. As other airlines like Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines also expressed interest to serve the airport, both Zestair and Seair requested the authorities concerned that the runway be upgraded so that bigger aircraft could ply the Manila-Marinduque route.

The Marinduque airport runway’s entire length is 1,400 meters, 500 meters of which needs further rehabilitation and 700 meters needs to be concreted. In 2009, budget for the construction of the taxiway and apron was already approved by the DOTC, the implementation of which, for some reason, was marred by bureaucratic delays but BAC resolution of award has now finally been undertaken.

Congressman Velasco, who advocates the development of eco-tourism in Marinduque, expressed confidence that the faster growth of tourist inflows into the island-province is assured upon the project’s completion. Concreting of the Marinduque Airport runway is now a DOTC priority project under the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III.

Back in Black: Kelly Cutrone Has Two New Shows in the Works

If we've learned anything from Kelly Cutrone over the past few years, it's one thing: "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside."

Sage advice, for sure, but fans and aspiring PR professionals alike were concerned when Whitney Port confirmed that "The City" would not continue after the last season.

With that and the cancellation of "Kell On Earth," people were left wondering where they were going to get their weekly Cutrone fix.

Well they're not going to have to wonder much longer. According to mediabistro.com, Cutrone has two new shows in the works.

She describes the first as, "I think it'll be me more working with young people who want to be in these different industries, so it might be something like, you know, you look like a fashionista but you're not, you look like a skate dude but you're not, you look like a hotshot entrepreneur but you're not, maybe you should walk the walk. So it's, like, part Great Santini, part fairy godmother.

The second is reportedly "a syndicated daytime regular big thing."

Interesting.

Readers, are you ready for Cutrone to come back to the small screen?

MSMPR24seven does not own the photo above.

Dina Manzo Attends HollywoodLife Event at De Berardinis Salon

At De Berardinis it's all about blowouts all the time.

On October 20, however, the salon was about blowouts AND the bar.

Bonnie Fuller's site took over the salon to throw HollywoodLife Presents Blowouts and Cocktails.

Not only were the drinks flowing, but the celebs were also pouring in - including former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Dina Manzo.

Dina received a blowout of her own from owner Adrian De Berardini (check out her gorgeous locks above).

With Dina was Marigo Mihalos, who proved that going darker for fall is always an amazing choice. Her look is courtesy of Andrew Deep.

To book your appointment at De Berardinis, call 212.967. 0927 or visit http://deberardinis.com/.

De Berardinis is located at 155 W. 21 St. New York, NY.

See Now: Taylor Swift's Album Booklet for Speak Now!

Fans of Taylor Swift rejoice!

The singer's Speak Now album booklet images have been posted on PerezHilton.com.

Check out a few of the images above!

Readers, are you going to rush to buy Ms. Swift's latest CD?

All Hell Breaks Loose: Hells Angels Sue Alexander McQueen

The Hells Angels are suing Alexander McQueen.

Yes, you read that correctly.

According to the New York Observer, the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club filed a lawsuit Monday against McQueen's fashion house.

The reason? The fashion house's use of the skull-with-wings motif, which is trademarked by the group.

As the New York Observer reported, "The lawsuit focuses on a Hell's Knuckle Duster (seen above)."

Fritz Clapp, the Hells Angels' attorney, told the Financial Times that the goal was "getting them out of the market, since they represent membership insignia, and anyone wearing them would be considered an impostor by club members."

Saks and Zappos are also named in the suit for selling the merchandise.

What do you think, readers? It sounds crazy, but if the motif is trademarked it looks like the fashion house is going to be in trouble.

The above photo is courtesy of Net-a-porter.

Are You a Serena or a Blair? Channel Your Inner Gossip Girl With These WHBM Jackets

Did you tune in for last night's episode of "Gossip Girl?" If so, I'm sure you were drooling over the fashion just like the rest of the world - which got me thinking.

November is almost upon us, and with that comes - finally! - some crisp, fall weather. White House Black Market has been nailing the outerwear lately, so I wanted to comb through the many options and pinpoint exactly what our favorite Upper East Siders would wear.

First up is our very own Queen B.

Blair has dazzled in capes over the past few seasons, so it makes sense she would love the Modern Capelet (as seen in Lucky Magazine).

Serena, on the other hand, likes to be a bit more exposed.

Yes, we'll just leave it at that.

The bombshell would no doubt rock this Satin High-Neck Bolero; it's sleek, it's gorgeous; it's S.

Don't you agree?

More importantly, which looks are you dying to try? From now until this Saturday, October 30, you can get 25 percent off these looks and more! Just visit http://bit.ly/anQFb3 to see what WHBM has to offer!

MSMPR24seven does not own the pictures above.

Trouble is Brewing at Hogwarts: Did Harry Potter Steal Alexander McQueen's Design?

Readers, is this a case of magic or mischief?

Lela London noticed yesterday that Fleur Delacour's wedding dress look very similar to a design that McQueen sent down the runway during his Fall '08 show.

Too similar, in fact.

French designer Jany Temime is working on several designs for the seventh film, including the gown Delacour (Clemence Poesy) will wear down the aisle.

Describes Temime, "Fleur's dress is made in organza and decorated with a pair of phoenixes that face one another on the bodice and form the silhouette of a heart. I chose the phoenix because, like love, it is eternal."

That is a beautiful sentiment.

Ripping off another designer's work, however, is not.

As refinery29.com noted, the only noticeable differences in the two gowns include the heads of the birds, the length of the gown, and the neckline.

Readers, what do you think? Are the gowns too similar for this to be a coincidence? Are you too conjuring up images of Temime running around set muttering "Mischief managed!"?

MSMPR24seven does not own the rights to the photos pictured.

Justin Bieber Launches Unisex Fragrance - But It's Not What You Think

It's official - Justin Bieber is breaking into the perfume industry.

Bieber joins a long list of celebs who have tried their hand (or their noses) at the art, but what he has planned will surprise you.

It would be oh so easy for the teenager to mass-produce an overly sweet-smelling fragrance in a typical glass bottle, market it to his tween/teen demographic, and make a killing.

However, reports have surfaced that Bieber is going in a completely different direction. The singer is reportedly infusing different accessories with his unisex - yes, unisex - scent.

Bieber joined with Etoile Nation Beauty to produce the scent, titled "My World." The accessories, which include watches and dog tags, will hit a Wal-Mart near you on Black Friday.

Parents, prepare yourself. Your kids are going to go nuts with Bieber Fever for those products, so make sure you're up bright and early to snag the goodies.

And for those rabid fans wondering, Bieber recently announced that he likes Britney Spears' perfume on girls.

MSMPR24seven does not own the photo above.

17-Year-Old Taylor Momsen Exposes Herself at Concert

Is anyone else wondering where Taylor Momsen's parents are?

Momsen is no stranger to making headlines.

Fans of Momsen know that the 17-year-old has a penchant for lingerie, eyeliner, and being broody. That much was clear in her recent Revolver Magazine cover (seen below).

This weekend, however, fans saw a whole new side of the rocker: her chest.

Hollywoodlife.com was in the crowd at Don Hills this past weekend for the Paper Magazine & Express Celebrate "Rock The Sidewalk" event. A reporter in the crowd even managed to capture an exclusive video of the "Gossip Girl" starlet's latest stunt. (To see the video, visit http://www.hollywoodlife.com/).

What do you think of Taylor Momsen's latest antics? One thing is for sure, Miley Cyrus must be very happy there are other almost-legal singers acting out to take the attention off of her for a week or two!

MSMPR24seven does not own the rights to the photo above.

Anna Wintour Offers Advice at Teen Vogue Fashion University Seminar

Teen Vogue Fashion University is in session this weekend in New York City, and the lucky students are learning about the fashion industry directly from those who know it best.

Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, spoke at one of the seminars today and offered some insight into her work. Eva Chen Bannister (@evachen212) tweeted Wintour's advice this morning.

On leaving college:

"My brother and sister went to Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, so when I left college, my parents weren't so supportive."

On designer dreams:

"If you want to be a designer, my strong advice is to work for someone else first. Intern and spend time learning the craft."

On the fashion industry:

"The fashion industry is the most generous industry. They give time, money, ideas, all together, for charity."

On Vogue's new It-girl, Blake Lively:

"We pick girls we can go back to. It was hard to ignore Blake when she came on to the scene."

Wintour announced that Lively is gracing the cover of Vogue's Best Dressed 'bookazine' out in November.

On being offered the editorship at British Vogue:

"London felt small time."

On getting fired:

"I worked for American Harper's Bazaar; they fired me. I recommend that you all get fired. It's a great learning experience."

For more updates on the seminars taking place this weekend, follow Teen Vogue Fashion University on Twitter at @tvfu.

MSMPR24seven does not own the rights to the picture above.

Gasan's Tourism Award

For many years during the last two decades the municipality of Gasan has received many awards as the cleanest and greenest municipality in the Southern Tagalog Region eventually being a hall-of-famer in this field. Various awards in the area of good governance has been likewise received by the municipl government of Gasan under the leadership of recently re-elected Mayor Vicky Lao Lim. (She made history in this year's local election by being the first re-elected Mayor of Gasan).

Gasan's being adjudged 1st runner-up for Best Tourism Practices by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) is another first for the town and for the province.

Above photo shows Gasan's designated tourism officer, Roselo "Celo" Salvacion (second from right), receiving the award from Dir. Grace Marzan of DOT. Others in photo are Butch Gerasmo, secretary-general, Norberto Arcangel, vice-president, Rosely Armida Merlin, ATOP president and Gerry Jamilla, Marinduque provincial tourism officer. Venue: Subic Bay Convention Center.

New York Times Leads List of US Newspapers With Most Twitter Followers

According to Journalistics, the New York Times (@nytimes) outranks all other US newspapers on Twitter. The NYT has 2, 697,550 followers on Twitter.

At number two, reports mediabistro.com, is the Chicago Tribune with 845,000 followers for both Twitter accounts (@chicagotribune, @ColonelTribune).

The Wall Street Journal (@wsj) comes in third with 464,591 followers.

Journalistics is quick to surmise that the New York Times' strong lead could be due to the fact that the newspaper joined Twitter back in March of 2007 as one of the Top 25.

To read Jeremy Porter's full article for Journalistics, visit: http://blog.journalistics.com/top-25newspapers-twitter/.

Dianna Agron Speaks Out About "Glee Gone Wild" GQ Shoot

While the Lea Michele and Cory Monteith have yet to respond to the racy GQ shoot, one Glee star has.

Dianna Agron spoke out after the Parents Television Council released a statement this week that said the spread bordered on "pedophilia."

The actress wrote on her blog, "If you are hurt or these photos make you uncomfortable, it was never our intention. And if your eight-year-old has a copy of our GQ cover in hand, again I am sorry. But I would have to ask, how on earth did it get there?"

As mediabistro.com notes, Agron is "contrite, but doesn't take the criticism lying down."

To read Agron's full response, visit her blog: http://felldowntherabbithole.tumblr.com/.

MSMPR24seven does not own the rights to the photo above. The photos featuring Agron, Monteith, and Michele are from the November 2010 issue of GQ.

"Gossip Girl" Alum to Star in New Drama on The CW Television Network

Speaking of Gossip Girls, our favorite UES evildoer Michelle Trachtenberg (aka Georgina Sparks) has reportedly landed her own show on The CW Television Network.

Tractenberg will be joining forces with Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz to star in and executive produce a show based on "a young criminology student with a dark past and a knack for profiling suspects."

If everything goes as planned, Tractenberg will be gracing the small screen as the strong female lead next fall.

To read Hollywoodlife.com's full article, visit: http://bit.ly/cC1XYQ.

MSMPR24seven does not own the rights to the photo above.

Spotted: Eric Daman Making a Comparison Between Jackie O and a Gossip Girl

Spotted: Eric Daman, costume designer to all our favorite Upper East Siders, making an interesting comparison earlier today.

In New York Magazine's The Cut, Daman called Gossip Girl star Blake Lively "the Jackie O of her time."

Now, I'm not sure how Jackie O would respond, but before you die-hard Onassis fans freak out, here the man out.

"She knows where the hemline needs to hit, what colors she should wear and about draping...That's why Anna (Wintour) likes her."

Daman goes on to recall how Sarah Jessica Parker served as the same kind of style icon - but for a different age group.

"Blake is in her 20's and has a hot body, she's a teen icon of high fashion and we really haven't seen something like it, she's like the Jackie O of her time."

So there you have it, readers. Take a deep breath and evaluate (and consider the amazing picture of Lively above).

To read the entire NY Mag piece, visit: http://bit.ly/b2Ggwj.

Photo courtesy of Marc Stamas/Getty Images.

Decoded: Jay-Z Reveals How His Book Will Surprise You

Readers, think back to your favorite novel. Remember how you tore through each chapter? Now picture this, what if you had to read your favorite book page by page.

That's right. Page. By. Page.

Well Jay-Z revealed last night at the Delano South Beach hotel that his book, Decoded, will be released in some pretty non-traditional ways. Can you imagine finding one of his pages in the bottom of a pool? How about on a billboard on a busy highway?

As MediaBistro reported, this promotion is part of a partnership with Bing.

For more on Jay-Z's book and his partnership with Bing, visit http://bit.ly/cLJbHr.

Eyes on the Prize: Accessorize to Add New Spice to an Old Outfit

It's no secret that accessorizing is the perfect way to spice up an outfit. With fall finally here, there are even more accessories to be added to your wardrobe - hats! gloves! scarves! oh my!

I spied these Red Leather Bow Gloves while on White House Black Market's accessories page - they're the perfect way to brighten up an outfit - and the best thing about them (besides the bow, of course) is that they're 25 percent off!

Head to http://bit.ly/boS7wN to see all WHBM has to offer and make sure to enter coupon code 9373 at checkout.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more wallet-friendly way to add a new touch to an old outfit, so act fast - WHBM will only be offering this promotion until this Saturday, October 23.

Emma Stone and Mom to Get Matching Tattoos Designed by Paul McCartney

Emma Stone has a lot to celebrate lately. The starlet received much acclaim with her box office smash "Easy A," was recently cast as Gwen Stacy in the new adaptation of Spider-Man, is hosting "SNL" this weekend, and can now celebrate her mother's remission from breast cancer.

If all that isn't awesome enough, the mother-daughter duo are going to get matching tattoos in celebration of the new cancer-free status. Even if tattoos aren't your thing, wait until you hear who is designing the ink.

Emma Stone told David Letterman that she asked Paul McCartney to design her tattoo because her and her mother's favorite song is "Blackbird." The design, she said, is going to be two little bird feet.

Fashion Professionals Talk Social Media Strategy at National PR Conference

This weekend, Washington D.C. isn't just filled with politicians - the city is currently hosting the Public Relations Student Society of America national conference. Public relations students and professionals from all over the country have come together in the biggest annual meeting of public relations students in the Unite States.

The students have the option to attend sessions in different sections - Green PR, Travel and Tourism PR, International PR, Entertainment PR, Fashion PR, etc - while gaining insight and advice from professionals in the field.

Heather Shaw Menis, Marketing Director for Saks 5th Avenue in the Tysons Galleria, spoke to students yesterday as part of a "To Be Bold and Beautiful - Fashion PR" session. Menis spoke on the importance of embracing the local bloggers to get the word out - emphasizing that 49 percent of articles written year-to-date about the Saks 5th Avenue in Tysons Galleria were found online.

Menis acknowledged that Saks was late coming to the social media arena, but that the fashion stronghold was slowly embracing - and testing out the waters - of the major social networking sites.

Menis described the challenges of social media, including the importance of attracting aspiring customers while not insulting the core Saks customer. She describes social media strategy as something that requires a "daily discussion."

To find Saks on Facebook, visit http://www.facebook.com/saks and to follow Saks on Twitter, search @saks.

Blake Lively Bugs Out on the Red Carpet

MSMPR24seven does not own the rights to this photo.

Dear readers, remember when MSMPR24seven posted about bugs possibly being the hottest trend in fashion this fall? Well Blake Lively only confirmed our fears (or should I say phobias) when she stepped out at the 2010 Scream Awards this weekend.

See the beautiful starlet above for what I'm talking about - and make sure to pay particular attention to her brooch.

Tweet MSMPR24seven (@msmpr24seven) and sound off: would you wear bugs down the red carpet?

Reconstruction 2.0: Would You Cut Up Louis Vuitton's Fall 2010 Collection?

Picture this: You and your fellow students are asked to create a sacrilegious act of epic proportions: cut up Louis Vuitton's Fall 2010 Collection. Would you be able to rip apart the beautiful works of art just for a competition? When the prize is a trip to Paris to tour the LV museum and workshop, the answer is yes.

And this is exactly what Parsons students had to do earlier this week in a "Reconstruction 2.0" competition hosted by StyleList.

The students were sent to the LV store in Soho earlier this week where they were given discarded samples, bags, gowns, and much more. Their task? To create what would arguably be the most fashionable travel blanket in existence.

Visit http://bit.ly/dilhwS to learn more about the competition, who the lucky winners were, and the motivation behind the intriguing assignment.

The above photo is courtesy of Parsons School of Design.

WWD Reports: J. Mendel to Open Shop-in-Shop in LA

Women's Wear Daily reported online Friday that Gilles Mendel will be at Saks Fifth Avenue in Los Angeles this week to open his first J. Mendel shop-in-shop.

He will show the spring collection at a luncheon for the Aviva Family and Children's Services. The article notes that supporters of the charity and the designer, such as Brooke Shields, Jamie Tisch, and Colleen Bell, are expected to attend.

MSMPR24seven does not own the picture above.

Coach to Open Boutiques Across the Pond

The Financial Times (FT.com) reported earlier that Coach, the US handbag retailer, is planning to open 15 units in the UK over the next three years.

The first boutique will open at Westfield in West London, while the flagship unit will be located on London's New Bond Street. The Bond Street unit is rumored to be opening in June of next year.

This is not the first time Coach has opened units across the pond. In the 1990s, the retailer opened a store on Sloane Street in London. Coach also already has broken in to other European markets, with an arrangement with the French department store Printemps.