What do the world’s most powerful people drive? Who's curious about Pope Francis's Car?

Carmudi checks out the rides of this planet’s top 5 most influential people!

Power and riches. These are the two words that best described the top 5 most powerful people around the world and their daily drive. Carmudi, the fastest and leading online vehicle platform, take a quick detour about the most influential people (in the field of business, politics, finance, and even religion) and their humble beginnings as well.

Vladimir Putin “the Gray Cardinal”. Putin has been the President of Russia since 2012. He also served as President from 2000 to 2008 and Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000. His first car was a Zaporozhets, the cheapest car in the market which equivalent to the price of 1000 bottles of Vodka. He got the car when he was in his third year at the University. Like the Volkswagen Beetle, the Zaporozhets becomes the “People’s Car” of the Soviet Union during the sixties era. Putin now owns a fleet of Russian cars such as the Lada Kalina priced between $4,972 to $5,000, the Niva priced at $4,200, and the 1956 ivory-colored Volga GAZ-21 with price ranging from $4,500 up to $10,000. On his stable, Putin collections includes a stretched of armored Mercedes-Benz S 600 Guard Pullman priced at $1.62 million and Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen that cost around $434,000. 

Barack “No Drama” Obama. Obama is the first African American to be the 44^th President of the United States. Prior to becoming the President, Obama owned a luxurious 2005 Chrysler 300C V8 engine that received loads of criticism due to the lack of fuel efficiency. Then, he switched to more environmentally friendly car such as the 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid that was later on auctioned. Obama’s state car, which was nicknamed “The Beast”, is an 8-ton monster with an estimated price of $1.5 million. With doors weighing similar to Boeing 757 jetliner, the car is equipped with night vision, blood bank, and gas tank that won’t explode upon direct hits. The car is also bulletproof and bomb resistant. 

“Daddy” Xi Jinping. Xi is the President of the People’s Republic of China and Chairman of the central military commission. Often referred to as the paramount leader of China, Xi Jinping in a way endorses Hongqi, China’s only domestically manufactured luxury car used as the official government state car (and also open for sale to the people of the Republic).Hongqi L5 limousine is priced at $800,000 filled with all goodies. The car has been used during his state visit to New Zealand. Weighing around 6950-kg, the Hongqi L5 limousine comes loaded with oriental history visible in its jaded door handles, fine leather interior and hand-carved wood trims. 

“The cold calling” Pope Francis. Jorge Mario Bergoglio is the pope of the Catholic Church in which he serves as Bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State. Auctioned his Fiat Panda 4x4 late last year to raise money for the poor, Pope Francis was building bathrooms for the homeless in the shadows of St. Peter’s Basilica. His holiness previous car was auctioned off at a princely sum of $244,000. At present, he rides a 1984 Renault 4 Hatchback as his daily car, which has a mileage of 300,000 kilometers. The Pope was also seen riding a blue-colored Ford Focus second generation at Castel Gandolfo in Rome.

“Mutti” Angela Merkel. Angela Merkel is a German politician and former research scientist who has been the leader of Christian Democratic Union and chancellor of Germany. Known to alternate between brands to use as her state car, Merkel was ranked as the world’s second most powerful person by Forbes magazine in 2013.Her 1990 Volkswagen Golf was auctioned off on Ebay back in 2012, and almost reached a bid of €130,000 where the auction was later dropped as “none of the bidders had serious interest”. However, it finally went to the highest bidder for €10,165. One of her notable moment was when she arrives at the EU summit in Brussels late last year with a ‘007’ number plate on her Audi A8 at a time when speculations were circulating that the US were spying on her.

To know more about this epic “state car”, log on at www.carmudi.com or simply download the Carmudi app.

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Carmudi was founded in 2013 and is currently available in Bangladesh, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Zambia. The vehicle marketplace offers buyers, sellers and car dealers the ideal platform to find cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles online.

“COMET” To Hit the Philippines this February

“A beautifully rendered experience that excels on nearly every level”  Awards Circuit

Following the success of the Adam Levine-Kiera Knightley starrer Begin Again, Solar Pictures brings to local cinemas “COMET”-- a cosmic love story that is sure to leave audiences with that warm February feeling.

“Comet,” stars Golden Globe nominee Emmy Rossum (“The Day After Tomorrow,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Mystic River”) and Justin Long (“Live Free or Die Hard,” “He’s Just Not That Into You”).

“Comet” is an original modern love story that follows Kimberly (Rossum) and Dell (Long), who first meet at the Hollywood cemetery where they’ve both come to watch a meteor shower.

Kimberly is brilliant and beautiful; Dell is nerdy and pessimistic, but with an incredibly sharp mind and direct manner. While she and he are not a natural pair, they are cosmically drawn to each other and, under a night sky, luminous with falling stars, they begin their epic love story.

As the opening title card states the events “take place over six years (a few parallel universes over).”

But what starts as a typical romance quickly turns dreamlike as viewers leap back and forth in time, examining their eventual six-year relationship through the lens of their meeting and four other pivotal moments: a monumental fight at a friend’s wedding in Paris; a break up conversation after Dell has moved to New York; a reconnection on a train ride along the California coast; and finally, when Dell pops in on Kimberly unexpectedly in her home in the Hollywood Hills.

The leaps between these moments are seamlessly woven together to create a sense that this love story transcends time and space and that Kimberly and Dell are destined to be together, if not in this universe, then maybe the next.

Content Media introduced and screened the film to international distributors for the first time at the 2014 American Film Market (AFM) last November and was then picked up by Solar Pictures, among other films.

“The universal theme and inventive storytelling in ‘Comet’ have us believing that audiences will really connect with the film,” said Content Media President of Film Jamie Carmichael. “We were drawn in immediately and are happy to have this film…”

COMET opens in cinemas nationwide on February 25, 2014 and is released by Solar Pictures.

For more information Like the Solar Pictures Facebook page: www.facebook.com/solarpicturesPH

Solar Pictures YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/solarpicturesPH

Watch the #CometMovie trailer here http://youtu.be/VncNuiNKiOc

Save more and be safe on the road with MICHELIN tires

The New Year calls for new tires, and here’s good news! If you buy new Michelin tires, you can earn additional cash vouchers too.

Michelin is offering for a purchase of a pair of MICHELIN tires for passenger car or light truck (PCLT) of the same pattern and tire size (size 14-inch and above), entitles you to a Sodexo cash voucher worth PhP 500. The more MICHELIN tires you buy, the bigger the amount of cash vouchers you get.

The vouchers are valid anytime, with no expiry date. The promotion cannot be used in conjunction with other sales activities offered by the dealer.

The Michelin Promo is covered by DTI FTEB SPD No. 0264, Series of 2015. For more details about the promo, customers may consult the promo posters, visit participating dealers in their area or log on to www.michelin.com.ph.

If you will be given the chance to ask Pope Francis one question what would it be?

MEETING WITH THE YOUTH

Last January 18, 2015 at 9 am,  a mass celebrated at the Sports field of Sto. Tomas University, during the mass celebration a 12-year girl from Tulay ng Kabataan Center asked the pope "Why would God allow these things?" 

If you were that girl, what question could it be?

Well, I posted mine on the  comment box of this (ABS-CBN) article, and here's what I've got. 

Pope Francis at the Mall of Asia Arena: The Visit of the Superstar

Hours of waits paid by a priceless glimpse. 

He is not from Hollywood, nor an actor from paramount or universal studios,  HE is a messenger carrying HOPES to millions of Filipinos in the Philippines. 

January 16, 2015 -  People from different walks of life, groups, religions, colors and races gathered together not just to welcome the Pope as the head of the Catholic Church and of the state but also to show Mercy and Compassion with each other. No politics no business, Just Pure RESPECT.

Thousands of people waited as early as 4 am  outside the arena waiting for the arrival of the POPE at 5 pm  not just to take selfies and take photo of him but to wait for  the blessings from his mouth  and see him up close and personal. Hours of waits paid by a priceless glimpse. 

New lineup of indie films showing at Teatrino in Music Museum, Greenhills.

Teatrino, the new home of Philippine independent cinema, screens “Sana Dati”, “Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay”, “Dagitab”and “Mayohan” this January

Philippine independent cinema has found its home at Teatrino at the Greenhills Shopping Center.

Starting January 17, the biggest little theater in the metro’s busiest shopping hub, is bringing back The Teatrino Film Series (TFS) so Philippine ciema buffs can view or re-view acclaimed independent films that were shown on limited engagement only in commercial theaters.

Launched last year, TFS started September 13 and ran through November 29 for twelve Saturdays. Screening to a small but enthusiastic crowd, the series had a successful run that had movie audiences clamoring for more.

Giving in to insistent public demand, the Music Museum Group is running TFS again in 2015, starting with its choice movies for January – two movies per Saturday. On January 17, the Cinemalaya 2014 hit, “Dagitab” makes a comeback at 5 p.m., while “Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay”, the 2011 “mockumentary feature film starring Lilia Cuntapay and directed by Antoinette Jadaone, goes on at 7:30 p.m. This film won 6 awards in the Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival, including a Best Actress award for Cuntapay.

On January 31, crowd favorite “Sana Dati” by Jerrold Tarog will be screened at 5 p.m. while “Mayohan”, a film about the May month celebrations in Infanta, Quezon starring Lovi Poe goes on screen at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are now available at P200 per film at all Greenhills Cinemas (Promenade and Theater Mall) or at Teatrino.

For more information, go to www.musicmuseum.com.ph.

GetMed: Revolutionizing healthcare in the Philippines

We have all experienced the difficulties of finding a doctor and quickly get an appointment. More importantly, on emergency situations, we might not even have an idea where the nearest hospital is or which doctor to call.

 From L-R- Arthur John Abarquez, Paolo Castaño and Chris Hatton

For Arthur John Abarquez, one of the founders of UNA I.T. SOLUTIONS, it was on a Maundy Thursday a few years ago when his wife suffered a serious fall, which resulted to shattered bones in her left forearm and hand that compelled him to recognize this need. “We rushed my wife to the hospital but the ER Doctors couldn’t do anything to relieve her pain. They needed a specialist who, at that time, since it was a holiday, was not available. It took them several hours to locate a doctor who had to travel from Calatagan, Batangas to Manila. It was grueling hours of waiting for my wife and myself. I wanted so much to help her but I was helpless, we were at the mercy of the capabilities and the reaction time of the hospital where we brought her,” he shared.

“Had a medical directory, at the very least, been available then, it would have helped us locate the nearest available doctor, not necessarily from the hospital we brought her to but still within immediate reach,” Arthur added.

Happy 2015 Beautiful People

Dear beautiful people, this is my first blog post of the year and it has something to do about my lakwatsero life during the time when I was on hiatus for so many days.  

To start with my a bit narrative story from 2014 year-end specials to 2015 year-start (I don't know if there's a thing or event such as year-start special) [hehe], I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH 2014 FOR THE AMAZING JOURNEY! 

A lot of my friends from cyberspace and even my neighbors from the alta sociedad de kanto-kanto asked me where was I the past days they didn't see me. I said I've just been to a kingdom far far away in the middle of the fountain right beside the green meadows across the valley of choo-choo. 

Well, it started with a simple wish granted by my boss, somehow a Christmas gift to me, a one week vacay in my charming hometown #Zamboanga where I spent my ME TIME and family bonding memorably.

     

Decemeber 29,2014 - I took the red-eye flight bound for Zamboanga via Philippine Airlines (the airline who took care of me and my miles excellently back and forth ). Although I was so sick that time, I still decided to fly because sayang ang miles (hehe). 

To make the long story short, I arrived Zamboanga safely and headed directly to my parents place in the mountain and had my bed rest for four days, rejuvenated my body and damaged system due to a very toxic schedule in Manila. 

January 1, 2015 - Bonding with nature

This is called PUKI REYNA

Stream where I used take a bath

We call it PAPUA

ME TIME at the bewitching dusk 

*******

These photos below reminds me of my past, the first picture reminds me of my childhood, my way of life my happiness and my simple wants.   And as I grow older the second picture shows you of what I have and what I am far from the busy city and life in Manila,  I am not a real farmer neither one of them but the people I am dealing with back home are farmers, my friends relatives, and parents are all farmers the people whom I owe a lot to where I am now.

Well, that's just part of my mellow-dramatic story.. back to my journey...

Morning of January 7, 2015 - Last minute quick showing around the city before leaving for Manila

The Immaculate conception church

Touch of an Old world charm in the middle of the booming city

The famous Plaza Pershing situated in front of some local business establishments  

********

At the zamboanga International Airport Departure Lounge  nothing much to say  about the place just for one comment, "Need more improvement on CR cleanliness / maintenance" the rest are all well at least for the city like this who caters the amount of visitors but hopefully more brighter side to have.  

PAL DEHAVILLAND 8-400 76 SEATERS

First time to board a small creature like this, my impression is propeller operated aircrafts are a bit noisier than the usual engine ones so better bring along with you a headset or something to cover your ears when you fly with this kind of aircraft. 

...and whenever / wherever I travel, I see to it that I have  #SuncoastLightwater inside my backpack all the time, an electrolyte enhanced water that replenishes me naturally.

To all the happy people who became part of my happy 2014 life congratulations and let us welcome the joy and prosperity of 2015 .