I am so glad to be part of Baby & Family Expo Philippines 2013! My son and I had fun on the 3rd day of the Expo. Click the link below to see how we spent it.

It's Never Too Late to Have Fun at the Baby & Family Expo- DAY 3

Now I would like to share with you the highlights of this highly anticipated, well-attended, and memorable event.

The recently concluded BABY & FAMILY EXPO PHILIPPINES 2013 warmly welcomed expecting couples, parents, children and families last December 06-08, 2013 at the SMX Convention Center Manila, Hall 1 Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. Themed as “Welcoming Life, Love and Care” the expo was dedicated to nurture family development and child care as it covered the stages of family growth from maternity, newborns, toddlers and early childhood.

Organized by MediaCom Solutions, Inc, co-presented by Cordlife Medical Philippines, sponsored by Picar Development, Inc., Ever Bilena, Unilab, Johnson’s Baby, Esquire Financing and Mazda Philippines, the Baby & Family Expo Philippines was officially launched last Friday, December 6, 2013. The opening and ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by prominent personalities that supported the expo’s advocacy like ANC’s On the Money host and The Master’s Academy Homeschool President, Edric Mendoza, Azkal’s coach and father of two, Michael Weiss, beauty queen turned actress, Maria Isabel Lopez, singer comedian and Youtube sensation Mikey Bustos, Cordlife Medical Philippines’ brand manager, Sheryl Nepomuceno, Medela Moms’ co-founder Beng Feliciano and many more.

The three-day expo became the ultimate venue for all maternity, baby, early childhood and parenting needs, with over 200 exhibitors as well as experts and celebrity parents providing free seminars to expo visitors and fun-filled activities for the whole family.

To start the seminars lined-up for all three days, Atty. Alex “Pinoy” Lacson, from World Vision, one of the event’s partners, opened with a talk on the value of child sponsorship. This was then followed by Azkals’ coach and father of two, Michael Weiss, as he shared his experiences in coaching the Azkals and coaching his own kids.

This was then followed by a series of talks from The Medical City which included Pregnancy Preparation with Dr. Christopher Joseph Soriano, MD, Preparing and Dealing with Childbirth with Dr. Sheila Marie Pineda-Almazan amd Stay Sexy While Pregnant with Dr. Regina Carmela Santiago-Aquias. Medela Moms, one of the expo’s partners also talked about ensuring the best start for mother and child with Joyce Ann Martinez, RN, MSN, CLC. E-commerce and digital marketing specialist, Janette Toral was also present to discuss the new digital media habits of young children.

Later in the day, WCOPA winner and child star Chacha Canete made a special appearance with a song number to entertain expo visitors. Ending the first day of the expo was singer, songwriter Acel van Ommen with actress, model and Starstruck Avenger Jade Lopez as they shared about making a difference in a child’s life through Right Start.

“If you are doing multipurpose tasks, you need to prioritize things and everything will follow” shared host, author, columnist and co-founder of Mercato, RJ Ledesma in his interesting tips through Daddy 101 which was then followed by Dr. Aldine Astrid Basa of The Medical City who talked about understanding breast cancer. Next was ANC’s On The Money host and president of The Master’s Academy, Edric Mendoza as he interacted with the audience with a talk on Homeschooling. Judah Paolo, host, president and co-founder of Lead Out Coaching and Consultancy Inc. was also there to discuss the importance of family values. Proceeding with the talks was former senator and president of Diliman Preparatory School, Nikki Coseteng as she discussed 21st century learning.

Highlighting the second day of the expo was actress, host, dancing diva, owner of RT Studios and Regine’s boutique, Regine Tolentino as she shared her stories as a celebrity mom. Which was then followed by the expo’s highlight, the Baby & Family Awards, with the Golden Family Awards going to the Agoncillo Family as the Golden Family of the Year, Regine Tolentino and Lander Vera Perez as the Golden Couple of the Year as well as Ryzza Mae Dizon and Bimby Aquino Yap as the Golden Kids of the Year, the awards also recognized outstanding parent entrepreneurs in the country with the ParentPreneur Awards.

The most awaited #BibongBaby winners were also awarded and showcased along with their mommies and daddies through the Family Fashion Weekend with clothes from Petit Bateau, Cotton On, F&X and Mothercare.

Medela Moms’ Daisy Lauron opened the third day with the yaya academy followed by Bosom Buddy’s Pam Magallon, with a talk on the mother’s big role on child’s nutrition. Momblogger, Thammie Sy was also present on the third day as she shared her experiences on blogging and homeschooling. MTRCB Chairman Atty. Eugenio “Toto” Villareal also highlighted the event with a talk on responsible media consumption for children and families.

Still on the third day, director of Registered Financial Planner Institute of the Philippines, Randell Tiongson, RFP taught family visitors how to manage household budget which was then followed by former senator Nikki Coseteng as she emphasized the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Ending the jam-packed three-day event was celebrity mom, actress, host, co-producer of MOMents, one of the expo’s media partners, and MTRCB board member, Gladys Reyes as she shared tips on parenting.

Other speakers on all three days include doctors and experts from De La Salle University Medical Center, Philippine Ambulatory Pediatric Association and the Baby & Family Expo’s co-presenter, Cordlife Medical Philippines as their medical director, Dr. Arvin Faundo talked about the importance of banking your baby’s cord blood.

Entertainment was also present during those three days, with a special appearance of Ronald and the Gang from McDonalds as well as powerful song numbers from the Center for Pop Music Philippines. Visitors were also treated to raffle prizes and giveaways from Smart Steps, Cycles, Cast & Frame, Sharpie and Mongol, Hello Dolly, Present Particle, Precious Tiny Toes, Linens, Saforelle and many more with a grand raffle prize of 3 days, 2 night resort accommodation in Coron, Palawan courtesy of El Rio Y Mar.

Lots of photos taken from the event launch up to the event proper may be seen by clicking the links below