PIOLO PASCUAL AND MARIAN RIVERA SAY “I DO”… TO BLUE WATER DAY SPA

He is a major network’s house heartthrob whose handsome features, chiseled body and acting chops have made him the leading man in many of the station’s prime time blockbusters and film features. “ABS-CBN takes care of its talents very well. That is why I will always be loyal to my network,” says matinee idol Piolo Pascual. She, on the other hand, is the rival network’s prized crowd drawer. Curvaceous, possessing a pretty face and able to shed buckets at a drop of a hat, this Spanish mestiza has single-handedly catapulted her station’s ratings to high heavens. “The attention I’ve been getting I owe to GMA. My network has put its faith in me, kaya loyal din ako dito,” proclaims the beautiful Marian Rivera.

With the network war raging between the two top stations in the country, it seems downright impossible that Piolo and Marian will ever share the limelight together. Well, it appears not because the two unlikely partners recently romanced each other in front of the camera. They cavorted in the pool wearing body-skimming resort wear. And while Piolo takes a commanding stance even as the light bulbs flashed, Marian sensuously wrapped her arms around the chap’s body. The brains that planned this unexpected tandem is none other than Ms. Mary Simisim, president and CEO of the metro’s most popular spa and wellness center—Blue Water Day Spa. Piolo and Marian are the latest image models for the premier spa in the country.

“We thought that we couldn’t pull it off, but Piolo and Marian surprisingly welcomed the idea of endorsing Blue Water Day Spa. It helped that both of them value their health and well-being. Since both of them are both health conscious, they believe that going to a spa on a regular basis gives soothing and therapeutic benefits. That is why we found it easy to get the nod of the two hottest stars in the country today to be the fitting image models and endorsers of Blue Water Day Spa,” says Ms. Simisim smilingly.

In persuading Piolo and Marian to give their thumbs up to the project, it helped that both stars are spa aficionados who would undergo regular massage sessions whenever their busy schedules allow such luxuries.

“I love going to spas—that is if I have the luxury of time. Most of the time, I just call a masseuse and get a massage at home before I go to sleep,” Piolo discloses. When he does go to a spa, Piolo looks forward to a full session of hilot.

“I love the traditional Filipino massage—really, nothing beats the original hilot. This fondness for hilot dates back to the time when I was growing up. Noon kasi kapag may sakit ako o kaya may pilay ako, my dad would bring me to a manghihilot. After a session with the manghihilot, I’d feel fine and everything would be alright,” he narrates. Aside from that, Piolo would occasionally indulge his body in shiatsu and deep-tissue massage.

“I also go for aromatherapy massage because the aroma of essential oils relaxes me,” he adds.

Marian, on the other hand, became an avowed spa fanatic back during the early shooting days of her hit teleserye Marimar. Back then, she would shoot scenes until the wee hours of the morning often while swimming in the beach or in scenes that require getting drenched.

“Going to a spa also relaxes me. Nawawala ang stress ko when my mind and body are both relaxed,” she says. On certain days, however a foot massage is enough to ease her mind off the pressure of her demanding schedule.

With the overload of spas, wellness centers and massage places cramming nearly every nook and cranny of the city, why endorse Blue Water Day Spa?

“I like the line up of services that Blue Water Day Spa offers. Its massage services vary from the easy, relaxing types to those that make the body trimmer. I need that variety because the body has different needs. Another thing that’s going for Blue Water Day Spa is that it offers many unique treatments that are exclusive to it. One innovative treatment is the Chocolate Mud Slimming Treatment. This is deep-tissue massage uses the specially-formulated chocolate mud to keep the skin supple while getting rid of toxins and setting up the body for effective slimming. Blue Water Day Spa gives me a lot of options and makes the whole spa experience more exciting and interesting,” Piolo reasons.

“What I look for in a spa is privacy and exclusivity and Blue Water Day Spa has exactly that. After a day of taping, gusto ko pag pasok ko sa spa, I can shed my celebrity image and just be myself—Marian the private person, not the actress,” contends Marian. “Maganda ang ambience ng Blue Water Day Spa—it’s quiet, very relaxing and very private. Marian prefers effleurage massages that lightly tread the body with soothing hand movements. “I don’t really go for deep-tissue massage; mas gusto ko ‘yung light lang because I want to feel relaxed,” she reasons. Thus, the Sahara Oasis Massage, with its gentle hand movement and soft pressure that put the mind and body at ease, is ideal for Marian.

“I also find Blue Water Day Spa to be cozy and clean—mahalaga din sa akin ‘yun. And more than that, its massage specialists and staff are very precise when it comes to rhythm and pressure. Alam nila ang ginagawa nila and they do their jobs professionally. Nothing is more relaxing than leaving yourself in the hands of experts and just enjoy an honest-to-goodness pampering,” she adds.

The networks may not see eye-to-eye but apparently, when it comes to getting the best spa treatment their top stars agree: Blue Water Day Spa is the place to be.

~o0o~

KIM ATIENZA’S SPAHOLIC EXPERIENCE

Kim Atienza, one of ABS-CBN’s rosters of tv hosts admits that his schedule is indeed grueling and taxing.  “I need to be there as early as 4am. Dere-deretso na yon, so always, 6 hours of sleep lang ako.” The rest of the day is pure work --- and one knows that in television, there are no shortcuts.  Every minute counts, and sleeping (or napping) is definitely a luxury.

With a very unforgiving daily must-do’s, the next best “proper” thing to do therefore, is to treat one’s self after a long tiring day.  A massage, a foot reflex, or a facial will definitely do wonders.  Needless to say, a quick trip to a spa will rejuvenate a tired body.

Fortunately, there’s a wellness hub that sits just in front of ELJ Building where Kim Atienza works.  Bluewater Day Spa.  “It’s convenient for me because it’s really so near ABS-CBN.  I go here usually for a foot massage and a facial crystal massage. It’s really good. Actually nakakatulog nga ako.  Dito na ako nakakapag nap, even for just an hour”. Kim admits he wasn’t really so much into spas before, but because of a very grueling schedule, he now sees the need to visit a spa and get a much-deserved pampering. “Three times a week, at least.” he says.  Aside from accessibility, what sets Bluewater Day Spa apart from the rest, according to Kim is the fact that “service is good and the place is definitely clean.  Everytime I go here, I completely forget about stress.  In fact, I even fall asleep.”   Proof that indeed, Bluewater Day Spa lulls one to a much-deserved treat everybody deserves.  And a visit to Bluewater Day Spa might just be what one needs to get things going for the rest of the day.

Bluewater Day Spa has branches at Mother Ignacia, Quezon City (tel no.927-2258), Platinum Annapolis, Greenhills (tel.no: 723-4932), Tropical Palms Condominium, Legaspi Village, Makati (tel. no: 817-3126) and Madrigal Business Park, Ayala Alabang (tel. no: 842-7667).

~o0o~

 

SPORTS SPECIALIST AL FRANCIS CHUA CHOOSES BLUEWATER DAY SPA

Sports can be a demanding career to pursue, as many atheletes, coaches and trainers affirm. Injuries are not uncommon since high-powered and constant physical movement are common features of many sports. Hours of  rigorous training can leave an athlete zapped of energy and mentally-drained. So can athletes, sports-minded individuals and people-on-the-go recharge and relax effectively?

Al Francis Chua, basketball fanatic, coach and trainer says that total relaxation is key in maintaining the body's balance and keeping it at optimum performance. “Since an athlete, or any active person, exerts great effort and uses his body to the fullest, it is beneficial to take a breather and unwind. Keeping a regular downtime not only allows the body to heal and recover, it also relieves the mind of stress. Mental conditioning playsa great part in sports or any other physical activity,” says Al Francis.

Al Francis' rich experience in coaching has made him one of the most respected authorities in the sporting world. In 2001, he was the PBA Consultant for Sta. Lucia when the team won its first PBA Championship. As an assistant coach, he helped steer the Philippine National Basketball Team to its gold-winning performance in the 1995 Southeast Asian Games.

Al Francis was coach of the Stag Pale Pilsen Team when it won two consecutive grand slam championships in the 1995-1996 and 1996-1997 PBL seasons. In the following year, he acted as head coach of the Tanduay PBL Team when it won the year's grand slam championship. For his remarkable achievements, Al Francis has been given the 1999-2000 PBA All-Star Head Coach Award and the 1995-1997 PBA Coach of the Year Award.

For 11 years now, Al Francis has been conducting a basketball clinic called STEP 1. He is currently the Vice President of BCAP (Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines). On top of all these, this busybody also created a basketball clinic in Bahrain, called Hyper Hoops, specially designed for youngsters between six to 17 years old.

Al Francis certainly practices what he preaches by keeping a regular de-stressing time to help him cope with the demands of his career and active lifestyle. “I really make it a point to have a massage every weekends. The massage helps tone by body and rids my mind of stress,” he discloses. The choice of spa is very important, says Al Francis. “It has to be run professionally and staffed with well-trained therapists,” he adds. “So I only go to Blue Water Day Spa.”

So, to get his regular massage, Al Francis goes to BlueWater Day Spa. “BlueWater Day Spa is equipped with the best facilities and staffed with experts who know what they are doing. I also enjoy the soothing ambience and the corteous service at BlueWater Day Spa,” he states.

Al Francis frequents BlueWater Day spa for the Swedish Massage and for its facial treatment. “The Swedish Massage provides my body with a deep-tissue workout that gets rid of pain and induces the muscles to relax. The facial, on the other hand, is my way of pampering myself. The facial is very relaxing kasi magaan ang kamay ng therapist. I never thought that getting a facial could be so relaxing. My complexion has improved a lot because BlueWater Day Spa uses only the best treatments," Al Francis remarks.

Bluewater Day Spa offers the best facials for men because it uses the most sophisticated skin and facial care systems for men—the bio-engineered Biodroga line of products. Biodroga Systems has been developed in Baden-Baden, Germany. The world's most exclusive spas use Biodroga Systems because it is made from pure, natural ingredients. It is also the first product of its kind that carries a wide array of lines to specifically address a variety of skin problems.

On his next visit, Al Francis wishes to try one of Blue Water Day Spa's signature treatments: the Chocolate Slimming Therapy which uses the beneficial attributes of chocolate to help tone the skin and rid the body of unwanted fats.

“What is exciting about BlueWater Day Spa is that it offers a lot of unique treatments and therapies that are not available anywhere else. These offerings represent the best and most sophisticated procedures in spa treatments,” he emphasizes.