BloC-O is proud to announce the launch of Planeta Feliz, its newest and most significant addition yet.

Planeta Feliz is a non-profit organization dedicated to help create a happier, more sustainable world through education, medical care, small business development, structural work and humanitarian assistance — one family, one community at a time.

Areas of Concentration:

1. Education – one of our main areas of focus is education. We believe education is the most important pillar in the development of a country, so we work hard to improve it for the present and future generations. Some of our program solutions include the development of centers for children, teens, young adults and adults. Centers will be equipped with technology to be used as learning tools for the young and as training tools for professionals in various fields.
2. Medical Care – good health is vital for the improvement of a nation, and that’s why we strive to provide the necessary tools to achieve well-being in communities around the world. Among our efforts to promote health, we provide medical staff support, develop partnerships to prevent and reduce the spreading of diseases, and support health initiatives to supply essential health services.
3. Small Business Development (SBD) – we believe that the development of small enterprises is key to advancing progress and ceasing poverty. Our SBD initiatives include the organization and creation of small ventures that will generate sustainable jobs in the communities we serve. In turn, these jobs will help reduce unemployment, while producing necessary resources for the community’s economic growth. PF provides managerial and technological training and support, facilitates business services necessary for aspiring entrepreneurs to become competitive in their respective fields. We also help them get financial assistance for their business through other organizations and institutions.
4. Structural Work – everyone deserves a suitable and safe place to live. It’s incredibly hard to teach and learn when a school doesn’t have functioning lights, furniture or a roof. It’s PF’s mission to help communities around the world with the construction and renovation of homes, schools, hospitals and essential service centers.
5. Humanitarian Assistance – when an earthquake shakes the Pacific, a hurricane hits the Caribbean, or war leaves people homeless, PF wants to be there to assist in one way or another. We partner with NGOs, churches and other organizations to provide food, water and clothing, as well as medical, educational and agricultural supplies and equipment to those in need.

Visit www.planetafeliz.org for more information.

Cafe Blondet is Here!!!

For those of you that aren’t aware of the existence and/or history of this coffee, for years the coffee industry in Puerto Rico faced uncertainty but always managed to maintain its high quality. In the mid XIX century, a couple of families, among those the Blondet-Bloise family followed the tradition of cultivating and elaborating a coffee of excellence, great both in flavor and aroma.
Around 1928, Luis Blondet Delanoy (known as Don Lilí), a visionary merchant, dedicated himself to the elaboration of excellent Puerto Rican coffee. This exquisite first quality hulled grain was then toasted and packaged in his establishment located in Guayama, a city in the southeastern coast of the island.
Affluent and important people would drive long distances to Guayama, exclusively to sample and buy this delicious coffee. The surrounding areas and recreational plaza would be infused with the delightful aroma that came out of the chimney every time the coffee was toasted.
It was also customary to receive family and friends in the establishment to mingle while enjoying a freshly brewed cup of coffee. In a time of strong competition within the coffee industry, the Blondet family has managed to always stand out with their excellent product.
A few months ago, thanks to the members of the Blondet Family, the tradition has been revived and we would like to share it with you.

For more information please visit www.cafeblondet.com or www.blondetco.com. Also, visit http://www.cafeplusmagazine.com/p4.pdf to read the article about the history of our Café Blondet.

BloC-O in Africa

During the second week of March, BloC-O, in conjunction with USAID, Winrock International and EDC (Education and Development Center) volunteered to travel to Africa where they helped Sudan’s Department of Education document the education progress of their country, where literacy rate is 85%. This experience can best be described as an incredible journey where BloC-O truly got to discovery first hand how documentary film making can positively make a difference, making this both beautiful and inspiring.

Events Highlights

BloC-O with NUPCAY in Alimentaria '08

Alimentaria, International Food and Beverages Exhibition, is one of the world’s main shows in this sector. This position has been achieved through extensive knowledge of the sector, ongoing monitoring of what direction the industry is moving in and a firm commitment to innovation and internationalisation.
This year NUPCAY went to Barcelona to show and exhibit its products and with it, BloC-O's production, "Procesos del Café".



For further information, please see: www.alimentaria-bcn.com, www.nupcay.com and/or www.bloc-o.com

BloC-O in NALIP's Conference

BloC-O's founders, Amaury Blondet and Cristina Collazo, attended 9th NALIP's Conference at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point, California.
Co-chaired by Producer Frida Torresblanco (PAN’S LABYRINTH), and playwright Elaine Romero (Secret Things), NALIP's 9th national conference was a packed weekend of panels, seminars and workshops, keynotes, showcases and screenings focused on the remarkable growth in cross-boundary, cross-cultural creations that have developed in the Latino media landscape.

For more information visit www.bloc-o.com or www.nalip.org.

BloC-O on the News

The newspaper, El Nuevo Dia de Puerto Rico, made an article on the documentary/biography BloC-O is producing of the acclaimed puertorican writer Carmelo Rodriguez Torres:

http://www.elnuevodia.com/diario/noticia/cultura/noticias/tributo_en_video_a_lider_viequense/373309

For more information visit bloc-o.com.