REVIEW: CULION - Ensemble Of Emotions From The Colony

As one of the entries for the MMFF 2019, Culion banks on the rich history, stories, and the people which made it a worthy film to be shared this Christmas season. Written by Ricky Lee and directed by Alvin Yapan , Culion goes back to the days where the cure for leprosy is still being discovered and seclusion of lepers remains its only treatment.

The island colony has completely eradicated the disease and now wants the world to know that people can now visit them and get to know their history. There is even a museum about the town and also beautiful mountains and sea views as it is part of the province of Palawan.

The story of Culion in The Commonwealth era are already an ensemble of stories from the patients, government officials, clergy, and Sano (unaffected residents). Being a national institution it also brought in people from different regions in the Philippines, which makes it colorful linguistically.

Skateboarder Margielyn Didal’s New Training Leading Up To 2019 SEA Games

Twenty-year-old professional skateboarder and newly announced Red Bull Athlete, Margielyn Didal, is ready for the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games held in the Philippines this December.

To prepare for her upcoming competitions, Didal underwent months of therapy at Cardia Olympia coupled with an intense assessment last July at the Red Bull High Performance Training Center in Santa Monica, California to address lingering injuries.

“Last December 2014, I had a very severe ankle sprain that didn’t seem to get better,” reveals Didal. “Until recently, it affected my skating because I kept thinking it might happen again.”

FEU Wins Two Awards At The 2019 Golden Kubeta Awards

We might not give it much thought, but the importance of decent restrooms is a must to keep our country healthy and clean. For quite some time now, Maynilad has put up the Golden Kubeta Awards to recognize the places and institutions that have made this spaces clean, comfortable, and appealing.

For this year, they have narrowed down the finalists for the best kubeta in the country. Nominees are categorized into sectors representing both public and private institutions. And to get the pulse of the public, they have also opened  online voting to determine the people's choice.

RAWR Awards 2019 is on, voting is set till November 2!

The yearly RAWR Awards is back! The online-driven and fans-empowered award body is the brainchild of LionHearTV.net.

Its fifth edition and voting are all-set to conclude on November 2.

This year, in commemoration of the site’s 11th anniversary, RAWR Awards has 23 awards up for grabs. The awards are under three classifications–Cub Awards, Lion Awards, and the Pride Awards, respectively.

Inspiring, Leading, and making a difference: Jollibee honors exemplary families in 9th Jollibee Family Values Awards

Jollibee remains steadfast in honoring exemplary families—whose values resonate in their communities through their selfless initiatives—in the 9th Jollibee Family Values Awards. Their inspiring stories and advocacies again took front and center during the Gabi ng Parangal para sa Pamilyang Pilipino held at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria in Ortigas.

Recognized for their family values-driven advocacies that fostered meaningful change in their respective communities, the 9th JFVA winning families include: Mrs. Dorotea Mansing and family of Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, for donating children’s books to public schools; Mr. Jerome and Mrs. Zenaida Paler and family of Maasin City, Southern Leyte, for starting a drug rehabilitation and recovery program; Mr. Alvin and Sandra Montano and family of Quezon City for conducting outreach and disaster training programs stressing capacity and resiliency building; Mr. Rey and Mrs. Mary Grace Bufi and family of Taguig City, for teaching literacy and bringing the joy of reading to far-flung communities with scarce resources; Mr. Jeson and Mrs. Fretzel Anne Viñas and family of Quezon City, for giving free eye examinations to deprived and neglected school children; and Mr. Virigilio and Mrs. Ana Maria Bacudio and family of Malate, Manila, who received a Special Citation for Education last year, but is now a main winner for further expanding their advocacy of providing libraries and other material donations to communities in Mindoro.

King Gnu bags Best Video of the Year and Best New Artist Video at MTV VMAJ 2019

Fans entertained at live event by stellar line-up of artists, including GLAY, Daichi Miura and INTERSECTION

Japanese rock band King Gnu became the first artist in the history of the MTV VMAJ to bag both Best Video of the Year and Best New Artist Video. King Gnu’s ‘Hakujitsu’ earned the most fan votes across all categories, earning it the award of Best Video of the Year. The theme song from a drama, the ‘Hakujitsu’ music video is a huge hit with more than 62 million plays.

Ateneo De Manila University wins at the Go Green in the City 2019 Philippine Country Finals

Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, held the Philippine Country Finals of Go Green in the City 2019 at De La Salle University - Manila in Taft Avenue, Manila on July 12, 2019, naming Team Chinquapin  from Ateneo De Manila University as the champions of this year’s national competition.

Paras Brothers Joins In The Fun At The Taiwan Excellence 3x3 Hoop Challenge Finals

Young Filipino cagers battle it out for court supremacy at the
 Taiwan Excellence 3on3 Hoop Challenge 2019.

Basketball if indeed life for most of us, this is also what Taiwan Excellence wants to share with the public with their special event called the Taiwan Excellence 3x3 Hoop Challenge 2019. This sporting event brought together players from different schools to battle it out for the honor of being the best just like the products that come from Taiwan.

With over 800 players who joined in the contest, it all boils down to a few teams who played passionately to make a shot for the title. With Taiwan Excellence also introducing their new ambassadors brothers Kobe and Andre Paras, they also fit perfectly well with the event and also joined the finalists in the competition showing their baller prowess.

The search for talented Filipino creators begins with YouTube NextUp Manila’s Class of 2019

YouTube announces the return of its NextUp contest in the Philippines to spotlight and support the growth of local up-and-coming YouTube creators. Launched in 2011, YouTube NextUp has helped over 500 creators in more than 13 countries take their channels to the next level, giving them skills, mentorship, and a network to help them create compelling content.

For its third year in the country, 12 Filipino creators will be chosen to participate in the week-long creator camp where they will meet with NextUp alumni and top YouTube stars to learn about production techniques and growing their channels for business. They will also receive mentorship from the YouTube Creator & Artist Development Team team and get P105,000 production voucher for the latest equipment. 

Get a chance to fly to the US and watch NBA Playoffs 2019 LIVE with Globe At Home

See your favorite NBA stars in the flesh on their road to the Finals

Globe At Home continues to give its customers access to world-class entertainment and the biggest live sporting events.

Globe At Home will award one (1) lucky winner to an all-expense paid trip to the US to watch the NBA Playoffs live and catch a glimpse of some of the world’s biggest hoops superstars in person. To join the raffle, simply apply for a Globe At Home Postpaid plan or upgrade an existing Globe At Home Postpaid plan to any plan higher until May 15, 2019. To earn a raffle entry, register online via www.globe.com.ph/NBAflyaway. One account is equal to one raffle entry. Travel schedule is on May 20 - 25, 2019.

Enrile Is Happy When You're Happy

It’s surprising that Juan Ponce Enrile wants to run for Senator despite his age of 95. Usually many would retire at age 60 but JPE has gone beyond that and is now the oldest living senator of the country. 

But why he does not want to retire?

Let's Take A Tour San Juan City With Mayor Guia

Last time we had our lunch with Mayor Guia Gomez, she wanted to take us on a tour of the city of San Juan where she will proudly show how the city has grown. Yesterday we were able to take a tour of the city the Estradas and Ejercitos built along with its rich history especially its role in the Philippine Revolution.

San Juan City maybe the smallest city in Metro Manila but it holds important places in Philippine history which has shaped the course of country in many ways. Known as the small town of San Juan Del Monte, the rolling hills of this town provided a strategic point and geographical center of national capital region.

Anti-Catfish Law And Free Public Wifi Pushed By FICTAP Partylist

First nominee, Estrellita “Neng” Juliano-Tamano

Who does not want free wifi? But in the first place it is very rare to have that in public spaces like parks, libraries, schools and public offices. There is also the issue of poor internet speeds that affects productivity and quality.

These are some of the concerns that FICTAP partylist (Federation of International Cable TV and Telecommunications Association of the Philippines) wants to author if given a seat in congress. The partylist was formed by cable TV operators of the Philippines who actively lobbied for policies for cable regulation which took them years since they depend on supporter legislators. They hope to push for laws related to telecomunication, internet, and cellular consumer rights at a faster pace if elected. With a wide network of operators from urban and rural areas, they saw the opportunity to present laws that will lead to their vision of “Bawat Pilipino, konektado” (Every Filipino is connected).

LGBTQ Community Finds Ally With ACTS-OFW

Despite the modern age of progress and acceptance, there is still a long way to go in terms of the rights of the LGBTQ people and communities.  The Anti-Discrimination Bill SOGIE (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression) Equality Bill is still waiting to be passed by congress. There is a need for it to be passed quickly due to the limited number of days needed to complete the process.

With legislation a very important part of building laws and legislative intervention for the progress of the Filipino society. The role of both houses is to pass these laws but without support from individual congressmen and senators, these key bills would not be passed and implemented.

Overseas Filipinos voting to commence on April 13

Overseas Filipinos will be given one month to cast their votes for the 2019 mid-term election, which will start on April 13 until May 13 at 5:00 p.m. (Manila time)

The overseas Filipinos are now counting days before the start of the overseas voting for the 2019 mid-term election, which will start on April 13 and will last until May 13 at 6:00 p.m. (Philippine time).

According to the data provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs-Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS), there are more than 1.8M registered voters overseas with the majority coming from the Middle East.

The 2016 election marked a milestone for the overseas voting in terms of voter turnout as it tripled the total number of turnouts for the 2013 and 2010 elections, while it doubled the turnout for the 2004 election.

ER Ejercito Continues Gubernatorial Campaign And Possible Netflix Deal

Former Laguna Governor ER Ejercito called out a presscon recently to state his stand on the current cased filed against him which was released  last April 5, 2019. Along with his lawyer Atty. Larry Gadon, they came to present their side on the decision of the Sandigan Bayan's Fourth Division  who ruled then-Pagsanjan Mayor ER Eiercito, then-councilors Arlyn Lazaro-Torres, Terry! Gamit-Talabong, Kalahi Rabago, Erwin Sacluti and Gener Dimaranan, and private respondent Marilyn Bruel, guilty each for one count of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, with the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

Read the Official Statement Here.

Precious Hearts Romances Continuous Pursuit for Stories

Precious Hearts Romances is bringing a treat to loyal readers on the upcoming Dito Ka Masaya Grand Fans Day 2019, as it forges a stronger relationship with its community through fun activities, meet and greets, and exclusive performances.

For years ever since it started, PHR has always been dedicated in bringing stories that capture the Filipino’s taste for entertainment. With time, that Filipino taste evolves— as younger audience prefers a different way of storytelling.

Sara Duterte Wears Shirt In Support For JV Ejercito

The Philippine midterm elections is getting closer everyday and the candidates are now taking the game seriously with gathering the support they can get. Currently the Hugpong ng Pagbabago Party (HNP) led by Sara Duterte is actively participating in campaign rallies that goes around the country. One particular campagin stop was the vote rich province of Cebu.

The province has been pivotal in many elections as it can bring up millions of votes from the Visayan capital. Despite having a little struggle with coughing on stage, Sara Duterte continues on her speech to introduce the candidates.

Sen. JV Ejercito Is More Than Mr. Healthcare

They say that a Senator's pride is in the laws he has authored, and for reelection candidate JV Ejercito it is the universal health care (UHC) law or Republic Act No 11223 is what he banners as its principal author. With this law, it aims to provide quality healthcare for all Filipinos with structure and system that will benefit everyone especially those below the poverty line.

But this is not only the bill the JV has done in the senate. He has also authored bills that reformed local housing, economic affairs, and educational system.  Currently he is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs and the Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement and Committee On Health And Demography.

The 7-Eleven Tour road cycling event is back and registration starts now!

Fresh from the successful staging of 7-Eleven Trail 2019, the premiere mountain biking event in the country, 7-Eleven is now embarking on another road cycling event with 7-Eleven Tour 2019. 

After seven years, 7-Eleven is following up the successful Tour 700 with the 7-Eleven Tour 2019. The event, which takes place on April 7 at Clark Global City in Mabalacat, Pampanga, promises to gather professional and weekend road bike enthusiasts for a grueling road race challenge!

The Tour 700: Bayani ng Barangay debuted on May 2012 not just to celebrate the opening of 7-Eleven’s 700th store but also to create a sporting event that will bring the best riders together in a single day race, while also providing a challenging opportunity for newbie cyclists. Held at the Clark Field Parade Grounds, it attracted close to 3,500 participants, competing in either the 40km or the 100km categories.