REEL DEAL: The Voice Season 2

February is going to be epic on AXN. Kick starting the lineup in the beginning of the month is the highly-anticipated return of singing reality competition series The Voice Season 2.

The Fresh, Real Talent Show - The Voice Season 2 

Premiering on February 6, 2012 is Season 2 of The Voice, offering aspiring singers the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be mentored by celebrity coaches. Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton return with their sizzling chemistry and their trademark red swiveling chairs to judge contestants solely on their vocal talent and not their looks. If more than one coach turns to pick a particular singer, the tide turns and the choice of coach goes to the singer. This season, show producer Mark Burnett has added more rounds of blind auditions and each of the coaches’ teams will be expanded to 12 singers each. 

HEALTHY LYF: UNILAB Launches Open-Source Program For Health and Wellness

Unilab launches its first open-source program for innovations in healthcare through Unilab Link-Up, an online facility where innovators, suppliers, and consumers can submit their innovative ideas for new and improved health and wellness products, services, packaging, and manufacturing technologies.

The first of its kind for a Filipino pharmaceutical and healthcare company, Unilab Link-Up serves as an open-door facility that matches an innovative idea from practically anyone in the country with the resources of Unilab to bring the idea to market. The program also aims to provide solutions to health and wellness needs of Filipinos that have yet to be addressed by existing products and services in the country. 

MUSIC LYF: Somedaydream Bloggers' Meet Up

When I first heard of the song "Hey Daydreamer", I though that this was made by a foreign artist comparable to electronic pop artists like Daft Punk and Owl City. But this young man is a true blue Pinoy with a mission to spread the good news of good music.

2011 was a big year for Somedaydream. Aside from being awarded by Yahoo! Philippines as Breakthrough artist and Icon of the year, the single "Hey Daydreamer" got the number one spot on both Pinoy MYX Countdown and MYX Hit Chardts year-ender. It was also radio station TX 93.1's  "Song of the Year"  also made him "OPM Artist of the Year". SOmedaydream likewise performed at the prestigous  2011 MYX Music Awards.

However, things get netter this 2012 for this talented Ateneo de Manila college student whose  meteoric rise is a breath of fresh air in the OPM scene. To start off "Hey Daydreamer" became more of an LSS song as it is heared in the popular Cornetto ice cream comercial. He also appears as cover of the month  special issue of Pinoy Magazine. Plus Somedaydream has more surprises on his sleeve as the year progresses.

Being a student and an artist is indeed busy yet he is able to manage them and still do good in school and getting known by more and more fans. He performed at the anniversary of the Far Eastern University last week and considered to be a popular with teenage girls.

"everything happened so fast and it 's really exciting" Somedaydream said. ",I'm definitely looking forward for more great things this year and you should watch out for that!"

MUSIC LYF: We Got DIBS!

The buzzed about Pulse Saturdays event deserves a repeat!

Pulse Saturdays: We got D.I.B.S. (Dropping ill beats/brands simultaneously) is a much awaited album and brand launch event wherein ill beats and new drops will rule Feb 4’s Saturday night!

Prepare for a sick meet up and dope performance from urban artists like Pinoy Pop Superstar Finalist, BRENAN, Urban Music Awards, Best Female RnB Artist, AMBER DAVIS, distinguished underground artist NINKS,  Vivas newest RNB Duo, THYRO and YUMI, and one of the pillars of Pinoy Hiphop, PIKASO.

Meanwhile, urban athletics churns out new brands to watch for.

MUSIC LYF: Bloggers' Night With Sabrina

Its very rare for Filipinos to enter the music market of Asian countries because of a lot of factors and of course competition with local and other Asian music artists. But I was surprized that another Filipina musician made waves in the South East Asian market and also reach platinum status for her album, she is Sabrina Orial or simply SABRINA has became sucessful with her covers such as "Price Tag" and "Move Like Jagger". 

“I Love Acoustic 4” is now certified PLATINUM in Indonesia (the album turned GOLD November of 2011). This makes Sabrina one of the few Filipino singers to have multi-platinum success in Indonesia which other singers have tried but failed to penetrate. “I Love Acoustic 4” was also released in Thailand and soon in Singapore and Malaysia. Her previous albums “I Love Acoustic”, “I Love Acoustic Too and “I Love Acoustic 3” were multi-platinum success in those countries- the only Filipino female singer to break in successfully in the South East Asian market. Her huge following abroad is now translating locally as the album is still in retail charts where it debuted at #1 at Astroplus and #9 at Odyssey upon its first week of release. Because of her success abroad, she became a recipient of the “International Achievement Award at the recent Awit Awards where she also took home the I-Gateway Mobile Philippines, Inc.'s Most Downloaded Artist for 2010.


The album also includes the tracks “Price Tag,” “Who Says”, “Edge of Glory”, “On The Floor”, “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”, “California King Bed”, “Hold It Against Me”, “Rolling In The Deep”, “The Lazy Song”, “Back To December”, “That Should Be Me”, “Marry Me”, “Rocketeer”, “Just The Way You Are” featuring Indonesian singer Calvin Jeremy and “Lucky” featuring multi-platinum crooner Richard Poon.

“I Love Acosutic 4” by Sabrina is now out in CDs under MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines) and available for download at mymusicstore.com.ph. To download Sabrina’s single “Moves Like Jagger” text JGR and send to 2728 for Smart and Talk N Text subscribers, text KL343 and send to 2332 for Globe/ TM or text  5493161 and send to 2300 for Sun Cellular subscribers. 


For more of Sabrina’s music, just text SABRINA to 3456 or check out www.facebook.com/mcamusic. Special thanks to Pinoy Magazine and Orange Magazine Tv nd Red Box: Rock, Dine, Roll.

Here are videos of his performance at Red Box on the Bloggers' Meet Up. Enjoy Sabrinantics!

SM North EDSA Great Northern Sale!

Get into a shopping spree this February as SM North EDSA starts The Great Northern Sale from today February 2 to 5, 2012. With items on sale up to 70% off on selected items!  And being in the biggest mall in the country (and one of the biggest in the world), you have a wide selection of stores and food establishments that will keep you the whole day for fun, shopping and food tripping. Perfect for families and friends to enjoy the coming weekend. Also a perfect time for dates (plus Shopping).

Like them on their Official facebook page and get the latest updates and promos!

Here are what's happenin' at SM North EDSA this February!

PAGTUTULUNGAN.ORG: WFP Supports DSWD in Strengthening Logistics Information System for Disaster Response Preparedness

Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman and World Food Programme Philippines Country Director and Representative Stephen Anderson recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement to strengthen the DSWD’s disaster response capacity. The partnership, funded by the USAID/Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance, aims to use information and communication technologies to improve logistics information flow within DSWD, which will be of particular relevance in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters, providing the Philippine Government with timely and accurate information that will allow for swifter emergency responses. WFP National Ambassador Against Hunger KC Concepcion witnessed the signing.

Photo Credit: WFP/Philipp Herzog/Philippines

AXA Philippines Opens Marikina branch

AXA Philippines comes closer to its Marikina customers as it opens its new branch at the 2nd Floor of the RR Building located at187 Shoe Avenue, Sta. Elena, Marikina City. The new branch is the latest addition to AXA Philippines’ ever-growing nationwide network; it assures that customers will always have personalized solutions that fit their financial goals, whenever they need them.

The Marikina branch is under the management of Mary Ann Uyching, the Executive Branch Head of Amazing Life and the Immediate Past President of the General Agents and Managers Association (GAMA) Philippines. According to her, the new AXA office in Marikina would allow the life insurance company to serve more clients.

REEL DEAL: This Mean War/Chronicle SPOTLIGHT

10-MINUTES OF WAR IN “CHRONICLE”

The highly intense edgy teen thriller “Chronicle” tags 10-minutes of “This Means War” footage when it opens in theaters nationwide on February 2 (Thursday).

“This Means War” stars Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy in a love war triangle when CIA agents and childhood best buddies find out they are dating the same woman.  Hilarity and hard-core action ensue as the trio try to work on the situation the best way possible brought by Hollywood’s ensemble of hit filmmakers.  “This Means War” is helmed by director McG whose worldwide hits include “Charlie’s Angels,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” and “Terminator Salvation,” written by scribe Simon Kinberg who penned the incredibly thrilling films “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “”X-Men: The Last Stand,” “Jumper” and “Sherlock Holmes,” and produced by Will Smith to create  2012’s most enjoyable adult romantic-action-comedy.

            

Consecutively opening this February  - “Chronicle” (February 2) and “This Means War” (February 22) are from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros. in theaters nationwide.­

XSTIG: More About 3D Vizion

By Filipinos, For Filipinos: Proudly Pinoy Company Aims to Change Country’s Advertising Landscape

Filipinos have always been at the forefront of innovation. As it is in more developed countries that a life that can dedicate itself to the pursuit of knowledge for its sake can create such great invention, it is at the other end of the spectrum—a dire need to focus on day-to-day matters which the Philippines has found itself. Strangely enough, the difficulties that have plagued the country for so many years have made innovation a real survival act. 

Following this tradition of Filipinos stumbling towards modernization in the process of seeking a better way of doing things, a budding company named 3D Vizion has come up with a ground-breaking technology that takes the best of high-definition 2D technology and the latest in 3D technology to come up with a platform that is set to change the way companies in the Philippines advertise—glasses-free 3D screens.

The company was founded on the premise of providing the best for Filipinos—by Filipinos.

“When we decided to pursue this, we had only one intention in mind—to come up with a company, that will revolutionize the way we do advertising here in the country—to provide our countrymen with the best available technology out there,” shares Katrina Bantug, President and CEO of 3D Vizion. “Myself, Mr. Mohan Kulkarni and DEMIKK Holdings, Inc., as represented by Ruben Tiu, came up with this idea of having a fully-operational Filipino company that offers world-class, first-class products and services.”