Easy Chris Kringle

Your partner, your team mates, your toka lunch group, your boss, your boss’s boss, the parking guard, the people on four, five, and six- the list is long, and time is short. Christmas is here again and, with it, the dilemma of what to buy for all those people at the office that won’t cost you your bonus. Well, have no fear. Santa’s little helpers are here at SM Department Store’s Beauty Section. They’ve got everything you need to get all those stockings stuffed with gifts that aren’t just perfectly-priced for the occasion, but thoughtful too.

REEL DEAL: Himala (Restored Version)

Even after all of these years, timeless classics never cease to amaze me with their aesthetic permanence and style, and one of these cinema gems HIMALA was restored with the aide of technology to give it a cleaner view compared when it was grainy and noisy back then. The restortion was done by ABS-CBN and Central Digital Lab. The Restored Film was first premiered in 69th Venice Film Festival. In the Philippines, it was released on December 5, 2012

This movie which is the most memorable Nora Aunor movie has been recognized here with Best Picture from the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival and the 1983 Catholic Mass Media Awards and abroad including the CNN Best Asian Films of All Time chosen by CNN International in 2008. 

Himala was one of the entries of the 1892 Metro Manila Film Festival. Direcetd by Ishmael Bernal, Story/Screenplay by Ricky Lee. Starring Nora Aunor as Elsa, Spanky Manikan as Orly, Gigi Duenas as Nimia, Laura Centeno as Chayong, Vangie Labalan as Aling Saling, Veronica Palileo as Mrs. Alba, and Ama Quiambao as Sepa.

REEL DEAL: The Wolverine NEW POSTER

“THE WOLVERINE” BRAND NEW POSTER IS HERE TO SHARE!

20th Century Fox releases the brand new international poster of “The Wolverine” displaying Hugh Jackman in an arched position seemingly ready for intense action!

"Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine, the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before."

“The Wolverine” brand new poster is available in various formats on the official site at http://www.thewolverinemovie.com/intl  including:

Consing to succeed Montinola as BPI president

At a meeting held last December 12, 2012, the Board of Directors of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) approved a succession plan recommended by its Nomination Committee and Personnel and Compensation Committee. Cezar P. Consing  will be nominated to succeed Aurelio R. Montinola III as President and CEO at the next organizational meeting of the Board immediately following the stockholders’ meeting scheduled on April 18, 2013.  This movement is in line with the traditional retirement practices in BPI and forms part of the normal succession process. 

GUY'S MANUAL: Applabs Digital Studios Presents CarCrazee

App development innovator APPLABS DIGITAL STUDIOS, together with SM CYBERZONE and VIP PRODUCTIONS, will be uniting the young and veteran car and gadget enthusiasts and social influencers on DECEMBER 15, 2012, AT SM STA. MESA. The GRAND CAR & GADGET SHOW PARTY is slated to offer a smorgasbord of the coolest and newest gadgets and the best custom modified cars in the Philippines.

AppLabs Digital Studios believes that it’s always better to end the year with a bang, and after celebrating its first successful year, the company ends 2012 on a high note with the launch of CarCrazee. Touted as AppLabs Digital Studios’ flagship application, CARCRAZEE is also the Philippines’ first ever social networking application for car enthusiasts.

The best modified cars on the show will receive top prizes from AppLabs Digital Studios, and three winners from the Wallpaper Design, Best personal Photo and Best Fan Photo contests will take home cash prizes. Meanwhile, Smartphones and other gadgets from sponsors will be given to the raffle winners.

HEALTHY LYF: Less Worry About Carbs With Carbtrim

As people are getting conscious about their weight with the coming Christmas parties, reunions, and get together  one would say just diet another day (or probably next year which usually set to fail). But there is actually something one can do without having to pass on the flavors of the season.

Carbtrim is a special ice tea mix that helps in preventing the absorption of carbohydrates which will lead to increased weight which most people are afraid especially women. With celebrations and buffet this season, it hard to resist temptation!

Since most people don't like to take capsules or tablets which can be forgotten and lost, Carbtrim comes in a handy sachet good for a glass which you can drink before meals. The iced tea flavors of lemon and apple also gives the variety of flavors.

GMA's Magpakailanman beats 'Maalaala Mo Kaya'

Last Saturday (Dec 8), GMA Network's award-winning drama anthology Magpakailanman, hosted by multi-awarded TV personality Mel Tiangco, featured the touching and inspiring life story of Ryzza Mae Dizon.

The episode, which traced the very young life of Ryzza Mae - from the time she was conceived up until she won the Little Miss Philippines 2012 title of Eat Bulaga, was undoubtedly preferred by more viewers, according to data from the industry's widely trusted ratings service provider Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

Based on overnight household ratings data recorded in National Urban Phils for December 8, Magpakailanman scored an average household rating of 26.7 percent versus ABS-CBN's Maalaala Mo Kaya (MMK) with 20.9 percent. In Urban Luzon, it scored 30.8 percent compared to MMK's 17.2 percent while in Mega Manila, Magpakailanman posted an even bigger margin with 31.6 percent against MMK's 15.4 percent.

 Catch more inspiring and uplifting life stories in Magpakailanman every Saturday night, after Kap's Amazing Stories, on GMA 7.

SM Cinema’s e-PLUS card partners with Habitat for Humanity

SM Cinema’s e-PLUS card, your most convenient access to the movies, has sealed a partnership with Habitat for Humanity Philippines last November 6 at the Premier Café of the Mall of Asia Arena. For every purchase of an e-PLUS Gift Card worth P300.00, part of the proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity Philippines’ Ayos Bahay Challenge, a pro-active disaster response and risk mitigation program of Habitat that targets to distribute shelter repair kits and home improvement kits to disaster-prone areas in the country. The SM Cinema e -PLUS Gift Cards are available at all SM Cinema e-PLUS booths nationwide. 

In the photo are (left to right): Ms. Joanne Pacho, Social Investments and Endowment Officer of Habitat for Humanity Philippines, Ms. Koleen Davila-Palaganas, Marketing & Communications Director of Habitat for Humanity Philippines, Mr. Edgar C. Tejerero, Senior Vice-President of West Avenue Theatres Corporation (WATC), the managing arm of SM Cinema and Ms. Sahara Garnica, Asst. Vice President for Corporate Marketing of WATC.

SM Cinema holds first-ever Free Movie Day in celebration of their 100% digitization

In celebration of the full digitization of their movie theaters, SM Cinema held the first-ever Free Movie Day in the Philippines. Upholding their commitment when they announced this massive project last year, SM Cinema completed the full conversion of their cinemas through the assistance of the Virtual Print Fee program, a subsidy program offered by international film distributors to assist theatre operators in digital theatre conversion.

“We are proud to announce that we have kept our promise to complete the transition of our 246 theaters in all of our 45 branches nationwide, and with this Free Movie Day, we show our gratitude to our loyal patrons by letting them experience first-hand the features of our fully digitalized theaters for free.” said Edgar Tejerero, Senior Vice President of West Avenue Theatres Corporation, the managing company of SM Cinema. “This digital conversion of our movie theaters serves as a testament to our loyal patrons of our commitment to provide only the best movie experience for them.” added Mr. Tejerero.

Aside from lowered costs for film production, editing and distribution for movie production companies, both theater operators and moviegoers can widely benefit in digital theatre conversion. Movie patrons can enjoy movies having clearer audio and crisper visual quality compared to film-based movies, while theatre owners can have real-time distribution of movies to several locations or branches at once. Moreover, the shift to digital cinemas reduces the chances of piracy with its tighter copy protection and the time-lock function that only allows a movie to be accessed at a preset time. This prevents unauthorized copies from being distributed prior to the world or local premiere.  

PAGTUTULUNGAN.ORG: WFP Appeals fro US$ 21.6 Million To Assist Victims of Typhoon Bopha

DAVAO CITY, PHILIPPINES – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is appealing for US$21.6 million to provide life-saving food and nutrition assistance as well as logistics support for 400,000 people who have been most affected by Typhoon Bopha in the worst-hit areas of  Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, the CARAGA region, and Lanao del Sur.

WFP’s food assistance, which will run until May 2013, complements the government’s ongoing relief and early recovery operations through a single food supply pipeline, jointly managed  with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), to ensure  an efficient and coordinated response to food needs on the ground.

WFP’s assistance will include providing specialised nutritious foods to 80,000 children in the worst-affected areas and 60,000 pregnant and nursing mothers.