GMA Network's official statement on Sarah Lahbati

"Last December, Sarah Lahbati unilaterally decided to take a leave of absence of one (1) month from GMA Network, because she said she wanted to de-stress and unwind.  Because her reasons were vague, they were not accepted by management.  While we understand that work in our industry can be stressful (as in any business), we believe that this is not only unavoidable in most cases, but also a part of what one does as a professional and/or performing artist.

Her leave of absence was also disapproved by management because of her pending obligations (i.e. Party Pilipinas, on-going promos and other endorsement commitments).  However, on the evening of Jan 2, she tweeted that she will be going to Switzerland to study, despite the disapproval given to her last December on taking a leave.  This is in violation of her contract, because she has to perform and appear in programs and events assigned to her, and make herself available to faithfully and promptly fulfill all engagements contracted for her by GMA.

At the same time, she has yet to address the issue of her walking out during taping, which caused the production team to pack-up, and incur an additional cost of 500k.  She is therefore, currently under investigation and the network is still studying on what actions to take." 

ART IS A BANG: Concert At The Park 50th Anniversary

Rizal Park's CONCERT AT THE PARK celebrates its 50TH ANNIVERSARY with a feature presentation.

Selebrasyon – a celebration of Filipino culture through music, song and dance

featuring Philippine BARANGGAY Folk Dance Troupe

Sun 6 Jan 2013 | 5 pm 

Rizal Park, Manila

The public is cordially invited and admission is  free of charge

 

MUSIC LYF: Sabrina Brings New Suprizes for “I LOVE ACOUSTIC 5”

Duets with Asiansation Christian Bautista for carrier single “Terrified”

With over 175,000 albums sold all over Asia of her “I Love Acoustic” series, Asia’s Acoustic Sweetheart SABRINA continues to delight Asian audiences with the release of “I Love Acoustic 5”. This is her second album in 2012 after taking a break from “I Love Acoustic” with the concept album “Acoustic Love Notes” her collaboration with radio/ TV host Joe D’Mango which spawned the hits “Somewhere Down The Road”, “Sa Bawat Paghinga” (theme of GMA Korean series “Angel’s Temptation” and “One True”.

Like her previous albums which are multi-platinum successes in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, “I Love Acoustic 5” includes current hit songs interpreted by Sabrina in her signature acoustic style which enthralled Asian listeners. Songs like: “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” (originally by Taylor Swift), “Call Me Maybe” (Carly Rae Jepsen), “Payphone” (Maroon 5), “What Makes You Beautiful” (One Direction), “Starships” (Nicki Minaj), “Somebody That I Used To Know” (Gotye), “Part of Me” (Katy Perry), “One Thing” (One Direction), “Glad You Came” (The Wanted), “I Won’t Give Up” (Jason Mraz), “We Found Love” (Rihanna), “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” (Kelly Clarkson), “A Thousand Years” (Christina Perri), “Domino” (Jessie J) and “If I Die Young” (The Band Perry).

Gee Canlas: From being TV’s fastest talker to Amazing Race Philippines’ surprise frontrunner

TV host Gee Canlas impressed audiences when she was introduced in the now-defunct ABS-CBN show Music Uplate Live, where he made a name for herself as Speedy Gee because of her ability to talk really fast. 

She then was given a hosting assignment in Pilipinas Win Na Win, alongside Pokwang, and Kris Aquino. The show however was axed after only a few months. 

Recently, however, Gee made a surprise, bold move when she figured as one of the finalists of TV5’s Amazing Race Philippines, where she is paired with her good friend Sheena Vera Cruz.

Her inclusion in the program also showed her transformation. Since she started her stint in the business, she lost considerable weight. 

“Joining Amazing Race Philippines is an opportunity that presented itself, so I grabbed it. In fact, even before this local edition, I auditioned for the regional show,” says Gee. “Pero ngayon, with a new partner Sheena who is a very good friend of mine, we were chosen to be part of the show, so thankful talaga kami.” 

LAKBAYAN: Cafe Lupe at Rizal Park

Luneta has indeed reinvented itself from the dark days years ago. And as featured here in MTL with amazing transformation of the biggest urban park in the Philippines can now again claim its glory as a tourist destination for both foreign and local tourists. 

And with the Christmas and New Year season giving time for people to go out and spend time with family and friends. And indeed it was filled with a sea of people going around the park for the free concerts, bazaars, and the park features like the Chinese and Japanese Gardens, Kilometer Zero marker, Quirino Grandstand, and of course the Rizal Monument.

REEL DEAL: Life of Pi - Suraj Sharma SPOTLIGHT

“LIFE OF PI’S” NEWBIE THESPIAN SURAJ SHARMA NOMINATED IN 18TH CRITICS’ CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS

From Oscar winning filmmaker Ang Lee comes “Life of Pi,” a breathtakingly beautiful story of a boy named Pi played by newcomer Suraj Sharma who is lost at sea with a Bengal tiger, following the loss of his family in a shipwreck .

Suraj Sharma who hails from India never expected a “Life of Pi” when he accompanied his brother to the movie’s casting call.  Born and raised in Delhi, India and raised by mathematician parents, it seemed that from more than 3,000 hopefuls who auditioned for the role, Suraj was destined to play the role of Pi, a mathematical constant transcendental number. 

Marvin Agustin considers 2012 a landmark year

The year 2012 is undeniably a landmark year for Marvin Agustin, for it is this year that he has been lauded on basically all his endeavors – as a TV/movie actor, entrepreneur, restaurateur, entertainment producer, and a society mover.

Before the end of the year, Marvin bagged two important entrepreneurial awards – the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the annual Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and being one of the recipients of the MVP Bossing Awards. These awards highlight the immense contribution of Marvin as a young entrepreneur, being one of the men behind one of the most successful food chains Sumo Sam.

These achievements were acknowledged by various brands’ support to Marvin by asking him to be their endorser. Currently, Marvin is the face of brands like Knorr, Carbtrim, Tupperware, among others.

HEALTHY LYF: Chikungunya virus on the move

DOH:  cases of dengue-like mosquito-borne disease now rising

Little did we know that aside from dengue, there are many other life-threatening mosquito-borne diseases that have hounded Filipinos for decades.  Though there is no vaccine available in the country to cure these illnesses, preventive measures are available to assure safety of adults and children alike.

Last October, the Department of Health (DOH) warned the public to take extra precautions against the chikungunya virus.  The DOH confirmed that there were 150 recorded cases of this dengue-like disease last month.  And last year, more than 1,000 cases of chikungunya were recorded in the country.

The origin

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne virus first reported in Africa in 1952 and has spread in Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Europe and United States, infecting millions. Believed to be derived from an East African dialect that means “to be contorted,” chikungunya describes the curved posture of patients experiencing severe joint pain.  

XSTIG: Huawei Ascend G600 and Ascend D1 quad XL

Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today unveiled the Huawei Ascend D1 quad XL, its flagship quad-core Android 4.0 ICS smartphone, and the HUAWEI Ascend G600 smartphone, dual-core Android 4.0 ICS successor of the popular Huawei Honor.  

“Huawei Device strives to combine what we know people want in a smartphone with our experience in delivering against those expectations. As part of our Ascend series of best-in-class smartphones, the Ascend D1 quad XL and Ascend G600 allow consumers to experience speed, long battery life and exceptional mobile entertainment in a high-quality, lightweight package. In addition, our more than two decades of experience has allowed us to optimize the Ascend smartphones’ network search algorithm and its base station auto-search technology, improving the speed of the phone’s signal detection to further extend battery life,” said Johnson Ma, country manager at Huawei Device Philippines.  

Ascend D1 quad XL - Turbo-charged performance dynamo

The Ascend D1 quad XL is a turbo-charged all-rounder, combining good looks and performance with an exceptional audio visual experience. Combined with its ultra-powerful 2600mAh battery, it delivers an impressive 15 hours of talk time and 500 hours of standby time. The Ascend D1 quad XL keeps you on-the-go with 30% more battery power than the industry average by adjusting power consumption according to usage needs.

Powered by Huawei’s HiSilicon HI3620 quad-core 1.4GHz processor, the Ascend D1 quad XL offers a mobile cinematic experience like no other, with its high-definition 4.5-inch, 1280 x 720 Toshiba screen providing crystal clear images even under direct sunlight. The Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL is a feast for all the senses, with Dolby® Mobile 3.0 Plus sound enhancement and Audience earSmart™ voice processor for a superb audio experience. 

Welcoming The New Year With With Sky Lanterns at Light Up NUVALI

The New Year is upon us and ending 2012 should be something unique and significant. And I won't pass on the opportunity to try out this. On Rizal Day, December 30, We went to Nuvali, the premiere eco city in Laguna which is now becoming a popular place for people and nature, conducted their annual Sky Lantern event which will light up the Laguna sky. It will be my first time to fly these lanterns and also make a wish for 2013 and beyond.

Nuvali is also the perfect place for Sky Lanterns as it would be hazardous to fire when done in the urban area. And with the multitudes of lanterns flying up is a great sight to see as they appear like stars floating up to the sky. Which also reminds you of an animated movie which also had their annual sky lanterns. The lanterns are also specially made to prevent fire incidents with eco friendly materials.