UST and Hercor College are National Champions in the Ajinomoto® UmamiCulinary Challenge year 6

The University of Santo Tomas (UST) won the Umami Bowl Award (for the 2nd year) and the Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao Showdown for My Own Umami Creation during the recently concluded Ajinomoto® Umami Culinary Challenge (UCC) 2015. Sharing the spotlight with UST is Hercor College from Roxas City, who won the Best Filipino Umami Dish Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao Showdown. The event attracted thousands of HRM and Nutrition students in 54 schools from NCR, Ilocos, CALABARZON, Central Luzon and Bicol Regions and regional winners from Visayas and Mindanao.

REEL DEAL: Animated Short "FROZEN FEVER" To Play With "CINDERELLA"

Disney has just released the first images from the animated short “Frozen Fever.”

The upcoming “Frozen” sequel short—which will play in front of the live-action “Cinderella” — has Elsa (Idina Menzel) trying to throw a big, birthday bash for Anna (Kristen Bell). However, it turns out the cold can bother Elsa, and the way she experiences the symptoms is different than everybody else. “Elsa doesn’t get a cold in the usual way,” co-director Jennifer Lee tells USA Today. “She’s special. Surprising things occur that wreak a little havoc.” Lee and co-director Chris Buck promise other surprises as well.

REEL DEAL: Staging The Perfect Crime In “KIDNAPPING FREDDY HEINEKEN”

World-acclaimed actor Anthony Hopkins whose portrayal of Hannibal in “Silence of the Lambs” gave chills to moviegoers across the globe is set to give the world anew a much stronger thrill in the upcoming tightly-paced crime thriller “Kidnapping Freddy Heineken” in which he plays the titular character.

 “Kidnapping Freddy Heineken,” based on the true story of the widely followed crime event of 1983, when the real Freddy Heineken, the flamboyant Dutch brewer was kidnapped by masked men outside his main office in Amsterdam and was held captive for 21 days.

REEL DEAL: "300" Star Jack O'Connell Plays Real-Life War Hero In "UNBROKEN"

He received wide acclaim as the tenacious young Greek soldier in the global box-office hit “300: Rise of an Empire.” Now, Jack O'Connell gets his biggest breakthrough role as the Olympian and World War II hero Louis Zamperini in the Angelina Jolie-directed epic drama, “Unbroken.”

The critically acclaimed film follows the incredible life of Louis “Louie” Zamperini who survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash during World War II—only to be caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a series of prisoner-of-war camps. 

REEL DEAL: From Phenomenal Online Game "DRAGON NEST: WARRIOR'S DAWN" Movie Opens March 18

Produced by giant game prime movers Shanda Games and Eyedentity Games along with Chinese animation studio Mili Pictures,  “Dragon Nest: Warrior’s Dawn” is finally set for theatrical release in local (Phils.) cinemas starting this March 18.

“Dragon Nest: Warrior’s Dawn” is Mili’s debut production and is directed by Song Yuefeng, an award winning animation director.  Fans of the MMORPG which has more than 100 million registered users will finally see the land of Altera and its inhabitants spring to life in cinemas. In the movie, the power of the evil Black Dragon has swept the land of Altera and all have suffered since then that triggered a sense of chaos.

Of its inhabitants is Lambert, an ordinary village boy who has seen first hand the murder of his parents and the destruction of his hometown. Growing up an orphan, he swore to learn the skills on how to be a good fighter to save Altera from the evil that imprisons it. 

Along with Lambert are friends, fiends and creatures that he meets along his journey to become the unlikely hero of Altera.

“MANHID: THE PINOY SUPERHERO MUSICAL” Caps Off Ballet Philippines Sapphire Season in February 2015

Comic book fanatics, musical theater lovers, and political activists are bound to be moved by Ballet Philippines’ newest venture, “MANHID: The Pinoy Superhero Musical”. Inspired from comic book super heroes of the 60 - 90’s – MANHID introduces a new generation of Filipino super heroes redefined for today’s times. Set in an alternate present day Philippines where the EDSA revolution failed, this musical features heroes and villains with superpowers, and a people sick with Kamanhiran (Apathy). “MANHID” is the final production in BP’s 45th anniversary season.

Super-powers, entertaining scenes with well fleshed out characters and an exceptional score spells the rare formula for MANHID. MANHID has already achieved cult status because the Eraserheads – the band who helped compose the music and performed it in the original production in 1992 performed at the University of the Philippines – have gone on to become one of the country’s leading pop groups. They released “Kailan”, one of the songs from MANHID, which became a top selling hit.

Public schools nationwide pay tribute to 44 SAF heroes

The Department of Education (DepEd), together with its schools and offices, observed 44 seconds of silence and one second for peace nationwide during today’s flag-raising ceremonies to honor the 44 Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) who perished during the Mamasapano incident.

Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC said, “It is with profound sadness that we, as a Department, bear this loss, for the valiant 44 PNP-SAF heroes who count as our sons. News of their deaths triggered an expression of sorrow from teachers, administrators, and members of the DepEd family nationwide—they, too, had lost husbands, brothers, and former students."

REEL DEAL: Size Up Marvel's "ANT-MAN" In Teaser Trailer

A small hero makes an impact in the first official trailer and poster for Marvel's "Ant-Man" starring Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly. Check out the poster below and the trailer here at http://youtu.be/X9j23wif4l4.

The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Marvel’s “Ant-Man” stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket, Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, Michael Peña as Luis, Judy Greer as Maggie, Tip “Ti” Harris as Dave, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, Wood Harris as Gale, Jordi Mollà as Castillo and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.

REEL DEAL: Teen Thriller Genre Get New Treatment In "PROJECT ALMANAC"

He's one of the most prolific movie producers working today, but no amount of experience and knowhow could have prepared Brad Fuller (“The Purge,” “Ouija”) for making a found-footage film, specifically Paramount Pictures' new sci-fi thriller “Project Almanac.”

The film stars Jonny Weston as David, a super bright high school student who finds a set of plans his late father left behind – plans to build a time machine. With a little help from his best friends, Quinn (Sam Lerner) and Adam (Allen Evangelista), and his crush, Jessie (Sofia Black-D’Elia), David finishes what his father started while his younger sister Christina (Ginny Gardner) films the whole thing.

Marie Avgerpoulos Teams Up With Taylor Lautner In A Man's World In "TRACERS"

Meet Cam (Lautner) and Nikki (Avgeropoulis) both are broken and all are in need of being rescued.  But in the fast-paced action thriller “Tracers,” who rescues whom; and who pulls whom from the darkest night and the deepest pit?  Find out when “Tracers” opens February 4 in local cinemas nationwide.

“Tracers” is on its surface very simple.  It’s about a guy – ‘Cam’ – who finds a girl – ‘Nikki’. The girl allows him to reclaim a part of his life and a spirit in his life.  At the exact same moment that happens, outside forces are pressing in on him.  And that’s where Tracers takes off.

Marie Avgeropoulos plays Nikki, the gal that lures Cam into her world and becomes his love interest in “Tracers.”  “The appeal of Tracers was being part of a high impact thrilling action movie that’s just nonstop.  I hadn’t had the pleasure of working on a project like that yet and playing a character like Nikki who is sort of a guarded tomboy who’s one of the guys – tough on the outside but very vulnerable on the inside to those who are lucky enough to meet that side of her.”