Globe conducts relief operations in Bicol Region

Globe conducts relief operations in Bicol Region. Globe Telecom conducted relief operations in Bicol Region provinces which were severely hit by Typhoon Nina during Christmas day.  A total of 900 relief packs were delivered to Albay and Camarines Sur while 86 boxes of mineral water were transported to Catanduanes.  Globe also set up Libreng Tawag and Charging stations in 16 locations across Oriental Mindoro, Albay, Camarines Sur, Quezon, Sorsogon, and Marinduque to assist the residents with their communication needs.  In photo, Relief Operations SPOC Sabrina Lumibao (leftmost) accepts the relief packs for Polangui, Albay on behalf of Representative Joey Salceda.  With her are (from L-R):  Jocy Silo, Globe Territorial Sales Head, Ren Osero, Globe Regional Sales Head for South Luzon 2 and Al Canete, Globe Territorial Sales Head.

Cheers To The Winners of MMFF 2016!

This year's MMFF was indeed a game changer with the 8 entries that gave the festival a whole new light and impact to the public. The festival included showcased the films like Kabisera, Oro, Sunday Beauty Queen, Saving Sally, Vince Kath & James, Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank 2 #ForeverIsNotEnough, Seklusyon and Die Beautiful. There is also a showcase of short films that were shown before the feature film. This changes did make the festival a refreshing experience to moviegoers.

I have watched 6 of the 8 films which I am very entertained. And with that I have my own favorites and bets for the awards night. HOOQ, Asia’s largest video-on-demand service, remained the exclusive presenter of the 42nd Metro Manila Film Festival and its New Wave category.

Check the photos of the Gabi ng Parangal here.

Globe and partners commit to rehabilitation of PGH Pediatric Cancer Clinic

Globe Telecom, together with its strategic partner Amdocs, major stockholder Singtel, concerned customers and employees joined forces to successfully raise funds for the much-needed rehabilitation of the Philippine General Hospital’s pediatric cancer clinic.

The cost of renovation, which is P863,380.52 will be turned over to the PGH Medical Foundation, Inc., a non-government organization founded in 1997 which acts as the fund-raising arm of PGH.

Amdocs and Singtel donated P200,000 and P100,000, respectively, as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts while the rest came from Globe employees and customers.

Keira Knightley Personifies Love in "Collateral Beauty"

Two-time Oscar-nominee Keira Knightley (Pride and Prejudice, The Imitation Game) is the epitome of Love, in New Line Cinema's heartwarming drama, Collateral Beauty.

In the film, Howard (Will Smith), a successful New York advertising executive retreats from life after suffering a great tragedy. While his concerned friends try desperately to reconnect with him, he seeks answers from the universe by writing letters to Love, Time and Death. But it’s not until his notes bring unexpected personal responses that he begins to understand how these constants interlock in a life fully lived, and how even the deepest loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.

"xXx: Return of Xander Cage" Races to IMAX PH Cinemas Jan 18

Extreme action returns to IMAX! Paramount Pictures' xXx: Return of Xander Cage starring Vin Diesel will open in IMAX cinemas across the Philippines on January 18, 2017 simultaneous with the film's debut in regular theaters.

(Watch new TV spots of xXx: Return of Xander Cage at https://youtu.be/mllxOAvjzRo and https://youtu.be/eEKEoSlbL34.)

"Split" -- Hailed as Shyamalan's Most Terrifying Film

Writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan returns to the captivating grip of The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs with Universal Pictures' Split, an original film that delves into the mysterious recesses of one man’s fractured, gifted mind.

For the film The Guardian calls “a masterful blend of Hitchcock and horror,” Shyamalan's has assembled a strong cast led by James McAvoy (X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future of Past), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), Betty Buckley (The Happening), Haley Lu Richardson (The Edge of Seventeen) and Jessica Sula (Recovery Road).

In Split, though Kevin (McAvoy) has evidenced 23 personalities—each with unique physical attributes—to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Buckley), there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey (Taylor-Joy), Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him—as well as everyone around him—as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.

Moviegoers were first introduced to the mysterious and intricate universe of M. Night Shyamalan in 1999 with the worldwide phenomenon The Sixth Sense, which was followed by such blockbusters as Unbreakable and Signs.

The filmmaker began a new chapter in 2015 with his terrifying The Visit, which grossed almost $100 million worldwide. Following the same model as that movie’s production—and to allow for complete creative freedom—Shyamalan made the decision to return to his independent roots by self-financing Split.

“I want to make something new with every single film by doing something that nobody’s ever done,” Shyamalan says. “That’s exciting for me, and it’s also dangerous and problematic, especially when selling it to the world.”

With a more intimate setup, Shyamalan was able to primarily focus his energies on the story and character development by eliminating some of the noise and variables that come with a larger film. “It’s easy to knock me out of my comfort zone, which is a reason why I make smaller movies,” Shyamalan says. “That way I can turn down certain factors so I can hear that creative voice telling me if something we’re doing is off track.”

Shyamalan’s filmmaking style also goes beyond a single genre. “Each film is uniquely his own,” says executive producer Steven Schneider. “He weaves together folktales, legends and other narratives, and blends them with his background and experience. All of his films cover complex themes and characters, and I was amazed by the depth of Split.”

Schneider believes audiences will not only be entertained by Split, but they will be challenged by it. “My hopes are as ambitious as Night’s that the film’s strength in storytelling will spark debate about the complexities of human identity,” he says.

Split is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

"Passengers" -- Year's First Visually Stunning Film

“It’s always good when you can create your own world,” says director Morten Tyldum, who creates a new vision of space travel in Passengers, touted to be the first visually stunning film of 2017. “I’m a huge sci-fi fan, and I also have such respect for the genre, so I wanted to try to do something that had never been done before.”

In the film, Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jim (Chris Pratt) are two strangers who are on a 120-year journey to another planet when their hibernation pods wake them 90 years too early. Jim and Aurora are forced to unravel the mystery behind the malfunction as the ship teeters on the brink of collapse, jeopardizing the lives of the passengers on the greatest mass migration in human history.

#GiveMoreWithHuawei grants kids’ Christmas wishes

Sharing on social media meant anew this Christmas as thousands of Filipinos participated to help less fortunate children this Christmas through #GiveMoreWithHuawei. Over Php 250,000 worth of donations were received by the kids of Concordia Children’s Services Inc. through a social media fundraising campaign -- turning the quirky and creative photos of Filipinos doing the double O pose uploaded on social media into Christmas presents.

The movement gathered Huawei fans, employees, partners, and social media personalities to use their creative #OO photos as a currency to donate. Indeed, social media sharing has been given a new and better meaning by the mobile device giant.

Jennifer Lawrence Embarks on an Interplanetary Journey in "Passengers"

One of Hollywood’s most gifted actresses, Academy Award-winner Jennifer Lawrence stars in Columbia Pictures' new futuristic thriller Passengers opposite Chris Pratt.

In the film, Aurora (Lawrence) and Jim (Pratt) are two strangers who are on a 120-year journey to another planet when their hibernation pods wake them 90 years too early. Jim and Aurora are forced to unravel the mystery behind the malfunction as the ship teeters on the brink of collapse, jeopardizing the lives of the passengers on the greatest mass migration in human history.

"Sing" Vies for Best Animated Motion Picture, Original Song at Golden Globes

Sing, the new musical comedy from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment, is up for two major honors at the 2016 Golden Globe Awards happening on January 10, 2017.

The critically acclaimed and box-office smash film is vying for Best Motion Picture - Animated and Best Original Song with Stevie Wonder's “Faith.”

(Watch the lyric music video of “Faith” at http://youtu.be/q6MblFLHi1E.)

Reacting to the double nominations, Illumination founder and Sing producer Chris Meledandri said, “From Santa Monica to Paris, the entire Illumination team is overjoyed. On behalf of my producing partner Janet Healy and our exceptionally talented writer director Garth Jennings as well as everyone at Illumination Mac Guff and our partners at Universal, I want to thank the HFPA for recognizing the work of all of the artists who created SING as well as the legend Stevie Wonder for giving us ‘Faith.’”