Enjoy exclusive discounts, win exciting prizes, and experience seamless visa processing for your next trip to South Korea with W Express!

As the year ends, W Express, the sole accredited courier service partner of the Korea Visa Application Center (KVAC), reflects on a successful 2024 filled with milestones and customer satisfaction.

To celebrate this success and welcome the New Year, W Express is unveiling new and exciting perks for Filipino travelers gearing up for their South Korea adventures.

● Reduced Family/Group Application Fees – starting January 2025, enjoy discounted rates—only Php 1,000 for the primary applicant and Php 500 for succeeding applicants.

● New Year Raffle Promo – every Korean tourist visa applicant via W Express gets a chance to win an elegant American Tourister luggage, perfect for their travel needs.

Fueling Change in an Unpredictable World

HAVAS Red Names “Rage” as 2024 Word of the Year

Jos Ortega, Chairman and CEO of HAVAS Ortega

Are you feeling overwhelmed, angry, or frustrated by the constant flow of global issues, social movements, and online debates? Well, you're not alone. In fact, the word rage has become a defining emotion for 2024. According to Havas Red, this raw and powerful emotion is not only a reflection of the times but also a catalyst for change.

Palawan Group of Companies Honors UP Fighting Maroons' UAAP Championship Journey

The Palawan Group of Companies hosted a Champions’ Thanksgiving Dinner to honor  UP Fighting Maroons' victory in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament on December 18, 2024, at UP Diliman. The Fighting Maroons triumphed over the DLSU Green Archers with a thrilling score of 66-62.

The UP Fighting Maroons celebrated their recent UAAP victory with the Castro Family, proud UP alumni, and avid team supporters.

As a long-time supporter of UP, the Palawan Group has been a proud partner in the team’s journey, sharing values of resilience, passion, teamwork, and commitment to excellence. To celebrate the victory, a toast was led by the Palawan Group's executive team: Bobby Castro, Founder and Chairman; Angelita Castro, Co-Founder and Deputy Chairman of the Board; and Lilian Castro-Selda, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Karera.Live Philippine launch signals new era in online gaming

Innovative online gaming platform Karera.Live held its soft launch last December 18 at The Blue Leaf in McKinley Hill Village, Taguig City. 

This groundbreaking platform combines entertainment and cutting-edge technology to bring a new gaming experience to players in the Philippines. Karera.Live is the first PAGCOR-licensed, live-streamed ball racing game in the country, operating under the Local Gaming Operator category and Specialty Games bracket. 

Designed for a purely local audience, the platform offers a fair, exciting, and immersive gaming experience through games like its debut offering, Dos Letra Karera. 

MMFF 2024 REVIEW: My Future You - Past or Future, It's Time for Kilig

For the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival, it would not be complete without an entry from Regal Entertainment, which is a key institution with Pinoy entertainment. This year was also a sad year for them with the passing of their Matriarch, Mother Lily Monteverde. Though her legacy continues with their entry for this year, MY FUTURE YOU.

This was one of the last project Mother Lily greenlit before she passed, giving tremendous faith and opportunity to the two lead stars Seth Fedelin and Francine Diaz. This dramatic comedy brings two strangers Lex (Seth) and Karen (Francine) meeting online during a comet event. As the two become closer, they soon realized that they live in two different periods. This opens up opportunities for them to change their past and futures which brings them to affect their lives in good and bad ways.

When the teaser and trailer was introduced months ago, many have pointed out the similarities with the Japanese anime film Kimi No Nawa (Your Name) given that it also has the two-time period romantic plot plus the shooting star (or Comet) is seen as the key visual for their marketing materials. However, after watching, I did see the differences yet found it has more similarities with the anime Steins; Gate because of the time period interventions leading to changes in the future.

MMFF 2024 REVIEW: Isang Himala - Miraculous Cast Brings Iconic Film To Life

Himala has made itself an icon in Philippine cinema as a masterpiece by Ishmael Bernal, written by National Artist Ricky Lee, and is one of the most notable films of Nora Aunor. The story has transcended into different forms of media and one of them is the musical adaptation in 2003 with music by Vincent De Jesus. The most recent version of the musical was in 2018 which the movie and songs are based. Which brings us to ISANG HIMALA, one of the entries to the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival.

It seems like a full circle moment for the film, which was also part of the 1982 MMFF and won 9 awards for that year. For Isang Himala, it brought some of the people who were part of the original movie to be integrated with the new generation of actor and singers mostly coming from the musical that can bank on nostalgia and the amazing songs and performances of the cast.

Himala tells the tale of Elsa, a young woman who proclaims that the virgin Mary has made an apparition to her in the forsaken town of Cupang. The town quickly became a healing mecca due to Elsa's healing powers which also benefited the town in many ways with the influx of tourists. However, many do doubt this and causes tension between the people of Cupang as well as the friendship of Elsa's best friends Chayong and Nimia. Many things will unfold as things get dark and complicated leading to the climax.

Transforming the werewolf: how Blumhouse’s latest horror film “Wolf Man” reimagines the classic monster In cinemas January 15

What if someone you loved became something else? 

From Blumhouse and visionary writer-director Leigh Whannell, the creators of the chilling modern monster tale The Invisible Man, comes a terrifying new lupine nightmare: Wolf Man. 

Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, It Comes at Night) stars as Blake, a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte (Emmy winner Julia Garner; Ozark, Inventing Anna), fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger (Matlida Firth; Hullraisers, Coma)

MMFF 2024 REVIEW: Green Bones - How Do We Measure Goodness?

In anticipation for the celebration of the Metro Manila Film Festival, we got to see the special advanced screening of Green Bones by GMA Pictures. From the success of their last year's entry Firefly, this probably gave them the inspiration to submit a new entry for this year's MMFF which is now on its golden anniversary.

Written by National Artist Ricky Lee and Anj Atienza, and directed by Zig Dulay, Green Bones is a suspenseful drama which stars Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid.

It tells the story of Dom (Trillo) who is convicted with the murder of his sister and niece living in a penal colony where Xavier (Madrid) enters as a new prison officer driven with hatred to criminals, especially murderers like Dom. Dom is known in the island for being helpful and has a good track record that can lead to his parole. However, this does not sit well with Xavier and keeps a watchful eye on what are Dom's true intentions.

Senator Robinhood Padilla In Full Support For Medical Cannabis Backed By Experts

Senator Robinhood Padilla has been advocating the legalization of global cannabis in the Philippines, though there is a though road in legislation, he found an ally with international medical cannabis expert Dr. Shiksha Gallow (third from left) lead the press conference on the latest clinical updates on the use of medical cannabis. With them in photo from left to right: Dr. Angel Gomez, (Past President, Philippine Society of Anesthesiologists, Board Member, Masikhay Research Board Member, PSCM); Mr. Wayne Gallow (Holistic Integrative Healing Institute Business Development);  Dr. Gem Mutia (Founder, Philippine Society of Cannabinoid Medicine); and Dr. Peter Quilala (Board Member Philippine Society of Cannabinoid Medicine

Smart Philippine Tourist eSIM now comes with unlimited data for returning OFWs, foreign tourists

Mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has announced that its Smart Philippine Tourist eSIM now comes with unlimited data, making it easier for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and foreign tourists to enjoy fast and reliable connectivity while traveling around the country.

For only Php1,599, the Smart Philippine Tourist eSIM comes with unlimited data and unlimited local calls and texts valid for 30 days, to cover all the connectivity needs of users for a worry-free travel experience.

Those who prefer a fixed amount of data may still get the Smart Philippine Tourist eSIM for only P599, which comes with 24 GB of data, along with unlimited local call and texts to all networks, also valid for 30 days.