Celebrated Broadway Actress Lea Salonga to Join The Tabernacle Choir on Tour of “Hope” to the Philippines

Acclaimed Broadway singer and actress Lea Salonga will be the featured guest artist on the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s tour to the Philippines. This is the

second stop on the Choir’s world tour of “Hope” and the first visit by the Choir to the Philippines.

Lea Salonga is a multiple award-winning actor and singer renowned across the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch. She is acclaimed for her Tony Award–winning role in Miss Saigon. In addition to the Tony, she has won the Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Awards in the field of musical theatre.

Many fans of all ages recognize Lea as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan for Mulan and Mulan II. Lea served as a judge on the Philippines hit version of “The Voice,” including the ratings juggernaut “The Voice Kids.” An avid techie and gamer, Lea divides her time between Manila, Philippines, with her family and the United States.

Globe Group’s Cascadeo: 2024 insights on tech; Businesses to ride or perish in Generative AI wave

The coming year will see a generative AI wave–  a period of greater AI use across many industries– and enterprises will have to adopt or get swept away, Globe Group’s AI-first cloud services firm Cascadeo has said.

In a forecast on tech in 2024, Jared Reimer, Founder, President and Chief Technology Officer of Cascadeo, said the coming year will be a “time to fully embrace generative AI across every role and aspect of business as a part of each organization's key strategy,” with more use cases developing across industries.

“We foresee generative AI refocusing— but not necessarily replacing— the digital transformation and managed services that power our customers’ success in the cloud. As use of generative AI increases, businesses must learn to adopt instead of resisting the changes,” Reimer said.

TCL to Showcase Leading Technology Portfolio and Solutions to Inspire Greatness at CES 2024

TCL Electronics, a leading consumer electronics brand and the world's top two TV brand, today announced its presence at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), taking place in Las Vegas in January 2024. The company will showcase over a hundred cutting-edge products, demonstrating its leading technology portfolio spanning 15 product categories, including QD-Mini LED TVs, TCL FreshIN air conditioners, TCL Free Built-in Series refrigerators, washing machines, feature-rich mobile devices, AR glasses, commercial displays, one-stop smart energy solutions and more. 

Blacklist International, Team Secret, and other Filipino esports teams gun for victories over the region’s best at the Asia Pacific Predator League 2024 Grand Finals

It is all systems go for the highly anticipated Asia Pacific Predator League 2024 Grand Finals at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on January 13 and 14. Twenty-six (26) teams from across the Asia Pacific region will compete in Dota 2 and VALORANT for the coveted Predator Shield and their share of the $200,000 prize pool. 

The question is: How will Filipino teams fare in the tournament? 

For Dota 2, iconic teams Blacklist International, Execration, and defending Asia Pacific Predator League champions Polaris Esports will be joined by the winners of the Philippine qualifiers, Made in Philippines. 

For VALORANT, Team Secret, one of the most renowned teams in the VCT Pacific League, will be alongside Oasis Gaming and ZOL Esports, who both qualified during the Philippine Finals.

“It will be anybody’s game. Predator League is the stomping ground of the region’s up-and-coming esports talents. We are excited to see who is hungry enough for the victory to overcome the competition and win the Predator Shield,” said Sue Ong Lim, General Manager at Acer Philippines.

Globe sees 85% decline in scam, spam SMS, credits strong partnership with banks against fraud

The number of blocked spam and scam text messages related to banks declined by over 85% based on data covering the first three quarters of 2023, reflecting gains of Globe’s vigorous partnerships with the country’s major banks and financial institutions. 

From January to September, Globe’s proactive blocking efforts fended off over 7 million bank-related spam and scam SMS, crashing from a high of 49.3 million in the same period in 2022.

This follows anti-fraud pacts with the Bankers Association of the Philippines, covering 45 major banks, and with individual players in the finance sector, which enable vigorous and timely data and intelligence-sharing to align and enhance efforts to prevent and investigate fraud.

Dive into the Vibrant World of Fiesta with Ginebra San Miguel's 2024 Calendar Girl

Every year, the world’s best-selling gin selects a Calendar Girl who embodies the spirit of the brand. For 2024, Heaven Peralejo is unveiled as Ginebra San Miguel’s Calendar Girl during a festive media launch at The Westin Manila, Mandaluyong City. 

Best known for her acting in the movie ‘Nananahimik ang Gabi,’ which awarded her the Philippines Best Actress award from the Asian Academy Creative Awards, as well as starring in the youth series ‘The Rain in España,’ Heaven shared that it is a dream come true for her to endorse an iconic brand, Ginebra San Miguel. “It’s such a beautiful milestone of my life to be part of Ginebra. When I was 18 years old, gin bilog with pineapple juice was my first drink. It’s a dream come true, my first drink is also my first big endorsement,” she said.  

With the theme “Philippine Fiesta,” the 2024 edition of the Ginebra San Miguel Calendar showcases Heaven in six vibrant fiesta layouts (Panagbenga, Lantern, Higantes, Pintados, Kadayawan, and Masskara), embodying the vibrant spirit of Philippine Fiestas. 

Original Japanese and English-Dubbed Versions of The Boy and The Heron Available in Ph cinemas when it opens January 8

Advanced Fan Screening Event on January 6, Saturday at SM Megamall Cinema 2

Buy your tickets here

Fans who are eagerly awaiting Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and The Heron are in for a thrilling experience at the cinemas as Encore Films (Ph) and Warner Bros. bring the original Japanese and English-dubbed versions to local screens nationwide.

The film has been nominated and also won in prestigious film awards circles. The film continues to awe audiences around the globe, palpably evident with rave reviews from critics and non-critics alike, even breaking box-office records in every territory where it opened.