FORTY BEAUTIES VIES FOR SIX 2019 BB. PILIPINAS TITLES

Who will be the next Bb. Pilipinas Queens? 

2018 was one of the best years in Bb. Pilipinas pageant history with 2 international crowns and one near win.  Obviously, the most interesting question is, who will be the next Miss Universe Philippines? Will there be a back to back win for the Philippines at Miss Universe? The Catriona magic may be a hard feat to follow but whatever it is, this year is probably one of the most competitive batch ever.

40 Bb. Pilipinas hopefuls will vie for 6 titles, namely:

Miss Universe Philippines 2019 

Bb.Pilipinas International 2019 

Bb.Pilipinas Supranational 2019 

Bb.Pilipinas Grand International 2019 

Bb.Pilipinas Intercontinental 2019 

Bb.Pilipinas Globe 2019

Plus 2 runner ups (1st and 2nd)

Last Sunday, a pre-pageant segment called "Free Speak" was aired on ABS-CBN. Each contestant was given 30 seconds to express herself on the topic she picked from a bowl. As expected, clichés such as "i believe," "I will use my voice to influence" and "empower women" were heavily used by many candidates. Some faltered and looked nervous in front of the panel of judges that included Madam Stella Araneta. Among the standouts were Julia Saubier (from Daraga, Albay) and Melba Ann Cara Macasaet (from Negros Oriental).

From 40, they will be trimmed down to 25, who will go through the swimsuit and evening gown competition. Then the 15 semi-finalists will be chosen and compete in the Q&A.

Among the favorites are: Bea Patricia Magtanong (Bataan), Gazini Ganados (Talisay, Cebu) and Hannah Arnold,(Masbate). Patricia is one of the successful passers in 2018 bar exams.  

Looking gorgeous as ever, repeaters Vicky Rushton (Negros Occidental), Aya Abesames (Pasig) and Samantha Bernardo (Palawan) will try again hoping to win a title this time around. Last year, Vicky and Samantha placed 1st and 2nd runner up, respectively, and Aya was one of the semi-finalists. But pageant pundits says they have to redeem themselves in the finals as their performance in last Sunday's "Free Speak" pre-pageant event weren't impressive enough.

Zamboanga's April Mae Short is the tallest at 5'11" along with Julia Saubier from Daraga, Albay. 8 of the candidates are repeaters and 10 are cross-overs from other national pageants, 

This year, candidates will no longer be called by their assigned number but by the province or city they represent.

Coronation night will be held on Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 8:00 pm at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Popular celebrities Anne Curtis and Richard Gutierrez will host the pageant to be aired by ABS-CBN.

SHOWBIZ ROYALTIES - ANDRES MUHLACH TOOK JULIANA GOMEZ TO HIS PROM

 

Modern day fairy tale?

His is Andres Gonzales Muhlach, 18,  born to Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales and she is Juliana Torres Gomez, also 18, the only daughter of Ormoc's Mayor Richard Gomez and Congresswoman Lucy Torres.

For Filipinos, there's no need for introduction who their parents are.  Both Aga and Richard  were famous matinee idols in the 80's and 90s and likewise their respective wives are equally well known personalities.  Andres' mom is Charlene Gonzales, 1994 Bb. Pilipinas Universe while Juliana's mom is no less than socialite and Ormoc's Representative at the Congress, Lucy Torres.  

Both Andres and Juliana were on the news lately and they made netizens "kilig" when Andres took Juliana to his prom.   Apparently, Aga Muhlach asked Richard Gomez if his son Andres can have his daughter Juliana as his date for his junior and senior prom.  Richard has no problem with that since they are friends and colleagues in the movie industry.  Following the tradition, Andres fetch Juliana at her home in Makati and they did the exchange of corsage before going to the event.

Andres and Juliana look cute and adorable together looking like prince and princess in a fairy tale movie.  Both youngsters know each other well and have common friends but they study in different schools so they never really got the chance to hang out.  

Juliana graduated from high school at Everest Academy Manila early this year and Andres is a basketball varsity player at Brent International School Manila.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM QUEZON'S GAME (REVIEW)

A few friends asked me if I have watched any of the recently released Filipino films. I told them “I haven’t watched any Filipino film during the past 2 months or so,” until  a  few  days  ago,  I  opted  to  watch “Quezon’s Game”  which   opened   last   Wednesday.    I  thought  it  would  be  interesting  to  watch "Quezon’s Game" which offers something new to Filipino audience.

To be honest, I don’t have much idea about President Quezon except that he was the first President of the Philippines under American Commonwealth rule and more so, I had no idea that he initiated the entry of thousands of Jews into the country and saved them from being exterminated during the Holocaust era.   I don't know, but I don't remember anything that it was taught in school, probably not. No wonder we see a lot of Zimmermann, Kauffman and Geisler surnames in the country, some of them figured in local show business. I understand that the surname of President Duterte's legal wife is Zimmerman; could she be a descendant of the group that arrived in the country during the Halocaust era?  

The bio film that I expected, turned out to be a saga of how President Quezon persuaded the American government to allow entry of Jewish refugees into the country. Most of the scenes were shot in-door and focused mainly on the topic amidst disapproval from his allies and foes within his government.  Apparently there were 10,000 visas issued but only 1,200 were able to reach Philippine shores as Japan invaded the country in 1941 (just 10 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor).  Eventually, President Quezon died of severe tuberculosis during the Japanese occupation, two years before the country was finally liberated in 1946.  

The movie, set in the late 30’s shows another side of Manila during the colonial period.  We saw a beautiful city with "calesas" and tranvias (streetcars) lined up the streets of Manila. There’s an ambiance of American elite culture, with soirees and jazz parties frequently held at the palace with mostly American guests and top officials who played poker games with the President. From another perspective, the film looks like more of a Hollywood film than a local one.

Some well known personalities from prominent political clans plays important roles in the story,  notably Sergio Osmena, Sr. (who was the Vice President then), Manuel Roxas and a few others.  President Quezon mentioned that he was not happy with the way Filipinos were treated by the Americans and back in the days some streets and restaurants in Manila didn't allow entry of the locals.  He also reminded the Vice President (who was going to the oval office in Washington to act as emissary), that he will have to  find toilets designated for colored people as it was segregated from the whites.

In 2009, Israel erected a monument in honor of President Quezon’s heroic act for opening doors to the Jews during the time when the rest of the world rejected them.  This is also the reason why Israel grants visa-free access to all Filipinos as a gesture of gratitude. In 1947, the Philippines was the only country in Asia to vote the partition of Palestine leading to the creation of Israel. The ending credits and video clips helps the audience understand more of the story and the aftermath of the President’s efforts that saved thousands of Jews from holocaust.

Quezon’s Game is a great film and it will go down the history of Philippine cinema as one of the best Filipino films ever produced albeit directed by a non-Filipino.  Raymond Bagatsing played the title role  but if I may comment, I find his accent too American and hearing President Quezon speak, you can easily trace his Filipino accent but nonetheless Bagatsing gave an excellent performance. The Director, Matthew Rosen is a British national of Jewish lineage and has been living in the country since the 80’s. I hope the movie does well at the box-office.

FILIPINO FILMS STRUGGLES TO COPE WITH HOLLYWOOD DOMINATION

Filipinos love to watch movies but while Hollywood blockbuster movies continue to take up the most rooms in cinema houses, the local film industry continue to suffer huge losses with a series of box-office flops specially this year.  From the 39 local films released this year, only two films successfully breached the Php 100M mark gross ("Alone Together" and "Eerie") and the rest were box-office flops, many of which had to be pulled out from theater runs due to poor ticket sales.

Observers attributes the low ticket sales to varying-factors. Movie ticket price increases every year and with the heavy traffic in the city and high cost of living, people would rather just stay at home, watch TV or watch movies on Netflicks. Others engaged in other forms of entertainment using digital platforms, credit it to emerging trends that is shaping modern lifestyle today brought about by technological change.  However, given all these constraints, Hollywood films still continue to capture big audience share and lord it over locally produced films.  One wonders - are the local filmmakers doing the right projects? or we just can't compete with Hollywood. 

The Sharon Cuneta (Kuwaresma) and Gerald Anderson-Julia Barreto (Between Maybes) starrers were shown recently and box-office wise, the two movies were simply blown out of the water by the Keanu Reeves action flick "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum." Both films received good reviews and enjoyed adequate theater runs, however, the positive reviews did not translate to box-office success.  The following week big films like "Alladin" "Godzilla" were shown and further affected the two local movies.

Coming Soon

Three films of different genres are set to premier this week.  The first one is "Quezon's Game," a movie that pays tribute to former Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon.  The movie is a co-production of Kinetek, IWant and Star Cinema and has won several awards and recognition from international film festival overseas.  The other two are "Finding You" by Regal Films and "Banal" by APT Entertainment; both caters to young audience.  "Quezon's Game" is a period movie directed by a foreign director (Matthew Rosen) with a cast of foreign and local actors headed by Raymond Bagatsing playing the title role.

Now, which movie will be successful at the box-office?  Having three local films with the same playdate and compete with each other  is certainly not a good idea.  This is something that local film industry leaders should take into account. Last year was not a bad year with  at least 9 or 10 films exceeding 100m gross.  Among the non-MMFF top grossers last year were "The Hows of Us," "Sid&Aya," "Exes Baggage," and "Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral."

But I still believe that local cinema is not dying.  We had "The Hows of Us" last year and it just proves that the local movie industry can still produce a monster hit.  Local filmmakers just have to be more creative, focus on entertainment values and go with the times. There were times that rom-com movies were being shown one after the other.  I feel that there's a bit  of over-production of indie films and likewise mainstream movies offers almost the same genres with the same flair and it's just as good as watching a regular tv episode where one can watch for free.  Moviegoers prefers high tech movies with high production and entertainment values and this is why Hollywood films clicks and moviegoers deserves better movies that is worth their hard earned money.

2019 MYX MUSIC AWARDS

NADINE LUSTRE GETS FULL SUPPORT FROM HER FANS, DOMINATES 2019 MUSIC AWARDS

Nadine Lustre edged out hitmakers Moira de La Torre and Morissette for Female Artist of the Year and took home 4 awards namely:

- Artist of the Year
- Female Artist of the Year

- Music Video of the Year: “St4y Up” by Nadine Lustre directed by Petersen Vargas

- Media Soundtrack of the Year: “Prom” by Nadine Lustre and James Reid

Millenials’ favourite and Idol Philippines judge Moira dela Torre bagged two trophies: Mellow Video of the Year and Collaboration of the Year (“Kung Di Rin Lang Ikaw” by December Avenue feat. Moira dela Torre).

Moira also received recognition from Spotify as “2018’s most streamed Filipino artist.

Winners of  Myx Music Awards are determined by popular fan votes through the internet (60%) and 40% artist votes,  Just like Nadine, her boyfriend also dominated Myx music awards last year.  It's hard to compete with artists who has organized voting scheme in place.  Let's face the reality, Nadine didn't have any hit last year and if there was any, it was only on Myx music chart which is again, voted by fans. i feel the judging process should be changed in order to be more accurate - say 40% from fans and 60% from artists.

Full List of Winners:

Music Video of the Year: “St4y Up” by Nadine Lustre directed by Petersen Vargas

Song of the Year: “Buwan” by Juan Karlos

Artist of the Year: Nadine Lustre

Group of the Year: BoybandPH

Male Artist Of the Year: Darren Espanto

Female Artist of the Year: Nadine Lustre

New Artist of the Year: I Belong To The Zoo

Rock Video of the Year: “In My Prison” by IV of Spades directed by Raymond Dacones

Urban Video of the Year: “Nadarang” by Shanti Dope directed by Hush Magtoto

Mellow Video of the Year: “Tagpuan” by Moira dela Torre directed by John Prats

International Video of the Year: “Fake Love” by BTS

Remake Of The Year: “Dying Inside To Hold You” by Darren Espanto

MYX Bandarito Performance of the Year: I Belong To The Zoo

Media Soundtrack of the Year: “Prom” by Nadine Lustre and James Reid
MYX Celebrity VJ of the Year: AC Bonifacio
Music Video Guest Appearance of the Year: Maris Racal for the video “Lumang Tugtugin” by Inigo Pascual
Collaboration Of The Year: “Kung Di Rin Lang Ikaw” by December Avenue feat. Moira dela Torre
MYX Magna Awardee: Rivermaya

Congratulations to JK Labajo, IV of Spades, Moira and Shanti Dope, well deserved recognition.  I feel that IV of Spades deserves the Group of the Year award than BoybandPH. The winner of La Banda franchise (Pinoy Boyband Superstar) has yet to come up with a monster hit or a least a mild hit to make their presence felt in the industry.  Nadine Lustre winning the Artist of the Year is an overstatement - just my opinion.  If there's anyone who deserves this award, it's got to be JK Labajo whose monster hit "Buwan" made a huge impact and leveled up OPM into another leap of success after slowing down during the past few years.

#MYXMusicAwards2019

IDOL PHILIPPINES JUDGES DRAWS MIXED REACTIONS

Now on its 3^rd week, TV ratings for reality show Idol Philippines continue to soar up but draws mixed reactions from viewers on social media with varying comments (and violent reactions) thrown on the four judges. Some says the reality show is getting to be like a mini extension of GGV and It’s Showtime, with Vice Ganda making fun of contestants - typical of a comedy bar.  At one point viewers observed that Regine was a bit peeved when a few contestants successively sang Moira’s songs. Viewers also quipped that Moira and James looks too young to sit as judges with the former looking like she’s ready to fall asleep (any moment) whenever she opens her mouth (charot lang).  When they are not happy with the contestant’s performance, they would say  “sorry is this just not your time yet, you have the voice, you're talented, it's just not ready." But they say the opposite to good-looking contestants and  would tell them - okay "we'll give you a chance to improve so it's a yes for now."  

It would have been better, in my opinion, to have Regine Velesquez, Jaya and Arnel Pineda (if to add a bit of international flair) instead of Vice Ganda, Moira and James Reid and have Luis Manzano do the hosting or have Billy Crawford shift to  the judging panel instead. James and Moira are too young and inexperienced compared to the recommended judges as mentioned above. Vice Ganda is a comedian and more of a novelty singer.

Some says instead of focusing of the talent itself, the show put more emphasis on back track stories with a series of sob stories all you can think of, from cancer patient to a neglected son, fit enough to be featured on Charo Santos drama anthology MMK. But nonetheless it proves one thing -- the Philippines is a country of singers and there are just too many undiscovered talents out there and this is a big opportunity for them to showcase their talent in one of the world’s most popular reality singing competition.  

But whatever they say, I find the show entertaining.  I think it is fair to say that all the judges are doing their job well; it’s just that what is American Idol in the U.S. is different from Idol Philippines and with Vice Ganda around, expect the scenario to be like a comedy bar, but this is what clicks with the audience so be it. 

This early, among those who are likely to advance to the next round  are Jasper Lacson, Lance Busa (winner of Bolt of Talent), Dan Ombao, Kevin Hermogenes, Juancho Gabriel and Matty Juniousa.   

OPM IS HERE TO STAY

OPM is alive and kicking, giving the local music scene a vibrant mood with successive viral hits.   "Dalagang Pilipina" by new group Almo$t is the current toast of the town alongside with "Buwan," and "Mundo."

"Wish 107.5 FM mobile Bus” is instrumental in helping local artists showcase their music. It has become so popular, enjoying massive support from its 5.5 million subscribers on YouTube.  It's beyond conventional, providing platforms where local artists are invited to perform live and their performances are posted on Wish 107.5 YouTube channel.  The platform boosted music careers of new breed of artists like IV of Spades, Shanti Dope, TJ Monteverde, Marc Carpio to name a few.  They also give awards annually, aimed to pay tribute to acts and artists who have given significant contributions in the music scene. 

Here are three of the most viewed live performances on Wish 107.5 Mobile Bus (covers of foreign songs are excluded).

1) "Mundo" (IV of Spades) - 113,853,780 views
2) "Bakit Ba Ikaw" (Michael Pangilinan) - 109,589,371
3) "Akin ka na Lang" (Morissette Amon) - 79,790,782

"Dalagang Pilipina” by Almo$t is on its way to the top gaining 50,743,478 views in just 5 months. The song has elicited massive memes online.

Inigo Pascual’s monster hit “Dahil Sa'yo” is still one of the most viewed in the music-lyrics category with  93,115,246 views.   Other popular music videos includes old and new hits like Sam Concepcion’s “Dati.” Yeng Constantino’s “Ikaw,” KC Tandingan’s “Mahal Ko o Mahal Ako,” and “Kathang Isip" by Ben&Ben.  24 year old Moira de la Torre writes her own songs, creating her own style which sits well with millenials.

It is interesting to note that record labels have found alternative ways to combat poor CD sales using digital platforms and earning through commercials.

JK Labajo has his own YouTube channel with more than 300k subscribers, boosted by his monster hit “Buwan.”  The song had only 57 million views at the start of the year but jumped to 113 million views in barely 5 months. 

OPM has widened its audience in the region eliciting various covers by foreign wannabes.  Moster hits like “Buwan,” “Akin Ka Na Lang,” and “Take That Man” elicit more "reaction videos" from foreign vloggers.

Young and vibrant Funk Pop/Rock group IV of Spades continue to shine even without their former front-man.  These young and talented lads write their own songs and has already performed in Hongkong and Indonesia. They are currently on national tour and will soon invade some key cities in the U.S.

Kpop vs OPM?

I admit that I do like a few KPop songs but I have never been a big fan of them.  With the recurring popularity of OPM music, be it rock, pop or funk rock, who needs Kpop?  Let’s support Original Pilipino Music.

IDOL PHILIPPINES KICKS OFF

Music lover Filipinos are treated to another exciting reality singing competition as Idol Philippines kicked off on Easter Sunday eliciting pros and cons from viewers.   

Two of those who auditioned are related to high profile celebrities including the son of Journey's front man Arnel Pineda and Charice Pempengco's (A.K.A. Jake Cyruz) ex-girlfriend.    

Arnel Pineda’s son Angelo sang “Heaven” while Charice's ex-girlfriend Alyssa Quijano belted out Regine Velezquez song “Araw-Gabi” and got four “yesses” from the four judges.

The young Pineda did not reveal his lineage until after he was done with his audition and almost didn’t make it. He needed only one more vote to qualify and it was Moira de la Torre who saved him. Vice Ganda voted “no” for Pineda

Olongapo's Juancho Gabriel wowed the judges with his baritone as he performed the country tune "Your Man" by Josh Turner. 

24-year-old Idol Hopeful Kier King sings "You Are The Reason" by Calum Scott. He has been joining singing contests for 12 years, and now he's a step closer to reaching his dreams and got the judges nod with 4 "yesses.".

The show is hosted by Billy Crawford with Vice Ganda, Regine Velazquez, James Reid and Moira de La Torres sitting as judges.  Some fans are not happy with Moira's exclusion as one of the judges as she's too young and a bit timid, looks sleepy all the time. Moira and James are too young and too nice when making comments to the contestants. 

Meanwhile, another Filipino singer advances to the Top 24 in the U.S. version of "The Voice."  22 year old Jej Vinson got a four-chair turns in the blind audition and joins Kelly Clarkson team. 

PH BET FOR MR. GAY WORLD 2019 HAS HIS OWN VERSION OF "BakLAVA WALK"

Janjep Carlos beat out 17 other candidates and was named Mister Fahrenheit 2019, giving him the honor to carry the Philippine sash at the Mister Gay World 2019 to be held in Cape Town, South Africa in May.

He hopes to make an impact by advocating awareness of mental health issues. He demonstrated his "vaklava walk" during the send off press conference held a few days ago.  For non-Tagalog speakers "Bakla" means "gay."

Janjep is a graduate of Hotel & Restaurant Management course and used to be a volleyball varsity player. He is managed by Kagandahang Flores.

MINI POLL: 2019 MID-TERM SENATORIAL ELECTIONS

It's election time once again and you'll hear all these politicians resorting to all gimmicks and promises to lure voters to vote for them, promising bridges when there are no rivers and all that funny stuff. Various surveys leading to the 2019 midterm senatorial elections are circulating online but one may ask - how reliable are these surveys? Some says it's just a ploy by crooked politicians as a deliberate mindset strategy to influence voters; others says it depends on who commissioned the survey, it’s business after all.  Arguably, it all depends on which side of the fence you are on.  If one’s bets are not on the list, he would say it's fake or manipulated survey and vice versa.  Here we created an independent poll just for curiosity to let our visitors participate and be heard. 

The poll can be found on the upper right side of this blog with the question:  

"If you were to vote for the upcoming Mid-term Elections, who would you choose for the 12 Senatorial seat slots?

IS THE PHILIPPINES THE NEXT FAVOURITE HUB OF DIGITAL NOMADS?

Don't look now, but the Philippines is increasingly becoming  one of the favorite hubs of the so called digital nomads (Travel Vloggers, Influencers etc.).  The Department of Tourism should thank these travel vloggers for discovering the country's tourism potentials and telling the world that the country is safe to travel after all, and the D.O.T. doesn't have to spend millions of local taxpayer's money to pay for their lousy tourism campaign. Suffice it to say, these vloggers have contributed, in their own way, spreading positive vibes about the country, proving that it can compete with its neighbors' flourishing tourism industry.
 

The influx of foreign vloggers visiting the country has doubled during the past few years and many of them keep on coming back and some stay for good.  One example is Kyle Jennerman, a Canadian traveler who's been living the country for about five years now.  Kyle or "Kulas" as he is known to his followers, has probably visited more places in the country than any ordinary Filipino.  Besides Kulas, there is also another star vlogger in the person of Finn Snow, a charming blue eyed traveler from Iceland.   He is now based in Cebu and is involved in a local charity that helps abused young children. When asked by American Vlogger Bret Ponti how he decided to live in the Philippines, Snow says "I didn't plan to live here but I fell in love with the people and the nature and the culture of course.. so....Philippines chose me."

Young traveler Tyler Willams says :

"The Philippines was an experience I cannot put into words or honestly even a video. This is my attempt of showing off such a blessed country.

It has taken me over 30 countries to realize why I love and continue to travel. People, nature, and an escape from reality is the reason I won’t ever stop exploring our planet. My trek to the Philippines was my third time in South East Asia this year. Social media does not hide the fact that this part of the world is a hidden gem. Once I looked past the blue water and white sand beaches I came to realize how truly amazing the locals are.Their hospitality was second to none. It is so hard for me to pick a favorite country. But I would say the Philippines takes the trophy. Every island has its own unique culture. And deeply rooted in all their cultures is their genuine care for life."

(URL : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9DYgeU7g6yTAl8n63MixeQ)

Foreign vloggers find the country irresistible and endearing, not only for its scenic spots, beautiful beaches and breathtaking landscape, but also for the genuine friendliness of the people that is deeply rooted in their culture and It easier to interact with the locals since there is no language barrier.   It is also less touristy compared to its neighboring countries. Another factor is that Filipinos are known to be hard core social media users and they are easy to please and more importantly, they are generous subscribers, as such, foreign vloggers find the country a haven to boost their YouTube Channels.  More often, vloggers celebrate their 1,000th or 10Kth subscribers in the country. There are millions of Filipinos working abroad and many of them turn to YouTube to watch travel vlogs about their country to cure their homesickness.   We are talking about a country with a population of more than a hundred million where majority are good English speakers and the Philippines being an archipelago (with more than 7,000 islands) can be quite costly for the locals to explore their own country but thanks to the travel vloggers, they get to know more and see the beauty of their own country as chronicled by foreign travelers.

Many foreign vloggers collaborate with each other forming a special bond among themselves. Five vloggers from different countries formed a group calling themselves the "The Fighter Boys," exploring different places in the country, reaching as far as Basilan in southern Philippines. They are composed of 3 Canadians (Kulas, Mike and Bret), Finn Snow (from Iceland) and Daniel Marsh (who is half Pinoy-half Irish) and they are currently on their second collaboration exploring the Visayas region.  The Fighter Boys have a large following and they are often mobbed by fans during their travels.  Mike and Nelly of "Making It Happen Vlog" have collaborated with vloggers from UK (George and Lucy of "The Juicy Vlog") exploring the country together.

However, some travel vloggers calling themselves Influencers  take advantage of the trend by contacting hotel owners as a way to get free food and accommodation, promising them international exposure by featuring their hotels in their vlogs and other social media platforms to boost sales.  This was exactly the topic of  a recent article by New York Times stating that there is a growing number of international travelers who introduce themselves as "Influencers" only to trick hotel owners in exchange of free accommodation. But, Gianluca Casaccia, co-owner of a beach club in Siargao Island, took a stand against "wannabe freeloaders" stating that their influence is not as good as cash.

In fairness, not all vloggers are the same and  many vloggers worked hard for whatever they have achieved in their career as travelers.  Kulas, Finn Snow, Bret Maverick, Mike (of Fearless and Far) and Bisayang Hilaw are all genuinely different. The underlying factor is their love for the Filipino culture that keeps them coming back and extend their stay in the country.  Except for Mike, all the vloggers mentioned have been staying in the country for quite sometime now.  Moreover, it is still quite a long way for the country to catch up with its neighbors in terms of tourist arrivals but it is showing signs that one day, it can be at par with its rivals in South East Asia.

IV OF SPADES : MAKING IT ON THEIR OWN

The song “Mundo” by the IV of Spades (pronounced "four of spades”) takes the lead as the most viewed live performance music video on 105.7 Wish Channel on YouTube.  The song has already reached more than 111 million views, perhaps the very first Filipino artist to have reached hundred million views on YouTube.  The monster hit also peaked #1 on Spotify Global Charts and #1 on Spotify Philippines Daily Charts.  Interestingly, the band members, composed of Zild Benitez, Blaster Silonga, Badjao de Castro and Unique Salonga, are all sons of musicians and wears 1970’s-inspired outfits.  Their musical style has been described as pop and funk rock and one  factor that makes them popular are their music videos which are visually impressive and very contemporary and I dare say giant network like ABS-CBN can learn a thing or two from these young artists and get away with their old-fashioned and outdated music videos. The band has been nominated for several musical awards including 2018 MTV European Music Awards for Best Southeast Asia Act.  

  

But In May last year, their lead vocalist Unique Salonga left the group  to pursue a solo career but it did not interrupt Zild, Blaster and Badjao to continue their passion and quest for their band to succeed, creating their own  brand of music.  The breakup stunned their growing fans but somehow the three managed to make it on their own, gaining grounds in the local music scene. In the recent 4th Wish 107.5 Music Awards where they won the Best Rock/Alternative Performance of the Year and Group of the Year,  the trio performed their monster hit “Mundo” and left the audience in awe with their jaw dropping and upbeat performance, proving that they can do justice to the song without their former front man.

The group also performed at one of the biggest event in the region Clockenflap at Central Harborfront in Hongkong late last year, along with acts from all over the world including Interpol, David Byrne, Khalid, and Cigarettes After Sex. They have just released their debut album called “ClapClapClap” that includes brand new music like “Juliana,” “Dulo ng Hangganan,” “Come Inside My Heart” as well as their previously-released singles "In My Prison," "Bata, Dahan-Dahan!," and "Take That Man." Their earlier songs, such as fan favorite "Mundo," are not part of the album. With their upcoming tour  underway that includes some cities in the U.S., the trio is out to make a name not only in the local music scene but to penetrate the international market as well.

GRAND HOMECOMING PARADE FOR 2018 MISS UNIVERSE IN PHOTOS

Overwhelming crowds welcomed 2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray during her grand homecoming parade around Metro Manila today. There will be another parade scheduled on the 23rd at the Araneta Center in Cubao, QC.

Catriona Gray. 24.is the fourth Filipina to win the Miss Universe crown after Gloria Diaz (1969), Margarita Moran (1973) and Pia Wurtzbach (2015).  The Philippines is one of the most successful countries in the history of Miss Universe pageant led by USA with 8 crowns, Venezuela (7), Puerto Rico (5) and the Philippines with 4.  Popular pageant site Global Beauties named the Philippines as the "Country of the Year" for 2018 boosted by 2 international beauty titles (the other is Miss Inter-Continental) and with a near win at Misss International.  The country has straight 9 consecutive semi-final placements which started in 2010 with Venus Raj.

ALONE/TOGETHER : FIRST BLOCKBUSTER OF 2019

A total of 8 Filipino films have been released since the start of the year but unfortunately 7 of them (including "Bato: the Gen. Ronald de la Rosa Story," "Born Beautiful," and "Tol") are all box-office flops, however Black Sheep's  “Alone/Together” breaks that jinx.  The movie which is released by Star Cinema, reportedly grossed a whopping Php 61,901,086 in just two days and is expected to breach 100M mark this weekend.  Noted for her “heavy dialogue” films, Director Antoinette Jadaone continue her winning streaks at the box-office since she made her first romcom movie “That Thing Called Tadhana” back in 2014.

“Alone together” is a story of two university students who dreamed a life together and shared ideals during their college days; Christine (played by Liza Soberano) is a UP Art student while Raf (played by Enrique Gil) is a pre-med student at UST.  The film opens with Christine working as a part time tour guide at the National Museum lecturing high school students about Juan Luna’s masterpiece “Spoliarium” (often misspelled Spolarium).  Christine is an idealist and dreams of becoming a famous curator someday and as she put it, she wants to change the world while Raf dreamed of becoming a doctor.  

The two met again after they’ve broken up 5 years ago and reminisces their time together. Christine was involved in a scam (though not of her own doing) and it was her businessman boyfriend (Luis Alandy) who saved her out of the mess.  Raf is in a relationship with a fellow doctor (Jasmin Curtis).  Out of gratitude, Christine continued working for her workaholic boyfriend and when she was sent by her company to New York on a business trip, Raf followed and as the title says the two spent time alone together.  Both tried to iron out uncertainties of their relationship but they have come to terms and go on separate lives as they were already both committed.  Under circumstances,  Christine is faced with a gap between her personal life and her professional aspirations but in the end she opted to break up with her boyfriend in pursuit of her dreams. That being said, their relationship becomes even more complicated as Raf's girlfriend became pregnant and Raf would soon become a father.  But in the world of Filipino mainstream movie formula, expect the expected…the story is fast tracked to follow the local romcom format, that is, a happy ending and that's what is going to happen anyway after all the drama and pretensions(?) just to showcase "acting" moments of the lead stars.   

The film is rated “A” by Cinema Evaluation Board (or is it overrated?).  I find the first half of the film a bit slow-paced and somewhat less upbeat; some lines were quite wordy and very 80's, but nonetheless it still delivers a notable element that is seemingly different from the usual romcom we see from Star Cinema. The title "Alone/Together" is probably copied from an American comedy TV series "Alone Together" though both tackles different theme.  In another aspect, it’s pretty hard not to mention the two songs used in the movie’s soundtrack, which certainly set the mood specially towards the end of the movie.  I am referring JM de Guzman's version of “214,” a 2010 song popularized by Eraserheads.  It’s just as good as the original or maybe even better. The other song is “Kapit” by Armi Mallari of UP Dharma Down.  

"Alone/Together is arguably Liza Soberano’s film.  She just sparkle throughout the film and proves that she just doesn’t have that pretty face but she has the potential of becoming a good actress in the long run.