They have done many memorable movies together (and forgettable ones as well) but Nora Aunor and Christopher de Leon are reunited once again in a new teleserye on Channel 5 entitled 'Sa Ngalan ng Ina'. I'm sure many Noranians are just raring to see their favorite actress on the tube again, after being away for so many years. It should also give a chance to many of the young actors and actresses to have a glimpse of how Nora acts, since she's undeniably one of the most accomplished actors in Philippine cinema. For now, that's just where Boyet and Nora can be seen together, but a movie together should also be an interesting project. Now if only they can find a worthy script to go with their talents.
It's a pity really that foreigners often get the first chance to see independent movies like Isda by Adolfo Alix Jr. The truth is the Cinemalaya Festival has still pretty limited reach and although I'm sure independent filmmakers like Alix would want a wider audience in his own country, the question of economics often hangs in the balance.
However, this movie should be interesting enough to be seen by a good majority of Filipinos. It's a fable after all!
The Toronto International Film Festival is an important springboard for most Oscar-bound films, so it's a great honor to have four Filipino films screened at this year's festival! One of them is Cuchera by Joseph Israel Laban. The movie delves into how Filipinos are being used as drug mules. Quite heavy material even for me!
Boy Abunda expressed his disappointment with his former ward, Erik Santos, and wanted to “set the record straight” on why the artist transferred to Star Magic.
According to Boy, “Erik didn’t leave Backroom. He was released. We gave him a formal letter explaining why we had to let him go. This was because he badmouthed Backroom and lied to some of our common friends.”
Boy was reacting to Erik's statement that Erik chose to leave Backroom because “there were a lot of changes in its management” since Abunda left it to focus on caring for his ailing mother.” Erik explained: “I’m not saying I didn’t like the changes. It’s just that I have other considerations, both personal and professional.” Erik ended his seven-year business relationship with Backroom Inc. in August, and is now comanaged by ABS-CBN’s Star Magic group and Cornerstone Talent Management Center headed by Erickson Raymundo.
“I nurtured him, although he also worked hard,” Abunda said. “I think Erik has forgotten this. It’s sad that he has disregarded the contributions of Backroom to his career.” Boy said he felt bad when he found out that Santos had spoken to people about how he felt Backroom had neglected him. “Erik also said he disliked some of the people in the office. I just want to remind Erik to slow down. He should give credit where credit is due.”
Jake Cuenca will play first-ever gay role in a TV special shot in Barcelona, Spain last month. He had to lose weight for this role and he said he drew inspiration from BB Gandanghari, the former Rustom Padilla.
Jake will portray the character Louie in the “Barcelona” episode of “Maalaala Mo Kaya (MMK),” which will air on Oct. 15. In the story, he strives hard to gain acceptance from his father, played by Ricky Davao.
“I only had two weeks to prepare, when I was told that I’d be doing MMK in Barcelona, I was excited. My first question was, ‘Sino ang leading lady ko?’ Never did I imagine I’d be made to portray a gay character.”
“Barcelona,” written by Benson Logronio and directed by Dado Lumibao, is one of three special episodes in the MMK’s 20th anniversary celebration.
One of the best actresses of my generation, Lorna Tolentino has just transferred to Channel 5 and has become a Kapatid, after her stint with 'Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin' as a Kapamilya. There's now a growing roster of talent in the relatively young channel which includes Nora Aunor, Aga Muhlach and Willie Revillame.
According to Lorna, her decision to move to TV5 was based on its offer of 140 working days as opposed to ABS-CBN’s counteroffer of 85 working days. “It’s not really about the money, but the amount of work.”
In her 42 years in the biz, Lorna has had the privilege of working with all three channels. However, she hasn't really felt the need to be loyal to a particular network. ’Di na ako bata. Kung sila talaga nag-groom at ever since nag-alaga sa ’yo, ’yun ang mahirap,” she said. Anyway, she says, working for various networks has its perks, aside from having the freedom to choose from different offers, she also gets the opportunity to build new friendships and work with many different artists and directors. By having more TV stations, “It’s beneficial para sa industriya. The more, the merrier. It’s always good to have options.”
I think one thing that has reduced my stress levels these past few months has been that I have been avoiding EDSA in my driving. EDSA can really, really be stressful to anyone forced to pass it everyday. I am lucky though that I can find alternative routes and avoid all that bumper-to-bumper action everyday.
Going to Alliance Francaise, I use the Araneta Avenue route then take the Pandacan depot shortcut, and my friend K, taught me how to navigate the poorer side of Makati to get to the school - even to Rockwell - without having to pass EDSA! C'est cool!
Even going to the Fort, I still use the "back" route - and now that the flyover in Cash and Carry has been fixed, the traffic there now is bearable.
I just read from the FB posts yesterday that the UP Pep Squad has won this year's UAAP Cheerleading competition, arguably, one of the programs in the UAAP athletic events that is closely watched every year, aside from men's basketball.
I love the Madonna motif that the team has chosen and I know it was not an easy decision for the squad to do that since many in my generation hold Madonna with so much reverence that anyone tampering with her music or her moves should better do it good, or else suffer the barrage of criticisms!
But no problem there, since the squad really did their homework, donning what Madonna wore during her Blonde Ambition tour, from the wigs to the coattails which flap beautifully when they do their jumps. Also, Madonna's dance moves are so athletic that any cheerleading team can put a twist on it and apply it in their presentation.
For a while there, I thought I was watching an Olympic team competition gymnastics event with all the flipping they did on the floor!
Bravo UP Pep Squad! At least we have something to cheer about, especially that I just found out we are once again the bottom dweller in the collegiate men's basketball standings. If only we can find another Dan Palami in the whole university system to guide the basketball team. At least someone who has that guy's vision and tenacity to make a bottom dweller become at least, a contender for the crown. And yeah, Mr. Palami also came from UP so there is hope!
Large wild animals like 'Lolong' are finding out that living among humans may not be a good thing. I think the Agusan marsh is one of the few places in the Philippines still almost untouched by too much human interaction, but their days are numbered. 'Lolong' may be one of the last of his kind since his habitat is slowly being encroached by human activity.
The Agusan marsh should be one of the last natural bastions which the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) should protect from too much human activity. Of course, it's easy to say that since we are not threatened by being eaten alive by such a huge animal! But there has to be a better way that both humans and wild animals like 'Lolong' can live together. Maybe, make the area a protected area, or make the community a partner in ensuring some kind of ecotourism model. Bottomline is, crocodiles like 'Lolong' should be left in peace in their own environment, and human encroaching in that area should be limited, at most.
I've never actually joined any strike or anything resembling that even when I studied in UP. I knew I was a capitalist by heart and I didn't find any cause worthy to go to the streets for. Anyhow, I support the transport strike tomorrow since someone has to stand up to the oil companies when it comes to oil price increases. In a democracy like ours, someone has to make sure that these price increases are not indiscriminate so it's good that some transport groups are always vigilant in ensuring that they are actually watching the oil companies and their moves. In the end, what they are fighting for will also be for our own good. Of course, there will be a lot of inconveniences because of this action.
I never quite warmed up to zoos and the few times I've been there have been half-hearted attempts at fun - at least for me. As a child, I didn't quite understand what I was feeling, but now, that the issue of rescuing these animals from their cages has now become more of a moral issue, I have come to understand that those places were never meant to be for these wild animals.
Yes, there is a certain sense of heartbreak looking at an elephant, forlorn in a makeshift "cage" barely able to hold its huge size - when it could've been in the wild, with its own family, grazing over a savanna in the wild.
I wonder if the tables were turned and we were the ones in the cages, and the animals would view us from outside, curious about what would we be doing. No Ipad, no TV, no human being to talk to - just a human being in a cage, with curious animals looking at us, throwing maybe siopao or chocolate to "feed" us. I'm sure most of the "caged" humans will turn insane in due time.
In a world swamped with Chinese-made goods, anyone wanting to boycott them would end up like the guy in the cartoon above! So do we all just give up because the giant workforce of China has practically gobbled up everything that can be manufactured in this world? Well, we don't have to. For one, it is a plus side that not many countries view Chinese-made as something of quality. We cannot compete with them through price, but hell yeah, we can compete with them through quality! We might as well focus on a market that puts a premium on quality than on price and continue on our creative way of producing products which shall be valued for their innate beauty and functionality, rather than one that will be trash in a week or a month's time.
It's already Sunday and the Miss Universe pageant is just around two days away. Well, it's time to say good luck to Shamcey Supsup. By now, the Top 15 has already been decided so let's just hope she made it to the list, so that in the contest proper, we have something to cheer for.
The Philippines now ranks #75 in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2011-2012 Global Competitiveness Report as the country has made significant gains in macroeconomic environment, technological readiness and good market efficiency.
The report said that "the Philippines posts one of the largest improvements in this year’s rankings. The vast majority of individual indicators composing the GCI (Global Competitiveness Index) improved, sometimes markedly."
That 10-place jump is quite significant and I hope that we continue to be more competitive worldwide as PNoy's administration continues to implement its economic plan, if he has any!
I am not surprised anymore to meet a Filipino everywhere I go but what gets my goat is why I can't find a decent Filipino restaurant in any of the world's most important cities. Can't anyone among the Filipino OFWs or immigrants there cook decently? In this globalized world, is it very difficult to bring the ingredients of kare-kare to say, London or Paris? With millions of us working or living in other parts of the world, there should be thousands of restaurants serving Filipino food. Or should we just stick to a carinderia type of restaurant prevalent here at home. Oh well, I hope with the many kids now studying to be a chef, I hope many of them decide to be brave enough to set up a classy Filipino restaurant in say, London or Paris.
