VICE GANDA, ALYSSA VALDEZ, Noli De Castro, Atom Araullo Among Recognized at Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands Awards

Every year, Readers Digest Philippines has been tapping an independent survey agency where Filipinos get to vote the best of the best trusted products, services and personalities. Contrary to talks, they need not to be a subscriber of Readers Digest to vote for their favorites since they started this and yes, they are the ones who commission every year. Several of these brands, people, actually have been recognized for several years. 

The methodology, the way they do the surveys are still the same. In the Philippines, the sample size is around 2000, but have 8000 individuals overall for the Asia Pacific market to do this in different regions. Being in this list just means you're trusted by Filipinos, and it is indeed important to a lot of people especially for those who look for quality, and the best in the different industries. The celebrities who got the awards this year include Former Vice President Noli De Castro, good looking broadcaster Atom Araullo, Volleyball Phenom Alyssa Valdez and the Unkabogable Vice Ganda.

Here's the complete list of awardees this 2024!

Most Trusted News Presenter is Former Vice President Noli De Castro

Most Trusted Presenter for News and Current Affairs is Atom Araullo

Most Trusted Sports Personality is Alyzza Valdez

Most Trusted Variety Talkshow Host is Vice Ganda

Platinum Awards

Bank went to BDO

Credit Card also went to BDO

Drugstore/Pharmacy is Mercury Drug

Health and Beauty Retail Store went to Watsons

Life Insurance went to Sun Life

Mattresses - URATEX

Milktea - Macao Imperial Tea

Pen - Pilot

Travel Insurance - AXA

TV Network - GMA Network



Gold Awards


Travel Insurance - Pacific Cross

Air Conditioner - Carrier

Air Conditioner - Panasonic

Washing Machines - Panasonic

Vacuum Cleaners - Panasonic

Optical Shop - Ideal Vision

Airfreight - J&T Express

Refrigerators - Sharp

Washing Machines - Sharp

Washing Machines - Whirlpool

TV Network - ABSCBN

Cooking Oils - Baguio Oil

Drug Store/Pharmacy - Watsons

Investment Funds - BDO

Consumer Loans - BDO

Life Insurance - AIA

Health Insurance - AIA

Life Insurance - AXA

Health Insurance - AXA

Personal Computers (Desktop, Notebook, Tablet) - Acer

Natural Food Supplements - USANA

Plasticware - Orocan

Travel Insurance - BDO Insurance

Here's the acceptance speech done at the awards night, please, enjoy!

Cheers to all the winners, and I hope they do the Filipino public good as they put their trust on your brand's name all these years.

ALEX CALLEJA and THE COMEDY CREW to Perform at Dubai Comedy Festival

I could have made a book out of the conversations we had with The Comedy Crew and Alex Calleja a few nights ago.  Aside from the laughs, we had a glimpse of the serious side of this emerging industry. We got schooled about how they've managed to survive the pandemic and the tough industry per se. Alex is no stranger to comedy, he's been doing this for ages that much of the comedians in his team attested they watched him when they were in primary school (emphasis on he's that old).

Aside from Alex Calleja, The Comedy Crew is composed of Israel Buenaobra, Mak Navarez, Jeps Gallon, Yuki Horikoshi, Winer Aguilar, Doc Ramon Cabochan, Anthony Andres, Dawit Tabonares, Rex Milora, Grease Junio, Schneider Maxino, Marlon Cadag, Franz Opinaldo, Victor Obera, CS Dela Pena, Professor David Blattner, Jimberly Villanueva and Trixie Corpez.

 Here's some serious stuff we talked about first during the press conference

 

Here's where Alex Calleja shared why he should tell new comedians about changing their acts and not commit career ending mistakes early on as part of The Comedy Crew

 Here's some of the jokes they cracked that evening!

Alex is behind the countless comedy shows in different networks. You could say he had his baptism of fire in the late 2000's and learned the ropes. He knew where comedians failed (shared his secrets so they don't make career ending decisions) and made sure no one is left behind. This sparked the formation of The Comedy Crew. These dudes are funny AF, and we had them do a few samples of their kind of comedy during the press conference. Yes, it's quite cerebral. I asked if they see the need to educate the Filipino crowd  but he says "First of all, it's not the fault of the audience if they didn't laugh at out jokes. The fault is ours. There's no such thing as an uneducated audience, it's our responsibility to adjust. If you know your audience, you choose a joke appropriate for them. That's the wrong mentality. It's like having them watch a movie and if they didn't like your soundtrack... it's not going to be their fault. You need to impress them with whatever genre you produce. You are paid to perform and if they don't laugh at your jokes, it's the comedians fault. It's why we have house rules at the beginning of the show. We use our voice most of the time, and we only ask for the audience's attention by turning off their phones for the duration of the show. We also tell them to tell us if they get offended in one or more acts, we also ask much of the crowd to occupy the front seats because it'll be a mess when they arrive late, we don't want that to happen. We only ask for people to be on time, and that's enough. In fact, I didn't know we were going to talk like this during the press con, I almost want to cry instead of promoting our show in Dubai."

It's so nice to see our brand of comedy will be seen on an international stage and these guys are crazy good.

For those who would want to experience their antics and kind of comedy, Alex and The Comedy Crew (Israel Buenaobra, Jeps Gallon, Mark Navares and Imah Dumagay) is performing at the Comedy Masala in Singapore from March 25 to 26 (sold out shows) and at the Dubai Opera this coming April 13 (Saturday) as part of the celebrations of Dubai Comedy Festival. You can get tickets for the Dubai event from dubaicomedyfest.ae. They also have a show in The Astbury in Poblacion on April 6 at 7PM and Laughtrip Olongapo-Subic (a tour) on March 29, 30, 31 at The Palace in Olongapo, Cork Room at Subic Bay and Source Coffee in Subic too. 

You may visit their NEW websites www.alexcalleja.com or www.thecomedycrew.com for more information about their shows. You can also follow Alex Calleja's or The Comedy Crew's official Facebook page for more details about it.

JAKE CUENCA Grabs Role in "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim"

Had lunch with Jake Cuenca this afternoon as he talks more about Morpheus, his character in the hit show "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim" (Philippine adaptation) on Viu. Obviously he's attacking this role differently and when he watched it, he eagerly wants to do justice with the role.

Jake says "If I make you cry here, it's not because of heartbreak, but this man is calm and done differently. PSJ is a great actor, so is Cyrus, but the effort here is even more than my previous role in Ironheart. I really prepared for it emotionally. This time you are bringing this to an audience, I had to look for things in between."

He adds that after the pandemic, he wanted to work with the best people including the late Deo Endrinal. He would've regretted it because they were able to tweak the character for him and it's a different take in the Filipino adaptation. When I read it, it was interesting. I do flourish on an off beat role especially Eros, on Catleya Killer it's always very interesting and meaty. I've come to embrace that they put me here for a reason, and I can elevate it."

They thought it was going to be the typical Jake Cuenca but they will talk about the portrayal after the show. He is grateful especially for the audience that comes with it. Jake knows how hot KimPao is. He says "When I'm in the set I don't look at romantic scenes, but I'm really blessed to have been able to work with Pau, and with my best friend, I feel I've had more growth. If we did this when we were young, it would have looked totally different."

Here's the full conversation we had with him

Now if you're in the mood for more of Jake Cuenca, he's on What's Wrong with Secretary Kim and it is exclusive on Viu. You can see the first 5 episodes if you are subscribed but if you want to watch it on TV, it's on abscbn channels. You can also watch it for FREE on Viu as soon as it comes out on TV.

Congratulations Jake on another show! There will surely be more of these projects including the one with Baron Geisler. You just wait!

KATRINA VELARDE Readies For "The Z-CON: The Gen Z Icons Concert"

 

The world class power belter Katrina Velarde is going to make your April days even more awesome as she does "KATRINA The Z-CON: The Gen Z Icons Concert" to be held on April 13, 8pm at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati.

For those asking why it's ZCon, it's because they want to cater to Gen Z's who's supporting her today. She's been very hands on, using her own team to do arrangements, covers, even on YouTube. Although they cater to any music genre, everyone will certainly relate to the music of the 90's and 2000's. She's going to do it with her own spin on things. 

Talking to her a few days ago, Katrina feels the pressure (mounting this concert) because it's been 4 years since she last had one. Though she admits, she likes this pressure and anxiety. She asserts these are challenges that could further improve her skills. 

 Katrina says "I'm so happy that we're doing this to promote my concert, I've had the chance to do this in ASAP and Showtime, and it's been a while since I've had one. It's like my body is looking for it, this is a big production and I'm happy to work with JM Yosures, Reiven Umali, Khimo Gumatay and Sam Mangubat. My reach has always been with Gen Z's and I've prepared a lot for this one."

She adds "It's not just going to be with Gen Z's though because I want people to relate with music from the 90's and 2000's, but we're doing it with a different flavor. I'm eager to do this all, coming from the pandemic days, we wanted to have more mediums of entertainment. I realized when the pandemic happened people still wanted to see us for entertainment, and now that we're back, I'm happy."

Imagine if she wasn't around during the pandemic, we all would have been in a rut. A lot of people listened to her songs during her live streams. Truly, it was a place to be thankful during those times because as singers, they rose to the occasion and gave us the needed entertainment we craved for at home.

Like so many singers, she's inspired by the one and only Asia's Songbird Regine Velasquez. When they performed in previous shows, she froze and just looks at her. It's so nice to see that her dreams did come true. To be able to work with her inspiration, she must have been ecstatic. Here's more of what happened at the press conference for the "KATRINA The Z-CON: The Gen Z Icons Concert"

 On this part 2, she had our jaws drop with a few songs she sang a capella

 

She's very down to earth, and has already impressed a lot of people with her covers, original songs and this concert would definitely be a nice avenue to see how she's come a long way. Tickets are sold via Ticketworld so secure them now. This is produced by AQUEOUS ENTERTAINMENT and ABBA Productions.

 

Take a Look at the New TIMEZONE Marquee Mall

If you haven't discovered it yet, there's a new Timezone branch at the Marquee Mall in San Fernando, Pampanga. Kapampangan friends and families will get a taste of the same entertainment that people have been enjoying in different places across the country.

They spruced it up, arranged the machines to an even wider floor area so you can have more of your favorite games, tickets to win, and prizes to take home in one place. What's even better is that there are new games included in the re-opening which can be played from sun up to sun down, for folks of different ages.

The President and GM of Timezone Philippines Raffy Prats Jr. was also there to cut the ribbon, and he says "You're now looking at a new and improved Timezone Marquee Mall which you can now go to and have tons of pleasurable and memorable time with your family. This will surely be a place where people from Central Luzon would converge and enjoy on regular days or weekends. This is now catered to different age groups, for students, professionals, or just about any joe that want to have a fun time!"

Now you can enjoy VR machines, Magic UFO, Halo Firestorm Raven, social bowling, and so much more. The branch also will have a promo where if you load up 600 pesos you get to have 900 Timezone credits which means more time to play inside the arcade.

Go head on to Marquee Mall in Pampanga today to enjoy the promo, and the tons of games you need to play. It's a breather, and if you win lots of tickets, you can trade them for prizes, treats right at the side of the cashier. You'll love it here!

Adulting: Choosing the Right Investments

If you have extra money in the bank, I'm sure you're trying to rack your head between just leaving it stagnant in your savings or plan to put it on investments. It's not easy because right from the start, you're dealing with hard earned money and imagine the hours you had to endure just to earn that amount. Rightly so, it's something you shouldn't take lightly.

You have to be comfortable in what risks you should take. It should fit what you want to achieve in the future. It's not the time to mince back with questions because it is a financial decision.

According to Joyce Mayo the CEO of SmarTrade (a financial education and consultancy firm) "We should understand that before investing, you should have a clear idea of you personal needs and goals because it's all about aligning what you want to achieve with your lifestyle, financial wishes and your values. SmarTrade offers FREE training and learning sessions before you do online trading. Our personalized approach makes it easier to understand and meet your objectives. The first days would certainly be crucial as you try and get a sense of your risk appetite. Everyone has a growth potential and being armed with the education, knowledge you need to thrive from the first day is essential. You have to take your strategy and align it with your long term vision."

SmarTrade provides free learning sessions and personalized coaching. This means you get to tailor fit your investments and protect your hard earned money. They do this with ATFX which is a global leader in broker services. They have a broker program for skilled individuals so they too become partners wether you are in the finance or forex industry. You also gain access to resources, get personalized support when you need to and become a part of a huge community who are thriving in online trading. This will arm you with what you need to make smart investments. If you want to know more, visit SmarTradePH.com today!

AGSUNTA to hold FREE CONCERT on their 10th Year Anniversary

 

Popular heartbreak band Agsunta (Jai, Miguel, Stephen and Josh) is feeling mighty generous this coming March 23 as they hold their 10th Anniversary concert at the SM City Tanza Cavite Parking Grounds (where they all hail from) ALL FOR FREE, because they want to thank you personally.

Get to listen to their hit songs "Kung Di Na Ako", "Alas Dose", "Bagong Umaga", your favorites and a few new ones so you get to experience an even new Agsunta right outside the mall. We got to interview them a few days ago and asked about what they had up their sleeves, so listen in!

Jireh Singson aka Jai says "We are celebrating our 10th year of being together (the 4 of them). We had different people in the past, but what we are celebrating is US being together. Just like some bands, we started in college, it wasn't serious, just playing together and just jamming. We didn't expect to have a space in the industry. We didn't really notice that we're already on our 10th year, it's like time flew by and we sometimes get called KUYA by some new bands and our fans. We don't get shy anymore because we feel like we're their seniors in some way."

He adds "We are so grateful we lasted 10 years, and we feel it's our time to give back not just to the community, but to the countless Filipinos who listen to our songs over the years. This is why we wanted for them to have a really good FREE CONCERT in SM Tanza in Cavite. We all hail from this province. It's our home turf. We've spent a lot of time on tour, like we feel we've been in every province imaginable. We love that we get to hear that they know our music. We also spent a lot of time composing songs and putting them in the bank so we could release more original songs this year, that's the goal. So you all will have a LOT to look forward to. We will be more aggressive, we will also release music videos and vlogs on our social channels."

They've been known to sing songs of heartbreaks but they hinted that the new material they're working on will be quite different from the music they released in the past. They will release a new single on April 8th that will be turning tides as they've never played songs like it. This is for those who are in love, they'd love to see you blush when you hear it. Make sure you be there on the 23rd, as SM City Tanza will be Agsunta ground. Go get your friends, your family and drag them to the place if you need to! They also have guests like Nef Medina (a very spirited singer from GMA) and awesome PPOP boyband 1621BC.

Congratulations on your 10th Anniversary AGSUNTA! Can't wait to hear your singles that will be released soon!

MARC LOGAN Has A New Show on TV5!

If you've been looking for Marc Logan (and where he's been), don't close your eyes because he's now in TV5!

He's got a new show called "Top 5 Mga Kwentong Marc Logan" after signing with the Kapatid network. This will show on April 6 which is pretty near already, and will feature interesting people as he makes those awkward things funny with his antics. He's pretty known doing that, and even if you don't admit, you laughed a few times in his past shows.

Aside from the usual, he's going to also take a hit on trending videos, topics, and just about anything under the sun. His comical way of telling the stories will surely make your day, and you will be enjoying it with an even wider group of spectators. He will also be introducing several segments like MANOPET for those talented pets, Pakitalk-kitalk for viral social media videos, and Taba ng U-Talk for more Filipino humor.

He will also be interviewing stars, go to unexpected places and find ways to make you laugh all day. Go visit TV5's social channels for more updates about it and several insider shots as they will be revealing more soon! Go give tv5.com.ph a click would you?!

MOIRA Talks About Weight Loss Journey at BonaSlim Event

Looks like Moira is on a roll as she now is the face of BonaVita Philippines' "BonaSlim", the newest 15 in 1 coffee mix released in the Philippines. 

The singer, songwriter and hit maker has been busy preparing for a concert tour this coming summer (Malaysia, US and Canada) so getting in shape is one of her priorities. BonaSlim has L-Carnetine + Garcinia Cambogia and uses Stevia as sweetener. This is recommended for adults only and not for lactating, pregnant and children. It also is in mocha flavor which makes it smell so good in the morning (when you are having your first cup).

In the event, the Cerezo Family, BonaVita executives, and Cornerstone were all in attendance. BonaVita Philippines CEO Jethro Cerezo says "This is a milestone for our company, as she believes in our brand and our family. We started this just to improve the health of consumers. We are now able to introduce to you BonaSlim 15 in 1 Coffee, our proudest formulation yet. It targets the need of your weight loss goals, all of us worked hard to being you products you deserve. We want to help and inspire!"

CFO Genesis Cerezo and Jhederlly Masiclat says "We are happy to present you this new product, in our commitment to guide you in your weightloss and boost your energy and confidence, we introduce to you BonaSlim 15 in 1 coffee. In it we got Mangosteen, L-Carnitine, Garcinia Cambogia, Inulin, Senna Leaves, Stevia, Moringa, Barley, Ganoderma, Psyllium Husk, Turmeric Powder , Guyabano, and no artificial additives or preservatives. Looking good starts with feeling good. It's when you radiate confidence, and we want you to achieve your goals healthier and happier. We believe in a holistic approach, we need to religiously take care of ourselves and use this for your body goals. This is BonaSlim 15 in 1 coffee!"

"When I started losing weight, it haopened when I stopped trying. I was vegan, keto, done intermittent, tried everything, even became bolemic and worsened my situation. But when I stopped putting pressure on my self and just letting myself be, that's when I didn't stress about it and gradually lost the weight. I think it is self love, that matters more. I also think you have to know you are beautiful even before you go to your goal weight. That's where real change happens, it wasn't quick and BonaSlim they knew what I was talking about, it was gradual change they also wanted to promote. It was something I could do. Don't be to hard on yourself, choose yourself because it's not a bad thing."

Now head on to stores, online shops as they are all available in Shopee, Lazada and their social channels.

(COMPLETE) Winners of the Puregold Cinepanalo Film Festival

A few days ago, the awards night for Puregold Cinepanalo Film Festival happened at the Cinema 5 of Gateway Mall at Araneta City in Quezon City. I've only been able to watch a few short films, 2 full lenght films, but saw how they all deserve the accolades mounting this all.

The competition is tough with the 6 full length films, 25 student short films, I was so excited to be seated with them during that evening... and even asked my seatmates about their bets. They were right!

Here are your winners!

Congrats VJ Mendoza for doing this song, he mentioned the one who composed it passed. Sad, but worthy to win!

Initially, these were all supposed to be shown at Gateway Cineplex 18 from March 15 to 19, but we got word from Festival Director Chris Cahilig that it will be now until March 26 due to the resounding success of the films and clamor for more cinemas for it. If you haven't watched the entries, go take your friends, your family, and see it til that date. I like "A Lab Story", "Under a Piaya Moon", "Pushcart Tales" and the shorts that were seen in the festival. But you have the power to see whatever you wish in cinemas, go use a whole day for it because it can take a while to finish watching them all.

Congratulations Direk Chris Cahilig, to everyone at Puregold for making this happen. I deem this an excellent platform for unheard actors to shine. I also felt this would be a good place for people to see artistry with the different materials. It's also a time for story tellers to whip out their best work, and the chance to see it on the big screen is priceless. Puregold just did that for you, again, congratulations to the men and women who made this happen!