UNILAB and Mercury Drug Celebrate 80 Years of Quality and Care with ALAGANG SUKI FEST 2025

8 whole decades is a long time, and that's exactly how long UNILAB and Mercury Drug has been providing quality and care for Filipinos. To celebrate with a bang, they got some of the hottest acts and personalities in the country to headline their show entitled "Alagang Suki Fest 2025". People were just shocked how they were able to combine the Koolpals, Jolina Slaydangal, Robi Domingo, and artist Belle Mariano, world dance champs Legit Status, hot band Mayonnaise, pop prince Darren Espanto, chart topper Maki, Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano, and the country's PPOP girl group BINI.

The venue was packed and they started the show with a few games with the audience to break the ice. 

Jolina was not just the momshie, but a generation that reminded us of the 90's, and how good it was til it lasted. Same with Robi who taught us how to take care of our tummies. Belle Mariano was the surprise of the evening, she was fun and had folks standing up, and went to the audience area because she really just wanted to have fun during her performance. She was really entertaining!

Belle really knew how to work the crowd, and she sang a few 80's and 90's hits, which really made us sing along with her. Her set was fun!

Legit Status showed us why they are world class. With jumps, tumbles and crump moves, we just watched knowing how difficult it is. That's passion personified.

Mayonnaise sang their hit songs, and thought to surprise us with JOPAY at the end of their set. Folks thought they wouldn't sing it but they did!

Darren and Maki really had the young ones mesmerized by their songs (and dance for Darren). Maki had a different sound, it appeals to a lot of folks. Though I haven't heard some of it, I am impressed. No wonder he's always in the mind of international acts who've heard his songs. He's really good! Darren on the other hand has performed his hits, and some of his newly released singles which were loved by many.

Highlight of the evening was Mr. Gary Valenciano, when folks thought it was going to be ballads, he comes completely bonkers with the Maneuvers. He didn't just wear the Mr. Pure Energy moniker, he became it. With high energy moves, songs, he got everyone off of their seats to dance and sing along with him. He brought us to church, he made us stars in our own seats, and that says a lot for a world class performer like him. Super love the evening because of that!

The nation's PPOP Girl Group, BINI made the crowd crazy. With their hit songs, and surprise number in the end, we were all just thankful how our dreams came true courtesy of UNILAB and Mercury Drug Corporation. Thank you for letting us be part of this wonderful celebration of your 80 years. Here's to more in the next few years because I'm sure you'll try an even bigger one right?!

If you want to watch the concert, head on to my TikTok account @kumagcow because I've managed to take videos of it in several parts. 

Thank you for the quality, for the care and the love you bring for Filipinos!

Say Hello to New Streaming Platform FUN UNLIMITED

The Filipino hunger for content has evidently increased in recent years and why not, that pandemic certainly has given us more reason to enjoy things like streaming apps. This is why media companies are also changing their ways, starting from digitizing their movies and shows, libraries from big production houses to independent ones. It has also given folks the option of watching from their own homes, or even anywhere they please because it's convenient on tablets or even their phones. This is the reason why FUN UNLIMITED was born. It's moniker is F. U., very easy to recall. They've got local and international content plus a lot of genres you can consume. 

This includes drama, comedy, action, romance, even those for mature audiences. Some of which tackled things that would sometime educate you, all in the form of edutainment. 

For starters, they have movies stsrting with Rebound, Survive, Redcon 1, Alone, Shadow of God, Champion, Alone, Champion, The Wrath, Instant Death, Uranus and so much more. For the mature audiences they've got titles that would tickle your fancy, to answer those questions you're raring to ask behind closed doors (also actress Salome Salvi and Ms. Myra Manibog). There's also comedy titles from social media stars like Bernie Batin and his other role as Lola AI. If you're also fond of Mr. FU, he's got a show called Files Unlocked plus other titles you'll enjoy!

Make sure you get FUN UNLIMITED once it comes out. It's from the guys at Maralabs and will be available starting August 8th in Google Play Store and the App Store! 

An Unlikely Pairing That Works: MEG & RYAN

Seeing the trailer a couple months back had me asking if these two actors would actually work. I could identify JC Santos in more indie looking romcoms and drams while Rhian Ramos would fall into either action, sultry contrabida roles, drama and fantasy genres.

Watching the movie through a red carpet advance screening (a few days ago) however proved that putting these actors in a box would be a big mistake especially since the material of Meg & Ryan needed specific personas shown on screen. JC had to make Ryan as nerdy, ultra conservative and virginal at times while Rhian does the opposite, flawed, game for anything and had no bottle left unturned. She also gets egged to do things by friends, persuaded by a drop of wine and fun it brings. 

Lots of stars went to the event and supported them. Mind you it was raining and traffic was bad, but they all went there to support Director Catherine Camarillo and the other stars of the film. In a way this is a huge gamble because it's pretty slow at cinemas these days. But they're pretty confident about this story and its execution.

JC took his character to heart. With his boyish charm and soft delivery, he makes the easy work out of being the Mama's boy he needed to portray. Rhian on the other hand remained pretty mysterious despite her being the rocker chick she exudes. Both characters situations get intertwined, call it fate, call it something something that happened for one night, but they both loved each other eventually.

Some real good highlights are the appearances of Steven Bansil and the super funny POCA. If you love them on their internet skits, you would love them even more in their first movie.

We all thought it was not going to work, but folks in the cinema were gushing about the pair, even cried too. I guess we all fell for the trap that is MEG & RYAN. And they hope you get to experience it too.  It's an interesting and cute story, the pairing works! It comes out on August 6th, in cinemas nationwide! This is under POCKET MEDIA Films.

PIOLO PASCUAL and RABIYA MATEO at the 10 Years of Vibrant Colors HAIRFIX Event - SM Grand Central

Celebrating 10 years of Vibrant Colors are the folks from Hairfix and its mother corp Lifestrong Marketing Incorporated. They had us on the edge of our seats about the things they planned to do on this historic day, choosing to do it in SM Grand Central in Caloocan City with gorgeous Miss Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo and the one and only Ultimate Heartthrob Piolo Pascual 

The good men and women of Hairfix came with offers blazing, taking along several products to irresistible sales, which all are treats for consumers in the North, including a meet and greet session with both celebrities right at the center of SM's Beauty section. Things got real packed quite quick as news of their appearance spread by word of mouth. Everybody then was in a celebratory mood and they started festivities with a real good program showcasing ways to take care of hair, and bringing needed color to it. Here's our video coverage of that afternoon:

Rabiya shared tips on how to use Hairfix products to make sure they achieve that polished beauty queen look. Then they called Piolo Pascual who started serenading everyone with some of the sweetest OPM songs and the standards, then reaching with the other hand with bouquet of flowers for the delight of ladies there. 

The event was also witnessed by Lifestrong Marketing Inc. head honchos CEO Lance Lee and COO Ms. Margaret Lee. They reiterated their passion to come out with more products and colors that would redefine hair care for Filipinos for years to come. 

Congratulations to Hairfix! Here's wishing you all the success to continue with the innovative ways you take care of not just hair, but grooming, health and confidence of your customers in the Philippines and beyond!

Tough Girl and Health Advocate KAILA ESTRADA

Lovely Kaila Estrada is taking on the cause of youth wellness to the forefront as she becomes the newest Santé BarleyMax brand Ambassador. She now joins the ranks of other stars Kim Atienza, Bossing Vic Sotto and the Unkabogable star Vice Ganda. 

Aside from being one of the brightest Star Magic artist, she starts a precedent of having youth, health and vitality to be something of importance for today's generation. It doesn't have to be acted upon when we're already in our prime, rather started early regardless of one's length of stay on Earth. 

Kaila has worked her way up the industry by reprising roles in series like Viral Scandal, Linlang, Can't Buy Me Love and the recent one Incognito. The who's who of the industry were also part of that, and it cemented her name into the homes of Filipinos worldwide. 

For those who don't know, Santé BarleyMax is made of organic barley grass all sourced from New Zealand. With her being part of the movement, it'll get folks to appreciate how we all should start investing as early as now. While you are young, it's going to open your eyes that you can achieve your hoped and dreams. Nothing is impossible!

The Stunningly BIG TCL C7K QD Mini LED

It's always so exciting to attend a TCL event because they're always offering something new for consumers, and from the looks of it, they're going BIG!

Cyd Montebon Deputy Director of Sales for TCL says "Our newest offering is the 115 inch TCL C7K QD Mini LED TV. We are the number panel TV brand, and we remain committed to reflect the latest in tech, push boundaries and lifestyle in every Filipino home. We hope you see clarity on what this offers."

Abenson's Retail Marketing Head Apple Ma adds "This marks the official launch of the C7K in partnership with Abenson. We're bringing this closer to every Filipino home. We believe it's more than just a TV and turns spaces into theaters. It's going to be the favorite of any enthusiast, to inspire and entertain families even more."

This is the new TCL C7K QD Mini LED TV that boasts better brightness, contrast and color accuracy. You'll achieve the detailed visuals you want to get on a 4K Ultra HD display with sharper detailed visuals, no more guesswork in how to set it because it is good by default. You can also opt for light control on parts of the panel, or use it for gaming with family, friends and just about anyone. With very high refresh rates and low input lag, you can get those consoles to function as it should when being attached to it. The sound too is perfect as audio is designed by Bang & Olufsen who's an authority in audio equipment. 

For convenience, this has Google TV on it for your smart home. Aside from the usual streaming services, you can use voice control to do the work just like your existing attached Google Home devices and Gemini. The design is also Ultra Thin, it'll fit right in on your home's interiors, and keep that minimalistic vibe you always wanted in your homes.

The TCL C7K QD Mini LED TV would be best for your movie nights, games and just about anything you'd want to do with your TV! Make sure you follow their social channels and website to know more about it before you do purchase one. But from where I was this afternoon, it was an awesome set! Costs 590,999 pesos with a 2 HP air-conditioner and premium quality water dispenser.