MESA Renews Ties with DINGDONG DANTES on their #RoadTo100

Popular modern Filipino and Asian inspired restaurant MESA just renewed their ties with Primetime King and Kapuso Star Dingdong Dantes as they continue having him as the endorser for the restaurant chain. The event was witnessed by Dong's Manager Mr. Perry Lansigan, MESA CEO Rikki Dee, their COO Eric Dee and their VP for National Operations Raymond Federigan. This continues a very effective partnership between the MESA group and Dingdong who's well identified with their brand and the life sized standees in store across the country.

Eric Dee says "We planned 120 stores last 2020, we were delayed because of obvious reasons. We are back on track this year for 2025. Our growth's reason is Mr. Dingdong Dantes, our vision of our Road to 100 is coming true. We will continue to celebrate Filipino heritage in our stores, our food, enjoyed by families all over "

Ricky Dee added "I want to thank Dingdong for coming to our lives. When we thought about it, it was unanimous. Til today we believe in him, and we are looking forward to more years of being together."

Dingdong extends his thanks for the trust given to him and said "Congratulations to the MESA group, I am so proud and honored to be part of this brand 6 years ago. Now, we are raring to be part of the road to 100 and my inclusion in it. I said a few years ago that I'll be part of it, I will be branch 88 and we will announce it very soon. To Filipino families, we will reach you, even in Hawaii. This brand will become bigger and stronger."

He adds "Our values are aligned, common goals, and we both believe in quality. Without getting into details, they will take care of me. I'm planning to put it near Sixto's school so Marian and I will be in it often. We can't wait to do that. We bond over food."

Dong adds "What the stomach experiences is the same in memories. We dine out, we eat, and I'm a foodie. I love the Crispchon and it's good to share. Being with other people, sharing it with the ones you love, it's what we do every week and it is special."

Here's some scenes from the event this morning and the press conference, please enjoy!

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With this happening this 2025, there will be more events and activations where Dingdong will be a part of and soon, more stores for him too as he said he's also planning to open one in his neck of the woods. Currently, MESA is present in Ayala Malls, Eastwood, Festival Mall, Fisher Mall, One Ayala, Robinsons Malls, SM Malls, and more. They are all under Foodie Global Concepts.

Congratulations on this continuing partnership! 

ALAMAT, Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera Dantes Celebrates DITO Telecommunity Wins

The premise of meeting primetime King and Queen Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera and talented PPOP group ALAMAT was certainly something I'd wish for during Christmas. A few nights ago, DITO Telecommunity celebrated with with media, guests and DITO subscribers and closed the year with the country's Fastest Mobile Network Award. It's something they've been steadfastly working on in improving business growth and consumer experience in the last few years. The event was witnessed by DITO executives Atty. Adel Tamano their current Chief Revenue Officer for Enterprise, Evelyn Jimenez the Chief Revenue Officer for Consumer Business and their stakeholders.

 
Ms. Evelyn Jimenez pronounced how DITO is still putting up infrastructure as we speak. Their dream is to get those far flung and underserved communities connected to the network so they too could benefit from the internet and fulfill their dreams too. They have received the Philippines Fastest Mobile Network Award (all in all 14 categories) from Opensignal beating their rivals in the country. Their 5G connection is on a different level, having over 287.2 Mbps which nearly doubles their closest competition. This is a milestone for DITO, something that they've don in the last half of 2023 and first half of 2024, but they're not stopping there.

Discovering Talent

Filipino work and craftsmanship is world class. DITO recently launched Galing DITO, to showcase those who excel in their craft (I remember Herminio Tan, a great sculptor from Antipolo which they did a few months ago), also this time, PPOP phenoms ALAMAT. We talked to the boys and saw how it has made their lives easy, they were happy to share their experience with it and the various shows they got mounted with the bullish telecom company. They are also doing a concert today called RAGASA at the New Frontier Theater in Araneta City. You should definitely watch this before the show!

Primetime King and Queen for DITO

 

 Powerful couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera Dantes also obliged us with an interview. They were so happy to have been able to accomplish so much with DITO, and how they have been able to grow with it. Dingdong told us how they started and sees how huge the DITO Telecommunity is now, and was excited to tell us about what they do at home while they enjoy time with kids, or plainly working.

Marian was giddy, telling us how the need of being online 24/7 was answered by DITO. Whenever Dingdong is out for work, or if she's busy with a shoot, they do not fail to get in touch with each other because DITO is seamless and proved time and time again, to be fast whether for work or play. They call each other even at home when they're in different parts of the house. They also enjoy internet time with the kids because they only let them use it when both of them are present. I was so impressed how they managed to still have time for the cute and talented kids no matter how busy they are.

 

 It just tells so much about how a company that believes in the Filipino talent, their artistry and supports them in their endeavors. Their endorsers believe in them, and this is why they've grown exponentially over the years since they started. They're not stopping there, because from what I've heard, both ALAMAT, Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera Dantes will be doing several shows and appearances to make sure their message comes across all demographics. They are still putting up infrastructure, but from what is seen so far with regards to their network performance, they're certainly with the right people. 

We hope you get to enjoy these exclusive interviews with them like I did. Thank you to DITO Telecommunity for letting us experience interviewing ALAMAT and the King and Queen of Primetime.

 

You'll Love These New DITO Level-Up Packs!

Ever gone outside and felt like ask yourself, is my phone going to fail me today? Or maybe fear you'll lose a game because your data would suddenly go kaput right in the middle of the battle? How about calling friends or family, but you end up disconnecting right when you're giving instructions for your location? We all go through that in one way or another, but DITO has something good up their sleeves.


They've done pretty well offering a lot of promos with their prepaid lines, sims and data connection. This month, they felt the need to level up which is why they've come up with even BIGGER DATA for the same price!

For 99 pesos, you get 8GB data that is good for 15 days. If you get the 109 pesos, it has 9GB data. If you get the 129 peso package, you get 10GB of data which can be used for 30 days. You also get a bonus connection with Prime Video Mobile Edition.

It's the most affordable data rate, you'll enjoy a longer validity for data, and get entertainment with the movies that Prime Video offers. That's incredible no?

Go get your DITO sim and follow their social channels to know more about their data packages, wouldn't you want that from your network provider? Dingdong and Marian already did, why shouldn't you!

AKTOR.PH and 24 Other Groups File National Artist Nomination for VILMA SANTOS

Aktor.ph the League of Filipino Actors and several groups just set a nomination for the Star for All Seasons Ms. Vilma Santos Recto, for the order of National Artist for Film and Broadcasting. In the event, educational groups, celebrities and Aktor.ph were at the event signifying their support for this move. 

Dingdong Dantes says "You are seeing 20+ groups calling for this nomination that we are talking about, our Star for All Seasons Ms. Vilma Santos. Motion picture in the Philippines is the oldest in Asia. It serves as representations and aspirations. Being our nation's storyteller at AktorPH, we imagine being in the persona of a proud Actor. We envision them to be a nation builder and we wholeheartedly share one of our members Ms. Vilma Santos Recto. We celebrate her, her versatility, and unparalleled passion of Philippine cinema. Her immense talent breathed life to different roles, as the most awarded actress, she leaves an indelible mark in every Filipino. She inspires, starting from Trudis Liit as a young star, then to Darna and Dyesebel. Her chameleon like ability on how she tells the truth, her numerous projects and challenging roles tells how much she deserves this. Her range is unparalleled, captivating audiences in different generations. Her contributions go beyond showbiz, as a public servant, she stands as a symbol of empowerment and resilience. 6 decades of movies, television and public service, we would like to honor her as a cultural champion. In behalf of our officers, advisers, we fully support this nomination as National Artist!"

Here's our video coverage of the event this morning:

They filed all supporting documents yesterday at NCAA and believe it would take at least 1 and a half years to verify the information and decision to have the President approve of it. Dingdong and the rest of the organization pushing for the recognition is hopeful that if all falls into place, the honor would be bestowed upon Ms. Vilma Santos Recto soon. 

MARIAN RIVERA and DINGDONG DANTES Joins DITO Telecommunity

MARIAN RIVERA and DINGDONG DANTES is now part of the DITO Telecommunity

Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes recently just got the record of the the highest grossing film in the country with REWIND during MMFF 2023. With tons of endorsements at their belt, they now have a huge telecommunications company believing in them to send a message as they now are part of the DITO Telecommunity.

This coincides with their recent win at the Asian Telecom Awards 2024 for two categories namely Digital Initiative of the Year and Mobile App of the Year. Aside from that, Ookla just awarded them as the #1 Mobile Network in the country. The award was accepted during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain by DITO CEO and President Eric Alberto and Chief Revenue Officer Evelyn Jimenez. Ookla CEO Stephen Bye was there to hand it over. 

It's so fun to see Marian and Dingdong join DITO at a very opportune time as they are also launching their Postpaid offers and Home plans for the benefit of Filipinos. Cheaper, more efficient connections will now be available through DITO. The Postpaid plans are also available in SIM only offers or with a handset, so if you are looking for a new phone, go get one from DITO now!

Gorgeous Ashley Ortega was also there! My YT Shorts record holder at 4.1 Million views.

DITO Telecommunity Executives at the event

Dingdong says "Marian and I are so excited today! We're very thankful to note that we are now part of the DITO Telecommunity. Thank you so much for the trust. We are grateful to be associated with brands that bring value for the Filipino people. We know how they prioritize customers, and always make connections more affordable. They empower communities. We are happy and proud to be part of this family!"

Marian adds "We are so blessed. I told Dad that in my heart, it's going to be him and DITO from hereon. It's so heartwarming to know how they prioritize Filipinos and act on what people need. They are very dependable. They know our rights to have internet connection, to be content and have DITO in our hearts #DITOsaPusoMo."

Now go enjoy their new commercial which will be coming out on TV, Print and Radio. Congratulations to #DongYan because your love is so infectious! Congratulations too on being part of the DITO community!

Kapuso Star JILLIAN WARD Expecting Over 700 Guests on Debut

 

This morning was certainly super fun as we got to talk to Kapuso star Jillian Ward. She's been in the industry since she was 5, and has worked in several shows like Trudis Liit, Super Ma'am, My Special Tatay, Prima Donnas, and recently Abot-Kamay na Pangarap. She's not much of a child actress anymore and is turning 18 now, so preparations for her birthday celebration has been keeping her busy even after work. Even with no sleep, she innocently posted a photo on Instagram and it went viral for the good reason that she still looks absolutely gorgeous in it. Today on the blog conference, she detailed some of her debut's preparations and here's how our small talk with her went!

For starters, she's expecting over 700 people to attend the event. She tells us, a lot of these individuals are people who have worked with her in previous shows and it's why she's electing a more celebratory theme rather than something formal. She wants a party where she could just have fun with her loved ones, much of which has been instrumental with her successful career in GMA.

Jillian mentioned Alden Richards, several veteran actors, leading men from GMA's stable. She also wants Ms. Marian Rivera and her family to come but they might have plans prior to the event, she says they might arrange something with Dingdong Dantes before the day comes. She looks up to Marian and thinks so highly of her. 

Jillian will also be with several GMA actresses, her friends who have also been with her in different shows so this will certainly be a huge gathering of stars. Mak Tumang will also be designing her ball gown, and a few will also be made in different parts of the event where she'll be performing. There will also be different stars performing in the event, and one of the reasons why she's busy these days is because they are already preparing, doing rehearsals for the big day!

Jillian Ward is certainly not a kid anymore. She wishes that everyone who she loves, and loves her would all be there. Happy birthday dear!

DINGDONG DANTES and MESA's Road to 100!

Stalwart of Filipino food and dining authority MESA just got actor Dingdong Dantes renewed as their brand ambassador just a few days ago at their Powerplant Mall branch in Makati City. Present during the occasion were Father and Son owners Rikki Dee and Eric Thomas Dee of FooDee Global Concepts, their Director of National Operations Raymond Federigan, and Dingdong's Manager Perry Lansingan.

Aside from the contract renewal, they unveiled their gigantic billboard which they installed on top of MESA Headquarters along EDSA in Mandaluyong City. They also divulged their goal of putting up 100 stores by 2025 or earlier to expand their current 70 strong stores nationwide and reach even more families who prefer familiar flavors innovated and served. You can expect Dingdong to still be in marketing collateral right in front of stores to greet guests with that signature smile of his that have charmed a lot of people. If you want to know, his favorites include the Pomelo Salad, Laing 2 ways, Crunchy Pork Sisig, and MESA's world renowned CRISPCHON.

It's recognized by Taste Atlas as Best Crispchon in the World. It's a young pig that has been deep fried to perfection, sliced then served in a Malunggay Crepe and slivers of cucumber, leeks, wansoy and own made sauces. You can just imagine how good this tastes like, so make sure you get your reservations done days ahead!

Here's what happened during the press conference:

Dingdong even went ahead and said he's raring to have one branch particularly #88 to be his very own soon. He also said he'd be glad to gift his wife gorgeous Marian Rivera her own restaurant too. Cheers and congratulations to the men and women who built MESA how it is today. It'll surely be a challenge but even after the pandemic, you have proven how hard work and dedication pays off.

DINGDONG DANTES and BEAUTY GONZALEZ for I Can See You AlterNATE

Exciting is pretty much a word that defines what we felt during the blog conference for the I Can See You AlterNATE series on GMA. This is the first time that Dingdong Dantes is going to be paired with Beauty Gonzales. They've had this taping done late last year and they worked pretty fast because everyone was very professional. This also includes the on screen comeback of Jackie Lou Blanco and Direk Ricky Davao, which for one or more reasons would have been not done on Philippine TV.

Beauty says "I was so lucky to get  to work with this cast because it was such a blast, I hope we get the chance to work again because this was a little bitin. It was such a beautiful experience! It's nice to end the year with me working with a group like this. Dingdong is so professional, very intuitive, I know why he's very respected in GMA because he's very caring and very nice to everyone. To tell you honestly I was nervous at first because I just wanted to work with him, and now it's happening."

Dingdong adds "This show is very unique, quite different from the shows I've done previously because I play two people, with different personalities. It's more of the difficult ones I've done in my career. It's a beautiful experience working with her. In the beginning we had to test the waters because it's the first time to meet on set, and first time to work with each other. The difficult roles made us more open with each other because the requirement was really high. As actors we had to know each other because we're giving part of ourselves in the roles we played. You need to have complete trust and I think we have done that in the beginning of the work day, we've established that."

 

I Can See You AlterNATE will be seen week nights on GMA Telebabad so make sure you catch the episodes starting day 1!

DINGDONG and ZIA DANTES for Shopee's 12.12 Big Christmas Sale

When we signed up to know first hand who's going to be the face of Shopee this 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, we thought we were going to see individual stars on the screen, But lo and behold, they depicted a family, perfect for the season, and it was so worth the wait as GMA's biggest actor Dingdong Dantes and her daughter Zia Dantes was announced as the face for Shopee's 12.12 Big Christmas Sale.

We were so elated in the conference as it's been a while since we've seen them both. Zia was a joy to hear speaking, she's got lines you'll think would never come from a kid, she's very bright and talented. She probably picked it up from Mom and Dad and the event was just so adorable because of the father daughter interaction. 

Martin Yu the Director for Shopee Philippines says "Thanks to our corporate and brand partners as we look back with our last mega campaign this 12.12. The Philippines is the fastest growing in the region, more Filipinos now buy and sell online. 68 percent sellers now use the tools we have in the next 5 years and we will watch them grow even more!"

This coming 12.12, they're offering FREE shipping with no minimum spend on products, they will also have Php 1 deals and a huge 10 percent discount daily, why not right? Well, they've amped it up with a 90 percent discounts on some of the biggest brands like Mikana, Maybelline, Peculiar, Pampers, P&G, Vivo, Oppo, realme, Huawei, Colgate-Palmolive, Abbott, Unilever, Nestle, Adidas, Xiaomi, Pedigree, Poco, Penshoppe, Johnsons and Johnson, Mentos, Chupa Chups, Inspi Shirts and so much more!

There will also be a GMA 7 TV Special on the date itself at Php 10:30pm wherein KPOP sensation Tomorrow X Together is slated to perform. Aside form that, appearances from Michael V, Julie Anne San Jose, Rayver Cruz, Kate Valdez, Ysabel Ortega, Andrea Torres and the biggest Willie Revillame will be there to entertain you and make you win through lots of games and surprises. Dingdong and Zia will be on the app doing games, plus a few more things on their social channels all throughout December 1-12, for a chance to win a whopping 12 Million pesos in total, Shopee's Celebrity Pamasko would be a good place to start, so start pressing those ampao's for a lucky day!

That's just the start, they've got more in store for you so make sure you download it today and start getting discounts, deals, vouchers and so much more!

Descendants of the Sun Starts February 10

It was nice to see the actors that will portray the interesting characters of the hit Korean drama Descendants of the Sun. Some GMA Executives, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Navy and other sectors got a treat to finally see a very long video telling us a short bio of these interesting soldiers, medical personnel and their families. 

We were all surprised because after the intro, they had us watch the first episode of DOTSPH, where honestly, it was quite awesome. They probably spent a lot of time meticulously shooting and editing this, you must see it for yourself this January. 

Dingdong says "We have been waiting for this to happen and hope viewers would be able to appreciate it. We've made the story more pinoy. We're very proud of it!"

Jennylyn adds "Each scene is big, super hard to do but all worth it. We all kept ourselves in character, the director, peoole behind the scenes and actors did all their best to make this even better." Jen and Dingdong play Captain Lucas Manalo and Dr. Maxine Dela Cruz, a soldier and a doctor, who's lives intertwine, unceremoniously.

Big Boss and Beauty (of which they are fondly called) will also have Rocco Nacino and Jasmine Curtis on the helm to play Technical Seargent Diego Ramos and Captain Moira Defensor, who is also going to be an interesting love story. Jennylyn is in her element, the romcom treatment is a cool addition to the original story, I guess that will certainly be different with Pinoy humor. 

Descendants of the Sun The Philippine Adaptation will begin this February 10, 2020. The first episode is something to look forward to because it will include some back story of the different characters plus the effective little romance that Jennylyn and Dingdong could do. If we didn't know they're married we'd mistake them for a pair really.

A Brand New Spankin DUNKIN’

You should see the new DUNKIN' store in Aurora Boulevard. It's a great new place to hang out with a more homey feel, warm, comfy chairs and a native wicker basket wall which they plan to do nationwide. There are plans to have 5 more very soon and it will happen during the first quarter.

Derek says "I love what they have done now to the store as they made it more at home, more Filipino compared to other stores worldwide. It draws you in, but still serves out the best coffee. I also love the Boston Creme, Bavarian and Strawberry Filled. I think soon they will only call it D na lang because they kept shortening it. I will have another show, an action project with Andrea Torres, watch out for that!"

Piolo adds "They also maximized the seating capacity. They also have design based on our roots, the iconic jeepney, the tarsier, pawikan, Mayon Volcano and even the classic Dunkin Donuts signs before they called it Dunkin today! I love the munchkins, and this store keeps evolving. I have a new film with Brillante Mendoza coming this year, and another one from Star Cinema coming soon. It is important to embrace change, it keeps you on your toes, do something new so your audience don't get bored. Just like this one, the spotlight is just here."

Dingdong says "For those who are in a hurry they have different cashiers now. One for take out, pwd/senior lane and the regular one. Now it is more welcoming, more warm because of the lighting. It feels to come home to a Dunkin branch because I have been here a lot of times since I only live a few streets away. They renovated it quite nice. I look forward to more memes made here, my projects include Descendants of the Sun which you will see very soon! Let's share more of Choco Honeydipped and Butternut and the Eclairs."

Make sure you visit these new 360 stores because it will be more hip, become a place to socialize and enjoy what you already are enjoying all these years. They have been here for 40 years, and they will keep growing!