Time to Watch Liza Soberano Shine in "Lisa Frankenstein"

Lisa Frankenstein is going to have a February 9 release in the US via Universal Pictures International and they held an advanced screening in Hollywood and a celebrity screening in the Philippines which we got to attend a few days ago. 

I'm sure a lot of Filipinos have been waiting for this as this counts as Liza's first Hollywood film, and the interesting back stories through interviews even made it even extra fascinating. During the celebrity screening, James Reid was very happy about how things turned out and how Liza Soberano is reaping the benefits of her hard work in this movie. He wasn't willing to give some details of what other plans they have for her or what Liza is actually doing after Lisa Frankenstein. He just gave us the sweet look LOL. Aside from that, he wasn't aware that Enrique Gil was attending the celebrity premiere, but when the press told him about it, he was surprised and happy too. Here's the interview we had with him before the movie:

James also went to the event with supportive girlfriend Yssa Pressman who also obliged the press with an interview about her man James.

Meanwhile, Liza Soberano attended the Hollywood premiere together with the film's stars Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse. To tell you honestly, Liza looks different in the film. Lisa Frankenstein felt well made. It reminds me of those films that La Lohan used to make, and it begs another installment because of the various twists it introduced (which may grow a following since Cole Sprouse aka Frankenstein is adorable). Liza asked Cole about the feeling she had in making this film because it was pleasant, she didn't get to be a nervous wreck working with the actors and production (some of which have been doing this for years). Cole told her it was what he felt too, and that says a lot about the people she's with in the movie.

This project had so many femme energy. Diablo Cody wrote and produced this, and even if this is Zelda Williams' directorial debut (she's Robin Williams' daughter), she got lauded by the crew and cast with her work. This also stars Carla Gugino, Joe Chrest and Henry Eikenberry (whom you might like too, I've seen him model). Liza Soberano's role was not in any way a bit role, but I don't want to spoil it. You've got to take the patience with how the story is developed because this is a slow burn, but I assure you, YOU WILL LOVE IT. It talks about family, love, romance, the 80's, great music, Moms, best friends, and fun. I felt Kahtryn Newton's role especially when she's a bit crazy (just like me). This film is out NOW in theaters nationwide, so go catch it and get tickets early.

For the naysayers that said it wouldn't happen, this proves you wrong... and I hope you watch LIZA SOBERANO shine and make her dreams come true, one film at a time!

Inaugural Santa Maria Music and Film Festival Slated December 2

 

Looks like all roads lead to Santa Maria, Laguna as the first ever Santa Maria Music and Film Festival happens this December 2, 2023. "Bayan ng Santa Maria" as known to most of it's inhabitants, is a developing municipality in the south possessing some of the most unparalleled views of magical Mount Banahaw, Mount Cristobal and Laguna de Bay. 

Performers will include the Santa Maria Dance Troupe (the town's pride!), acoustic phenoms Miro Valera and Jeff Bolivar who will have a few sessions in between films. The festival will be showcasing 7 short films that will be done from 3PM to 7PM, all from different categories. Over 20 short film entries were sent to FilmFreeway.com then shortlisted to 13, then 7. These are entries from all over the world made by students, amateurs, directors, film makers and content creators which certainly would be interesting to see.

Out of all the entries, these 7 have been selected for the festival:

The Vibe Operator
Bitter Brownies
Life Savers
Searching for Chunk
Till the Music Stop
Dream On
I Can Do Anything: A Letter to Burning Man

The location for the event will be at the top of Sierra Madre, so moving to and from the tent venues will involve a little hiking. They also highly encourage for you to bring refillable bottles/tumblers for water at refilling stations for hydration. No plastic bottles please!

For those who plan to have accommodation or want to know about transportation arrangements, please check their website https://www.santamariafestival.com/planyourvisit to know more about the festival. Tickets are free but register first via https://www.santamariafestival.com/events/santa-maria-music-film-festival-2 as seats do run out fast.

Tip: Take lots of photos, bring cold weather protection, enjoy the art installations and different spots at the Santa Maria Music and Film Festival. Bring friends and enjoy movies, music, culture and art all in one place! 

This event is supported by Wearzitee, The place will also be housing World Cup Cafe soon. See you at the festival!

HEARTS ON ICE Cast Speak Highly of Xian Lim's Ice Skating Efforts, Excited on Ashley Ortega's Lead Role

Spent a few hours with some of Sparkle's brightest stars who's part of the cast of the new show HEARTS ON ICE. This is the first of it's kind, you could say the launching project of Ashley Ortega as she now takes the lead as Ponggay in this new series. She also gets to be paired with premier actor Xian Lim who's going to be interesting to see in a story of love, hardships, hope and perseverance. Athletes would surely be connecting with their characters as it'll be showcasing a lot of the things that are happening behind the scenes. Aside from that, they want people to get inspired about how they triumph over life's obstacles since it is a very hard sport. 

Together with Ashley that afternoon was Skye Chua, Hannah Arguelles, Shuvee Etrata and Kim Perez (which unfortunately we didn't get to take a solo shot of because he was doing interviews). Skye actually is part of the Philippine national team, very skilled and equipped to do this stint on GMA and admitted to have had trouble doing acting, and her emotions which she usually do on ice came in handy. She used it to make sure she's also going to do good as Ponggay's rival. Hannah on the other hand will be Xian's little sister, and will be doing a lot of scenes with the Viva actor as they've got family issues to take care of too. Shuvee on the other hand will play one of Poggay's best friend and will give advice as it'll be hard to go through life without one. Kim will be on Xian's side and might provide help when his best friend would get in trouble in the show.

Xian Lim who is Ashley Ortega's partner in the show impressed not just his co-actors but even the professional skating athletes who's part of the show. They were so happy about his progress in the short amount of time he spent in training, so now he's super into the sport already. He took exams and has progressed and passed, which may mean he's going to be doing a lot of his own moves in the show.

Here's my part of the interview, hope you enjoy my questions as I did asking them!

Here's a little talk about their ice skating experience and how Ashley had to go back to training just for this show.

 

Hearts on Ice starts at 8:50PM weekdays on GMA, and replays a few hours after (11:30 or 11PM) on GTV. Make sure you catch the episodes to support not just Ashley and Xian, but the whole ensemble cast that's got veterans and new artists in the mix. Congratulations, I've heard it's doing good in the ratings still! I also have a few videos of their routines on our YouTube channel so just look for kumagcow on the app!

SANYA LOPEZ Releases HOT MARIA CLARA

This nice afternoon was equally hot as we got to talk to Sanya Lopez, star of hit show First Yaya. As the show ended, Sanya is now promoting her first single called HOT MARIA CLARA. It fits the bill and clearly, she embodies someone like that. First Yaya also by the way will be included in Netflix this coming July 22, something people who adore her should take note of.

 

Sanya says “I get inspired listening to music of BlackPink, Ariana Grande, and other pop artitsts. I’m very happy that Direk was the one who executed this. I want everyone to feel like you’re the hot Maria Clara while listening to this. Being hot is objective, you can be anyone you want to be and in any clothes and still feel like you are sexy. Suitors? I don’t know, I don’t really entertain guests at home, I’ll fix my house first before doing that. Let’s also not forget being conservative at times because it’s still what identifies us as Filipinas." 

 

She adds "Singing is really something I really wanted to do, if GMA thinks I would fit having another song in the future, I’ll gladly accept it. These days I spend a lot of time with my dogs, that’s what keeping me busy after the shoot of First Lady. I consider a lot of people hot maria claras, like a lot of achievers, the modern feisty Filipina. One that uses their voice, it’s what the song actually means. This is about knowing your worth as a woman.”  

 

 

She says “My Mom actually egged me a lot to sing in the past, I also sing at home for my folks, and Kuya Germs also wanted me to sing in his shows and wants me to collaborate with other singers. I think I’ve told my friends about my dreams of having a concert but I think I should start making lots of songs first so I have something to perform there. I know there were a lot who questioned me when I joined Encantadia. Now they’re the ones supporting me, they motivated me to do even better in shows. My Mom wasn’t worried about me, my motivation is my career, it’s a priority. I’ve had a hard life and seeing people marrying early wasn’t a choice because I want a good life for my family".

 

Sanya will also have a new show but they’re keeping it mum for the meantime. It’ll come out around last quarter of 2022 and she is excited about it. You can now check the music video on YouTube and stream the single on Spotify and other digital platforms. She deserves the success she’s getting because she’s a hard worker. 

Neophyte Congressman Juan Carlos "Arjo" Atayde Files 6 Bills at Terms Start

Our good looking boy Arjo Atayde is now officially Quezon City's 1st District Congressman as he took his oath at the EVM Convention Center at Central in Quezon City. During this momentous event, he was with fellow congressmen, respective city councilors, Vice Mayor Gian Sotto and lovely Mayor Joy Belmonte. The inauguration was officiated by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and was witnessed by Arjo's proud father Art Atayde and gorgeous actress Ria Atayde (Arjo's sister). Ria also took Bible Bearer responsibilities for the occasion.

Arjo has garnered over 112,457 votes in Quezon City's 1st District, an overwhelming win that composed almost 67% of total votes from his constituents. Congressman Arjo also has hit the ground running (and working) as he also filed several bills he always talked about even before the campaign trail.

For starters is HB 457 that aims to declare Quezon City asn the Film and TV Arts capital of the country, HB 458 which aims to upgrade existing QC Gen Hospital into a Medical Center, HB 459 which is a bill about occupational safety for artists and workers in the movie and TV sector, HB 460 that is a bill that prohibits discrimination against genders, expressions, and its penalties (SOGIE), HB 461 which is the magna carta for Barangay Health workers, and lastly the HB 462 with the aim of putting up the Philippine Virology Science and Technology Institute and appropriate funding for it.

Hopefully, these would all be met, amended, voted on and passed in the congress. He's most probably planing on delivering this fast, and put those which he plans to prioritize this term done not just for his constituents, but the Filipino people. He also met recently with Mayor Joy Belmonte to align with her programs, I bet that's a pretty good start.

Congratulations Congressman Juan Carlos "Arjo" Atayde! I wonder how this will affect his acting projects and international career, but more excited about how his public service pan out in the next few years.

The SALAMANDER Amphitrike: First Pinoy Amphibian Tricycle

So yesterday I dropped by the small luncheon hosted by H20 Technologies, a group of entrepreneurs, businessmen and engineers geared toward making the SALAMANDER Amphitrike, the first fully Filipino made amphibian tricycle. At first I thought it was a joke - but it turned out true when I saw it with my own eyes. I had a lot of questions in mind but I think this is a GREAT start. Filipino Engineers don't really have the spotlight that much and let's not start talking about government support here because I can't even. Anyway, the good news is they've already proven it is possible and they put the proof where their mouth is and made a prototype that can already drive on land, be at the most unbelievable bodies of water without toppling off or getting flooded. Here's some snippets during the press conference.

It has been featured by different websites, news agencies and almost everyone has been very positive about it. The Salamander's design has been approved by local agencies and has certified it safe by their standards. The Engineers actually are involved in boat making and they've applied advanced technologies learned from that industry into the Salamander. The goal is to make a world class manufacturing plant so they would be able to build and supply these wonderfully crafted machines locally and internationally. They are a startup and are in dire need of funding to kickstart this project. 

How YOU Can Help

You can help raising funds by donating through www.startsomegood.com. Their campaign will start on June 27 up to August 26, 2016. It's a tall order to put up millions of dollars but they need to do it during those months. They will be supplying the Philippine Red Cross with these SALAMANDER Amphitrike Units for free first then open orders so ordinary people, organizations would be able to take advantage of it. It's available in fuel and battery powered units, they can also customize it to run hybrid engines. Make this the opportune time to help a lot of communities, keep the Philippines and Earth healthy by going environmentally safe and save lives in turn.

For more information about their vehicle:

h2osalamander

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Visit their official website

http://www.h2o-ph.com

Why the hate on LTE-Advanced?

List of Phones that currently support LTE-Advanced: Apple's iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, BlackBerry Priv, BlackBerry Passport, HTC One M9, HTC One A9, HTC 10, Huawei Ascend Mate 7, Mate S, Mate 8, Honor 6 (which I have on the photo YAY!), Honor 6 Plus, Nexus 6P, LG G Flex 2, G4, G5, Nexus 5X, V10, Moto X Style, Lumia 950, 950 XL, One Plus 2, Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Note 5, Note Edge, Alpha, A5 (2016), A7 (2016), A8 (2016), S5, S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, S7, S7 Edge, Sony Z3, Z4, Z5, Z5 Compact, Z5 Premium, Xperia X, X Performance, Xiaomi Mi Note Pro, Mi 5.

I understand the angst people are actually doing on their blogs these days but really, why the hate? Smart Communications just recently rolled out the LTE Advanced Mobile Technology in Boracay yesterday and all these bickering about it surfaced later in the day. The company is actually doing something great, it's a technology that isn't available yet in the Philippines and now that it is, I'd rather have it welcomed than marred early on.

Think about it, PLDT's wireless subsidiary is basically offering faster speeds with the usual LTE band using carrier aggregation. People are complaining about slow speeds for years and now that they've got it measured up to 250 Mbps, they're complaining again? We just made this world class technology that's available in Optus in Australia, Sprint in the US, and Turkcell in Turkey be here with Smart in the Philippines, so is that even something to complain about? It's not for every phone there is in the country as there are only a few LTE Advanced capable phones in the market now, technology isn't really cheap but having it be here alone should be celebrated rather than marred like that. I've worked with  some people from other telecommunications companies abroad and they're not as perfect as they seem to be. People  are clueless and think the ones in Australia (remember that telco that they wished was going to invest here?) were far better when in reality, I've heard horror stories from their users first hand too and they weren't as heavenly as they think. 

The technology isn't cheap either and if you were in the shoes of the telco you would rather invest in technological advancements rather than existing ones. Smart made it better, you have bigger bandwidth, you've got faster data speeds and they still complain. Be happy with the new technology, learn to adapt and have the better disposition that it's finally here. Getting it doesn't mean they'll abandon 3G or previous bands, so it's a good thing they started it. So people, don't despair. There's bound to be more technologies out there coming to our country and it's not a bad thing. Did you say the same thing when we were all in 2G phones digging WAP in the past? I guess not. This cutting edge technology is part of their broader effort to service Sun and Smart subscribers, so don't spoil the party. There, I said it. Go take a chill pill.

For more information about their company :

Smart Communications

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http://smart.com.ph/

Free Film with Every Instax Camera Purchase

Everybody loves something free! Well, if you're actually looking for something fancy, something really retro and something that would tickle the fancy of your family and friends, it's time to go to the nearest Fujifilm Wonder Photo Shop and purchase your own Instax Mini 8 and Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic. I'm sure you've already seen a lot of celebrities, bloggers and family members who are enjoying this and it's time to get one of your own. FUJIFILM Philippines calls this the Instax Special Twin Package!

For those who will purchase their own Instax Mini 8 and Mini 90 instant cameras from August 28 to October 15, 2015 will get FREE Twin Pack Mini Glossy Films (that's 10 sheets x 2) from all authorized sellers in the country. That means, you'll get up to Php 680 worth of savings from the good people of Fujifilm. Now I don't really have one yet but I might be inching to buy one in the next couple of months. I am definitely going to enjoy shooting away in another medium, best of all, you can give the printouts to them in a jiffy!

Oh by the way, the Instax Mini 8 comes in seven colors which are raspberry, grape, white, pink, blue, yellow and black. It only costs Php 3,699. For those who prefer the Instax Mini 8 in a more fancy form, you can get the Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh version for only Php 4,199. Or if you want the lovely Instax Mini 90, you can get it in black and brown variants. It only costs Php 8,990. Now you'll get those Instagram worthy photos in retro prints fast. You'll love it for sure! It's time to make more memories with Instax!

For more information about their products:

Fujifilm Philippines

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Visit their official website

http://fujifilm.com.ph/

Beverly Caimen Launches First Album Under GMA Records

She's not really new to the industry but this is her first album. That 20 year old lady who won as WCOPA 2013 Senior Grand Champion Vocalist of the World and Grand Champion Performer of the World admits that it's been a long time since they planned for this to happen. This she says is the perfect time for her dream, and she's worked hard since she came back from the win in that competition. 

Beveryly says "Before I joined WCOPA I already was joining amateur singing contests and that's where I usually sing my winning piece "One Moment In Time". My manager Vehnee Saturno and I were auditioning in different recording companies and finally chose GMA Records to do this with us. I was really hoping to always win contests because I really find it hard to lose, and I didn't take losing very good at all. WCOPA was an international thing and it was something I never even dreamed of. This album was two years in the making. Most of the songs I have are made by Sir Vehnee Saturno. I'm still studying but I'm about to graduate this year with a Psychology major. When I auditioned for WCOPA I wasn't really thinking of going that far, I was just with two friends that auditioned that year but later on I didn't know I would win. USA, Malaysia, Brunei, Malaysia were really tough competitors. 

I've been singing since I was 9, they heard me sing and thought it was nice and got to join amateur contests in Batangas and Laguna. I really it like when people say that I look like Sheryn Regis because she's a great singer. My first carrier single "Maari Ba" is now being used for Two Mothers and I was so happy and excited that it's going to heard almost everyday. I have 2 revivals "Saan ako nagkamali" and "I will be here to stay", but my favorite is Maari Ba because when I heard the demo I really felt the song. I would really love to get the chance to sing with Sarah Geronimo, and also Alden Richards. In a few years, I'd like to have a huge concert and tour the world!"

It's been a while since she's in the music scene because she's undergoing more training, being planned to do some Japanese album, and this one in Manila. If given the opportunity, she's willing to go the mile. She's also willing to work out her career in Japan. She hopes her time will come, even if there's a lot of competition in the Philippines. 

Check out her voice!

See what I mean by her serious pipes? You can follow her social media channels @BeverlyCaimen in Twitter and Instagram, get to know her better. 

Ciao!

KUMAGCOW

Fresh Blogs Fast!

For more information about their artists:

GMA Records

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Visit their official website

http://www.gmanetwork.com/records/

Fujifilm Opens First "Wonder Photo Shop" in the Philippines

It looks like Fujifilm is serious about taking the challenge of fighting a what critics say is a dying industry. When people mentioned in the past about it, it looked more real when other brands closed down like Kodak and the others. They thought of re-imagining things, they thought of your experience inside their stores and made it more attractive than "just the boring film store where you just grab the film and go". At the new and first ever "Wonder Photo Shop" (out of Japan) at UP Town Center they let us take first bite on what seems to be the "new thing" they envisioned for every Fujifilm store in the Southeast Asian Region. It was different, it was appealing, it was young and fresh. All along I thought I was just going to see a photo printing place but this is different, totally.

We were welcomed by Nikita who hosted the event, plus a lot of Fujifilm Philippines and Fujifilm executives and digital influencers (if there's such a word). It's quite nice being in the midst of people who you know actually love photography too. Their Fuji mirrorless cameras are dreamy, add to that the multitude of Instax cameras that were on display too. I don't have one so I couldnf't tell if it's better than my Nikon but that's another story. Anyway, we were absolutely packed and I continued to discover a lot more about the store.

This is a full blown studio on the right corner side of the store. The new Wonder Photo Shop actually encourages you to have your photos taken inside the store. They have some studio grade flashes which you can use to take photos of your family, your friends, or yourself if you want to. They've also got some special friends (you often call them stuffed toys) which you can use to amp up your  photo shoot. Then you can print them later inside the store, isn't that neat?

They have very affordable prices and they accommodate square prints so if you've got those really good instagram shots you want to immortalize on your wall, this is the place to do it. They also got photo albums where you can take your family or romantic photos and put them in one book. I'll be going back there specifically for that so please follow @kumagcow on IG and see if it's nice on print.

Oh and did I mention they have crafting corners so you can put those photos into your own scrapbooks and give them as gifts too. I also saw some camera accessories, several instax models including the one of a kind Hello Kitty versions that everybody loves!

My favorite part of their shop is this! It's a kiosk where you can just attach your phone (if it's an iphone) or install an app (if you're on Android) so you can print them in just a few steps. It's affordable too so I went in and printed 2 shots from the GMA Bloggers Style shoot (oh vote for Team KrisJoy please!) and it looked so good given that it's actually just a few files from my phone.

Even Kristoffer and Joyce loved it when I showed it to them in our Viber group. I say, it's something way cool than what I expected from a photo shop right? Aside from that, the convenience was certainly something that I couldn't imagine would come from a mall shop. I think they also would like you to experience it for yourselves, so I'm going to go ahead and ask you to visit them at the UP Town Center and try it out for yourself. Fujifilm doesn't really know if this will work, but from the looks of it... it's way better than the old boring shops we used to go to right? 

The first ever Wonder Photo Shop is at the mall of UP Town Center, situated at the back portion of the lot (new building). I'll have my album printed and show you how they do it on video, perhaps very soon. As for the cameras, I have yet to get my hands on a Fujifilm camera, I don't have the mirrorless ones or the Instax yet but I've got tons of the Instax films here. I can't wait to try them out one of these days.

For more information about their products:

Fujifilm Philippines

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Visit their official website

http://fujifilm.com.ph/