VERDE CREATIVES Hold "Rainbow Voices: Mga Mukha at Boses ng Bahaghari" Event

June is Pride Month and with the way things are now, it has to be reiterated, that the occasion is and still is a protest.

It was an opportune time to talk about what the current status of primary concerns are of the community. This is why the folks from Verde Creatives held an event called "Rainbow Voices: Mga Mukha at Boses ng Bahaghari" (The Faces and Voices of the Rainbow). The platform seeks to have a place for community members to talk about what is important, like the good and bad things about what is happening with the LGBTQIA+,  brothers and sisters, and the phenomenal horrors on why the SOGIESC Equality bill is still not approved. 

I asked them bluntly about how it might have been all frustrating, and they said a resounding YES. Though they assured me, they never will get tired. They promise to continue the fight, but it has to be an effort done with YOU, me and the rest of the community. It'll have a huge impact when we do things together, and I've seen it happen in recent years. I'm glad it's not just the bad things that were discussed, but the good things too. 

Here's the talk on video, this was held at the Dark Roast Coffee House in Maginhawa Street, so listen in!

Verde Creatives very own Ms. Bemz Benedito, Ms. Gigi Marie Garcia of the Society of Trans Women of the Philippines (STRAP), Mx. Patrick Espino of LADLAD Partylist, Ms. Venus Ancheta-Lane, an HR Professional who is also part of the Society of Trans Women of the Philippines (STRAP), and Atty. Juliane Paul Tabarangao shared their expertise on the topic to explain where we are and how we are with regards to the causes we need to support.

Ms. Bemz reiterated "LGBT rights, trans rights are human rights. It is still not being accepted, just tolerated. It is important to celebrate Pride, it is a protest, it is important to discuss it, in platforms like Verde, to have a place to discuss things that may not be allowed in public. Thanks for giving us the voice, for letting us fight, to give solutions, but even if the faces have changed, we need to support the cause to protect LGBT or us Filipinos."

Ms. Gigi Marie Garcia adds "It's time for Trans people to change their name, markers and legal ID's for legal gender recognition. This would be a big help and our coalition will be pushing for legislation, government support for the passage of SOGIE bill. We hope this would be enacted as law, while we partner with more people to support our cause. Preferred names and gender identity is important for government transactions, and with it, we get recognized including the non binary individuals too. Our trans sisters even get offloaded because of it. STRAP hold sessions and hear so many stories about it, but names affirm the persona of the person."

Patrick Espino also shared "June is Pride month, but it has been used so many times that it is starting to be used. At times, they still call us names, but where are we now, still not where we want to be. Hate must be eradicated, it must be stopped."

While we are making progress as a society, there is still a long way to go. This effort by Verde Creatives is a really huge help to make those issues and put those points across. I hope this would put an even better perspective on letting all us know where we are, and perhaps find more ways on how we can help. I love how they pointed out that these issues are not designed to mock or put aside the fun during Pride events, because we need to celebrate our huge and small wins. 

Happy PRIDE!

VERDE Creatives Starts "Equality Champions: Magandang Laban" Pride Month Exhibit

I dread the commercialization of holidays, and June as Pride Month is no exception. Just like them, I feel it should be celebrated everyday. It should be celebrated, but not forget the reason why it is being done. There have been countless lives that have fought for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ sector, and that still is being done to this day. With the non passage of the SOGIE Equality bill alone in the Philippines, there has been progress, but still, a long way to go.

Verde Creatives thought of bringing organizations together to start putting a face on the LGBTQIA+ cause. It's high time to get people see their valiant efforts and set an example on why they now need to be seen. After 25 years of having the SOGIE Bill in the congress and senate, it still hasn't been passed. What's funny is that their call is only for EQUALITY. The same right that every Juan and Juana enjoys, and even compromised on a lot of the sections of the bill. Seeing it be discussed every year is tiring, and these individuals are now presenting themselves, simply to note that there are real people behind the cause. 

Ms. Bemz of Verde Creatives says "We are being left behind and we have a long path ahead. In this photo campaign, we have several of our peers and allies including Senator Loren Legarda, Representative Geraldine Roman, Lenlen Alonte, Kababaihan Partylist Kate Coseteng and more. This includes various LGBT associations to join us in this campaign. We are putting these brave faces to make sure we involve ourselves in a very worthy cause."

Vashti of the Society of Trans Women in the Philippines (STRAP) says "I'm excited for this campaign as it showcases our experience, including Ms. Bemz and Verde Creatives, to support bills in congress so we can claim our rights. It should not stop our cause, including the SOGIE bill."

Ang Ladlad Partylist lead Dexter Macaldo adds "Equality champions in images brings stories of strength, of who you are, showing your beauty and individuality. This is to strengthen the LGBT voice, to bring change. This collaboration hopes to inspire others to also show their truth, in a more accepting society. Thank you Verde Creatives and other organizations for being here."

Ms. Maria Barbie Arcache of 1LGBT Pilipinas says "I would like to congratulate this event, it's something really amazing. I've known you for decades and in my life, I didn't think it's just pageants, but there's more to that. You can share that beauty in your heart, in 2 and a half decades, I've done pageants and now that I'm retired, I still want to share that advocacy. We cannot be stagnant, we need to fill that space and find your purpose in this world. We are here to move and shake the world, in the aspects of human rights. It's about time we show our faces. I am proud to be part of this campaign, we are all proud to be human and masterpieces of God."

Here's the press conference on video:

Here's a showcase of the photos they unveiled that evening:

 

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This is just the start of even more things they plan to do to push for the great causes they want to support. They'll be front, center, and putting their own faces to fight for the rights of LGBTQIA+ folks, to make sure there will be no stopping til equality happens, and their rights be given. 

This event was held at the Dark Roast Coffeehouse in Maginhawa. A great ally for the cause.

ICE SEGUERRA Set To Do Repeat of Videoke Hits OPM Edition (Isa Pa) at the Music Museum

With the success of the previous one, it just needs repeat. Ice Seguerra will be doing his Videoke Hits OPM Edition (Isa Pa) this coming November 8th at the Music Museum in Greenhills San Juan City. This is under FIRE and ICE Live, the concert production arm of Fire and Ice Productions owned by Ice and Liza Dino Seguerra.

As you may already know, Ice has lots of hits being played on Videoke playlists all over the country, aside from that, she's planning to give life to the best hits the medium has, and this will surely be something to look forward to on that date.

Karaoke is such a huge part of Filipino culture, and with the advent of us winning competitions left and right around the world, Filipinos are being feared when holding microphones. Ice is such a force to reckon with, even if she sings soft and emotional, it just sounds so beautiful even if she sings a phone book.

Ice says "This is quite difficult to make a lineup because even at the end of the week, I couldn't choose singles because there are so much OPM songs I could choose from. Now I'm stuck with medleys so I could sing everything. It's a smorgasbord of all the things I want to sing and hear, rearranged in a different way. As much as possible we want to have different genres because it's not just one thing, but it's fun. The first part are the things I really sing in the Videoke world, my personal list. The second part is the requests of people at the venue, then third are the re arranged ones. You know I've been thinking of releasing a few that came out quite nice because my band was crazy good. That's when I saw how the ones we arranged had different flavors."

He adds "I really didn't want to work on a date near my birthday because I want to give my 10,000 percent all the time. It's just the pressure I didn't want to experience, but I'm so happy that one sold out. The energy was also different and we were three hours running. My wife gave me a motorbike, and I couldn't believe it. I even fell the first night I drove it. I even was sweating because of the outfit. I fell in front of her, but I'm training now." 

"This show will also include "Salamin Salamin" and "Gento", but I felt the dance numbers. It was tiring, and couldn't breathe after, I really have to pace myself."

He doesn't want to lost the magic of being intimate because Music Museum is closer. Through you cannot do it in the balcony, you can go around. The last time he did this, people were involved in most of the numbers. It was wild and they would participate. He says "From seniors to 7/8 year old, they were singing, they were game whoever had the mic in front of them. I want to make them feel it's okay to do it. There's something about this that is therapeutic. It's fun, and we started this in 2016, I think that is why there's magic in the show."

Here's our interview with Ice this afternoon:

Aside from that, they're planning to do a repeat of their previous project called CHOOSING which was staged last July, the difference is that it's going to be done in Quezon City at an even bigger venue. Ice says 'We're planning to do it again soon, this was done previously for pride month, but feel it brought to the next step as it's a mix of comedy, drama and stories of different people from the same community. It's going to be a great way to bridge gaps, to put more people in their shoes in hopes to give them a deeper understanding of what and how we go through things."

Again, if you feel that it's time to enjoy a concert with friends and family, tickets are now available at Ticketnet or at the Music Museum box office. Ice promises that it will be even more fun than the previous one!

GLOBE Outs "First Move" for Globe One App

June is Pride Month and it's always the perfect time to celebrate and push for representation in different fields. This 2022, Globe has always been about "Making Everyday Beautiful" and recently, they released an LGBTQIA+ themed film called "First Move" for their Globe One App. Aside from bringing services closer to Filipinos, they're making it worthwhile creatively and see how they could put the LGBTQIA+ cause in the forefront, and they've managed to put together people in front and behind the camera that also belong in this sector, putting action to words they uttered. For context, the Producer, the stars, the writers and director are LGBT members, and they're putting out a series of commercials that showcase love, relationships, human subjects that also use the Globe One App and the multitude of features it has. 

Director JP Habac says "Gone are the days of depicting LGBTQIA+ in sterotypical ways like being flamboyant, girly, or merely driving a Mio. We are taking on this challenge of making it current, including those for bisexuals and lesbians too."

PJB Group Creative Director Bia Fernandez adds "This is our attempt to normalize those in the LGBTQIA+ sector to appear in ads so people can see real life experiences. This is real representation, not just on a single holiday, they are truly part of the brand."

This is a great way to break barriers, and inform people about an app that can monitor data, manage your accounts, avail promos too. Download it through the app store or Google Play. Verify it by registering and putting your one time pin, prepaid or post paid, this takes care of your accounts. Go watch them in Globe assets and online channels. 

 

How can you not love Globe after that?

ARJO ATAYDE Celebrates Early Pride Month in Quezon City

Arjo Atayde's celebrity friends and family join in the fun with the LGBTQIA+ community in Quezon City's 1st District

Everybody loves Arjo Atayde.

With his recent endeavor to run as Congressman of Quezon City's 1st District, he celebrated early Pride Month with the LGBT community at the Ampitheater of Quezon City Memorial Park. This is part of his efforts to communicate on how he's adovacies with regards to advocating the rights of the LGBTQIA+ population which includes pushing for laws and local policies regarding their plight in employment, on discrimination and the experiences of violence. Tgus was attended by thousands from the sector and welcomed by Team Aksyon Agad's Doray Dolarmente, TJ Calalay, Joseph Juico, Bernard Herrera and Charm Ferrer who's running for the 1st district council, aiming to help their constituents in their district.

Arjo says "I've worked in the industry for over a decade, much of which I've had the opportunity to work with the most talented LGBT individuals. I'm a proud ally and have so much respect for them all. My folks have raised us all to treat everyone kindly, remain inclusive regardless of one's gender. No one should be deprived of their human rights, and today, we're celebrating their contributions to the community, their lives and accomplishments."

The event also was graced by Arjo's folks, businessman Art Atayde and the incomparable actress Sylvia Sanchez plus performances by Arjo's friends which includes huge belter Katrina Velarde, good looking Hashtag Jameson Blake and Nikko Natividad, the funny man Bayani Agbayani, one of the most beautiful voices in the industry Ice Seguerra, beauty queen Alma Concepcion, actresses Anne Feo and Ynez Veneracion, and fun hosts DJ Jai Ho and Viveka who entertained the crowd that evening.

I fervently hope this gets appreciated not just by the constituents of Arjo, the whole Quezon City and his fans that adore him. I know I do!

Happy birthday to his sister Ria by the way!

VICE GANDA Gives Sound Relationship Advice "If Wala Kang Pera, Wag Kang Magjowa!"

You know, there's something about having Vice Ganda on "It's Showtime!" that really works. Vice makes you think of a lot of things, and he makes it make sense. This afternoon's episode was a little controversial, but if you hear why Vice Ganda said it, you would know why she said "If Wala Kang Pera, Wag Kang Magjowa!"

Vice says "We know so many people, but we didn't take time to get to know ourselves. There's a saying that goes "Be so true to thyself as though not to be false to others". "

Vice further adds "If you don't have money, don't start a relationship. I'm not saying not to love someone, because that's a given. What I'm saying is that getting into a relationship is different. For starters, how awkward would it to be in a relationship and put all the burden to a guy right? You already have a problem, that's money, it's a social problem... and it's our job on how to find ways to earn a living. It's a personal responsibility, and if you can't do that, why in the world would you delve into another responsibility. A relationship is not just flirting, it's a responsibility, to nurture, something to take care of. It's not like studying that if you can't afford one, you'll get scholarships, you both should give what you can to make it work. What if you get her pregnant? You can't put that burden on your parents, on your mother, you can't feed them with money from other people. I remember the time I've listened to stories from Reyna ng Tahanan, and being in a relationship and making a family is a huge responsibility. Your friends can't pay for that, I remember a lot of my friends go out even if they don't have money. But if they make an occasion happen and plan everything, you can do that every once in a while, but not all the time."

Vhong Navarro interjects and says "Yes, it's sad to not have a relationship, but you have to be responsible. It's like going to war without bullets."

Vice may have been joking around much in the "It's Showtime!" set but you've got to admit, that right there is REAL TALK. It's realistic and sound advise about love and relationships which Vice has a pretty good grasp of. 

Have you ever had one of those times when Vice talks and you got affected? Tell me about it!

Google Holds Talk on LGBTQ+ MSMEs

June is Pride and International MSME Month and with that, our friends from Google Philippines is taking time to honor small businesses that are owned by LGBTQ+ entities and feature them on this yearly event they mount called Pride Conversations. This is so they could share their stories, cherish their wins so the general public and allies would be able to celebrate with them.

As you know, when COVID-19 happened, they were not really spared. This difficulty has not brought them down, it has actually made most of them closer.

Ms. Dette of Google Philippines says "Google is aware of this and they have done Google.org grants for their businesses. We will help promote them through Google My Business and other assets (2 Million Dollar grant to different organizations). Aside from this, we are hard at work everyday to make our products more inclusive and helpful, to become safe spaces, and we thank LGBT Chamber of Commerce as their efforts are very important. We miss the annual pride march, we still have a long way to go but I'm hopeful there will be better days. Please be an ally in thoughts, words and actions. We hope to see you outside soon, stay safe and well!"

Ron of LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce says "Major corporations have a responsibility to share their successes, for sustainable development and giving opportunities for people in the community they are with. This is what our chamber continue to promote, together with out allies to multiply this, to hopefully learn from our speakers stories. Businesses should adopt non discrimination policies, include SOGIE education programs, learn more about diversity, training, promote equitable benefits, provide transgender access, hold company sponsored events and promote positive LGBT+ messages. It does not happen in June alone, but everyday. Happy pride!"

Abby Biyo of Nirvana Hostel and Restaurant Siargao

Abby is based in Siargao. Initially, she only wanted to have a vacation but now is doing a business with her partner. It's the first Kapampangan restaurant in the island, and they love food and cooking. They figured, they wanted to share it to locals in Siargao. They are also part of SIBO (Siargao Island Business Organization), it aims to help other business owners. She shares "Having no clients because of the lockdown at first was depressing, but challenges was a daily routine. We had to change plans, pray, take action, lessen shyness (because no business can flourish with it) as Nirvana is for my family and our employees. We need to generate jobs to help people and extend the blessing to others." They joined weekly markets, added human effort and now they are slowly recovering. Her advise was "Continue what you are doing, don't let the pandemic stop you, make sure what you're doing is what you really want to do and not just because it's a fad. NIRVANA is now open, not just the hostel but the restaurant as well. We now have a bigger dining area and formed different partnerships, this is what we are flourishing."

Sed Aguil of The Food Episode

Struggled work from home setup, Sed decided to go back to the kitchen and found new love for cooking. Now he posts videos online, then friends asked for food, got great feedback feedback from it and now has established THE FOOD EPISODE. He says "The biggest challenge was doing everything on my own, I had no one to do this with. The positive comments from customers felt good and I learned a lot by listening to them. Find the courage to pursue what you really love, it's normal to be scared, but don't let it become a hindrance. Be patient, as it's not a smooth ride everyday, you will peak at the right moment."

Amrei Dizon of Vitalstrats Creative Solutions

Vitalstrats Creative Agency was created a few years ago. When a client needed a receipt, they needed to register as a business, so it was somewhat accidental. They create videos, music videos for indie artists and during the pandemic she says "We had a number of challenges, because our setup was converted to digital and almost all of us had to work from home. We lost a lot of projects since we didn't have events and shoots possible during the lock down. We did digital projects, we adapted to changes and now able to thrive even in the pandemic. Don't be afraid, everything can be learned, embrace your uniqueness because it what makes you great. That's the value of a good team. You have to pivot your services to what is currently relevant. We have openings if you are a creative, we are open for that!"

Nariese Giangan of FFTG Cafe

FFTG (food for the gays) now has a physical cafe, a safe space. Started April last year, when she graduated in culinary school and decided to sell baked goods. She says "The name was really catchy, the LGBT folks were just on it as they felt like "supreme beings", now we have a business and opened it even in the middle of pandemic. When I opened shop, it was already going strong, but we had to close shop again after a few weeks. We had to be in deliveries and do it online. We needed to double our efforts, because at the end of the day, our bills don't stop. I was the only one who bakes, had to sometimes ask family to help out. Anyone can learn the skills, but you have to believe in your product, and know the services that you provide. Know your market and plan your business well and how to promote it not just to the community, but its allies. You have to also develop your products, and never stop dreaming."

They also consign products so if you want to sell your food there, they can accommodate.


Jeoff Solas of Comercio Central, Cooltura Hub, and Fitness Army

I've known Jeoff for a few years since I also cover hotels and restaurants in this blog. He's the head honcho of Think Smarter Marketing Agency and Cooltura Hub.

He shares "I do marketing, branding, press releases even during the lockdown. I have access to a barber shop, do drinks and have had to establish a provincial base here in Bulacan. Cooltura has been a project of mine when I was in the hotel industry, all of these things are just efforts that I put together. Inspired by "kwentong barbero", I came across friends who provided drinks. Initially, I came up with Cooltura Barbers. I have also worked in the tourism industry, but now I had to stay in one place and need to do it online. In order to thrive, I knew I had to know more people in my area, it gave me an opportunity to know people from Bulacan and in exchange give them opportunities, employment, and give the same services of salons and barber shops in Manila in our neck of the woods. If the physical venue of the businesses were challenging, I had to help bring it online. This is a safe space now for more people." His advice was "You always have to encourage yourself, establish a reputation, connect with people, develop new skills but still take care of ourselves. Be resourceful, utilize space, people will tell stories about you if they are happy and feel good about themselves and that has helped us thrive during these times."


Rui Mariano of The Fairygodbarbie House of Beauty

Proud Transpinay Rui owns and operates Fairy God Barbie Aesthetic Wellness and Spa. She says "It started when I won a pageant, sisters asked how they love my hair and skin was nice so while working in Amazing Philippine Theater, I started to put up my beauty and wellness and spa. Now it's on its 7th year, I wanted to help our trans sisters. I wanted it to feel like a home, to build friendships, and now it's a huge community. When the pandemic hit, we need to follow the protocols of the government to close down. It was then when I started selling beauty products together with my sisters, and now it has grown into a branch, basically has grown my business overnight." She shares her secret and says "Be dedicated, committed, know your purpose and your happiness. If you fail or listen to other people, you won't succeed. If your heart is good, the one above knows about it. If you fail plan B, there's a lot of letters left in the alphabet which you can use." which I think was smart. :)

They also held a Google My Business preso after the talk

Now is the time to support local businesses, so always be nice. If they make mistakes, give them time to recover. Spread positivity, celebrate pride, celebrate YOU. Celebrate with the causes they are fighting for, especially on the topic of equality. Support campaigns of the community. If you are an LGBT entrepreneur, be visible. There's a strong community that can support you, educate yourselves in the SOGIE bill, support the businesses and commit to pride. It's not just in pride month, but the whole year. It'll pay off in the long run, kindness is the key, your business will survive with your friends, regular customers, you can inspire people to be more inclusive.

This was definitely a good talk with very interesting people. Thank you Google Philippines for doing this not just for the community, but the public; to keep them informed about existing LGBT+ businesses and shared their successes to others who might go through the same challenges they have gone through. Thanks Google Philippines!

The Dark Horse of MMFF 2020: The Boy Foretold by the Stars

 

I will say this, for good reason, this film called A Boy Foretold by the Stars will be the dark horse of MMFF 2020. Tomorrow is judgement day as online streaming is going to be done via Upstream.ph wherein these entries will battle it out not by ordinary box office ticket sales in movie houses, but by online tickets on that platform. If this was poker, I'd put in most of my chips in this interesting movie which stars Adrianne Lindayag and Keann Johnson. We already have had the chance to talk to them earlier this month and this time, we got to talk to them with a little more enthusiasm as they got a glimpse of how people have been reacting to their recent trailers and pronouncement on media. I am pleased how positive it has been accepted so far and by the looks of it, this would really be an interesting movie to watch as it's not just designed to ruffle feathers because of its LGBT content, but a whole love story that happened in high school. Oh yes, young love, which is awesomely depicted on this film will bring back your days of innocence. That time when you realized you're capable of having that fleeting feeling, butterflies when you're with someone else you adore.

Direk Dolly Dulu says "I'm super excited to be in the MMFF and we didn't expect this to happen, but we will do our best and claim victory for the film. I guess it is the quality of the movie that can persuade people to watch it, it was meant for the big screen and the mindset is it is to be shown on cinema but not a series. The treatment and story and how we tell it technical wise is different. This is the first BL full length movie that focuses on the highschool life, the experience of how a young boy falls in love with a young boy, that's what it gives. I think there were lots of films that were sent for MMFF, but this is at par with the other entries. I hope it isn't just because it is a BL series, but it is a good movie. BL for me focuses on the "coming of age" part, this is innocent, sweet, cute, very light genre. It focuses more on love, not on other things. This is about their personal discovery. The Philippine story telling usually concentrates on family matters, sidekicks, a bit mainstream. I feel people are just waiting for it, our mindset doing this in CineFilipino was to have someone start it."

 

Keann says "One thing I discovered from this movie is that this tells a story about two boys having a special connection. Their story is finally being told on screen, to hopefully become more open about the LGBT community, if people should embrace the words LOVE has no gender. It's a very difficult life for a gay person to live in, and almost everyone goes through that.  I said yes to this because of the overall story, Direk Dolly did an amazing job as you can see from the trailer, just from the moment he gave me the intro, the story itself, I was already hooked. I really hoped to actually get this, I even asked my Mom about this and she wanted me to do this. We really made effort to make this worth it, let's all fall in love on Christmas day. Establishing chemistry with Adrianne came naturally, we really made an effort before shooting this film. Direk had specific scenes he wanted to have and showed us how he envisioned it. We always talked about small things, we kept in touch, we hang out, we became extremely close, we knew Luke and Dominic are best friends, all of what you see in the movie is natural."

Adrianne says "I want everyone to realize that everyone has a love story, that even an effeminate little boy deserve the kind of representation in the silver screen. We always see them as side characters, funny ones, but not their love story, now is the time to do that. It's fun, light hearted, it is also educational and inspiring. I had a friend, she told me to be specific about it and I wanted to have a goal and direction for my career and the first role that came to mind is a love story, I wanted to portray a person with a leading man, and the universe gave it to me. I auditioned for this film last year and it's not question, I immediately fell in love with it, like an answered prayer. If they wanted me to swallow fire, be hit by a truck I would do it. In the entertainment industry, there is a lack of opportunities already for the LGBT community. There is a lack of roles, and I think that's also taking away opportunities for actors like me. I came from a production background and these days, there are capable gay actors who are ready for it. Let's give them the jobs, they know the stories, so they could represent us and tell the story authentically. We used to work in separate projects and when he came in the audition, direk already saw we knew each other. This means so much to me as a queer actor, and this also means a lot to Keanne as well, we're doing this from a deep place in both of us, there is a sense of service. We were told that this wouldn't work if we didn't jive, we had to be partners (hence he calls him a partner) we had to have a special connection and you can see that in camera. I want to tell our story, I want to do queer roles as it is my advocacy. I hope there would be more material, continue telling the story of our community, there are a lot that needs to be heard. Expect kilig, expect light romance, see you on theaters!"

Iyah Minah says "I wanted to experience to be part of this movie, a story talks about those who are not open with the LGBTQ community, on how they have relationships and it's not because of gender and what not. I think it's better if queer people tell the story, and I hope it gets delivered right and I'm glad they are very open about it. I hope people remember that because we do have very talented people in the community. For me I think my previous role had opened up LGBTQ roles, that they can portray, to be known, I hope it's the start of something good."

Here's how the blog conference went a few days ago:

For those who would want to watch the movie and would like to see the first BL themed film in MMFF history, you've got to catch them at Upstream.ph and see for yourself if it is possible to love with no boundaries. Go watch it with your friends and family, after all, the movie can be watched on your laptop or mobile phone and you can just pay for it while the whole family sees it on screen. This film was made with love as intention, very light, and was crafted good I'd recommend it for Netflix or other streaming platforms too.

I'm definitely watching this, as it is worth the few pesos. Oh and congratulations on the recent nominations of A Boy Foretold by the Stars. I heard you got 12, including the Best Actor nomination for Adrianne Lindayag. I wouldn't be surprised if he wins. That's how awesome this is!

Update!

The Boy Foretold by the Stars has won three awards including Second Best Picture at the recent MMFF Gabi ng Parangal which happened last December 27.

Awards won:

MMFF Gender Sensitivity Award went to The Boy Foretold by the Stars  
Best Original Theme Song went to The Boy Foretold by the Stars Jhay Cura and Pao Protacio
MMFF 2nd Best Picture went to The Boy Foretold by The Stars

Inigo Pascual Shares Experience in BOYETTE: Not A Girl, Yet

Zaijian Jaranilla is starring in a coming of age film produced by Star Cinema called BOYETTE: Not A Girl, Yet which will show on November 27 via KTX.PH and the iWant TFC app, CIGNAL and SkyCable Pay Per View channels on the same date.

Inigo Pascual plays Charles, a jock who will be Zaijian Jaranilla's love interest in the film. Zaijian will try to woo him by joining his dance crew and acting like a straight guy, will this become a love story or will it be utter disaster? That remains to be seen. 

Inigo got caught in traffic, but he obliged doing the blogcon while on the road

Inigo says "I am Charles, he's my best friend and we grew up together. I transferred when we were kids and just saw each other in college. I didn't know he was already Boyette, and initially I only knew him as Boyet, these are two different things. We then are going to discover how he was able to find out who he really is. I just enjoyed this really, it was not heavy, but there is a conflict because Charles is a homophobe. Direk Jumbo made it easy for me because he gave us freedom on what we could do as well. I enjoyed the locked in taping, it was safe for us. We did swab tests before, during and after. You kinda didn't go far with your character. We were able to immerse and become really close."

"Ever since the start, I didn't see anything bad being Piolo's son. It was a blessing for me, I can show who I am, my talent, to make my own name. I had my own thing that I want to do, I had the chance to explore and I didn't get to worry about that because he is really my Dad. I'm proud of him really."

He added "There were plans, a lot of them got cancelled because of the pandemic. I feel like things had to change because of it and for me, all I wanted to do is share what I have. I was able to release and share my music to everyone. I felt one day that I wanted to do a project, and the offer came a few days after. They assured us it was safe and protocols were observed. I just enjoyed acting, to explore it more, together with my music with Tarsier and of course local music. Before Boyette, we didn't have to talk about network wars, I'm personally against that. As long as we entertain people, I'm all for that. For me, I grew up not judging people, everyone has their own preference. They are human, and there is always a common ground. I've had friends who came out to me, they trust me that much, I comfort them and tell them there's nothing wrong with that."

"During work, we had two days off in a week and we used that to bond quite frequently. We had to do that too because we had to have that eagerness to hang out with him. I learned a lot from that kid even if he's younger than me. We didn't have air in between us, we just had a fun time doing it. I miss the classroom setting, I just don't miss the homework. For me, getting noticed by LGBT or anyone for that matter, I feel happy. If they look at me like I'm their crush, I'm quite okay with it, nothing really wrong about that. When I'm alone, I write songs and the pandemic time was pretty productive for me. I also did some projects and shows in between aside from Boyette. This is my reunion movie with Mariz. There was a moment where we were just talking to each other, and she shared her music with me, I cherished that moment. Whatever we talked about during that time, we understood each other, and I really miss that. This is the first time I saw her that she's not trying to impress people, she was so comfortable and confident and I was so happy to see that. This is the first time I've seen her like that while we were making a comedy film. We also roam around even if we had days off and we enjoyed that part. To clear things, we did go through things as a love team and as a pair. I can't say that much, it was 2 or 3 years working with each other and... (he stops)... (When he was asked if she is attracted to Mariz) When you see her, it's hard not to be at awe with what she is doing. I do think about having relationships but if in a lockdown, that is hard. I long for physical contact, I'm a hugger and it is a bit hard to do that in this time. Charles has so much experience, he had to hide things and not everyone sees his troubles. It was easy to do his character because in a way I can relate to him being happy, being a dancer, and how he doesn't choose his friends. I can't say we're like the same person, because I'm not a homophobe. If I were given the role of Boyette, it would be challenging to do that. It was such a beautiful thing to do a role that has been real for our Director, it is his life story."

It was nice to see Inigo a little uncomfortable answering stuff like that. It felt real and sincere. I hope fans get to see their film BOYETTE: Not A Girl, Yet because it is in some way, a good representation of who they are as artists now. We all have that friend, or people we know who are also like Boyette, Inigo also told us we should know their plight. To see their struggle, to show how they love, and make sure they know there is nothing wrong with that.

New Pinoy BL Series "My Extraordinary" Out on September 27

This September 27 looks so promising as Asterisk Entertainment, the GagaOOlala app and TV5 will premiere the much awaited BL series called My Extraordinary starring Enzo Santiago and Darwin Yu. The last time we talked to these two was during the Asterisk Digital Entertainment launch which was held in Alabang a couple of months ago. True to their promise, they are now delivering this story of two young guys who initially were just school mates, but now delved into young love. 

This series is directed by Jolo Atienza and written by Vincent DeJesus. This is also produced by Asterisk Digital Entertainment. They play the lives of Shake and Ken, of which one is a loner while the other is more of an extrovert and outgoing person. Much of their stories are told like a slice of life, including their own discovery of how they identify themselves, and how love becomes love in their eyes. 

Direk Jolo Atienza says “Each scene has a purpose, one scene will be important to another one in future episodes. Enzo and Darwin will showcase their chemistry, you will be surprised how this comes out because when we made these scenes, they knew how to make people kilig.  Initially we didn’t have much confidence about the theme but people have been watching BL recently. Asterisk Entertainment got Thai trainers to do workshops here for them, they have been well armed to workout their chemistry. We won’t fall behind with kissing scenes but it won’t focus on that, we need to show this on TV so there are restrictions. They came to the set prepared and you will believe them and their story. This isn’t just about Ken and Shake, it is about the people who couldn’t accept them, Ms Yayo’s character struggled accepting them.” 

Enzo says “We already clicked when we met in February and we had a good relationship even before that. We practiced in the workshops, and that had a lot to do with how comfortable we felt while shooting this series.”

Direk Jolo adds "This was tailored fit, the development of characters and story was done for us. I am happy that there are now fans doing terms like Kambings, everytime we have something new to publish they really support us and even give gifts sometimes. They are so sweet! We got locked down because of protocols. Three locations in Antipolo, Rizal and Bulacan. We had to be together for a long time to finish scenes and come back to another if we need to move we have to follow government protocol. We are excited to see it on September 27. We don’t mind sexuality tags, we don’t judge and do support LGBTQ causes. We know we are straight, allies too.”

Darwin Yu “Love is love, not based on looks, it’s the connection, if you are happy with a person then go for it. Love has no gender, which is what we know before, and while we are doing this series. I hope people learn that from our show.”

It will be shown earlier on the GagaOOLala app at 10pm and will be then shown on TV5 and the Asterisk Entertainment channel on YouTube after an hour. Make sure you get to know these guys and how the love of Shake and Ken would blossom into a great story. The series also stars Yayo Aguila, Jojit Lorenzo, Z Mejia, Karissa Toliongco, Kayden Soriano, Keijee Mesina, John Cortez, Sam Cafranca, Philip Dulalia and Catcat Sanchez. 

I can't wait to see this!