Pinoys Take Part on HUAWEI AP Seeds for the Future

This year's edition of Huawei Asia Pacific Seeds for the Future has just started a 9 day training and digital boot camp in the land of the free, Thailand which ran from August 19-27. This is a full blown effort from the mobile phone and aiot product manufacturer which benefited 10 students from our country, the Philippines.

The event was witnessed by government officials of Thailand and several representatives of international organizations, including H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi the current Secretary General of the ASEAN. He says that improving digital talent in the region would help drive the different country's vision, taking advantage of what they could learn from private sector work especially when there's a huge demand for it. He lauded Huawei for their relentless work in ICT development and thanked them for the opportunities they've given to various individuals in the Asia Pacific region.

Participants of this year's Seeds for the Future event will be involved in technology training and cross cultural discussions aimed to suggest and resolve social and tech problems in their respective countries and the region. They have also had a lot of female participants this year and certainly shows an increase of very talented and skilled workforce in the region.

Huawei Asia Pacific President Mr. Simon Lin commits to more years of this program which has already been brought to over 140 countries and benefited over 500 universities. When they win the competition in Thailand, they will get the chance to do the accelerator camp in Singapore in order to present their work to industry leaders that would be able to bring their ideas to the real world. Training focused on 5G, Artificial Intelligence and Cloud computing which is current and very beneficial for ICT related work today.

Congratulations to the Filipino participants and to Huawei for instilling skills trainings like this for the increase in ICT professionals in the region. It'll be advantageous for us to invest in this now, and hope this sparks more private companies to help just like Huawei did.

TV5 to Announce Biggest P-Pop Stars in POPINOY

The kapatid network is just about to unfold their biggest discoveries after weeks of tough training and performances in PoPinoy, the reality search for the biggest P-Pop stars in the country. They started auditions in June and out of the 22 hopeful groups who went through all the work and drama, only 3 boy and girl teams are left for the final showdown called "Final Pop" this coming November 7 at 7PM. It will be broadcasted on TV5 and its affiliate networks so make sure you're tuned in because this will be BIG!

The finalists include girl groups A4OU, Neu Climax and Yara whilst the guys are composed of Full Out, Upgrade and Versus. They will battle it out on stage to see who will be the first PoPinoyGrand Winner. The show will be judged by artists and equally talented star headhunters DJ Loonyo, Kayla Rivera, Mitoy Yonting and dance queen Maja Salvador.

Gone are the times where they were just telling us about their stories because this time, they'll be putting in all their hard work and what they've learned in the different training sessions they did in the competition. From songwriting, to thinking about what they're presenting, to honing their skills and bettering personalities, they'll show you what they've learned from the in house Pop Academy. This competition is done in partnership with TNT. Winners are expected to promote and showcase Filipino pride with their talents, in hopes to inspire more people even after the show. Make sure you're there to see who wins, it will be hosted by the phenomenal Maine Mendoza and award winning actor Paolo Ballesteros.

Make sure you're tuned in tomorrow at 7PM! It'll surely be an amazing evening to see how talented Filipinos are!

Discovering Pop Icons of this Generation: PoPinoy

New and fresh content coming out of TV5 just isn't a surprise anymore, quite expected. I'm saying that because as I logged in on a zoom press conference a few days ago, the stars from other networks have converged on TV5 to make a one of a kind talent show called PoPinoy aimed to discover even more world class Filipinos, put them on stage and make it their way to stardom!

What's more interesting is the composition of mentors and judges which includes her Majesty Maja Salvador, King of RnB Jay-R, Viral Dance Sensation DJ Loonyo and Theatre Siren Kayla Rivera. You see, the folks responsible for these are Cignal, production house Archangel Media and communications company TNT. They know this industry front and back, so this would be like a reality show wherein we'll be following the contestants journey into stardom. In a way, if you get attached, we wouldn't be surprised. I felt all their excitement as stars on the show shared stories.

TV5 President and CEO Robert P. Galang says "Cignal and TV5 is commited to give you relevant and quality content that not only entertain, but to empower our kapatids. With TNT, we are launching this to showcase talented Filipinos around the world! We will be with them all the way, we hope you support the new show here on TV5!"

Mike Tuviera of Archangel Media says "I can't wait to open this nationwide. We are meeting more people, develop their skills and talent to make them the best performers and singers too." 

Jane Basas of Smart says "TNT has always championed pinoy talent and we always support it. We want to present them in a bigger platform so we are doing this nationwide. TV5 is the best partner as they share the same vision. We're glad to become part of the journey of our talents. They will also be TNT's ambassadors, we will bring them all over the Philippines. We'll have a TNT Pop Show that will also be hosted by Darren Espanto wherein we will have new guests that you will all love! I can't wait to see more of our Filipino talent and the winner of this show. TNT believes they have the same passion as ours to discover more talented Filipino youth hence this partnership." 

Hosting the show is Paolo Ballesteros and Maine Mendoza. Maine says "I have seen in Eat Bulaga the sheer amount of talent that Filipinos have... and it needed a platform so they too can be seen. This show will be different, because it is different! We're also going to tell their stories which would make their journey more interesting. There's lots of things you should look forward to in PoPinoy!" 

Maja Salvador adds "I am excited to work with these talented people. They made ways to really put us together and requested that we need to do this... and now this happened. This was just something off that awards night when I signaled that I wanted to work with them, remember that? Me managing talents is not a one man team, I have a lot of people who help me and it really is not my decision alone. We're going to judge and train them more in this competition, which is a bit difficult because it's not just a singing competition, everyone is going to audition and we have to see their potential. That part is going to be challenging."

You'll be seeing how they will discover the biggest PPop sensation, you'll be seeing the girl and boy groups on a primer this coming June 6th at 8PM, while the first episode will happen on June 13, Sunday at 7PM on TV5 and a catch up episode on Colours and on Cignal at around 9:30pm the same day. You can also watch it on the Cignal Play app so if you haven't downloaded that on your smartphone, maybe this is a good day to do it.

Discover world class talent in this joint, see you on Sunday ha?!

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! 

VIVA x RTM Japan Brings PPOP Generation: Boom Ganda!

Surprising us with their own Pinoy Pop moves and songs this afternoon is PPOP Generation: Boom Ganda! 45 lovely girls who was brought upon by the partnership of Viva Live Incorporated and RTM of Japan. Vic Del Rosario Jr., Matoshi Mano aka MC Man, Ryota Naito, and Geleen Eugenio were present during their official signing this December 3, 2018 at the Teatrino Promenade in San Juan.

Among hundreds upon hundreds who auditioned to be in the group, 45 of these girls went on through intensive training under Geleen Eugenio, Sushi Reyes and Zeb Zuñiga. Now they will be part of two musical shows which will be held from Tuesdays to Saturdays starting on January 8, 2019 and all throughout the year.

If you want to see the show, please go to Ticketworld.com.ph or call 891 9999 or Viva Live at 6877326.

KUMAGCOW 

Fresh Blogs Fast!

Pinoy Boyband Superstar The Grand Reveal

If you're reading this you probably are following these guys perform every week on stage as they vie for the title of Pinoy Boyband Superstar. I have been able to watch a couple of episodes and have my personal favorites. I've listened to them sing on TV and live (last night) to probably know who actually sounds good or not, but of course it's just my standards. They (the contestants) actually have to impress not just me, but the judges, the audience that evening and the people who are watching at home. Honestly there are only a few who could sing, but admittedly much of them only have good looks and hopefully a personality that could sweep you off your feet and the judges nod which could probably help them win a spot for the first ever Pinoy Boyband Superstar. 

This week is not for the weak of heart as they do The Grand Reveal with hopefuls Ford, Joao, Mark, Niel, Russell, Tony and Tristan. Everything will end on December 10 and 11 so if you are rooting for your favorite, now is the time to vote for them so they could fulfill their dreams. 

Remember, they only need 5 boys to be included in the group. They will win exclusive contracts with Star Magic, a great recording contract with One Music PH, their very own Yamaha Motorcycles and Php 5 Million in cold cash. It's even easier to vote now by sms. Just type in BB(space) Name of Contestant then send it to 2366. Or you can just go to Google and type in on the search bar PBS VOTE and you can vote from there. Remember, you can only vote once per sim and google account so don't try to cheat, they will catch you!

The show starts 7PM on December 10 and 11, 2016. Don't be late!

KUMAGCOW

Fresh Blogs Fast!

EXCLUSIVE: Ella, Nash, Jane and Diego for BUM Black Army

It looks like a great day to celebrate something from BUM. Yes, the street wear brand has made their own Black Army to surprise these artists and their followers with looks that they can wear when they're out on the streets, or just keeping cool colors while in school. Now I know you've seen the exclusive behind the scenes for Ella, Jane, Nash and Diego for the holiday collection here but I'm sure you'll enjoy what I have left for the Black Army.

Not everyone was on the frame so while Jane Oineza was shooting some things for her own line with BUM (Oh yes she does have one!) Ella Cruz and Nash Aguas was role playing. Ella was like asking for Nash Aguas' autograph and they ran around the set like kids. So every time they have a shoot for BUM, they are having fun!

Then we checked out Jane Oineza's photo shoot. Surprisingly, this isn't like the other shirts she wore because this time she's having skirts and more classy tops for her own line.

A lot of love, a lot of attention to detail. I know BUM has definitely thought of this way before Jane Oineza probably came out of the PBB house. The skirts, the sleeved blouses looked very expensive on her even though it only costs a couple of hundred bucks. The material is amazing, you guys should check these items out in BUM stores nationwide soon!

Jane was a little tired during the shoot because she haven't had that much sleep yet I was informed. It's pretty good that she's kept busy because that's exactly how ABSCBN could help her and her family. Her fun Mom was there too, always to show support for her and BUM. Her glam team, even the photographer Ash Reginald Evasco made sure it won't show on camera, being meticulous as possible so you can see how gorgeous Jane is.

I also like this jumpsuit that they had on the last few shots. It looks good on her, and I'm sure it will look good on you too. Dressing up should be easy, nothing complicated, and BUM can get you there.

On the other side of the studio, they were already preparing the shots for Nash and Ella. Of course, Nash had a LOT of time to play around on the set. As you can see, Ella was very behaved. Well not really LOL!

You'll probably see some videos posted on the BUM Facebook page that won't just contain behind the scenes shots by the BUM crew, but by Nash himself. He was very interested about how the videocam worked so he's asking for a new iPhone 6 Plus for his birthday! Paging BUM! LOL. They also had a small talk with Rai Lacoste to see where they will be with the direction of the shoot. He wants the peg to be a little close to edgy, classy streetwear. Then again, Ella and Nash had to play around the set again.

They were that playful around the set!

Then we had Nash do some stills for the BUM Black Army Collection.

Then we also got Nash and Ella to pair up in some of the shots.

I'm sure you'll see a lot of these in the upcoming months going to one grand celebration coming real soon! I'll be there to cover it too!

Please continue to support Nash Aguas, Ella Cruz, Diego Loyzaga and Jane Oineza everytime they have a campaign with BUM by buying stuff that they endorse. Do it also so that they will still have these guys and gals future campaigns. The billboards are all over EDSA and Manila so if you want to see more of BUM's Black Army. Hope you love them all!

For more information about their stores:

Official BUM PH

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.bumequipment.com.ph/

Rocco Nacino Stars In "Ibong Adarna The Pinoy Adventurer"

We watched the movie of Filipino legendary story "Ibong Adarna" top billed by the good looking hunky GMA lead actor Rocco Nacino. He is also joined by a stellar cast including Angel Aquino, Joel Torre, Leo Martinez, Ronnie Lazaro, Benjie Paras and Directed by Jun Urbano aka Mr. Shooli. 

The story revolves around a Datu's son who just wanted to heal his father's illness brought about by a curse sent by a local witch. He needs to go to a far flung place in order to capture a sacred bird whose voice would be the only cure and to keep him alive. 

Rocco in the story didn't pass off too much as a warrior hero like what we're used to see in previous adaptations and we saw a more sensitive, courageous son who was only fighting for his Father's life. I initially thought it was going to be a little corny because of the trailer but when I watched it, the actors were really good especially Benjie Paras and Leo Martinez. You'll also be touched on some of the scenes with Angel Aquino and Rocco and feel like you have to go back home after the movie and hug your Mom afterwards. 

It's truly going to be a hit with the kids because I saw a lot of them appreciating it during the premier night. They even clapped when the scenes were great which is a sign that they understood it's message. If you have kids at home, I highly suggest you bring them there. The film shows on a few selected theaters like Gaisano Mall Davao, Robinsons Movieworld Galleria, Iloilo and Metroeast, SM City Fairview, Manila, Marikina, North Edsa, Olongapo and Pampanga. SM City Rosales, Sta. Mesa, Megamall, Star Mall Alabang, Edsa Shaw and San Jose Del Monte Cinemas. Check out the local mall screenings so you guys can give your kids a treat this weekend!

Congratulations Rocco and the rest of the cast! I hope you get to show this movie later on as part of the Elementary Education curriculum in public schools where they need inspiration. It'll surely benefit them!

For more information about their artists:

Official GMA Artist Center

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://gmanetwork.com/artistcenter

EXCLUSIVE: Ella, Nash, Jane and Diego for BUM Holiday Collection

We've been fortunate enough to have been able to cover the shoot/behind the scenes for Jane Oineza and have released that a few weeks ago. This time we're going to release the Holiday collection for them too, it'll be together with Diego Loyzaga. I remember vividly how they had fun during the shoot as it was light and you wouldn't see if they were stressed or anything. Ella Cruz was still her playful self, you can never take that out of her of course. Nash Aguas on the other hand was also giddy posing for the camera being his cool self that afternoon. I must say it was effortless for these guys and gals to be in the HOLIDAY shoot for the Philippines' most awesome street wear brand BUM.

Let's take look at it shall we?

Nash and Ella with Photographer Ash Reginald Evasco taking a look at their shots that afternoon.

I guess Nash was a little bit intrigued about the things they wore too. They flipped on the photos and saw the holiday collection flash before their eyes. It was cool.

While they were preparing the backdraft and lights, I went inside the dressing room to say hi. He was busy reading Twitter on this bit I think.

He didn't move quite much as I was clicking but when I asked BUM people if it was okay to shoot, he stood up!

Oops! Sorry I think I saw some girls fainted already! Haha!

I saw her tinkering around with the stress on her pants and then she looked at the camera with a huge smile.

Then after that, they had to fix her up again for the shoot. She had like 4 people working on her hair, her makeup and wardrobe.