SAMSUNG Outs Two Entry Level Phones Galaxy M02 and M12

The Samsung Galaxy M02 and the Samsung Galaxy M12

Looks like Samsung is going to be giving consumers a LOT of choices this year. Recently, they launched 2 new entry level phones in the market and we've gotten to test out one of them, the Samsung Galaxy M12. The other one they launched is the Samsung Galaxy M02. 

Here's our first impression of the new Samsung Galaxy M12 on video:

The Galaxy M12 comes in Black, Blue and Green. It's got a 6.5 inc HD+TFT display, an Octa Core 2GHz Exynos 850 Processor, comes in 4GB and 64GB storage. You can also expand it to 1TB on a separate micro SD card and enjoy hours of social media, streaming and gaming as its got a 5000 mAh battery. It also has Quad rear cameras featuring a 48MP main cam, 5MP ultra wide, 2MP Macro and 2MP for depth of field. The front camera is an 8MP, so you can still take awesome selfie shots with apt amount of details. The phone also has got 15W fast charging capability, a finger print scanner on the side and dolby atmos audio. I have had the privilege of editing photos, videos, recording them as well and it performed at par/even better than other entry level phones on this price range. It did run Mobile Legends and Call of Duty Mobile on it, I've enjoyed several minutes of games before I started browsing social media channels on it. 

The more affordable Samsung Galaxy M02 on the other hand carries a Quad Core MT6739WW processor. It also got a 2GB RAM and 32GB storage for all your photos and videos. It comes in Black, Blue and Gray colorways and has dual back cameras that have 12MP main and 2MP for macro shots. It also has a 5MP front camera which is ample for selfies and taking videos for socials. Currently, the prices for these two land on Php 7,490 for the Samsung Galaxy M12 and Php 4,490 for the Samsung Galaxy M02.

Samsung also has an exclusive #MakeYourMove sale on Lazada so if you prefer the Galaxy M12, it would be best to get it from there. The Galaxy M02 on the other hand can be bought in Samsung partner stores like MX MemoXpress Online, Shopee, Abenson, Gizmo Central, Galleon and Samsung.com. There's lots of things Samsung is introducing soon, perhaps more AIOT devices? Smart homes? They're just starting!

10 Reasons Why You Should Watch Haunted Mansion by Regal Films this MMFF 2015

I had the chance to watch the movie in advanced so I think I'd be able to tell you reasons why you should watch Regal Film's entry to the Metro Manila Film Fest. I'll add a couple more reasons because we got to also talk to Direk Jun Lana and Janella Salvador after the screening and discussed scenes and more things about it without spoiling the movie. Let's start!

1. The story is interesting. You've got an interesting mix of the past and the future. There are several background information that isn't noticeable in the trailer which you'll find out if you discover the mysteries they put in it. There's a LOT!

2. They went over budget. They wanted this first salvo be something that would look good when you watch it in theaters and they've extended shooting just to give you scenes which can be only shot at night time. Even at the irk of Producer Mother Lily. It's not cheap.

3. Graphics are good, done in just specific scenes so you could still see some sort of realism as Direk puts it. You'll see that in the scenes of LJ Reyes specifically.

4. It was shot in a real mansion, owned by the Marcoses. They needed to make it grand and put in stuff to make it realistic. They also made graves at the back, which made people a little scared even if thet were the ones who put it there in the first place. 

5. You'll be scared, and you'll find interesting twists in the story. Don't be too complacent that the movie is already done. There's always a surprise waiting to happen. You'll be afraid over and over again.

6. Janella did a good job. She might even be nominated for best actress. 

7. If box office success isn't the measurement, they could even be in the running for Best Picture. Who knows?

8. The Marlo Mortel, Jerome Ponce and Janella Salvador love story is cute. Who's gonna win her heart? The answer might shock you, so you have to watch the film.

9. Janella is thankful for the trust given to her. The script has been made and updated for 6 years waiting for the right cast, and they just happen to be there at the right time. 

10. The friends, the enemies, the bullies and the cheerleaders actually make quite a stir. Some of them might die but you have to watch it to know who.

Here's our interview of Direk Jun Lana and Janella. 

Make sure you watch it on theaters today because it's something different. I saw people closing their eyes inside the theater, you might be doing that too. Trust me on that part. Congrats Haunted Mansion! I hope you do get good things on opening day!

For more information about their entry:

Regal Entertainment Inc.

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Buy Now, Die Later for MMFF 2015

It looks like there's going to be real tough competition in this year's Metro Manila Film Festival as Quantum Films, MJM Productions, Tuko Film Productuons and Buchi Boy Films joined forces to put up a horror comedy film called "Buy Now, Die Later" which stars Vhong Navarro, John "Sweet" Lapus, Alex Gonzaga, Janine Gutierrez and Lotlot De Leon. They say this is a psychological thriller which will be related to the plot of having weaved around a human's 5 senses - sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. 

The premise is good, as it talks about the norms of society's greed, how to solve mysteries, the voices in our head, love and age. It's like a multitude of stories all put into one. Mind you, these are the same production outfits that also did "Walang Forever" and "English Only, Please".

Here's the video I made during the presscon

Buy Now Die Later Quantum Films by kumagcow

Vhong plays a blogger named Odie who wishes to become a serious photo journalist like his Dad. Tj Trinidad who plays Santi is an ecclectic shop keeper sells different wares to different individuals who in the end will face consequences brought about their traits and later become his victims. Odie bought a phone from his shop and gets scoops first hand from an app installed on it, later on solving each mystery as it unfolds. Ato, played by Rayver Cruz is a friend of Odie. He starts up a restaurant and buys a special ingredient for his restaurant, but them becomes greedy so they'll be having some real serious problems in the end. Chloe is played by Alex Gonzaga. She on the other hand wants to become a very successful singer. It came true when she used an app from Santi, but she gets crazy later on after having a great hit. John Lapus plays Pippa who used perfume (bought in Santi's store) and tries to woo Narciso (Manuel Chua) because he's madly in love with him. Lotlot De Leon on the other hand plays Maita who wished for her daughter (played by Janine) to have a normal life. Santi gets her in trouble but them Maita came into her senses and didn't accept the consequences, she's the only one who did that and got something better in return.

They promise five times the fun and entertainment on this official MMFF entry from these film outfits. It's directed by Randolf Longhas who also did "Ang Turkey ay Pabo Rin". Watch them on MMFF as they show it on December 25, for the Metro Manila Film Festival!

For more information about their movie:

Buy Now Die Later

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http://www.facebook.com/BuyNowDieLater

Live Blog: Jennylyn Mercado and Derek Ramsay for English Only Please

Have you ever felt the world went against you and you just want to vent out? Language barriers, difference in culture, manners, there are lots of things people disagree on things.  We went to Max's in Quezon City to interview hunky Derek Ramsay who plays the role of Julian Parker and Jennylyn Mercado who plays Tere Madlansacay. 

Julian is a troubled man. He has a half pinay ex girlfriend named Megan who went home to the Philippines and he wanted to take the chance and tell her in full Filipino what he feels. He's very angry. So before he traveled to Manila, he sought the help of a Filipino tutor which in this case was the feisty looking Tere Madlansancay. Tere is an accomplished online English tutor, she named several celebrities who learned from her - name dropped to be on her belt. Her new student Julian is good looking, crushed fr her past relationship and is nursing a broken heart. Tere is very single, and when she tries to help the good looking guy, will sparks fly? That remains to be the question. 

Kai Cortez plays the role of Mallows who is Tere's best friend. She's probably sleeping with all the guys in the movie but she is the best friend that would want to help her find that one true love. Isabel Frial plays "Kaykay" who is Mallows' daughter in the movie. She almost spilled the beans on the status of Derek and Jennylyn's relationship during the conference but decided to say they're just "naglalambingan" (showing affection). The director Dan villegas says "It's fun to actually do Romantic Comedies because it's a good feeling to be in-love. That feeling is insurmountable."

Good looking Kean Cipriano plays a douche bag from hell that you'll probably see more of in motel scenes, in restaurants, shopping for shoes, clothes which will all be unfortunately paid for by Tere. He told us he wanted to be a bigger character than what was in the role and the Director gave him the freedom to be close with the persona of Johnny Bravo. Funny, but you are going to be annoyed with his character. He says when you get to enjoy the trailer, keep in mind that they only made that after finishing half of the shoot. So imagine how funny the rest of the movie is because there are several characters you haven't seen yet.

Derek says Jennelyn should "never close her doors" whilst Jen says "With the things I've learned in the past, you should apply that today but remember, the right time will come where you will meet then person you'll spend your life with, in God's time.

This is the only romantic comedy film to be shown in the Metro Manila Film Festival this December but the cast says, this is something light, something fun to watch during the season. They hope their fans would find time to watch when the film comes out Christmas day. I'll watch it, you should too!

For more information about their movie:

English Only Please

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https://www.facebook.com/englishonlypls

Dennis Trillo, LJ Reyes and Director Mike Tuviera for The Janitor

Director Mike Tuviera (center), Dennis Trillo and LJ Reyes for The Janitor

It's now out on theaters and this might be a little late already to post but here's a rundown of what happened during the blog conference of The Janitor. This is the same film that was shown in Cinemalaya's Director's showcase which stars hunky Dennis Trillo, LJ Reyes and a couple more people from ABSCBN and different networks. It's not usual that you see them in Star Cinema but since the film outfit is the one releasing it in cinemas, we got the chance to talk to them last week. I missed this during that festival so it's a good thing they're releasing it on regular theaters. It's more of a thriller, the plot is also rich with conflicts betweem Dennis and the other characters like Richard Gomez, Derek Ramsey and how the love of LJ Reyes makes it all worthwhile. LJ by the way was also lauded because it made them a bit more human according to foreign critics who watched the film. They also got to be invited in international festivals but they're still finalizing everything so watch out for that.

Dennis said he didn't have any hesitations accepting this film. He says he knows how the indie film industry works and it was more fulfilling for him because he's being praised doing his craft. He's been longing for projects like this and this was some sort of a jackpot for him seeing the roster of artists involved in it. Director Mike says he's flattered that the people have said it looks mainstream but he says he used the same equipment as those used in Hari ng Tondo because they helped each other doing that. LJ wanted to work with Dennis as a leading lady because she has worked with him in the past in supporting roles too. LJ was the perfect pick of Direk Mike, and so was the other characters... like a dream cast. They thought they would not be able to get them but suddenly, they all became available so that was a great thing. Two days before shooting, those impossible ones on Direk's list suddenly all came together, and they haven't even talked about payment yet.

Nippon Paint Young Designer Award 2014

Ms. Gladys Goh, Group General Manager of Nippon Paint based in Malaysia

There are several brands in the construction industry that have made a name in the Philippines but we haven't had the pleasure of seeing this one in our counters. Nippon Paint, one of the largest manufacturers of paints in Asia (established since 1881) just landed in the Philippines 6 months ago and they are aggressively educating paint users in the country to switch to their brand of led free, environmentally sound paint variants, with a multitude of colors to bring forth an even better, ecologically responsible community every time they use Nippon Paint on their walls. They are also launching colors in the Philippines, something that the competitors don't really have making that the distinct thing that would set them apart when offering their products in the market. 

In order to get their point, environmental, social goals across a larger populace in the region, they're launching the Nippon Paint Young Designer Award 2014 and including the Philippines in the roster. With around 10 countries vying for the country representative post and the winner in the region, they're preparing a once in a lifetime opportunity for talented individuals and tons of prizes for them, the school and knowledge transfers as well.

Together with the Ministry Energy Green Technology and Water of Malaysia, Malaysia Green Building Confederation, Malaysian Green Building Index Association, Malaysia Institute of Interior Designers, Real Estate Housing and Developer Association of Malaysia, Construction Industry Development Board of Malaysia, Design Business Chamber of Singapore, Department of City Planning Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage, Thailand Interior Designers Association, Indonesian Society of Interior Designers, Indonesian Institute for Architects of Jakarta, more importantly the associations in the Philippines namely Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID), Council of Interior Design Educators (CIDE), United Architects of the Philippines (UAP), Council of Deans and Heads in Architecture Schools in the Philippines, they will be holding the NYPDA by enjoining students 3year and up to join the competition and they're confident that the associations would be able to source them with the abundance of talents in the Philippines says Ms. Gladys Goh, the Group General Manager of Nippon Paint based in Malaysia. 

This will be a successful competition in the Philippines. They are also thanking LBC because they will get all the entries sent through LBC Express Centers throughout the country. They know that the students are the future builders of the nation and they want them to showcase their talents, and this competition will be able to show them to big corporations. They will also be giving them workshops with various partners so they get exposed to the latest technologies. This is about the Philippines being represented, and getting our representative to be in Osaka, Japan together with other Gold Winners from other countries for networking, education and talks so they would be able to take this experience and knowledge back to their home countries. Last year, they had 2003 entries and they hope to grow the number because of the sheer number of talent here. The theme for this year is "Re-Think, Re-Create. Our Community, Our Home" bringing in importance to their work that will ultimately benefit the community. Developers are also going to be part of this and they will be looking at the work of students as they go along the competition slated to be done before the end of this year.

Architect Maria Benita Ochoa Regala of United Architects of the Philippines

 Architect Maria Benita Ochoa Regala of United Architects of the Philippines thanks Nippon Paint for allowing them to be a partner. The UAP will enjoin them to support home grown talents making them architects that have the ingenuity, integrity and excellence needed to become successful in this competition. They also laud Nippon Paint for hosting this design competition and making the students ready for world class work. "It's the first step to embody their passion and knowledge to gauge if their work would be at par with the Philippines neighbors and other countries. Thankfully, the corporation made this platform to make the students be in this direction. Ideas and innovation will surely come out of this competition." adds Architect Regala.

Architect and Interior Designer Rogelio Caringal of UAP and PIID

 Architect and Interior Designer Rogelio Caringal of UAP and PIID sends his heartfelt thanks to Nippon Paint who brought this to the country. Future Interior Designers and Architects will be part of this recognition program and make their passions, skills in making living spaces valuable in enriching peoples lives. This will shape the country's brighter future. In their own theme (PIID on their 50th year) "Celebrating the Past and Designing for the Future", it aims to nurture the students hunger for design and being part of this competition will make them ready for the real world, a thing that schools would also easily prepare them with. 

The categories they can join for this competition falls in 1. Interior Design and 2. Architecture. They can only accept one entry per student. Deadline for entries will be October 31st that is to be mailed in any LBC Express outlet or they can send it directly to Oncue Media Inc. Unit 5-A 5th Floor, Suntree Tower #27 Sapphire Road, Ortigas Center Pasig City. The grand prize aka Gold Award can get you 6 months internship opportunity with LOR CALMA & Partners plus 50,000 pesos in cash plus a trip to Japan for a once in a lifetime learning programme. Special awards for Best Colour Choice, Best Green Innovation will be given away. For more information and full mechanics, please check out the channels below.

For more information about the competition:

Nippon Paint PH

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http://www.youngdesigneraward.ph

Vigan Vies For 7 Wonder Cities of the World

One of the few places I've visited this year just became the talk of the town. Up north where there's a rustic, hispanic area and cobbled stone streets that probably spanned hundred or more years, the city of Vigan remains one of the few UNESCO world heritage sites that lives up to its name. The only place in Asia where a mix of Filipino and Spanish heritage exists, it truly is a sight to behold every time you get to see its streets and buildings that dates back to 16th century. I know, it ain't enough I guess, that just spells this city needs to be recognized... not just here, but worldwide!

 

Mayor Eva Marie Medina of the city of Vigan says "Being in the finals has added to our pride as residents of this small city with big dreams and hard earned achievements. Officials from Vigan are relentless in their continued efforts to make this city the “best” place. We hold on to our commitment to sustain our gains in heritage conservation and excellence in governance because these are the very instruments that ensure the well being of our people".

Vigan City has been included in the 28 finalists for 7 Wonder Cities of the world. There will be another round where only 21 will be left. Now is the time to vote for them as another national historic site takes the front seat. It's not only the places that can actually be the sole reason to see Vigan as one of the world's best. Just look at the things we've loved from this Ilocos city all these years!

From the crunchy Vigan Chichacorn, to pottery and small trinkets made from wood, to small mementos of the houses, to the weaved cloths and baskets, to Malunggay/Moringga pasta and cookies, to the famous Vigan longganisa that's so garlicky in every bite, to the super crunchy and sinful Bagnet... the city of Vigan has it all!

Now it's time for us to help them win this for the Philippines, how to vote? It's easy! Just go to www.n7w.com/en/cities and choose 7 entries, login with your social media accounts and it's a vote. Make sure though to always include VIGAN in your entries so they qualify for the next round. You can also vote by texting VIGAN to 29290777, it's that easy! VOTE NOW so you can get the city of VIGAN recognized as the world's best! It's VIGAN's time to shine!

For more information about their city:

Vigan

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http://www.n7w.com/en/cities

Pagbibigay-matwid, Pagpapatuloy Sa Paglalakbay (Vindications of Living)

Mula't sapul; hindi iniinda ang hirap at pagod;

May dahilan ang bawat tipa, hapuhap at kayod;

Namamagasang kahit pano'y

Kumita ng sapat;

Nang ang pamilya, at pamayanan;

Ay kung maaari lamang;

Umunlad ang kalagayan ;

Anumang hamon ng buhay...

Maging sandigan upang pagpatuloy ang paglalakbay!

Photo above has been taken October 2012 at the People's Park in Davao City. This is my official entry to the Saranggola Blog Awards Year 4 Photoblog - Postcards Category! (Vindications of Living Photo and depicts a worker's journey to pull through any given challenge so family and community would be able to improve one's living)