MANILA's FINEST: A Period Film That Discusses Current Issues

Just watched Manila's Finest last night and from a viewers standpoint, it was a cinematographic masterpiece. It's a period film, set in the late 60's, that tells the story of what transpired during those years with the Manila Police District. While life was simple, it wasn't any less complicated as the atrocities of love, family, relationships and politics become real and present danger. 

Piolo Pascual plays Homer Magtibay, a very optimistic cop who's got his own demons to vanquish. He's got his own crew that includes Enrique Gil who plays Billy Ojeda, Romnick Sarmienta who plays Severino Meneses, Joey Marquez as Rogelio Liwanag, and Dylan Menor as newbie cop Efren Taguyonon. He will begin most of his challenging life when Cedrick Juan who plays PC Metrocom Danilo Abad comes into the picture, and makes his once tranquil life into something a lot problematic. 

They made us see the causes of Martial Law lengthy, of what intricate things were done to make it happen. Fact or fiction, this makes them question loyalties, principles, betrayal, how corruption blur the lines of what's right and wrong. While it is set in the 60's, it still discusses something that is sadly happening til now. Piolo Pascual has always been an excellent actor, and a nomination for Best Actor award would not be surprising. Another notable performance would be for the role of his daughter in the film played by Ashtine Olviga. Her role might not have appeared much in the movie, but it is pivotal for the rift between characters, and her endearing ways of communicating emotions is unquestionably brilliant. Enrique too is another, but I think he would've needed more dialogue and grit, but that's just me.

What I'm loving is that they're absolutely BRAVE in doing this film during this regime. That alone deserves something, including the quality of work in post production which might get them a nod. They deserve 4 cows 🐮🐮🐮🐮/5. I'm a little sad that though realizing how the problems in the 60's are still present, like corruption to it's core.

If you want to see the film this coming Christmas, be ready for something a little cerebral. This obviously has been made with higher production value, and that's because of MQuest and the MVP group. Hopefully they'd be able to create more of this even after MMFF 2026!

PIOLO PASCUAL and RABIYA MATEO at the 10 Years of Vibrant Colors HAIRFIX Event - SM Grand Central

Celebrating 10 years of Vibrant Colors are the folks from Hairfix and its mother corp Lifestrong Marketing Incorporated. They had us on the edge of our seats about the things they planned to do on this historic day, choosing to do it in SM Grand Central in Caloocan City with gorgeous Miss Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo and the one and only Ultimate Heartthrob Piolo Pascual 

The good men and women of Hairfix came with offers blazing, taking along several products to irresistible sales, which all are treats for consumers in the North, including a meet and greet session with both celebrities right at the center of SM's Beauty section. Things got real packed quite quick as news of their appearance spread by word of mouth. Everybody then was in a celebratory mood and they started festivities with a real good program showcasing ways to take care of hair, and bringing needed color to it. Here's our video coverage of that afternoon:

Rabiya shared tips on how to use Hairfix products to make sure they achieve that polished beauty queen look. Then they called Piolo Pascual who started serenading everyone with some of the sweetest OPM songs and the standards, then reaching with the other hand with bouquet of flowers for the delight of ladies there. 

The event was also witnessed by Lifestrong Marketing Inc. head honchos CEO Lance Lee and COO Ms. Margaret Lee. They reiterated their passion to come out with more products and colors that would redefine hair care for Filipinos for years to come. 

Congratulations to Hairfix! Here's wishing you all the success to continue with the innovative ways you take care of not just hair, but grooming, health and confidence of your customers in the Philippines and beyond!

PIOLO PASCUAL Celebrates 5 Great Years with Beautéderm on their 15th Anniversary

It's been a while since I've gone to one of my favorite cities in Central Luzon, Angeles City in Pampanga. It's fun out there, very progressive, and consequently, home to the mecca of all things beautiful, the BEAUTéDERM Headquarters.

With one day of planning, a rush to get there, we came prepared to talk to the Philippines Ultimate Heartthrob, Piolo Pascual. This isn't the first time that I've seen him, but I couldn't usually ask him questions in events. This time though, the mood was easy, fun, light, intimate, but ultra good. He was welcomed by equally iconic BEAUTéDERM CEO, Founder and Chairwoman Ms. Rhea Tan. She says "You know, we have a lot of endorsers, but usually, it takes a lot of marketing personnel to manage what we plan for. At this stage, we have some products that we haven't promoted yet, but are actually doing good... because people trust the brand and BEAUTéDERM products. Having Piolo Pascual for 5 years gives me a happy feeling, and know we are doing something right. His loyalty, really touches my heart. He's the type of endorser that we didn't have any issues since day 1 in deliverables. He also makes his friends, his co-workers, even his son Inigo experience our products, and that, says a lot. He supports the brand and really uses the products. This goes the same with Sam, Piolo and their management Cornerstone."

 

Piolo Pascual, celebrates 5 years with BEAUTéDERM

She adds "I am proud of the quality of our products. Even if I'm low profile, we have grown tremendously in recent years. I want BEAUTéDERM to be known, not me. Sometimes people see me and tell me "BEAUTéDERM right?" and not my name. I'd rather have our brand be recalled like that. Piolo really helped get our message across, and I'm so confident about our products. This I think is our difference compared to others, because we really try it first before we release it to the market. Our FDA certifications says it all. Our presence in all leading malls too, because not all brands are there. Now before they even do a layout, our brand is being thought of and included. By the grace of God, we now have over 55 branches and celebrating our 15th Anniversary."

 

The gorgeous CEO Ms. Rei Tan and Ultimate Heartthrob Piolo Pascual

 

 

Here's a few scenes from the meet and greet sessions he went to: 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by John Bueno (@kumagcow)

 

 

Piolo obliged us with an interview and says "It makes me so proud to be part of BEAUTéDERM and am now celebrating 5 years with them. It's a company that changes lives, and so happy that she (Ms. Rei Tan) chose me. In BEAUTéDERM, I feel the sense of family. It always grows, it keeps on growing. It feels so good that I also get to grow with them, and our relationship goes beyond work."

He adds "What I like about BEAUTéDERM is that they have so many products to choose from. These include essentials that once people know is from BEAUTéDERM, they already trust it. Like for starters, I like the Etre Clair Mouthwash and Mouth Spray, something that is always in my bag. It makes me feel confident whenever I go out. It's very useful. I take care of myself by also sleeping a lot because I invest so much in my health so I could work hard. I always want to be in tip top shape. When I have roles that need to be more physical, I am always ready. Aging is something that I embrace. As a guy, it's hard to accept the inevitable. I don't celebrate lines, I celebrate life, my journey and experience. When I look at myself in the mirror I see my own history. I am happy about how I have evolved, hopefully, gracefully." 

 

Here's what happened to our small talk on video, please enjoy! 

 

 Congratulations to the hard working men and women behind the brand, I've met a few of them during the event and saw their genuine care. I guess they are the secret to the success they are enjoying. 15 years isn't a joke, and Piolo Pascual is also celebrating with them. They also showed us a few things they have in the pipeline, and by the looks of it, they are bound to grow even more in the coming years because BEAUTéDERM not only changed their company, they are changing lives. That's certainly a brand that's worth supporting. Again, congratulations!