JODI STA. MARIA Launches The JSM Channel

Jodi Sta. Maria has always been very good at her craft. As an actress, she has gone miles and bounds from being that Star Magic teen that did iconic shows Gimik, Flames, Jologs and Tabing Ilog. 

Her recent stint in doing a Philippine adaptation of Broken Marriage Vow has earned her the highly coveted Best Actress Award for a Leading Role at the Asian Academy Creative Awards, and still is eager to re-invent herself. A few days ago, she announced her newest venture... and created a new YouTube channel called The JSM Channel. Her goal is to put out light and inspirational content and she gave us a glimpse of it too.

Jodi says "How much am I willing to share? It's not going to be an open book, it's just going to be parts of my life that I want to share and only those that would give valuable lessons. If they learn something from it, then it's good! I don't want to say it's a platform for me to practice my degree, just a place to share what is valuable to me, and if someone relates to it, then it's good. If there's something to talk about, we'd do it there. For now, my focus would be the JSM channel, and I still have a few projects this year, please watch out for that. 13 years ago, the idea for this started but it was just the pandemic that happened. I couldn't say it's the right time, but life just gave me so many reasons, it's not something that was given to me in an instant. This is a dream project, and am looking forward to produce more shows in the coming months."

When they asked about Thirdy, she says "I asked my son about him guesting in one or more episodes but he's busy with school. Having a platform means you should use it responsibly, use it wisely, instead of just tearing people down, you ask yourself if it's something you can be proud of."

Jodi has 3 shows on the channel now like Live Light, Let's Drink to That, JSM Travel and Tours. She will be with AC Soriano and Cheena Crab on Let's Drink to That to give the low down on what happened in the news that week (while keeping it light). Needless to say, AC and Cheena were really fun to watch and banter with so if you are fond of that, go watch it on the JSM channel. 

ALEX CALLEJA and THE COMEDY CREW to Perform at Dubai Comedy Festival

I could have made a book out of the conversations we had with The Comedy Crew and Alex Calleja a few nights ago.  Aside from the laughs, we had a glimpse of the serious side of this emerging industry. We got schooled about how they've managed to survive the pandemic and the tough industry per se. Alex is no stranger to comedy, he's been doing this for ages that much of the comedians in his team attested they watched him when they were in primary school (emphasis on he's that old).

Aside from Alex Calleja, The Comedy Crew is composed of Israel Buenaobra, Mak Navarez, Jeps Gallon, Yuki Horikoshi, Winer Aguilar, Doc Ramon Cabochan, Anthony Andres, Dawit Tabonares, Rex Milora, Grease Junio, Schneider Maxino, Marlon Cadag, Franz Opinaldo, Victor Obera, CS Dela Pena, Professor David Blattner, Jimberly Villanueva and Trixie Corpez.

 Here's some serious stuff we talked about first during the press conference

 

Here's where Alex Calleja shared why he should tell new comedians about changing their acts and not commit career ending mistakes early on as part of The Comedy Crew

 Here's some of the jokes they cracked that evening!

Alex is behind the countless comedy shows in different networks. You could say he had his baptism of fire in the late 2000's and learned the ropes. He knew where comedians failed (shared his secrets so they don't make career ending decisions) and made sure no one is left behind. This sparked the formation of The Comedy Crew. These dudes are funny AF, and we had them do a few samples of their kind of comedy during the press conference. Yes, it's quite cerebral. I asked if they see the need to educate the Filipino crowd  but he says "First of all, it's not the fault of the audience if they didn't laugh at out jokes. The fault is ours. There's no such thing as an uneducated audience, it's our responsibility to adjust. If you know your audience, you choose a joke appropriate for them. That's the wrong mentality. It's like having them watch a movie and if they didn't like your soundtrack... it's not going to be their fault. You need to impress them with whatever genre you produce. You are paid to perform and if they don't laugh at your jokes, it's the comedians fault. It's why we have house rules at the beginning of the show. We use our voice most of the time, and we only ask for the audience's attention by turning off their phones for the duration of the show. We also tell them to tell us if they get offended in one or more acts, we also ask much of the crowd to occupy the front seats because it'll be a mess when they arrive late, we don't want that to happen. We only ask for people to be on time, and that's enough. In fact, I didn't know we were going to talk like this during the press con, I almost want to cry instead of promoting our show in Dubai."

It's so nice to see our brand of comedy will be seen on an international stage and these guys are crazy good.

For those who would want to experience their antics and kind of comedy, Alex and The Comedy Crew (Israel Buenaobra, Jeps Gallon, Mark Navares and Imah Dumagay) is performing at the Comedy Masala in Singapore from March 25 to 26 (sold out shows) and at the Dubai Opera this coming April 13 (Saturday) as part of the celebrations of Dubai Comedy Festival. You can get tickets for the Dubai event from dubaicomedyfest.ae. They also have a show in The Astbury in Poblacion on April 6 at 7PM and Laughtrip Olongapo-Subic (a tour) on March 29, 30, 31 at The Palace in Olongapo, Cork Room at Subic Bay and Source Coffee in Subic too. 

You may visit their NEW websites www.alexcalleja.com or www.thecomedycrew.com for more information about their shows. You can also follow Alex Calleja's or The Comedy Crew's official Facebook page for more details about it.

MIKOY MORALES Lands 2 Movies in Cinemalaya

It's been a while since we've had the chance to talk to Mikoy Morales. The accomplished actor, singer and comedian has gone leaps and bounds since he started his career in Protege. There has been a huge change in his persona, as he admits it has kept him a bit angry over the years. Now he's initiated to take a look at things with a perspective, to rather take a pause when talking, think over what he should say instead of the usual defensive reply and even gaslighting. He admits to being conscious about it, and the changes he's done made this year a fruitful one. In Cinemalaya alone, he's got 2 movie entries namely "Tether" and "Rookie". 

"Rookie" is about women's sports. Mikoy joins actors Pat Tingjuy, Aya Fernandez and Ms. Agot Isidro in this Volleyball-GL (Girl's Love Story) film. "Tether" on the other hand is a lot troubling, a sci-fi film where love, relationships and pain take wild turns, all with them in it. It's a bit of a stretch compared to his previous work that they had to undergo sensuality workshops to accomplish several scenes in the movie. Aside from that, Mikoy has been doing several shows on GMA including a new series (to be announced soon). His music career also has been good, as he's making scores, tracks and music for several films (some to be sent abroad for film festivals). He also has a few singles coming out soon so stay tuned for that as well.

Here's the mediacon for Mikoy yesterday, please watch and listen in about his new films!

Here's a few more about his relationships, and his realizations too.

 

Mikoy thanks his friends, family, his girlfriend about the blessings he's receiving these past few months. He attributes the nice things he has accomplished because of their trust in him. He also thanks his directors, which he feels was much serendipitous, being at the right place and right time, that in this world of second options, they chose him for the specific roles he's doing in the two projects. His artistry has no more angst and bitterness, no more they/them in the industry, and has proved effective in making him that viable actor he deserves to be. He now knows his priorities, setting it straight, and I hope more people love him for his craft. 

He's a good chap, so cheers to that!

AXN Originals Show Strength Amidst Trying Times

AXN on Cable TV was a lifesaver during the pandemic because it kept everyone at home busy while the world was trying to solve COVID-19. They didn't shortchange from a content standpoint and instead have come out with ground breaking shows that are all original, catering to a multitude of cultures, and the whole region. 

 

Shows like AXN All Stars showcased the different talents of AXN's biggest stars which was presented by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Indonesia. World stars like Afgan, Michael Bolton, Cosentino, Cyril Takayama, David Foster, Anggun and Mel C performed and was also streamed through AXN's Facebook page and YouTube Channel. Aside from that, they recently showed PROJECT GO together with GoDaddy to discover and mentor startups and entrepreneurs in the Philippines. We actually got to interview some of them a couple weeks ago when the reveal of the Final 4 happened. The show is hosted by Maggie Wilson, and judged by the Tung Brothers of Ligo Sardines Corp, Rappler's Bea Cupin and GoDaddy's Tina Hsieh. They also did Asian Dream which I followed religiously during lockdown in Manila. It's a singing competition hosted by Asia's Phoenix Morisette Amon where they pitted 7 singers from different countries in Southeast Asia for a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform with Grammy award winner Michael Bolton and tour with him around the world. The winner also got a Subaru car since it is presented by the same brand. Manila's very own Karl Zarate was my bet that time but he didn't get to win, it was so fun to see they did this very original reality show on AXN. 

Aside from these, they also teased more content in the coming months as AXN and KC Global Media Asia will be coming out with even more orignal shows here and the other networks they are affiliated with. Two of them will be coming out on the first quarter of 2021 so make sure you're tuned in on these channels and KC Global Media Asia's website www.kcglobalmedia.com.

 

I will be looking forward for more of  what they have to offer as they continue to reach Asia and a global audience with their new programming.

More Original Telemovies at Sari Sari Channel!

It looks like their stepping up to the plate and making new original telemovie content for the Viva Communications and TV5 owned SARI SARI CHANNEL. They're gearing towards a wider Filipino audience and promises interesting and great new shows this side of town. They have already featured classic movies and tv programs but making one from scratch is a little unusual. They want to get more of these kind of shows out there using their home grown artists too, so you always see something fresh and you get choices because they've got everything in when it comes to Philippine entertainment.

First up is "Ang Kwarto Sa May Hagdanan" (The Room Under the Stairs) which is starred by Andrew Mulach. The show talks about JM, who had to stay in a friends house and encounters a ghost from his past. It'll be shown on July 30, 2016 and will include Aubree Caraan, VJ Marquez and Mayton Eugenio. The second feature would be "Wives of House No. 2" starred by Katya Santos, Pheomela Barranda, Antoinette Taus and Sarah Paglicawan. It's a story of friends who put up a cafe so mistresses like them would be able to spend Valentines day or any other special occassion like normal people. The show will premier either late August or September.

During the third quarter, they will also release a horror-mystery flick called "Where is Franco?" starring Julius Garreza. His character got lost when they were playing hide and seek when they were kids and later on goes back to haunt his playmates played by Issa Pressman, Arkin Del Rosario, Kiko Ramos, Kenzo Ortiz, Cliff Hogan and Angelica Yap. It might start late August and September too. The SARI SARI CHANNEL is on CIGNAL channel 3, you should be one of their 1.18 Million subscribers today and get these shows exclusively on CIGNAL. Like their page Facebook.com/SariSariChannelPH or follow them on Twitter @SariSariChannel for more updates!

KUMAGCOW

Fresh Blogs Fast!

GMA Shows Now Available on iFLIX!

This is good news for Filipinos here around the world as Southeast Asia's leading Internet TV provider iflix give another reason to watch on the app for hours as they bring an unprecedented partnership between them and Kapuso Network GMA as they now include their shows in iflix's library. 

Now you can watch their great shows like My Husband's Lover, the drama Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real, Amaya, news documentaries such as Pinoy Abroad, multi awarded films like Muro Ami, Jose Rizal, The Road and Sossy Problems. You can also catch up with top rating shows like my favorite Half Sisters, My Faithful Husband, Beautiful Strangers and perhaps Pari Koy real soon. 

Aside from that, iflix is just as good when you have Google Chromecast and pretty soon, we heard they'll be including it in subscriptions and also deliver it right on your doorstep. So you better watch out for that! 

Sherwin Dela Cruz says "It's all about content and we have 40 studio partners now and it's still growing. We've got a lot of series, tons of movies, something for the kids, hit shows, Korean and Asian content and even Conan two days after the live show. Now we have GMA TV programs, movies and catch-up shows 7 days after it's shown on TV. We now have 153,000 subscribers in a few months and they're staying. We have more in the pipeline so you can download and play later but we're still working on that so we can do it buffer free. You'll also see iflix 2.0 in the next few weeks. Our promise is a more personalized marketing so all the related shows can be recommended to you right after you finish what you're watching. All our bundled plans will also roll out soon and it's going to be a game changer. Iflix works on 3G and it doesn't look awful at all. We're also localizing CDN so you can load these shows fast, when you want it when you need it! Now it's almost 1,200 but it's still growing. We need to be one click away in almost all channels because we can't lag behind. It's getting bigger with iflix!"

Joel Jimenez Vice Chairman of GMA's Executive Comittee says "This is the future, this is where the youth is going. For us it's an ever changing universe and the app today may not be the best thing tomorrow. It changes, that's innovation and relevance and might get your competitors to offer better because your users might leave you because you didn't innovate and stayed relevant. It is our pleasure to have our programs in your platform, because your success is our success."

Iflix still is Php 129 per month but if you're a Smart, Talk N Txt or Sun subscriber you can get it for 99 bucks! Now that's a deal you can't resist. 

For more information about their service:

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Carl Guevarra, Ella Cruz Stars In "Parang Normal Activity" On TV5

Now this ain't your run of the mill Wattpad Presents program, they're actually going to start a new show together with Carlo Guevarra and teen star Ella Cruz plus these good looking guys Ryle Paolo Santiago, Andre Garcia and Shaun Salvador. It's called "Parang Normal Activity", a horror comedy flick plus a little cutesy romance in the mix made by the production house of Perci Intalan and Jun Lana called The IdeaFirst Company in cooperation with the happy network TV5. 

Direk Perci and Jun Lana pitched this last year and got the nod just recently. They've already made a few days worth of the series and were quite happy about the fresh new take on the genre which they've been gunning for. This is a thrilling show with mystery solving adventures that will involve 3 geeky boys with a ghost that became their friend too. We saw the trailers and there were really some funny scenes we should all look forward to when it shows on July 11, 2015.

I was amazed at how Ella Cruz's Wattpad Series got really good ratings and this time, Star Magic was gracious enough to have her do a full show which I felt she was really happy to do when I talked to her. She said "We all know that right after doing a show, you kinda have to stay in the sidelines because we have tons of stars in ABSCBN's stable. Since I'm available and will do a show months from now, I got the chance to do this including the Wattpad thing I did a few weeks back. I'm happy that Direk Jun and Perci trusted me."

Direk Perci says "Thanks for coming! Our show is going to be very young, a little different in energy. This is one of the two projects we created for TV5 knowing what the people want for entertainment. In this case, we're doing horror and it has worked in the past on TV but we're making it a little shocking, with new fresh faces and I hope you'll love the premise of the characters. Ella Cruz plays Charlie the little pretty ghost from the 90's, while the three guys play Third, Red and Makoy (Ryle Paolo Santiago, Andre Garcia, Sean Salvador).who put up a Paranormal Club in school. They also have different stars as their parents and guardians, different sets where even the funny Mystica is going to be a part of. Sean Salvador auditioned for the case and we knew we needed new faces especially in the horror flick we're making. The first thing in mind we wanted to have is someone who could carry the group even without looking at her. Some of our production staff worked with Ella during the Wattpad Presents filming and we talked to Star Magic so we could work with her. Paolo and Andre also came in from Star Magic and they were casted."

Sean says "This is my first show but I did commercials in the past. This is my first acting job, my first show. I tried auditioning for Star Struck and failed but this is my biggest break. We feel like  brothers and sisters because we bonded through the workshop they had us do. With the three episodes we did, it felt like we're just having fun."

Talking to Andre he says "I'm Joseph Andre, 15 and I'm still studying in Kostka. I really liked Super Inggo and I always watch the show, we were having dinner and some production people who discovered me were there. I then did commercials, and do VTR's, they approached my Aunt so they could get me for Kungfu Kids which was on ABSCBN. I did commercials for Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs, Angel Evap and Vaseline so that added to the experience. Working for TV5 was really nice, when we asked Star Magic to do this we didn't have any problems since I didn't have a regular show yet. We already did 3 taping days, almost 4 episodes and we're doing that so we won't get backlogs. I worked with Ella in Going Bulilit in the past so it was comfortable to work with her in this show. I'm Red here, son of a single Mom played by Mystica. It's the first time I've worked with her and I was a little shy. She was so nice to me, I play a nerd here who is a part of a group that put up the organization for the paranormal. We did it because we liked to have adventures. Sometimes we shoot in the house here in Manila, then go as far as Laguna and far flung places there for other scenes. I'm really very thankful that this was given to me, it's a new genre to be seen on TV. I like challenges and having this opportunity is just a welcome thing. I hope I'd get to do more projects with them real soon because these guys and everyone at TV5 were so nice to me!"

There's more to the show than just frightening scenes in Parang Normal Activity and they say they're not really seeing how their characters will fare out yet because that will be divulged in the coming weeks too. Ella doesn't even know why she's a ghost here and that's something that would be exciting to know especially to those who follow her in social media, they might have their own stories to tell and theory on why she ended up that way. They also told me there would be some kilig scenes in between that would likely have you at the edge of your seats. You'll love to see them every weekend and see what mysteries unfold in each episode too. Make sure you watch them this July 11 on the happiest network in the country, TV5!

For more information about their network:

TV5 Manila

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Behind The Scenes: Patti Austin in Manila

If you haven't been able to buy tickets in Patti Austin's tour in Manila, then you are losing a lot. Make sure you do through Jo Pizzulo's and George Benson's concerts that's going to happen (CHECK DATES HERE)

(George Benson Inspiration tour on September 5, 2013, Crowne Plaza Hotel Ballroom in Ortigas Center Pasig on September 7, 2013 together with Joe Pizzulo)

For a taste of what's to come, here's a video cum behind the scenes earlier this evening.

Say that You Love Me

If I Believe

It was more than enough to actually make me stand in the corner and just watch. I was so starstruck! Thanks to the kind people behind the production and the team of Ms. Austin who let us hang around in the studios while on rehearsals. This is raw footage as you can see, but this is way that enough for me to say she's definitely the best!

Future TV Experience Made Better: Pinoy Real TV; Atin Ito!

A few years ago I've heard a lot about public TV being a defunct medium. Although that would still be something that remains to be seen, the trend seems to be that way. But really, there could be a few things that would limit this to happen like hardware, platform, Internet connection rates... the obvious reasons. They were pretty optimistic though when I got the chance to attend their press conference a few days ago.

What is Pinoy Real TV? It's an Over The Top (OTT) TV channel that lets you watch shows anytime, anywhere on a variety of mediums that include PC's, laptops, tablets and other mobile devices that is set to conquer the nation by storm in the next few years. In the era where digital is dictating how Filipino viewers are expected to behave in having entertainment at the edge of their fingertips, Pinoy Real TV brings in new, fast and variety in real time on the Internet. Does this mean it's going to change the whole landscape of our watching habits? Who knows!

Video Game Nostalgia!

When I was in high school I often hang out in arcade shops where most great computer games were only played in huge machines. The best were the fighting games where I started a little bit rough but with lots of practice and coins invested, I got a little better. Then after that, I learned to fight other friends. Then some other great competitors from other places tried to fight with me too. I got even better as days, weeks, months and years passed. I eventually joined local competitions and got more people crossed off the contestant's list because I was the better player. Pretty soon, I had the confidence and energy to join bigger ones and won too. In that mall, I was legendary; and got more people from other places try me out too. They failed miserably. That game of swords and Samurais later on just got outdated, but I don't think I'll lose in that game with anyone I know. I miss those times but still got a thing for those kinds of games. I enjoy watching reruns of it on videos these days. 

Today the games are even tougher, more complicated that what it used to. Although it was extra tough to press 6 - 8 buttons on a single player game to execute one move, the ones I watched in video game reviews seem to be very difficult even in 4 positioned buttons. Consoles these days can even do bigger things. Graphics are astounding, game play is phenomenal! Even now, some can accommodate 8 players at a time. Some things that were impossible before are all happening now to the enjoyment of the whole game world!

I saw some web episodes of The Gauntlet over at Blip and they made the whole video gaming experience much like reality TV! It was awesome how they got these guys together. Getting them off one by one or on a group was tough though. But overall, it was pretty cool! You should watch some too! That's where I'm going to these next few weeks and I'll watch all of the episodes for sure!

SKY Cable Brings More Things To Watch This July!

I've been subscribed for the longest time with SKY Cable and that wouldn't change anytime soon. It's so nice to see they are amping up their line of channels through Sky Cable Select this July. I've seen these programs and they are pretty interesting. 

The best cars, vintage or new they've got it all here in Car Crazy Central. Make sure you join Barry Meguiar as he goes around the world to the best events just to give you a closer look at these 4 wheeled wonders. This is the part where I say I got to like cars more after seeing this LOL. 

I don't know who in the right mind would do stunts or death defying things on TV. Though dangerous it looks like some people are entertained by this, what I'm interested in is how this man thinks. It's not everyday that we see people walk on structures as gigantic as this Ferris Wheel without harnesses. If you just see how these people get their jaws drop on TV, you'll probably do the same.

The everglades of Florida just became more interesting as these brothers take you around interesting spots and let you check out the flora and fauna in this region. They're called the Swamp Brothers and they will make you either squirm or get more interested with what they have in their hands. See the gators? Kinda cute huh?

Speaking of cute, here's a shot of one episode in Toddlers and Tiaras. How do these stage moms even get their kids to do this at an early age. Definitely something to talk about with child protection or pageants overall. All these programs can be seen through Sky Cable's channels like Discovery Channel(SKYcable channel 39), Discovery Home & Health (SKYcable channel 121), Discovery Turbo (SKYcable channel 122) and (SKYcable ch 40) Animal Planet. It's time to add on something to your basic packages and add on something for a month or two, or maybe the whole year! It would only cost you around 20-50 pesos a month. 

For more information

Pleas visit their website

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02-3810000 (Metro Manila, CAMANAVA and Rizal)
046-4844701 (Cavite)
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/Credits to SkyCable PR and the respective photographers for the photos