Took time out of my busy schedules for a night out on my neighborhood in Quezon City. Pretty dark out there, but I've seen something glow from afar, it was lights from a local bar where I saw FIREFLIES was playing.
It's a band formed in 2016, who now decided to get re-launched with new members in tow. If you're a little observant, you probably know most of them are from bands Cueshé who's had remarkable success in the early 2000's. Jay Justiniani does Lead Vocals, Jhunjie Dosdos on Vocals , Guitar and Keyboards, while JC Del Rosario IV does Vocals and Bass Guitar, RM Tolentino who does Percussions and Pat Galut does the Lead Guitar. They've been working hard the past few months taking a shot at writing songs, doing covers and performing in different locations across the Philippines.
Here's our short chat with them after a set, apologies as it's quite noisy in the bar we were in that evening.
Jay says "Actually, this group is easy to work with. Jhunjie is a former band member of Cueshé (like him) so we do really know each others dynamics. Our other band members are also good songwriters, so it was easy to work with even though we have different ideas. It was easier to make songs if you guys understand each other. Jhunjie and I are good friends, and good friends are hard to come by."
JC adds "Jhunjie and I started to work with Fireflies, and we now have new band members, we just didn't have a vocalist then, Jay agreed to join later on and that became a positive direction for the Fireflies band."
Jhunjie adds "I remember Jay was having doubts joining us a few years back. He was very busy and was based in Cebu. It was a bit difficult because we were playing in Manila most of the time. Some of the former Fireflies got a little tired working with us in the band because of the pandemic as income was really tight because we didn't have gigs during the lockdown. He had to go back to Davao. I was the only one left, I knew I had to do something. I'm thankful Jay agreed even if we haven't seen each other for a long time."
They named themselves Fireflies because it's like a spark in the dark. They're raring to perform in company parties, concerts local or foreign. They are currently being managed by Ms. Grace who previously worked in ABSCBN. You may get in touch with them through 09923150106 as it'll be surely busy during the holidays. They're bringing their new brand of music, some covers, and some old classics that 90's kids, Millenials and Gen Z's would absolutely love. They're going to release a few singles soon, so make sure you follow them also on their social channels at https://www.facebook.com/fireflies.ph because they're going to post updates of their gigs on that page.
Cheers to more music from FIREFLIES! Hope you shine brighter in the darkest hours and share your love of music even more!
Seeing ALLTV on the channel lineup lately? Well, here's very fresh information about what's going to happen in the next few months as we talked to their CEO Ms. Maribeth Tolentino.
For the launch of the channel, she says "We wanted to do it on their anniversary as we want to have milestones during their birthdays. I can't confirm some of the artists unless we have finalized their signing. Actually, there are a lot of teleserye being pitched as we will start doing that by next year. We haven't chosen anyone yet for content but stay tuned. Our assessment internally is really, for improvement. We're slowly getting in the grooved, the system and organization, we need to add more content. We even had confusion on digital boxes yesterday because there's a difference in every region. Just re-scan and look for ALLTV. Well no, we can't confirm Toni Gonzaga's earnings, I think it would be proper that she answers that for you. It's confidential on our end. It's not too big as rumors say. For now, the sons and daughters of artists are being talked to. We haven't met them yet but their availability looks good."
About the shows they plan in the network, she adds "The programs have not been filled yet, just the prime time slot. So 5PM to 12am is good, we also have other programs from other networks bought so we're hoping by the time we launch fully, it will be complete. If you see, we have CNN Philippines, we also have teleseryes from ABSCBN, we're not closing our doors. We are slowly rolling out our frequency in other regions, the transmitters just take time to put up and reach here because it is imported. We also partnered with Cable organizations so we get shown in other cable networks."
She also mentions "Toni Gonzaga is very talented, a host, an actress, we need a star for a product. Bashers are there, but we don't mind them. If she wasn't good then that's a problem, but she is. It's more of the artists from other channel that still have contracts, we still are doing that. There are a lot of program pitching, so we need the capable artists for that. There are a lot of networks that want their shows in ALLTV, but there are legalities involved and we don't have a concept yet for them. We need quality movies, teleseryes, variety shows, so we need the good people for that. We all want them in the channel, and if we want a new program for them, we'll surprise you with it. I think that'll be better if you get surprised. The process of lawyers, managers, contracts bring delay sometimes, but we are eager to deal with them. We did talk to Carla Estrada, and Willie just talked to Luis Manzano, we're just starting to think about the new shows they could be part of and planning for it. We don't put the network in legal problems, the collaborations is just for content, it's not for blocktime. Licensing is different, networks do that, like for movies, Korean dramas, everyone does that. It's not a partnership of a network. Block timing means they have to follow NTC regulations. If it's about Korina, we are in talks but we haven't signed yet. Everybody has a chance because we need a lot of artists for our shows. They are just waiting for us, we on the other hand are preparing material, because we can't give them shows without it. Hopefully 2023 we'll be full blast. ABSCBN is selling content and we buy from them, the public just wants drama, that's Marites."
For those wondering, there exists an ALLTV studio: "The ALLTV studio will be the Starmall EDSA, that's the cinema, because it's passe, we just made them into studios. That will be ready by next year, and hopefully have face to face audiences soon. There would be a lot of possibilities to produce more teleserye, movies, hone talents that are fresh and would be there when you need them, we will complete that soon. Everyone was nervous yesterday, even our technical group, talents, dancers, we had mishaps, we hear their feedback and know we appreciate that we will make changes. We thought we just gave birth yesterday because we prepared for it for so many days. We just had a breather last night because we want to watch it til we signed off. "
She also talks about the good that Willie Revillame brings on the table, she says "Willie among others is not just a talent, he's a great advisor with regards to programming especially for managing artists. He was indeed a HUGE help in that sector, no matter what channel he went to, his shows still rate very high. He made us understood the industry, so far, so good. Aside from that, we have talked to Viva and talents from his stable are good and that's why we have much of the Viva artists there during our soft launch too. Advertisers see what the future of the company holds, we have good shows and probably are timing things. We have commitments already, we also have sister companies and we don't have to go to other networks just to advertise. We used to do that in ABSCBN or GMA, but now we're doing it in our own TV station. For now we are doing canned dramas, new movies and Korean content. It's not even shown in other stations here. We'll also be doing other shows pretty soon, especially how Willie will help viewers and ordinary people. Mariel also will come back on TV, she's going to be significantly be a part of our programming. Toni on the other hand will be having a different show, for now it's Toni Talks. We want our viewers to be called ALLTV, wherever you're from or whatever channel you watch, it's going to be called ALLTV and nothing else."
"Thank you to everyone who helped us, we want to make sure things are clear. ALLTV is open now, we are airing shows. Just make sure to re-scan, set Channel 2 on Metro Manila for free to air broadcast. Hope to see you all soon!"
As of now channels are different in every region. If you have a digibox, just re-scan it and look for ALLTV. This will be shown also on Cignal, other cable channels. You'll love the additional channel that's dedicated for entertaining Filipino people. Looks like things won't be happening overnight.
ALLTV started their broadcast operations with a bang with a stellar lineup of stars last September 13 in the evening. Viewers were treated with their favorite Wowowin filled with artist appearances, song and dance numbers, plus the insane games, hosting banter that Willie Revillame is known for. Aside from that, they also featured Toni Gonzaga's interview with Bongbong Marcos which was exclusively shown in the new channel.
Ceremonies started at 12 noon and lasted the whole day with AMBS Executives, Toni's pilot show, and Willie Revillame's antics flexing his comedy program bringing entertainment to thirsty viewers. How big was the event? Let's just say they gave out two units of houses from BRIA and Lumina Homes on Wowowin. They also gave away cash prizes, big prizes every hour to make sure TV viewing would be fun all over again with ALLTV.
AMBS President Ms. Maribeth Tolentino says "Our new channel is for the Filipino and what we want to happen is keep them entertained and happy. This is why we've prepared huge shows just for you. Rest assured, we'll have new progams to change your TV viewing experience wth ALLTV."
AMBS is under Prime Assets Ventures Inc. of Manuel Paolo Villar, under the auspices of the Villar Group of companies. As of today, the personalities that joined AMBS include Willie Revillame, Toni Gonzaga, her husband Paul Soriano, Ciara Sotto, and Mariel Rodriguez. There are some photos that surfaced today that included Julia Baretto, but we haven't had any confirmation as of this writing. Aside from that, there's now a partnership with CNN Philippines to manage their nightly news program that will be done on primetime.
They are now live on free to air TV, scan your digibox also to get their channel. They are also on Cignal and other cable operators, so make sure you re-scan to see the new shows.
You can do so much more with a Lenovo, this is what was cemented during an event where they showcased their latest laptops together with their tech partners in Blueleaf BGC. These are the latest ultra slim laptops that have Windows 11, for those who dare to create.
The Yoga 9i can flip and fold like its predecessors, but with a thinner form factor, even more powerful 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1260p processor, it can do a lot more than those thicker laptops in the market. It also has 16GB LPDDR5 memory plus a 1TB SSD PCIE Gen 4 drive which you can use to store photos, videos, documents without worrying you'll run out of space for it. The display is a 2.8K OLED PureSight Touchscreen so those clicks can happen when you need to. The Bowers & Wilkins branded soundbar system also bring a more immersive audio experience so if you need to present, watch movies, or listen to music, this can do the job. This costs Php 109,995 whic means it's an investment, if you need a device for work and play, and look good for that matter, the Yoga 9i should be on your list.
The Yoga Slim 7i Carbon makes those meticulous pros that look for form and function a little at ease. It might be 13 inches, but it's equipped with a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 1260P processor which makes work tasks or editing a breeze. It's super light at 960 grams, uses magnesium alloy for its body plus carbon fiber which makes it easy to bring along if you're working remotely. It's got a 2.5K PureSight Display and a 90Hz refresh rate, those games you play every once in a while that needs better resources can be done without worries. It uses an Intel Iris Xe so if you're fond of watching dramas or editing videos, this can perform for long hours. It comes in Moon White and Cloud Grey colorway and costs Pho 77,995. If you're looking for a laptop for studying and casual gaming, this would fit you nicely.
If you fancy the Yoga Slim 7i Pro X, you've got enough power for content creation, audio processing in one unit. It's a monster equipped with an Intel Core i7-12700H Processor so you can run software without slowing down other things and finish the job early. It's a bigger rig at 14.5 inches, has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 with a 4G GDDR5 VRAM which you can use for heavy graphics and hungry apps. The 32GB LPDDR5 RAM and 1 TB PCIE SDD can get your projects stored, including photos, videos and documents without the need of other storage devices, as it is quite massive already. With the Lenovo X Power, your power use is efficient, something propreitary which you won't find in other brands. Those GPU and CPU needs will be managed, and you get the things done efficiently. I could see this be used by pros, who need 120Hz Refresh Rates, something Lenovo PureSight could only do (I'd be worried gamers would run out of it). It weighs 1.6KG, for what it can do that's still light. It costs Php 91,995 though which may be hefty for some, but it'll be worth the investment in the long run.
These are just some of the things that Lenovo has up their sleeves, who in the right mind would not want that? Uf you;re seriously considering to have one, check out lenovo.com/ph/en/yoga as they have the features listed there. It is available in the Philippines now!
