Never Alone: Jennylyn Mercado

If you haven't heard it yet, Jennylyn Mercado is coming out with the album called "Never Alone - Jennylyn Mercado". The single "Basta't Nandito Ka" has already topped the iTunes charts upon it's digital release last October 4, 2014 and this album will also be released by this week which would get all her fans and supporters crazy. 

"I'm really excited to see this especially "Kaya Ko Na" by Vehnee Saturno and the other originals. I went to other labels to experiment but now that I'm back with GMA Records it's easy and I got to work with with good people like Janno Gibbs and Dennis Trillo." says Jennylyn. She also adds "I have forgiven a lot of people and it's time to move on (hence the line up of the songs). The songs in the album might have sound hopeful but it's not intentional. It was just the things I felt that time because this was made a long time ago (perhaps February this year). My concert in London was great and you can really feel they hungered for music that they haven't heard of for such a long time. My album will be released in Sunday All Stars this week and I'll sing around 5 of them on that day, unfortunately Dennis won't be here that time. I'll be getting these  others in music video but some of them are already out like "Basta't Nandito Ka" with Alden Richards as my leading man."

Jennylyn thanks GMA Records for making her transition to the recording label very smooth and she's excited to have another album from them soon. She's got 11 tracks on this album and wants to perhaps have more originals in the next one. "Abot Langit", "Basta't Nandito Ka", "Kaya Ko Na", "Never Alone", "We don't belong", "Sana", "Rhodora X Theme (Sa Hatinggabi)", "Till My Heartaches End", "Hatinggabi", "Never Gonna Let You Go" which she sang with Janno Gibbs, and "After All" which she did with Dennis Trillo. It's now available in major record bars, music stores, iTunes, Spinnr and other stores online.

I heard the tracks just now and she also sang a few lines live, she's still got it of course! Listen to the Vehnee Saturno composition "Basta't Nandito Ka". Can't wait to see some of these be used in dramas on GMA as well. Wish you all the best Jen! Thank you for the short interview!

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Bowler Restaurant in Makati

We have seen a dark mottled English pub in the cloisters of Valero corner Sedeño in Makati named Bowler. Named after the hat akin with commerce in the early 1900's, this watering hole was drawn to be a restaurant for businessmen. The overt piece of Londonesque after-hours joint sits open to its patrons 24 hours a day from Monday to Saturday. It also can cater to around 100 people, ideal for small events, parties, product launches and just about anything.

The dark wooden cabinetry, the moderately lit wall sconces and striped bunk chairs looked warm and ritzy. It's a place where can relax, cozy up and lost track of time. The spot has some corners with touches of allure in a gentle, manly way conducive socializing and dining. To this, Chef and partner Kim Ochona prepares a menu that coequals the genre of this place and did what is necessary. A simple hearty meal, a place after work and an ice cold bottle of decent beer.

Bowler Caesar Salad (Php 146.00)

This is the Bowler Caesar Salad. Cold, crisp and freshly chopped Romaine lettuce tossed in creamy Caesar dressing topped with crunchy bacon bits, lightly toasted croutons, Parmesan cheese and a poached, still warm free range egg which you can spread all over, make it creamier in the end. Doesn't that look dreamy?

Pumpkin Pesto Soup (Php 123.00)

This one's the Pumpkin Pesto Soup. When it's cold outside and you want something hearty, this just might just be your best bet. Think of roasted pumpkin chunks triple passed through a mill until it becomes soft and velvety. Don't think that the pesto flavor might spoil the soup because it complements it quite perfectly. The creamy consistency plus the nutty tinctures that swirls on this bowl would make anyone sit by the window and daydream. It's a cross between southwestern cooking and a hint of Italian spun like a fusion of flavors.

Yorkshire Beef Bites (Php 396.00)

Be prepared to close your eyes every time you take a bit out of these Yorkshire Beef Bites (aka Beef Salpicao). A worthy adversary to the best seller (which you'll see later), these slices of beef tenderloin takes that intense garlicky profile into a whiff of otherwordly matter they can set their eyes on. Slices of garlic, mushrooms and a handful of spices makes this the splendid pair with light or dark beer available in the pub.

Fish and Chips (Php 495.00)

Bowler's Fish and Chips is voted best in the metro, and we know why. It's beer battered Cod deep fried, until golden brown to perfection and crunchy on the sides. It is served with Sarson's Malt Vinegar, a mound rough cut crispy of potato wedges, a slice of lemon and tartar sauce. They have served it with the wedges underneath though instead of the side but it was sublime! It could get the backing of a bevvy nearby so get one handy.

Persian Kebab (beef and chicken) (Php 416.00)

 This might be an odd ball on the menu but it felt so right at that time. This is their Beef and Chicken Persian Kebab. Bowler has a deep understanding of seasoning meat and poultry the right way so these wonderful protein slices taste so good after getting cooked in metal skewers. Be careful as the skewers may still carry the heat from the fire. Bubble and squeek smothered in light butter provides a dandy side dish. We could live here.

You need not to be dog's dinner when in Bowler nor have supper in this place for donkeys years. Take a trip to the Ground Floor of Paseo Parkview Suites, Valero Street corner Sedeño, Makati City and you'll find Bowler a sensational gustatory experience. Bring your Enjoy Philippines Android, iOS app and vouchers so you can enjoy 10% off of food and beverage or 60% off best seller Fish and Chips. Come check out other deals on their official website http://enjoythebest.ph/. Call, or reserve by calling 894 3589.  You deserve the best of course!

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Discovery Travel Mart at SM Megamall's Fashion Hall

I regret missing this event earlier because I got caught in the drama of traffic in EDSA much like the greater percentage of the Philippines population. It's okay though because the situation made me more eager to go out of Manila and visit the other places I'm missing especially the properties under Discovery. From October 10 to 12 at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall and the SM Megamall Atrium on October 13 to 16, 2014, there will be huge discounts offered to people ready to live life and discover the Discovery Suites in Ortigas, the cold and dainty Discovery Country Suites in Tagaytay, the hot and dandy Discovery Shores Boracay, the lovely Club Paradise in Coron, Palawan, and the one that will open soon, the Discovery Primea in Makati.

There are tons of deals and surprises waiting for you especially the 55% discounts exclusive on this event. If you haven't experienced any of these places yet, make it your dream destination before the year ends by spending it on these properties. Trust me when I say it's totally worth it! 

If you have more questions about their offers, call 719-8888/720-8888/719-6971. You can also visit www.discoveryhotels-resorts.com.

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The 7-Eleven Hoodie Time Promo

Deena Santos of 7-Eleven Philippines

I had a wonderful time with 7-Eleven Philippines and a couple of bloggers over at Racks in Ortigas. That wonderful meet spelled the launch of 7-Eleven's newest promo called Hoodie Time. Since it's raining outside and the cold nights are becoming longer, their company is giving away these two limited edition hoodies that you won't find anywhere else but with the 24 hour convenience store that's been loved by Filipinos for over 40 years. It's been that long since they first put up their first one in the Philippines, and now you've seen how they've aggressively opened several more in almost every street corner where you are.  

How to get one? That's easy. You just have you use your 7-Eleven Official Every Day Rewards Card that's issued in all their branches nationwide to accumulate Hoodie Points aside from the regular reward points you've already been able to have these past few months. You can get these Hoodie Points by purchasing P1,000 pesos worth of Personal Care products listed here. There are a ton of them which are for men and women. Since this is very limited, you would be able to confirm your and get your exclusive jacket after a few days for processing. If you get one, you can brag about it because there are only a few people that would be able to get this one of a kind character designed hoodie or the black and gray hoodie. I've seen it in the flesh that evening and man I looked so cute in it!

This promo will only run from September 17 to October 28 which only means you have a few days to get those Hoodie Points in. 7-Eleven though is going to be keen on extending this, but just to make sure you don't run out of these cute hoodies, go right ahead and rush to the 7-Eleven stores and get the points before they end it. You might not see these collectibles ever again! Or will you next year?!

Trust me, this is too cute to miss!

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Philippine Delegates for 2014 Euro Pop Singing Contest in Berlin

Chacha Cañete is one of five other singers that will vie for the Grand Prize at the Europop contest in Berlin.

Visited Sequoia Hotel over at Timog Avenue in Quezon City to see the 6 Filipinos vying for the Grand Prize at the Euro Pop Singing Contest "Berliner Perle" in Berlin, Germany. We saw several familiar faces and a couple of new ones under the production of Charie Vega. There was quite a long dialogue about government funding and support but they're pretty optimistic that they can achieve winning this with the sheer talent that Filipino singers have, and we got a taste of that.

They were amazing, they auditioned for this so they were really hand picked according to the organizers. They will battle in different age groups so Chacha Cañete and Natalie Martinez will battle with other countries on the 10-13 age division. Chacha was like a pro, I felt like she was already an adult and didn't have any hardships on belting, like she just woke up. Natalie was a little meek at first especially on the group performance but once that her turn arrived to perform a song from the Annie musical, we all felt our hair stood up. I wonder what her piece will be come the night of the competition. Gleenette Gaddi went a little church on us and she'll be battling the 14-17 Age Division. 

Then Ana Katrina Ramsey (grand daughter of Ms. Elizabeth Ramsey) went wild on her voice much like the rock and roll grandma she has. She's in a different class, she's got soul and might get Aunt Jaya a run for her money too. Gian Marla Gloria and Ana Katrina Ramsey will battle other hopefuls in the 18-24 Age Division so you'll have big voices and great performers showing Europeans how it's done in our side of the world. Meanwhile, they are also in the process of picking another one to be with Gleenette Gaddi's age range and prefer a male performer to have the last slot. It's going to make a difference on their first bid in the competition, which they say is going to be highly possible to win come November 27, 2014. We are also the first Asian country to be included in this competition so once that this happens, we have to make it a memorable one and pretty much win it even more than the WCOPA wherein we did very good.

Great singers and accomplished ones too, this is 5th Gen. The group composed of singers Raymond Sajor, Rhap Salazar, Marielle Mamaclay, Angela Aguilar and RJ Buena. They are the mentors of the Philippine delegates to the Euro Pop Singing Contest "Berliner Perle" in Berlin, Germany.

We also got to ask questions to new group 5th Gen who serves as mentors to the Philippine delegates to the Euro Pop Singing Contest and they told us the rigorous screening process that they did before finally choosing the delegates. They chose the one that can already handle it, those that can stand up against the best of the world. They didn't have to put that much effort because obviously we have bigger standards here at home, what's more advantageous is that they really look into the quality of voice rather than belting prowess which we're quite used to.

Vega Entertainment Productions under Charie Vega will be making arrangements for needed sponsors but implied they need more. If you want to help, check out their channels below or the "contact link" on their official website. They will win this, we just have to make sure they get there. The needed plane and hotel fares would be a bit heavy in the pocket but if they win, this won't be just something that they will benefit from but the whole country! This is for the Philippines!

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Ruru Madrid and Gabbi Garcia in "Seasons of Love: My Soulmate, My Soulhate"

Gabbi Garcia and Ruru Madrid in this week's episode: Seasons of Love "My Soulmate, My Soulhate"

When GMA was thinking about what to put in this time slot, they didn't know they were brewing something really good. 4 weeks, stories that finish in 4 days, this is not your regular programming. When the clock strikes 6PM please tune in to GMA because you'll see Ruru Madrid and Gabbi Garcia make you fall in love differently in this week's episode of "Seasons of Love" featuring their story "My Soulmate, My Soulhate". It's where Ruru aka Rusty and Gabbi aka Gracia find love in unexpected places and coincidences after switching places. Just think of Ruru being the girl, think of Gabbi being the guy, it's a little weird at first but when the heavens collide, that's where the magic happens.

I've met Ruru a number of times now but I've never had the chance to interview him like this. He was very nice and I get why ladies love him. Obviously he's got one of the nicest faces in GMA's stable, but not the type that you'll feel ugly when you are beside him. He's very accommodating and fun to talk to, he never hesitates to joke around though, more so if you have Gabbi around. They started teasing each other as soon as they got seated. Though you can see mutual attraction, I wonder how their love triangle would work out in this case when Ashley Ortega also has a lot of following. They laughed about it when Ruru said that's how long his hair is.

Ruru is really funny, his personality was much like his character in the Seasons of Love flick they were doing. His charm comes naturally and Director Gina Alajar knew he was portraying it correctly because he was acting like a girl and not a gay guy. The small nuances he had to learn was seen in My Soulmate, My Soulhate and you'll love the things he do to distinctly tell if he's Rusty or if he's doing Gracia. They'll also learn each others story and that's how they will learn to love more. I won't have to spoil the plot, but you'll love the reason why they will break up on the show. It'll surely melt your heart, you'll be a fan of Ruru and Gabbi if you're not one yet.

Gabbi Garcia as Rusty, effective!

Gabbie tried to learn about this first by watching "Freaky Friday" which was by Lindsay Lohan. She says "This isn't an easy role but we're happy that we're being accepted really good even on Twitter. Sometimes, it's even funny that I catch Ruru still do the girl role." Ruru adds "I even talked to my Dad like a girl because I got attached to the role". They couldn't believe that they have been trusted and blessed with the role and they were both shocked about how the public accepted the love team and the romance they exude especially while they did the "Paborito" segment in Sunday All Stars. We watched the whole show that evening in advanced and felt it was a little short, obviously we wanted more. Ruru also kept cracking us up because he got that playful character going. He said Gabbi got his number first and she said he followed her on Instagram, then she said Ruru did the visit to tents, then Ruru went back at her like he has evidences and screenshots about the sweet things she said to him, that cracked us up bigtime! They were like fighting kids, and honestly they really look good together. 

 They wanted to also maintain the love triangle going because for Ruru, they have a really good working relationship, they are both good. Then Gabbi said that you'll probably hear Ruru answer you with the Santol and Mango comparisons, but added that it's all up to the management. They are praying and wishing to have a project in the future because their chemistry is unquestionable. The Cosmic Transmogrification angle might be a bit hard to understand but what we saw on the show, is a proof that they can do it.

I asked them bluntly "If ever they had the chance, would Ruru want Gabbi to be his girlfriend and would Gabbi also want Ruru to be her boyfriend?". Gabbi said "So far Ruru is a very nice guy, he's very fun to be with, he's one of the few people that I see as an ideal guy." Ruru on the other hand said "Gab has everything I want to find in an ideal girlfriend, but there's one BIG problem, her last name is not Madrid!" and we felt like we were talking to Rusty again LOL!. Ruru really had a lot of things prepared huh? :)

"Gab is really very talented, I like how serious she is in with acting. That's one thing that I admire about her, I see how she still wants to learn a lot. That's one of the reasons why I love working with her, and that's one of the few unique things that I would love to have in a girlfriend." said Ruru.

 

You have to watch this and see how they would break up in the show. What caused it and how they were able to cry like that, you would see how excellent they are in the show. That part should be applauded, especially how they play opposite roles. They are also in "My Destiny" and visits "Sunday All Stars" every now and then. Now, there's more reason to love them both in "Seasons of Love: My Soulmate, My Soulhate" and the other episodes in the coming weeks. Remember, this will only run for 4 days per story (Monday to Thursday) , the next one is with Louise Delos Reyes, Mike Tan and Geoff Eigenmann shot entirely in Vigan.

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