Bacolod's Masskara Festival Day 1

Bacolod is my second home since almost all my relatives are here. I expected a more toned down version of a music festival since it's provincial - but oh no I was so wrong!

The night though started a lil slow and a couple or more people showed up around 12. Then it was packed! The place is a football field, since it rained non stop two days before I was expecting it already dried up as it was sunny the whole day, again I was wrong LOL.

The place was wet, muddy and people kept sinking in some places including us! Beer and liquor was a plenty so after a few rounds of that, burgers and barbecue, it made us happy, we did let loose, and paid more attention to Manila and Bacolod's best DJ's as they dished out tunes all for the love of MASSKARA!

Booths were also there and I especially love the one for Deezer. As you may know, I love every bit of their 35 Million songs and I post a lot of the ones on my playlist. Smart by the way have packages that can get you stream all you want for as low as Php 250 bucks. Plus if you show em the app installed in your phone, they'll give you your own Masskara :)

Deezer also has been working with SONOS and BOSE for HIgh Fidelity streaming services so you can beam them up to your living room on demand. This is how good you can experience #SmartMasskara when you use the prepaid or postpaid sim only from the biggest and better network SMART! :) I had LTE coverage all night and it was easy posting updates during the first day.

I'll be in on the second event as #SmartMasskara and we'll cover MASSKARA INVASION in Lacson Street later! See you there! :)

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SM Cares Holds Bowling for Differently Abled Peers

A few days ago, we went to the bowling lanes of SM North Edsa Annex to witness something special. A couple of our differently abled friends and their partners have gone hand in hand with SM Cares in the goal to actually be real deal bowlers for a day and we witnessed that first hand. SM Cares wants you to know that they actually have their facilities available for your family no matter who you are, what you do and how you are in the society. SM takes pride in an environment fit for your family and they've been able to do this for years. We met a couple of their executives and one got me surprised. One of my bowling idols was there, do you remember World Champion CJ Suarez?

Cj Suarez is now the Division Manager for SM Bowling and Leisure Center. He's been with them a couple of months ago. I've seen him play for the country several times along with legends like Bong Coo and Paeng Nepumoceno. He used to handle sports programs for special children too in the past, mostly with ILLC in Mandaluyong. People might thing SM is just providing these facilities for ordinary people, but as you see they're actually playing games and enjoying it. The activities that we do, we give out and share with people with special needs. It's their advocacy. SM Cares approached them and asked for this Bowling Buddies event and they never hesitated to accommodate them. There are several other organizations and special olympics participants that use the lanes too. They do this on a regular basis. That's endearing to know.

They have activities with PWD's and they'll be doing this on a regular basis next year too. They have the venue, 8 bowling centers nationwide. CJ Suarez left bowling since 2007 and he's devoted much of his life playing for the country. When SM approached him he never hesitated, he explored and accepted this as an opportunity. He can now promote the sport at an advantageous angle. There has been a decline in the sport but he's hopeful their efforts will pay out especially next year. They're also hosting their biggest event in November with a prize as much as 2 Million pesos and a brand new car called SM Millionaires Cup. It's across all their centers and the top 32 from all their centers nationwide will battle it out in Manila as part of their celebration since SM Bowling is now 25 years old.

They're going to have an international tournament also next year that would be even bigger because they're inviting professional players from around Asia and the world to get a more rearing interest in the sport, more so in the talented pool in the Philippines. There are going to be some school programs as well next year plus coaching certifications for those who would want to pursue it. You should watch out for that big tournament soon. Bring your family because that's where you can bond big time.

SM is a mall for all. They want inclusion for everyone to enjoy their facilities. No one gets left out. For differently abled customers, you can play here. You should be aware that they have programs here that would be able to cater to you. They have other organizations also aligned with SM CARES' cause. The Angels Walk will also be happening soon in Mall of Asia so make sure you check out their social media channels to participate in that. SM Cares will also push for activities like these to be a regular thing so awareness can be done. The organizations usually tap them and they won't say no if they see there's potential to reach out to big communities. Don't think you won't enjoy activities like these because as I see it, they've succeeded to make these guys and gals happy. The name is apt for them, SM Cares.

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Two New Good Reasons To Celebrate At Shakey's!

I missed this event big time but you won't miss the news of course. I said 2 good reasons, they're something new too. Shakey's has revved it's game and got Captain Shakey's recruiting a few more Superheroes on its joint to bring an even more super good memory when having your party at Shakey's. Who do you think they are? Well, this might be something quite good to look at when your kids birthday happens.

Oh yes! My favorite Batman, your favorite Superman, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonderwoman and the others from the Justice League can now be seen in the Justice League Unlimited Party! If you wanna ask your kids friends to dress up as their favorite superhero and come on his or her birthday then this is the perfect party for you!

The birthday packages equips you and your whole party crew with the food, amenities and prizes you need to make that whole event the grandest one your son or daughter could ever have. I can almost see it. It's going to be hassle free, you'll get a free gift and you'll fill your guests tummies in no time by choosing one of their Power Packages. It's ready for 30, 50 or 70 people and you'll just have to get them there. Some branches like the one in Katipunan Avenue even has a full blown arcade so you're never going to run out of activities when you spend it here. Oh and I almost forgot the second surprise, ladies and gentlemen... this is the Shakey's New Shrimp Chorizo Pasta!

I know you must have been still craving for the red and white sauce you usually see in their menu but isn't this such a nice alternative? Oh and yes, they've even got those scrumptious shrimp and smoky chorizo slices you oh so love in home cooking. Now if that doesn't convince you to check out your nearest Shakey's branch then I don't know what would. Shrimps and Chorizo sound a bell? Haha I know! Call them now at 77777 or visit their stores for party inquiries.

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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.

Plan International Philippines and their fight to end Teenage Pregnancy

Carin van der Hor, Plan International's Country Director in the Philippines and Marco Savio, Plan International's Deputy Country Director for Programs.

Alarming. The Philippines is actually leading in teenage pregnancy rates according to a recent survey. Plan International says every hour 576 more babies are born in the Philippines. There is a big correlation between poverty, but the major cause of it is lack of education. Ms. Carin van de Hor of Plan International says even though they are working with local government, and national agencies, it's still not enough and they have to start with something. The National Youth Commission gave them really good numbers that have been put to good use in statistics, then used for other agencies. These teenagers have no access to information and it's time to take action. Aside from that, there should be health reasons why this shouldn't be the case. A 14 year old for example should not undergo birthing yet because their bodies are not ready the child will have growth stunting - and not have life to its full potential. This cycle will keep repeating and if we don't work on the education and awareness of these teens, of which they are part of the demographic. It's a very sad statistic they exclaimed. They work in health, disaster risk reduction and the rest, but they know they had to have a more holistic approach. This is how it's supposed to be addressed.

Marco Savio, Plan International's Deputy Country Director for Programs says "We have education projects and we target areas that are also run by the government and address the reasons why they don't go to school and such. We tailor support to the children and we are doing 15,000 now (just on this project). We are using systems that are already approved by local government. We are helping them to support the children in their areas. There are a lot of problems, in the Philippines, parents know the importance of education and we are working on this. We have never had parents tell us they never want their children to school, like building bridges, pay for transportation, this is where other foundations come in. Right now, we have Dubai Cares here celebrating with us with their CEO. They've funded projects like these and provide for more children in places like Samar, Leyte and others. We measure success by the number of schools completed, the rate and number of graduates, how many of them move on and have highschool or college degrees and other KPI's. "

"We also check their health status, the number of pregnancies, no malnutrition, and the rest. There are different reasons in rural areas, distance and stuff. In the urban areas, the slums, the lack of work, there are a lot of things too. We are working in Mindoro, like with Mangyans, we give them knowledge and give them the ability to have choice. We work with different private organizations and help the government with their own programs. We do that in certain levels. We also work very closely with UN and their other divisions. They don't just fund, they share resources and we put our strengths together. We have stayed here for 53 years and we have a lot of areas that already have seen results. We help them do peer education as well so they can do it on their own. We do a lot of creative work so children go back to school. We support the structure of the community so everyone would be able to benefit. We do this in any given time and move in different areas in the country. We have offices everywhere and we hope to be able to bring these communities to be self sufficient and have all their issues resolved in 10 years or less." adds Ms. Carin van de Hor.

They also held a mini concert in Alabang Town Center that afternoon to bring awareness for the cause.

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Plan International's "Because I'm a Girl" Mini concert featuring Suitcase101 Band and Voces Aurorae Girls Choir. Even if it's raining, they sound heavenly

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I hope they get to help more people. Teenage pregnancy is indeed a big issue and we should start to learn how to tell the young ones how to have a healthier lifestyle, a successful life and a great mind to know when they should have their own offspring. Not when they are kids themselves. Thanks to Kairos Solutions and AnakTV also for helping them to reach that goal.

We also had Ms. Mikee Cojuanco Jaworski and the Ms. Earth Philippines candidates helping to raise awareness for the cause. They also had a short bike event in Marikina earlier that day. Mikee believes that aside from the parents, children should have a community of people who they can look up to, to have the knowledge and wisdom that could empower them to be better people. Education should start from the home and she adds that it should be to a point where girls would be able to decypher for themselves a sound decision, a right decision, one that they formulated themselves. In giving them education, she believes that we will get to have them achieve more. On the teenage pregnancy situation in the Philippines, she feel sad because teenagers are not ready because they haven't lived a full life themselves yet. Children should not suffer hunger later on and suffer consequences which their parents have decided on. The responsibility of bringing up a child is big, you can't learn that as a girl if you're still too young and haven't even played yourself and see the world as it is. That is just selfish. They don't know that yet.

She made a really good point. I hope together, these foundations and Plan International would be able to succeed in their goal of bringing the teenage pregnancy rates down in our country. I hope it's not just a dream.

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Plan International Philippines

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3 Parties You Should Not Miss During MassKara Festival

I work hard but party harder. This year, I'll be flying to Bacolod to witness the MassKara Festival. It's my first time but I do frequent the place because almost all my relatives are there. I know the arrangements for the streetdance and grand parade are already being done because I know a few who will be part of that. But when the night comes, we don't have to just go home and sleep... we need to party even more!

I've taken the pleasure of listing down 3 major parties that you should not miss during this weekend. You need to be in the most happening places in Bacolod so you would not just sulk in your hotel room while you're on vacation.


Party #1

MassKara Love Dance

On October 17, 2014, head on the Central Football Field in Mandalagan, Bacolod City. The whole place will be transformed into a music festival ground where freedom, expression and screams will be sacred. They will take you to that place where a weekend of party and love converge. It'll happen from 12 Noon to sunrise the next day! I will be there to take photos of people so see you!

Party #2

Cafe Bob's is a landmark in Lacson Street and if you're doing MassKara, you should never miss this 2 day spectacle that will happen on the actual street. They are also bringing in Spectrum Live! They'll be coming in with the best of the best acts in Visayas and Mindanao. DJ's from Spectrum will be spinning right after the sun sets. Lights and sounds on this grand EDM party might not be seen quite a while in this side of the Philippines so if you're into it, come grace the Invasion Tour in Bacolod! This will happen in 2 days, October 17-18 so you've got time to roam around and enjoy this one!

Party #3

This is the BIGGEST outdoor dance festival in Bacolod. Think about the lineup of 35 DJ's, 4 MC's, 2 bands all being done in 4 long nights. From October 16 to 19, you'll have to go out and celebrate their themes Inception, Awakening, Kaleidoscope and the Charter Day Electric Dance Parade. Heck my friend Santi Santos from Manila is also spinning here! Best of all, this party has NO ENTRANCE FEE and will happen on the actual Lacson Street so make sure you join the festivities brought to you by SMART, as they show you how to LIVE MORE!

There will be a designated SMART ZONE along Lacson Street where you can join activities and WIN prizes! For details on how to get tickets to these parties, follow @SmartPromos on Twitter or check out their social media channels below!

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2015 Feng Shui Updates from Marites Allen

Ms. Marites Allen, an international Feng Shui expert.

I've never met her in person. I think I've seen her once or twice on TV giving advice to one or more celebrities and telling them about their fortune for the coming year. She also gets to tell them if it's going to be good or bad during that same period. Honestly, I'm a skeptic. I don't believe much in mumbo jumbo. I went inside the hotel to practically see her saying hi to everyone coming in. We exchanged pleasantries, then I went in. I figured I could take time to listen and see how this fares later on.

Aside from her gorgeous green outfit, she was clad in various crystals, charms, jade rings and bracelets. She also had this multiple infinity pendant worn for prosperity. Now I know you must be skeptic too, but think about it. This thing has existed for centuries already, if there weren't any truth to it then it would have been gone a long time ago. They might be telling our fortunes and all but they always say that it's up to us to make our own fortune. This year in fact, she says will be auspicious one because she's seen almost all the elements represented in the destiny chart. It would have been unlucky for some, but she says they always have options. They've got charms to at least help those that would be in the same predicament to at least stay afloat with their life and personal journeys.

Matteo, IC, Bernard and Kuya Kim for SRR XV - Flight666

As part of our Shake Rattle and Roll XV Flight 666 series, we're going to continue the interview we had with the other stars. This time we're going to talk a little more about the plot and the men in this film. Meet IC Mendoza, Kuya Kim Atienza, Bernard Palanca and Matteo Guidicelli.

IC Mendoza, Bernard Palanca, Kuya Kim Atienza and Matteo Guidicelli

Kuya Kim starts by telling us that this flight will have some tragedies, because only a few of them will live. Aside from that, you have the trouble of fighting the hijacker played by Bernanrd Palanca, a bomb inside the plane and some creatures that you'll have to see in the movie. Matteo, IC and Bernard did their own stunts too.

Kim Atienza says "I don't really do movies but I got a call from Roselle and she said if I wanted to appear in a movie. I said if ever I want to do something in a movie I wanted something different. I've always played "Kuya Kim", so when I got to the story conference, this time they gave me the role of "Kuya Tim" the trivia master. Still wearing the khaki shorts, shirt and hat. I'm happy because Kuya Tim will be important in this film because of his knowledge of trivia, he will be sort of a hero and would be able to land the plane. I'm the one who saves most of them."

Bernard Palanca plays the role of Baron. As you may know, this was supposed to be played by Baron Geisler. "It's a blessing, there's going to be some hijacking and I'm doing it. He's not an evil guy but he's just a guy who used to work for the airline. He got fired, wanted revenge. so he tried to get in control of the plane. He didn't know there was something else out there. You guys have to see the film because his character is colorful." says Bernard.

IC Mendoza is going to be very fun in this one. He's playing a gay guy so we're laughing profusely because he just might be getting typecasted for the role. He says "I play the role of Adam, he's gay so it's very challenging, I hope I get to do it well. We just got bumped off the other flight and I'm good friends with Kiray's character. We're stalking a 2 piece band played by Khalil and Yael Yuzon. I was already in that point where I'm getting irritated with Kiray because she's still pushing we follow them even if we have already been bumped off other flights. It's an uglier plane and we waited for hours and I found out there's a hijacker and other forces on this flight, plus a bomb, so imagine how frustrated I was playing a gay guy in this film" he jokes.

Matteo Guidicelli plays the role of Dave. He says "He's a doctor, he's a failure in his job especially giving birth, failure in his marriage too. Fortunately he ends up in a crashing plane with Lovi Poe. She's actually my ex wife. There will be a lot of things happening in this plane. The hijacking alone is a big issue with bad boy Bernard Palanca playing it. The creatures will come out and surprise us. There's going to be more drama and other things happening because this is not just going to be a horror flick. There's going to be a bit of comedy. drama, especially with Bentong, Betong and Kiray. We'll be landing the plane too but a lot of people will die, some may live. So you must watch out for that. It's very nice to share a scene who has never done it before so Lovi is really good in sharing. There's a small love angle, we're ex's so that will come to play."

Some of them are SRR virgins. Bernard and Kuya Kim specifically. When they got the news, they were ecstatic. IC has already done 4 already. He's even won Best Child Actor in his first one. It was really a good thing to be also working with other people from other networks. Bernard says "I've worked with some of them but I haven't worked with Lovi. It was so nice because the chemistry was there. It's so light to work with Direk Perci because he explains it so well. The nice thing about it is we get to shoot inside a real plane. It's tight but it's so good there. We feel so lucky to be part of it."

The last episode in SRR is usually the grandest. They are taking that part. You'll see a ton of stars in a flick that will only run a good 30/45 minutes. It's a highly emotional film filled with terror, some with creatures, you'll be scared but still you'll be more scared because they are contained in a flight so you can't escape. If you want to see something like this in Metro Manila Film Festival, get ready because you're going to be in on something special.

Thank you to Regal Films for letting us get first dibs on this installment of Shake Rattle and Roll XV. Thank you also to these guys who are great interviewees! Wait for more of this film and their interviews right here on KUMAGCOW.COM!

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Khalil, Yael, Kiray, Betong and Bentong for SRR XV - Flight666

We're going to continue our Shake Rattle and Roll XV Flight 666 series with these interviews. We got Khalil Ramos, Yael Yuzon, Kiray, Betong and Bentong on this article. This episode is part of the Shake Rattle and Roll XV they are making for the Metro Manil Film Festival that will be shown this Christmas. Let's start!

Khalil Ramos

Khalil says "It's really overwhelming to be part of this movie. Growing up, I remember watching this every Christmas and now I'm part of it so it's so nice. This is my second MMFF movie, one of two that I did in the past. I play Gino and I'm part of a two man band with Yael of Sponge Cola who plays Ely in the film. I'm the one who holds the phone and camera inside the plane so it's like a Blair witch type of view when you watch it. You're filming everything on the plane so this is different. I think I'm my own cameraman. It's a flight movie but with a Pinoy twist so I'm sure everyone will find it fun. I watched SRR in the past, I remember Richard Gomez, Manilyn Reynes, the recent one with Kathryn. It's a big franchise and I'm happy to be part of it. It's really really nice. 

Lovi Poe for Shake, Rattle and Roll XV - Flight666

The holidays are fast approaching and sure enough part of the celebrations would entail taking your kids to the cinemas because it's also the time where the Metro Manila Film Festival 2014 comes out with the best movies this side of the world. As they say, MMFF won't be complete unless there's a Shake, Rattle and Roll movie in it. This is their 15th installment and we were lucky to have been able to go to their shoot a couple of days ago in Pasay City. The episode named Flight666 stars a couple of people from different networks. The whole movie was shot entirely on a real life airplane, a first in the Philippines and it wasn't easy.

Now imagine a huge airplane, but still it's a cramped space to put in a film crew, a couple of stunt coordinators and scaffolding for holding the actors harness. Aside from that, there wasn't enough air conditioning on the center of the plane, plus they spent hours there just to get the shots. The business class section was their refuge since they had air conditioning + reclined seats there.

Lovi Poe

It's been a while since we've talked to Lovi. We asked her about her experience doing this film under Regal and she gave us a tell all. "It feels good to have been able to work with Direk Perci Intalan. It's my first time, I love it because we didn't have to do other locations and we're confined in this plane. It's kinda convenient, I got to also work with a lot of actors and we get along really well . I'm with Matteo Guidicelli, Bernard Palanca, John Lapus, Yael Yuzon, Arlene Mulach, Kiray, Nathalie Hart, Ryan Bang, Ria Garcia, IC Mendoza, Khalil Ramos, Daniel Matsunaga, Kim Atienza, Betong and Bentong and a lot of other stars. It's a good thing and I'm really happy to at least get to work with other people from other network, I get to meet new people. When they gave me the script, I took it already. That was a long time ago. Working with Matteo, he's cool and funny. There's a love angle between me and him plus we get along really well. There's no awkwardness, a little shy at first but we are all relaxed. It's not hard for me to work here because I find it less stressful. I'm happy I got to be here with a stellar cast.

The story here is mostly focused with my relationship with him since we're ex's. We have a lot of things in the story that would be interesting, the battle between creatures, the battle with the people I'm with in the airplane. You'll try and find which actually is harder or what you need to deal with. Karen's character would be shown in different angles at the same time, that's how Director Perci Intalan works. I find Kiray in this movie really funny, she's the life of the set, even if we're working in the wee hours of the morning we still get to smile. We've been doing this since I was doing "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real" so you can imagine how long we've been doing this. I didn't have that much stunts but it's cool that I get to do "Flight Stewardess" stuff. I got to do rescuing scenes since that's what they do. I love one scene in particular where almost all of us are here. The shot where the creatures would also come out is really good so I'm excited about it.

Lovi Poe also ventured into a new business, she's one of the owners of Cable Car in BGC. The place is doing good and she laments "We will have our grand opening soon, it's a good business venture and I love it. Before we would usually have to ask where we would hang out but now we just talk about time." She and buddy Rocco Nacino have been together for quite some time and these new things that they are trying out seem to be paying off. Rocco had been doing boxing promotions and she said "Yeah, he is and I love boxing. Although on this one, it's pretty hard seeing it live. Even if the Japanese guy was fighting, I was a little sad to see him getting beaten up like that live. It's different."

You know what, I love the fact that two of my favorite actors from GMA ended up together. I dig the things they share on Instagram too. I hope they would be able to do another project some day really soon. In the meantime, here she is inviting you to watch the movie!

Thank you for the short interview Lovi! Thank you also to Regal Films for letting us cover this shoot!

I'll be doing separate articles of the cast since they gave us a lot of material. Watch out for that real soon!

For more information about the movie:

Regal Entertainment Inc

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