Kamote, Kalabaw

"Black Rider" What's Lacking in Episode 2?

2023-11-14T03:14:00.001+08:00

If a project was produced by GMA Public Affairs, I would give myself a try to watch it because they do it better than GMA Entertainment. Black Rider so far, satisfied my creative appetite as an audience. However, it is too early to rate. I have just seen 6 episodes.

Black Rider Episode 2: A Review

Episode 2 was about the Palangga massacre. The victims were Elias's pregnant wife, the child she was carrying, and their daughter who was, perhaps, 5 or 6 years old.

The massacre scene was intense, its graphic portrayal would almost turn your head away. Though its realism is not something that would surpass scenes from Saving Private Ryan, its depiction of the horrors of murders is something that you can only watch on HBO or Netflix.

How the horrific scene was depicted totally justified Elias's decision to take a revenge as Black Rider.

Kudos to Ruru, who played Elias, and Kylie, who played the wife; likewise to its director, editor, and prosthetics artist.

This was aired on TV on 8 November 2023.

But What's Lacking

The scene could have had more depth and substance if the director captured details like what the criminals were wearing such as their shoes, watches, jewelry and even perfume. Those details would be used to make Elias more convincing as the sole witness of the massacre.

In the following scene, fake criminals were presented before Elias. Elias was absolute that they were not the real criminals, but the chief of police did not believe him.

The writer could have included to the script how reliable and credible Elias was as a witness. Something like this:

Elias: Hindi! Hindi sila ang pumatay sa mga mag-ina ko. Mayayamang tao sila!

Chief of police: At paano mo namang nasabing mayayaman sila?

Elias: Nakita ko silang isa-isang bumaba sa kanilang mga kotse. [flashback scene where the criminals were getting off their cars.] Kung get-away cars 'yun, bakit kailangang tig-iisa pa sila. Ang suot nilang mga damit at sapatos, hindi basta-basta. [ flashback: scene from the massacre when Elias's face hit the ground noticing one of the criminal's shoes.] Ang singsing, kwintas at relos. [flashback: Elias noticed the ring of the one who slit the neck of his wife.] At amoy ko rin ang kanilang mga pabango habang nakikipag-suntukan ako sa kanila. [flashback: Elias's nose reacting to what he smelled.] Bakit magagarang sapatos at mamahaling alahas ang suot nila kung meron lang silang papatayin. At bakit kailangang pa nilang magpabango? Kaya tiyak ako na hindi sila karaniwang tao na katulad nila [pointing to the fake criminals].

Then Elias reasoned further. He instructed the fake criminals to turn left to show to the chief of police the protruding tummies of the fake criminals.

Elias: Wala ni isa man sa kanila [referring to the real criminals] ang may malaki ang tiyan. Lahat sila ay sa mga edad 20 hanggang 29. Itong sinasabi ni'yong umamin sa krimen ay matatanda na.

If Elias was presented as a reliable witness, that would scare the chief of police; and Elias's friend, who was one of the cops, would have a reason to believe Elias's claim.

Why is this important?

The television, by default, is an educator. Whatever you broadcast there, whether right or wrong, good or bad, the audience would believe it, at least, subconsciously. Presenting Elias as a good witness, would give the audience a sense of how important to be always alert and observant when faced with similar incidents.

The action scenes

Kudos to the editor and martial arts choreographer of Black Rider. They delivered the actions scenes more credibly and exciting compared to the other GMA drama series where the action and fight scenes were dull, stupid and boring. An example are those of Voltes 5 Legacy.

The reason why I stopped watching Voltes 5 Legacy was because of its stupid and lame action scenes, poor editing, not to mention, whatever boring the writers added to the original script. The only good about Voltes V Legacy was its CGI. So, kudos to Riot Inc.

Soon, Mark Reyes, who directed Voltes 5 Legacy, will be directing Sang'gre, a sequel to the successful Encantadia. So, don't expect the action scenes to be lively and exciting and as powerful as those of Black Rider. Certainly, action scenes are not Mark Reyes's forte.

The credible blood

Another thing that I appreciate about Black Rider is the use of fake blood – it looked real. In most drama series on TV, the use of fake blood was very unintelligently applied for the reason that the blood looked more like the orangey banana kechup.

Another scene from Black Rider that is worth mentioning is the surgery scene in the operating room of a hospital. That scene was cinematically convincing; simple but you'd get the feel.

The Clash Best Performances

2018-09-02T05:02:00.003+08:00

A powerhouse of voices. These singing talents are a treasure for an entertainment network. If I were GMA Network, I would keep them all to form the largest singing mix boy-girl band in the world. I would call the all-boys group BBB Ever, which stands for Biggest Boy Band Ever. I would call the all-girls group Powerhouse. Together, I would call them The Ambivalent Crowd – a singing mix band of 32 singers.

Watch it on YouTube

My Top Favorites

I have arranged the playlist based on my top favourites.

If I were a producer, I would market the girls to rival the all-girl bands in Korea. I would promote them as young and cheerful, much like K-pop, but with Pinoy fibre. The songs I have in mind are (re-arranged for the millennials, young and rhythmic):

Bakit Ganyan Ang Pag-ibig by Becca Godinez
Giggles by Becca Godinez
Mamang Sorbetero by Celeste Legaspi
Saranggola ni Pepe by Celeste Legaspi
Ang Pipit by Pilita Corales

Together, I would like to hear them their version of The Coconut Song by Ryan Cayabyab. A Christmas album featuring traditional Filipino Christmas songs would be a bestseller for the group. The last time we had an album like that was in 1981 Pasko Ng Mga Bituin released by WEA Records.

What is The Clash?

The Clash is a reality TV where 60 singing contenders fight for battle to survive until one man/woman is left standing. Read more about it on Wikipedia.

The Clash Best Auditions

2018-08-28T19:50:00.000+08:00

Watch it on YouTube
The Clash is a reality TV where 60 singing contenders fight for battle to survive until one man/woman is left standing. Read more about it on Wikipedia.

ALDUB Still Guinness Record Holder

2018-05-25T00:53:00.000+08:00

Why #IVoteBTSBBMAs did not beat the record set by #AlDubEBTamangPanahon which holds the most used hashtag on Twitter in 24 hours.

The Current Record Holder

By Xylnzzz - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

Eat Bulaga, a noontime show in the Philippines, hosted a concert benefit entitled Sa Tamang Panahon at the Philippine Arena on 24 October 2015, Saturday. The concert marked the first face-to-face meeting of Alden, played by Alden Richards, and Yaya Dub played by celebrated Dubsmash personality Maine Mendoza. Since the couple met on 16 July 2015, the love duo had never met personally. Their interaction was only via a split screen; where Alden was always in the studio while Yaya Dub was on location for the Juan for All, All for Juan segment of Eat Bulaga. The phenomenal love team was born out of accidental love story non-scripted sitcom series which Eat Bulaga later called "KalyeSerye," the name as such for the reason that the sitcom literally played at different local streets of the Philippines. On the day of the benefit concert, 55000 fans of AlDub and Eat Bulaga filled up the 55000-seater Philippine Arena.

Hours before 12:00 AM of 24 October, AlDub fans were getting ready to beast-mode their tweets; aiming to beat their own tweet records they set for #AlDubEBforLove with 25.6 million tweets. As the clock struck 12:00 midnight, AlDub tweets started to pour like hard rain on that day until 25 October 2015.

Sometime in March 2016, Guinness of World Records had recognized that #AlDubEBTamangPanahon set a world record of Most Used Hashtag on Twitter in 24 Hours with 40,706,392 tweets.

BTS, The Challenger

Voting for the Billboard Music Awards began on 14 May 2018 PDT (California US time) and ended 20 May. BTS fans started voting on 14 May. By 15 May, BTS tweets using the hashtag #IVoteBTSBBMAs reached 51.72 million tweets in 24 hours. To confirm if #IVoteBTSBBMAs had broken the record set by #AlDubEBTamangPanahon, BTS asked Guinness. On 18 May, Guinness World Records tweeted:

BTS fans, after investigation we're sorry to announce that the attempt at 'Most used hashtag on @Twitter in 24 hours' was not successful on this occasion. Inc. retweets and quote tweets, the total has been calculated at 21.9 million uses of #iVoteBTSBBMAs

So, where's the other half of the 51 million tweets? Apparently, Guinness calculated the figures based on the time frame 12:00 AM 14 May until 12:00 AM 15 May. The 51.72 million tweets was based on the time frame 12:00 PM of 14 May until 12:00 PM of 15 May. For that reason, half of #IVoteBTSBBMAs tweets were not counted, and at the same time, BTS fans were short of 12 hours because voting started half past a day. As a rule, to break the #AlDubEBTamangPanahon record, valid uses of the hashtag would be calculated only from 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM of the next day.

Paano Magwawakas Ang Ika-6 Na Utos?

2018-02-17T16:22:00.002+08:00

Sa mga drama sa TV, paulit-ulit nang namatay ang mga kontrabida sa mga ganitong paraan.

Sumabog ang kotse o ang bahay. May ilan na sumabog sa yate. Bihira ito dahil mahal ang yate.
Nasunog ang bahay o ang kotse.
Nasagasaan ng tren, kotse, bus. Kulang na lang masagasaan ng eroplano.
Nahulog sa bangin, sa bintana, sa tuktok ng gusali. Minsan, mahulog naman sa air balloon para maiba naman.
Sinaksak, binaril, nilason.
Nagpakamatay.
Nilagyan ng pampasabog sa katawan.
Dinukot at pinatay.

Para maiba naman ~

Itinulak si Giorgia sa MRT o LRT. Kung sino man ang tumulak, abangan sa susunod na kabanata. Kakampi ba siya o kalaban? Aksidente ba o gawa-gawa lamang?
Nalunod si Giorgia sa bath tub. Bihira ang may bath tub sa Pilipinas kaya bihira itong mangyari. Nalunod ba siya o nilunod?
Bihirang maging martir ang kontrabida dahil hindi niya isasakripisyo ang buhay niya alang-alang sa iba. Sa karakter ni Giorgia, malabong mangyari ito. Puwera na lang kung magkunwari siyang nagpakamartir. 'Yun pala, may balak siyang maghiganti sa ibang araw

Success Ng Ika-6 Na Utos

Successful ang Ika-6 na Utos. Mataas ang ratings nito. Halô ang nararamdaman ng mga manonood. Gusto pa nilang manood nguni't ayaw nilang pahabain pa ito. Nasasabik na sila sa pagwawakas ni Giorgia nguni't sana'y may karugtong pa.

Paano mo gustong matapos ang Ika-6 Na Utos, 'yung malayo sa nagawa na nang ilang-beses?

Nasaan si Giorgia?

Ganito ko gustong matapos ang Ika-6 Na Utos - 'yung may cliffhanger, bitin o may pag-aagam-agam.

Bawa't tao'y may kahinaan o takot. Ano ba ang kahinaan ni Giorgia? Ano ang sukdulang kinatatakutan niya?

Ang karakter ni Giorgia ay takot magkasakit na magdudulot ng kamatayan. Nanaisin pa niyang mamatay nang lumalaban kaysa lamunin siya ng isang terminal na sakit tulad ng kanser.

Hindi siya matatakot na makulong habang-buhay o hatulan ng bitay. Ang para sa kaniya, hangga't buhay siya, may pag-asa kahit pa nasa piitan siya.

Hayaan nating makatakas si Giorgia at magtagô sa ibang bansa, halimbawa, sa Israel kung saan hindi kailangan ang visa para makapasok sa bansa. Sa kasamaang palad, pagkalipas ng ilang buwan, ikinulong siya ng mga otoridad at hinatulan ng kulong habang-buhay sa salang pagpatay, na sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon, ay hindi siya ang may sala.

Sa piitan, bagama't nakakulong, hindi siya nawalan ng pag-asang makalaya.

Lumipas ang limang taon. Makikitang isang magandang babae ang naglalakad sa NAIA. Siya si Evangeline - isang pilantropo.

Ano ang lihim ni Evangeline? At nasaan si Giorgia?

Abangan...

Pinoy Jokes - Pinoy Humor Compilation

2017-07-24T03:36:00.000+08:00

Ang Hayop Ni Noah

Tapos na ang baha. Isa-isa nang lumabas ang mga hayop mula sa arko. Napansin ni Noah ang dalawang ahas na magkalingkis sa isang sulok.

Tanong ni Noah, "O! Ba't di pa kayo bumaba. Sige na! Humayo at magparami!"

"Lolo Noah, hindi po puede," sagot ng mga ahas.

"At bakit?" tanong muli ni Noah.

"Pareho kaming lalaki," pangangatuwiran ng dalawang ahas.

Good Chemistry

"Mare, kumusta anak mong bagong kasal?"

"Mabuti naman. Swerte ng anak ko. Mabait at masipag ang napangasawa niya. Lahat siya ang gumagawa sa bahay -- laba, luto, linis."

"Ah, ganoon ba!"

"Buti ka pa. Ang anak ko, malas. Ang tamad kasi ng napangasawa niya. Siya lahat ang laba, luto, at linis sa bahay."

Toothpaste Na Lang, Doc

Dentist: Araw-araw, linisin mo pustiso mo. Hindi naman kailangang toothpaste. Puede na yun dishwashing liquid. Safe yun dahil yun naman ang pinanghuhugas sa kinanan natin.

Pasyente: Toothpaste na lang, doc. Pag toothpaste kasi, pakiramdam ko may ipin ako. Pag dishwashing liquid, pakiramdam ko may plato ako sa bibig.

Suklayin Mo, Baby

Teacher sa estudyante: Caloy, bakit ba lagi magulo yan buhok mo. Malakas ba hangin sa labas?

Caloy: Walo po akong suklay, titser.

Teacher: Eh, ang tatay mo?

Caloy: Wala pong buhok, ma'am.

Iskwakwa

Sa isang public school.

Teacher na na-imbyerna sa isang estudyante: Herminihildo, upo! Ang gulo-gulo mo. Para kang batang iskwater.

Sumagot ang batang estudyante: Ma'am, iskwater po talaga ako.

Reality TV Winners: How Are You Taxed?

2017-07-24T03:01:00.000+08:00

Tila labanan ng mga kabataan na nais maging milyonaryo. Dalawumpung milyong pisong gantimpala mula sa Artista Academy (ABC5) at labing-dalawang milyong piso naman mula sa Protege: The Battle For the Big Artista Break. Kung sino man ang manalo, tiyak wagi din ang kani-kaniyang tagapamahala (talent manager). Sa 40%, walong milyon din ito na maaaring mapunta sa talent manager.

Kung buwis ang pag-uusapan, nararapat lang na magbayad din ang tagapamahala ng karampatang buwis. Sa kabilang banda, ang isang gantimpala mula sa patimpalak ay hindi maaaring ituring na professional fee na kung saan ang tseke ay kailangang ipangalan sa talent manager. Kung ang tagapamahala ay hihingi ng balato, halimbawa 40%, nararapat lang na karkulahin ito matapos ibawas ang buwis. Gayunpaman, hindi pa rin ito matuwid sa kadahilanang binalikat nang buo ng nanalo ang karampatang buwis. Halimbawa, sa 10 milyon na gantimpala, kung ang buwis ay 20%, ang kinaltas na buwis ay 2 milyon. Walong milyon ang ini-uwi ng nanalo. Sa 40% komisyon ng tagapamahala, 3.2M ang kinita niya nang walang buwis. Samantalang ang nanalo ay kumita lamang ng 4.8M at nagbayad pa ng 2M na buwis.

Kaya kayong mga nananalo sa mga paligsahan o patimpalak, isiping maigi kung magkano ang komisyong ibibigay ninyo sa inyong personal na tagapamahala.

Throwback Mix - Movie and TV Trivias

2016-04-30T20:30:00.000+08:00

Try if you can recall "who's who" and "what was what" based on the following clues.

This beautiful Filipina mix hosted the first season of a magazine show on a cable channel ETC.
The original love team was Kathryn Bernardo and this young actor in this drama series based on a Korean drama.
This Filipino fastfood chain was seen from an episode of a musical dramedy seen on Fox.
Superman and Arrowman were good friends in this superhero serials that lasted 10 seasons in almost 10 years.
She first played the wicked bird-woman in the TV series Mulawin with this name before the wicked Queen did in the The Huntsman.
He was one of the Von Trapp children who played Spiderman on a TV series.
He played the first superhero who graced the first 3D superscreen in the Philippines.
In this finale, he left the kingdom of King Arthur and lived until the present time.
In this popular adventure series, even the writers didn't know about the mystery of the island.
Zoom this photo to answer more trivias.

Throwback: Lord Of The Rings Photos & Wallpapers

2016-04-11T02:36:00.000+08:00

The fantasy novel The Hobbit was written by English writer JRR Tolkien in 1937. The book series The Lord of the Rings were written between 1937 and 1949. Sold over 150 million copies, LOTR is the best-selling novel ever written. (Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone ranked 4th with 107 million copies sold. The popular film version of the book series was exhibited in 2001, 2002, and 2003. Reminisce the scenes with these photos.

Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza's #ALDUB TV Commercials

2016-01-30T14:32:00.000+08:00

A collection of all the TV commercials with Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza since the #ALDUB phenomenon hit the world, where there is every a Filipino. The ALDUB fan base aka aldub nation is a powerful consumer group. McDonald's Philippines was the very first brand that could have instinctively seen (or risked) a pot of gold in the #ALDUB phenomenon. After airing the very first #ALDUB TV commercial for McDonald's chicken fillet a la king on 11 September 2015, the fastfood giant enjoyed a 470% growth in sales transactions compared to previous ad campaigns. (Read story here.)

This playlist is a compilation all the #ALDUB TV commercials, as published by their respective brands. This playlist saves you the time searching for each TVC on YouTube.

Alden and Maine's Brand Endorsements

1McDonald's Chicken Fillet a la King "AlDub Ko To": Published 10 September 2015. Views, 688,117 as of 3 Feb 2016.
2Talk n' Text TNT Extend "Extended ang Saya with TNT & ALDUB!": Published 14 September 2015. Views as of 5 Feb 15: 656,465. Daily average increase: 4558 views
16Eskinol Philippines Eskinol Commercial with Maine Mendoza: Published 29 January 2016. views after 4 days, 94396
17CDO Funtastyk Maine Mendoza for CDO Funtastyk #YoungAngLoveKo TVC 2016: Published 29 January 2016. Views after 4 days, 506.

Alden and Maine's #SayItWithCadbury Valentines Teaser

2016-01-19T13:00:00.000+08:00

Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza's latest TV commercial is with the chocolate brand Cadbury by Cadbury Philippines. Check out this very first 5-seconder teaser you didn't even notice it was an #AlDub TV commercial.

This 5-second TVC teaser was published 28 December 2015. So far, it has been viewed only 424 times. Perhaps, the #ALDUB nation was not aware of it. When I first saw it, I had a hunch that it was Alden and Maine.

The second Cadbury TVC teaser reveals Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza. This 27-seconder teaser has been viewed 28000 times since it was published two days ago (17 January). On Facebook, this video has been viewed 730k times.

Get Social With Cadbury Philippines

Cadbury Philippines Channel on YouTube has 1973 subscribers as of this writing.
Facebook/CadburyPh. It has 13 million likes.
Cadbury Philippines on Google+ has 11 followers.

Alden & Maine's Latest McDo TV Commercial

2016-01-14T14:29:00.000+08:00

Just in today. McDonald Philippines releases Alden Richard and Maine Mendoza's newest TV commercial dubbed "Maine-ahal Kita Agad." It features the music "Ipagpatawad Mo (Minahal Kita Agad)" originally recorded by Vic Sotto of the VST & Co. This 45-second TVC is hashtagged #ALDUBKoTo.

The "Papa Na Kita" McDo TVC recorded 5.1 million views in 3 months. As of this writing, this 45-seconder "Maine-ahal Kita Agad" has been viewed 2687 times. We shall watch this views grow.

Last Saturday, 9 January, Monde Nissin released its ALDUB TVC entitled "Bingo Cookie Sandwich #MaiDenKiligSaSweet." Also on that day, Colgate Palmolive released its TVC for the brand Gard Shampoo dubbed as "Gard Shampoo with Alden Richards #AlGardYou."

For a complete (play)list of #ALDUB TV commercials, enjoy this video playlist on YouTube as published by the sponsoring brands themselves.

German Moreno aka Kuya Germs Dies at 82

2016-01-08T04:33:00.002+08:00

German Moreno, dearly called as Kuya Germs, passes away at age 82 this morning, 8 January 2016 at 3:20 AM. He is also known as Master Showman from his midnight entertainment program Walang Tulugan with Master Showman. An unprecedented star builder, surely he will be missed.

Kuya Germs died due to cardiac arrest. A year ago, he suffered from a stroke.

"He lived a full life, touched so many hearts through the years, and helped make dreams come true for most of the biggest stars in the Philippine entertainment industry. We are deeply saddened by his passing but we are comforted by the thought that his legacy will live on." — A statement by John Nite, Moreno's nephew via GMA News .

German Molino Moreno in real life, was born on October 4, 1933. He has an adopted child, Federico. He is popularly known for TV programs GMA Supershow, Walang Tulugan with Master Showman, That's Entertainment, Germspesyal and Superstar with Nora Aunor.

He spearheaded the Eastwood City Walk of Fame, similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His early careers include performing in vaudeville theaters and acting in films via Sampaguita Pictures.

German Moreno's wake, according to his nephew John Nite via his Twitter, will be at Mount Carmel Church in Aurora Blvd Quezon City.

Photo Credits: "Germsnorajf" by Ramon FVelasquez - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.

Messages From His Loved Ones

Aldub Sa Batanes Magtatagpo Sina Alden At YayaDub

2015-08-19T02:34:00.000+08:00

Upang di madismaya ang mga tao, kailangang i-level up ng Eat Bulaga ang pagtatagpo nina Alden at YayaDub. Huwag naman sanang abutin ng isang taon ang pagbitin sa kanilang pagkikita. Kung hindi, magsasawa ang kanilang mga taga-sunod, unti-unting tatamlay ang mainit na tambalang Alden at YayaDub.

Paano ninyo gustong magtagpo sina Alden at YayaDub?

The supposedly meeting at the wedding did not push through dahil hinimatay si YayaDub. On the day YayaDub was to perform in the studio, hindi rin sila nagkatagpo. That day killed the enthusiasm of #kalyeserye followers. To switch back the enthusiasm, what creative and effective way na puede silang pagtagpuin. Should it be something comedic, musical, dramatic, or romantic?

Let's reinvent something.

Currently, Alden is subjected to a series of challenges. Hanggang kailan? Hanggang forever? No way! That's already capitalism. Looks like the character of Lola Nidora is going to die. So, what's next?

How about this one.

Agosto Ika-3 Linggo

Sabado. Dineport si YayaDub. Pinauwi ito sa probinsiya - sa Batanes. Lulan ng bus, nag-eemote si YayaDub dahil hindi na niya makikita si Alden. Nabalitaan ni Alden ang kanyang pag-alis kaya't madali itong hinabol ang oras. Kailangang makarating siya sa estasyon ng bus bago mahuli ang lahat. Ang hindi niya alam, sa Batanes ang punta ni YayaDub. Dapat sa paliparan siya nagtungo.

Lulan na ng eroplano si YayaDub. Sa estasyon ng bus, napaluhod si Alden. Lungkot na tumutulo ang mga luha. Hindi na niya makikita si YayaDub.

Agosto Ika-4 na Linggo

Sa Batanes, patanaw-tanaw lang si YayaDub sa kalayuan. Muli't-muli, naiisip si Alden. Magkita pa kaya sila? Sa Maynila, lungkot na di mapanaw-panaw ang tuwina'y nararamdaman ni Alden. Nasaan na kaya si YayaDub? Ang sapatos!

Ang sapatos as maaaring susi sa kinaroroonan ni YayaDub. Buong linggo, nagbahay-bahay si Alden. Kumakatok at tinataong kung may nakatirang yaya sa bahay. Sa bawat bahay, iba't ibang klaseng yaya ang lumalabas at nagsusukat ng sapatos. May payat, may mataba, may maliit, may malaki. May pangit, may maganda. May babae, may hindi-babae.

Sabado. Sa huling bahay na kinatok ni Alden, sakto ang sapatos sa isang yayang lumabas. Maganda ito ngunit hindi ito si YayaDub. Siya as si Yaya Pat - ang babaeng laging may binabating may kaarawan. Si Yaya Pat na kaya ang papalit kay YayaDub?

Setyembre. Unang Linggo

Sino si Yaya Pat? Sino ang taong nasa likod ni Yaya Pat? Si Frankie? Si Lola? Tila si Yaya Pat ay gagamitin upang tuluyan nang magkahiwalay si Alden at YayaDub.

Sabado. Napagtanto ni Alden na si Yaya Pat ay kasangkapan nina Lola at Frankie. Nalaman rin niya na sa Batanes ipinatapon si YayaDub. Dagli-dagli, nagpunta ito sa paliparan upang pumunta sa Batanes. Ngunit, walang tao, kahit isa siyang nadatnan sa paliparan. Wala ring eroplano kahit isa. Anong nangyayari? Sa gitna ng isang malawak na runway, nagtatanong ang isipan ni alden. Nasaan ang lahat?

Sa di kalayuan, isang babae ang patungo sa kanyang kinaroroonan. Yabag lamang ng mga takong ang maririnig. Mataas ang takong ng pulang stiletto ng babae. Sino kaya ang babaeng ito?

Setyembre. Ika-2 Linggo

Nakakulong si Alden sa isang madilim na silid. May benda ito sa ulo. May mga pasa sa braso, gilid ng katawan at dibdib. Mga misteryosang kamay na may mapupulang kuko ang humahagod sa mukha at katawan ni Alden. Pinupunasan niya ito. Inaalagaan. Pinapagaling.

Lumilipas ang linggo at unti-unting gumagaling na ang walang malay na katawan ni Alden.

(Samantala, di nagpapakita si YayaDub. Absent muna siya dahil kailangan niyang mag-training sa isang acting workshop. Kailang mawalay siya sandali upang ma-miss siya ng kanyang mga follower.)

Sabado. Nagka-ulirat na si Alden. Makikilala na niya kung sino ang babaeng tumulong at nag-alaga sa kaniya. Maganda ang babae. Pang beauty queen. Precious ang pangalan niya. Subalit, totoo kayang babae siya?

Setyembre. Ika-3 Linggo

Iba't ibang paraan ang ginawa ni Alden upang makatakas siya sa mga kamay ni Precious.

Sabado. Nakakuha ng pagkakataon na makatakas si Alden sa hideout ni Precious. Wala siyang inaksayang oras. Naligo. Nagpalit ng damit. Nag-impake. Dala-dala ang backpack, nagtungo ito sa paliparan. At sa wakas, nakasakay din siya sa eroplano. Patungo na siya sa Batanes. Magkikita na sila ni YayaDub.

Setyembre. Ika-4 na Linggo

Lunes. Sa Batanes, walang humpay ang paghahanap ni Alden kay YayaDub.

Martes. Naisipan ni Alden na magbisikleta sa coastal bridge. Sa kanyang pagbibisikleta, di niya napansin ang isa pang bisikleta na pasalubong sa kanya sa kabilang hanay ng daan. Si YayaDub ang lulan nito. Sayang di sila nagkita.

Miyerkules. Sa isang tindahan na kung saan bawal ang mga taong pasaway, bumibili ng suka't toyo si YayaDub. Sa di kalayuan, parating naman si Alden upang bumili ng kape't gatas. Pagpasok ni Alden sa tindahan, naka-alis na si YayaDub. Sayang naman. Di sila nagkita.

Huwebes. Sa isang lumang bahay na bato sa Batanes, pa-emote-emote at pa-dubsmash-dubsmash si YayaDub. Gayon din si Alden. Wari'y nagsasagutan sila ng dubsmash. Yun lamang, nasa magkaibang bahay na bato ang dalawa. Muli, di sila nagkita.

Biyernes. Nakatanaw sa dagat si Alden mula sa isang burol. Tila nalulungkot at nawawalan na ng pag-asang makita si YayaDub. Dalangin niya na sanay gabayan siya ng mga anghel sa langit. Sa di kalayuan, nagtatampisaw naman si YayaDub sa dalampasigan. Si Alden pa rin ang nasa isip niya.

Sa luntiang burol, nahiga si Alden na nakatanaw sa kalangitan. Isang balahibong puti, na tila galing sa isang pakpak ang namasid niyang naglalaro sa hangin. Kasabihan ng matatanda, ito raw ay galing sa pakpak ng isang anghel. Pag ito raw ay nakuha mo, anuman ang hilingin mo sa anghel na nagmamay-ari ng balahibo ng pakpak ay tiyak na matutupad. Manampalataya ka lamang.

Sabado. Sa paanan ng parola, subsob ang ulo ni Alden sa kanyang mga tuhod. Lubos na umaagos ang kanyang mga luha. Bigo siyang makita si YayaDub. At sa araw na iyon ay kailangan na niyang lisanin ang Batanes at bumalik sa Maynila. Sa kanyang pagtayo, hinayaan niyang tangayin ng malakas na hangin ang puting balahibo sabay sabi ng "Paalam!" Sa kanyang pagpihit, isang maamong mukha ang tumambad sa kaniya. Si YayaDub!

Bakit Naluha Si Marian Sa Homily Ni Bishop Bacani?

2015-01-05T02:50:00.003+08:00

Sa kanyang homilia, sinabi ni Bishop Bacani sa ikinakasal na sina Dingdong Dantes at Marian Rivera,

Ang Kasal Kristiyano ay napakamahulugan...Si Kristo, Marian, ang magbibigay sa iyo kay Dingdong. At sa iyo Dingdong, ibibigay ka ni Kristo sa iyong kabiyak na dibdib.

This video has been viewed almost a million times (978000) this day.

Party Pilipinas Opening Number On Jan 27 2013

2013-02-13T05:48:00.000+08:00

This opening was made controversial when so called "concerned viewers" or perhaps, some Party Pilipinas detractors reported to MTRCB that it was not "wholesome" for kids. It's precisely the reason why it is classified for Parental Guidance, the show is not for kids. TV is not for kids alone. It is for adults too. I don't think kids watch Party Pilipinas. They watch cartoons. I have observed kids in the house. They are not just interested.

I didn't see anything wrong with the opening number. An open and broad-minded person would just find it a simple entertaining number. It's just one of those. The narrow and crooked-minded person, however, would see otherwise. Whatever it suggests is all in the mind of the viewer.

The irony is this. If a viewer finds that number offensive, he or she is simply projecting what he or she has been hiding all the time. How he or she perceives it reveals the "dirty" secret that he or she has been keeping.

Protege Season 2: The Battle For The Big Artista Break

2012-09-18T03:33:00.000+08:00

It's season 2 of Protege. Season 1 looked for singing talents. This time, an artist who can act, sing, and dance. Protege 2 seems to replace the Starstruck series which had the same purpose.

Who deserves to win the 12-million peso prize?

Higit sa lahat, ang may karapatang manalo ay yung kayang tumabo sa takilya at humataw sa TV ratings. Hindi sapat ang ganda ng mukha, kailangang may angking kahusayan sa pagganap sa pelikula o telebisyon. Bagama't malaking tulong, pangalawa lamang ang kahusayan sa pag-awit o pag-sayaw. Sa kabilang banda, dahil lahat sila'y baguhan, hindi sapat ang kahusayan lamang. Kailangan ay may angking ningning at ganda na siyang pang-akit sa madla. Ang tao ay tumutugon at unang naaakit sa kanyang nakikita. Pangalawa, ang tao ay sunod na naaakit sa damdamin ng kanyang nakikita. Kaya naman sa larangan ng pangangalakal, upang maka-akit ka ng mamimili, ang isang visual artist ay gumagamit ng sikolohiyang panglarawan at emosyonal (visual-emotional psychology) na kung saan nilalaro niya ang tugon ng mata at damdamin.

Sa ibang punto, ang Protege ay isa ring pamumuhunan. Kung ika'y susugal sa isang produkto o proyekto, kailangang mabawi mo ang iyong pinuhunan.

Kaya't bukod sa ganda ng mukha at kahusayan sa sining bilang panuntunan sa pagpili ng magwawagi, kailangang isa-alang-alang din ang kalamangan o potensyal sa pagtabo sa takilya at pag-angat sa TV ratings kung sakali siya ay bigyan ng pelikula o palabas sa telebisyon.

Halimbawa na lang sa Starstruck na kung saan nanalo si Jennylyn Mercado. Tila nahigitan na ni Kristine Reyes si Jennylyn kung kasikatan ang pag-uusapan. Kung inyong natatandaan, si Kristine ang unang natanggal sa Starstruck.

Natatanging Karilagan: Patti Grandidge

2012-06-29T02:58:00.001+08:00

Photo c/o PinoyExhange

Siya ay si Patti Grandidge - mestisang Pinoy at Briton. Kasalukuyang taga-ulat sa isang palabas sa telebisyon na may pamagat na "Etcetera" [ETC]. Isa siya sa may dugong Pilipino na may natatanging karilagan.

She is Patti Grandidge – a Filipino-British mix descent. She's currently hosting "Etcetera" on ETC. She's a lady with extraordinary beauty.

"Makapiling Kang Muli" Review

2012-06-05T01:47:00.000+08:00

Patalastas-Hikayat (TV Plug)

Impressive TV plug. Shot using a wide screen format, the cinematography was cinematic. GMA Network is good in creating TV plugs, not only in the entertainment field but also in its news and public affairs. Kaya naman, sino ang hindi maiinganyong panoorin ang pilot episode ng "Makapiling Kang Muli."

Panimulang Kabanata (Pilot Episode)

The pilot episode of "Makapiling Kang Muli" (aired 4 June 2012) is not exactly beyond my expectations. I was expecting na wide screen ang picture format nito. So far, maganda ang takbo ng kuwento. The pacing, editing, and cinematography satisfied my creative cravings. Isang napakaliit na bagay lang ang napuna ko - ang pagsabog ng chopper sa malayuan. Medyo hindi realistic ang dating.

Sana, the substance of this drama series remain robust till the end. Napupuna ko kasi sa mga drama series, sa umpisa lang maganda. Towards the middle until the end, nawawala na ang substance ng kuwento. Nagiging sabog at mabagal ang takbo ng kuwento at nagiging inconsistent ang characterization. Dahil doon, kinatatamaran ko nang sundan ang mga kabanata. At least, I save my electricity for not watching TV.

What makes the substance of a drama series deteriorate?

Ratings. Not exactly poor ratings. Tatlo lang naman silang naglalaban sa same time slot. So, the drama series is either 1, 2, or 3. If the drama falls (just) second, the writers will try to landscape the series para pumatok sa manonood. When the writers re-write the story, nasa-sacrifice ang substance nito.

Take for example "My Beloved" and "Ang Babaeng Hinugot Sa Aking Tadyang". These drama series started impressive. In fact, I liked them. Pero nang baguhin ng mga writers ang takbo ng kuwento to cater to a wider "masa" audience, naging corny na (para sa akin) ang takbo ng kuwento.

It is my belief, hindi por que't pang-masa ang isang palabas, kailangan siyang maging baduy. But I cannot blame the networks. It's their money. They have to reap a generous ROI.

Mga Gumaganap (Cast)

"Makapiling Kang Muli" is top billed by Richard Gutierrez, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Carla Abellana, Sarah Lahbati, and Ms. Gloria Romero. Others in the cast are Rio Locsin, Mark Gil, Dominic Roco, Jestoni Alarcon, Mark Gil. Pilot guests were Jennylyn Mercado, James Blanco, Dex Quindoza, Gabby Eigenmann, Jestoni Alarcon, and Ms. Lani Mercado.

Jennylyn Mercado

Mahusay ang pagganap ni Jennylyn Mercado. Sa mga eksenang wala siyang dialogue, kita sa kanyang mga facial expressions ang gusto niyang ipahiwatig. For me, more than the dialogue, the facial expression is more important. Actors do not have to howl when they cry just to project sadness. They do not have to shout to project anger. Mag gusto ko ang mga acting na less dialogue but rich in actions, expressions, and suggestive screen shots because I like to think when I watch. I like my brain to be challenged rather than my emotions to react on the lifeless boob tubes predecessor.

Dex Quindoza

I think Dex Quindoza is an actor to watch. Mahusay at natural ang kanyang pag-arte. He looks good on TV because of his facial bone structure. Bihira sa mga artistang lalaki ang may magandang masculine bone structure. Maganda rin ang stance niya - hindi awkward ang dating.

Behind The Lens andThe Pen

The men behind the pen are Des Garbes - Severino, Rona Sales, Jules Katanyag, and John Kenneth de Leon. Ricky Davao directs.

Impressive writing and directing, so far. I will have to wait and see what happens towards the middle. Hahaba ba ang episodes kapag mataas ang rating? Mapapanatili ba nilang maganda ang kuwento if they stretch the episodes?

American Idol Season 11 Top Favorites

2012-04-19T13:50:00.000+08:00

Is Color An Issue?

When Jessica Sanchez was eliminated (but saved by the Judges) last week, I wondered why a great talent would lose from such competition. Does America still prefer the common white skin? A Filipino-Mexican, is Jessica's color or race a disadvantage? or Perhaps, America is just not voting wisely?

Image link c/o poptower.com

Oprah, Obama, Whitney, and Randy are colored Americans; so are Idol's Fantasia and Reuben. Jennifer is a Latina. Bruno Mars is Fil-Latino. Apl de Ap of Black Eyed Peas is Black-Filipino. So, maybe, Jessica's saved-elimination has nothing to do with race or color.

Californians Vs Southern Americans

In the Top 8, only Jessica and Deandre are from California. The rest are from Southern America. Deandre Brackensick was eliminated two weeks ago. California has a population of 37 million. Does it mean California is not voting for fellow Californians? When Deandre was eliminated, who benefited his votes? Was fellow Californian Jessica Sanchez? May be not, or may be just not enough to top the Southern American votes? Southern America has a population of 114 million.

Could it be Southern Americans are more supportive of their fellow Southern Americans than Californians to fellow Californians? Another angle is that American Idol could have a larger audience share in Southern America compared to that of West Coast. If California has a bigger audience share, then maybe, they just don't care about voting. They only love to watch AI but they do not vote.

Six Southern Americans versus one Californian. Considering the Southern American votes were divided into 6 idols, the sole Californian votes were not enough to save Jessica. Below are the states where the Idols come from.


Jessica Sanchez  - California     - 37.6
Hollie Cavanagh  - Texas          - 25.6
Phillip Phillips - Georgia        -  9.8
Colton Dixon     - Tennessee      -  6.4
Elise Testone    - South Carolina -  4.6
Joshua Ledet     - Louisiana      -  4.5
Skylar Laine     - Mississippi    -  2.9

Source: quickfacts.census.gov

Top American Idol (Season 11) Favorites on Twitter

Based on the number of Followers as of this date, who are the top favorites on Twitter?


Colton  - 210,101 followers
Jessica - 192,242
Phillip - 190,169
Skylar  -  81,349
Deandre -  58,842
Joshua  -  58,523
Elise   -  57,677
Hollie  -  64,093

Source: Twitter

Top American Idol (Season 11) Favorites on Facebook

Based on the number of Likes as of this date, here are your top American Idol (Season 11) favorites.


Jessica - 122,756 Likes - 58,280 are talking about this
Colton  - 114,907       - 31,099
Phillip -  78,900       - 16,237
Skylar  -  37,385       -  9,144
DeAndre -  35,339       -  3,760
Joshua  -  33,570       -  6,940
Hollie  -  29,989       -  6,019
Elise   -  28,442       -  9,514

Source: Facebook

Based on the above facts, I still wonder: Who votes for whom and why?

Here's a CNN iReport on American Idol's system of voting.

The Boys of Amaya - Behind the Scene

2012-01-14T01:30:00.001+08:00

Can't help but share this photo of the supposedly magigiting na mandirigma sa epikong Amaya (brave warriors in the epic Amaya - a Philippine production for TV by GMA Network. In the photos, from left to write, are the actors Mon Confiado, Gardo Verzosa, Robert Sy (Survivor Philippines season 1), AJ Dee (the better-looking brother of Enchong Dee).

Tele-Novela Amaya (GMA) Ends Full Of Substance

2012-01-14T01:24:00.000+08:00

Amaya, the epic produced for TV by GMA Network, aired its last episode last Friday, January 13. One of the greater challenges of a writer is how to end a story well. The ending should leave the reader or audience satisfied. Otherwise, no matter how good the beginning and the flow of story were, if the ending isn't good, the whole story is not good at all. Good thing, Amaya ended well. It's ending is full of substance. I don't need to re-tell the story. You can catch the epic on DVD.

Loose Extensions

Aljur Abrenica as Dayaw

Amaya rated high on TV. For that reason, it's season was extended, the story lines stretched. What I don't like about story extensions is that sometimes, the story looses its substance. In the extended season, it introduced a new character, Dayaw, played by Aljur Abrenica. Perhaps, his role could have been part of Lumad's story. Unfortunately, Mikael Daez's character as Lumad, was axed at the end of the season.

If I were to re-write the story, I would want to see the rise or re-birth of Lumad's kingdom. This is a better redemption for Lumad and his kingdom. (In the story, Lumad's kingdom was destroyed by Rajah Mangubat. Lumad served as slave in Mangubat's kingdom.) The reunion of Alunsina with his father could have been another warm and touching part of the story. Unfortunately, this was not given importance in the epic. In the story, Alunsina was separated from his father during a war.

If I were to rewrite it, my version would be something like this.

Mikael Daez as Lumad

Alunsina's father rebuilt his force and at the right time would seek revenge against Mangubat; and eventually, be reunited with his daughter. Lumad's new kingdom could have been born from this avenging force that would soon conquer Mangubat's kingdom. Amaya, Lumad, and Alunsina's father joined forces, headed to Mangubat's kingdom to burn it down and conquer....

But it's not how it was written. It wasn't my story. ;)

Nevertheless, Amaya brought the Filipino in us into our hearts and mind. Sa puso at diwa, bumukal muli ang pagka-Pilipino natin. Nakilala natin kung sino tayo noon.

See Amaya video clips on Facebook.

Protégé (GMA7) Krizza Wins the Battle for the Big Break

2011-12-19T02:38:00.001+08:00

The top 3 contenders for Protégé battled for the the big break in the finals. The first round was a duet with their mentors. The second was a solo themed the performance of their life.

Krizza's duet with Aiza was simply outstanding. Her solo rendition of a Christmas song "My Grown-Up Christmas List" made a simple melody so special.

Lovely, on the other hand, in her eagerness to win, over-performed her songs both in the duet and solo. Her performances were flamed by her emotion to win rather than by the emotion called by the songs. For that reason, the songs came out differently. Lirah's solo number, in fact, came out better than that of Lovely's.

Protégé was trending on Twitter during the 2-hour show. Towards the end, even the name of Krizza and Lovely showed up in the top 10 trends of Twitter.

GMA Network's Protégé, I believe, is a success. It should call for a season 2 while it's hot.

Hating Kapatid: GMA Network's Short Film For Christmas

2011-12-19T00:15:00.000+08:00

"Hating Kapatid" is a touching short film about two brothers who share the same pair of shoes and socks when going to school. One attends classes in the morning; the other in the afternoon. They meet in one store owned by an old woman where they exchange their footwear.

The Twist That Protégé Jensen Turned Gold Into A Stone

2011-12-14T21:18:00.000+08:00

The Final 5 Before The Twist

Lovely performed well that night but she was eliminated. On the other hand, Nomer was too young for "Bohemian Rhapsody". It was just right if he was eliminated based on that night's performance. So, the final Five were Jensen, Lirah, So Wat, Krizza, and Kenneth. Based on the group's performance, So Wat could have been eliminated but text votes saved them.

The Twist That Saved Lovely and Nomer

The twist was to call back the 5 Protégés who were earlier eliminated. The five contenders battled for a second chance. As a result, Nomer and Lovely were called back. The next night was a double elimination night. The seven Protégés performed well that night except for So Wat. Kenneth and Lirah's performances were just average. So Wat was bombarded with negative remarks. The twist did not favor Kenneth and So Wat. They were eliminated that night; and there was no second chance for them. The twist favored Nomer and Lovely. They are now part of the final five. Their second chance its reward.

The Final Three Surprise

In the last elimination, the final five all performed well. But of course, somebody should stand out. Krizza was the best of all. Malinis na malinis ang kanyang pag-awit. Jensen was the second best. Lovely's and Lirah's performances were good to see but without watching them, i.e. listening to their vocals only, they were not that good. Visual performance could be deceiving.

Nomer, as always, was very confident. At age 10, he's truly gifted. Krizza started as an underdog. She made it to the Top 3. Nomer and Lovely could have tied but Nomer was eliminated. His age could have been a factor that did not favor him. Lirah, surprisingly, made it to the Top 3. She's good but compared to Jensen, the latter was a lot better.

Jensen should have been part of the Top 3 because she was really good but she didn't make it. Perhaps, the text votes pulled her down. Unfortunately, there was no second chance for her which is unfair like her mentor Claire remarked. If not for the twist, Jensen could have reached the Top 3.