Charice Pempengco in Oprah Winfrey Show (Full version)

I’ve changed my mind. When I first heard Charice Pempengco in the Ellen Degeneres show, I wasn’t too impressed with the “birit” style. Though quite awesome, her lung-busting vocal skills are simply not my type of singing.

Today, my sister Lorna sent me the Full version of Charice Pempengco who sang “I Have Nothing” in the Oprah Winfrey’s World’s Smartest Kids and I am so bowled over. Charice literally blew them away. The audience gave her a standing ovation before the song even ended.

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Photo courtesy of Ferdz Decena

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I suck at writing reviews so my dear husband wrote the following review on Skin Deep, a musical comedy that dissects the idea of beauty. I hope you watch Skin-Deep. Not only is it entertaining but you will help the Section of Dermatology of St Luke’s Medical Center, Philippine Leprosy Mission and Surok Uni Foundation. The title was therefore apropos, as these are groups who are at the forefront of the battle against the dreaded nerve and skin disease. Moving on….the review of PETA Theater’s Skin-Deep.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon which suddenly turned into a major downpour (two days later than GMA would have wished), we found ourselves at the PETA Theatre Center in Quezon City. My sister-in-law (Belen L. Dofitas), a famous dermatologist urged us to watch so we could help raise funds for her project, the Philippine Leprosy Mission.

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Imagine two terminally ill men, a billionaire and a mechanic, realizing that they both share a passion to accomplish unfulfilled dreams until they “kick the bucket.” “The Bucket List” refers to a wish list that these two men try to fulfill before each kicks the bucket. After they break out of a cancer ward, they head off on the road trip of a lifetime with an itinerary that includes racing cars, eating giant plates of caviar and slinging poker chips in Monte Carlo, becoming friends along the way and learning to live life to the fullest. Each goal that is accomplished is ticked off the “bucket list”, and they realize that this adventure is what defines them as human beings and gives them the joy that had been quite elusive in the past.

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My husband and I watched the sequel to the hit movie Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo called Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo which stars Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo. It is also the official entry of Star Cinema for Metro Manila Film Festival (2007). I wanted to watch it for the simple pleasure of having a good laugh. I particularly enjoyed the character played by Gina Pareño, mother of Angie (Judy Ann). Gina is just so adorable and funny whenever she spews out her no-nonsense philosophy of life and other wisecracks.

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Technorati Tags: Metro Manila Film Festival

Kasadya Ning Takna-a (”How Joyful Is This Season”) is a classic Christmas Carol and my favorite Filipino Christmas Carol. I still remember the lyrics by heart because I used to sing this upbeat Christmas song as a little girl while carolling with my friends in Cebu.

Kasadya ning táknaa
Dapit sa kahimayaan.
Mao ray among nakita,
Ang panagway nga masanagon.
Buláhan ug buláhan
Ang tagbaláy nga giawitan.
Awit nga halandumon,
Ug sa tanang pasko magmalípayon.
Bag-ong tuig, bág-ong kinabúhì.
Duyog sa átong mga pagbati.
Atong awiton ug atong laylayon
Aron magmalípayon.

(Edit Found a streaming file. Click my Filipino Christmas Song Playlist and Kasadya Ning Takna-a is number 2)

I am sure the song is more familiar to you if sang as Ang Pasko ay Sumapit, a popular Filipino Christmas Carol and the Tagalog adaptation of the 1933 Cebuano carol. Ang Pasko ay Sumapit first hit the airwaves when I was a teenager but I was horrified to hear my favorite carol sang in a different accent and beat. It’s not the same., I cried inside. I don’t hear the rondalla introduction of the song. It sounds horrible. I thought. The heavy (maragsa) accent that added vigor and festiveness was just not there in the Tagalog version. I’m sure if you heard the Tagalog version, you would appreciate Ang Pasko ay Sumapit but I first heard it sung in Visayan!

For me, Ang Pasko ay Sumapit is NOTHING compared to the joyfulness of the carol if sang in Visayan. The closest Tagalog version that follows true to the original version is the one sang by the Mabuhay Singers. Even the meaning of the lyrics are different.

But what makes the song even pathetic is the composer was paid a measly price for the Tagalog version. Here is the story of the Cebuano composer, Vicente Rubi.

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Technorati Tags: Christmas Carol

When it comes to local showbiz scenes and Who’s Who?, I am totally clueless. Local Filipino movies just don’t interest me at all…unless I get invited by a friend or I know the people involved in the production. There is the movie The White Lady which we watched only because the director was Butch’s classmate in Law School. Then the last movie I watched was I’ve Fallen For You directed by Lino Cayetano because he is a family friend. This afternoon was a bit different. Together with some bloggers, I attended a grand press conference for Batanes, a love story co-directed by Dave Hukon and internationally acclaimed young indie-director Adolf Alix Jr. Written by Arah Badayos, the film is a love story between a Filipina and a Taiwanese and circles around how the waters of Batanes test their love and individualities.

The film stars Ken Zhu of the Taiwanese boy band F-4 fame and Iza Calzado. At the press conference, I felt really out of place amidst the showbiz reporters. Haha, I was laughing at myself as I embarked on this latest adventure as it is so out of character. But wait, I attended the Press Conference as my way of helping promote Batanes Islands. The fastest route to Batanes is through Asian Spirit which is the only airline that flies to Batanes and other remote islands in the Philippines. Asian Spirit is also the major sponsor of Batanes which is really nice gesture on their part to support an indie film.

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Technorati Tags: Asian Spirit

Are you curious about the lifestyle of 7 to 14 year old Filipino children? Sure, we know they have the inherent ability to assimilate new technology and adapt to change at such phenomenal rates but how much? Today, I attended the presentation of Cartoon Networks’ New Generations Philippines results of the first fully-localized study dedicated to Filipino kids with previous studies done in 2003 and 2005. Cartoon Network believes that such study is an integral part of its on-going quest to learn about kids, their lifestyle , opinions and behavior. The approach in conducting the study was based on face-to-face interviews with 1,000 child and parent pairs, surveying Filipino kids aged 7-14 years and their parents from socio-economics classes A to D in three metropolitan areas of Cebu, Davao and Manila in September and October 2007. Synovate Philippines was commissioned to conduct the survey.

The results are quite disappointing. TV is the number one choice for kids among various forms of media consumption.

• 46% are internet users of which three quarters have their own homepage.
• More than 75% go to malls with their parents at least once a month.
• They’ve got PHP 37 billion to spend annually.

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I had no plans to attend the Thank You Day concert not because I feared a repeat of the Glorietta 2 Explosion but because I felt too old for a live “rock” concert. The last time I attended a concert, my heartbeat was racing like crazy but I’ve been supporting the National Thank You Day since day 1 so I just had to be there. I told Lauren and Marielle to go ahead to the concert as I was still busy with a grief support meeting. My meeting ended earlier than usual and fortunately, I was still able to catch up with the Toblerone Press Conference with my two daughters at the Highlands Restaurant together with JM Tuazon, Karla, Anton with Rach and Aidan and Juned, Annalyn with her adorable twins.

Unlike Annalyn, I wasn’t starstruck. I barely knew the bands, celebrities and even the hosts. Sure I knew who Lucky Manzano, Mo Twister, Francis M and Jay-R but the rest? I had to tap on Juned’s shoulder and ask “Who is he/she?”. haha.

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