Alden Richards is the new face of OPPO F1s selfie expert

Before the OPPO F1s Selfie Expert ambassador launch, image of a man wearing a gray vest and polo, spreads fast on social media with a caption "New Face of the #SelfieExpert". It was already a give away even if the image cropped his face showing him half grinning.  Everyone knows that Alden Richards would be OPPO's celebrity ambassador, based on that smile alone. Perfect for being the new #SelfieExpert endorser.

OPPO unveiled the  ‘new face of the selfie expert’—the special edition F1s Limited that sports a metallic grey color together with the new celebrity ambassador Alden Richards on Nov 8 at SM MOA Atrium.   The launch was attended by OPPO executives headed by Brand Marketing Manager Stephen Cheng, Lazada CEO and Co -Founder Inanch Balci,  PBA President Media 5 Chot Reyes,  and the media.

Celebrity Kapuso ambassador Alden Richards signed in the deal with OPPO execs before the public on Nov 8 at SM MOA Atrium.

 “We are thrilled to welcome Alden Richards to our growing OPPO family,” Brand Marketing Manager Stephen Cheng said. “We can’t wait to see how Alden will help us redefine our selfie-taking experiences.”

The F1s first made waves among Filipino smartphone users last August. The new smartphone was such a hit that more than 19,000 units across the country sold out in just three days after its debut.

National sweetheart
Alden Richards expressed his excitement to work with OPPO, the Philippine’s second bestselling smartphone brand according to a report by German-based market research firm GfK.

“Selfies capture life’s most unforgettable moments in a very spontaneous way. I’m proud to be part of a family that celebrates those special moments,” Richards shared.

Richards is the other half of the phenomenal power couple AlDub, who stars in a segment of long-running noontime show Eat Bulaga. The love team generated a record-breaking number of tweets last March in one of their episodes, a feat recognized by the Guinness World Records during the tenth anniversary of micro-blogging site Twitter.

The selfie expert
Nicknamed the ‘selfie expert’, the OPPO F1s has a 16-megapixel front-facing camera that can snap bright selfies even in dim light thanks to its large aperture. It also helps users achieve a flawless look through its upgraded beautifying app, Beautify 4.0.

Apart from static selfies, the F1s can create moving images using its Super GIF feature, as well as double-exposure shots that juxtapose two images in one photo to create a sense of motion.

Lightning-fast fingerprint recognition also unlocks the phone in 0.22 seconds. Five fingerprints can be assigned to five contacts or applications for quick access.

The F1s is currently available in gold and rose gold. Concept and dealer stores nationwide will take pre-orders of F1s Limited starting today until November 11. Pre-orders can also be placed through the online shop Lazada. Customers who pre-order will also receive an exclusive set of VR and selfie stick for free.

Robinsons Supermarket shares the gift of health and wellness through "Give" campaign

Robinsons Supermarket recently held the “Give Wellness” event at the Eastwood Mall in Libis, Quezon City last November 5.  We rounded the Christmas-themed wellness activities, together with shoppers and families.  I pedaled my way to reach the PHP100,000 worth of donations to World Vision. I posed with Santa Claus, played a game to get me an ecobag, ate the tastiest CDO Hotdog on stick. It was a fun afternoon for all of us who attended the "Give Wellness" event.

Robinsons Supermarket launches its "Give" promo which will run from November 1 to December 31, 2016 on November 5 at the Eastwood Mall.

The “Give” promo culminates Robinsons Supermarket’s year-long Route to Wellness campaign which started with “Explore” in March, “Learn” in May, “Wellness Festival” in July, and “Celebrate” in September. The campaign encourages customers to go on a wellness journey and to collect premium items and gift certificates.

During the promo period, customers can get a free potluck bag for a minimum single receipt of PHP3,000, inclusive of PHP500 worth of participating products from Nestle, Foodsphere, Purefoods, Selecta, Unilever, Kojiesan, Del Monte, and Wyeth. 

In addition to the PHP100 gift certificate they will receive when they complete 5 stamps within the promo period, customers can also get a Healthy You Wellness Reward worth PHP1,500 when they complete all 25 stamps of the Route to Wellness card. Healthy You is Robinsons Supermarket’s exclusive healthy brand. 

For every Healthy You Wellness Reward availed by customers, Robinsons Supermarket will also donate PHP10 to non-profit Christian humanitarian organization World Vision, to further celebrate the spirit of giving.

Throughout the Christmas season, the “Give Wellness” event will travel to different areas nationwide to enable people to discover and share the gift of health and wellness to others.

Find out more about Robinsons Supermarket’s Give promo and activities. Like it on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RobinsonsSupermarketOfficial or visit its official website at http://www.robinsons-supermarket.com.ph to stay updated on the activities that it has in store, and learn more about the #ILoveWellness campaign.

HOOQ partners with Globe Studios for OTJ: The Series

I have seen OTJ the movie  which stars Piolo Pascual. three years ago. I should say it was a well acted and directed tagalog movie by award-winning director/producer Erik Matti. I loved how all the actors played their characters so well. Upon checking Rotten Tomatoes for review. It garners 100% from Tomatometer and has positive reviews from the top movie critics.

When I heard that Erik Matti will do OTJ : The Series for HOOQ  I am excited and expected the series to be good as the movie. This time there has a change of casting headed by Teroy Guzman, Bela Padilla, Nonoy Froilan, Neil Ryan Sese, Arjo Atayde among others. 

HOOQ Asia’s first and largest premium video-on-demand service in partnership with Globe Studios revealed the star studded cast of OTJ: The Series to the media last Nov 8.

"We scoured the whole industry to find the best actors for OTJ and Im honored to be a part of this magnificent cast" said Erik Matti.

Based on Erik Matti’s multi-award winning movie OTJ, or On The Job, the original series marks the first big production created exclusively for an online video service in the region.

Bela Padilla

Arjo Atayde

Leading the cast is Teroy Guzman who plays SISOY a media veteran in his fifties, Nonoy Froilan who plays the role of PEDRING a politician, Bela Padilla is PAM a feisty journalist, and Neil Ryan Sese is ROMAN, the hired gun. Also part of the stellar cast are Arjo Atayde, Smokey Manaloto, Dominic Ochoa, Jake Macapagal, and Christopher de Leon

OTJ: The Series Season 1 follows the story of four people--SISOY, a corrupt local media man under the payroll of PEDRING, the treacherous father of the town's ruling political clan; PAM, a passionate and honest big network investigative journalist from Manila and ROMAN, a principled hired gun regularly brought out of prison to kill. Their paths cross when eight journalists from Sisoy's town are massacred by Roman’s group and buried without a trace a day before Christmas Eve.

Christopher de Leon

Dominic Ochoa

Pam jumps on the case just as Sisoy discovers his connection to Pedring won't help him find out what happened to his friends. Despite their differences, the two work together to untangle the web of lies, controversy and corruption in a media circus where the truth keeps eluding them.



The six-part series is co-produced by Reality Entertainment the independent film outfit of Matti and Dondon Monteverde in partnership with Globe Studios.

Director Erik Matti

‘It’s about time that we expand the themes that we started in the original On The Job movie,’ states award-winning director/producer Erik Matti.  ‘Creating a mini-series exclusively for a video-on-demand service like HOOQ will allow us to explore unique stories that will be sure to pull in viewers who will want to get more immersed in this compelling world we’re building.’

For HOOQ, this is the first venture into producing original content. It is a natural alignment to HOOQ’s content strategy to differentiate its content and to play a part in growing the local content industry.

Krishnan Rajagopalan

“HOOQ Originals enhance our best-in-market content offering by adding exclusive local movies and TV series that are made for SVOD, and we are very excited to partner with both Reality Films as well as Globe to produce the first HOOQ original here in the Philippines,” says Krishnan Rajagopalan, HOOQ Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer.

Jeffrey Remigio

“OTJ has become one of the most iconic films in recent history and we want to continue to elevate that high standard set by the movie,” says Jeffrey Remigio, Director of Content at HOOQ Philippines.

Dan Horan

Globe Senior Advisor for Consumer Business Dan Horan furthers, ‘We are very excited to finally start production of this new venture as it strengthens our commitment to provide the best content for our customers whether they are at home or on mobile. From partnering with content producers, we are now taking the next big step by co-producing all original materials, and Director Erik Matti’s OTJ series is the perfect choice given the success of its movie counterpart.’

Dan Horan and Jil Go

Globe's  Jil Go, Cheska Ambrosio, Quark Henares and Aira

HOOQ will be releasing OTJ in the Philippines and internationally to its other markets such as Thailand, India and Indonesia.

HOOQ currently holds the largest catalogue of Filipino content of any video-on-demand service from top local studios like GMA, Viva Communications, Regal Entertainment, and ABS-CBN. It has also increased its kids content through new partnerships withViacom, Hasbro, MoMax, amongst others.HOOQ has also recently unveiled a mobile-first UX that enables customers to easily find movies, create playlists and discover even more content.

HOOQ, a start-up venture between Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros., is an award-winning service that empowers customers with unlimited online streaming access and an offline viewing option to top Hollywood and Filipino movies and television content, on any device including computers, smartphones tablets, smart TVs via Google Chromecast and now also on Airplay and mobile web.

Jil Bausa Go

Jane Cruz Walker,HOOQ Country Manager

How to get HOOQ
It’s easy to get HOOQ!  Sign up today for a 7-day trial on www.HOOQ.tv.  Globe mobile customers can get up to 90 days HOOQ subscription selected GoSURF plans.  Broadband customers also get HOOQ on Globe Home Broadband.  Once the trial period expires, Globe customers can continue enjoying HOOQ at P149 subscription fee monthly charged to their Globe bill.  Simply text HOOQ149 to 8888.

Smart unveils bigger and better data packages to subscribers

Just in time for the Holiday season, Smart Communications is showering its subscribers with a lot of exciting perks, rewards, bigger data allocation– and the most affordable LTE-capable smartphone!


Smart made a string of announcements during its latest Unbox event on Nov.8,  coinciding with the launch of a bigger and brighter Smart Flagship Store at SM Annex in North EDSA. The flagship store features the brand’s trademark state-of-the-art interactive walls and activity tables to better engage and serve customers.

“We remain committed in our vision of making every Filipino break norms and embrace the multiple opportunities that the digital world brings. This is why we are unveiling bigger and better data packages for our subscribers, and welcome stronger partnerships with device makers and content providers,” said Kat Luna-Abelarde, Smart Wireless Consumer Operations Head.

Kat Luna-Abelarde, Smart Wireless Operations Head, introduces Smart’s exciting new offers at the Unbox event held at the new Smart Flagship Store in SM Annex

“This Christmas, we are also empowering our subscribers with more convenient and rewarding ways to enjoy digital services at their fingertips, turning their phones into a wallet they can use to purchase load, shop online, book an Uber, or subscribe to the latest hit series – among a list of endless possibilities,” she added.

Richer digital lifestyle with more data
Smart subscribers may now experience a worry-free digital lifestyle with Giga Plans, the telco’s best-ever postpaid data offers with 10 times more data than its previous plans, a free app and unlimited texts to all networks.

Giga Plans is the perfect match for the latest handsets on the market, as these gadgets are best experienced with the biggest data plans available to consumers.

Kathy Carag, Smart Mobile Marketing Head, announces the Giga Plans of Smart Postpaid, and the bigger and faster data plans of Smart Bro, among other new offers.

“Data under Smart Postpaid’s Giga Plans will definitely provide a richer digital lifestyle for our Smart users. And since we are doing network improvements all over the country, digital services under Smart is just bound to get even better,” said Kathy Carag, Head of Smart’s Mobile Marketing.

Furthermore, with the new line-only Giga Plans, Smart users can do everything with twice as much data as handset plans – from binge-watching movies on iflix, keeping Waze running on out of town trips, and even post as many photos and videos on Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook.

If Smart Postpaid has Giga Plans, Smart Bro’s New Postpaid Plans have also been upgraded to offer more data for sharing online connectivity across gadgets, or with friends, anytime and anywhere. Smart Infinity, Smart’s premium postpaid brand, will also be rolling up data plans of up to 60GB allocation for members.

To monitor subscribers’ consumption of data and other services, Smart has boosted the My Smart app, a mobile and desktop platform that allows each user to manage their accounts conveniently. On this app, people are able to check their billing, their data usage and subscribe to different data promos. Prepaid users are also able to use the service to monitor their load, purchase additional credit and register to promos.

All about #SmartLove

Smart subscribers can also enjoy #SmartLove Christmas Giveaway promo for a chance to win holiday getaways, Uber and Airbnb vouchers, free data and more exciting prizes by simply participating at key events all over the country.

Smart has also partnered with ABS-CBN for iWantTV, which will pave the way for millions of Smart users to access their favorite hit TV series, shows and programs anytime and anywhere using their prepaid load or charged to their postpaid bill. Soon, iWantTV will be part of the offers under Giga Plans.

Payment solution for the shopping season

Smart recently introduced exclusive prepaid load and online shopping discounts through PayMaya, the country’s leading digital payments mobile app that allows users to get an instant virtual prepaid MasterCard that they can use for digital purchases.

 Carlo Endaya, Smart Head for Digital Products and Marketing Communications, and Kenneth Palacios, PayMaya VP and Head for International Partners, announce the partnership between Smart and PayMaya to introduce Smart Mastercard, which Smart subscribers can conveniently use for their purchases while enjoying exciting perks.


Carlo Endaya, Smart Head for Digital Products and Marketing Communications, and Kenneth Palacios, PayMaya VP and Head for International Partners, announce the partnership between Smart and PayMaya to introduce Smart Mastercard, which Smart subscribers can conveniently use for their purchases while enjoying exciting perks.

By downloading the PayMaya app on their Android or iOS phones and registering with their Smart, TNT, or Sun mobile number, subscribers will be able to instantly get a virtual prepaid Smart MasterCard, which they can load up and use in millions of online merchants and digital services worldwide that accept MasterCard.

Smart subscribers who download the PayMaya app and use their virtual prepaid Smart MasterCard can also get as much as 10% discount on Smart prepaid load when they buy in-app, as well as enjoy exciting perks and discounts from Zalora, Jollibee, and many other big brands soon.

Smart World for Filipino travelers

Smart is also beefing up its lineup of roaming services to suit the diverse needs of today’s travelers.

  Tina Mariano, Smart World Head, unveils Chat Abroad and Smart World Travel WiFi, which allow travelers to easily connect to their friends and loved ones while traveling in 130 countries.

Tina Mariano, Smart World Head, unveils Chat Abroad and Smart World Travel WiFi, which allow travelers to easily connect to their friends and loved ones while traveling in 130 countries.

With Smart Chat Abroad, Smart Prepaid subscribers now have another option when communicating back home. Smart Chat Abroad is a data roaming service that allows subscribers to use six popular chat messaging apps—Facebook Messenger, Viber, Telegram, WeChat, Line, and WhatsApp—while travelling in over 130 countries. The service comes at a fixed rate of only P150 per day.

 Joachim Horn, Smart Chief Technology and Information Adviser, talks about the massive Smart network transformation to provide subscribers with an awesome digital lifestyle.

Joachim Horn, Smart Chief Technology and Information Adviser, talks about the massive Smart network transformation to provide subscribers with an awesome digital lifestyle.

If you need bigger data while traveling, the telco will soon be making available the Smart World Travel WiFi, a Pocket WiFi which Smart and non-Smart subscribers can rent to enjoy mobile data in 130 countries starting at P399 per day.

FUN HOME Broadway Musical stars Tony Award winner Ms. Lea Salonga in Manila

Lea Salonga and Eric Kunze

The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical FUN HOME is coming to Manila this November 10-27 the cast headed by Tony Award Winner Ms Lea Salonga, Eric Kunze, Cris Villongco and Laurence Mossman was presented to the media last Nov. 4 at Makati Diamond Residences.


FUN HOME was the most awarded and acclaimed musical of 2015 winning 5 Tony Awards including Best Musical. When her father dies unexpectedly, graphic novelist Alison dives deep into her past to tell the story of the volatile, brilliant, one-of-a-kind man whose temperament and secrets defined her family and her life.

Moving between past and present, Alison relives her unique childhood playing at the family’s Bechdel Funeral Home, her growing understanding of her own sexuality, and the looming unanswerable questions about her father’s hidden desires.

Cris Villongco and Laurence Mossman

FUN HOME is based on Alison Bechdel's best-selling graphic memoir FUN HOME and features music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by Lisa Kron. The New York Times calls it, "THE BEST NEW MUSICAL TO OPEN ON BROADWAY.”

As previously announced, Lea Salonga and Eric Kunze will be leading the cast of FUN HOME. It will mark Lea’s first musical in Manila since she played Grizabella in CATS in 2010. Her last stage appearance in Manila was in Atlantis Productions’ critically acclaimed play GOD OF CARNAGE in 2012. She will be playing Helen Bechdel, Alison’s distant mother  is an English teacher and former actress. Eric Kunze, has starred in Broadway productions such as LES MISERABLES, MISS SAIGON, and DAMN YANKEES, among many others. He played Marius opposite Salonga’s Eponine on Broadway, 23 years ago. He will be playing Bruce Bechdel, Alison’s complex father who is a part-time mortician and avid home restorer.

Eric Kunze 

Cris Villonco will play the central role of Alison, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante will play Medium Alison and Katie Bradshaw and Andee Achacoso alternate as Small Alison.

Yanah Laurel plays Joan with Ronan Crisologo, Daniel Drilon and Teddy Velasco alternating as Chrstian. Noel Comia and Albert Silos alternate as John while Laurence Mossman plays Roy/ Pete / Mark and Bobby Jeremy.

Bobby Garcia, who will be directing FUN HOME, says, “Dreams do come true, It is an honor to be able to stage FUN HOME in Manila with this stellar cast It is a ground breaking and trailblazing musical that needs to be seen by audiences all over the world I am thrilled that it will premiere internationally in Manila We hope you will all come and join us at the FUN HOME” Joining Garcia In the Creative Team are Musical Director Ceejay Javier, Vocal Director ManMan Angsico, Choreographer Cecile Martinez, Light

Designer , Adam Honore, Set Designer Faust Peneyra, Costume Designer Oz Go, Sound Designer Kevin Heard, Production Designer  GA Fallarme and Hair and Makeup Design Johann dela Fuente.

The New York producers of FUN HOME issued a statement saying, “We’re thrilled to have the first international production of ‘Fun Home’ confirmed for the Philippines, and how exciting to have Lea Salonga, one of Broadway’s most beloved stars, leading the company,”

FUN HOME is also brought to you by ABS-CBN, Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star, Monster Radio RX 93.1, Retro Radio DCG-FM, Wish 107.5, Mc Graphic Carranz, Royce’, Mc Donald’s, Makati Diamond Residences, Make Up For Ever, Portfolio Studios, Arlington Memorial Chapels and Crematory, Hit Productions Inc., Mandaue Foam, MVNDO Magazine,DigitaI Ki and David’s Salon.

FUN HOME is recommended for ages 13 and up. Parental Supervision is encouraged. Children under the age of 7 are not permitted in the theatre.

FUN HOME plays a limited run of 18 shows from November 10- 27, 2016 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati.

When: November 10-27, 2016; 8:00 pm (Weekdays), 3:00 pm & 8:00 pm (Weekends)

Where: Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, 4th Floor, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Ave., cor. Gil Puyat Ave. Makati City

Ticket Prices:

P4,180.00 Orchestra Center

P3,657.50 Orchestra Center / Left

P3,135.00 Loge Center / Sides

P1,567.50 Balcony





Tickets for FUN HOME are available now at Ticketworld at 891-9999.