Double the surprise with Red Ribbon’s new Double Deck Dedication Cake

Everyone's growing up spending their birthdays, anniversaries, graduation and more with the number 1 bakeshop  Red Ribbon. Now, Red Ribbon offers you a new double deck celebration cake for the whole family and barkada to enjoy.

Cakes have been integral in every Filipino celebration, more particularly during birthdays. This time, Red Ribbon—one of the leading bakeshops in the country—is offering a double treat to your loved ones with its new Double Deck Dedication Cake.

This two-layer cake offers more layers of chocolate goodness to make your child’s party an even happier birthday. With its layers of bursting chocolatey flavor, your child’s guests will surely line up for more slices.

According to Zinnia Rivera, general manager of Red Ribbon, the new Double Deck Dedication Cake is a rich chocolate cake with fudgy chocolate icing topped with colorful sugar confetti, dots & stars. This can be personalized with one’s special message.

“Mothers always want the best for their children. They are constantly finding new ways to recreate how their child will cherish their special day,” Rivera said.

 “With the new two-layer Dedication Cake, mothers can now make their children’s party two times grander without going beyond their budget.”

Before, special two-layer cakes are only present during birthdays, debuts, weddings and graduation. Now, Red Ribbon makes it possible for families to make any day a bigger celebration while allowing more budget for other expenditures.

While saving on budget, you can also share the slices of the cake with 26 people because it has a base layer of 8x12 inches and a top layer of 6x8 inches. This cake is now available in all Red Ribbon stores nationwide.

“Now that there’s a double deck cake in place, there’s a bigger cake with a taste of premium for all the guests,” Rivera said. “Truly, Red Ribbon complements every Filipino table with its delightful treats, making every moment more worth-remembering.”

As the company explores new product offerings to make every day worth celebrating for, Red Ribbon now offers its gold standard for birthday cakes in the form of its new Double Deck Dedication Cake.

Rivera concluded, “Cakes are known staples for every Filipino table whenever there’s a celebration, may it be as grand as your son’s 7th birthday or as simple as your daughter’s achievement in class. Coupling the cake with a dedication as sweet as its taste is what makes the occasion more memorable.”


To know more about Red Ribbon and its many delights, visit the website at www.redribbonbakeshop.com.

‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ actress stars as Ant Queen in Adventure Time; premieres September 26 only on Cartoon Network

Known as a Warrior Princess in the long-running TV show Xena: Warrior Princess, Lucy Lawless stars as the Ant Queen in Adventure Time’s newest episode, “The Dentist”, premieres on September 26 on Cartoon Network.

The episode begins with Finn complaining of a severe toothache to which Jake responds that he must “go Dentist”. Finn soon finds out that a visit to the dentist can involve battling bizarre creatures and answering to an Ant Queen.



Played by Lawless, the character of Ant Queen was modelled on New Zealand’s former Prime Minister, Helen Clark, whom Lawless impersonated for the role. “I was kind of surprised when they asked me to do a Kiwi accent because in the old days Americans couldn’t understand us at all. But times have changed. After all, Lady Rainicorn speaks Korean which I must say is really cool,” she said.

The episode also marked one of Lawless’ first forays into voice acting. “Voiceovers are a completely different kind of performance. You’re not supposed to overact and yet all your being has to be in your voice. It’s a very special skill I’d like to master but it’s not as easy as you’d think,” she said.

As Lawless dreams of more opportunities to lend her voice to Cartoon Network characters, she shares her plot for a dream Adventure Time x Xena: Warrior Princess episode.

“I would have Ice King open up a wormhole to steal Xena the Warrior Princess out of her homeland to marry her, only he steals Gabrielle by mistake. The real Xena would have to follow them and enlist the help of Finn, Jake and Marceline to save her friend from an embarrassing, insoluble marriage,” Lawless joked.

Lawless also mused on her performance as an ant. “I know this sounds crazy, but I kind of hated being small!” she said.

“The Dentist” premieres on Saturday, September 26, 10:00am only on the number 1 kids’ channel, Cartoon Network. Also stay tuned for the premiere of new series Exchange Student Zero at 6:45pm later that day.

Cartoon Network is available on SKYCable Channel 43, SKYCable HD Channel 178, Cignal Channel 35, Cignal HD Channel 110, Destiny Cable (Digital) Channel 43, Destiny Cable (Analog) Channel 51, Cable Link Channel 26, Dream Satellite Channel 15.

Follow Lucy Lawless on Twitter here. https://twitter.com/RealLucyLawless

Philam Life introduces own Group Medical Insurance

Photo shows (from left) Philam Life Head of Corporate Solutions (CS) Sales Erwin Go, Philam Life Chief Agency Officer Anagel Ledesma, AIA Group Special Advisor to the Regional CEO Bobby Madrid, Philam Life CEO Axel Bromley, Medilink President and CEO Esther Go, Philam Life Head of CS Gerry Cariaso and Medilink COO Josephine Lopez during the launch of the Health Link medical insurance plan.



Philam Life, the country’s premier life insurance company, recently launched a comprehensive Group Medical Insurance plan through its Corporate Solutions arm.

 Employers can now avail of flexible and extensive medical insurance for their employees depending on their need and budget.

Diageo PH empowers women through Plan W 2015

With the aim of empowering two million women across all socio-economic profiles by 2017, Diageo’s community investment program, Plan W, has been actively creating programs that nurture and develop the skills of women. Today it is implementing its program in the Philippines by creating a campaign geared towards the country’s passion: singing.

In a country where there is limited formal music training yet a flourishing singing industry, grassroots music teachers and conductors continue to struggle to raise the quality and standards of singing. This is further strained by the limited reputation, employment, and artistic growth opportunities that these self-taught music advocates experience. Plan W Philippines recognizes this and thus, in cooperation with Sing Philippines, will provide teachers and choir conductors the proper training in organizing, sustaining, and nurturing choirs.

Plan W Philippines aims to increase the competence, credibility, and long-term sustainable employment of women choir conductors and teachers in all regions of the country. Its target participants will be women conductors and choral group teachers who have the potential and ability to teach music, but have limited opportunity, resources, and access to formal training and education. Through Plan W Philippines’ program, these women will be provided with practical skills to organize and sustain choirs as they work towards uplifting the standards of choral singing in their respective communities.

“Diageo Philippines, through Plan W, affirms the Filipino’s gift for music and gives its women the opportunity to celebrate life in the way the country knows best: singing,” Diageo Philippines General Manager Jon God said. “Globally, Diageo knows that when women have access to learning and have an opportunity to pursue their passion, it creates a powerful ripple effect that impacts the society around them positively. This is Plan W’s priority, and is part of the company’s 2020 Sustainability and Responsibility targets which aims to build thriving communities.”

The program will be delivered by employing both immersion-type and experience-based training, supplemented with practice through coaching, cliniquing, and demonstration. It is divided into two stages.

During the first stage, the selected women teachers will attend a week-long experience-based immersion program covering essential competencies. The workshops and coaching sessions will be taught by Sing Philippines’ faculty and will cover a range of topics that will introduce participants to the key critical skills needed to empower them to organize, lead, and develop purpose-focused and culture-building vocal ensembles in their community and schools. These include sessions on musicality and musicianship, choral conducting, teaching techniques, and organizational management skills. The first stage also entails having the participants rehearse and perform as a women’s chorus to ensure that their training is more practical than theoretical.

During the second stage, participants will be sent back to their communities in order for them to develop their own singing groups. Workshop trainers will visit the participants to observe the application of their learnings and to provide guidance as the women work with their choirs in their respective localities. This will culminate in a local concert, thus introducing the outcome to the local community. This reinforces the goal of empowering women to make a difference by nurturing the Filipino culture to their communities through the inclusive nature of ensemble music.

“Outside of the few urban centers of the country, there are very limited opportunities and venues to train choir conductors and music ensemble teachers,” said Mark Anthony Carpio, Artistic Director of Sing Philippines. “Through Sing Philippines, Plan W addresses this need and opportunity by equipping women music teachers and choir conductors with practical skills that they may apply to their singing groups. This will have a multiplier effect: through these women, young singers will be exposed to a choral experience and thus develop a life-long passion for it. In turn, the future conductors and teachers will come from the ranks of these passionately engaged singers as well.”

Plan W, globally, aims to enable women to have the skills and resources to build better futures for themselves. Diageo believes that if women are empowered, they have more access to opportunities, thus their incomes increase, their families become healthier, and their children have greater access to education.

By teaching participants how to conduct choirs, Plan W Philippines not only empowers women, but also brings communities together. It not only creates skills, but also sparks the inner joy that drives its participants to passionately pursue their goals. This achieves the overarching goal of the programme: to progress society.

Diageo is the first beverage alcohol company to sign the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles globally. To date, Plan W has empowered more than 115,000 women and trained more than 43,000 men across 16 countries, impacting more than 575,000 people.

Health and happiness in a convenient package for employees

Happy and healthy employees lead to improved morale and higher productivity. This is why providing attractive medical benefits for a company’s workforce is essential. It is also one of the key considerations of employees in choosing which company to work for.

While providing employee medical benefits is a sound investment for employers, many are still daunted by the cost and challenges of medical insurance application for their employees. Luckily, there are companies that provide medical benefits to large groups that don’t cost as much as employers think.

Philam Life, the country’s premier life insurance company, recently launched a comprehensive Group Medical Insurance plan through its Corporate Solutions arm. Employers can now avail of flexible and extensive medical insurance for their employees depending on their need and budget.

“Companies need to take care of their workforce if they want them to be efficient and productive,” said Philam Life CEO Axel Bromley. “With the new Group Medical Insurance plan, Philam Life empowers employers with the right solution to address the real life needs of their employees,” Bromley emphasized.

In partnership with Medilink, the pioneer in state-of-the-art technology solutions in the healthcare industry, Philam Life introduced Health Link, a packaged plan for micro and small businesses that gives employees the best of both HMO and medical reimbursement programs while providing life insurance benefits.

"We believe that healthcare is a universal human need. It should be affordable, accessible and efficient," explained Medilink President and CEO Esther Go. "We are pleased to support Philam Life's newest product. Trust that our commitment to quality services and innovation will remain as strong as ever."

Employers can choose from any of Health Link’s basic benefits like Basic Medical/Inpatient Benefits, Group Life Insurance, Accidental Death, Dismemberment & Disability Benefit and Total & Permanent Disability Income Benefit.

They can also add optional medical benefits such as Annual Physical Exams, Dental Benefits and Outpatient Benefits which include physician/specialist consultations and x-ray and laboratory tests. The benefits and premiums of Philam Life’s Health Link can be customized depending on the budget or needs of the employer.

Philam Life’s Health Link is available for small business owners with at least five regular employees. Employees may also enroll their legal spouse, children, parents and siblings as their dependents. For large companies or non-employee-employer groups, Philam Life can customize a plan specific to their requirements, too.


Insured members who need financial and medical assistance must simply present their Philam Life membership card to any hospital, clinic or doctor accredited by Medilink. In case their preferred hospital, clinic or doctor is not accredited with Medilink, members can still avail of their services and subsequently, reimburse the expenses incurred. All benefits will be subject to their plan limits.


To know more about Group Medical Insurance or Health Link, contact Philam Life Corporate Solutions via phone at (02) 528-5363, or email at PHI.PAL-CSNewBiz@aia.com. You may also visit www.philamlife.com.

SyncRUNize lets you test your physical and mental prowess on Sept.19 at ARCA South

I have been meaning to do this for quite some time now. It has been in my bucketlist but I really have to prepare in 2 weeks time to gather the much needed stamina.  To participate in a fun run with obstacles along the way is a feat itself. it requires you to flex your muscles and exercise your brain too ( they have some Math to calculate, along with the obstacles).  Since everyone is into healthy lifestyle, I would be considering doing this, watch and wait for me.

Last August 27, Synchrunize launches its mobile-app integrated adventure at Mind Museum, by offering the media who were present to join the mini obstacles set up inside the Mind Museum.
Participants downloaded the SyncRUNize mobile app (which is available on either  Google Play and iOS). The app directs participants from one checkpoint to another where they accomplished the physical and mental challenge.

            Synchronize your watches for a grand adventure in ARCA South. The 74-hectare Taguig property, set to become a new “city in sync” as master-planned by Ayala Land, Inc., is hosting a mobile-app integrated adventure run on Saturday, September 19, 2015.

            SyncRUNize will be unlike other regular 5 km runs as it challenges both body and mind through a number of physical obstacles and mental drills. Racers will first have to download the exclusive SyncRUNize mobile app available on Google Play and iOS. The app directs participants from one checkpoint to another where they will have to accomplish the physical or mental challenge before they can get to the next.

            ARCA South has partnered with Guerilla Race, organizers of the fierce sport Guerilla Race Series, to specially design the obstacle course. Mental drills, which can include calculations, stock knowledge tests, or abstract reasoning were designed by Go Go Hunt. Other partners are The North Face, Fox, Oculus Archery and as the partner-beneficiary of the event, the Help Educate and Rear Orphans (HERO) Foundation. Part of the proceeds from SyncRUNize will serve as educational aid to the children of soldiers incapacitated or killed in the line of duty.

            Racers can compete as individuals or as teams of four.  They will get a chance to win P90,000 worth of cash and prizes for individual and group winners. At the end of the race, participants can celebrate their victory at Sync City, where they can enjoy the interactive booths and the food market.

“SyncRUNize is the kind of event that embodies the principle behind ARCA South as a City in Sync,” said Mr. Stephen Comia, ARCA South Project Development Manager. “The development is envisioned to be the newest CBD in Taguig where all the elements that make a city are present and in sync. In addition, the efficient management of the road network, traffic, communications, environment, security and other systems in ARCA South are primary.”

With DOTC’s planned Integrated Transport System (ITS) –South Terminal being recently awarded to Ayala Land, Inc., ARCA South will become one of the most highly connected districts in the city. This world-class transport terminal will rise beside ARCA South and increase accessibility to the property. The direct link to the Skyway and C5/ C6 highways will also make ARCA South minutes away from Makati, Bonifacio Global City and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

ARCA South will also eventually operate with a centralized system for traffic, power and security management, furthering its vision of being a city in sync. The district will be highly pedestrianized, punctuated by green spaces and streetscapes, and integrated basement parking to free the streets.
Registration for SyncRUNize is available on www.arcasouth.ph or in Chris Sports branches nationwide until September 18, 2015.

To get to ARCA South, participants can take the East Service Road along South Luzon Expressway or C5 in Taguig.  While for those interested to take the public transport, for a minimum fee of P30 per person per roundtrip, participants can also avail of shuttle services to the race via pick up points in Tower 1 in Ayala Avenue, Makati; TriNoma Mall, Quezon City; and Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa.

MR PIZZA OPENS SECOND BRANCH AT ROB PLACE MANILA

Reeling from the success of its first restaurant at Greenbelt 3 in Makati, Mr. Pizza, Korea’s Number 1 chain opens its sophomore branch at the ground floor level of Robinson’s Place in Manila.

Mr. Pizza Philippines’ new outlet is set to delight more guests with pizza flavors so well-loved that they have built a cult following.

“We aim to bring Mr. Pizza to more locations because diners deserve nothing but the best,” says Chanky Tiangco, Mr. Pizza Philippines’ marketing manager. 

Mr Pizza Philippines’ second branch is the brand’s 508th worldwide.

Mr. Pizza abides by the 300% principle:  100% Hand-Kneaded, 100% Full-Hearted Topping, and 100% Grill-Baked.

Its strict compliance to global standards in the areas of cleanliness, kitchen sanitation, ambiences, and customer service speaks of the brand’s firm commitment to customer satisfaction.

“We provide guests an exceptional experience. We take no shortcuts and showcase how our pizzas are made. Our goal is to keep our customers in awe,” adds Tiangco.

The difference is obvious. The pizzas toppings are full, and the dough is fresh. The crust is not greasy or oily. It has a soft texture because it’s grill-baked.

With premium toppings and six different crusts to choose from, Mr Pizza is undoubtedly the most unique among today’s pizza brands.

Eggta, Seafood Island, Potato Gold, Gesal Montand, and Macho Grande, and are some of Mr Pizza’s popular flavors here in the Philippines.

Originated in 1990, Mr Pizza is the only food brand listed in the KOSDAQ (Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations), a first in the food and beverage industry.

In 2014, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy named Mr Pizza “World Class Product Korea,” the first time awarded to a brand in the F&B sector.

Mr Pizza is set to take the big leap to make it the No. 1 pizza brand in the world, with at least 50 more branches set to open in China.

“We hope to open three more Mr Pizza Philippines branches before the end of the year. We take pride in being part of a growing restaurant chain that is truly-world class,” concludes Tiangco.

Follow Mr Pizza Philippines @mrpizzaph on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The stories of hope and courage by the SCARvivors

Its been almost 2 decades  after the Ozone Disco Fire in 1996.  The fire that claimed the lives of 162 teenagers in Quezon City.  It was heartbreaking and painful seeing parents and relatives looking for their lost kin in the rubble.  It was chaotic.    A year after the tragedy, survivors  were presented and narrated their story on national TV. I prayed that they have survived the tragedy physically and emotionally and that they live a normal life after all these years.

Everyone has scars to keep. Every wound that became a scar has its own story. I for one has two due to my appendectomy and cholecystectomy, whenever I see them, I pat myself for being braved,  enough to underwent an operation. The scars reminded me that if the operation did not push through or misdiagnosed, I would have pronounced dead by then.

The Scarvivors event press launch was held on August 27, 2015, 10 am at Amici Restaurant. It was graced by Dr. Jose Joven Cruz, President of PAPRAS and Dr. Dorothy Dy Ching Bing Burn Rehabilitation Consultant on burn centers in the Philippines; and Nikoy De Guzman, one of the SCARvivors, gave his closing remarks. The Scarvivors were presented to the media.


Scars may be a reminder of pain and personal tragedy. However, scars are also a sign healing wounds.
They are a testament to an individual’s courage and resilience. Scars mean closure on whatever pain and tragedy has happened, and it is something that can be visually improved as part of the healing process.

Scarvivor, is an advocacy from the country’s leading scar management brand Contractubex  (Extractum Cepae + Heparin + Allantoin), in support of the burn centers of the Philippines, and the Philippine Association of Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeons (PAPRAS) mission. As part of the advocacy, Contractubex proudly shares inspirational and life-changing stories from 6 courageous SCARvivors.

“There were issues with those big scars, particularly after my first modified radical mastectomy when I was just 28. Then, I realized It’s about getting well.  What you went through. and getting over that,” says Nikoy de Guzman, who has undergone a double mastectomy.

“Hindi ka lang scarred physically. Pati yung self-esteem mo natamaan. Nung time na yun, I didn’t want people looking at my scars. Ngayon, I know there’s more about me than my scars,” shares Sherilyn Bruan, a survivor of the Ozone Disco fire.

“My scars are very big and my left leg was deformed. It was a very difficult experience,   but with the help of many loving people especially my Mom and Dad, I am now on my road to complete recovery,” says Giboy Billena, a 13-year-old bone cancer survivor.

“Dahil sa scars, dati binubully ako. Sinusulatan yung libro ko ng sunog. Ganun. Pero hindi ko hinayaang masira ang buhay ko,” says Rubylyn Cua Rodel, who got burned in an accident.

“My experience has been a painful struggle. But I didn’t let it hinder me from doing the things I wanted to do. I want others to know that you can be so much more than your scars. Just trust yourself and your will to fight,” shares Dwight Bayona, a racer who lost his leg in an accident.

“Ang mahalaga, muli akong makabalik sa aking tungkulin. Dala ng paninilbihan ang sugat na ito, nagbibigay sa akin ng lakas ng loob,” according to Richard Tagapan, a PNP SAF officer injured in the line of duty. 


The SCARvivor exhibit at Exhibit Space 3, UGF Building A, SM Megamall runs from August 27, 2015 to September 2, 2015.

We encourage you to be part of the advocacy by visiting the exhibit and extending your support to other SCARvivors out there.

You can also support the SCARvivor advocacy by purchasing Contractubex.  For every Contractubex purchased, patients from selected burn centers will be given their own SCARvivor Kit. This is in line with the commitment of Contractubex to helping patients manage scars, so that someday, being SCARvivors themselves,  only their stories of hope and courage remain.

Marked for Death in Sinister next chapter - "Sinister 2"

                From the producers of highly profitable horror films such as “Paranormal Activity,” “The Purge,” “Insidious,” “Sinister” and “Ouija” franchises which have grossed more than $1.4 billion worldwide comes the alarmingly horrifying sequel “Sinister 2.”   After the original “Sinister” grossed over $80 million at the box office worldwide in 2012, writers Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill are back again this time with Ciaran Foy who directed the second instalment in the terrifying franchise.


                Picking up where the first film ended, “Sinister 2” follows Deputy So-and-So investigating the serial murders that his late friend Ellison Oswalt failed to solve in time. His investigation leads him to a farmhouse where he meets a new family - Courtney Collins(Shannyn Sossamon)  and her twin sons Zach and Dylan  (portrayed by real-life brothers Robert and Dartanian Sloan) who are on the run from their abusive husband and father, Clint. They've sought refuge in a friend's uninhabited farmhouse with a dark past. Unbeknownst to Courtney, Dylan and Zach uncover a set of home-made films and meet the Ghost Kids contained within them … continuing Bughuul's reign of terror.

                “The character from the first film, So & So, is someone Courtney doesn’t know at all – much less that he has become driven to solve the Bughuul mystery. When his findings lead him to the abandoned house in which we are hiding, his instinct is to protect them from what they’re running from. All the while, he is trying to solve and deal with this horror that he can’t quite say out loud.” 
             
                The actress reveals, “Courtney wonders if she can trust him because that’s a big part of who she is. The scariest parts for me on this movie were the scenes with the ex-husband. I struggled with those in pre-production and when we finally filmed the scenes.”

                Unlike Ethan Hawke’s character of Ellison in Sinister, Shannyn Sossamon’s character of Courtney in Sinister 2 has no idea that she has resettled her family to a place where murder had occurred. Derrickson explains, “She’s a woman who has recently fled from the husband who badly mistreated her and her boys, twins named Dylan and Zach. It’s through the two kids that we come to find out where they’re taking refuge was the site of a Bughuul disciples’ murder – and of another of the horrific kill films.

                “So in the new movie, children play much bigger roles; their point of view is much more significant than it was in Sinister.”  Sossamon elaborates, “Courtney is experiencing her own horror in a bad marriage. She’s protective of her two boys, and makes the decision to save herself and them by going on the run from Clint, the abusive husband and father.

                “Sinister 2” opens in cinemas nationwide on September 9 from Pioneer Films.

Rock Legend Rick Springfield stars in "Ricki and the Flash"

At Ricki’s (Meryl Streep) side, on lead guitar in Columbia Pictures’ new dramedy “Ricki and the Flash,” director Jonathan Demme cast rock legend Rick Springfield. Best known for his 80s-era hits, including “Jessie’s Girl,” Springfield’s career has taken on new dimensions with multifaceted and complex acting roles.

“The part of Greg is definitely dual-purpose,” says Demme. “We needed a terrific actor capable of going toe-to-toe with Meryl Streep, but also an authentic shredder. I was worried about finding a great Greg. The assignment to our great casting directors was to find any actor who can play guitar and might have the capacity to step up. Find anyone in that age range – I’ll see anybody. And then Rick Springfield came in, we meet him, he’s very nice – and then he plugs in and he’s amazing.”

Later, Springfield had a second meeting with Streep – a meeting to ensure that the two actors would have chemistry together. “All of this authentic warmth comes out of him – he got Meryl to open up to stuff that she hadn’t known was there yet. He came in knowing that he would be fantastic in this part – it was an exciting opportunity to play opposite Meryl Streep, to be a band member but also play a very complicated character beyond that,” says Demme. “When he left, we thought, ‘Oh my God, we have just found the greatest Greg of all.’”

“Rick is very alive and in the moment, as a person, a performer and an actor,” says Streep. “That’s a beautiful quality and a necessary one for Greg, because he’s a tender character. He’s the lead guitar in The Flash, but he also aspires to be the man in Ricki’s life. Greg just wants her to jump in with both feet, but Ricki has a lot of problems committing, and she’s really not sure she can make it not be a lie.”

“Greg is a good guitar player who never really made it,” says Springfield. “He had a brush with success that never went anywhere. But he loves to play and has been in love with Ricki for quite a while. He’s frustrated by her noncommittal, casual attitude to their relationship, but he loves playing music with her – that’s where they unite. They share that passion for music.”

Springfield’s greatest challenge in playing the role? “Not constantly going, ‘Oh, my God, it’s Meryl Streep!’” he jokes. Kidding aside, Springfield is used to owning the stage as a rock performer, but the part of Greg required him to defer to Ricki – the leader of The Flash. “I’m a bit of a show-boater,” he admits, “so to play the support role, I modelled it off a friend of mine, who actually has that relationship with his wife on stage. It was very fortuitous that I saw them – I kind of modelled it on that relationship. It’s an emotional thing that you hook into like you do with any acting role – you hook into that person through whatever process, and that guides a lot of how you react and how you work.”

Interestingly enough, Springfield and his character share a love for a very specific instrument. “In the script, Greg had a ‘68 SG. I actually have a ‘69 SG – I bought it new in 1970 and it’s been with me ever since. It was my main guitar on my first albums, and I played it and wrote a lot of my early songs on it, including ‘Jessie’s Girl.’ So it’s a very important guitar to me. I mentioned that to Jonathan, and he said, ‘Oh, we’ve got to use it.’ It was an instant connection for me to that guitar.”

To be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide starting Sept. 9, “Ricki and the Flash” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Indonesian Food Festival at Nostalgia Dining Lounge from Sept. 8 to 18!

One of the most vibrant and colorful cuisines in the world will take center stage from September 8 to 18 at The Nostalgia Dining Lounge with an Indonesian Food Festival that is sure to rock your palate.

The dynamic and flavorful Javanese fare will be presented with the culinary expertise of Executive Chef Deden Suherman and Sous Chef Sulistyo Antonius flying in all the way from Oakwood Premier Cozmo Jakarta, Indonesia.

Experience their sumptuous and intense-flavored offerings such as the savory Satay, appetizing Java Rice to tangy Mie Goreng, among others. Your favorite Indonesian cuisine can’t get any more authentic than this! Special set menus are available daily for lunch and dinner with a weekday lunch buffet at only Php999 nett.

Nostalgia Dining Lounge is located at the 6/f of Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila, along 17 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. For reservations, please call 637.7888 loc. 8604 or email premiermanila@oakwoodasia.com.