Filipino Girl Group, 4th Power, Conquered the X Factor UK Auditions


Another Filipino pride is making waves in the international reality show stage as the Pinoy girl band, 4th Power, brought everyone in Wembley Stadium up on their feet including the judges. 

The girls were so excited and in awe as soon as they stepped on the X Factor UK stage. As they said, it's as if they're floating in the air and performing for Simon Cowell is their ultimate dream. During the interview, they promised to give their 200% best in this audition. With the audience on their feet, and the judges gone crazy over their performance, the girls did deliver. 

The following photos are screen grabbed from X Factor UK's Youtube video

Do the judges look like they're enjoying what they're seeing? I don't think so. Girls, show them some more!
Ok. So the judges just went crazy over that powerful high note!

After that brilliant performance, 4th Power received a standing ovation, not just from the wild audience, but from all the four judges too!
And their proud mom, together with the hosts, celebrate backstage.

Here are some of the remarkable comments from the judges: 


Cheryl Fernandez-Versini: Girls, you just actually took Wembley’s roof off! You know it’s funny. You came on. You’re so demure. The music kicks in. You all turned in to four little bad girls up there and it blew my mind. 


Rita Ora: It’s like you’re monsters. But like minute monsters. The passion, the voices, and the attitude. I was just like “I wanna be their sister!”. This audition has just changed your life.


Nick Grimshaw: Wembley what just happened? This is gonna blow up. All around the world.  


Simon Cowell: British X Factor should just be opened to British people. We always said we welcome talent from all over the world. And you are incredibly welcome. In terms of first auditions, THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BESTS I’VE EVER SEEN. (Yup, that came from Simon Cowell himself)

When asked why British X Factor, the girls said they wanted to see Simon Cowell and…wait for it…Queen Elizabeth. 

So before giving their decisions, the judges described them as favorite girl band, sick, badass, and full power. As a result, the girls got, and I quote Simon, “the biggest 4 YESes ever given”.



The group consisting of Irene, Mylene, Almira, and Celina are known to be joining international competitions and have already won several titles. They’ve started singing as a group since 2001. We’ve known them as the Cercado/Gollayan sisters here in the Philippines, and later on changed their name to MICA Sisters when they joined Superstar k6, Korea’s popular singing competition. Similar to some of the popular singers now, the group have had heard discouraging advices like give up because they’re not make it anyway, but that didn’t stop them from pursuing their dreams.  Their passion and love for singing is just absolutely incredible.

What do you think of their performance? Comment now. :)

Another Filipino pride is making waves in the international reality show stage as the Pinoy girl band, 4th Power, brought everyone in ...

Catabolic Cafe: The Newest Comfort Food Spot in QC



So lucky to sit and have a fun chit-chat
with Ed Figueroa, one of the owners of Catabolic Cafe.
Catabolic Cafe is not just another themed-restaurant you'll find anywhere. This restaurant/cafe offers a variety of dishes, from western, Asian, to your favorite Pinoy homemade cuisines. 

Ed, together with his brothers, JR, JV, and Dylan, decided to put up their own restaurant. With majority of them knowledgeable and experienced in the restaurant business and jetsetters at the same time, they want it to be different. You'll notice that their menu is diverse because most of it are just some of their favorites that they've tried in different countries they've been to.  


THE PLACE


Catabolic Cafe is located in one of the busiest and known food streets in the metro, Malingap Street in Teacher's Village, Quezon City. 

The place was designed by the famous interior designer, Nix Alanon. The owners shared some of their inputs and let Nix work his magic. The result is really impressive. It's modern, fresh, and playful look is very conducive for bonding with your friends and even doing your school/work stuff!










THE FOOD

Catabolic Cafe offers a variety of dishes that the owners themselves enjoyed as they travel across the globe. Check out these must-try comfort food that you'll surely love:

CHICKEN & WAFFLES
The saltiness of the crispy-skinned chicken + sweetness of the waffles and maple syrup, and a hint of acidity brought by the mixture of strawberry jam + butter spread...this dish is definitely a hit! No wonder it's the cafe's bestseller!
PARES RICE/CRISPY TADYANG
This I loved the most! It's not your typical pares. It doesn't have the usual sauce you see in the famous pares but you get to savor it's flavorful taste immersed in the rice and spareribs.
KIMCHI FRIED RICE
This Kimchi-flavored rice topped with a sunny side up egg and nori is perfectly paired with thinly sliced crispy pork strips.
TOMATO SOUP
Taste the freshness and juicyness of the tomatoes used in this creamy soup delight

CLAM CHOWDER SOUP
Served warm, it's perfect for the rainy weather. Fills you up with creamy seafood ingredients

BACON & EGG SANDWICH
Drool over a generous amount of the mouth-watering bacon topped with a sunny side up egg in an evenly toasted bread 

GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH
Love cheese? I do! A lot! That is why this is one of my favorite sandwiches in the cafe. It is indeed a simple one but the oozing melted cheddar and mozarella cheese is what made me craving for more. 

CORNED BEEF SANDWICH
Canned corned beef? NO! It's Catabolic Cafe's homemade corned beef. And I never knew it would taste that good with mayo on toasted bread slices  
PUTTANESCA
The secret to a good flavorful Puttanesca is the freshness and ripeness of the tomatoes used. Add a right amount of capers, anchovies, and olives, it just makes this dish exceptionally satisfying!   
SEAFOOD PESTO
Classic pasta served in perfectly blended herb sauce topped with generous serving of fresh seafoods

And, of course, what's a cafe without our favorite coffee? Catabolic Cafe offers a variety of freshly brewed coffee drinks: Americano, Latte, Cappuccino, Flat White, and Mocha.

Though it may seem like the items are quite limited, the owners are after the quality of the food they offer. There are plans of expanding and adding more items in their menu and I just can't wait for that! So, next time you feel like food tripping, don't forget to drop by at Catabolic Cafe! 

How do you find the food? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Good food is best enjoyed with your best of friends!
Photo ops before I start digging in :)

Catabolic Cafe is located at 22 Malingap St., Brgy. Teachers Village West, Quezon City, Philippines. They are open everyday from 11am to 11pm.

For more updates, follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatabolicCafePH

Catabolic Café Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

So lucky to sit and have a fun chit-chat with Ed Figueroa, one of the owners of Catabolic Cafe. Catabolic Cafe is not just anot...

Dulaang UP's Modern Take on the Classic Romeo and Juliet


For its premier offering in its 40th season, Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas proudly presents #R</3J, a multimedial hallucination on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.



#R</3J retells the Romeo and Juliet narrative both contrasting and adapting to the realities of our generation’s culture that revolves around multimedia and superficiality where Verona transforms into a concrete jungle at the heart of Metro Manila- teeming with corruption, revolt, advertisements, sex, and condominium units. The play captures the essence of the famous love story, juxtaposing the young lovers’ romance with our present society’s many forms of commodified love. This is the world of #R</3J, a radical, multimedial hallucination on Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece. Can genuine love exist in a world of alterations and foolery? Exploiting our hyper-real contemporary moment – globalization, ultra-violence, internet inanities, intergenerational alienation – this artistic experiment seeks to dramatize, through a psychedelic mix of all available arts, the postmodern tragedy of our generation. Destroy the city, the family, the government – even Shakespeare! – but never destroy the will to love.


WRITTEN BY: Guelan Luarca
DIRECTED BY: Prof. Dexter M. Santos

ARTISTIC STAFF

MUSIC COMPOSITION AND DESIGN: Ms. Krina Cayabyab
COSTUME DESIGN: Darwin Desoacido
SET DESIGN: Ohm David
LIGHTS DESIGN: John Batalla
VIDEO DESIGN: Winter David
DRAMATURGY: Marvin Olaes and Nico Arguelles





#R</3J runs from August 26 to September 13, 2015 at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, 2nd floor, Palma Hall, U.P. Diliman. For tickets, reservation, sponsorships, and show buying inquiries, call Samanta Hannah Clarin or Camille Guevarra at 926-1349, 433-7840, 981-8500 local 2449 or email dulaangupmarketing@gmail.com.

For more updates, visit DUP's Facebook Page: /DulaangUnibersidadNgPilipinas

For its premier offering in its 40th season, Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas proudly presents #R</3J , a multimedial hallucinatio...

The SM Store Shoes & Bags Sale


The SM Store is having another Shoes & Bags Sale!

Head on to your nearest SM Store and enjoy up to 50% off on great selections of shoes, bags, and luggages from your favorite brands!

Sale is happening from August 28 to September 20, 2015.

The SM Store is having another Shoes & Bags Sale! Head on to your nearest SM Store and enjoy up to 50% off on great selections of s...

The Great Brands Sale


Striptop Outlet Store will stage the much-awaited Great Brands Sale on August 27 to 31, 2015 at the Event Center 1, Building A, Tiendesitas, Julia Vargas St. corner C5, Pasig City. 

The five-day event mid-year sale will feature international brands, all under one roof.  Shoppers from around the metropolis will surely enjoy huge discounts on great selections from shoes, bags, men’s and ladies fashion, sporting goods and accessories, personal care and other specialty items. 

Shoppers will enjoy up to 70% discounts from participating brands like Hush Puppies, Sebago, XOXO, 101 New York, Philips, Cushe, Oakley, Reef, Euroo, Philips, Caribee, Outland, Airwalk, and many more. 

There will be a soft selling on August 26, 2015 for the RCBC Bankard Credit Cardholders and event partners. The event will be officially open to the public on August 27, 2015, from 11am to 9pm. 

Shoppers are also in for a treat. Aside from buying your favourite brands at a discounted price, there will be giveaways and raffle draws within the duration of the event.

As usual, admission is free and all major credit cards are accepted.

This event is organized by Striptop Outlet Store in partnership with Shoemakers Corporation.



Striptop Outlet Store  will stage the much-awaited Great Brands Sale on  August 27 to 31, 2015  at the  Event Center 1, Building A, Ti...

Casting the Fraudsters in PLASTIC: Hustle. Heist. Repeat



Brilliant college student Sam has the perfect credit card scam until his crew robs the wrong man. Now they have two weeks to repay ruthless gangster Marcel two million dollars or they will be dead. Sam and his team devise a scheme to clear their debt by heading to Miami to poach enough cash and merchandise.

But they come up short. So Sam and his gang set their sights on a daring jewelry heist that could make them hugely wealthy for life. Their plan turns sour, however, when the team members start turning on each other. Now it’s up to Sam to finish the brazen heist and turn the tables on Marcel before they all go down.

High Octane from start to finish, PLASTIC is based on the incredible true story of the UK Fraudsters from Manchester who stole £20 million worth of diamonds from jewelers in Beverly Hills back in 1997.

The film stars Ed Speleers (Sam), Alfie Allen (Yatesy), Sebastian De Souza (Rafa), Will Poulter (Fordy), and Emma Rigby (Frankie).

Producers Terry Stone and Dan Toland wanted to use the premise of the real story, but decided to change the characters and setting in order to make it more stylish and modern. It meant finding the right people for the characters was even more important to fit in with the Gilbey brother’s vision.

The central ensemble is led by control-freak, Sam, who is played by Ed Speleers (Downtown Abbey, A Lonely Place to Die). Ed had previously worked with Julian before on A Lonely Place to Die so their working relationship was already closely established. Julian was fully aware that Ed was a talented actor who really works at his craft. “He really came up with some good character ideas. He’s a solid leading man and a great guy to work with,” says Julian. Ed had heard of the script not only through his manager but also through Julian. When he realised they wanted someone a lot younger than originally planned, he jumped at the chance to play Sam.

Ed Speelers as Sam
When they approached Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones, Attonement) the crew were thrilled that he was interested in the script. Julian says: “I was in Miami when I got the call that Alfie really wanted to play the role and we just jumped about. He was perfect. Yatesy is a great role; he’s a dreadful, wonderful, spiteful and conflicted character and Alfie puts on a very honest performance. Although the character is very vain, Alfie isn’t at all.” Alfie himself said he loved playing the cheeky rogue and that the entire cast got on really well. “[The producers] got the dynamics of the characters so right,” he says.

Alfie Allen as Yatesy
The part of Fordy went to Will Poulter (We’re the Millers, The Chronicles of Narnia) who has received nothing but praise for his work on set and his attitude off set from both cast and crew. Poulter explains that he liked the character of Fordy as soon as he read the script. “I got sent the script by my agency and read it and l really enjoyed it. It’s a really fun. I loved the character of Fordy; he’s a lot more intelligent than me.” Julian and Will sat down many times to discuss how to keep Fordy on the side of the audience but still have that level of ambiguity about the character. “I really love Will, he really grounds this film. Playing the straight character is a very difficult thing to do but the truth of the matter is, is how straight is Fordy? He’s working in credit card fraud so he’s still a criminal.

Will Poulter as Fordy
The character of Rafa, who is seemlingly closer to Yatesy than any of the other boys, is played by Sebastian De Souza (The Borgias, Skins). Plastic is his first feature film after a background in television and he was very “pleased and grateful” to be offered the role after hearing about it through his agency. When speaking about the character, De Souza says “initially you’d read him as a joke of the four boys, but eventually he earns his keep by coming up with the idea that in theory will save them from death by Marcel.

Sebastian De Souza as Rafa
Last, but not least, is the character of Frankie, played by Emma Rigby (Hollyoaks) who’s also new to the film scene, this being her first lead role in a feature film. “When we originally looked at Emma we just thought well here’s someone really glamorous, she’s got the look of a great Hollywood starlet. The camera absolutely loves her plus she’s a great actress so her central performance is amazing along with Ed’s and there’s that real vibe between them” says Dan Toland.

Emma Rigby as Frankie
When talking about the script, Emma says: “I was really interested in it being based on a true story. I also liked the aspect of it being a heist and that the cast were really young.

When discussing the main cast, Toland says there’s a real vibe and dynamic that really centres all performances. “They all play off each other which really brings the story to life.

As Julian Gilbey puts it, Plastic is “not another film where a bunch of cockney geezers are blowing people’s heads off in Range Rovers!” What it is is an emotive story about five students, who get out of their depth in the shady world of credit card fraud. Toland describes it as hugely entertaining with “Robin Hood themes” running throughout. It’s British film-making at its best and features an amazing up-and-coming young cast that is set to wow audiences aged from teenagers to adults.

PLASTIC opens in cinemas on August 26, 2015 (Wednesday) and is released by SOLAR PICTURES



Brilliant college student Sam has the perfect credit card scam until his crew robs the wrong man. Now they have two weeks to repay r...