GMA and DOH launches two new shows: Healthy Ever After and The Healthy Juan

In partnership with the Department of Health, GMA is launching two new shows that aims to raise awareness on the different programs of the agency and various health topics that are timely and relevant these days. 

Healthy Ever After



Hosted by real-life celebrity couple Pancho Magno and Max Collins, Healthy Ever After is a health and wellness show that will tackle different topics that every family should know including family planning, vaccination, healthy living, and a lot more. 

Not known to many, Pancho is actually a registered nurse and he admits that there is still so much to learn about health and wellness and the different government programs that every Filipino can surely benefit from. 

More than just a regular talk show, Healthy Ever After is rather an experiential lifestyle show as the couple faces different challenges like going on an immersion to better understand how a common family lives through each day and share some tips that would be very helpful for these families and their community. It is, at the same time, a good learning experience for the couple as they plan to have their own family soon.

Healthy Ever After is airing on GMA News TV every Saturdays at 5:30PM.




The Healthy Juan



Another health and wellness program that GMA and DOH are launching is The Healthy Juan. Hosted by Kapuso actor and a registered nurse, Rocco Nacino, The Healthy Juan will focus on some relevant topics like depression, healthy aging, and mental health.

Rocco expressed his happiness in doing the show as he is able to practice what he learned from his degree. In the show, he gets to talk with some resource persons and doctors who will help shed light to those who or know someone who may be experiencing mental disorders.

The Healthy Juan is airing on GMA News TV every Sundays at 8PM.





In partnership with the Department of Health, GMA is launching two new shows that aims to raise awareness on the different programs of the...

Bounty Fresh celebrates World Chicken and Egg Day


Bounty Fresh celebrated the World Chicken and Egg Day at the Trinoma Activity Center and it was EGG-stravagant! 


Mallgoers were treated with fun-filled activities and in-store promos for the entire family! Kids definitely had so much fun participating in exciting games and bouncing around the different play areas within the activity center. Of course, Bounty Fresh is all about producing and serving only the freshest farm-to-market poultry products and all the moms who joined the event sure had a great time with the cooking demos and challenges prepared for them.





Chef Sharwin doing a cooking demo with Bettina Carlos where he shared his recipe using Bounty Fresh's chicken and egg cooked using Masflex, the event's cookware brand partner.

Bounty Fresh also put up some cool displays where families can take their lovely photos for souvenirs.


Aside from these activities, Bounty Fresh also treated their loyal customers with a huge sale of their products exclusively available during the event. Every hour during the event, participants had the chance to buy a whole chicken, fresh eggs, or Bounty Fresh products for ONLY Php20!!! I do my own grocery and I know there's nowhere I can buy any of these items at that price so this is probably my biggest takeaway from taking part of this event. 


And lastly, one of the main highlights of the event is the search for Chicky's missing egg. If you happened to pass by GMA EDSA weeks ago, you may have noticed this huge Bounty Fresh display of Chicky and her egg. Days after it has been installed, Chicky's egg suddenly went missing.



Apparently, this is part of the brand's Egg and Chickenovela (witty, eh?) and the quest for finding Chicky's missing baby finally has come to an end as the event revealed its whereabouts, plus an exciting surprise for everyone - a cash prize of Php 100,000 to one lucky winner!



All of these activities and giveaways are the least Bounty Fresh can do to make its customers enjoy this year's World Chicken and Egg Day. Bounty Fresh promises to continuously provide Filipino families with succulent meat of high quality, steroid-free chickens, and the most nutritious and fresh white and brown eggs, all at the most affordable price.

Thank you so much Bounty Fresh and I am definitely looking forward to next year's World Chicken and Egg Day celebration!

Bounty Fresh celebrated the World Chicken and Egg Day at the Trinoma Activity Center and it was EGG-stravagant!  Mallgoers were treated w...

RedDoorz expands into the Philippines: its third Southeast Asian market

RedDoorz, one of the leading online budget hotels booking platform in Southeast Asia, announced today its expansion into its third market in the region – the Philippines. Currently with operations and properties in Indonesia and Singapore, RedDoorz intends to tap onto the dynamic growth of the budget hospitality and travel sector in the 7,000-island archipelago country by making an investment of more than US$5 million where it projects to grow its footprint to 100 properties across the Philippines over the next 12 months.




Our expansion into the Philippines came as a natural progression for RedDoorz, where like our first market in Indonesia showed many similarities and thus the potential for a vibrant domestic travel and hospitality industry. RedDoorz’s business is one based on cities, not countries, where with our city-to-city approach has resulted in growing to over 500 properties, processing more than 1 million room nights and consistently delivering occupancies of more than 80 per cent across 16 Indonesian cities, Singapore and now, the Philippines. The Philippines ranks second as the fastest growing internet economy in the world, right after Indonesia – with an internet penetration of 63 per cent (67 million users) of approximately 105.7 million Filipinos. Whilst we continue to grow our footprints in Indonesia, we also closely monitored and surveyed the Filipino market. Following our fresh funding earlier this year, we realised that the Philippines held a strong demand for hotel rooms not only for tourists but also for business travellers. We felt that it was timely for us to make the conclusive move to start expanding here – especially seeing how boisterous the budget hospitality sector has been in recent years
Amit Saberwal, Founder and CEO, RedDoorz

According to a joint study titled “e-conomy SEA: Unlocking the $200B Digital Opportunity” by Google and Temasek Holdings, it found that the Philippines ranked second after Indonesia as the world’s fastest growing internet market with the potential to grow by 11 per cent in CAGR to 93 million internet users by 2020. This also meant a vibrant outlook for the online travel market in the Philippines, specifically for online hotels and airlines, which is expected to grow approximately five times from US$1.1 billion in 2015 to US$4.6 billion by 2025. In a 2018 report by WeAreSocial showing digital usage in the Philippines, it revealed that the Philippines not only has 67 million Internet users, but all of whom are also active on social media – of which more than 60 million were either unique mobile users or active mobile social users.


With its entry into the Philippines, RedDoorz will also be introducing a new category of properties. Adding on to its existing two categories, RedDoorz and RedDoorz Plus, the new RedDoorz Premium, launched in June 2018, are properties that are designed for the budget business traveller – not only strategically located close to business districts but have more amenities than the other two existing categories on the RedDoorz platform.

The World Travel & Tourism Council found that domestic travel spending in the Philippines generated more than 86 per cent of direct travel and tourism GDP in 2016 and is expected to grow 4.8 per cent per annum to PHP3,336 billion by 2027. Additionally, in the same year, the Philippine Statistics Authority found that domestic travel rose by 20% from the figures in 2012 – this reinforces findings from the 2016 Household Survey on Domestic Visitors (HSDV) where three out of five Filipinos (59 per cent or close to 61 million) 15 years or older travelled within the country that year. With a high penetration of Internet activity as well as a year-on-year growth in not only domestic but also international travel, the budget hospitality segment holds a key driver for the tourism industry in the Philippines. 

Commenting on the new addition of property categorisation, Rishabh Singhi, Chief Operating Officer, RedDoorz said, “This introduction of Premium properties came with our observation of how the Filipino concept of a ‘condotel’ had seen a remarkable growth in the Philippines over the past decade. We felt that by adding this new category, we could create a distinction of rooms in the market while also keeping to our ethos of providing the same standardisation and predictability that comes with all RedDoorz properties – all at affordable prices. The aim of this new category is to target the business traveller who looks for certain amenities like good Wifi connection, location closer to business districts and other amenities. We see this as a strong category as we expand into other Southeast Asian cities where there is an influx of business travellers.”

He added, “Furthermore, our loyalty programme for all RedDoorz users, RedCash, which is extremely popular in Indonesia will also be extended to the Filipino market. With a high usage of local Filipinos who are not only tech-savvy but use social media on their mobiles, we look forward to new customers in the market to book via our RedDoorz app where they can redeem the RedCash earned from their stays. We strive to maintain our current track record of over 80 per cent repeat stay as we continue our growth across our three markets.”


With a strong local team on-the-ground coming from diverse backgrounds as well as a deep knowledge of the local travel and hospitality sector, RedDoorz runs a full operations unit in in Manila ranging from customer service, operations and product sales to branding, finance and marketing. RedDoorz has developed its own proprietary technology using data analytics to accurately forecast demand on areas that could have more hotels or properties to drive more footfall for travellers. 

At every step of our growth, we have firmly believed in building the right team, meeting the right set of investors and especially biding our time for the right market opportunity. This belief attributed to our success in Indonesia and also paved the way for our entry into the Philippines. The biggest challenge is the mindset for property owners to accept our model, especially since this technology disruption has only taken place over the last three to four years in this region. With this disruption, owners of such properties become the most affected and we come in to educate and train these owners and their staff on why it is essential for their businesses to go on online platforms. Becoming a part of the RedDoorz network will allow them access, similar to how large hotel chains operate, which would not have been made available to them. Technology is part of our DNA – the biggest beneficiaries of this are the mid-sized and budget properties
Amit Saberwal

Over the past 18 months, RedDoorz has trained over 2,000 staff across properties in Indonesia and Singapore. As part of their inhouse training programme RedPro, the brand runs ongoing programmes for the staff of their partner properties and ensure smooth running of their properties. Training is conducted across areas like: technology, housekeeping and maintenance, sales and marketing, and more. RedDoorz has a strong team of over 180 staff across four countries that specialises in operations, sales, marketing and all aspects of hospitality.

Headquartered in Singapore, RedDoorz recently raised its Pre-Series B round of US$11 million as an additional investment from Asia Investment Fund of Susquehanna International Group, International Finance Corporation (private investment arm of World Bank Group), InnoVen Capital (venture lending firm owned by Temasek Holdings and United Overseas Bank), and Jungle Ventures – all of which had invested in past funding rounds. This fundraise also saw new investors DeepSky Capital, FengHe Group, Hendale Capital as well as other investors.

RedDoorz , one of the leading online budget hotels booking platform in Southeast Asia, announced today its expansion into its third market...

LJ Reyes launches her daily personal care kit - the Wonder Jane Travel Kit!


Wonder Jane saves the day!



Being a mom, LJ's main priority is her family's health and protection, and that inspired her in putting up her newest business venture offering a line of products that are perfect for your daily personal care needs.
As a parent, it is of utmost importance to me that my family and myself are kept clean and protected all day long. With the different kinds of viruses and germs around us, it is always better to be safe and sure! Little preventive measures go a long way when we are fighting harmful agents. These products and all the products to come are definitely trustworthy in cleaning, protecting, and most of all, delicate to your skin!
LJ Reyes, Founder - Wonder Jane

So should you feel the need to respond to the call of nature or protect your skin from insect bites, Wonder Jane surely got your back! 






The Wonder Jane Travel Kit is a 5-in-1 handy pack that you can bring anywhere you go. It comes in 30ml bottles and a pouch that you can slip right into your purse or everyday bag. Everything's organic so you don't have to worry about those chemicals that may harm you rather than actually give you the protection you need. 


BUG RESCUE
Shoo the mosquitos away without the unpleasant smell!


UNDERCOVER WASH
Keep your body clean from head to toe! It's a shampoo, facial wash, body cleanser, and hand wash in one tiny bottle!




ANTI-STINK BOMB
Never leave the toilet smelling like a bomb! This all-natural poop spray will keep your toilet clean and pleasant for the next mission!


HAND SANITAZER
Keep your hands germ-free without drying your skin!


BUM SHIELD
Never worry about using public toilets anymore! This disposable toilet seat cover will give you the maximum protection from germs, it's easy to use and biodegradable too!

[I've tried it and all of them really smells good! I love its minimalist packaging too, though it would be helpful if some of the texts are actually readable especially the ingredients and expiry date.]

The Wonder Jane Travel Kit is priced at Php850 and is available for purchase starting September 21, 2018, at wonderjane.ph and soon, on your friendly neighborhood stores!

Wonder Jane saves the day! Being a mom, LJ's main priority is her family's health and protection, and that inspired her...

The Hopeful Romantic trailer goes viral; reaches 9.6 million views

The official trailer of the upcoming sexy romantic comedy film, The Hopeful Romantic has gone viral as it has reached a remarkable 9.6 million views on Facebook in less than three weeks since it was launched.



If anything, the virality of the trailer to organic Facebook users indicates a positive reception from netizens. As of today, the trailer has now reached 108,000 shares, 14,000 positive comments on Good Time Fan Page.






Starring theatre/TV/movie actor, Pepe Herrera and actress Ritz Azul, The Hopeful Romantic offers not just an entertaining love story, but also aims to impart an important lesson about love.

Ritz, who gets to be launched in this film as a leading lady, beams with pride about this project.



Sobrang proud ako sa pelikulang ito kasi lahat pinaghirapan namin: ng direktor, producers, writers, at syempre co-actors ko na pinagpuyatan.

Nakailang revisions kami para mapaganda ang story, para maihatid yung message ng story na may matutunan sila. Tsaka maganda ang storya, kapupulutan talaga siya ng aral.

The actress had to face a lot of challengers for this movie.

Firstly, Ritz, who is more comfortable with drama, ventures into comedy in The Hopeful Romantic.

Secondly, she had to lose weight to effectively portray her role as a sexy gold digger.

Ang mahirap lang for me, physically, dapat medyo mukhang sexy don sa screen, so nag-struggle din ako to lose weight, kasi sobrang lumaki ako for a while before gawin yung movie.

And then nahirapan ako kasi sobrang kabaligtaran ko ang role sa totoong buhay. Naging kumportable ako sa mga katrabaho ko, kaya napa-swimsuit ako.

Meantime, Pepe, who is a very talented singer-actor, finally gets to be a lead star in this film.


The versatile actor takes pride in saying that he gets to explore comedy genre through a sexy movie.

Pepe admits that he felt pressured that he would finally be a leading man in this project. Fortunately, Ritz made his job easier for him.

Ang masasabi ko po ay lalaki din ako at nakakaramdam ng karupukam. Si Ritz ay very desirable 110%

Kasi kinabahan ako nung una dahil sinasabihan ako, ‘Leading man ka na, kailangan tutukan mo yung panunuyo o kung paano tratuhin ang leading ladies.’ Parang siya [Ritz] pa yung gumagawa non para sa kin. Cowboy si Ritz. Hindi siya tipikal na leading lady.

Sa shooting ka, sanay kasi siya na i-maximize yung oras. Walang nasasayang na oras.
In the meantime, Ritz is happy to learn important lessons from Pepe as an actor.

Sobrang gaan katrabaho ni Pepe. Sobrang professional. Tsaka parang nung nagsu-shoot kami, merong connection. Habang nandon kami sa characters naming, minsan kahit mata lang, nag-uusap na ganon.

Sobrang ang pinakanatutunan ko sa kanya, hindi siya titigil sa take, kahit paulit-ulit pa yan para mapaganda yung scene,” 



In the Hopeless Romantic, Pepe plays Jess, a 33 year old Valet Parking Attendant at The Manila Hotel, an honest man and most of all, a virgin. He promised himself that he will only give himself when he already found his true love.

Veronica, (played by Ritz), is a kept woman in the high society world. A victim of circumstances, but still a survivor.
Jess meets Veronica at the hotel bar. Instantly, he gets mesmerized by her presence. One thing lead to another, and Veronica gave Jess the “first time”. Jess, believing in the magic of what happened between them, decides that Veronica is his one true love.

However, there is one problem; Veronica has no idea that he is not rich. Afraid that revealing himself will make him lose Veronica, Jess starts to pretend the part. He kept on doing this until his resources spill away. The inevitable happens, and Veronica learns the truth about Jess.



Tagged as the sexy comedian, The Hopeful Romantic is the first film of Pepe in a lead role. 
The Hopeful Romantic opens September 12, 2018. The funniest romantic flim of the season is directed by Topel Lee.

For more updates, follow Regal Entertainment Inc on Facebook, @RegalFilms on Twitter, @RegalFilms50 on IG and Regal Cinema channel on YouTube.

The official trailer of the upcoming sexy romantic comedy film, The Hopeful Romantic has gone viral as it has reached a remarkable 9.6 mil...

Great Discounts Await You in Shopee's 99 Super Shopping Day

Shopee is bringing back the biggest sale of the year!

After the successful event last year, Shopee is once again having the 9.9 Super Shopping Day, which is an 11-day mega shopping event where online shoppers can avail great discounts of up to 99% and exciting promos and giveaways worth over Php15M!



Shopee has grown tremendously in the past year. We now boast around 160 million users across the region, including over 16 million in the Philippines. At the same time, the number of sellers on Shopee has more than doubled to over 500,000 in less than a year, showing how we are quickly becoming the online shopping destination of choice for both shoppers and sellers in the region. To thank all our users for their continued support, we extended this year’s Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day to feature almost two weeks of non-stop promotions across all product categories. We have also continued to strengthen our ties with leading brands and partners to bring our users even more exclusive deals and promotions on Shopee
Terence Pang, Chief Operating Officer of Shopee
During this event, shoppers can look forward to these exciting activities that Shopee has in store for their dear online shoppers:



  • Super Flash Sale Day (August 30) - Flash deals from as low as Php99 are up for grabs. You have to hurry up though as this offer is for limited time only!
  • Super Vouchers Day (September 3) - Up to Php 900,000 worth of vouchers are to be given away!
  • Super Brand Festival (September 5) - Shopee has partnered with some of the leading brands in the country to give out huge discounts and great deals on different products including electronics, mobile and gadgets, and health and beauty. Some of these participating brands include P&G, Maybelline, Samsung, Vivo, Colgate - Palmolive, OPPO, Asus, and a lot more.
  • Super Shopee Shake Day (September 8-9) - Over 9 million Shopee coins, vouchers, and other prizes are to be given away by playing the highly popular in-app game, Shopee Shake. 

⏬Looking for plus-size garments? Check out this shop in Shopee ⏬

Win Php 100,000 in Shopee Dance competition!


The big shopping day was kicked-off during an event held at Shangri-la at The Fort. Gracing the event is Shopee's Brand Ambassador, Anne Curtis, where her latest Shopee TVC was also launched.



Dancing to the tune of Baby Shark, you too may join the latest dance craze and win Php 100,000 cash and more by joining Shopee's Dance Competition. To join, simply post a video of you and your friends dancing the Shopee Dance with the hashtags #ShopeePH99 and #ShopeeDancePH.

Prizes up for grabs are:
  • Grand Prize: Php 100,000 cash (1 winner)
  • Second Prize: 1 Ace 50" TV (1 winner)
  • Consolation Prize: Php 20,000 cash (5 winners)
You may post your entries on Facebook and Instagram until September 9, 2018, 11:59PM. 


What are you waiting for? Join now! 


Shopee is bringing back the biggest sale of the year! After the successful event last year, Shopee is once again having the 9.9 Super Shop...

Features You'll Love in the New Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is now officially launched in the Philippines!


Days after it's global announcement, Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation held a huge event at the Marriott Grand Ballroom to officially launch Samsung's newest flagship - the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. The event also introduced Samsung's newest brand ambassadors: Heart Evangelista - Escudero, Nico Bolzico, and Erwan Heussaff.

Samsung's newest brand ambassadors: Erwan Heussaff, Heart Evangelista-Escudero, and Nico Bolzico show off the new super powerful Galaxy Note9

It was indeed an exciting event especially for our tech savvy friends out there. I, myself, am thrilled with this release! I'm a Note 8 user and I can say that Samsung did a really cool job with this phone. I personally love the camera and the S Pen and I'm looking forward to what Note 9 has to bring to the market. 

So without further ado, here are the features of Galaxy Note 9 that I am really excited about: 



Connected Bluetooth S Pen


What I love about the Galaxy Note series is their S Pen. It really comes in handy especially when I need to take notes or edit photos. With the release of Note 9, Samsung made a huge (in my opinion) enhancement with the well loved S Pen. It's now bluetooth-powered! This enables the user to take pictures, browse, switch presentation slides, or activate other applications in just a few clicks of the S Pen. It's built-in power lasts up to 200 clicks or 30 minutes of continued usage and only requires 40 seconds to fully recharge by placing it back in the device.


4,000 mAh Battery


I'm a heavy smartphone user I must admit. I'm always on my phone browsing, streaming videos, or playing games during my idle time. Often times, my Note 8 battery only lasts for a little over half a day. Now that the new super powerful Galaxy Note 9 carries a 4,000 mAh battery, it will definitely last me the entire day. This is one big plus especially for those who are always on the go. And did I mention it does support fast wired and wireless charging too?




Intelligent Dual Camera


The Galaxy Note 9 have made some pretty good enhancements in its predecessor's already impressive dual camera. Its lenses now supports F1.5 and F2.4 aperture that lets you take really nice photos in low light environment. With the capability of capturing 960 frames per second, it takes up slow-mo to the next level because Galaxy Note 9's Super Slow Mo is four times slower than the normal slow motion. And lastly, its camera has an Auto Scene Recognition feature that can automatically optimize the images you take as it detects up to 20 unique scenes. If you're not fond of manually configuring the settings before taking a shot, then this is one useful feature for you!




Galaxy Note 9 Complete Specifications

Other than those features mentioned, there are some more enhancements made in this newest flagship from Samsung.  Check out this complete specifications list of the Galaxy Note 9:

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Display 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED, 2960x1440 (516ppi)
*Screen measured diagonally as a full rectangle without accounting for the rounded corners
*Default resolution is Full HD+ and can be changed to Quad HD+ (WQHD+) in Settings
Camera Rear: Dual Camera with Dual OIS (Optical Image Stabilization)
           - Wide-angle: Super Speed Dual Pixel 12MP AF, F1.5/F2.4, OIS
           - Telephoto: 12MP AF, F2.4, OIS
           - 2X optical zoom, up to 10X digital zoom
Front: 8MP AF, F1.7
Body 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm, 201g, IP68 (BLE S Pen: 5.7 x 4.35 x 106.37mm, 3.1g, IP68)
*Carrying an IP68 dust and water resistance rating. Based on test conditions of submersion in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes
AP 10nm 64-bit Octa-core processor (Max. 2.7 GHz + 1.7 GHz)
10nm 64-bit Octa-core processor (Max. 2.8 GHz + 1.7 GHz)
*May differ by market and mobile operator
Memory 6GB RAM (LPDDR4), 128GB + MicroSD slot (up to 512GB)
8GB RAM (LPDDR4), 512GB + MicroSD slot (up to 512GB)
*May differ by market and mobile operator
*User memory is less than the total memory due to storage of the operating system and software used to operate the device features. Actual user memory will vary depending on the operator and may change after software upgrades are performed.
SIM Card Single: one Nano SIM and one MicroSD slot (up to 512GB)
Hybrid: one Nano SIM and one Nano SIM or one MicroSD slot (up to 512GB)
*May differ by market and mobile operator
Battery 4,000mAh
Fast Charging compatible on wired and wireless
Wired charging compatible with QC2.0 and AFC
Wireless charging compatible with WPC and PMA
*May differ by market and mobile operator
OS Android 8.1 (Oreo)
Network Enhanced 4x4 MIMO, 5CA, LAA, LTE Cat.18
*May differ by market and mobile operator
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024QAM,
Bluetooth® v 5.0 (LE up to 2Mbps), ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC, Location (GPS,Galileo*, Glonass, BeiDou*)
*Galileo and BeiDou coverage may be limited.
Payment NFC, MST
*May differ by market and mobile operator
Sensors Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor,
Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Iris Sensor, Pressure Sensor
Authentication Lock Type: Pattern, Pin, Password
Biometric Lock Types: Iris Scanner, Fingerprint Scanner, Facial Recognition
Intelligent scan: Combines iris scan and face recognition for convenient unlocking and in some cases provides enhanced security for certain authentication services
Audio MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DSF, DFF, APE
Video MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will soon be available in the market starting August 24 at a suggested retail price of Php 55,990 for 128GB variant and Php 75,990 for the 512GB variant.


Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is now officially launched in the Philippines! Days after it's global announcement, Samsung Electronics Philippi...

All in One Up: The First Major Concert of GMA's boyband group - One Up

One Up boys will finally hold their first major concert this coming August!

Since they were launched in 2016, the One Up boys have been very busy with their Boardwalk concert series, out of town shows, and TV guestings, which greatly helped hone their talents as artists and performers. We've been seeing them performing on TV or mall shows as a group and in their first major concert, dubbed as "All in One Up", the boys promised to showcase their individual talents as well. 



Something new that you'll notice in their performances is that the group are also divided into two to be able to showcase their strengths as a performer - the singers and the dancers. And there's so much more about these boys other than just singing and dancing. That's what you will find out in their upcoming concert.




"All in One Up" concert, produced by Glon Prestige Productions, is happening on August 24 at the Skydome. Catch the One Up boys - Kevin Sagra, Nikki Co, Brent Valdez, Joemarie Nielsen, Arjan Jimenez, Ralf King, Prince Clemente, Yasser Marta, Jay Arcilla, and Dave Bornea - share the stage with their fellow Kapuso artists Migo Adecer, Karlo Duterte, Sofia Pablo, Will Ashley, and Andrea Torres in this one night only concert you shouldn't miss!

Tickets are now available for purchase at SMTickets.com. 



One Up boys will finally hold their first major concert this coming August! Since they were  launched in 2016 , the One Up boys have been v...

Experience Modern Eurasian Cuisine in Akrotiri

They say food transports you to places. Every destination has their own cuisine to offer. Each dish has its distinct taste and look that either brings back good old memories or probably just takes you to its origin. I haven't been to Greece nor any of the European/Mediterranean countries, and I can't even remember the last time I've had a Greek or Mediterranean food. Having said that, I honestly am clueless on what to expect in my recent trip to this newest restaurant in the South. 


Akrotiri, one of the newest restaurants in Alabang, introduces the modern Eurasian cuisine to the Philippine food scene. During the VIP Bloggers' Night, we were taken to a gastronomic journey and tried some of the best Eurasian dishes Akrotiri has to offer.



As Akrotiri's General Manager David Jones puts it, "Akrotini’s offerings reflect the Mediterranean classics, mainly Greek and other European influences but at the same time, we’ve localized the taste to create a new flavor. One can call it ‘fusion’, but we feel that ‘EurAsian’ highlights what we represent—an amalgamation of influences that have strong ties with the Philippine food culture."

To help you understand further on what to expect in your visit in Akrotiri, let me show you what this restaurant has to offer... 

Grilled Squid Stuffed with Feta Foam
Grilled Squid Stuffed with Feta Foam (Php 550)

This one's a fave! Well, I love squid to begin with, but that feta foam inside the smokey grilled squid definitely changed the game. It surely adds a different flavor and twist to the usual Filipino-style grilled squid we grew up to. I didn't get to try the Black Ink Risotto though but I'm sure it's equally good and perfectly compliments the squid.



Watermelon Salad (Php 350)

With various flavors and textures in one dish, this Watermelon Salad is also a good starter for a delectable meal. It's got feta cheese, lettuce, watermelon, and walnuts drizzled with balsamic dressing.

Wagyu Skirt Steak
Wagyu Steak (Php 900)

Another must-try dish in Akrotiri is their Wagyu Steak. It's topped with Spicy Chilli Jam and comes with roasted vegetables too. The meat is so tender and tasty, I can finish two servings in one sitting.

Other than those above, Akrotiri also offers few other dishes that will surely entice your taste buds. Here are just some of their most recommended items in the menu:

Salmon fillet with Tzatziki-wasabi dressing & fried rice
Grilled salmon fillet with tzatziki-wasabi dressing & fried rice (Php 600)

Seafood Tagliatelle with clams, mussels, prawns, squid, and tomatoes
Seafood Tagliatelle with clams, mussels, prawns, squid, and tomatoes (Php 600)





Wagyu corned beef with turmeric mashed potatoes, fried kale and aioli wasabi
Wagyu corned beef with turmeric mashed potatoes, fried kale and aioli wasabi (Php 450)

Grilled prawns in tamarind dressing & greens
Grilled prawns in tamarind dressing & greens (Php 600)




24hr pork belly with apple-ginger, wood sorrel leaves and kimchi
24hr pork belly with apple-ginger, wood sorrel leaves and kimchi (Php 500)

Rustic chicken teriyaki with crispy salad, oven potatoes, curry mayo
Rustic chicken teriyaki with crispy salad, oven potatoes, curry mayo (Php 500)

Chocolate Garden Mosaiko (Php 450)

All these mouthwatering dishes are co-conceptualized by Chef Luca Maffei. An Italian chef with intricate taste to flavours and fusion, Chef Luca masterfully re-imagined Akrotiri’s food, bringing the blissful flavours of Asia and Euro-Greek cultures to our local cuisine.

Weaving together the different flavors found on different coastal food cultures all over the world and presenting them as delicious gastronomic offerings makes Akrotiri a unique destination that delivers an exciting culinary experience that will surely indulge every type of Filipino diner.

Akrotiri Modern Eurasian Cuisine is located at Ground Floor of  the Commerce Center in Alabang. They are open daily from 11am. For more information, you may visit www.akrotiri.ph.

They say food transports you to places. Every destination has their own cuisine to offer. Each dish has its distinct taste and look that e...