Kamote, Kalabaw

On December 7, the Filipino nation was jubilant about Manny Pacquiao's victory over dela Hoya in what their promoter's called The Dream Match. GMA Network, the current home network of Manny Pacquiao would have been one of the most jubilant. Loyal viewers of the network would have expected numerous TV celebratory segments just like in Manny's previous victories. However, on that particular Sunday, celebrities and stars of the network could not show such jubilation because one of their colleagues died on that day. No matter how hard these celebrities tried to celebrate the nation's victory in world boxing, they could not help but be sad about Marky Cielo. They were more affected about their lost in the entertainment industry than the victory of Pacquiao. Part of the nation lamented for Marky's death. Marky Cielo died of an undisclosed cause. His mother found him lifeless inside his room the morning of December 7. She brought him to the Antipolo Medical Hospital but wa

Pinaka-bonggang Spa sa Pilipinas. "Ang Pinaka" (QTV, Quezon City) ranks the top 10 glorious spa in the Philippines. Chi Spa, Edsa Shangrila, Mandaluyong, www.shangri-la.com The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Makati, www.mandarinoriental.com Mandala Spa, www.mandalaspa.com Tirta, Boracay, www.tirtaspa.com The Spa, www.thespa.com.ph Amezcua Wellness Center, Katipunan, Quezon City, www.amezcuawellness.com Ylang-Ylang Spa, Pearl Farm Resort, Davao, www.pearlfarmresort.com Sonya's Garden Spa, Alfonso, Cavite, www.sonyasgarden.com Sanctuario Spa, Bocobo, Malate, www.sanctuario.com.ph North Haven Spa, Ferguson Road, Baguio, www.northhavenspa.com

The Philippine Eagle or Haribon can only be found in the Philippines. It is the world's largest eagle. Unfortunately, it is endangered; around 200 survive in the wild forests of the Philippines. Unlike other eagles, haribon needs a 100 km perimeter in order to breed. Other than the haribon, there are more animals special to Philippines. Some of these rare animals are endemic to Philippines. Most of them are endangered. You may click the link if you want more information about the animal. Philippine Eagle or Haribon   Tarsier   Whale Shark or Butanding   Palawan Mouse Deer or Pilandok   Dugong   Tamaraw   Philippine Crocodile or Bukarot   Philippine Cockatoo or Katala   Civet Cat or Alamid   Golden Crowned Flying Fox or Kabog   Palawan Peacock Pheasant or Tandikan   Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat or Bu-ot   Palawan Bearcat or Binturong   Giant Clam or Taklobo   Sinarapan   If you like the Philippine Eagle, you can download a wallpaper at the Haribon Foundation webs

Another TV program that I enjoy watching is 100% Pinoy (GMA Network / Kapuso Channel). This TV magazine show showcases everything about Filipinos can be proud of: people, places, culture, products, food, heritage, arts, natural resources, tourists' spots, language, islands, etc. The show is hosted by Joaquin Valdes and Miriam Quiambao (Bb. Pilipinas 1st runner-up, Miss Universe 1st Runner-up). (Trivia: The Bb. Pilipinas-Universe winner then was stripped of her title. As a result, Bb. Pilipinas Charities sent instead Miriam Quiambao to the Miss Universe Pageant.) Today's episode featured Ilocus Norte and Ilocos Sur. Ilocos is a 9-hour drive from Manila. Places or things of interests are: Paoay Church , made of limestones and coral stones, a heritage site of UNESCO Marcos Museum and Mausoleum in Batac Ride a calesa in Laoag and visit the sinking bell tower Tagudin sundials built by the Spaniards in 1841 Nuestra Senora de Asuncion Church, a UNESCO heritage site Calle Criso

The 4th Episode of OBRA wasn't worth watching. No question about the acting of Katrina Halili, who played a mental patient, and Paolo Contis; they're both good. What I didn't like was how the script was written for 4 reasons. One, a mental patient tied to his/her bed won't be able to untie him/herself easily. The writers should know how mental patients behave. Two, the mental patient was able to escape the institution. It's corny but I can forgive that. But what I cannot accept is the patient's behavior. A mental patient won't escape like a normal person would. Three, what is that knife doing in a child's bedroom? Uh-uh! That's a stupid preparation. Four, the worst of it all, would a hostage specialist shoot outright a mental patient as if he killed a dog? Even killing a dog would raise the anger of PAWS. Who ever directed this episode, I am disappointed at him. It's his work. It should be his Obra. Sorry, this isn't a masterpiece. Photo abov

Eric Clapton's Change The World is one song that when you listen to it, the rhythm goes into your system - makes you snap your fingers, swing your head, sway your shoulders, and really dance to the tune. Play the video (c/o YouTube ) and sing with Eric. You'll find the lyrics (c/o Lyrics007 ) below. Change The World If I could reach the stars Pull one down for you Shine it on my heart so you could see the truth That this love I have inside is everything it seems But for now I find it's only in my dreams CHORUS: That I can change the world I would be the sunlight in your universe You will think my love was really something good Baby if I could change the world If I could be king even for a day I'd take you as my queen I'd have it no other way And our love will rule in this kingdom we have made Till then I'd be a fool wishing for the day CHORUS: That I can change the world I would be the sunlight in your universe You will think my love was really something goo

OBRA: Katrina Halili is Misteryosa Congratulations to the premiere episode of Obra with Katrina Halili. The show showcased the true creative talents of Filipino artists. GMA-7 should have more of this. This is the kind of show that I surely missed since Telesine Presents. I'm not sure if I remember the title right. Years ago, GMA-7 aired every Sunday special movies made for television. They even held awards nights. Maybe, GMA7 should bring this back. In the pilot episode of Obra (Misteryosa), Katrina Halili played a schizophrenic. In the middle of the story, I already had a hunch that Rosario and Rosanna were one because the story reminded me of "Tagos", the movie which Vilma Santos starred in. Nevertheless, I enjoyed watching the short story because of how it was directed, how the script was written, how the location set was designed, and how the visual color was filtered. It wasn't boring. Plus, all the actors played well. Truly, it was an Obra!

Gretchen Espina of Biliran (Visayas) won the first Pinoy Idol. She received a recording contract from Sony-BMG, a management contract from GMA Artists Center, a condominium unit from Avida Land, a car, and one million pesos from SM Malls - a total of 5.7 million pesos. Congratulations! I was not very thrilled about the finals of Pinoy Idol especially right after Ram was eliminated. This is the sad thing about text voting. It works like a popularity contest where the one who wins is the one who was able to sell the most tickets. So, if you don't have much money, sorry, you cannot vote as much as you want to. In American Idol, our favorites are usually eliminated first. Ryan Seacrest would constantly remind the viewers to vote for their favorites so that they don't end up being eliminated. Last year, Ryan Cayabyab reminded the viewers of Philippine Idol to vote for the one who had true talent. Miguel, a rich kid from LaSalle, was one of the hopefuls then. He wasn't that good

Between Jayann and Gretchen, the latter has a better sounding voice. Gretchen's voice is more solid. Jayann's voice cuts like a knife - very throaty. Nevertheless, there are other pinoy idol hopefuls who were a lot better than Gretchen or Jayann. The two sang the Pinoy Idol's signature song, which was composed by Ogie Alcasid. Gretchen's version was a lot better than Jayann's. Between the two, Gretchen is my Pinoy Idol.

I failed to note the songs that the final 3 sang during the gala night. Ram performed an Aerosmith's song as suggested by Jaya. This is Ram's best performance. It was a slow roch that he sang from his heart. He also sang Handog by Florante. It wasn't that good. Jayann, I think, sang "Walk With Faith" as suggested by Regine Velasquez (her winning piece). Jayann didn't do well. I don't remember at all what Gretchen sang. Kid should have been part of the Final 3, instead of Jayann or Gretchen. I believe, some of those who were eliminated earlier in the Top 24 deseved to be in the Final 3. That's the sad thing. Idol is about idolizing a personality; it's not about talent. "Handog" was composed and popularized by the late Florante. The song is about leaving a legacy, which is the songwriter's songs. Indeed, Florante's songs left a mark in the music industry. "Handog", truly, is a gift. When I heard Ram sang the song, "Oh

I noticed that songs of goodbye are somewhat cursed. In American Idol, if an idol hopeful sang a song about going home or saying goodbye, he or she is eliminated the next day. Sorry, if I couldn't recall an instance, but that's my general observation. In the latest season of American Idol, somebody sang "I'm Going Home" by Michael Buble. The next day, he went home. In Pinoy Idol, Daryl sang The Promise, which has a theme of parting. Kid sang "Careless Whisper", which also has a theme of saying goodbye. Kid and Daryl were eliminated the next day.

Daryl Celis' rendition of "The Promise" was OK. His past two performances were better. In this episoded, Daryl talked to his dad over the phone after 4 years of not seeing him. His mom used to call him "idol" when he was a child. Gretchen Espina is a member of UP Singing Ambassadors. Kid Camaya did a vocally-good version of "Careless Whisper" by George Michael. He has around 25 siblings. Jayann Bautista was shaky at first when she sang "Finally" but recovered during the latter part. Ram Chaves, as expected, rocked again with Francis M's rap "Yugyugan". Ram's performance is the best among the five. As usual, he was confident on stage; he was performing, not competing. He has a character. He has a band called "Sutil". I would rate Ram with 5 stars (best). Kid and Jayann deserves 4.5 stars. Daryl and Gretchen, 4 stars. Indeed, they have improved a lot.

Arnell: Ano ang Tagalog ng "engineer"? Jeremy Marquez: Indyanero!

Here's a list of celebrities who moved from ABS-CBN to GMA-7 and are still active in GMA-7. Heart Evangelista, Eula Valdez, Michelle Madrigal, Angelica Cruz, Marvin Agustin, Jolina Magdangal, Dennis Trillo, Alfred Vargas, Jean Garcia, Camille Pratts, Paolo Contis, Joseph Bitongcol, Hero Angeles, Manny Pacquiao, Ariel Rivera, Eat Bulaga family, Mel Tiangco, Rhea Santos, Ivan Mayrina (he was my officemate in Ayala Corporation), Richard Gomez, Joey Marquez, Bearwin Meily, Butch Francisco, John Lapus, Connie Singson, Arnell Ignacio, Ricky Lo, Pia Guanio, Eagle, Charlene Gonzales, Eugene Domingo, Robin Padilla, Bianca King, Carlo Aquino, Marco Alcaraz, Dominic Roco, Felix Roco, Gio Alvarez, Gladys Reyes, Patrick Garcia, and Pauleen Luna.

Marian Rivera is the hottest star of GMA7. The first time I saw her was in Tape, Inc's afternoon drama (after Daisy Siete), also in GMA7. She was with Camille Pratts, Ehra Madrigal, Oyo Boy Sotto, Kempee de Leon, and AJ Eigenmann. Marian looked matured for her age. Maybe, that's the reason why she was always cast as a mother like in Super Twins (with Dennis Trillo, Jennilyn Mercado, and Nadine Samonte) and Muli (with Alfred Vargas and a Malaysian actress). I noticed her acting and beauty when she was transformed as a villain in Super Twins. Her break when she was cast a lead role in Marimar, a Filipino version of the Mexican TV-novel of the same name. Marimar, the Pinoy version, holds the highest rating so far (50%) in primetime television. Currently, her primetime TV Mars Ravelo's Dyesebel airs weekdays around 8:30 PM on GMA7. If you want to know more about Marian Rivera, simply Google the Net and you'll find numerous sites and information about her. Photo is from cain

August 17 is the Finals Night for Pinoy Idol. The Final 3 will perform on that night, which is two weeks from now. That means, one or two will be eliminated tonight. So, who will be? Maybe, it's Jayann Bautista or Warren Antig. It's Warren Antig. Warren almost backed out during the audition. Now, he reached the Final 6. Here's Warren's best performance - a reggae version of "Urong-Sulong".

Classic Pinoy Expressions One of the new TV shows that I enjoy watching these days is "Ang Pinaka". It's a top 10 list of anything. Today's episode was about the top 10 classic Pinoy expressions. Susmaryosep! Grabe! Kumusta naman...! Naks naman! Apir! Charing! Manigas ka! Ma at pa! Hanep! Bahala ka! We inherited "susmaryosep" from the Spaniards - "Jesus, Maria y Jose" - an expression equivalent to "Oh! My God!" or "Diyos ko!" in Tagalog. The English speakers use the same expression as "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph". The Filipinos during the Spanish era often heard the Spaniards exclaim "Jesus, Maria y Jose"; but, for the Filipino ears, it sounded like "susmaryosep". Nowadays, the expression is used in a disrespectful way which I find it blasphemous. So, personally, I don't use it. The expression has evolved to "susmarya", "susme", "sus", "asus". Whatever its f

Tonight's performances on Pinoy Idol were songs popularized by premier balladeer Basil Valdez, known for hard-to-sing signature songs. Jayann Bautista sang first. Her version of "You" was weak in the first part of the song. It went better towards the end except for a few out-of-tune notes. I agreed with Jolina Magdangal and Ogie Alcasid. Jayann put so much style in her version that the song sounded "confusing". It could have been better if it sounded simpler. Kid Camaya did a R&B version of "Paano Ba Ang Mangarap". He did justice to the song. Though he performed a close version of Basil's, a few touches of flavor made it sound his own. A few notes sounded flat or sharp; on the other hand, may be not for the reason that songs of Basil Valdez are known to have a few notes that sound like flat or sharp. Ram Chaves of Cagayan de Oro sang a reggae version of "Ngayon at Kailanman". Though he did a good performance, the difficulty of the son

I stumbled upon this video on YouTube while searching for "Pinoy Idol". The moment I heard the very first few notes of the boy, I was mesmerized, tears welled in my eyes. Fantastic, angelic voice!

I was searching the YouTube for "pinoy idol". It gave me more than 3,000 results. I wanted to know which video had the highest hits and I found this video on the top list - an audition of 13 year old boy Andrew Johnston at the "Britain's Got Talent". The moment I heard the very first few notes, I was mesmerized. This is what talent is all about. The voice comes from within his heart and soul.

Let's look back at the finale of the very first, and the very last, "Philippine Idol" when Mau Marcelo won. Mau sang "Try It On My Own" and she was definitely good. Mau has one album to date. If Mau were part of the remaining Pinoy Idol finalists, she would still be the best. Ram Chaves would be the second best.

Last night's performances of the remaining 7 Idol hopefuls were good surpassing amateurish singing. Truly, these remaining hopefuls have improved. But, despite that, one of them will go home tonight. Based on last night's performances, Penelope, who sang "Weak" by Freestyle, is my best vocals. Her notes were exact, smooth and clean. Gretchen Espina, who sang "Ikaw Lang Ang Aking Mahal" by Brownman Revival, is my best stage performance. I enjoyed her performance. It was entertaining. The judges, however, didn't like it. Ram Chaves, who sang "Sandalan" by 6Cyclemind, as usual, delivered a very good performance and vocals. Daryl Celis, who sang "Nasaan Ka" by Pupil, did a simple rendition. He has improved a lot, yet, not better than Ram or Robby or Penelope. Warren, on the other hand, did a poor version of South Border's "Kahit Kailan". Kid Camaya also did a poor performance. He sang "Stay" by Cueshe. Jayann, who

Who will be out of the Idol tonight? Last night's performances of the top 8 were OK. Two of them I consider exceptional. Indeed, the remaining Idol hopefuls have improved a lot. Penelope and Daryl Celis did their job well. Ram Chaves had a bad beginning but nailed it on the second part of his song. Penelope has learned the dynamics of singing. That's good. Daryl started singing from his heart. That's also good. But next time, he should open his mouth well so that he could pronounce the words well and modulate his voice. Noticeably, when he's singing with the group, he barely opens his mouth. So who will be eliminated tonight? But before that, let's see how the cast-outs were doing. JJ Jr. performed in SOP (GMA7). He looked promising. He can be a popular young celebrity. Jeni Rawolle on the other hand, was singing ahead of the time signature. When singing with a group, she should learn how to sing in unison. I thought Kid Camaya or Jayann would be out of the Idol, bu

Last night's performances showcased the song popularized by Regene Velasquez. The best performance for me was that of Warren Antig who did a reggae version of "Urong Sulong". I'm surprised to hear Daryl Celis improved. He was able to sing "Paano Kita Iibigin" well. Good for Daryl! Singing from his heart improved his performance. Though it's normal to close one's eyes and turn your hear to the side when singing a heartfelt song, it should not be done all the time. For a beginner, it's OK. Another good performance was that of Penelope. The quality of her voice has improved. Ram's and Sue's performances were not good. The rest were just OK, nothing extraordinary. The judges praised Ram Chavez for a poor performance. When the judges did the same thing to Robby Navarro, the voting public eliminated him. Here's one of the best performances of Robby Navarro. Now that Robby Navarro is out of the Idol, the quality of Pinoy Idol has diminished.

I hope Daryl Celis would be able to read this. I have some tips for him which might help improve his performances that will make his fans happier and make him worth voting for. Hit the first note right The first note is very important. The first note creates first impression. If you started with a bad note, most likely you will be singing out of tune. So how do you hit the exact note? Preparation. Before you hit the first note, sing it in your head. Once the exact note has registered in your brain, it follows vocally you will be singing the exact note. Don't worry about the brain's multi-tasking ability. The brain is superior at that. In microseconds before you produce the sound from your vocal chords, you can actually prepare it first in your head. Sing with confidence Performing on stage can be nerve-racking. The technique is to imagine an empty auditorium. Imagine you have no audience at all, that you're alone on stage. Avoid eye contact especially to those in the front

Why an underdog like Daryl Celis keeps on winning? Filipinos are very sympathetic. The judges and Daryl's fellow idol hopefuls have been bombarding Daryl with a battery of negative comments. Daryl on the other hand kept his quiet, modestly accepting and respecting the negative criticisms even to the point of his embarrassment. It's a typical Filipino attitude that Filipinos love to love. Daryl is becoming to look like an outcast. He is aware that everybody wants him out. He is becoming the cause of elimination of the better contenders. On the other hand, Robby Navarro's elimination may make the other contenders jubilant for the reason that their greatest threat, who is also the judges' favorite, is now out of the game. Maybe, if the judges and the idol hopefuls wanted Daryl to be eliminated, they should start saying nice things about him. Did you know that as early as today, Daryl already has a web site. It's www.darylcelis.com. How does Daryl sound? Here's his

Who will be eliminated tonight? Based on their performances last night, here's my top 10. 1. Ram Chavez (Wish he could be original.) 2. Kid Camaya 3. Penelope 4. Warren Antig 5. Robby Navarro (He has become too confident. For the past two weeks, he's been singing out of tune.) 6. Toffer Rei 7. Jayann Bautista (Wish she could sing effortlessly.) 8. Gretchen Espina (Her brows have nothing to do with her singing but they make her face look arrogant and charmless.) 9. Daryl Celis (He has to polish his vocals to make it powerful.) 10. Sue Ellen Unfortunately, Robby Navarro is out of the game. Robby is one of the best, if not, the best of them all. He has the voice and the personality. So what happened? Here's my view. Three of them are from Pampanga, thus, he was not able the solid votes of his fellow Pampanguenos. His performance for the last two weeks were not good. He was singing out of tune, trying too hard to sound R&B. He has become too confident that even at times whe

What I noticed about today's performances was that they all started with a bad note. Either the note was flat or soft. Maybe it had something to do with the microphone, technically. Here's my personal ranking based on their performances today. 1. Robby Navarro. He's really good. 2. Kid Camaya 3. Jayann 4. Ram 5. Gretchen 6. Mae 7. Warren Antig 8. Penelope 9. Daryl Celis 10. Toffer Rei 11. Sue Ellen The idol hopefuls and the artists I associate them with. Ram performs like Bamboo. Gretchen reminds me of Leah Navarro. Warren reminds me of one of the Streetboys dancer. Mae looks like Joanna Quintas. Toffer reminds me of Rey Valera. Tonight, Philippines said goodbye to Mae Flores.

Meryl David & Walton Zerrudo were out of Pinoy Idol. A week after, JJ Jr. and Carol Leus got eliminated. Meryl and Walton could really sing well if they learned their song well. At the end of the show, they were asked to sing "Climb Every Mountain". It was a total disaster. So, practice is really important. On the other hand, JJ and Carol did well with their final song. The Top 12

Jayann is a fan Leona Lewis. She has to improve her diction. Parang iniipit niya yung boses niya. I think the song was too difficult for her. On the first try, a contestant should try a ballad that will showcase his/her vocal range. On the second try, he/she should do the same thing to prove his/her consistency. Ramielle Malubay of American Idol impressed the judges the first time but failed the second time. That means the first was just luck? Meryl is a fan of Laurin Hill. Her performance of Killing Me Softly was dry at the start pero bumawi sa latter part. Jeni is a fan of Ella Fitzgerald. I enjoyed her performance of Too Darn Hot. But she has to improve more her diction. Contestants should be able to sing and perform like a pro. Compare themselves to David Cook and David Archuleta. The Pinoy Idol hopefuls should be able to match the Davids' performance. Gretchen, a fan of Jaya, performed "Wala Na Bang Pag-ibig". She was able to show her vocal range but her performance

I visited YouTube and listened to the performances of the finalists of the Philippine Idol so I could compare how the Pinoy Idol finalists par with them. This video is Pow Chavez's performance (67,650 views to date at YouTube). At this point, I find her performance a lot better than any Pinoy Idol contestants.

Julie Anne is the voice behind the theme song of Dyesebel "Aking Mundo". Julie Anne was one of the finalists of Pinoy Pop Star Kids. Danny Tan formed the finalists into a group and named it Sugarpop. Sugarpop performs regularly at the Sunday noontime musical show SOP.

This is the Original Soundtrack of the TV series Dyesebel. The video highlights the natural marine beauty of the Philippines. The shoot was taken in Coron, Palawan. The video also witnesses to the creativity and technical capability of Filipino artists -- from production design, editing, visual effects, costuming, and directing, not to mention, the beauty of the Filipino faces.

JJ Jr. Good performance. Confident. If American Idol had David Archuleta, Pinoy Idol has JJ Jr if we're talking about charm. The judges' comments are a bit confusing - "take a risk", "be consistent", "focus on your specialty", "get out of your comfort zone". Toffer. Good choice of song. A difficult one, I guess. Daryl. Bad first note. His performance of "Because of You" sounded amateurish. But he's got the looks. Robby. A fan of Color Me Badd, his performance of "Wildflower" was good. Warren. A fan of Michael Jackson, he sang Billy Jean. He has to improve his diction. Ram is a fan of Rivermaya. Ram definitely can sing as a rocker. I wish to hear him sing a different genre. Walton is a fan of Lionel Richie. Bad first note. He's one of those who could really sing but he sings like JayR. Kid is a fan of Stevie Wonder and Peobo Bryson. He can sing but there's nothing special about his performance. Walton has i

The boys' performances were a lot better than the performances of the girls. Walton sang "Every Breath You Take". He's vocally good but he should be careful with his first note always. A technique is before hitting the first note, he should already sing it in his head. It's called preparation. Kid sang "Always Something There to Remind Me." His performance last week was better. Rye sang "Babe". He's vocally good but I think he's pang-vocalist ng banda. Sherwin sang "The Old Song". Tipong pang-idol. He has to improve his performance. Warren sang "Open Arms". He was out of tune this time. Robby. Puede na. Toffer sang "I Want to Break Free." Like Rye, mas bagay pang-banda. JJ sang "Wishful Thinking." JJ has charm. Puedeng pang-artista. All he needs is to perform impressively. Ram sang "Boys Don't Cry." The only guy who stands out. He reminds me of Bamboo. Daryl sang "True Colors&qu

Gretchen sang "The Way You Make Me Feel". She's good on stage. Vocally, just the average. Vren sang "Wind Beneath My Wings". She was better last week. Mae sang "Listen To Your Heart". She has to improve her diction. She has a good personality, though, and vocally, above average. Penelope sang "Everything I Do, I Do It For You". Good performance. Jayann sang "Kiss". Good performance, good on stage, good personality. Meryl sang "I Feel for You." Good performance. Vocally, also good. Carol sang "It Must Have Been Love". Her first note was sablay. She should improve her performance next time. Regene sang "With or Without You". She has to put life in her performance. Sue Ellen sang "More Than Words". Another bad first note. Jeni sang "Lean On Me". Very good performance, vocally good except for a few flat notes. My prediction. Sue Ellen and Regene will be eliminated.

Last week, the elimination was emotional. I didn't like Drizzle to go. She was better than Sue Ellen. I watched the performance of the top 20. Most of them rendered average performances. Yes, they can sing, but not really outstanding. Last year, Gian Magdangal was already noticeable. I am looking for that kind of performance. Pinoy Idol is not that exciting yet compared to American Idol. It's a little bit boring. Compared to Pinoy Pop Superstar, I prefer the PPS's format where contestants can sing their pieces in full. In Pinoy Idol, one could not enjoy the performances of the contestants because each piece lasts only for seconds. The first time I heard Maricris Garcia sang in Pinoy Pop Superstar, one could easily tell that she's good. The first time I heard the Pinoy Idol contestants, not one of them captured me like Maricris did. For the first 4 who were eliminated, I think it was unfair to them that they were not featured individually in Pinoy Idol Extra (because the

Tonight is the Top 12 Girls's time to shine. I'm going to rate them on a scale of 1-10 where 10 is the highest. Just like the boys, all the girls, no doubt, could sing. But of course, there's a big room for improvement. Nothing extraordinary about anyone so far. Let's see how they are going to improve. Vren Villaflor . She has the looks, too. Nice energy on the stage. Artistahin. Good vocal tone too; hindi baduy. Rating: 8 Penelope . She's got potential. Her raw talent offers something. Her personality improved as well. Rating: 8 Jeni Rawolle . Jeni has the looks. I think her voice is too nasal. Her performance is OK, though. Rating: 7 Mae Flores . Medyo artistahin and she's confident on stage. She has to improve her diction though. Para siyang namumuwalan. Every sound should be clear at buo. Rating: 7 Jayann Bautista . She has to improve her diction. Just like Mae, para siyang namumuwalan. Kailangan buo ang boses. Hindi pilit. Rating: 7 Meryl David . She failed

The Top 12 Boys performed tonight. So far, here are my favorites. If I remembered their names, that means, they performed well tonight. Daryl Celis. I agree with Jolina's comment. He did well at first, he connected to hid audience but lost this connection on the latter part of the song. His falsetto was not that good. He has to improve it. He has charm. He can get a lot of fans. Kid Camaya. Perfect pitch. Exact notes. Malinis ang pagkanta. Ram Chavez. Good performance on stage. Warren is also good as a rocker. But like Wyngard said, he had to prove that he can sing other genre. JJ Jr. He's got the looks and he can sing but lost his concentration towards the end. Robby Navarro. Pulido ang pagkanta. Toffer, Dio, Sherwin have to work on their dictions. The rest didn't leave a mark. I could hardly remember how they performed. The Idol hopefuls should remember that sa first note pa lang, kailangan eksakto agad. The very first note is very important. I could not agree with some

Finally, Pinoy Idol has the Final 24. Whom are you voting for? Top 12 Girls Regene Ong Mae Flores Bev Ejercito Meryl David Sue Ellen Drizzle Muniz Vren Villaflor Gretchen Espina Jeni Rawolle Carol Anne Leus Penelope Jayann Bautista Top 12 Boys Dio Paolo JJ Jr. Robby Navarro Elliot Andal Warren Antig Rye Estrada Ram Chavez Daryl Celis Sherwin Marquez Walton Zerrudo Kid Camaya Toffer Rei

This is the giant billboard that you will see at the GMA-7 Network Center. You'll get a closer view of it while on board the MRT (Metro Rail Transit in EDSA).

Week 2 Episodes The next episodes after the first week were not as exciting as the first few days. In a few words, I can give you the synopsis. Dyesebel was able to save Fredo and hid him inside a cave. Bukanding (Paolo Ballesteros), her foster brother, persuaded her to go home for fear of the queen's punishment. Back to the cave, they found out that Fredo was bitten by a sea snake. Dyesebel left to look for cure. While she was gone, Berbola found Fredo inside the cave. She, too, fell in love with Fredo. In Sireneya, the queen learned about mermaids swimming up to the shore (which is forbidden). The queen had them hunted. Erebus (Alfred Vargas) warned Dyesebel and Bukanding that they were able to leave the cave and went to a shore where Fredo recovered. Berbola pointed at Dyesebel as the mermaid who violated the law. Dyesebel was sentenced to death; but Erebus told the queen that Berbula, too, was guilty of the same crime. The queen could not sentence her daughter Berbula to death.

Dyesebel found her way to swim up to the shore always waiting for Fredo, the boy who saved her from a tangled fishnet. Dyesebel grew up to be a very beautiful mermaid and she has fallen in love with Fredo, something that her adoptive mother, Banak, feared because, Lucia, Dyesebel's mother, suffered for falling in love with a man. Berbula (played by Michelle Madrigal), the queen's daughter, followed Dyesebel one time and found out where Dyesebel was going. To go to the land of mortal men was a forbidden law in the kingdom of Sireneya. Berbula saw Fredo on the shore and she, too, had fallen in love with him. Banak (played by Lotlot de Leon) warned her adopted daughter, Dyesebel, to stop going to the land of men. Dyesebel swore that she would again never. But, upon learning that Fredo was ashore, she swam up to see her prince once again. Meanwhile, while Fredo was setting his sail, the mast knocked him off and was thrown to the sea. The target audience of Dyesebel is the kids. So,

Episode 2 Lucia gave birth to Dyesebel. While she was laboring, a tsunami hit the town attributing it to a sighting of a mermaid, which the town folks considered a jinx. Terrified upon seeing the baby mermaid, the obstetrician was screaming as she was announcing what she saw. Upon learning about it, Tonio's mother rushed to the hospital. Vivian told the town folks that Lucia and her baby mermaid should be blamed for bringing the disaster to their town. As a result, they rushed to the family so that they could get rid of the baby mermaid. Out of the crowd's chaotic behavior, Tino was killed. Before he breathed his last, Tonio instructed Lucia to send their baby mermaid to the sea, where she should be. And so she did. Upon bringing her to the water, baby Dyesebel swam away. This episode was compelling. You could feel the emotion that the scenes were trying to express. The post-disaster scene looked credible. The place was a perfect selection. It needed no props to make it look li

Dyesebel, the TV series on GMA7, premiers tonight. On its first episode, Tino (Wendel Ramos) spotted Lucia (Jean Garcia) at sea. It was love at first sight. One evening, Tino found Lucia afloat and unconscious. Tonio brought her home and took care of her. To the disappointment of his mother (Chanda Romero) and wife-wannabe Vivian (Andrea del Rosario), Tino married Lucia. On her due date, Lucia gave birth to a baby girl, a half-human-half-fish baby, whom she named Dyesebel. So far, Episode 1 was good. The period was set to the 60's. If not for the costumes of Andrea del Rosario, you would not know that it's from the 60's. GMA-7 could have used sepia filter to make it look like from the 60's. On visual effects, the giant octopus attacking the pump boat was neatly done. For a complete synopsis of Dyesebel, you may read it here at http://www.pep.ph/guide/1863/Fredo-and-Dyesebel-experience-love-at-first-sight Dyesebel photos are also available at the same site. You m

Dyesebel, the 2008 TV series, premiers on April 28 on GMA-7. Marian Rivera stars as Dyesebel; Dingdong Dantes plays the role of Fredo, Dyesebel's love interest.

The following questions were not answered correctly by the celebrity contestants. Q: Pag namatay ang lolo mo, ano ang tawag sa lola mo? (If your grandpa died, what would you call your grandma?) A: Oldmaid Q: Ano ang tawag sa puting suot ng pari pag ito'y nagkakasal? (What does a priest wear who is officiating a wedding?) Kyla: Kapa (cape) Q: Sinong artista ang kilala sa pagiging payat? Maxene: Elizabeth Ramsey, Vic Sotto Q: Ano ang tawag sa tirahan ng mga mongha o monghe? (The place where monks live.) Wally: Monestaryo Q: Ano ang kasarian ng taong naka-Amerikana? (Gender of a person wearing a suit.) Jose: Amerikano (American) Q: Sino ang tatay ni Noel Trinidad? May kinalaman ito sa "coco". Jose: Mr. Trinidad Q: Kung ang tuta ay sa aso, anong meron ang pulis sa baril niya? Jose: Batuta Q: Kung si Ariel Rivera ay kilabot ng kolehiyala, sino ang asawa ni Ariel? Wally: Janice de Belen Q: Ano ang ingles ng makinilya? Julia: Machine Q: Ano ang pinaparada sa paradahan? Julia: Tr

When GOBINGO aired on TV in the 90's, the Pinoy audience found a new toy to talk and laugh about after each episode. What made it popular was the contestants' funny answers to the quickie-tricky questions. Televiewers truly had fun watching each episode. To date, GMA-7 is resurrecting the funny game show. Arnell Ignacio, once again, is hosting it. This GMA-7's original game show made Arnel Ignacio a popular name in the boob tube. When the show ended after a few seasons, GMA-7 came up with "All-Star K, the P1,000,000 Videoke Challenge", also with Arnel Ignacio. The game show was becoming popular that after a few seasons, Arnel moved to ABS-CBN, a rival network, to host a noontime show that would compete with Eat Bulaga. Ai-Ai de las Alas, who made a name in Eat Bulaga and 1+4=3 (a sitcom with Vic Sotto and Rosanna Roces), co-hosted with Arnel Ignacio. Ignacio's "for greener pasture" move was not successful. After a few projects with the Ch2 network, I

Last year, ABC5 hosted Philippine Idol and broadcast American Idol via satellite. Ryan Agoncillo hosted the show. The judges were Ryan Cayabyab, Pilita Corrales, and Francis Magalona. The final 3 were Mau Marcelo, Gian Magdangal, and Jan Nieto. Mau won the contest. Gian, a cousin of Jolina Magdangal, is now a mainstay of SOP, a Sunday entertainment show on GMA7. Jan also appears on the same show regularly. This year, GMA7 now owns the right to the Idol franchise. It is called Pinoy Idol. Apparently, GMA7 cannot use the name Philippine Idol because the name is a property of ABC5. The show is hosted by Raymond Gutierrez. The judges are Wyngard Tracy, Jolina Magdangal, and Ogie Alcasid. The show was offered to Regine Velasquez but she declined it. American Idol is now broadcast over QTV-11 via satellite. QTV is a subsidiary of GMA7.

When Marian Rivera hit the tube for the remake of Marimar, a Mexican TV series that made Thalia popular (at least here in the Philippines), she, too, made history in the entertainment industry. Only Marimar, the Philippine version, was able to reach the highest ratings of 52.6% ( showbiznest.blogstpot.com ) on March 14, 2008. After the Marimar finale, primetime viewing has never been the same again. It seemed that fans of Marimar are missing Marian Rivera. For that reason, her fans already feel excited about her new TV series Dyesebel - a love story between a mermaid and a human. In my blog likhanghimig.blogspot.com , the Marimar love theme song "Mahal Kita" generated 788 hits during the Marimar fever -- my highest among all my blogs. Will this blog be able to compete with that? Let's see when Dyesebel hits the tube this 2008.

"Iskul Ko No.1", a documentary by I-Witness (GMA Network, Philippines) won the silver award in the recent New York Festival 2008. The story is about a public school in Sindangan, Leyte in the Philippines. It ranked number one on top of all public schools nationwide based on the academic achievements of the students. Teacher Lea, once a private school teacher, brought to the public school the system of teaching in private schools. Some students, who live in the boondocks, would walk an hour to the school. For the poorer families, the children's dream to finish college ends upon graduating from the sixth grade. Mildred, who was in top two in the school, simply planned to work as a domestic helper after graduating from sixth grade. This is what I feel after watching the documentary. It's sad that there are bright Filipino children in the remote areas in the provinces who could not finish college due to being poor. Shame on the politicians and government officials who get

I'M PROUD TO BE KAPUSO!

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. It has a touching message and beautiful melody. I love the Michael Bublé version. Grown-Up Christmas List [via FoxyTunes / Michael Bublé ] My Grown-Up Christmas List David Foster, composer Do you remember me I sat upon your knee I wrote to you With childhood fantasies Well, I'm all grown up now Can you still help somehow I'm not a child But my heart still can dream So here's my lifelong wish My grown-up Christmas list Not for myself But for a world in need No more lives torn apart That wars would never start And time would heal all hearts Every man would have a friend That right would always win And love would never end This is my grown-up Christmas list What is this illusion called the innocence of youth Maybe only in that blind belief can we ever find the truth No more lives torn apart That wars would never start And time would heal our hearts Every man would have a friend That right would always win And love would never end Th