Kamote, Kalabaw

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...

Here's a touching scene from Marimar. Direk Joyce Bernal really knows how to capture the emotions perfectly.

Here's another favorite song. "Mahal Kita", which means "I love you" was composed by Danny Tan. The original version was sung by Gerald Santos, Pinoy Pop Superstar grand champion of 2006. The female version was sung by Maricris Garcia, Pinoy Pop Superstar grand champion of 2007. The song is included in Gerald's first album "A Day on the Rainbow". The song is currently the love theme song of "Marimar", a Philippine remake of the Mexican tele-novela with the same title. In the Philippine version, Marian Rivera plays Marimar; Dingdong Dantes plays the the role of Sergio Santibanez. In Marimar, the female version is a response to the male version of the song. In dramatic scenes that focus on either Marimar's (Marian) or Sergio's (Dingdong) emotions, you'll either hear Gerald's or Maricris's version. "Marimar" is currently showing weeknights on GMA Channel 7. Here's Gerald's version of "Mahal Kita...

HANGANG...BY: WENCY CORNEJO [via FoxyTunes / Wency Cornejo ] Play the video while you sing along. Below is the lyric of the song in Tagalog. Hanggang Ilang ulit mo nang itinatanong sa akin kung hanggang saan hanggang saan, hanggang kailan, hanggang kailan magtatagal, ang aking pagmamahal hanggang may himig pa akong naririnig, dito sa ating daigdig hanggang may musika akong tinataglay, kita'y iniibig giliw huwag mo sanang isiping ikaw ay aking lilisanin, di ko magagawang lumayo sa 'yong piling at nais kong malaman mo kung gaano kita kamahal hanggang ang diwa ko'y tanging sa 'yo laan mamahalin kailanman hanggang pag-ibig ko'y hanggang walang-hanggan tanging ikaw lamang hanggang may himig pa akong naririnig dito sa ating daigdig hanggang may musika akong tinataglay kita'y iniibig giliw huwag mo sanang isiping ikaw ay aking lilisanin 'di ko magagawang lumayo sa'yong piling at nais kong malaman mo kung gaano kita kamahal hanggang may puso akong marunong magm...

I recently discovered this new cool site. It's the foxytunes.com. If you are using Mozilla Firefox, it comes with a media player tool that rests at the bottom of your browser. With that tiny media player, you can play your favorite music while browsing, or even while not browsing. (Instead of opening your media player, you can open instead your browser to play your favorite music.) To go to the FoxyTunes, click the double eight-note icon and select FoxyTunes Planet. On the site, you can search for your favorite artist and FoxyTunes will give you everything about the artist - his profile, albums, music, videos, photos, lyrics, webs, news, and blogs. It's an all-in-one site about your favorite artist. And if you love to sing, like in a videoke or karaoke, you can do just that with FoxyTunes Planet. Simply retrieve the lyrics, then play the video, you can now sing with your favorite artist. Here's a sample. Follow this link Josh Groban on FoxyTunes and enjoy singing with Josh...

Last Thursday, Studio 23 (Philippines) aired the controversial "Desperate Housewives" episode. A program advisory said that it was the official international edition of the said show. The alleged "racial slur" was already omitted. I found the scene rather ordinary because it lacked the punchline that usually bring a good laugh. When I first heard about the alleged racial slur in the news, I, being a Filipino, sympathized with my fellow Pinoys who were offended by the controversial line of Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher). The first question that entered my mind was "why did the writer thought of the med school in the Philippines and not of those other countries?" The first answer that came to my mind was, maybe, he heard about the falsification of documents along C.M. Recto avenue. Maybe, he heard this story from his Filipino friends or acquaintances. My second theory was, perhaps, he was aware of a news item in the Philippines where a leakage in the nursing boa...

In "Balakubak", a segment of Nuts Entertainment (aired 4 Aug 07), Joey de Leon, Janno Gibbs, and Anjo Yllana interviewed Ryan Agoncillo. The three men asked Ryan if he would allow Piolo Pascual to be his best man in his wedding or to be one of the godfathers of his child. Ryan answered "no" for the reason that he is Catholic and Piolo is a Christian. In that statement, Ryan made it sound that he is not a Christian, or in general, that Catholics are not Christians. Catholics are 100% Christians. In fact, the Catholics are the very first Christians. Christ's disciples, beginning from his apostles, were the early Christians. Years after, they called themselves Katolikos or Catholics. To correct Ryan, he should have said "I'm a Catholic Christian while Piolo is a non-Catholic Christian.

I watched the movie "Ouija" (GMA Films / Viva Films) the other day. TV ads and news said that people were talking about it. Indeed, it was a box office hit and was graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board. But, I want to find out for myself. The movie deserves 3 stars. A portion of the movie that stands out was the fast-paced series of non-stop suspense, horror, and thrill of ghost-haunting the lead characters. Cinematography and sound were also good. The acting of Judy Ann Santos, Jolina Magdangal, and Iza Calzado were good. The beginning was also good. I didn't have to wait long for the suspenseful scene. What I don't like is the inconsistent application of color. Color of some scenes were severely saturated. I don't know if that was intentional; nevertheless, it wasn't good for me. (Maybe Viva Films should purchase new equipment.) Another thing that I didn't like was the glamorous make-up of the lead actresses in scenes where star-material make-up was no...

Reporter's Notebook (GMA7) featured yesterday the plight of some OFW's in Dubai. One story is about a young woman raped by her employer. She reported this to the authority but she was jailed instead. Another story is about a woman who had to accept jail sentence for giving birth to her child before she could go back to the Philippines. Some of them were victims of illegal recruitment. At the Philippine Consulate's office, many Filipinos file complaints. [Reporter's Notebook: Dubai, by Maki Pulido and Jiggy Manicad, GMA7] Their stories are sad but I wish they had been wiser. Why mortgage your properties and leave your family just to work abroad with a meager salary and live in the same poor condition, if not fatal end? If I were a lawmaker, I would not allow Filipino women to work in a foreign country as domestic helpers.

Olongapo's Grannies Last Monday, I-Witness (GMA7) featured a few women who used to offer "extra personal services" to the American servicemen who spent long nights at the pre-Subic-base Olongapo's red district. These women, now in their 80's, now work either as sidewalk vendors or beggars. These women recalled how happy their lives were living the American dream with their apple-of-the-eye American soldiers. Unfortunately for them, a law had to close (in the late 80's) the Subic Base and send the American soldiers back to USA leaving these women and their Fil-Am children with foiled American dream. The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo then must have agreed with this law. The red district turned into ash-gray ghost town, drying a river, and burying a few towns. Today, that district has risen from its ashes into a family-oriented chain of fastfoods and restaurants. I can't help but feel sad for these elderly women. Not because of their chosen lifestyle in the 1940...

The Kish Island is a free-port tourist destination in Iran. The island is located between Tehran and UAE. No visa is required to enter the island. Filipinos, who need to exit from Middle East before the expiration of their visas, stay on this island while they wait for the renewal of their next visas. The sad story is that some Filipinos got stranded here for the reason that they could no longer afford to pay for their hotels and airline tickets. There are times when a visa takes months before it is approved; thus, the Filipinos will need to stay longer in the island. For the Filipinos who could no longer afford to stay in a hotel, they spend the nights on the beach. There are good Samaritans, however, in the island. There are Filipinos who help their fellow Filipinos. Like Fatima, who works in a hotel, solicit donations from Filipinos aboard the hotel bus each time she brings and picks up Filipino tourists to and from the airport. The money is then used to buy airline tickets for a st...