With the recent news about the devastation brought by typhoon Odette hitting the headlines, the subject of the of Metro Manila Film Festival entry film Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (which opens in theaters nationwide on December 25) is as timely as ever. The globally recognized drama film starring Charo Santos, Daniel Padilla and newcomer Rans Rifol, tells of the aftermath of 2013 supertyphoon Yolanda. Kun Maupay Man It Panahon is inspired by director Carlo Francisco Manatad’s own experience of looking for his family in Tacloban because he could not reach them for days. 

Carlo recalls what happened very vividly. “I tried to contact them but all reception and communication lines were damaged, and seeing the news then, one would think no one would survive the storm. Luckily, I was able to hitch in a plane carrying relief goods. I was the only passenger. When I arrived, my hometown was beyond recognition. All roads, structures, and any form of landmarks were gone. Mountains of dead bodies were scattered everywhere.” 

After what seemed to be the longest day of his life, Carlo managed to find his loved ones—all 16 of them plus their family dog—alive and well. When the young filmmaker returned to Manila to resume work (he was doing film editing at that time), he could not shake off what he went through. 

Those days in Tacloban have now led to an outstanding full-length feature (Carlo’s first) starring an acclaimed actress-producer, today’s most celebrated matinee idol, and a rising actress. All thanks to the persistence of Carlo and his collaborators, and the backing of 11 companies from five different countries. Kun Maupay Man It Panahon is truly an international movie as it is produced by Cinematografica (Philippines),  planc (Philippines), House on Fire (France)| iWantTFC (Philippines), Globe Studios (Philippines), Black Sheep (Philippines), Quantum Films (Philippines), AAND Company (Singapore), KawanKawan Media (Indonesia), Weydemann Bros. (Germany), and CMB Films (Philippines). 

The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland where it took home the Youth Jury Prize, and got raves at the Toronto International Film Festival. Canadian film critic Henry Tan of Universal Cinema hailed it for its two major feats: 1) using the dialect of Waray as the dialogue, and 2) bringing attention to how the Philippines responded to the aftermath of Yolanda. He wrote, “Carlo Francisco Manatad has done a great job in bringing awareness of this historical typhoon event in the Philippines. Whether the Weather is Fine… reminds the audience about the humanity in coming together to help the survivors move forward from a devastation.” 

Kun Maupay Man It Panahon has traveled to 25 international film fests in a span of five months. During that time, it also won Special Mention by the Jury at the Guanajuato International Film Festival in Mexico and Best Director at the London East Asia Film Festival in the UK. 

Carlo says, “Our team is thankful for the chance to bring our movie home as it tackles something we must live with. I feel it is important to discuss the reality of natural calamities in this generation we are in. A lot has been said about Filipino resilience especially in the wake of disasters--- both natural and otherwise---to the point that it has become cliché. 

"Major typhoons have been happening more often so Odette's occurrence comes as no surprise... I think I speak on behalf of my co-filmmakers when I say that climate change and disaster preparedness are the more urgent issues. These should be addressed by everyone and not be 'masked' or neglected by the sentimentality of resilience."

When I was invited to grace the face to fsce interview cum mediacon for this young and fresh face Jasmine "Jhassy" Busran, I got real curious. 

You see, in this whole crazy and very much circus-sy world of entertainment, one has to be so brave, not only talented, with full of confidence, smart, ambitious, easy to be with, gracious and of course must make a "mark" in this industry called showbiz. 

Luckily for us mere mortals in this side of Hollywood, the blooming and blossoming of our own jasmine, comes in the person of Jhassy Bustan, a miss of fifteen seasons, supposedly the age when Juliet Capulet met the love of her life, Romeo Montague, in that lovely city of fair Verona. 

Currently, the young miss born under the astrological sign of Virgo is in her 9th grade at the Mission Christian School, with the King’s Language, English as her favorite school subject. On the side, she is a varsity player of their table tennis team. 

Jhassy is most modest about some of her scholastic achievements: “I graduated salutatorian with 7 awards. With the guidance of my parents, teachers and God definitely, I am a consistent honor student since kinder. I also played Table tennis in BULPRISA before and won a silver medal. I’ve became title holder of Bb Kalinisan twice and Ms. Intramurals 2019.” 

She is Swiftie, listens and appreciates all the penned compositions of international singing sensation Taylor Swift. Locally she idolizes Pop Royalty Sarah Geronimo-Guidicelli, the Pinoy Pop Kings SB19 and the oh so ripe to become a supermodel, Maymay Entrata. 

When it comes to her top picks in acting, Busran declares: “I’m an avid fan of Ms. Kathryn Bernardo since 2012 I really love how she acts and her personality. I look up to Ms. Sylvia Sanchez too because of her versatility.” 

Her current eye candies are SB19’s Ken Suson, Daniel Padilla and Donny Pangilinan. 

In the movie “Caught In the Act” she is: “I am Daisy Sison, the best friend of Elaine Cruz which Andi Abaya portrays,” says Jhassy. “My character in the movie is a nerd but not the typical one. She has a social life. She has great friends. She prioritizes her studies pero di niya kinakalimutan maging masaya.” 

When I asked about how did she relate to her character in the movie and about having "loveteams" in showbiz, please watch this: 

Her preparations for the role, she shares: “When I have a new role to portray I just always think that I have to wear the shoes, the feelings and thoughts of my character. And Daisy and I are somewhat similar. I am also I am also prioritizing my studies but at the same time, I balance it with quality time with my family and friends.” 

“My experience in being part of ‘Caught In the Act, I would never forget,”Jhassy avers. “I made a lot of fun and good memories with my co-actors. They were guiding me all throughout the shoot. I also discovered that I can focus pala ng matagal.” She cannot help but guffaw after that reveal. 

What makes her unique, she comes clean: “A lot of people say that I have a matured mindset despite my young age. Having that as my uniqueness, I think can invest more emotions and truth to the characters that hopefully will be offered to me.” 

She does not say nay to the possibility of having a love team. Her explanation: “I will accept it for as long as alam ko naman po na masaya ako sa ginagawa ko with my partner and together, we bring joy and positivity to people.”

Busran is undeniably serious in acting. Her efforts are not in vain since she won international acting awards for the short film she starred in billed “Pugon”. 

In the Gabby Ramos directed short film about child laborers, she bagged the best of the best performance of actress award in the International Film Festival Manhattan in New York and as best child actress in Gully International Film Festival in India. 

The short film, which also had seasoned actor Soliman Cruz as cast, was shown as a film in exhibition in the online edition of Ciemalaya, the most prestigious film festival for independently produced motion pictures. 

Busran promises: “I know that I always do my best in everything. I can promise them na di ko sila bibiguin at kaya ko. I am a strong willed person and I am confident with my talents.”

Jhassy is really indeed a "not the ordinary girl" type that we could just meet and be seen somewhere. She is an achiever in her own generation, she already knows what to do in her future. Being a risk-taker and a lover of challenges, Jhas has made a "mark" in every field she engages to. And now that she has entered showbusiness, she has emerged again. Triumphant as ever! 

Good luck to you Jhassy girl may all your endeavors in life come true. 

One of Japan’s leading chu-hi drinks bound to make waves as Coca-Cola introduces its first alcoholic drink in the country

 

Manila, Philippines — Lemon-Dou®, one of Japan’s growing chu-hi drinks, is now available in the Philippines in three different variants. The entry of Lemon-Dou® in the country is seen as a response to the increasing demand for refreshing lemon alcoholic drinks and marks the first alcoholic beverage brand in the growing beverage portfolio of Coca-Cola in the Philippines.

“At Coca-Cola, we’ve always strived to deliver innovations that center around what our consumers want, while ensuring that we evolve our business responsibly and sustainably as well. We continue to be bullish on our business here in the Philippines amidst the ongoing challenges of the pandemic — and the launch of Lemon-Dou, our first alcoholic brand in the country, is a tangible proof of that commitment. We are confident that Lemon-Dou will help further accelerate the high-growth trajectory of flavored alcoholic drinks in the country," said Tony del Rosario, President of Coca-Cola Philippines.

 

Inspired from the southern province of Kyushu, Japan – the birthplace of shochū over 500 years ago – Lemon-Dou was first introduced by Coca-Cola in Japan in 2018. After two years, the lemon-flavored alcoholic drink became one of Japan’s Nikkei Trendy top 5 trends in 2020.

 

Martyn Ferguson, Marketing Director for Emerging Brands of Coca-Cola ASEAN & South Pacific shared, “Lemon-Dou uses a closely-guarded traditional recipe from Coca-Cola Japan. True to the Japanese philosophy of Kodawari, we’re very proud of how we have tapped into the strength of our global network to ensure that the quality of Lemon-Dou remains consistent when served to the Filipino legal age drinkers.”

 

Lemon-Dou is a play on “lemon,” the drink’s main ingredient, and the Japanese word “dou,” meaning house. Literally translated to “The House of Lemon,” Lemon-Dou uses crushed whole lemons, infused in alcohol and mixed with bubbles, which creates the great tasting, refreshing and full-bodied lemon-sour experience for the alcohol drinkers.

This newest Japanese-crafted chu-hi drink comes in three different variants: Honey Lemon–sweet taste & mild flavor with 3% alcohol level; Signature Lemon with the classic taste; bold lemon flavor and 5% alcohol level; and the Devil Lemon, a wickedly good taste with 9% alcohol content.

 

Globally, Coca-Cola adheres to a strict Global Responsible Marketing Policy to ensure that the company grows their alcohol brands, such as Lemon-Dou, in a responsible and sustainable way. This policy includes championing responsible consumption and marketing that does not appeal to people under the legal purchase age (LPA).

 

People of legal drinking age can now enjoy Lemon-Dou. It is available in major supermarkets nationwide, which includes SM Hypermarket, Waltermart, Robinsons Supermarket, Shopwise, Landmark Supermarket, Royal Duty Free, S&R, Lander’s, Alfamart, Puregold, as well as convenience stores such as 7-Eleven, Mini Stop, Family Mart, and Lawson. Lemon-Dou may also be ordered online via Boozy.ph, CokeBeverages.ph, Shopee, and Lazada as long as you are 18 years old and above.

 

With Keri as your delivery partner, you can enjoy convenient, reliable, and safe deliveries this Christmas!

Manila, Philippines - December xx, 2021 - The holiday season is the busiest time of the year for many SMEs. As soon as the ‘ber months come around, orders start pouring in, from food orders for get-togethers and the annual Noche Buena, to gifts for giving to friends and loved ones. To keep up with the influx of orders, businesses need to work double time to produce, pack, and send out their goods to loyal customers.

LOOKING AHEAD WITH TECNO

Sensor shift stabilisation, new RGBW sensors, personalised AI algorithms, and more – here’s why your selfies and holiday photos are going to level up next year

Smartphone cameras are no longer just the most convenient option – they are quickly becoming the best one, beating traditional digital cameras with computational power and innovation.

In 2021, smartphones with multiple lens systems became mainstream. Improved sensor size and resolution mean users can capture more details and render images accurately in complex lighting conditions. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms enhanced many facets of image processing. And they’re not done. A slew of changes are coming in 2022, as smartphone manufacturers push the envelope.

What are the trends that will drive this change? At a recent webinar, Global Mobile Camera Trends 2022, organised by Counterpoint Research, experts from TECNO, Samsung, and DXOMARK Image Labs, discussed some of the key trends we are likely to see in the coming year – and what we will soon be holding in our hands

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It’s Christmas time once again and while the celebrations this year are still different from the big get-togethers of the past, it doesn’t mean that Filipino families can’t find simple joys to revel in.

In its newly released safety video, Jollibee again underscored how the brand upholds high standards of quality and safety across its entire operations, while letting customers remember the priceless moments shared with family and friends over great-tasting Jollibee food. Set to an original Jollibee Christmas tune, the video shows how families seeking the familiar joy of the holidays won’t have to compromise their “sarap, saya” experiences because Jollibee ensures that safety continues to be prioritized during the happiest time of the year.

“Nothing compares to the joy of being with family especially during the Christmas season. As a brand that has always strived to bring joy, we want to make sure that we don’t only focus on serving langhap-sarap meals, but also assure customers that they can have fun, safe, and worry-free experiences with Jollibee, whether in store or at home,” shared Francis Flores, JFC Philippines Country/Regional Marketing Head and Jollibee Philippines Marketing Head.

As more and more Jollibee stores in key cities reopen for dine-in services, the brand makes sure that its Alagang Jollibee promise is in the air just as much as the holiday spirit. Customers are warmly welcomed by fully-vaccinated store teams. Each staff strictly adheres to safety precautions such as wearing of masks and other personal protective equipment, promoting no-touch or cashless transactions, and regularly sanitizing different stations within the store.

For families who choose to have merry celebrations at home, Jollibee also ensures that their langhap-sarap favorites are prepared safely for Take Out and Delivery. Paper bags have safety seals on them, thermal delivery bags are always sanitized, and contactless delivery is practiced to guarantee safety once orders reach the customers’ doorsteps. 

To see how Jollibee prioritizes safety during the holiday season, you can check out the full video on Jollibee’s official Facebook page and Jollibee Philippines’ YouTube channel.

Visit JollibeeDelivery.com, download the Jollibee App, or order via GrabFood or Foodpanda to get your Jollibee favorites during the most wonderful time of the year.