Brandon Vera crowned inaugural ONE heavyweight champion after 1st round KO win

Fil-American MMA fighter Brandon ‘The Truth’ Vera won the inaugural ONE heavyweight world championship on Friday after a quick knockout of Taiwan’s Paul Cheng in the main event of ONE: Spirit of Champions fight card at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Vera stopped his opponent 26 seconds into the first round, dropping Chen with a left hook and a high kick before finishing the fight off with some heavy hammer fists.

The rest of the card saw mixed results for the other Filipinos seeing action in front of their home crowd, with Mark ‘Mugen’ Striegl and former world boxing champion Ana ‘Hurricane’ Julaton losing their respective fights and Eugene Toquero emerging victorious via technical knockout against a Chinese foe.

Striegl was defeated by Australian Reece ‘Lightning’ McLaren via submission (rear naked choke) in the second round of their bantamweight bout. Julaton, meanwhile, dropped a unanimous decision to Russian kickboxer Irina Mazepa in the women’s bantamweight division.

Flyweight Toquero handed Li Wei Bin, who entered the match undefeated in three ONE fights, his very first loss in an MMA cage. He battered his opponent for two rounds before Li failed to answer the call for round three, awarding the win to the Pinoy striking specialist.

Another Filipino, Ruel Catalan, fell by submission to Brazilian Alex Silva.

In the other fights, Angela Lee of Singapore defeated Lena Tkhovervska of Poland and Brazil’s Bruno Pucci beat the Netherlands’ Anthony Engelen, both by submission. Christian Lee also knocked out David Meak in the first round.

source: interaksyon.com

Taylor Swift arrives in Manila for concert, leaving midnight

MANILA, Philippines – Grammy-winning singer-composer Taylor Swift arrived Friday afternoon at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on a private chartered CL60 Challenger jet (flight VJ317) from Singapore for a seven-hour trip that includes a concert.

Swift is to perform tonight (Friday) at the Mall of Asia Arena for her RED Tour concert series and will leave again for Singapore at midnight on the same private jet parked at the general aviation area of the airport.

Her arrival was marked by extra-tight security; and private security personnel hired by the organizers prevented local media from approaching and taking a clear photo of the celebrity singer’s arrival at the tarmac.

source: interaksyon.com

Marian Rivera leads nominees for Yahoo! Celebrity Awards

Once again, 2013 Celebrity of the Year Marian Rivera is the nominee to beat in the 2014 Yahoo! Celebrity Awards (formerly Yahoo! OMG Awards). The actress dubbed as TV’s Primetime Queen is considered a frontrunner in several categories where she is nominated.

During a program hosted by radio and TV host Sam Oh at Amber Ultra Lounge at The Fort Entertainment Center in Taguig City, Yahoo! Philippines country manager and country editor Kate de los Reyes and deputy country sales director Mike Constantino announced this year’s nominees for the annual entertainment awards determined exclusively by fans.

Marian is again nominated by Yahoo! readers for Celebrity of the Year, Actress of the Year and in the newly created Celebrity Couple of the Year together with reel and real life partner Dingdong Dantes. Their DongYanatics are also nominated for Fan Club of the Year.

In addition to these categories, Marian also won outright the Yahoo! Media Magnet of the Year, an award given to Charice last year.

Aside from Marian, a good number of last year’s winners are nominated anew in their respective categories. They are Coco Martin (Actor of the Year), Angel Locsin (Actress of the Year), Elmo Magalona (Male Performer of the Year), Julie Anne San Jose (Female Performer of the Year), Ryzza Mae Dizon (Child Star of the Year), Vic Sotto (Male TV Host), Toni Gonzaga (Female TV Host), Papa Jack (Male Radio DJ), Nicole Hyala (Female Radio DJ), Barangay LS 97.1 (Best FM Station) and “TV Patrol” (Best News Program).

The stars and shows of TV5 also figured prominently among the 140 nominees including Vin Abrenica (Male Emerging Star), Vic Sotto and Raymond Gutierrez (Male TV Host), “For Love or Money” (Teleserye of the Year) and “Aksyon TV” (Best News Program).

The name is not the only thing that changed in the Yahoo! Celebrity Awards. Of the 28 categories, 10 of them are new categories that Yahoo! Drumbeaters say reflect the emerging trends in the entertainment industry.

These categories are Celebrity Couple, Celebrity Family, Male and Female Hothletes, Band of the Year, Male and Female ‘Kontrabida’, Emerging Band, Song of the Year and Social Media Star.

What also makes the Yahoo Celebrity Awards more special this year is the newly introduced Yahoo-On-the-Road bus, which will be touring schools to showcase the nominees for the Band of the Year and Emerging Band categories. The bus is fully geared for fans to engage with the bands, cast their votes and request performances.

As in previous years, winners will again be determined by fans who visit yahoo.com.ph/celebrityawards to cast their votes not only for the announced categories but also for celebrities that they want to perform during the awards night scheduled at the MOA Arena on July 18.

Voting is now open until July 12, 2014. Users can follow the awards on Twitter at @yahooph #YahooAwards and “Like” the Yahoo Philippines Facebook page.

“The Yahoo Celebrity Awards honors not only the Pinoy stars but also the fans who propel them to stardom. We put the fans front and center because they fuel the engine of the entertainment industry. In the last three years, Celebrity Awards has earned overwhelming response from the audience, a testament to how much we Filipinos love our celebrities,” quipped De los Reyes.

The Yahoo Celebrity Awards supported by leading brands in Philippines, including McDonald’s, KakaoTalk, PLDT HOME Bro Ultera, JAG Jeans and Emperador Light. Fans can get free tickets for the July 18 awards show at SM Tickets.

Here are the complete nominees:
1. Celebrity of the Year
Kathryn Bernardo
Kim Chiu
Sarah Geronimo
Marian Rivera
Megan Young

2. Celebrity Couple (NEW)
Angel Locsin and Luis Manzano
Angelica Panganiban and John Lloyd Cruz
Bea Alonzo and Zanjoe Marudo
Bea Binene and Jake Vargas
Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes

3. Celebrity Family (NEW)
Barretto
Eigenmann
Gutierrez
Magalona
Padilla

4. Social Media Star (NEW)
Kris Aquino
Ramon Bautista
Anne Curtis
Vice Ganda
Team Kramer

5. Actor of the Year
John Lloyd Cruz
Dingdong Dantes
Coco Martin
Piolo Pascual
Dennis Trillo

6. Actress of the Year
Carla Abellana
Kim Chiu
Toni Gonzaga
Angel Locsin
Marian Rivera

7. Male Emerging Star
Vin Abrenica
Nash Aguas
Kristofer Martin
Rocco Nacino
JC De Vera

8. Female Emerging Star
Julia Barretto
Louise delos Reyes
Janine Gutierrez
Jessy Mendiola
Janella Salvador

9. Male Kontrabida (NEW)
Paolo Contis (Villa Quintana)
Jake Cuenca (Ikaw Lamang)
Ryan Eigenmann (Kambal Sirena)
John Estrada (Ikaw Lamang)
TJ Trinidad (My Neighbor’s Wife)

10. Female Kontrabida (NEW)
Kaye Abad (Annaliza)
Andi Eigenmann (Dysebel)
Jennylyn Mercado (Rhodora X)
Jackie Rice (Innamorata)
Maja Salvador (Legal Wife)

11. Love Team
Jennylyn Mercado and Mark Herras (Jennylyn-Mark)
Kathyn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla (KathNiel)
Sharlene San Pedro and Nash Aguas (Sharlene-Nash)
Tom Rodriguez and Dennis Trillo (Tom- Den)
Vice Ganda and Karylle Tatlonghari (ViceRylle)

12. Child Star
Andrea Brillantes (Annaliza)
Ryzza Mae Dizon
Raikko Mateo (Honesto)
David Remo (Binoy Henyo)
James “Bimby” Yap

13. Male TV Host
Raymond Gutierrez
Jose Manalo
Luis Manzano
Vhong Navarro
Vic Sotto

14. Female TV Host
Kris Aquino
Heart Evangelista
Toni Gonzaga
Pauleen Luna
Karylle Tatlonghari

15. Fan Club of the Year
DongYanatics (Marian-Dingdong fans)
Kathniel (Kathryn-Daniel fans)
KimXi (Kim-Xian fans)
Little Ponies (Vice Ganda fans)
Popstars (Sarah Geronimo fans)

16. Teleserye of the Year
Carmela (GMA)
For Love or Money (TV5)
Got to Believe (ABS-CBN)
Ikaw Lamang (ABS-CBN)
Legal Wife (ABN-CBN)

17. News Program
24 Oras (GMA)
AKSYON (TV5)
Bandila (ABS-CBN)
State of the Nation with Jessica Soho (GMA News TV)
TV Patrol (ABS-CBN)

18. Movie of the Year
Bride for Rent (Star Cinema)
Diary ng Panget: The Movie (Viva Films)
So It’s You (Regal Films)
Starting Over Again (Star Cinema)
When the Love is Gone (Viva Films)

19. Male Hothlete (NEW)
Arnold Van Opstal
Kiefer Ravena
Jeron and Jeric Teng
Chris Tiu
Phil Younghusband

20. Female Hothlete (NEW)
Rachelle Anne Daquis
Denden Lazaro
Michelle Gumabao
Gretchen Ho
Tin Patrimonio

21. Male Performer
Bamboo
Christian Bautista
Mark Bautista
Elmo Magalona
Daniel Padilla

22. Female Performer
Yeng Constantino
Klarisse De Guzman
Sarah Geronimo
Angeline Quinto
Julie Anne San Jose

23. Band of the Year (NEW)
Parokya Ni Edgar
Slapshock
Sponge Cola
Up Dharma Down
WilaBaliw

24. Emerging Band (NEW)
Brison
Chocolate Grass
Jeffrey Zulueta Experience
The Cheats
Yolanda Moon

25. Song of the Year (NEW)
Bakit Ngayon (Julie Anne San Jose)
Carousel (Bamboo)
Chinito (Yeng Constantino)
Hanggang Kailan Kita Mamahalin (Angeline Quinto)
Magda (Gloc-9)

26. FM Radio Station
Barangay LS 97.1
91.5 Big Radio
Energy FM 106.7
90.7 Love Radio
MOR 101.9

27. Male DJ
Chico Garcia (RX 93.1)
Chris Tsuper (Love Radio 90.7)
Mr. Fu (106.7 Energy FM)
Papa Jack (Love Radio 90.7)
Sam YG, Slick Rick and Tony Toni (Magic 89.9)

28. Female DJ
Delamar (RX 93.1)
DJ Chacha (MOR 101.1)
DJ Megan (93.9 iFM)
Nicole Hyala (Love Radio 90.7)
Sam Oh (Magic 89.9)

source: interaksyon.com

KC Concepcion watches Chandler Parsons as Rockets rout Pacers

After confirming on Thursday morning that she and Houston Rockets power forward Chandler Parsons had gone on a dinner date Tuesday night, KC Concepcion watched him play with his team against the Indiana Pacers in an NBA pre-season game at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City Thursday night.

The 28-year-old actress and a friend had courtside seats courtesy of tickets provided by the NBA heartthrob with whom she had forged a Twitter friendship earlier this year.

“Great seats to a great game + my 1ST live basketball game EVER. Salamat, @chandlerparsons :) GO #Rockets,” she said on Twitter and Instagram. Her Instagram post came with a photo of herself and her unidentified female companion standing courtside.

“@kcconcepcion, your [sic] welcome. hope you enjoyed!!” Parsons, 24, replied early Friday.

The Rockets won the game, the first ever NBA match played on Philippine soil, 116-96. Parsons played 29 minutes and scored 15 points.

On Thursday, Concepcion posted on Instagram photos of their date, their first personal encounter since their Twitter correspondence stirred up speculation of a brewing romance. It was a group date at a sports bar with a few friends and Concepcion’s half-sisters Garie and Cloie.

“We had a mutual friend who put us in contact, and hopefully we can do some work together in the future here. She’s a great girl, and I had a good time last night,” Parsons said when he told local media about the date on Wednesday.

However, the NBA star reportedly has a girlfriend named Robyn Crowley.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Mwah Mwah Tsup Tsup’: Vic Sotto steals scene at Gilas match in support of son-in-law Marc Pingris

Popular comedian and television host Vic Sotto has thrown his full support the Philippine national men’s basketball team at the Mall of Asia Arena.

For the second time in the tournament, Sotto attended a match on Wednesday night to support Gilas Pilipinas, especially his son-in-law Marc Pingris. This time, he was with girlfriend and “Eat Bulaga” co-host Pauleen Luna.

Even as a member of the audience during the Philippines-Hong Kong match, ‘Bossing’ Vic was able to leave the crowd in stitches. When the ball went out of bounds directly to him, he grabbed it and squared up as if preparing to shoot a jumper at the basket, much to the delight of the crowd.

That moment added a bit of levity to help ease up the fans, who were tense for a good chunk of the match as Gilas had trouble putting away its lightweight opponent.

According to Pingris, it was his first time to see his father-in-law squaring up for a shot.

“Hindi ko pa nakita mag-basketball si Daddy,” he told InterAKTV in an exclusive interview.

For the San Mig Coffee forward, the presence of his in-laws has been a big source of inspiration. “Thankful talaga ako sa kanila kasi grabe yung suporta nila sa akin,” he said.

He noted how Sotto has been going out of his way despite his busy showbiz schedule to catch the games of the Philippine team.

“Grabe yung suporta niya sa akin pati na rin sa Gilas. Yung konting available time niya binibigay niya pa rito. So thank you Daddy, I love you.”

source: interaksyon.com

JLo packs MOA Arena, celebs tweet glowing reviews

“Thank you MANILA! To all the Filipino LOVE!RS who came out tonight…Mahal Kita #untilnexttime #DanceAgainWorldTour2012”

That’s Jennifer Lopez tweeting her appreciation to everyone who packed the 20,000 capacity SM MOA Arena for the Manila leg of her “Dance Again World Tour 2012” Monday night.

The feeling is mutual, too, as JLo immediately became a trending topic on Twitter. Everyone raved about the spectacular production numbers, the glamorous, glittery costumes, the generous serving of greatest hits, the bonus participation by a member of the appreciative audience and, oh, those amazing, well-toned fortysomething abs.

Celebrities arrived in droves. Outside of those who tweeted below, InterAksyon also spotted Sharon Cuneta, Richard Gomez, Boy Abunda, Daniel Matsunaga, Jessy Mendiola and statuesque beauty queens galore led by newly crowned Miss Earth 2012 Tereza Fajksova of the Czech Republic and her court and Miss World Philippines Queenierich Rehman and her court.

The tweets pretty much tell the story of what is now hands down the concert of the year. Evan faux Marian Rivera (@superstarmarian) gave her two cents worth.

Anne Curtis Smith @annecurtissmith
jaclo15 I love you so much. You were amazing. I want to dance and sing like you!

Sarah Lahbati @SarahLabati
“You must learn how to love yourself more, to truly love another.” -JLo

Andi Manzano @andimanzano
@jlo is 42yo…. with two kids… Damn I want her body!!!

Bubbles Paraiso @bubblesparaiso
Worth. Every. Centavo. #danceagainworldtour2012

SlaterYoung @thatguySLATER
Touched JLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Karen Davila @Karen_Davila
@JLo calls lucky girl to sing w her on stage. “If you want my love”.

Ruffa Gutierrez @Iloveruffag
OMGG @JLo brought @sharon_cuneta12 and Sarah Geronimo’s friend onstage. Forgot her name. They’re on stage singing! LOL! You go girl!

Christine Babao @ChristineBBabao
@sharon_cuneta12 pls be the one to come up onstage too and sing with @JLo! – Anna Dasig, ikaw na! Duet with @JLo

Georgina Wilson @ilovegeorgina
Hands down Jlo wins best concert outfits!! If I was a performer I would have exactly the same outfits! Lol!

Mariel T. Padilla @marielpadilla
The HOTTEST woman in the world is Jennifer Lopez!!!

Chiqui Roa Puno @chiquiroapuno
The #DanceAgainWorldTour2012 is worth every centavo! Sulit ang puyat at ang P200 per minute!…No more excuses! @jlo is proof you can still have killer moves and even deadlier abs in your 40s!

Annabelle Rama @annabellerama2
Thank you PLDTFibr for the 2 tickets namin ni Eduardo, touched ang beauty ko. Thank you talaga.

JM Rodriguez @jm_ro
@JLo is so hot ! She’s singing one hit after the other ! Having such a great time !

Cristalle B. Henares @cristallebelo
Abs abs abs! @JLo’s washboard abs!

Raymond Gutierrez @mondgutierrez
@JLo knows how to put on a show. I want whatever she had before the concert!

Marian Rivera-Dantes @superstarmarian
RT Thank you MANILA! To all the Filipino LOVE!RS who came out tonight…Mahal Kita –mars it shud be Mahal Ko Kayo because its past tens

source: interaksyon.com

Jonas Brothers fly in for Manila, Cebu concerts

MANILA, Philipines - Pop music sensation the Jonas Brothers arrived in Manila for a two-night concert for their "Jonas Brothers Live 2012" tour.

Brothers Nick, Joe, and Kevin Jonas arrived at the Manila International Airport on Wednesday evening and will perform at the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday, October 19, and at Waterfront Hotel in Cebu on October 20.


Formed in 2005, the siblings gained popularity from a Disney Channel children's television network and became an instant hit among teenagers.

source: interaksyon.com

Ate Gay to stage major concert with Ate Guy as special guest

After more than a decade of being a gay Nora Aunor impersonator, Ate Gay is ready for his acid test. On November 30, he will face the biggest challenge of his career by staging a major concert at the Mall of Asia Arena, with Nora Aunor herself as special guest.

When the concert was proposed to him by producer Joed Serrano, Ate Gay knew immediately that the show would not be complete without the participation of the person to whom he owes his very identity as a performer, the superstar also known as Ate Guy.

“Nung hindi pa sumasagot si Ate Guy, talagang kabadung-kabado ako. Baka mabigo ko ang mga Nunalians. ‘Yun ang tawag ko sa mga fans ko na karamihan eh Noranians din,” he said.

Naturally, he was overjoyed when La Aunor confirmed her guest appearance on the concert. For a while, he had been worried that she would decline the invitation due to some people’s perception that Ate Gay’s act is disrespectful of the superstar.

“Binabalahura ko raw siya? Napanood na ako ni Ate Guy. At hindi naman po sa pagbubuhat ng bangko, siya naman ang nagsabi na mahusay ako,” Ate Gay said.

There are more than a few Nora Aunor impressionists on the comedy bar circuit. And while others may exceed him in terms of physical resemblance to the legendary singer-actress, Ate Gay possesses far and away the most Nora Aunor-like singing voice of the lot.

Nora herself agrees. And considering that the superstar has unfortunately lost her singing voice due to an allegedly botched medical procedure, Ate Gay may be the next best thing for die-hard Noranians who miss hearing Ate Guy sing.

“Kasi ako nga ang kaboses niya sa rami namin na nag-a-Ate Guy,” said the performer best known for his covers of “Pearly Shells” and “Tiny Bubbles”.

Ate Gay had always dreamed of performing on the same stage as his idol, but he never thought it would happen in such a major venue as the Mall of Asia Arena. He admits he is a little intimidated by the challenge.

“Malaking venue, oo. Sabi ko naman, mapuno o hindi, ang mahalaga eh ‘yung ma-entertain ko, kasama ng mga guests ko, ang mga manonood,” he said.

Ate Gay, whose real name is Gil Morales, has come a long way from his humble beginnings as a member of the Barrio Fiesta restaurant chain’s The Singing Cooks and Waiters for five years.

During one performance, one of the diners was actress Snooky Serna, who told him that he did sound like Nora Aunor. She also suggested that he should go solo as a comedy bar performer. He did, and he has been a staple on the comedy bar circuit ever since.

Had he not been a part of The Singing Cooks and Waiters, Gil or Ate Gay could have ended up a teacher or a secretary.

“Nung nag-aaral ako, gusto ko nga mag-teacher kaso ang paborito kong subject ‘yung elective namin na Steno. Kaya ‘yun nang ‘yun ang kinukuha ko every school year. Eh bumagsak ako sa NCEE (National College Entrance Examination). At dahil na rin sa kapos sa buhay noon, hindi na ako nakapagpatuloy at nag-enroll na ako sa secretarial course. Nagamit ko ang Steno,” he recounted.

Needless to say, Ate Gay is determined to give the performance of his life during the concert, entitled “Ako Naman!!! Ate Gay sa Arena”.

“Oo ako naman. Pinaghahandaan ko na ang buwis-buhay kong opening number. At syempre binubusisi ng aming director na si Mamu (Andrew de Real) ang number with the superstar. Sisiguruhin naming may pasabog,” he vowed.

The other guests are The Company, Aiza Seguerra, Aegis, and the Talentadings trio of Al Arayata, Joel O, and Kim Idol.

source: interaksyon.com

Zac Efron charms full house crowd in fan conference

Cameras were not allowed at Zac Efron’s “Penshoppe Fan Conference 2012” Saturday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“Nyakk bawal ang kahit ano camera sa zac efron fan con ng penshoppe,” posted veteran blogger Azrael Coladilla in his Facebook account. “Sm arena policy eh…kaya boom!,” he added in response to his friends’ comments.

It didn’t seem to matter who came up with the idea of banning cameras for this event, though. That certainly did not stop several fans, including celebrities like Anne Curtis, Isabel Oli, Mikael Daez, Andi Manzano and Kiray Celis, from taking snapshots of the full house event and posting them right away on Twitter via Instagram.

“God is good! Thank you to the MOA Arena Family for the last minute VIP tickets!!!! Waaaah!,” tweeted FAMAS Best Actress awardee Anne Curtis before later adding, “I feel like I’m 17 again waiting for @ZacEfron” and “Zac I love you!!!!”

“Just got home from ZAC EFRON’s fancon! Gwapo mo, baby! Yaaay!,” Kiray added in her own tweet past midnight Sunday.

Judging from the trending topics, Zac Efron and #PENSHOPPEFanCon2012, fans were very pleased with what they witnessed and were more than happy to share their elation on Twitter.

Why shouldn’t they? The newest international endorser of the popular fashion retail brand is hands down the most popular member of the Penshoppe All Stars, which also include previous Manila visitors Ed Westwick, Ian Somerhalder, Leighton Meester and Mario Maurer.



Best known for his breakout role as Troy Bolton in Disney’s “High School Musical” TV movie and its two equally successful sequels, Zac is a Hollywood A-lister who has already starred in three movies this year, namely “The Lucky One,” the film adaptation of the bestselling novel by Nicholas Sparks, the ensemble drama “The Paperboy”, which competed for the Palme D’Or in the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, and “At Any Price,” another drama that competed at the 69th Venice International Film Festival.

And as fans found out at his FanCon, Zac is also the ultimate crowd pleaser. After walking the runway, a visibly overwhelmed Zac exclaimed, “It’s hot in here!” and immediately drew screams as he promptly threw his leather jacket into the crowd’s waiting arms.

The pandering did not stop there as Zac referred to “High School Musical” co-star and ex-squeeze Vanessa Hudgens as his “first Filipino girlfriend” during his onstage interview with Boy Abunda.

When Abunda asked, “Are you thinking about getting married?,” more deafening shrieks followed when Zac replied, “I think my wife is already out here!”

As the conversation turned to some of his recent movie roles, the 24-year old actor turned out to be quite the conversationalist and sounded like someone who is genuinely sincere and truly devoted to his craft.

On how he got his role in “High School Musical,” Zac said he auditioned for the part in the theater and met Vanessa right then and there.

“We clicked instantly and we started going through the audition together. We were a group of 40 boys and girls and we had to sing on the piano. They were tapping people and we didn’t know what that meant until they said, those who got tapped may now leave. We were asked to sing, dance and play basketball. At the end, it was just me and Vanessa who were left,” he revealed.

His role as Link Larkin in the film, “Hairspray” required him to do a little more research on the ’60s as he wasn’t born in that era. “I watched a lot of the Broadway show as well as a lot of Elvis over and over. It was really fun,” he admitted.

On dancing with Michelle Pfeiffer in “New Year’s Eve,” Zac said practicing their steps were not necessary. “We just had to do a lot of dancing. I had to shake up Michelle (Pfeiffer)’s character. She turned out to be more lovely.”

And that intimate scene with Taylor Schilling in “The Lucky One”? “The sex scene wasn’t difficult. We wanted to make it as real. It’s awkward talking about this,” he said laughing.

Of course, Zac once again found a way to flirt with the crowd and get them going anew by re-delivering the film’s famous line: “You should be kissed every day, every hour, every minute.”

For his latest film, “The Paperboy,” he only has good things to say about co-star Nicole Kidman. “Nicole is amazing. I’d tell her to come down here and see you guys, too,” he noted.



“I love the Philippines!” he once again declared to another round of screams. Zac’s Penshoppe Fan Con is the culmination of an almost week-long stay in the country that saw him fall in love with our very own Mayon Volcano in Legaspi City in Albay, Bicol.

“Hey everyone, thank you so much for an amazing night! Love you guys. Want to apologize to the fans I promised to meet after the show! Security rushed me out quickly, and I’m deeply sorry. – Z,” he later tweeted.

source: interaksyon.com

Zac Efron, gustong matikman ang mga pagkaing Pinoy gaya ng ‘adobo’

Tiyak na magiging mainit ang bansa sa darating na Setyembre 29 sa pagdating sa Pilipinas ng Hollywood hottest A-lister na si Zac Efron.

Pupunta ang sikat na aktor sa Manila para sa kanyang fan conference na gaganapin sa Mall of Asia Arena na handog ng isang clothing line na ini-endorso niya.

“Well, first of all this [event] is an amazing, amazing excuse to go to the Philippines. I have always wanted to visit the Philippines. My dad has been telling me great stories about it," sambit ni Efron sa isang pahayag.

Matagal na raw gustong bumisita ni Efron ang bansa at matikman ang mga pagkaing Pilipino.

“My father has been to the Philippines several times, so I’ve always wanted to visit and try the local dishes like adobo," pahayag nito.

Samantala, patok naman daw para sa Hollywood actor ang maging endorser ng Penshoppe, dahil nagustuhan raw nito ang pilosopiya ng clothing brand na "Filipinos, for Filipinos."

“I think the brand is cool and casual. You see, I am a very casual dresser so this partnership fits me perfectly," saad nito.

Ang Penshoppe ang kauna-unahang clothing endorsement ni Efron.

Ang iba pang kilalang endorser ng naturang clothing brand ay sina Ian Somerhalder, Mario Maurer, Ed Westwick, at Leighton Meester. - Mac Macapendeg/FRJ, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Nicki Minaj dazzles Manila fans in sellout concert party

To describe Nicki Minaj as pretty in pink is quite the understatement.

Whether it’s in the VIP room of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport upon her arrival Tuesday, at the Manila Diamond Hotel during her press conference or at the Mall of Asia Arena where the lone Asian leg of her “Pink Friday Tour” was staged Wednesday night, the American pop star born in Trinidad-Tobago was a consistent charmer throughout her short and sweet Philippine sojourn.

“I think Manila had the loudest encore screams I’ve ever heard! ‘WE WANT MORE, WE WANT MORE!!!!’ So I ran back out in my new pink robe! Ha!,” Nicki tweeted nine hours after her well-received performance of her hits, including “Fly,” “Starships” and “Super Bass”, which got the crowd chanting in unison along to its infectious chorus, “Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass!”

And as the rapper slash singer slash songwriter slash voice actress promised upon her arrival at the airport, there were indeed “lots of energy, lots of craziness and lots of wigs” at the sold out show which continued to trend in Twitter under the hash tag #PinkFridayManila.

“I’m still singing the songs from last night! Yiiii sooo love you @NICKIMINAJ and your neon outfits last night! :) ,” tweeted Twitter user Carino Silerio the morning after the concert party.

Jemille Benitez posted a similar sentiment with “On my way to school. Feeling energetic today because of #PinkFridayManila last night :) earphones on, Minaj’s playlist On. :) ”

And Angelo Gallardo said, “So no encore performance in last night’s #PinkFridayManila but @NICKIMINAJ went out in her robe to thank the fans! Thats sweet of her.”

In the equally standing-room-only press conference that preceded her show by several hours, Nicki not only gamely answered the questions of journalists and bloggers alike, the Grammy-nominated artist was also a model of punctuality as she actually arrived at the venue at the exact 11am call time.

Expressing her displeasure over lazy people, Nicki also admitted to admiring rapper Jay-Z as well as pop, soul and R & B divas Lauryn Hill, Mariah Carey and the late Whitney Houston.

Asked to reveal her favorite song outside of her own big hits and compositions, she replied by saying it’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye, which was also nicely covered by the Canadian indie group, Walk Off The Earth.

Despite her extremely busy schedule and phenomenal success that saw her 2010 debut album “Pink Friday” peak at number one in the Top 200 album chart of Billboard magazine, Nicki also said she puts a lot of premium on her alone time.

“I always maintain some by myself and meditate and focus,” she confessed. “I’m just myself when I’m in my computer and take my mind off the world.”

When asked about her frequent collaborations with several artists and producers, including Carey, Rihanna, the Black Eyed Peas, Chris Brown, Britney Spears, Kesha, Hit-Boy, Dr. Luke and 2 Chairz, Nicki said her criteria for choosing who to work with depends on a case-to-case basis.

“I usually just ask people that I’m a fan of and listen to the beat and see if it makes sense if I can do something with him, her or them,” she pointed out.

As for her song about heartbreak like “Fly” that also featured Rihanna, Nicki admits that there’s “lots of crying” involved.

“I always think to myself, it was nice seeing you but I haven’t gone through a lot of breakups to write more songs about the subject,” she replied. “I’ve always been involved in long-term relationships. But not right now.”

When press conference host Tim Yap asked Nicki about her current status on her BBM instant messaging application on her BlackBerry smartphone, Nicki said that she just sets it to the default “Available” and writes “Barbie” as a nod to her fixation with Barbie dolls.

Finally, when asked to give fashion tips to her fans, the flamboyantly-dressed pop star has this to say. “I would say that there is always someone out there who would always find you attractive so you have to find yourself attractive as well and have to confidence to carry yourself.”

Nicki Minaj’s new album “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded” is available in both standard and deluxe edition CDs exclusively under MCA Music at Astroplus and Odyssey Music & Video or online via www.MyMusicStore.com.ph

source: interaksyon.com

Lady Gaga To Wow Fans At Mall Of Asia Arena

MANILA, Philippines — US pop diva Lady Gaga, who has captured the imagination of millions worldwide with her outlandish fashion sense of style, performance and music videos and recordings, is set to wow Pinoy fans anew when she performs on May 21 and 22 at the new indoor Mall of Asia Arena.

The two-night gig comprises the Manila leg of “The Born This Way Ball,” the brand-new global tour of the five-time Grammy Award winner which kicked off April 27 in South Korea and which will also take her to Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan.

The 13-city, 33-date tour, produced internationally by Live Nation and to be staged locally by Ovation Productions, will also cover Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia in Asia before proceeding to New Zealand and Australia and to 21 major cities in Europe. She is expected to perform 110 shows this year in support of her “Born This Way” album, which has sold nearly six million copies worldwide since its release in May 2011.

The May 21-22 gig of “The Born This Way Ball” will kick off the soft opening of the brand-new indoor Mall of Asia Arena as a world-class venue for entertainment and sporting events prior to its grand opening on June 16.

It will mark Lady Gaga’s second visit to Manila in almost three years after her sold-out concert on Aug. 11, 2009 at the Araneta Coliseum, also produced by Ovation Productions.

“The Born This Way Ball” concerts on May 21-22 at the Mall of Asia Arena are produced by Ovation Productions and presented by Smart and co-presented by Coca-Cola in association with Nestlé Drumstick and Lee. Media partners are ETC, 2nd Avenue, Jack TV, Manila Bulletin, BusinessWorld and Yahoo! Philippines.

source: mb.com.ph