If you have been following the journey of these nine (9) singers with extraordinary voices, you'll definitely get a hard time choosing who will win in this season of Tawag Ng Tanghalan on "It's Showtime." So, from February 1 to 6 these singers will battle it out to become the grand champion of "Tawag ng Tanghalan". 

Like in the previous grand finals, the nine contenders will have to sing for the judges and the viewers because the score of each of their performances will come from the judges’ points (50%) and viewers’ text votes (50%).

The latest “Tawag ng Tanghalan” grand champion will win P1 million, a brand new house and lot from Lessandra worth P2 million, a recording contract with Star Music, a management contract with Star Magic, and a special trophy designed by Toym Imao.

The last slot in the “huling tapatan” was filled on Saturday (January 30) by Rachell Laylo of Lipa City, Batangas who secured her hold on the seat of power in the nerve-wracking “Resbakbakan.”

Come Monday, she will face off with fellow singing contest veterans, such as Rica Mae Maer of Villasis, Pangasinan, Emmar Cabilogan of Maasin, Leyte, and Nikole Kyle Bernido of Cagayan De Oro City.

Also remaining unfazed and ready for battle are Makki Lucino of Sorsogon, JM Yosures of Taguig City, Donna Gift Ricafrente of Sta. Cruz Laguna, Mara Tumale of Malolos, Bulacan, and Ayegee Paredes of Bukidnon.

On the first two days of the competition, the finalists will have to pull out all the stops in performing songs that depict their journeys. The one who will get the lowest combined score will be eliminated by the end of Tuesday’s episode.

The scores will be reset back to zero as the remaining finalists go all-out with their fight songs on Wednesday and Thursday, and “Now or never” songs on Friday. Again, one finalist per day will be eliminated on Thursday and Friday.

The fight reaches a critical stage on Saturday, as the remaining six grand finalists battle it out with their “Dream Songs” in order to escape elimination.

In the “huling tapatan,” the final three contenders will each perform a song medley by an artist in their bid to become the grand champion. In the end, the grand finalist who will record the highest combined score from the madlang people votes and judges’ scores will be named the grand champion.

Who among the nine grand finalists will become the fourth “Tawag ng Tanghalan” grand champion and follow in the footsteps of Noven Belleza, Janine Berdin, and Elaine Duran?

Don’t miss the “Tawag ng Tangahalan: Ang Huling Tapatan” on “It’s Showtime” from February 1 to 6 on A2Z channel on digital and analog broadcast. Digital TV box users can scan and look for A2Z channel in Metro Manila and in some parts of Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, and Pampanga.

Viewers can also catch the show on Kapamilya Channel on cable and satellite TV (SKYchannel 8 on SD and channel 167 on HD, Cablelink channel 8, G Sat Direct TV channel 22, and most cable operator-members under Philippine Cable and Telecommunications Association), on Kapamilya Online Live daily on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel and Facebook page, and on the iWantTFC app (iOs and Android) and on iwanttfc.com. Viewers outside of the Philippines can also catch it on The Filipino Channel on cable and IPTV.

For updates, follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit www.abs-cbn.com/newsroom.

Coming from its huge success as digital BL (Boys’ Love) series in 2020, ‘Hello Stranger,’ top billed by Tony Labrusca and JC Alcantara, returns this February 12, 2021 as a full-length feature film.

Produced by ABS-CBN Films - Black Sheep, ‘Hello Stranger: The Movie’ is the first ever BL movie to be offered on a Valentine season by the Philippines’ biggest motion picture company.

In the film—this time helmed by Dwein Ruedas Baltazar--Xavier (Tony Labrusca) and Mico (JC Alcantara) or ‘XavMi’ take the virtual kilig into the real world, through a writing camp.

While they, along with extra push from their enabling friends, navigate their young and innocent love in a romantic beach resort, new characters will threaten their relationship with crazy shenanigans and quirky stunts. 

A milestone for the entertainment industry, as two big networks in the country, pave way for first-ever collaboration to bring a good show for the Filipino people. “ASAP Natin ‘To,” the country’s longest-running weekly musical variety show, debuted on TV5 last Sunday as the latest platform that enabled more Filipinos nationwide to enjoy the best concert experience on television. 

The world gets a chance to witness a timely story of pursuing one’s passion despite struggles as Star Cinema brings the film ‘Yellow Rose’ to various streaming platforms this January 29 following its festival route.

Starring Grammy®-winner and two-time Tony Award® nominee Eva Noblezada, award-winning country music artist Dale Watson, local icon Princess Punzalan and Tony Award®-winner and Grammy®-nominee Lea Salonga, the film revolves around a Filipina teen from a small Texas town who fights to pursue her dreams as a country music performer while having to decide between staying with her family or leaving the only home she has known. 

The lives of Cardo Dalisay (Coco Martin) and Task Force Agila will be put in danger once more as they face their newest enemies in the characters of Jane De Leon and Geoff Eigenmann, who will join the action-packed “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” starting this week (January 18).

Jane and Geoff will play Police Captain Lia Mante and Maj. Albert de Vela, members of the Black Ops team that is assigned to look for Cardo after President Oscar Hidalgo (Rowell Santiago) released a “shoot to kill” order against Cardo and his men. 

As the Philippines welcomed another year, most Filipinos are anxious to see what the future holds. With everything the country experienced last 2020, a lot of people are doing their best to make the coming year different. Some have decided to make resolutions and pursue new opportunities, but for others, it is to continue the legacy of changing lives.

World Vision, together with its partners, continues the mission of helping the most vulnerable children and their communities led by its vision of seeing thousands or even millions of kids reach the fullness of life.

Through its campaign “A New Year of Firsts”, World Vision invites their sponsors to empower a child by enabling him or her to experience powerful and life-changing moments of firsts such as, for the first time a family could eat until they were full, a village could have clean water, a child could have all she needs to continue going to school, and a child could feel safe and protected. 

Seeing what’s possible with technology that’s stylish, always ready and always adapting to people’s evolving needs to learn, relax and work better from home, inspires us to create smarter experiences for all. At CES® this year, we’re announcing several standout IdeaPad™ laptops including one with 5G1, a tablet with brilliant 2K display and several productivity accessories—plus rolling out the latest software updates to Lenovo Vantage to help you personalize your computing experience even further.

We’re also offering more ways to stay connected – whether it’s to your smart home, your calendar, or friends and family with the new visual, voice-forward, Alexa® experience in full screen. Lenovo is the first to introduce Show Mode created especially for PCs.2 Stay connected with Show Mode and make your Lenovo PC part of your ambient home.

Cozy up to the IdeaPad 5G, Say Bye to Slow At-Home Wi-Fi

Consumers need a fast, efficient, and connected laptop to take them beyond their current reality – at accessible prices. With family members sharing home Wi-Fi networks at peak hours, it’s more important than ever to have a reliable 4G/LTE and 5G cellular connection to enable lightning-fast speeds during your next presentation to the boss. That’s why we created the new ultra-portable Lenovo IdeaPad 5G.


Offering up to 20 hours of battery life of continuous video playback3, you’ll stay entertained watching videos on your sofa all day on this 14-inch clamshell laptop with available lightning-fast 5G1 speeds (supports sub-6 GHz), reliable 4G LTE4, plus strong Wi-Fi 55 connectivity. This practical yet sleek device makes it easier for multitaskers to stay connected at home or on the go by combining what you love about your smartphone, (it even has a SIM card holder!) like instant on responsive performance, with the efficiency of a thin and light fan-less laptop with Windows 10. Where 5G is unavailable, you’ll enjoy more security and dependability via 4G LTE connectivity, which comes default on the new IdeaPad 5G laptop.4


The performance and efficiency of the IdeaPad 5G is enabled by the leading Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 8cx 5G compute platform and utilizes powerful Qualcomm® Adreno™ 680 graphics and the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X55 Modem-RF system for connectivity. This innovative 5G-connected laptop empowers you to download movies, make calls and send emails from virtually anywhere at speeds up to 10 times faster than 4G, through a 5G service provider.6 You can download large files in a flash and stream shows with the clarity of Full HD through its 14-inch (1920 x 1080) IPS display that’s 300 nits bright for a rich picture with 100 percent sRGB quality color gamut. Also available is the 14-inch Lenovo IdeaPad 4G/LTE model4 powered by the Snapdragon 8c compute platform, delivering smooth, responsive performance as you learn and play. With the IdeaPad 5G and the IdeaPad 4G/LTE, you’ll also get up to 8GB LPDDR4X memory and 512GB of PCIe SSD storage.7

Lenovo IdeaPad 5G open on an angle

Offered in a sleek Light Silver hue with the same “bouncy” and comfortable IdeaPad keyboard customers love, the laptop’s clever fan-less design keeps everything cooler and quieter (similar to a tablet). Enjoy crisp sound from user-facing speakers optimized with Dolby Audio™. Plus, a dual array microphone ensures clear online calling, no matter if you’re chatting with friends or quickly checking in with the office.

Instant on with Modern Standby means your IdeaPad 5G laptop is ready to work and explore when you are. Stay worry-free and unlock your laptop with just your face via your infrared (IR) camera for added security. You’ll find it located atop razor-thin borders for a roomy 90 percent screen ratio for expansive panel viewing. Super portable at 2.6 lbs (1.2kg) and 0.59 inches (14.9 mm) thin with a 51WHr battery, plus Rapid Charge Express8, you’ll probably get tired before it does. Easily recharge your laptop, or your smartphone, with the single cord solution via a full-function USB Type-C® port.

Picture This! New Show Mode for PC from Alexa

Lenovo brings you Show Mode for PC with exciting features from Alexa to help you stay connected at home.2 With this new feature, Show Mode transforms your Lenovo PC into a hands-free, full-screen Alexa experience. It turns your PC into an Echo Show-like display so that the whole family can now see and enjoy talking to Alexa.

As powerful as a mouse click or keystroke, Alexa for PC lets you get more done with your PC with just your voice. Ask Alexa to play music from Amazon Music, favorite apps, and local radio and glance at song titles and album art from across the room or up close; your PC mics with far-field technology help Alexa to hear your voice commands clearly even while music is playing.2

You can also set reminders and control your smart home while multitasking on your laptop. Students learning remotely can ask Alexa questions to help them with their homework. Or, simply view rotating interesting updates and content such as the weather forecast for the week, things to try with Alexa, recommendations for music to listen to, and more as you move through your day.

Expected to start in Q2 2021, Lenovo users across a wide portfolio of PCs, including select Yoga™ and IdeaPad laptops to start, will gain access to the features enabled by the Show Mode for PC experience.2

Ready for Home Performance, Whatever the Screen Size: IdeaPad 5i Pro and IdeaPad 5 Pro

Introducing Lenovo’s most powerful IdeaPad laptops yet, the IdeaPad 5i Pro9 and IdeaPad 5 Pro. It’s the new reliable laptop series that oozes style and performance in a range of configuration options. Choose your perfect entertainment specs, display size (14-inch and 16-inch), and an all-metal chassis exterior in either fashionable Cloud Grey or Storm Grey hue.10



For the first time on a Lenovo IdeaPad laptop, the display is offered with wider 16:10 aspect ratio to better accommodate for multitasking with Windows and the occasional movie night. With less bezel on all sides for an impressive 90 percent screen-to-body ratio and colorful 100 percent sRGB quality, the IdeaPad 5i Pro and IdeaPad 5 Pro deliver better learning and entertainment experiences from wherever you are in the house, thanks to more stable Wi-Fi 65 connectivity. Display is certified safer by TÜV Rheinland11 for having Eye Care technology to reduce blue light to help protect your eyesight while working long hours.


Effortlessly portable and weighing just 1.45kg for the 14-inch size and 2kg for the larger 16-inch, and with smarter features like an IR camera with Windows Hello to help keep you better protected while logging in hands-free. Plus, the IR camera’s clever time-of-flight (ToF) sensors provide everyday efficiencies via attention-sensing software from Glance by Mirametrix®, like pausing your video when you walk away to get more coffee. Your laptop will even call out with an alarm if it’s ever moved when your back is turned.

Show Mode on Lenovo PCs makes interacting hands-free with Alexa on your PC easy and more convenient. Alexa can help you remember important events, meetings, and tasks, with reminders that alert you even when you are away from your PC.2

Your laptop is set to Intelligent Cooling Mode by default to help you leverage balanced AI-enhancements to optimize battery life; to shift your laptop’s performance, just use Lenovo Q-Control by pressing Fn+Q to go up to Maximum Performance mode or down into Battery Saving mode. And when you opt for the display with the higher refresh rate spec12, you’ll have the ability to slow down screen refreshes for added control over battery life while engaged in lighter work—just press Fn+R.12

Enjoy a larger trackpad over previous generations, plus the bouncier feel of soft-landing switches via the improved keyboard with optional backlighting. Experience quality entertainment and immerse yourself in a whole new world of sound with Dolby Atmos® and sharp imagery of the up to 2.8K high-definition display resolution offered across the 14-inch laptop models. 

New year, new beginning. A new environment and a new home. 

 

In 2020, Bryan Estepa released two new songs, continuing on from the success of his exceptional 2019 album Sometimes I Just Don’t Know. The second of those singles, ‘Admit Now, Pay Later’, received a video premiere on Rolling Stone Australia, was featured on NME Australia and had strong national radio airplay - including selection as one of the featured Singles of the Week on 2ser FM in Sydney. Now the Sydney-based Filipino songwriter reveals the second of his collaborative efforts with multi ARIA and APRA award-winning Australian songwriter Josh Pyke.

Estepa has always had an undeniable ear for hooks. Combined with classic pop and rock arrangements, (like his heroes You Am I, The Beatles and Wilco) his songs always possess a timeless quality. He’s proved it over and over again across six acclaimed albums and live shows in Australia, Japan, the USA, UK, Spain, Sweden and the Philippines.

On 'Trick of the Light', Estepa combines heavenly melodies and a melancholic air on this irresistible slice of indie guitar pop, singing about acceptance, letting go and allowing yourself to feel whatever it is that comes out while you’re treading new waters. As always with his songwriting, there are layered poetic brushstrokes in the way Estepa blends and informs his songs with multiple meanings, as he explains. “I also like the idea that the presence of light does not necessarily signal happiness or life but can also mean that emotions and perception can be blurred by its appearance.”

Working with Pyke, Estepa was impressed with the producer’s instinct and ability to enhance the inherent strengths of Estepa’s songs. “It's exciting watching Josh work! You sense that his creative light is always on and he needs to get his ideas out quickly before it starts to flicker. He takes on what I think the song’s direction might be but adds a couple of detours that are normally right on the money.”


Pyke is quick to reciprocate the praise. “Bryan’s a great writer and collaborator. He’s got a classic pop sensibility but is really open to feedback and experimentation which made my job as producer really fun and free.” Sonically, there’s a beautiful weightlessness to the production and instrumentation that gracefully carries the song. Guitars sparkle and lightly jangle amid some sublime piano, backing vocals and percussive elements that add unique detailing to the melodic richness of the track.


About Bryan Estepa
Born in Cubao, Quezon City in the Philippines, Estepa and his family moved to Sydney, Australia in 1987. It was there, at the age of 15, that he began to pursue the craft of songwriting before starting his adult musical journey fronting indie pop band Swivel in the late-90s pub scene. He recorded his inaugural CD with the band, which paved the way for his solo career. A year of travelling across the USA and performing at open mic nights inspired songs for his debut EP, Start Again in 2003 and since then Estepa has gone on to release six critically acclaimed solo albums (All The Bells And Whistles, Sunday Best, Vessels, Heart Vs Mind, Every Little Thing and Sometimes I Just Don’t Know). Read more about Estepa’s musical and life journey in this piece he wrote for SBS.

Bryan Estepa’s ‘Trick of the Light’ is now available on all streaming and digital platforms worldwide via Lilystars Records.

With today's world situation and following the recent declaration of State of Emergency for the central area in Tokyo, Japan, the Music Lane Festival Okinawa 2021 (Music Lane Okinawa) and Trans Asia Music Meeting 2021 has been rescheduled to February 20 and 21, 2021.

From SHA Boys to BGYO. 

All eyes are on new P-Pop boy group BGYO as they make a big splash at their grand launch on January 29 (Friday) on KTX.PH. 

Dubbed as “Be The Light: THE BGYO Launch,” the online event will be packed with treats for fans as it features the five boys in an exciting performance, never-before-seen videos of their journey, as well as the debut of the music video of their first single, “The Light.”

The launch will also serve as the group’s very first fan conference, which will offer fans the chance to interact with their idols and join in fun games. Priced at P499 for those who want to be a part of the virtual audience and P299 for the general audience, tickets to this highly anticipated event are now up for grabs on KTX.PH.

Formerly known as the SHA Boys, BGYO is composed of Gelo, Akira, JL, Mikki, and Nate. They are graduates of the Star Hunt Academy, which prepares and trains talents who are groomed for international stardom.

Follow BGYO through their official media accounts: bgyo_ph on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, @officialbgyo on Tiktok and BGYO Official on YouTube. Each BGYO member can also be followed on their personal social media accounts, all with the official BGYO logo as their profile pictures with “ofcbgyo” in their usernames.

The group’s television performances via “It’s Showtime” has been viewed over two million times. They have also appeared in “ASAP Natin ‘To,” ABS-CBN’s “Ikaw ang Liwanag at Ligaya” Christmas special as well as the KTX: Ang Babait Ninyo Christmas Special pre-show, and the PBB Connect Opening Night.

BGYO is among the latest additions to the roster of Star Magic talents, along with their sister group BINI, who also trained under Star Hunt Academy for two years. They were also welcomed last year to the Star Music family.

Last year, on December 11, Sony PlayStation 5 is officially launched in Asia, and there were different influencers and hardcore gamers who received a personalized set of PS5 gaming console. It is part of the promotional campaign of SONY. And Matteo Guidicelli is NOT one of them. How come I mentioned that Matteo is not one of them? Well, if you've seen the vlog of Michael V (Bitoy), the PS5 that he received is enclosed in a personalized box with his name on it with Sony's tagline for this "PLAY HAS NO LIMITS." 

After a few decades, Julie Vega's debut single "Somewhere In My Past" will finally be revived. If you're one of the 80's generations you'll probably remember that this song was composed by Doc Mon del Rosario and sung by Julie Vega. Remember that the composer, Sir Mon, is very meticulous when it comes to this particular song, and no wonder it took decades before it was given a chance to be sung again by someone else. This time the great passionate voice of the Revival King, Jojo Mendrez, captured the essence that Doc Mon is looking for.

So, what were the criteria considered in picking the singer who will sing this song? One is the quality of voice - one that possesses a high level of competency as a singing artist and the next one, which is a hidden criteria, is the personality of the artist - he or she should be a likable person even outside the song. And it was clear that Jojo Mendrez possesses these criteria. 

Singapore hip-hop/visual artist Ihasamic! and producer Wovensound show their creativity in full force with the release of REPACK out today on all digital platforms worldwide via Umami Records.

Redefining the visual album format with infectious lo-fi sounds and impeccable direction, the 4-track EP and short film tell the journey of a person struggling with his mental health and how sometimes life can fall into what feels like an endless loop, the same experiences, and conversations you have with yourself repackaged into different days.

“These 4 tracks were meant to be like a short, reflective therapy session,” Wovensound shares. “They cover the theme of repetition and mundane cycles that we go through daily, on a much more personal level - an internalized conflict instead of an externalized struggle. Ihasamic! wanted it to play like a slice-of-life story that loops daily, when repackaged into a different vessel, will you be able to tell the same shit apart on different days? That’s the question that pops in our head during the entire production process.”

Featuring local artists CHAE, Shai, and Raina Sum, the visual EP meld surreal visuals with an incisive commentary on mental health awareness. Rap artist Ilhasamic! adds, “Sonically the EP is played in a cinematic way, four acts one after another, and makes sense when repeated start to end in a loop. The visuals of the accompanying short film complete it.”

Directed by Ihasamic!, the 10-minute short film weaves the entire EP into a visual story that mirrors the musical journey of REPACK. It premiered to fully sold-out screenings on 7 January 2021 at the UltraSuperNew Gallery, Singapore.

Wovensound and Ihasamic! are also collaborating on their 6-track debut EP Vertigos Fulfilled, dropping in June 2021.

Listen to REPACK via Umami Records: https://www.umamirecords.sg/repack/