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| (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/Department Of Tourism) |
As announced by the Department Of Tourism (DOT), the Philippines is, once again, the World’s Leading Dive Destination at the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2021. “This distinction is indeed a great privilege, yet, it underlines our great responsibility of protecting and conserving our underwater resources so that these will also be enjoyed and experienced in their pristine natural state by future generations,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
This is the third consecutive year that the Philippines has won the said award. It bested other dive destinations in the world, such as Maldives, Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Azores Islands, Bora Bora in French Polynesia, Cayman Islands, Fiji, Galapagos Islands, and Mexico. The country boasts of having the best diving destinations with biologically diverse marine and aquatic resources. The Philippines not only belongs to the magnificent Coral Triangle — dubbed as the Amazon of the Ocean that is home to 600 coral species, 2,000 reef fish species, and six out of the world’s seven species of marine turtles — but also, as marine scientists have pinpointed, is at the center of it, making the country home to the richest marine ecosystem on the planet.
Top diving spots in the country include the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan, Anilao in Batangas, Malapascua and Moalboal in Cebu, Balicasag, Panglao and Anda in Bohol, and Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro. Aside from these, the DOT is constantly identifying potential destinations that may be developed for dive tourism.
Pokémon Battle Festival Asia 2021 Challenges Idol Groups, Regional Influencers
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| (Image Source: The Pokémon Company International) |
The Pokémon Company International, in partnership with ESL Gaming Asia, announced a special tournament showcase featuring idols from JKT48, BNK48, MNL48, and CGM48 and special invitationals for influencers of various regions to battle it out!
The Pokémon UNITE AKB48 Group Invitational will feature idols from the popular AKB48 group, mainly JKT48 from Jakarta, BNK48 from Bangkok, MNL48 from Manila, and CGM48 from Chiang Mai. Fourteen teams have been formed in total. Groups with more than 2 teams will compete in an internal qualifier. The top 2 teams from each 48 Groups will be the representatives in the Group Stage on January 8 and 9, 2022. The Playoffs will be held on January 16, 2022. Fans can look forward to cheering for their favorite idols as the Group Stage and Playoffs will be broadcasted live.
Popular influencers from across the region will battle it out on various popular Pokémon games happening until February 2022. These include the Pokémon Trading Card Game Invitational on January 22, 2022 and the Pokémon UNITE Invitational on February 5, 2022 featuring influencers from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines represented by Top Tier Entertainment cofounder and Philippine cosplay queen Alodia Gosiengfiao, Dexie Diaz, Elie Gaming, Lhea Bernardino and Moymoy Palaboy.
The Highlight Shows uploaded on Pokémon Asia's official YouTube channel will bring fans the latest Pokémon Battle Festival Asia news. Join the cast of international hosts such as Markki Stroem, Danelie, Tashbunny, SHINN, LoDay and Pierre Liu and get a chance to take home various giveaways. For more information on Pokémon Battle Festival Asia, please visit https://pokemonbattlefest.com/.
The Apprentice ONE Championship Edition To Premiere On Netflix On Q1 2022
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| (Image Source: ONE Championship) |
ONE Championship™, Asia's largest mixed martial arts organization and the most valuable global sports media property in Asian history, announced that the first season of its highly acclaimed business reality television series, “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition,” will premiere on Netflix in over 150 countries in the first quarter of 2022.
Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated, “The first season of the ‘The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition’ was a smashing success. After a fantastic reception in Asia, it’s time for the rest of the world to experience the toughest and most unique version of ‘The Apprentice’ in history. On behalf of ONE Championship, I am truly honored for all the support we have received for the show, and I’m excited to premiere the series to a broader audience.” “The Apprentice” is one of the biggest reality television programs in history, judging the business skills of candidates who are competing for a job offer under a high-profile CEO. The first season of “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition” consists of 13 episodes.
“The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition” recently won two major awards at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2021 (AAA). It topped the categories for “Best Non-Scripted Entertainment” and “Best Adaptation of an Existing Format.” The show launched in Asia earlier this year on regional pay TV general entertainment channel AXN Asia and garnered an estimated 4 million viewers on premiere night, beating other top-rated reality competition premieres including “America’s Got Talent” Season 20, “MasterChef Singapore” Season 2, “The Voice” Season 20, and “The Masked Singer” Season 5 to emerge as the most-watched 2021 season premiere of all English-language reality series on TV in Asia by broadcast reach. The show’s run in Asia also garnered 30 million in cumulative reach, in addition to raking in an average of 3.5 million reach per episode.
GTV Is Second Most-Watched Channel In The Philippines
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| (Image Source: Manila Bulletin/GMA Network) |
GTV, the second free-to-air channel of the Philippines' largest broadcast network GMA Network, becomes the second most-watched channel in the Philippines. Based on AGB Nielsen Philippines' nationwide ratings data for the period of November-December 11, 2021, GTV recorded a total day average audience share of 11.3% which is higher than the 10.5% rating of TV5 and 4.1% of A2Z while the Kapuso network's main channel remains the most watched with a total day average audience share of 41.6%.
In order to expand GTV's reach and reception to bring high-quality television viewing to more viewers nationwide, GMA Network has commissioned the upgrade of its six analog television transmitters in various parts of the country including Tandang Sora, Quezon City; Mt. Sto. Tomas in Benguet; Mt. Banoy in Batangas City; Naga City, Camarines Sur; Legazpi City, Albay; and General Santos City. The network is set to continue strengthening its digital terrestrial television rollout through transmission upgrades that could potentially reach more viewers across different parts of the country.
Formerly known as GMA News TV and relaunched last February, GTV offers a slate of local and international programs slated to cater to the younger viewing audiences and young-at-heart. These include world-class news and public affairs shows, Asian dramas, foreign series and local and international blockbuster movies. Sports fans should also look forward to the new season of the Philippines' oldest collegiate sports league, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which is slated to start on March 2022.
