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| Shown in photo, L-R: Mediaquest Holdings Group Chief Finance Officer (CFO) John L. Andal, TV5 Network Inc. CFO Pierre S. Buhay, TV5 Network Inc. President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Guido R. Zaballero, Nine Media Corporation President Benjamin Ramos, MediaQuest Holdings President & CEO Jane J. Basas, Nine Media Corporation CFO Leon Dy (Image Source: Manila Bulletin/TV5 Network Inc.) |
MediaQuest Holdings Inc., TV5 Network Inc., and Radio Philippines Network (RPN) parent company Nine Media Corporation have sealed a landmark collaboration to launch RPTV, the newest free-to-air channel that offers a mix of sports, news, and entertainment catering to the viewing needs of all members of the Filipino family. The collaboration agreement was signed at the TV5 Media Center in Mandaluyong last February 6, 2024 where MediaQuest Holdings President and CEO Jane J. Basas, TV5 President and CEO Guido R. Zaballero, and Nine Media Corporation President Benjamin V. Ramos formalized a content distribution, sales and marketing services agreement for the new channel.
Basas explained, “The deal arose from the previous agreement that saw TV5’s PBA and EAT Bulaga! airing on Channel 9 on weekends beginning January. Both parties saw a good opportunity for a more robust collaboration for a unique channel that puts together some of the most sought-after sports and entertainment content that the MediaQuest group has to offer. “This agreement brings together TV5 and MediaQuest’s vast library of programs and Nine Media’s broadcast network access and nationwide reach. Our collaboration with Nine Media allows us to reach more Filipinos and deliver our commitment to provide the entertainment, sports, news, and public service content that they love.” said Zaballero.
Launched last February 1, 2024, RPTV is the new exclusive home of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) where viewers can enjoy live PBA action daily as well as key sports offerings such as the Premier Volleyball League and Gilas Pilipinas games. RPTV also airs "Ted Failon At DJ Chacha Sa Radyo5", "EAT Bulaga!", and "Wanted Sa Radyo" on weekdays and blockbuster action and comedy movies on weekends. RPTV is available on analog free TV channel 9, digital free TV channels 19 and 18.3, over 300 cable and satellite providers nationwide, and streaming live via Cignal Play.
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"Wake Up With Jim And Saab" Enters New Season As Part Of ANIMA Podcasts
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| (Image Source: ClickTheCity.com/ANIMA Podcasts) |
Wake Up With Jim and Saab, one of the first local podcasts in the Philippines that started in 2018, enters 2024 with a new season and new home. Hosted by real-life couple and podparents Jim Bacarro and Saab Magalona, the long-running podcast is officially joining ANIMA Podcasts’ slate. “This new year, our podcast found a new home under ANIMA Podcasts, and we’re super excited about it! The best part about this new partnership is getting the ANIMA Podcast team’s full support in keeping our episodes as authentic as possible,” Jim and Saab shared in a statement.
Wake Up With Jim and Saab’s engaged community of Podkids need not worry about this change as the podcast will deliver the same well-loved content that it has for years. “Thanks for being part of this awesome journey with us, and we hope you’re ready for more fun episodes ahead,” the couple said. Through the years, the podcast has delivered a wide range of content that hits the spot — whether it’s a retelling of an entire day spent eating froyo and consulting with a chiropractor to practical tips on how to deal when you’re having a panic attack. This ability to create conversations around the momentous and the mundane, coupled with the hosts’ genuine connection and gift of gab, make up the podcast’s charm.
Head of ANIMA Podcasts Mel Lozano-Alcaraz shared, “We are happy to welcome Wake Up With Jim and Saab to ANIMA Podcasts. The show, its hosts, and their engaging kwentuhan resonate with our goal of creating meaningful and insightful conversations on parenting, family, pop culture and everyday life. This partnership marks an exciting chapter for us, as we eagerly anticipate the synergies and creative possibilities that will unfold.” Follow Wake Up With Jim and Saab on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts and on Instagram, too.
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Asian Air Safari Bares Two-Part Movie Documentary On Banwa Private Island
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| (Image Source: Great Travel Philippines/Asian Air Safari) |
Over 200 guests from the Philippines, Hong Kong and beyond were treated to a preview of the movie documentary “Banwa Private Island – A Two Part Adventure", filmed on location and produced by Asian Air Safari. Banwa Private Island is the gateway to the incredibly rich and diverse marine and land ecology in Palawan. ‘Banwa’ actually means ‘community’ in the local Palawano language and the Tagbanwa people are considered guardians of the region’s indigenous nature. Proceeds from the island directly contribute to educational and infrastructure projects in the area through its Aquos Foundation whose ethos is to support, nurture and protect the island’s unique biodiversity.
The documentary highlights how guests are coming from around the world to explore the culture, history and ecology of this unique region. A truly private island with just 6 beautiful villas, guests enjoy un-paralleled hospitality from the Banwa Private Island team whilst being entranced by the nature, wildlife, beaches and stunning turquoise water in this mosquito free environment. Within just a 20-minute radius, there are an array of activities including snorkeling, diving, hiking, an underground river, waterfalls and unique wildlife indigenous to the area. The documentary was produced by the enigmatic and humbling Captain Joy Roa, CEO of Asian Air Safari, who commented, “I was given a beautiful opportunity to visit this incredible island with its rich bio-diversity, right in our own backyard in the Philippines. Flying with the helicopter for only two hours from Manila allowed me to see this private world – a distinctive combination of luxurious pampering and hospitality, wildlife encounters, and authentic, meaningful interactions with the local community. Experiencing it all first-hand makes me proud that an award-winning, world-class property like Banwa Private Island can be found in the Philippines, because it defines what positive, impactful travel should be.”
Banwa Private Island is the vision of Richard Beattie who has been exploring the region for over 20 years and cannot escape the charm and lure of these islands. Richard commented, “We are so grateful to Captain Joy and his brilliant team for this incredible documentary. It enables people to have an insight into the sounds, smells, culture and scenery of this almost unknown region and Captain Joy immersed himself into every aspect of what the region offers. His generosity is unbounded, and he appears to have found quite a few future pilots for his team from the eager local school children!” The screening was attended by an international audience made up of past island guests, those planning to visit in the future and the best of the luxury travel trade who have already booked guest visits to the island from far-away places such as Brazil, China and Europe – and perhaps surprisingly many from Manila who were previously unaware of the adventure that awaits them in Palawan.
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BLVCK Entertainment, Rekta Sa Kalye Present BLVCK Summer Festival On April 2024
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| (Image Source: Manila Bulletin - Tempo/BLVCK Entertainment) |
Breakout entertainment company BLVCK Entertainment, in cooperation with Rekta Sa Kayle, brings you the BLVCK Summer Festival on April 13, 2024, 9:00 am, at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds in Pasay City. The music festival will be a sun-soaked celebration of local Filipino music and culture as it gathers over 30 artists consisting of OPM, Hiphop, and P-Pop artists, guaranteed to set the stage on fire with their vibrant beats and electrifying performances. The festival’s line-up includes Rico Blanco, Sandwich, Franco, December Avenue, Al James, Flow G, Omar Baliw, Allison Shore, Nobita, Kiyo, Gins and Melodies, Crazy as Pinoy, Smugglaz, Carm, 6ENSE, Blvck Flowers, Blvck Purple plus more surprise performers coming up!
BLVCK Entertainment’s big bosses, Engineers Louie and Grace Cristobal, are excited to bring this event to completion because they have been loyal advocates of OPM and believe in the world-class talents of Filipino artists. Tickets are now available for purchase at Php3,500 (VIP), Php2,200 (Gold), and Php1,000 (General Admission). Watch out for promo rate announcements on Blvck Entertainment and Rekta Sa Kalye social media pages – Php2,850 (VIP), Php1,700 (Gold), Php700 (General Admission). For online purchases, visit RektaSaKalye.com or the official Shopee and Lazada pages of Rekta Sa Kalye. Tickets will also be available for purchase through SM Tickets in the coming weeks.
BLVCK Summer Festival is made possible with the help of Alkaviva Waters Philippines, Grace Electronics Philippines, GLC Infinite Waters International, Blue Green Dragon Marketing, LG Realty Development, Blvck Puffs, and Blvck Creatives Studio.
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"Firefly" Is Most Awarded Film Of Manila International Film Festival 2024
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| (Image Source: GMA Network) |
From being the silent underdog to becoming the big winner in the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), "Firefly" continued its victorious streak abroad as it won the most awards at the inaugural Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) in Hollywood, California – including the highly-coveted Best Picture honor. The film produced by GMA Pictures and GMA Public Affairs also took home three more awards and three nominations during the MIFF Awards Night last February 3, 2024 including another Best Screenplay for GMA Public Affairs SAVP and Firefly creator Angeli Atienza, Best Director for award-winning film and TV director Zig Dulay, and Best Supporting Actress for highly-acclaimed actress Alessandra de Rossi.
Present during the awarding ceremony were GMA Network’s Senior Vice President for Programming, Talent Management, Worldwide, and Support Group, and President of GMA Films Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes who accepted the Best Director award on behalf of Zig Dulay; Angeli Atienza; and Firefly actress Ysabel Ortega who accepted the Best Supporting Actress award on behalf of Alessandra de Rossi. Joining them were Sparkle GMA Artist Center Vice President Joy Marcelo and "Firefly" actor and Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes. Aside from winning four major awards, the film also garnered nominations for the Best Supporting Actor (Epy Quizon) and Actress (Cherry Pie Picache) categories, as well as for Best Cinematography (Neil Daza). Following their Best Picture win, the "Firefly" team was awarded a $200,000 co-producing package by Birns and Sawyer for the production of a US-based feature film.
The 49th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Best Picture awardee, "Firefly" narrates a moving story about family, dreams, and bravery as the young Tonton, portrayed by MMFF Best Child Performer Euwenn Mikael, embarks on a journey to find the mystical island of fireflies based on his mother’s bedtime stories. The film also won Best Screenplay along with 15 nominations at the MMFF Gabi ng Parangal last December 2023. Early this year, "Firefly" was shown in the United Arab Emirates prior to its screening in Los Angeles, California as part of the MIFF. The MIFF is an international film festival that aims to bridge Filipino films to global audiences and showcase Filipino culture and art.
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Precious Pages Corporation Teams Up With Wattpad WEBTOON Studios To Bring The Hottest Online Stories In Print
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| (Image Source: Wattpad WEBTOON Studios) |
Wattpad readers and fans should expect more online novels to hit bookstores nationwide as Precious Pages Corporation (PPC), the largest publishing firm in the Philippines today, officially teamed up with Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, the fan-driven global entertainment and publishing arm for Wattpad and WEBTOON. In a statement, Wattpad WEBTOON Studios said, “The Philippines has long been one of Wattpad’s most popular and supportive markets, and we are thrilled to partner with Precious Pages to continue bringing Filipino readers more of the Wattpad titles they love."
Through the PPC imprint LIB (Life is Beautiful) Books, fans can count on to see hard copies of the hottest Wattpad web novels written by their favorite authors, now available in bookstores nationwide. According to PPC President Segundo Matias Jr., LIB Books, whose genre offers an edgier and diverse lineup, has been discovering and publishing stories from online platforms for years now. And, true to its commitment of delivering quality stories into the hands of more readers, more Wattpad content is promised to be in print soon. Aside from traditional printed books, LIB Books also offers limited copies of pre-ordered items through Tender Loving Crates (TLC) and Premium Crates, which contain exclusive book merchandise – something fans really look forward to!
Some of the trending Wattpad web novels that LIB Books had published included the massively popular Possessive Series by C.C. with over half a billion reads on Wattpad, College Series by Inksteady with over 100 million reads, and Law Series by Josh Gonzales with over 23 million reads. LIB Books also published the 365 million-read He’s Into Her by Maxinejiji, which had a digital and television series adaptation starring the power tandem of Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano under iWantTFC, ABS-CBN Entertainment, and Star Cinema. Likewise, another hit Wattpad story – 4reuminct’s University Series with 500 million reads– was published under Precious Pages. It also has an ongoing series adaptation starring Heaven Peralejo, Marco Gallo, Jerome Ponce, and Krissha Viaje, among others, under Viva One.
