POP NEWS PHILIPPINES

In a dazzling display of Filipino talent and creativity, the Bb. Pilipinas beauty pageant announced the top 10 finalists for best in national costume special award during a sold-out pre-pageant show held at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City May 29. At the same time, the top 3 finalists for best in talent special award were also presented. The winners of both special awards will be announced at the grand coronation of Bb. Pilipinas 2019 beauty pageant at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on June 9. The top 10 finalists for the best in national costume award are:  Leren Mae Bautista, Laguna; Maria Andrea Abesamis, Pasig City; Vickie Rushton, Negros Occidental;  Hannah Arnold, Masbate; Samantha Mae Bernardo, Palawan; Cassandra Chan, Bacolod; Samantha Ashley Lo, Cebu; Jessarie Dumaguing, Puerto Princesa; Resham Saeed, Maguindanao; and   Emma Mary Tiglao, Pampanga. Voting for the winner of best in national costume began M...

A gay couple involved in pageantry is pushing for same-sex unions to be recognized as civil partnership in the country. This after Congress holds an online poll on legalization of same-sex unions as civil partnership. Manix Genabe, Executive Vice President of Miss Teen Tourism beauty pageant, defended the same-sex unions in a post on Facebook. His partner is Dr. Jumel Bornilla, president of the same teen contest. Genabe said: "My partner and I have been together for almost 13 years but we are still limited to being 'friends' in the eyes of the government and other parties. "I cannot make him my beneficiary for my insurance and vice versa. We cannot declare 'married' status in any document.  "We cannot own properties together. I remember one time that a vehicle of ours was carnapped and I cannot report it since it was not under my name and I am in no way 'related' to him. Manix Genabe (left) and partner Dr. Jumel Bor...

Re-elected Senator Cynthia Villar led the celebration of the 6th Las Pinas Food Festival as thousands troop to the Villar SIPAG hall in Pulang Lupa Uno to join the festivities. Villar, managing Director of the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance ( Villar SIPAG), welcomed visitors and participants to the yearly event which “showcase the city’s culinary heritage and Laspineros’ world-class cooking skills.”   Grand winner: Brgy. Pamplona Uno “We are very glad that this food Festival has become a yearly event for the city and nearby areas not only to promote our local delicacy, but also to promote our advocacy for safe and nutritious food,” Villar said Senator Villar was also joined by her daughter, Las Pinas Congresswoman-elect Camille Villar during the celebration.   Champion: Brgy. Pamplona 1 As part of the food festival, a cooking competition was held participated in by the city’s 20 barangays. Each team presented 1viand...

HairX Removal, a one-stop-shop for hair removal concerns and other beauty treatments that are affordable and reliable , recently partnered with Miss Teen Philippines 2019 and awarded   Nikki De Moura, this year's winner with P50,000 worth of services for one year.  D e Moura, 15, who hails from Cagayan De Oro, bested 30 other candidates and brought home the crown as Miss Teen Philippines 2019. HAIRX  AWARD. Awarding the Gift Certificates  to De Moura (3 rd  from left)  is Janyll Palisoc (4 th  from left), HairX's marketing head. Also in photo are (from left) 3 rd  runner-up Mikki Barcela; 1 st  runner-up Patricia Beerda; 2 nd  runner-up Nicole Borromeo  and 4 th  runner-up Joanna Kalkschmidt. Before the coronation night, the pageant's candidates visited Hair X at Bonifacio Global City. The salon's highly-trained aestheticians introduced the candidates to the latest  in technology and procedures to get...

After dominating the Senate race with more than 25 million votes, Sen. Cynthia Villar was formally proclaimed as a duly-elected Senator in the May 13 midterm elections. Based on the votes officially tallied by the Commission on Elections en banc sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, Villar led the 12 candidates for senator who got the biggest number of votes. "I am very thankful for this opportunity to continue serving our people as a senator. Makakaasa po ang ating mga kababayan na sulit ang tiwala na binigay nila sa akin,” Villar said. Villar was accompanied by her husband, former Senate President Manny Villar and their children during the proclamation ceremonies at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. The Nacionalista Party Senator said she hopes to retain the chairmanship of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, which puts her in “a better position to advance legislation that will ensure affordable and adequate supply of food for a...

Beauty queen Mitzie Go-Gil has been awarded best national pageant director for exemplary performance of her five candidates who either won or received special awards during the Mrs. Asia Pacific 2019 beauty contest held in Malaysia last May 19. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you, thank you, thank you. This award comes unexpectedly and I am overwhelmed by the graciousness of the body governing this prestigious contest. This means they recognized and took notice of how we conducted our pageant in the Philippines. If that was good enough for the body, rest assured that our forthcoming events will be even better. Again, my wholehearted thanks," said Gil, during her acceptance speech in Malaysia. The best national pageant director award was presented to Gil by Justina Quek, founder and president, Mrs. Asia Pacific pageant during separate ceremonies. Gil is a former Mrs. Asia Pacific titleholder. Here are the awards received by the five Filipino candi...

There's no stopping Bless Las Paellas, an exquisite dining place owned by Jessie Maloles and business partner Nelson Mendoza, from serving the best Spanish dishes in the country. Following the successful opening of Bless Las Paellas restos in SM Moa and Davao City, the popular dining area will hit SM North Edsa in Quezon City soon. Maloles hinted on her Facebook that she just got a business permit for the opening of the restaurant in Quezon City. "Bless Las Paellas SM North Edsa. Soon to Open!#BusinessPermitReady," she said on FB. Paella, a popular Spanish rice dish stuffed with chicken, shrimp, clams, chorizo and vegetables, is now an affordable dish for every Filipino. Thanks to Bless Las Paellas, a casual restaurant which offers Spanish fusion cuisine and other Filipino dishes, which opened its fourth branch at Vista Mall in Taguig City recently. Other branches of Bless Las Paellas can be found at BF Homes in Paranaque; Vista Mall Nuvali, and Green...

Former Miss World Megan Young debuts as a mentor in personality and public speaking skills for Empire Studios world-class workshop series. Young will talk about how training for the international stage helped her step out of her comfort zone and transforming helself to who she is today. "My module for the workshop is almost complete," said Young during a press conference held at the Empire Studios at BGC in Taguig City. The one-day only workshop will be held on May 25. Young also said that she invited her younger sister actress Lauren Young to be part of the workshop. "I invted her not as a student but to help me give inputs for the workshop," the former beauty queen-turned-actress said. Beauty queen maker Jonas Gaffud said that the Megan Young workshop is part of the 7-month Empire Exclusives world-class workshop series that will be running from May to November 2019. "Personality development starts from knowing who you are an...

Binibini Dia Nicole Magno of CARAGA Region has renewned the campaign for the return of Golden Tara, a 21-karat Majapahit gold image found in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur in the Philippines in 1918. This as Magno will wear a national costume inspired by the iconic pre-historic image at the national costume competition of Bb. Pilipinas 2019 at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City.  Magno's national costume is designed by Jearson Demavivas who created the winning national costume of Catriona Gray during Bb. Pilipinas 2018 beauty pageant.  "The Golden Tara is now in the US. I just don't know the authorities will get it back. Hopefully in few years,  it's gonna be back home," Magno said during an interview at Araneta Center. Magno also said that her national costume is quite heavy because it is made up of brass and it's gold-plated.  "It's like carrying the people with me but I'm doing this not only for myself but for t...

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A day after the conduct of the midterm elections, re-electionist Senator Cynthia Villar thanked voters who gave her an early lead in the partial and unofficial tally of votes for the Senate race. “Hindi pa po tapos ang bilangan pero natutuwa po ako at nagpapasalamat dahil marami sa ating kababayan ang sumusuporta at naniniwala na isa ako sa mga Senador na makakatulong sa kanila,” Villar said. Based on the partial and unofficial vote tally covering 93 percent of votes cast, Villar is leading the Senate race with more than 24 million votes. “I also wish to congratulate the voters who really make it a point to fulfill their civic duty na makaboto despite the difficulties and inconveniences of finding their precincts and enduring long lines,” Villar said. Reports say the voter turnout was at 70 percent or 44.7 million out of the 63.6 million registered voters. While commending authorities for the generally peaceful conduct of elections, the senator however expressed regret o...

Ako Bisdak party-list is pushing for  Visayas as a super economic region in the country. "It’s high time that we get to have our own representation in the Congress. Mga Bisayang Dako naman!" said (retired) Rear Admiral Ernesto Enriquez during an interview at Forbes Park in Makati City recently. Enriquez noted the minimal benefit of the region despite its big tax collection. "Out of all the benefits the government receives from the Visayan Region (note that we contribute the 2nd highest tax collection after Metro Manila and 3rd highest in regional GDP), our region only receive minimal benefit from the national government (2nd lowest IRA allocation, and lowest DPWH allocation)," Enriquez revealed. "That is really hurtful," said architect Rommel Gavieta, in the same interview. Gavieta added: "That is why our goal is to create Visayas a super economic region especially in terms of infrastructure connectivity and economic connectivity....

Days before the mid-term elections on May 13, Re-electionist Senator Cynthia Villar called on the public to “pause for a while and be united in prayers for fair and peaceful elections.” Villar made this statement amid reports of election-related violence and manipulation, as she expressed confidence that the public will always let the conscience guide them as they vote for local government officials, representatives and senators. “We put our trust in our authorities in making sure we will have orderly and peaceful elections. We should not let the very few block the will of majority of our people,” Villar said. The Misis HanepBuhay of the Nacionalista Party also thanked the public and her supporters for including in their prayers the safety of candidates and their staff as they mounted rigorous campaign activities all over the country. “Sa akin pong pag-iikot sa ating bansa, mas nakita ko ang mga problema ng ating mga kababayan.  Nagpapasalamat ako sa opportuni...

Voters of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, led by Mayor Arthur Robes, aired their overwhelming support to re-electionist Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, also  known as “Misis Hanepbuhay.''  Villar was invited as a guest during the Zumba Marathon at Grotto Vista Resort in    Brgy. Graceville.  Mrs. Villar, chair of the Senate committees    on agriculture and food, and environment and natural resources, has been leading the senatorial race based on the latest Pulse Asia survey. This developed as  Bro. Mike Velarde, the leader of the country’s biggest charismatic movement, backs the Villar, touted by President Rodrigo Duterte as the “most industrious senator.”  In throwing his support to villar and the senatoriables, Velarde said he believes they could    help the poor and the downtrodden, by creating jobs, addressing poverty and illegal drugs, among others. Villar’s candidacy is also being backed up by the Hugpong ng Pagbab...

Have you eaten at Cabalen Restaurant lately? If not, then chances are you're missing a lot of new delicious treats in this all-Filipino dishes resto. Cabalen Restaurant, which offers a wide variety of delectable Filipino treats on a daily basis, ups in terms of choices with the addition of other Asian dishes on its buffet table. At the 2nd floor of Glorietta in Makati City, Cabalen resto expands by adding Asian dishes via its new offering dubbed Cabalen Plus. This means that aside from the more than 50 dishes which Cabalen serves, the popular resto has included exciting Asian dishes from Japan, China, Malaysia, and Thailand. "So now we have California maki, siomai, chicken with lemon grass, Teppanyaki, mango salad, and a lot more," said Siony Aguila, head of the training and quality department of Cabalen, who has been working for the resto for 16 years now, during an interview recently. Apart from Glorietta branch, Cabalen Plus ...