POP NEWS DIGITAL

Obviously, there's no shrimp or vegetable tempura at the Okonomiyki Chibo Restaurant located at the 5th level of the Podium at Ortigas in Mandaluyong City. What they have is the delightful fusion of teppanyaki and okonomiyaki. For those of you who are not familiar with Japanese dishes, teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine that uses iron griddle to cook food. Okonomiyaki simply refers to Japanese pancakes. In the Philippines, the first branch of Okonomiyaki Chibo opened at S Maison at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City in June 2016. Two years later, the second branch opened at the Podium. "At the S Maison branch, we have cooking tables there. Whereas here at the Podium, we only have the usual tables here because our customers here are fast-paced. They don't have the time to cook," a staff member of the restaurant said. The resto has introduced delicious executive premium set meals which every lover of Japanese food will surely apprec...

Help Philippine representative Renz Lansangan enter the semis of Mister International 2018 pageant through online fan voting. To vote, follow these three simple steps: 1. "Like" the Official Mister International Facebook Page. 2. "Like" your favorite contestant's photo in this album ONLY. 3. "Share" your favorite contestant's photo in this album with #MisterInternational. The contestant with the most number of votes that fulfills these criteria automatically advances into the semifinals. Voting ends on April 29, 11:59 p.m. The grand finals will be held at the National Theater of Yangoon in Myanmar on April 30. Lansangan, 20, will graduate with the Bachelor of Science and Business Administration Major in Business Management at the Holy Angel University in October. Despite his busy schedule as one of the reigning winners of Misters of Filipinas, Lansangan was able to finish his studies. He said that he made it sure that his ...

'Words cannot express what I’m feeling right now. But I thank the Lord our God for blessing me with a beautiful, loving, understanding wife! The stress before the magnificent wedding was real. But God gave us a more than perfect wedding. To all the friends and family that came and witnessed this special day, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I love you so much Mrs. Crawford!' These were the words of actor-television host Billy Crawford after he got married to Coleen Garcia in a romantic beach wedding held at the exclusive Balesin Island Club Resort in Panlilio, Quezon on April 20. Wearing a bridal gown made by Israeli designer Galia Lahav, Coleen, 25, walked down the aisle with her parents Jose Garcia and Maripaz Magsaysay, Incidentally. Coleen's parents have been separated since she was nine years old. Billy, 35, in his suit by Edwin Tan, waited by the altar with his parents Jack Crawford and Mayette Ledesma. Celebrities spotted at the wedding were Vh...

Sixteen empowered married women who will vie for the inaugural Mrs. Worldwide Philippines 2018 contest were presented to the media during a presentation held in Makati City recently. The 16 official candidates are Ariane Barsana, Cristina Mesina, Hanna Minagawa Lausa, Kristin Margorie Dumag, Ma. Ervick Bermudez, Marianne Bitara, Mary Ann Felix, Myra Joy Navora, Mary Kimberly Cagape, Michelle V. Encarnacion, Princess Quilataon, Adrienne Martinez, Maureen Dizon, Robelyn Maddela, Jea-Ann Santiago, and Abigail Rabie. "Mrs. Worldwide Philippines is aiming to mold empowered married women to see themselves not only as a responsible housewife but more than that, they can be influences go their fellow married women by moving out of the box and going out beyond their capacities and capabilities," said Frederick B. Padrilan, national director. DARLING OF THE PRESS - Jea-Ann Santiago (center) was named Darling of the Press as chosen by the media who covered the Mrs Worldwide ...

Sen. Cynthia A. Villar has underscored the pressing need to end the prevalent problem of plastic pollution all over the country, as she highlighted the worsening threat of plastic waste leakages to the country’s wildlife and marine resources. Villar, who is the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, rallied for expanded national efforts to dramatically reduce, if not totally stop, plastic use as an initial solution to end plastic waste pollution throughout the country, especially in urban areas where plastic products are regularly used as packaging materials. ‘The use of plastic products over the years has taken its grim toll on our natural resources. Our marine waters are choking from plastic wastes that have been dumped into our waters. We are ranked third next to China and Indonesia in terms of estimated volume of mismanaged plastic wastes produced by the population that could potentially enter the seas and oceans,’ Villar lamented e...

Restaurateur Erwan Heussaff has been tapped to be the content creator of this year's "Buhay Carinderia....Redefined," a culinary event which aims to promote the best Filipino dishes. "I may not be a Filipino food expert yet, there are so many dishes that I still need to discover but I'm curious to keep learning and I am a staunch advocate of our culinary culture," said Heussaff, husband of Kapamilya star Anne Curtis-Smith and brother of actress Solenn Heussaff, during the launch of Buhay Carinderia...Redefined'' at the Rizal Park Hotel in Manila recently "For us, Erwan clearly represents the 'Buhay Carinderia....Redefned' advocacy: to focus and understand the history of local dishes; to popularize the use of natural and native ingredients; and to accentuate Filipino home-cooked flavors," said Linda Legaspi, of Marylindbert International, organizer of the event. Aside from being a restaurant and bar investor, Heussaff ha...

Music lovers flocked to Las Piñas City to enjoy the symphony of voices from all over the country in the 4th Las Piñas Chorale competition sponsored by the Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance). Amid the day’s melodies and tunes, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar expressed delight over the animated participation of choral groups nationwide in the annual competition, where seven groups showcased their talents in singing. ‘My heart is filled with pleasure over the successful turnout of this event. In a nation where technology has been the raging trend, it is heartwarming to see so many people immensely enjoying the music of these choral groups. This is a rare but welcoming sight,’ said Villar, who is the Managing Director of Villar SIPAG.                                                              Wit...

After six years, Filipino-British actor Derek Ramsay bid goodbye to TV5 as he thanked all those who made his stay on the Kapatid network a memorable one. “Thank you TV5 for 6 great years. Thank you for trusting and believing in me,” said Derek on his Instagram post. He even shared a photo-op with TV5 President and Chief Executive Officer Chot Reyes, and Joji Dingcong, manager of Derek. “The projects and memories here will always be cherished. You always made me feel that i am truly family; "Wishing you all the best in your new direction for the network. Kidlat signing out for now. Love you all,” said Derek. Kidlat referred to the superhero role he played on the same network in 2013. When he joined TV 5, Derek debuted in "Kidlat" and then he starred in several drama series. He also became the host of "The Amazing Race Philippines" Seasons 1 and 2. Derek also covered the 2012 Olympics in London for TV 5. His last television appearance for the K...

Miss Philippines Cynthia Tomalla has called on the people to be environment friendly and be responsible travelers through waste management. "For me, it should be the traveler who should be responsible for their trash. If they're traveling, they should know how to pick up their trash and throw it properly. Everyone should be aware of how to take care of our planet because we only have one planet. Everyone should be an eco-warrior and everyone should be environmental friendly," said Tomalla during send-off held in Timog, Quezon City recently. Tomalla, 22, left the Philippines on April 9 to represent the country in the Miss Eco International beauty pageant which will be held in Zamalek, Egypt from April 10-27. The Cebuana beauty queen made the comments when asked about the waste management issue in Siargao and the temporary closure of Boracay, a small island in Aklan known for resorts and beaches. 'I respect with the decision they made. I think it is timel...

Inamin ni Catriona Gray, ang pambato ng Pilipinas sa darating na 2018 Miss Universe beauty pageant, na isa pa rin syang labandera dito sa Pilipinas. "Ever since I've been totally self-sufficient. I'm very proud about that. Until now I still do my own laundry," ayon kay Catriona, sa panayam sa "Tonight With Boy Abunda" sa ABS CBN kamakailan. Bata pa lamang si Catriona ay naging independent na sya kahit na wala naman silang alitan ng kanyang mga magulang. Dagdag pa nya, s'ya ay isang Filipino-Australian. "I would say Filipino-Australian because even though I was born in Australia, it's not my choice but it was my parents choice. But it was my decision to come to the Philippines at age 18 just after I graduated from high school; "It was like a self-discovery journey for me, my first step into figuring out who am I, what do I want to do with my life and just pushing myself out of the comfort zone and I chose to come here; ...