POP NEWS DIGITAL

The winners of the Mr and Miss Hannah’s World Tourism Philippines 2018 were crowned during a telecast held at the Resorts World Manila in Pasay City recently. Grand winners were George Reylor de Lumen of Marikina City and Nicole Miñano of Caloocan City. Named Mr & Miss Hannah’s Ecotourism Philippines were  Christopher Joshua Ibañez of Tagaytay City and Juvel Mangubat Ducay of Bantayan Island, Cebu. Mr & Miss Hannah’s Tourism Ambassador were Gerome Bongco of Quezon City and Kylah Sanchez of Liloan, Cebu Nicole will now represent the country in the inaugural edition of Miss Hannah’s World Tourism which will be held in September. George will compete in an international male competition which will be held in early 2019. Winners of special awards were: Miss Symply G - Kylah Sanchez; People’s Choice Awards: Male - Jayvinne Klein Jainar and Female - Juvel Mangubat Duca; Mr Photogenic -Erikson Gudelano IV; Miss Photogenic - Juvel Ducay; Mr. Body Fit - Christopher...

Glyssa Perez finished First Princess at the 2017 Miss World Philippines beauty contest but she is not ready to give up her dreams on pageants. "Yes! I'm joining Miss World Philippines again next year," said Perez when asked if she will compete again in the pageant, during an exclusive interview in Timog, Quezon City recently. Asked why Miss World again, Perez said: "I always have the heart to serve the community. Back in Australia, I was very active in the Philippine-Australian community so that ignited my passion. For me, I see Miss World as beauty with a purpose, something that you can give back to the community." Perez, 23, said that it's really her dream to become a beauty queen. Back in Australia, she has done smaller pageants before she joined Miss Philippines Australia two years ago. "Many people have encouraged me (to join pageants). I was 15 at that time, sabi ko 'I don't know. I'm still young. Bata pa ako.' It to...

A new mobile application has been developed that will allow users to access a growing library of original Filipino comic book content. Dubbed iKwento, the mobile app offers several wonderful features, including easy-to-read comic book panels specially designed for mobile readers. It will also give independent and mainstream Filipino comic book creators a way to bring their content to a wider audience by partnering with iKwento, created by Synergy 88 Digital. "We hope the app will revive the comic book industry, specially with the current generation. We also want to immortalize comic books before that were not published," said Marc Cua, iKwento project manager. Cua added: "Lastly, we want to give Filipino comic artists a platform to earn and at the same time have a platform to become known in the industry." iKwento's extensive library has many vintage Filipino komiks, which were digitally and painstakingly restored. "Upon downloading the a...

It's confirmed: Actress Heart Evangelista is pregnant! This was revealed by Heart on her Instagram account as she posted a photo with her husband Senator Chiz Escudero. It was captioned: "The greatest of blessings all in God's perfect timing! Our beautiful family just got a little bigger. We can't wait to meet you little one." She did not give any details of her pregnancy. In August 2016, Heart said that she and her husband were ready to have a baby. "I'm eating healthy and maybe losing some water weight to prepare to gain pounds. It's a bit complicated," Heart said then in an interview on ABS CBN. Heart, 33, then said that her husband is not rushing her to have a baby. But she said that they will focus on having one after she finished her commitments in January 2017. In a separate report, Heart said that she wanted to have two to three children. Chiz would joke on having five kids, she said. "Two to three kids would ...

Reigning Miss Earth Karen S. Ibasco has said that she might try television hosting after her stint in the environmental-driven beauty pageant. Ibasco, who is set to relinquish her title as Miss Earth Philippines on May 19, said that she wants try activities that will hone her communication skills. "I guess I wanted to try something new for me. I wanna try hosting. I wanna try more on developing my communication skills. Not really showbiz but hosting I guess," said Ibasco when asked about her plans after the pageant during an interview at the Outstanding Men and Women of the Philippines for 2018 awarding ceremonies organized by Richard Hinola held at the Teatrino in Greenhills, San Juan recently. The very articulate beauty queen who is a physicist by profession said that marriage plan is still not on her priority list after she finished her reign. "Maybe not now. In God's special time. I'm still trying to venture on other things," said Ibasco ...

More than 100 candidates from around the world will converge in the Philippines when it hosts for the first time the Mr. World pageant on January 27, 2019. Initially, Julia Morley, founder of Miss World Organization (MWO), announced on Facebook that the prestigious male competition will be staged in Manila on Sept. 16. But after discussions with the national directors of the contest, it has been moved to January 2019. It will be staged at Resorts World Manila in Pasay City. MR. WORLD CONTEST IN MANILA --- Arnold Vegafria (center), national director of Miss World Philippines and Mr. World Philippines contests, welcomes reigning Miss World Manushi Chhillar (right) and Mr. World 2016 Rohit Khandelwal, both from India, who flew to Manila for the official announcement of the staging of Mr. World contest in the Philippines in January 2019.  "And because of moving it to January 27, we could announce that a world record of more than 100 countries will be coming to Manila. Thi...

Reigning Binibining Kalikasan Eimeverlee Fren Canimo could be the youngest sagala to grace the annual Flores de Mayo organized by the Congregacion Del Nombre De Jesus but she sparkled like a pageant pro or fashion model. During the annual festival held at the Music Hall of Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City last May 6, Canimo stood out as Honorary Rosa Mistica among bevy of beauties that included Bb. Pilipinas International 2018 Ahtisa Manalo, Miss Mutinational 2018 Sophia Senoron, Bb. Pilipinas Supranational 204 Yvhette Marie Santiago, and Miss Global Philippines 2017 Mary Ann Mungcal. Said to be the most popular Flores De Mayo in the country, this year's theme is "Ginintuang Ani: Our Lady of Guadalupe" written and directed by Ogee Atos Celebrated in the month of May, the annual festival is believed to have originated in the mid-1800s. Flores De Mayo is a tradition in the Philippines where children with basket of flowers lined up at aisles of the church o...

Bb. Pilipinas Globe 2018 Michelle Gumabao has said that she does not receive any special treatment from her boyfriend athlete Aldo Panlilio when she trains in the gym. "Pag nasa gym kami hindi talaga. Pag nasa gym, he calls me Michelle. I'm not love, I'm not babe. Michelle!" said Gumabao during an interview on "Tonight With Boy Abunda" on ABS CBN. "That's how he is in the gym, he's very strict. So in the gym, we're not girlfriend and boyfriend. We're coach and athlete," said the athlete-turned-beauty queen from Quezon City. Gumabao, 25, said that she is in a relationship with Panlilio for almost two years now. Her boyfriend is the head strength and conditioning coach of Phoenix Fuelmasters basketball team. But Gumabao said that she has no qualms about it. "I got better through it because other coaches they baby you. They always think 'Okay ka lang ba Michelle? May trabaho ka pa mamaya.' Not Aldo." ...

The Philippines will attempt to beat its own record on Zumba class when it stages the Biggest Zumba Class for the Guinness Book of World Records in Camarines Sur on May 19. Ron Antonio, considered as the most popular and most in-demand celebrity Zumba instructor in the Philippines, along with 100 of the best Zumba instructors nationwide, will lead the Biggest Zumba Class in the world in partnership with Governor Migz Villafuerte of Camarines Sur. Antonio said that the event will target some 20,000 participants. The local government of CamSur will be responsible for the recruitment and pre-registration of participants. Antonio will be responsible for the routines. Currently, the Philippines hold the record for the the Biggest Zumba Class at 12,900+ set in 2016. Unconfirmed reports that several countries are attempting to break the record of the Philippines in Zumba class. That's why Antonio and CamSur are setting the benchmark at least with 20,000 people in attend...

In pursuit of her advocacy to restore ecological balance in the midst of worsening environmental threats due to climate change, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar pushed residents of Baseco in Tondo, Manila to turn their garbage into useful materials as their contribution to global efforts to preserve and protect the world’s natural resources. ''There is money in garbage. Let us work together in finding ways to recycle our waste materials, which will not only help in protecting our environment but at the same time will augment your incomes,'' Villar said as she turned over handmade paper machines to the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, which Baseco residents can use to make specialty handmade paper products. Handmade papers are sheets of paper or boards produced by hand. The raw materials used for making handmade paper are waste. Handmade papermaking machines produce specialty papers. One of the livelihood activities of residents of Gasangan Street in Baseco, Ton...

The Philippines captured its first pageant title this year after a Cebuana beauty queen was crowned Miss Eco International 2018 during a contest held in Egypt last Friday (Saturday morning Manila time). Cynthia Thomalla bested 51 other candidates in the international pageant that focuses on humanitarian, social and environmental issues. Thomalla, 22, is the last of four beauty queens who competed abroad under the Miss World Philippines franchise owned by Arnold Vegafria, business manager of Senator Manny Pacquiao. Other reigning beauty queens under Miss World Philippines who won titles were Teresita Marquez, Reina Hispamoamericana; and Sophia Senoron, Miss Multinational. Laura Lehman made it to the semis of Miss World pageant. Thomalla has been an early favorite to win the crown after she made it to the semis of various pre-pageant competitions such as Resorts Wear, Eco Dress, and Talent. Said to be look-alike of Hollywood star Anne Hathaway, Thomalla won the Reyna ng ...