Magtanggol Film Returns to UP After IFFM Win

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Magtanggol, awarded Most Popular Film at the International Film Festival Manhattan this year, returns for more screenings at the UP Film Center on November 28, Monday, at 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

The political whodunit film tells the story of a family who has spent years fighting for and helping the disenfranchised and the abused, specifically Overseas Filipino Workers, survive and get out of their hapless situations. The family encounters hardships, opposition, scandals and inter-family disagreements, including a potentially destructive accusation that one of their own has been exacting revenge against known OFW oppressors.

The film challenges the audience to guess who the real perpetrator of the crime is from start to finish. The screenings aim to make Filipinos feel proud again in time for the November 30 celebration of Bonifacio Day.

Starring as the Magtanggol family are Joonee Gamboa, Dina Bonnevie, Tom Rodriguez, Ejay Falcon, Albie Casiño, Kim Domingo and Basti Santos, with William Martinez, Raul Morit, Sunshine Teodoro, Chanel Latorre and Yam Concepcion playing the roles of their extended family members. 

A Delicate Balance: Batanes Food, Ecology and Community Book Launch

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"It's a food book, but it's not a food book." - Marian Pastor-Roces

Nature and people are intimately connected. Over thousands of years, people have interacted with, have formed, and have in return been shaped by, their environment. A closer look at food reveals a story of the delicate balance that can exist between nature and us.

Chimuchimusén, Chinavulés, Tambubu, Uví, Lunyis, Arayú, Maridá. Have you encountered these words? If you've been to Batanaes, and have mingled with the residents, you probably encountered a few of them during the trip. If you're new to them but would like to know more in preparation for a trip (or simply curious), get to know more about these words when you get a copy of A Delicate Balance: Batanes Food, Ecology and Community.

I was fortunate enough to be with the authors (Corazon Alvina and Marian Pastor Roces) of "A Delicate Balance: Batanes Food, Ecology and Community" during their book launch held on November 9, 2016 at the Bayanihan Center in Mandaluyong.

The authors gather in this handsome volume the work of many distinguished academics and Ivatan culture bearers, whose explorations into the Batanes Islands offer insights into an extraordinarily resilient food culture.

ABS-CBN Kapamilya Stars Take Center Stage In Ballet Philippines’ “Awitin Mo At Isasayaw Ko”

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Do you like the Pinoy disco music scene of the 70’s? Come and watch your favorite ABS-CBN Kapamilya stars led by Karylle, Michael Pangilinan, Markki Stroem, and Kyle Echarri as they sing, belt, gyrate and groove centerstage in Ballet Philippines’ holiday presentation “Awitin Mo At Isasayaw Ko,” a new dance musical set to the hits of Manila Sound legends VST & Company.

The VST & Co. is considered one of the pioneering groups from the music genre known as the Manila Sound in the mid 70s. The group is composed of Vic Sotto, Spanky Rigor, Tito Sotto, Val Sotto, Celso Llavina, Monet Gaskell, Male Rigor, Roger Rigor, Jun Medina, Joey de Leon, Homer Flores, Chito Ilagan, Ben Escasa, Fred Concepcion, Boy Alcaide, and Clod Baria. Their impressive collection of hits has left a legacy that endures to this day.

Directed by BP Artistic Director Paul Alexander Morales, “Awitin Mo At Isasayaw Ko” tells the story of the forbidden love between Teresa, a kolehiyala and Victor, a construction worker amidst the backdrop of the Philippines in the late ‘70s – burning with disco fever but chilled by the horrors of Martial Law. They are are separated in life but are united in heaven and once again dance up a storm.

Over the years, Karylle has established herself as one of the country’s finest female celebrities. With her immense talent and disarming beauty, she has conquered the local and international entertainment scene by storm. Her career has spanned the music, television, and film industries. Her performance in the international Asian TV series “The Kitchen Musical” earned her a nomination as Best Actress in the 52nd Monte Carlo TV Festival. She has been a regular host of “It’s Showtime” since 2010, but has left the show temporarily to work on Singapore-based television show “Private Investigator”. Her theater credits include Maria in “West Side Story” (2008), Sita in Ballet Philippines’ “Rama Hari” (2012), and Cinderella in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” (2013). In “Awitin Mo At Isasayaw Ko”, Karylle will take on the role of Ester, a strong-willed “woman of the night”.