Nang Dalawin ng Pag-Ibig si Juan Tamad

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Is Juan, The One for Mariyang Makiling?

World-class Filipino artistry will once again be celebrated as Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), the resident theater company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, concludes its 31st Theater Season (billed as “Freedom Writers: Freedom Fighters”) with Nang Dalawin ng Pag-ibig si Juan Tamad, a new and original production based on National Artist Nick Joaquin’s story “How Love Came to Juan Tamad.” Literary critics describe it as the correct explanation why Mariyang Makiling forever nurses a broken heart and why Juan Tamad remains a pop idol; a model for the young.

Included in Joaquin’s Pop Stories for Groovy Kids (1979), the play is a mash-up of popular folk tales, and follows the love triangle among Filipino legends Mariyang Makiling (diyosa ng pag-ibig/goddess of love), Monte Banahaw (diyos ng digmaan/god of war), and Juan Tamad. Adapted for the stage by Rody Vera and directed by Jonathan Tadioan, the play is teeming with complex characters (including Ba’I, diyos ng lawa ng Laguna/god of Laguna lake and brother of Monte Banahaw), with no one being purely a hero or a villain.

Not only is this production a mash-up of characters (think: your favorite TV series characters visiting your other favorite show), there is an abundance of quotable quotes that will surely feed your soul (aka “hugot” lines). For the dreamers… “Hindi hinahanap ang pag-ibig. Hayaan mong sa akin kusang dumating.”

The story explores the different faces of love – spiteful, revengeful and selfish…
 “Gusto kong gumawa ka ng gayuma para kay Mariyang Makiling. Para mahulog siya, madapa siya, sumadsad siya, tumambling, at mabaliw sa pag-ibig. Pero hindi basta pag-ibig. Gusto kong umibig siya sa pinakagago, pinakatanga, pinakatamad, pinaka-walang kakuwenta-kuwentang mortal sa buong daigdig!”

– a goddess of love falling for a mortal;
“E, anong gusto mo, mahal ko? Ang hirap mong paligayahin!”
“Nasaan ka? Saan ka nagtago! Magpakita ka na! Ibibigay ko sa iyo ang lahat!

- a narcissistic kind of love;
“Wala na yatang mas nakakapagod pa sa pag-ibig. Biruin mo, bawat sandali, iniisip mo siya, iniisip ka niya. Hindi mapakali, hindi makatulog, hindi makakain, laging aligaga. Laging tulala, parang laging sinisilaban ang puwit ng mangingibig.”

…and a god of war breaking his boundaries all in the name of love. “Lalo mong ikaila, lalong nahahalata. Tingnan mo, may bundok bang nagpapawis nang malapot? May bundok bang nilalagnat, tumitibok ng 1-4-3?”

The iconic characters are reintroduced and given a “New Age-meets-indigenous” look through eclectic & colorful costumes (imagine Ba’I looking like a mad scientist and Ulap – a Cloud – narrating the myth), and the clever use of a minimalist stair platform set design which depicts a bayabas (or guava) fruit formed like a yin-yang.

The cast is comprised of TP’s Actors Company and guest actor Cheeno Macaraig. At the helm of production and costume design is Marco Viaña; composition, arrangement, musical direction and design, TJ Ramos; lighting design, John Batalla; choreography, Ronelson Yadao and stage management, Doray Dayao.

Co-presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Tanghalang Pilipino, COCOLIFE and Hotel Kamana Sanctuary Resort & Spa, and brought to you by Yellow Pages, Nang Dalawin ng Pag-ibig si Juan Tamad is Tanghalang Pilipino’s Valentine offering. In this month of “Feb-ibig,” it’s time to explore the complexities of having the freedom to love who we want, to make choices as we please, and to standby with what you believe in.

It opens on February 16 and runs for four weekends until March 11, 2018 at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater), with evening performances at 8:00 PM and matinees at 3:00PM.

Interested sponsors, show buyers, and block buyers may call Tanghalang Pilipino’s hotline 832 1125 loc. 1620 or 1621. You may also contact Ms. Lorelei Celestino at 0915 607 2275 or Mr. Juan Lorenzo Marco at 0999 884 3821. For more information, please visit and like our official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tanghalangpilipino/. 

Tickets are also available through TicketWorld at https://www.ticketworld.com.ph or 891 9999; and the CCP Box Office at 832 3704.

Awarding the Best of the Best at the Gala Awards Night of NCCAA

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Best of the Best in business, skills and profession will be recognized at the Gala Awards Night of the National Customers' Choice Annual Awards (NCCAA) this Saturday, February 3, 2018 at the Diamond Hotel in Roxas Boulevard.

This is the night when all the awardees shine at their brightest as they are awarded for their expertise in their respective field or business, and proudly voted by their colleagues, peers, or customers in the industry.

To provide entertainment throughout the night, there will be special performances from AC Bonifacio, Gidget Dela Llana of Tawag ng Tanghalan, GoGirls, G-Force, Rhed Bustamante, and Selena "Ukelele Girl"

The valued media partners are Wish 107.5, UNTV News and Rescue, Philippines News Agency and Wazzup Pilipinas

#WazzupPilipinas #PambansangBlogger #NCCAA #TheGalaAwardsNight

Give Love a Lot of Thought This Valentines With Toblerone’s Limited Edition Sleeves

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Love is in the air, and what better way to showcase your affection than by sharing some sweetness? This Valentine season, Toblerone encourages everyone to #BeMoreImaginative by giving love a lot of thought when gifting your loved ones.  Keep it simple and personal through designing your very own Toblerone Valentine-inspired blank packs.

A Sweet Unique Twist
Toblerone believes that you don’t need to spend a fortune on expensive gifts to show how much you care. With the Toblerone blank packs, you can put your own bespoke twist on Toblerone’s iconic triangular sleeve. You’ll never run out of options with its mouthwatering flavors – milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and milk chocolate with crunchy almonds.

To help make your creative juices flow, Toblerone pop-up Valentine stations will be set up in leading malls including Robinson’s Galleria, SM North EDSA, and SM Megamall from February 1 to 14, 2018. Be inspired to express artistic love with the help of local artists and calligraphers who will be there on selected dates as you personalize your very own Toblerone Valentine blank packs.

For techy art lovers, visit www.tobleroneph.com to digitally design your own Toblerone sleeves which can be printed out at any Toblerone pop-up Valentine stations for a minimum purchase only.

A Loving Local Take
This season, Toblerone ties up with two new artist collaborators whose designs are influenced by what they love the most. Watercolor painter and teacher Alessa Lanot drew inspiration from nature because she loves how greens convey such a positive vibe. “My design is composed of the different indoor houseplants with heart-shaped leaves painted with watercolor: pothos, caladium, diffenbacchia, philodendron,” Lanot shared. “The watercolored note is a little reminder for everyone—friends, lovers, family—to always let love grow and thrive, especially this Valentine season.”

Googly Gooeys, a webcomic turned design blog, puts a very fun and animated spin on her approach on the Toblerone Valentine Sleeve. “My mission is to bring happiness through color, and so I fashioned my design in a way that is fun, happy and colorful,” the artist behind Googly Gooeys mused.

Aside from Alessa and Googly Gooeys, Toblerone continues collaborating with talented artists it has worked with in the past. Visual artist Anina Rubio has a more traditional and sentimental take on the season of love, while illustrator Soleil Ignacio remains to incorporate a fashion spin on her design. Graphic designer June Digan’s sleeve looks out of this world with outer space elements she is known for, while graphic artist Juan Rodriguez put an edge to his design with creative lettering and some interesting characters.