PLDT, Smart, TV5 and Solar converge to bring the ultimate Miss Universe 2016 experience to more Filipinos

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MANILA – Leading Philippine telco and digital services provider PLDT and mobile leader Smart Communications together with broadcast station TV5 bring the much anticipated Miss Universe 2016 closer to Filipinos everywhere through the country’s most extensive and robust fixed line and wireless networks.

In partnership with the Miss Universe Organization and official Philippine broadcast partner of Miss Universe 2016 Solar Entertainment, the PLDT Group will enable the best viewing experience of the pageant in the Philippines through its various terrestrial and digital channels, across multiple screens at home and on-the-go.

“With the Miss Universe crown currently in our homeland, the enthusiasm for and connection of Filipinos to the global pageant is now stronger than ever,” PLDT Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan said.

“With the combined reach of PLDT, Smart and TV5, we are providing our countrymen more ways to enjoy the pageant. We are giving them exclusive access to behind-the-scenes and key events such as the very popular swimsuit and long gown competitions, and of course, real-time viewing of the much-awaited coronation night. With our robust network capabilities and the largest consumer base of over 75 million Filipinos, millions of fans can watch the pageant events via multiple platforms, whether on TV, laptop or mobile—whenever they want, wherever they want. For years, we have been revolutionizing the way entertainment is consumed in the nation, offering our subscribers an extensive entertainment portfolio featuring top digital entertainment partners. Miss Universe is one platform we would not miss out on.”

PLDT and Smart will provide fixed broadband and mobile connectivity to power the Miss Universe pageant throughout their stay in the Philippines. With the country’s widest Fibr broadband network which delivers symmetrical speeds of up to 1Gbps and Smart’s superior mobile LTE network, consumers can be assured of the best real-time Miss Universe experience. 

“The Internet and social media will undoubtedly play a substantial role in Miss Universe in the Philippines,” PLDT and Smart Chief Revenue Officer Eric Alberto said. 

“We are ready to contribute our top notch products and services to make it a more engaging experience for everyone. Miss Universe 2016 will be using PLDT and Smart’s services throughout their entire journey, while fans will be able to immerse themselves in not only the coronation night, but also on all the exciting events leading up to it. True to our promise of bringing the ultimate Miss Universe experience, our subscribers will get a chance to witness the coronation night live via free ticket promos.”

On top of the complete broadcast coverage of the coronation night, TV5 will give viewers access to the preliminary show, specifically the swimsuit and long gown rounds. 

“Filipinos can look forward to watching their favorite contestants compete even before the grand finale, which is something only TV5 can offer,” TV5 President and CEO Chot Reyes said. “We aim to bring the pageant to life by bringing it closer to the hearts and enthusiasm of every Filipino.”

TV5 signed with Solar for the partnership which encompasses on-air, on-ground, and PR values—the blocktime airing of the Coronation Night on January 30, the exclusive airing of the long gown and swimsuit preliminary competitions on January 28 and 29 which will also be available online on the same day, powered by PLDT and Smart.

Solar Entertainment takes pride in collaborating with TV5, PLDT, and Smart in the hope of delivering the optimum broadcast quality coverage of this momentous event, showcasing the wonders and beauty of the Philippines, and giving our fellow Filipinos the ultimate Miss Universe experience.

“Bringing Miss Universe to the Philippines is one of the top events that we have ever invested in. It is an opportunity that we did not want to miss,” said Mr. Wilson Tieng, President and CEO of Solar Entertainment Corporation. 

“For Miss Universe, we have jam-packed activities that will be happening at the same time and we’re excited to share it with the viewers.”

For more information, visit http://www.solarentertainmentcorp.com/, http://www.tv5.com.ph/,http://pldthome.com/, and http://smart.com.ph/.

Official sewing machine Brother brings out Filipinos’ world-class creativity anew in Project Runway S4

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The sewing room of Project Runway Philippines, the local adaptation of the US reality television series, is once more abuzz with activities as a new batch of up-and-coming designers from all over the country competes to become the next big Filipino fashion designer.

What better way to power up the fashion designing competition than to have Brother’s top-of-the-line sewing machines “run” the show. A trusted Japanese global brand with commitment to quality, Brother has the most extensive sewing machine ranges in the market consisting of innovative, easy-to-use, high-quality, feature-rich products designed to meet the needs of every sewing enthusiast or entrepreneur.

Brother’s NV55P Sewing Machine can be seen in Project Runway Season 4

As Project Runway’s official sewing machine, Brother provides the sewing machines used by the contestants not just in the Philippines but also in other countries where the show has local versions. Brother is also sponsoring the additional Php250,000 cash prize of the winner.

Brother Philippines President Glenn P. Hocson said, “Brother Philippines has supported Project Runway Philippines since Season 1, and we are happy to again be a part of this show which encourages Filipinos to come up with world-class designs. We always believe in Filipino ingenuity and creativity, and it’s been our pride and joy to empower Filipinos to maximize their creative potentials with the Brother sewing machine.”

Added Hocson, “Each sewing machine model is designed with the goal of encouraging users to be more creative and have fun while creating their masterpieces.”

Contestants are using the Brother NV-55P touchpad enabled (computerized) sewing machine, which will enable contestants to sew, quilt and do decoration stitches. The perfect sewing solution, NV-55P is packed with numerous features such as 135 built-in stitches, including 10 buttonholes which you can conveniently access from the touchpad. What’s more, the built-in lettering allows you to personalize different stitch patterns to create labels or monogrammes.

For edging, Brother also provides the show with the Brother M3034D easy-to-use home overlocker with multiple features. It allows users to professionally sew seams, trim excess fabric and over lock raw edges all in one time-saving step. It features three or four thread cut-and-sew overlock sticks, easy to follow threading, and a fast and simple lower looper threading system. It also has a free-arm or flat bed convertible sewing surface to make work a lot easier.

Notably, Brother’s reliable and award-winning products also include printing and imaging solutions, label-makers and their respective consumables.

Supermodel and fashion icon Tweetie De Leon-Gonzalez is host and judge of the fourth season of the show. One of Philippine fashion’s respected designers Rajo Laurel returns to the judges’ seat, alongside top fashion model and lifestyle writer Apples Aberin and runway mentor Jojie Lloren.

Produced by Solar Entertainment Group, Project Runway Philippines Season 4 airs every Sunday at 8 pm on ETC. 

“Manny” The Movie

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“Manny”

“By the end of the film, I want people to feel like they know him as just Manny. Not Congressman Pacquiao, not the People’s Champion, not the boxer with 10 world titles, but the guy who you could be on a first name basis with because you feel him. Be it a boxing legend, icon, politician, religious leader, or father, I ultimately want Pacquiao to be known as Manny, the man.” - - - Ryan Moore

After making waves at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin Texas, where it made its world premiere, Filipino fans finally had the chance to watch MANNY, a documentary about the Filipino boxing champion.

Manny is the untold story of Manny Pacquiao, one of the most celebrated boxers to ever enter the ring since Muhammad Ali. It chronicles the inspirational tale of how one penniless kid rose from poverty to become one of boxing’s most revered icons.

Relive some of his greatest matches, and rivalries as he moves up the ranks and takes his place in history as the only boxer to become an eight division champion. 

Sourced from over 1200 hours of video footage Pacquiao generously shared with Producer/Director Ryan Moore, the movie likewise provides an in-depth look into Pacquiao’s personal life not only as a boxer, superstar, Congressman, and man of faith, but above all, a man. 

Narrated by Liam Neeson and filled with insightful and sometimes humorous interviews with Hollywood celebrities such as Mark Wahlberg, Jimmy Kimmel, Jeremy Piven, etc. you don’t need to be a fan of boxing or even Pacquiao himself to enjoy this well-made narrative of triumph against unbelievable odds.

Catch Manny in its limited theatrical run until Tuesday in cinemas nationwide. 

Manny is distributed by Solar Entertainment Corporation.

Endless Love 2014

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This Valentine movie “Endless Love” is an romantic drama film directed by Shana Feste and co-written with Joshua Safran.

A remake of Franco Zeffirelli's 1981 film of same name and second adaptation of Scott Spencer's novel, the film stars an ensemble cast headed by Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde.

“Endless Love” revolves around the story of a privileged girl (Gabriela Wilde) and a charismatic boy (Alex Pettyfer) whose instant desire sparks a love affair made only more reckless by parents trying to keep them apart. The young lovers who couldn't care less that they come from very different social backgrounds. Unfortunately, her wealthy father (Bruce Greenwood) cares a lot. But his efforts to drive them apart merely makes them more determined to stay together.

Wilde capably fills Brooke Shields' shoes in this glossy remake of Franco Zeffirelli's 1981 tearjerker.

Directed by Shana Feste (Country Strong), the romantic drama co-stars Robert Patrick, Bruce Greenwood, Rhys Wakefield, Dayo Okeniyi, Emma Rigby and Joely Richardson. Scott Stuber and Pamela Abdy (Identity Thief) of Bluegrass Films are joined by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl) of Fake Empire to produce the film from writers Feste and Joshua Safran (Gossip Girl). www.endlesslovemovie.com

Released by United International Pictures release through Solar Entertainment Corporation, “Endless Love” opens in PH nationwide theaters on February 12, 2014.

The Morning Episodes collaborate with Solenn to create “Until The Sunrise”

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After breaking through US Radio last year, The Morning Episodes kick off 2014 on a high with the release of “Until the Sunrise” -- a collaboration with actress / singer Solenn Heussaff. The track is the official theme song of Solenn’s new movie “Mumbai Love”, which is hitting theaters this January.

The film was directed by Benito Bautista, produced by Capestone Pictures in assoc. with Wanderlustproject Films and is being distributed by Solar Entertainment.

“Until the Sunrise” is a breath of fresh air to the local music scene with its unique elements, arrangement and delivery. According to band frontman Miguel Escueta most of the song was written using an iPad. “Its amazing how that square piece of technology can help you so much creatively”, he shares. “Solenn heard the demo more than a year ago through a common friend and she got in touch with me right away, saying that she wanted to work on it together. Her voice was just perfect for it and it turns out that the song sounded even better as a duet.”

In the early stages of filming “Mumbai Love” Solenn shared the song with director Benito Bautista and producer Emma Francisco. They immediately fell in love with the track and, at that instant, knew that they had just found their theme song for the film. They shot the music video while filming the movie, in between all the takes in several locations. It can now be viewed online via Youtube (youtube.com/wanderlustproject) and it set to air on MYX this week.

“Until the Sunrise” is available exclusively via iTunes, released by MCA Music Inc.

In mid 2013, the Morning Episodes, in partnership with their LA based label Slydoggie Productions and Music PR Firm The Planetary Group, launched their first ever US College Radio Campaign. Since then, songs from the band's current album "Never Felt So Alive" have been receiving airplay on 100 different college radio stations across all 50 states in America. 

The album hit the Top 25 charts at three stations, with peaks at WIPZ in Kenosha, Wisconsin (#8), KRZA in Alamosa Colorado (#10) and WVPH in Piscataway, New Jersey (#25). Some of their songs were also featured on long time US Drama “The Young and The Restless” and TV Promos by the CBS Network.

The Morning Episodes' album Never Felt So Alive is available digitally via iTunes. CDs are also available at Odyssey Music Stores. This release is done via MCA Music Inc. and brought to you by VANS, Audio Technica, Police, Rayban, Deca Homes, Dental First and Southern Musician.