Rico Blanco is back with a new album "AMATS"

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Four years after his album "Your Universe" released in 2008, Rivermaya's former front man Rico Blanco now brings us to another universe in which his music continues to evolve. The singer/songwriter's new album is entitled "Galactik Fiestamatik".

One of the album's track, "Amats", finally made it to the MYX Daily Top 10. The song is a new wave genre, different from your old school poprock. The rock icon has put the emotion of being infatuated or almost been carried away by unreasoned passion or love in the track.

From MYXph.com:

The much awaited second album will take you to a festive adventure that is ethnic, folk, punk and futuristic all at once. All songs of which are Blanco's signature songwriting. Plus, altogether performed and recorder by the mastermind himself in his very own studio attic. "I wanted the album to sound more abrasive, more flawed than correct, " says the singer. So, expect this album to be deeply personal and as if Rico Blanco himself is singing beside you.

The carrier single, "Amats", is a song of infatuation that's almost stalker-ish. Rico reveals, "I wondered, what if I make it dark, talagang amats? It becomes more dangerous... you feel on the edge, uncomfortable."

 “Amats” is surely to join Blanco’s collection of masterpieces that have captured our hearts through the years. As a Filipino rock icon highly regarded for his ingenuity and dedication to his craft, it’s only fitting that Blanco’s latest endeavor deserves no less than a worldwide release to satisfy fans across the globe.

The track "Amats" is available on iTunes worldwide.

Rico Blanco - Amats [Official Music Video HD]

Gloc 9's Sirena already on the top spot of MYX Daily countdown

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In just three days, Gloc 9's Sirena already topped the MYX countdown. "Sirena" is a song which tackles gay issues. The track wants to create a social awareness about the struggles of a gay person in our society. The music video shows that gays are being discriminated. In which some parents beat down their gay children because they can't accept them.

Promotional banner for Sirena. [source]

With the help of Ebe Dancel's vocals, the track's chorus becomes more powerful. The chorus, "Ako'y isang sirena, Kahit anong sabihin nila ako ay ubod ng ganda, Ako'y isang sirena, Kahit anong gawin nila bandera ko'y di tutumba, Drum na may tubig ang sinisisid, Naglalakihang mga braso, sa'kin dumidikdik, Drum na may tubig ang sinisisid, Sa patagalan ng paghinga, sa'kin kayo ay bibilib", indicates gays to be more strong even though they are being discriminated because they can do all the hardships.

Gloc 9 is very proud with his new single because he worked very hard on this song not to offend anyone and this is his very first time to make a song about a gay man and to present it in a first person's point of view. [source]

Boy Abunda, one of the successful gays in the country also participated in the music video. Abunda's participation in the music video makes it more pro-gay.

Gloc 9's Sirena will touch your heart especially in the part in which his father finally accepted his gay son and said, "Anak, patawad sana sa lahat ng aking nagawa, Di sinusukat ang tapang at ang bigote sa mukha, Dahil kung minsan mas lalake pa sa lalake ang bakla" (Forgive me son for all the wrong things I've done. Courage and mustache is not the true measures [of being a man] because sometimes gays are more man than a man.)

Sirena will surely topped the MYX Pinoy Countdown and MYX Hitchart next week replacing I'll be There by Julie Anne San Jose on both charts.

"Sirena" is Gloc 9's first single of his new album "MKNM: Mga Kwento ng Makata", under Universal Records. It is also his first album under Universal Records.

The track "Sirena" is a siren to stop the discrimination against gay persons. Gloc 9 once again created a masterpiece on this song after Upuan and Walang Natira. The song Upuan tackles the incumbent officials on the government while the track Walang Natira tackles the sudden migration of Filipinos to work overseas and earn a living there leaving their family here.

Gloc 9 should be dubbed "The Rizal of Rapping" because he wants his listeners to be enlightened like what Rizal did on his two novels, Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

FOLLOW GLOC-9:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/glocdash9

Twitter: https://twitter.com/glocdash9

Instagram: glocdash9

Website: http://glocdash9.com/

"MKNM: Mga Kwento ng Makata" Tracklist:

1. Balak ni Syke

2. Apatnapungbara feat. Ian Tayao

3. Silup feat. Denise Barbacena

4. Alalay ng hari feat. Allan Mitchell Silonga

5. Sirena feat. Ebe Dancel

6. Hindi mo nadinig feat. Jay Durias

7. Sino (interlude)

8. Salarin feat. Bamboo Manalac

9. Inday feat. Cathy Go

10. Bakit hindi feat. Billy Crawford

11. Malakas (interlude)

12. Pison feat. Chito Miranda

13. Thankful feat. Maychelle Baay of Moonstar88 & Bambu

Bonus Tracks

14. Hari ng tondo feat. Denise Barbacena

15. Kung tama Siya feat. Jaq Dionisio of Kissjane

The Wanted Live in Manila on Sept 14

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Meet Manila’s Most Wanted Boys!

U.K.’s sexiest boy band, THE WANTED, has sent their Filipino fans into an online frenzy for the past couple of weeks with the announcement of their first Manila concert this September 14 at NBC Tent, Taguig City. Their ferociously infectious tunes, rock solid friendship and laddish charms have instantly turned them into Manila’s ‘most wanted boys’. The British-Irish boy band brought us mind-blowing tunes like “All Time Low”, “Glad You Came” and the hottest summer single, "Chasing the Sun".

Here are the most wanted boys of THE WANTED:

Max George

Born 6 September 1988 (age 23), Max grew up with his family in Manchester. Before music, he had been a football player with Manchester’s Preston North End. He was a member of Avenue, a five-piece boy band which gained popularity in the third season of The X Factor before signing into The Wanted.

Nathan Sykes

Born 18 April 1993 (age 19), and known as the ‘baby’ of the group, Nathan grew up in Abbeydale, Gloucester with his younger sister and mother, who was a music teacher. He started singing and performing at the age of 6 and attended Sylvia Young's theatre school at age 11. He continued to perform in various singing competitions and even attempted to represent the UK in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2004 held in Lillehammer, Norway. In the British qualifying finals, he sang "Born to Dance" coming 3rd overall.

Siva Kaneswaran

Born 16 November 1988 (age 23), Siva grew up in Blanchardstown, Dublin with his Sri Lankan Tamil father, Irish mother, twin brother Kumar and six other siblings. He started modeling at 16 and appeared in various ads where he was eventually spotted and recruited into The Wanted.

Jay McGuiness

Born 24 July 1990 (age 22), Jay grew up in Newark, Nottinghamshire. He attended Holy Trinity Roman Catholic school in Newark. At the age of 13, Jay went to Charlotte Hamilton School of Dance. He has a non-identical twin brother named Tom and three other siblings.

Tom Parker

Born 4 August 1988 (age 24), Tom grew up in Bolton. He learned to play the guitar at the age of 16 after trying out his older brother's. He went to Manchester Metropolitan University and studied Geography, but eventually pursued a professional career in singing. Tom joined a Take That tribute band and toured Northern England, before joining The Wanted in 2009.

Catch the most wanted boys Max, Siva, Jay, Tom and Nathan of The Wanted as they perform Live! on September 14, Friday, 8pm at NBC Tent, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Ticket prices are VIP Php 6,340 and GOLD Php 4,230. Call SM Tickets at 470-2222 or www.smtickets.com

“THE WANTED Live! In Manila” is brought to you by MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines) Co-presented by Fox and StarWorld. Sponsored by: Banco De Oro. Media Partners: MYX, Monster Radio RX 93.1, Manila Bulletin, Candy Magazine, Business World, HerWord.com, Yahoo! Philippines and Manila Concert Scene. Special thanks to: Astroplus

MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines)

Love , Baihana!

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I love jazz... It's good for the soul and so relaxing. its also great seeing it live. 

Baihana.....a trio of lovely, enchanting and intelligent young ladies with strong, lovely vocals who can interpret a wide range of genres in their own way - Baihananiz-ed; and a brand of entertainment that will make you laugh, that will certainly warm your hearts. They will  poison  you with endless smiles as you cap your night with lots of wit and charm.

They recently won the Best Jazz Band award in the Boy Katindig Jazz Songwriting and Band  Competition and will represent the country in the World Youth Jazz Festival in Malaysia.

Baihana is composed of  Anna Achacoso, Krina Cayabyab and Mel Torre. I have watched them as they perform "Bigtime" by Trina Belamide -- one of the finalists in the first Philippine Pop Music Festival last July.

Let them perform and entertain you with their own brand of wit and charm in Love, Baihana on 24 August, 7:30 pm at The Music Museum.

It's gonna be a night full of love, laughter and music you'll surely enjoy!

For tickets, please call 637-9840, 914-5055, 0917-9096484; or come to The Music School of Ryan Cayabyab at the Lower Level, Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas, Quezon City."

Here are some video preview of Baihana.

BuCor's cross roads of scandal, chain of events, reality

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The Bureau of Corrections is one such agency one finds at the cross roads of a scandal,  is  one of the most controversial and complicated agencies in the country. The BuCor knows that the public would suspect that chain of events is unbelievable. it could not be anything else.

Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director Gaudencio Pangilinan has gone on indefinite leave beginning Thursday noon following the disappearance of convict Rolito Go from the National Bilibid Prison (NBP), Malacañang announced last Thursday.

“In order to emphasize the principle of command responsibility and to enhance the investigation, Bureau of Corrections Director Gaudencio Pangilinan has offered to go on leave and the President has accepted,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a news briefing.

Kidnapping Event

Rolito Go was convicted of killing engineering student Eldon Maguan in 1991. Go, a “living-out prisoner” is one who is sick or is over 70 years old, and those serving a minimum penalty of less than six years. He has been in prison for 18 years and is suffering from colon cancer.

“He usually stays at the Ina ng Awa Church where he is accompanied by a private nurse,” Lacierda said.

Go was kidnapped or if he is a missing prisoner? It was reported that on Wednesday night, the Philippine National Police got custody of Go after he and his nurse-nephew Clemence Yu surfaced in Alabang, claiming they were abducted.

President Benigno Aquino ordered the Justice department to investigate how Go could have escaped or could have been abducted from the NBP. “President Aquino has ordered an in-depth, multi-agency investigation into the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and eventual reappearance,” Lacierda also said.

It was reported that on Wednesday night, the Philippine National Police got custody of Go after he and his nurse-nephew Clemence Yu surfaced in Alabang, claiming they were abducted. Go, meanwhile, insisted that he had been kidnapped by four men  inside the NBP’s minimum security compound, a claim that the National Police initially believed based on its ongoing investigation into the case.

However, BuCor Director Pangilinan maintained the earlier position of the NBP that Go, who had been committed at the penitentiary since 1996, escaped along with his personal nurse-nephew Clemence Yu. He said that he will let the police finish its investigation into the case, as he spoke to the National Police chief, Director General Nicanor Bartolome.

The kidnapping story ends with Go heading back to prison.  Nothing was believable in the shifting scenarios.

BuCor Director Gaudencio Pangilinan has been exercises administrative supervision over the prisons and penal farms and staff services.  One of his functions in the department is developing policies and programs aimed at effective safekeeping and rehabilitation of national prisoners towards the societal goal of peace and order.

The Bureau of Corrections’ vision is  to “protect the public and prevent crimes in partnership with stakeholders by providing persons under custody opportunities for reformation, decent environment and secure settings.”

Last June 2012, I have read Director Pangilinan’s sharing of his thoughts about managing the corrections services.

"Managing The Bureau of Corrections Is Not Easy - Director Gaudencio Pangilinan"

The phrase is not an expression of exasperation; it is rather a discovery of a fact. It is not a wailing cry of desperation; but rather a confirmation of something never before accepted as a reality.

And why is it not easy to manage an agency despite all the rules, powers and authorities in its command arsenal? It is in the overall picture of its environment. Unlike plants, unlike animals, unlike any other governmental concern, managing the most dangerous sector of society – the so called insular prisoners projects so much stress to the point that nothing is correct in the scale of administering fairly their community. It is neither hot nor cold; neither here nor there; neither good nor bad; neither proper nor improper. Either an officer is exceptionally a genius person or abnormally intelligent to justify the right way in managing the affairs of prison administration.

The Bureau of Corrections is one such agency one finds at the cross roads of a scandal.

If there is no news that could grab public attention, one can find something in prison worth jolting the hell out of stability. For sure there are numerous instances in the prison community that is worth a moment’s notice. If the mood is something that would require empathy for the down trodden, there are alleged cases to be slapped on prison officials. If the prevailing sentiment is against the offenders, there are incidents that could be divulged against prison denizens. In both instances, the prison administrator’s neck is usually on the line. This is where sensationalism comes, that is where the news item becomes a regular highlighted feature, something that sells the newsprint, something that is projected on television, something one follows up on radio. And the Bureau of Corrections, whether it is in its star to be exposed or not, is always there are as an exciting filling material.

Any administrator worth his salt would find this stark reality as soon as he gets into ground work. NO amount of work ethics can drive the prison community--- officers included, into the tailspin of real committed work. Resistance is etched in every corner of the prison camp. Tradition is almost embossed in the granite walls of the community. To reform is like calling to arms as in war. Yet changes must be done. Several prison administrations have dedicated itself in the past only to be waylaid by indifference later. Result: the prison service remained static, recluse and worst, a benchmark for incompetence. And there lies the challenge. Change must occur, innovation must start somewhere. Corrections must regain its real meaning.

The process is not a walk in the park. It is, to borrow today’s lingo, complicated. Change demands sacrifice. While not all improvements result in change, all changes result in improvement. And the prison service is still undecided to fulfill change notwithstanding the enforcement of leadership. Attitude remains the biggest challenge and it must turn into a crusading spirit. It must be guided tour for real change, a clear direction to be reached.

And the first step is having a good grasp of where to go. That explains the significance of the BuCor roadmap. It has to be adopted, embraced, and totally appreciated from the heart.

BuCor is a prison where thousands of convicted offenders from all corners of the archipelago serve sentences. I have been visiting and witnessing what's happening inside the BuCor.  Even, the Maximum Security Compound is everything that I didn’t expect. This isn’t simply a place where convicted offenders are stored away until they have served their sentences. 

The Bureau of Corrections isn’t the bureau of punishment. Its mandate is to rehabilitate the offenders. Knowing the harsh conditions that society offers many of its citizens, the New Bilibid Prison might actually be the first real chance many of its inmates ever get to become genuine citizens and live meaningful, productive lives.

I believe that a BuCor Director Pangilinan is with the local and national laws connected with inmate rights and detention standards, due process and sentencing. He is always doing the basics of prison administration including routines and techniques regarding work, education and rehabilitation of inmates. The BuCor Director has always developing and implementing training procedures, delegate tasks, assess inmate needs, assign placement and transfers of inmates within the institution, examine security measures and suggest necessary changes, review inmate communications and react accordingly and coordinate inmate activities.