“How Deep Is Your Love” Iconic Song to be Part of Saturday Night Fever Asian Tour

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“How Deep Is Your Love”, the 1977 mega-hit by the Bee Gees, will be released as a single that will be part of an original cast recording of the Asian Tour of the stage musical version of Saturday Night Fever.

The Asian tour will have stops in Manila, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and will star Brandon Rubendall who will play Tony Manero and Jenna Rubaii who will play his dance partner and eventual love interest Stephanie Mangano. The two will also perform the song on the musical’s official soundtrack (OST). The Manila leg, mounted by the Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group (ATEG) in close coordination with the Robert Stigwood Organization, will have performances from July 3 to 26 at the Theatre, Solaire Resort and Casino.

Everyone knows the song well. Originally intended for Yvonne Elliman (who later recorded "If I Can't Have You) instead won an award for Best Pop Performance by a Group at the 20th Grammy Awards held in February 1978 and topped the Billboard Hot 100 on 24 December 1977 (becoming the first of six consecutive US number-one hits) and stayed in the Top 10 for a then-record 17 weeks. It also ranked number 375 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

In a 2001 interview the Bee Gees'did for Billboard magazine, Barry Gibb reportedly said that "How Deep Is Your Love" was his favorite Bee Gees song.

Said Barry: "A lot of the textures you hear in the song were added on later. We didn't change any lyrics, mind you, but the way we recorded it was a little different than the way we wrote in terms of construction. A little different for the better, I think, the title 'How Deep Is Your Love' we thought was perfect because of all the connotations involved in that sentence, and that was simply it.”

That iconic song will make itself heard again to a whole new generation of listeners once the Asian Tour of Saturday Night Fever takes off.

Marie Rose, Rafa Siguion-Reyna, Mikkie Bradshaw, Jamie Wilson and Carla Guevara-Laforteza are also joining the show’s 20-strong cast.

Broadway choreographer Vince Pesce, Tony Award-winning scenic designer David Gallo, original lighting designer of “Saturday Night Fever” on Broadway Paul Miller, costume designer Eric Pineda and musical director Ceejay Javier are also part of the creative team.

The Manila crew is working in close coordination with the Robert Stigwood Organization whose founder, Mr. Stigwood, produced the original Saturday Night Fever film and its various stage incarnations from 1998 to the present. 

Director Bobby Garcia reveals: “We’re using a brand-new script (originally written by Nan Knighton, in collaboration with Arlene Phillips, Paul Nicholas and Mr. Stigwood) that brings back a lot of the grittiness and the coming-of-age in a tough world aspect of the movie. It’s edgy and exciting. It’s a completely conceptualized production.”

He is excited that the famous movie musical is being re-invented for a stage audience across Asia, and that “How Deep Is Your Love” will be heard again via this new cast recording of the stage version.

“We have a first-rate creative team and have assembled an amazing cast,” he says. “I think the quality of the show will speak for itself once it’s up on its feet. This production will be everything Saturday Night Fever should be.”

For tickets and more information, call ATEG at (632)650 5144 or (63917) 8381534; visit TicketWorld at ticketworld.com.ph.

Like ATEG on facebook.com/ATEGasia.

DepEd launches the first Tboli Senior High School

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Lake Sebu, South Cotabato—After extensive consultations and planning with the indigenous peoples’ community, local government, and education partners, the Department of Education (DepEd) established the first Tboli Senior High School.

Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC said, “This is the first of its kind. We endeavored to make sure that the curriculum as well as its [senior high school] offerings are in line with Indigenous Peoples culture and language. Ang eskwelahan dapat ang link between culture and development.”

He said, “Ito po ang kauna-unahang Senior High School na sinikap ng DepEd—kasama ang Ateneo de Davao—na kunsultahin at pakinggan ang mga hinaing at mga pangarap ng ating mga katutubo.”

He emphasized the need of the education system to be inclusive and centered on the needs and context of the learners, saying, “We are a nation in search of who we are. Until we are able to return to the roots of our indigenous peoples, we will never be able to find our soul.”

“If we are serious about being learner-centered, we should also be serious about being culturally sensitive,” Luistro added.

Luistro also dedicated the launching of the Tboli Senior High School to the late Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan awardee Lang Dulay, saying that “we need to understand and to nurture of our culture so that the works of Lang Dulay will not be lost with her and that we can pass on her dreams and arts to the next generation.”

Tboli Senior High School (TSHS), which will be initially lodged at Lake Sebu National High School with approximately 45 students for its early implementation of Grade 11 in SY 2015-2016, will be offering technical-vocational track, focusing on Sustainable Community Resources Management with two options: Agriculture and Ecotourism.

Active engagement of the indigenous community

Datu Benito Blonto, chair of the Municipal Tribal Council of Lake Sebu, said that proper consultations and coordination with the parents and students in the Tboli community, Lake Sebu NHS, and other education stakeholders have been crucial in creating the program.

Through consultations with Tboli elders, teachers, parents, students, and other education stakeholders, TSHS came up with its aspirations for its students that seek to uphold, preserve, and promote the Tboli cultural identity through an inclusive, participative, environmentally-friendly, and quality culture-based education.

Blonto said the program will be beneficial to the students, adding, “Pagkatapos nila sa K to 12, makakapasok sila sa employment dahil may skills and qualifications na sila. Sa pamamagitan ng programang ito, ide-develop natin ang skills ng mga estudyante base sa kultura. Sasanayin sila sa ecotourism at paggamit ng resources na mayroon sa lugar.”

The program intends to create graduates who are capable of developing and managing their own resources, creating sustainable livelihood and opportunities for the Tboli community, where the school is situated. Through the program, graduates will be equipped with entrepreneurial and management skills to prepare them for small-scale business ventures or communal cooperative management.

The development of the TSHS is an initiative being undertaken by DepEd in partnership with Ateneo de Davao University, particularly in the areas of curriculum development, teacher training and mentoring, and research.

Max’s opens third store in BGC All-time favorite restaurant opens new branch in Stopover Pavilion

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Max’s Group Inc. (MGI) has opened its newest Max’s Restaurant at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig as part of its local expansion strategy for the next two months, the group recently announced.

Robert Trota, President and CEO of Max’s Group said the BGC branch, its third in Global City, gives the company a better opportunity to serve more customers in the booming mixed-use development area.

“BGC is a huge market for both commercial and residential. The opening of a third branch will give us better opportunity to serve the untapped market of the area,” Trota said.

The latest branch, which opened on April 21, is located at Units 116 and 117 of the Bonifacio Stop Over along 31st Street corner Rizal Drive 2nd Avenue.

“With the latest BGC branch, Max’s continues to expand and serve its all-time favorite recipes to more Filipino casual diners,” Trota said.

The restaurant, a dine-in and take out branch, will have a capacity of 82 seats.

Aside from the newest branch, the Max’s Group is also set to open three more restaurant outletswithin the month as part of its aggressive expansion program.

Upcoming branches in the pipeline are the Kapitolyo Branch, targeted for opening on May 20; the Hampton Branch, targeted for opening on May 30; the Cauayan, Isabela Branch, targeted for opening on May 30 as well and the Max’s Santiago Branch, targeted for opening on June 1.

In all, the Max’s Group is targeting to open 80 to 90 new stores this year across itsinternational and local brands.

Max’s Group merged with Pancake House, Inc. in 2014 to create the country's largest restaurant group.

The combined entity now has more than 10 household brands in the food business. These include Max's Restaurant, Max's Corner Bakery, Krispy Kreme, Jamba Juice, Pancake House, Yellow Cab, Le Coeur De France, Dencio's, Teriyaki Boy, Singkit, Kabisera, and Maple.

From January to April, the Company opened 10 outlets (7 local and 3 overseas) and discontinued 7 underperforming stores. As of April, the Max’s Group has a total of 543 branches.

Despite the closures, its store net total increased along revenues as the group reported pro-forma revenues of P9.55 billion in 2014 with a core net income of P154.1 million. 

Cebuana Lhuillier teams up with Youth Focus: Conducts sports clinics for Smokey Mountain kids

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Cebuana Lhuillier, in partnership with Young Focus For Education and Development Foundation, recently held a three-day sports clinic for young adults from the Smokey Mountain site at the Redemption Ranch in Lipa, Batangas.

The activity aimed to promote a healthy lifestyle through sports and healthy nutrition, and expose the participants to sports they are not familiar with.

"We are happy to work with Young Focus in conducting this activity for the children of Smokey Mountain. I am a firm believer of the benefits of sports, that is why I have been supporting different sports in the country through Cebuana Lhuillier Sports. I am interested in discovering diamonds in the rough, young athletes with a lot of potential, who can eventually bring glory to the Philippines," said Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier.

“The same principle applies here: giving these children the opportunity to experience the discipline of sports would enable them to find their potential, and, hopefully, it will bring out their potential for sports and help them develop not just their skills but themselves in general,” Lhuillier added.

Members from the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems and the Blu Girls, the national women's softball team, led 215 high school and college students to basic basketball and softball exercises and drills.

A coach from the Blu Girls, the national women's softball team, leads the warm-up sessions with participants of the three-day sports clinic organized by Cebuana Lhuillier and Youth Asia Foundation for young adults from the Smokey Mountain area, held in Lipa, Batangas.

This activity is just one of the many sports development initiatives by Cebuana Lhuillier. Through Cebuana Lhuillier Sports, the company supports grassroots development in softball, tennis, and basketball through various clinics and support to tournaments, such as inter-secondary softball tournaments and national age-group tennis circuits.

The participants also joined clinics for badminton, volleyball, and arnis, among other sports.

"I was truly grateful seeing the students from the Smokey Mountain area enjoying sports so much. I am grateful for the teams from Cebuana Lhuiller for their participation as they gave the clinics: they were enjoying it as much as our kids! It was a privilege having them with us," said Young Focus Managing Director Paul van Wijgerden.

Moala Tautuaa of the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems watches a young participant lay up the ball during three-day sports clinic organized by Cebuana Lhuillier and Youth Asia Foundation for young adults from the Smokey Mountain area, held in Lipa, Batangas.

Young participants line up to start some warm up drills to start the badminton clinic during three-day sports clinic organized by Cebuana Lhuillier and Youth Asia Foundation for young adults from the Smokey Mountain area, held in Lipa, Batangas.

Visa-Free Countries to Visit for Filipinos

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Philippine passport holders don’t need a visa to enter these countries around the world, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. 

It's more fun in the Philippines, that's true. But Filipinos always love to visit foreign countries - to visit their family, relatives, and friends, business matters, and travel to see famous or unique places, to explore the world.

Even with your own passport, it can be a hindrance to your travel processes - application for a visa via their respective embassies, very expensive and long and tiring process and there is no assurance of getting granted a visa.

Filipino travelers do not need a visa to visit at least 25 countries.

Here is the list of countries that don’t require visas:

Visa-free (no limits)

• Colombia - Visa-free

• Morocco - Visa-free

• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Visa-free

• Suriname - Visa-free

Visa-free (limited number of days)

• Bolivia – Visa-free for 60 days

• Brunei - Visa-free for 14 days

• Cambodia - Visa-free for 21 days

• Costa Rica - Visa-free for 30 days

• Ecuador - Visa-free for 90 days

• Hong Kong - Visa-free for 14 days

• Indonesia - Visa-free for 30 days

• Laos - Visa-free for 30 days

• Malaysia - Visa-free for 30 days

• Peru - Visa-free for 60 days

• Singapore - Visa-free for 30 days

• Thailand - Visa-free for 30 days

• Vietnam - Visa-free for 21 days

Visa-free (limited number of days plus special conditions)

• Brazil - Visa-free for 90 days (for holders of diplomatic, official, and service passports, visa-free for a. duration of tour of duty or b. 180 days for official business or tourism)

• India - Visa upon arrival valid for 30 days (limited only to New Delhi and Mumbai airports)

• Israel - Visa-free for tourists (number of days of stay will depend on Immigration); visa-free for holders of diplomatic and official passports; visa is required for business)

• Mozambique - Visa upon arrival valid for 30 days

• Palau - Visa-free for 30 days, visa upon arrival (provided that the Filipino national has a return/onward plane ticket)

• Sri Lanka - Visa-free for 30 days, visa upon arrival (provided that the Filipino national has a return/onward plane ticket)

• Tuvalu - Visa-free for 30 days, visa upon arrival (provided that the Filipino national has a return /onward plane ticket)

• Vanuatu - Visa-free for 30 days, visa upon arrival (provided that the Filipino national has a return / onward plane ticket)

• Zambia - Visa upon arrival; 3 months for tourism, 1 month for business

@Department of Foreign Affairs/GMA7News