How the Deaf and Blind Appreciate Movies Like Frozen

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Mr. Edgardo Bong Garcia, President of Deaf-Blind Support Philippines, with his family

Disney’s animated fantasy musical got us all singing “Let It Go”, out loud or in our heads, for days on end. Some of us may have probably seen the movie where it came from, “Frozen”, a thousand times. This record-breaking film is a must-see, not just for its magical visuals but also for the inspiring songs and music within the story. It would be a shame for anyone not to see it – including the visual and hearing impaired among us.

Fortunately, some of the students and faculty of the Philippine School for the Deaf and the Philippine School for the Blind got to enjoy the movie musical in all its glory. “Frozen” was one of three movies that SM is featuring on the second leg of its Movies for the Deaf and Blind program under its CSR arm, SM Cares. The Angelina Jolie-starrer “Maleficent” and the fantasy action film “Pan” are the other two films that the deaf and blind audiences can now enjoy in 20 SM cinemas nationwide.

In this kind of special movie, audio-description and closed captioning features are used. The audio-description involves a narrator who describes every key visual element in the movie that the blind is not able to see: the action, scene changes, the actors’ gestures, facial expressions, costumes, and even on-screen text. The narration is inserted in between pauses or in gaps within dialogues whenever possible so that the blind audience can follow and understand the unfolding story.

Closed captioning, on the other hand, is a higher level of “subtitles” as we know it. It transcribes the dialogue between the characters in the film and flashed directly below the scene. What makes it work better for the deaf audience is the fact that even the sound effects, ambient noise, and other sound that are important in the scenes are included in the caption.

“Frozen” being an animated film and a musical, one would think that it would be a stretch for either the deaf or the blind to fully appreciate it. But Mrs. Ligaya Coral, a 30-year teacher at the Philippine School for the Deaf proudly claims that the deaf students and their families actually loved the movie experience, adding that they can even perform the songs themselves through sign language.

“We are thankful that there are movies like these now. The kids can appreciate the movie without needing an interpreter for them to know what’s happening in the story,” Mrs. Coral said.

Ms. Liza Lyn Lopez, a blind teacher, especially loved “Love Is An Open Door”, a duet between Anna and Prince Hans. “This kind of project means a lot because we, the disabled, rarely get exposed to something like this,” she said, referring to the movie experience. 

Right now, a law had already been passed for using closed captioning in local productions. The MTRCB hopes to follow this up with audio-description soon. With partnerships between the private and public sector like SM, Deaf Blind Support Philippines, CALL Foundation of the Blind, and MTRCB, it would be possible to expect vernacular versions of audio-descriptive and close captioned movies as well.

Join the "Be a Wall" campaign : Vaccination drive against dengue #WallAgainstDengue

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The “Be a Wall” campaign  and Vaccination drive against dengue, launch by Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine division of multinational pharmaceutical company and industry leader, Sanofi. 

Dengue remains to be one of the fastest-growing mosquito-borne diseases in the world.

The “Be a Wall” campaign to mobilize the citizenry in a nation-wide campaign against the spread of dengue was launched  aims to build awareness among Filipinos parents and inform them how they can better protect themselves and their loved ones against the fastest-growing mosquito borne disease. 

It also aims to educate them about the multi-pronged ways to prevent dengue infection – vector-control, disease information and vaccination.

The Be a Wall campaign engage Filipinos by inviting them to connect, share their experience, ask questions, and join a community that’s building the nation’s resistance against dengue. 

It aims to remind them of their role to step up the fight against the disease and to get involved by taking an active part in health matters that affect them and their families. 

Dengvaxia is the world’s first dengue vaccine. It provides protection against all four virus serotypes. It has been approved for people belonging to the age group 9-45 years.

Celebrities, doctors and medical people, media and bloggers and advocates were at the "Be a Wall" campaign launch held at the Novotel Hotel, Araneta, Cubao Quezon City on October 25, 2016. 

Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, Christine Bersola-Babao, Paolo Abrera, Mommy Mel and her daughter Rika with Dr. Rubi Dizon who is the Medical Director of Sanofi and Dr. Lulu Bravo President of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, stand out to to build a wall against Dengue.

Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, Multi-awarded Actress, Columnist, Award-winning Author and Triathlete, share her experience on dengue as she had twice. The first was when she was six years old and the second time when she was already married.

“As responsible Filipino moms, let our voices be heard to raise awareness on dengue and let’s spread the good news that it is now a vaccine preventable disease. Each of us can now be a wall against dengue,” Maricel said.

Paolo Abrera, sports and public affairs host, share his own story as when he got the virus, he was down and out for a number of days and this surprised him as it hit him at the peak of his health when he was so active in sports.

“It’s great news that there is a dengue vaccine now available in the market. As a public affairs anchor, I’m on top of the news everyday and it’s very alarming to note the rising dengue cases from different regions of our country. It’s definitely a relief for Filipino parents out there especially a father like me to be able to visit our doctors today and have our kids vaccinated,” Paulo said.

Christine Bersola-Babao, Celebrity mom,  shared she had dengue three times! She also expresses her support for the dengue vaccine.

“I am a mother of two and I want my kids (family) to be safe from life-threatening diseases like dengue. Aside from the vector control measures that we have been doing, we really need a new tool that will help us in fighting the epidemic and vaccination is the answer. I encourage other Filipino moms to ask their doctors about dengue vaccination today,” she shared.

The Philippines ranks among the top-three countries affected by Dengue.

Cebu City, for example, has just declared a state of calamity with over 5,821 dengue cases recorded as of October 2016. Other areas considered as the most infected hotspots include Metro Manila or NCR, Region IV-A or CALABARZON, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, Central Luzon, and Western Visayas.

Join “Be a Wall” campaign for the health of our families and love ones and all. Get vaccinated too.  Visit your doctor to know what you can do so we can all be a #WallAgainstDengue.

The Music RunTM by Philam Vitality brings the party back to Manila

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ASIA'S MOST EXCITING RUN IS ABOUT TO GET EVEN LOUDER THIS YEAR

The ultimate 5k running and music festival drew nearly ten thousand runners when it first made waves in the Philippines last year. 

This year, The Music RunTM by Philam Vitality returns to amp up an equally large—or even larger—crowd with everyone’s favorite hits playing on 120 concert-quality speakers across McKinley West in Taguig City.

In partnership with music streaming service Spotify, The Music RunTM by Philam Vitality will rock Manila on December 3. Last call for registration is on November 25.

Philam Life has been at the forefront of leading innovations in the life insurance industry to change the general perception about insurance. Insurance is about living life to the fullest without worry and being healthy to pursue one’s passion and achieve one’s goals.

“This is the second time that Philam Life is partnering with The Music RunTM. We want to send a strong message that being healthy can also be fun and engaging,” Deputy Head of Philam Vitality Kats Cajucom said.

“One of our company’s main thrusts is healthy living through our Philam Vitality program, which is the first of its kind in the Philippines. It is a full-scale wellness program where members get rewarded for making healthy choices. Through Philam Vitality, we are taking active steps to positively transform the lives of Filipinos by helping them live longer, healthier, and better lives,” Cajucom added.

“While most fun runs originate from the US, The Music RunTM started in Asia and expanded throughout the region before crossing over to Europe and the US in the last two years,” said Martin Capstick, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Exceed Sports and Entertainment who is organizing the run.

“The reason for its massive success is its winning formula that combines music with the ever- growing fitness craze into the ultimate running and music festival that also puts control of the run’s soundtrack in the hands of our Music RunnersTM,” he added.

The five-kilometer run will include five music-themed zones playing rock, pop, old school, hip hop, and dance. Using the live Spotify Music Voting App on www.themusicrun.com.ph, participants can vote up to five songs per playlist every day to build the official soundtrack for each zone.

The ultimate after-run music festival includes world class DJs, live bands, dancers, laser lights, LED screens, fireworks, chill out zones, giveaways - and plenty more!

Rock Star, Pop Star or Dance Floor Demon, register now and come LIVE THE BEAT!

The event will kick off with a pre-run performance by up and coming local alternative band Sud, while the after-run music festival will feature Australian radio house DJ Sam Withers.

Music RunnersTM can select from two event packs—the Standard Pack for P850 and the Rock Star Pack for P1,400. The Standard Pack comes with a T-shirt, bag, beat band, sticker, and temporary tattoo. Those who would like to party with the Rock Star Pack will also receive a towel, water bottle, and cap.

Late registration for The Music RunTM by Philam Vitality starts on November 1. Standard and Rock Star Packs for late registrants are priced at P950 and P1,600 respectively. Children less than five years old can join the run for free.

For last call registrations starting on November 21, the Standard and Rock Star Packs will cost P1,050 and P1,800 respectively.

Registrants can collect their event packs at Glorietta 5 in Makati from November 26 to 28.

The Music RunTM first took place in Kuala Lumpur in 2014. Since then, it has drawn more than 100,000 runners across 12 events and nine countries.

For more information on The Music RunTM by Philam Vitality, please visit the official website, Facebook page, or YouTube Channel.

Register your interest now for the #SmartiPhone7!

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SMART offers the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the best, most advanced iPhone ever, on Friday, November 11, 2016. The new iPhone 7 features new advanced camera systems, the best battery life on an iPhone, and they are now water and dust resistant. 

You can register your interest for the #SmartiPhone7 and #SmartiPhone7Plus beginning this Friday, October 28, 2016 at http://smart.com.ph/iPhone7. 

Radha, Frenchie and Bituin sing about their journeys in “The Big Big Show” !

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Finally! Radha, Frenchie and Bituin in one show: Three talented musical talents sing about their journeys as women in “The Big Big Show” on December 3, 8 PM at The Theatre at Solaire.

Reward yourselves with an early Yuletide gift. a good twenty-two days before Christmas. Reserve a seat or two for “The Big Big Show” -  a guaranteed fun --- no, make that stunning --- show that celebrates three women with big voices, big talents, and big hearts. 

You might think that it’s already been done but “The Big Big Show” marks the first time that three powerhouse songstresses Radha, Frenchie Dy, and Bituin Escalante are joining forces for one unforgettable night of music, stories, reminiscences and lessons all presented through lovely, impactful songs. 

Frenchie says that the three of them have appeared in corporate shows and musical variety shows and individually have performed as front act for other artists but they have never shared the concert stage together with them as the main headliners. 

“We have rapport and chemistry. Totoo ‘yung closeness namin. Sa stage, hindi kami magsasapawan kundi magbibigayan,” she adds.

“We all love music,” gushes Radha. “We all love performing.” Now that the three versatile singers are together in one meticulously conceptualized show, expect magic, excitement, fireworks, and even sexiness.

All three --- Radha, Frenchie, and Bituin ---- have proven their musical chops in previous shows, forming a sort of sisterhood with their similarities. 

“Kaming tatlo,” explains Bituin, “we are all storytellers. We are seasoned. Pinanday ng buhay at mga karanasan.”

When “The Big Big Show” comes to town on December 3, be sure not to miss a show unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Watch Radha, Frenchie Dy and Bituin Escalante as they lead us to uncharted musical territories, singing songs both unfamiliar and familiar, a joy to hear once again and a delight to discover for the first time. 

Three women. Three storytellers. Three musical marvels. Three best examples of the powerful feminine. Three Pinays that make all of us filled with yabang Pinoy in a wonderful way.

“The Big Big Show” is produce by Fullhouse Asia Production Studios with Musical Director  Mell Villena.

Tickets for “The Big Big Show” are available at Ticketworld. 

Call 891.9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph