Higher Level Kids, Grand Champion at DreamPlay's “King Julien Dance Off” at City of Dreams Manila

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Higher Level Kids, an all-boys group from Cavite, bested the other seven finalists and bagged the championship trophy of DreamPlay's “King Julien Dance Off” at Chaos Manila, City of Dreams Manila on August 27, 2017.

Higher Level Kids

DreamPlay, City of Dreams Manila’s Dreamworks-inspired interactive play space, staged its second nationwide children’s dance competition dubbed as “King Julien Dance Off” to celebrate its second year anniversary and mark its one million visitors to date.

Ace of Spades, a mix group of boys and girls from Angono, Rizal were awarded as 1st runner up. The other six finalists that made it to the grand finals were: Southernside Dance Theater, Super Kids, Small Fries, The Class, GFAM, and Mover’s Impact. They were judged according to creativity, style and originality of choreography; themed-costume based on Dreamworks movie song choice, stage presence and over-all impact or star quality.

Participated in various dance competitions in the country and abroad, the Higher Level Kids dance group stood out when they sent shockwaves of delight and excitement as they performed amazing dance moves and stunts executed with seamless choreography to the remixed Dreamworks movie soundtrack of Madagascar’s “I Like to Move It,” Kung Fu Panda’s “Kung Fu Fighting,” Shrek’s “I’m a Believer” and Troll’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling”.

The children’s dance crew’s dynamic and talented members are also known for their memorable performances in Dance Kids, a dance competition and reality TV show aired on ABS-CBN 2 in 2015 and Super Kids – The World’s Greatest Little Talents TV show in Cologne, Germany in 2016.

The show opened with a dance number featuring DreamPlay’s Dreamers dance group and Madagascar movie’s character King Julien, the charismatic “Lord of the Lemurs” who can’t help but dance to the music and the inspiration behind the children’s dance contest. This was followed by a special dance number by last year’s winners and the first “King Julien’s Dance Off” champions - FMD Extreme.

They wowed the audience once again with their high-flying stunts and electrifying moves.

Higher Level Kids

The main highlight of the program is the performances of eight finalists who set the stage ablaze with their youthful energy and street dance moves ranging from popping, locking and breaking peppered with ballet movements and acrobatic stunts.

The Voice of the Philippines Season 2 finalist Bradley Holmes and Noon Time Show: It’s Showtime’s singing competition segment Tawag ng Tanghalan 2016 contender Nina Espinosa sang a rock duet to entertain the crowd.

The entire bunch of DreamWorks characters Shrek, Fiona, Alex the Lion, King Julien, and Puss in Boots also performed a special dance number. 

(From L-R)  Romina Gervacio, CoD Director of Public Relations; Gelai Aguzar, G-Force Senior Choreographer; Troy Montero and Aubrey Miles; and Marlon Hirsh, City of Dreams Manila General Manager for Non-Gaming Operations.

The judges included City of Dreams Manila General Manager for Non-Gaming Operations Marlon Hirsh, City of Dreams Manila Director of Public Relations Romina Gervacio, G-Force Senior Choreographer Gelai Aguzar, and celebrity couple Troy Montero and Aubrey Miles. 

As the competitions grand champions, Higher Level brought home P80,000 in cash, a DreamPlay trophy, an Annual Pass for unlimited DreamPlay access for each member, a photo op with DreamWorks characters, DreamShop voucher worth P1,000 and Chez Gingy voucher worth P1,000 for each member. The group will also be returning to perform in various DreamPlay and City of Dreams Manila events.

Ace of Spade’s first runner-up prize consisted of P25,000 in cash and a DreamPlay trophy. Every member likewise won a weekend pass at DreamPlay, a photo op with DreamWorks characters, DreamShop voucher worth P500 and Chez Gingy voucher worth P500.

Each of the other highly-talented grand finalists was given P10,000 in cash and a DreamPlay plaque. Each of their members also had a photo opportunity with the Dreamworks characters and brought home a complimentary DreamPlay ticket, DreamShop voucher worth P500 and Chez Gingy voucher worth P500.

To find out the upcoming activities at DreamPlay, interested parties can call 800 8080 or e-mail guestservices@cod-manila.com or visit www.cityofdreamsmanila.com.

Celebrate Football with OPPO F3 FC Barcelona Limited Edition Smartphone

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OPPO as Official Partner of one of the most popular football clubs-- FC Barcelona

Celebrating one of the most popular and loved football clubs in the world-- the FC Barcelona or Barca, OPPO, the top international smartphone brand created the OPPO F3 FC Barcelona Limited Edition Smartphone. 

O-Fans can get a rare opportunity to win one (1) out of the three (3) units in the Philippines through a Facebook fan page giveaway.

The OPPO F3 FC Barcelona Limited Edition smartphone carries special Barca Red color with unique gold accent. Making the limited edition smartphone more special is the official logo of the FC Barcelona made of real 18 carat gold with the print ‘FC Barcelona Official Partner’ underneath. 

Aside from the phone, the packaging is also made more special with a matte finish box and premium case with laser engraved signatures of today’s formidable football players.

Despite not being officially sold in the Philippines, OPPO Philippines gives Filipino fans the chance to win the OPPO F3 FC Barcelona Limited Edition Smartphone by simply visiting the OPPO Philippines Facebook page via http://bit.ly/OPPOFCB and follow the mechanics. A total of three limited edition smartphones will be given away this September 2017.

OPPO continues to push the boundaries beyond a smartphone brand and continues to touch customers through their passion points such as sports. In the Philippines, OPPO is part of the 2017 OPPO-PBA Governor’s Cup, the biggest and premiere basketball tournament in the country. Gilas Pilipinas, the country’s official men's national basketball team has also been supported by OPPO in their recent tournament in the South East Asian Games 2017.

Two More Filipino Acts Impress Judges on the X Factor UK : Boyband JBK, and Singer Elysa V. are Moving to the Next Round

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JBK, boyband from the Philippines, and Filipina-Australian singer Elysa V., took their shot at The X Factor UK and raised the Filipino spirit and flag yet again.

JBK performed Sam Smith’s Lay Me Down, a song well-loved by the judges. Their 24- hour flight paid off as they got 4 yeses from the judges in the 4th episode of the show today.

JBK

JBK members, Joshua Bulot, Bryan del Rosario, and Kim Lawrenz Ordonio, is the first Filipino boyband who made it to the show. Fans are hopeful that they make it far just like the Filipina girl group 4th Impact who joined the show two years ago.

After their performance, Judge Louis Walsh praised the group, “I love your dedication flying from the Philippines, it was good!”

Judge Nicole Scherzinger, who also has Filipino blood added, “You are making the Filipinos so proud right now”. This comment made the group really happy.

After Simon said “4 Yeses”, the boys could not contain their joy as they left the room running.

Another X Factor UK hopeful, Filipino-Australian, Elysa V., performed Fleur East’s Sax in full energy. Judge Nicole was so impressed that she flew all the way from Australia, and told her “For you, your mom, dad, everyone back home in Australia, it’s a Yes.”

Elysa V

Both acts are moving to the next level of the show joining fellow Filipino Gaga Lord, who also got 4 yeses from the judges last week.

The X Factor UK airs first and exclusive on RTL CBS Entertainment same day as the UK on Sundays and Mondays at 10:30am with primetime encores Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays at 9:00pm. 

RTL CBS Entertainment is available on SKYcable channels 53(SD) and 196(HD), SKYdirect channel 35, Destiny Cable channel 53, and Cablelink channels 37(SD) and 313(HD).

Gelli De Belen says versatility is one of the secrets to her longevity in showbiz, loving it at ABS-CBN

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Award winning actress and host Gelli de Belen, believes that versatility is one of the secrets to longevity.

Being in the entertainment business for 29 years, Gelli has built quite an impressive resume, thanks to her versatility as an actress.

Equally adept in both comedy and drama, Gelli takes pride in being able to dabble in both genres. However, she does not think it is necessary to be good in both when you can be a master of one. But to be able to do comedy and drama allow for more opportunities.

Gelli had her television debut in 1994 as a mainstay of the sketch comedy show Tropang Trumpo, which aired on ABC 5 (now known as TV5). 

The film Gagay: Prinsesa ng brownout has earned her a Best Actress Nomination in the Manila Film Festival. In 1995, Gelli won the Gawad Urian Award for Best Actress for her role of Sarah Jane Salazar in the movie The Secrets of Sarah Jane: Sana'y Mapatawad Mo, a film about the true-to-life story of AIDS victim Sarah Jane Salazar.

​​Her adaptability for any given role assigned to her has opened many doors over the years, one of which led her back to ABS-CBN in 2015. 

Her first hosting job on TV was for the defunct noontime show ‘Sang Linggo nAPO Sila. After it went off the air in 1998, Gelli switched networks twice. First she went to GMA Network and stayed there for several years before moving back to ABC 5 (which had become TV5 by then). But now that Gelli’s back with ABS-CBN, it’s clear that she’s thriving—personally and professionally.

​“I was excited to be working with ABS-CBN again after a long time. I felt a bit anxious too because I knew I’d have to adjust to a relatively new environment again. But I said yes to becoming a Kapamilya kaagad because I’m always willing to work and try new things. I felt a sense of nostalgia when I walked the halls of ABS-CBN again. I kind of grew up there. I started working there when I was fifteen years old until I was twenty-four, so of course I was very happy to be back. It felt great to see my old colleagues and friends again. It was fun to meet new faces as well.”

On working exclusively for major networks, Gelli explains the pros and cons:

  "I think there are pros and cons to being signed exclusively with any network for us old-timers (hehehe). The pros would be being secure that you have a job for the length of your contract, that you are relevant enough for them to invest on you and that raises your status as an actor, so to speak. Cons would be, not being able to work elsewhere, I guess options and opportunities are limited as well since unlike the younger actors, we the older ones would have more roles open to us since we usually do not play the lead as much, so more roles are available. Not having an exclusive contract would give us the freedom to choose more roles and work for any network. So for me, at this point where I think I have established myself already, I prefer not being exclusive to any network."

​​Since returning to ABS-CBN, Gelli has done two teleseryes—FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano and Magpahanggang Wakas, the latter of which saw her play against type.

​“It felt great to have been part of such exceptional shows. Especially when I did Magpahanggang Wakas. My role on that show was my first as a full-on antagonist, and I loved doing it. I have to admit that it was a big adjustment for me, but I welcomed the challenge and I hope I did justice to the character I was given.”

​Gelli’s latest project is the action-packed, top-rating teleserye La Luna Sangre, where she plays Betty Torralba, the doting aunt of Daniel Padilla’s character Tristan.

​“Daniel is a sweetheart. His Mom Karla Estrada brought him up well. He is a natural. I think he was born to be a star,” she says.

​Gelli is having the time of her life on La Luna Sangre and says she’s open to doing fight scenes should her character get caught up in the war brewing on the show between humans, werewolves and vampires.

“I hope for my character to continue to be the grounding factor to keep Tristan's fearlessness in check. I’m looking forward to seeing Betty evolve and grow as a character. Of course I’m open to doing fight scenes. It will be challenging but I do miss doing scenes like that. It has been a while since I did action. I’d like to see if I can still handle such scenes in the event I’m called upon to do them.”

Gelli shares that she’s also thinking about doing an independent film in the future. Right now, however, she’s still looking for the right script.

“Of course I’m open to doing films again. I did a short film and an advocacy film recently and I’m also willing to do indies. Right now I’m not sure what kind of film I want to do or who I want to do it with because there's an infinite amount of possible plots and stories, ‘di ba? But siguro as long as it’s interesting, I’ll do it gladly.”

Aside from acting, Gelli also loves hosting.

“Hosting is another passion of mine and I am grateful to have been able to learn a lot from my hosting stints. As a host, I can express myself as me and address the audience directly, as opposed to acting where I become someone else. Hosting is one of the things I love most about this business, so I’d love to find a way to do it again now that I’m a Kapamilya.”

For inquiries call or email info@asianartistsagency.com or call tel: (02) 405 4423 or (02) 855 4765. 

Shaping Living for the Better: Electrolux celebrates 15 years in the Philippines

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As a leading global appliance company, Electrolux shapes living for the better by reinventing taste, care and wellbeing experiences, making life more enjoyable and sustainable for millions of people. 

Last Sept. 6, at Shangri-La at the Fort, Electrolux Philippines held Pamana, 15 Years of Electrolux Heritage , a gala celebration of the anniversary and with the launch of the Electrolux FashionCare Campaign, unveiling the Electrolux FashionCare Ambassador, iconic Philippine fashion designer Rajo Laurel, and the FashionCare Council.

Electrolux is the brand to be trusted when it comes to fashion and caring for your clothes. The FashionCare Campaign launch introduced the latest Electrolux washing machines and dryers with amazing features designed to fit perfectly into the modern lifestyle.

Electrolux Philippines’ elegant evening gala Pamana (heritage) truly lived up to its name as the company celebrated 15 years of thoughtfully designed appliances in Filipino homes with the promise of shaping living for the better. 

Since 2002, its entry into the Philippine market,  Electrolux has been supporting Filipino families with innovative appliances that are both insightful and progressive, displaying true empathy for the challenges facing mothers and delivering ingenious solutions and delightful experiences for them and their family.

From the Electrolux man who would “knock on your door, ring on your bell, knock on your window too,” this inventive company with Swedish roots has come a long way. It now offers a complete range of appliances that includes washing machines and dryers, refrigerators and ovens, vacuum cleaners and air conditioners, with Electrolux enjoying market leadership in vacuum cleaners and strong positions in No Frost Refrigerators and Washing Machines. 

Electrolux is also proud of being able to achieve significant growth year on year, a sign that the company has truly come home. 

Pops Fernandez performed at the Electrolux 15th Pamana Heritage Anniversary 

When it comes to marketing, Electrolux has been equally innovative. The company has also won accolades for its best-in-class marketing campaigns such as the Discover-E kitchen campaign, which invited Filipinos to re-discover their appreciation of Filipino food, culture, and heritage, and the Clothes & Hugs Wash-a-Thon, an advocacy campaign and clothes donation drive to help typhoon victims. 

As it celebrates its 15th anniversary, Electrolux shared that its aim is to shape living for the better and improve the everyday lives of Filipinos. It means a renewed focus on what their products and solutions can help people achieve, to create experiences that will elevate everyday life and to be a driving force in sustainable living. 

In the coming years, Electrolux will continue to deliver solutions on three fronts – Taste, Care and Well-being. 

“We want families to be able to enjoy great tasting food. We want to help them care for their clothes, which will give them confidence to face the world, and we want to make their homes a healthier place for their loved ones,” said Nelson Cabanban, General Manager of Electrolux Philippines.  

“Electrolux is committed to creating appliances and experiences that make everyday life more enjoyable and more comfortable, while at the same time, encouraging more families to live sustainably,” he added. 

Electrolux has not only launched refrigerators that help keep food fresher for longer but also creating oven that cook evenly and hobs with precise temperature controls and high speed to enable home cooks to create delectable dishes.

There is also a growing consciousness among Filipinos on the importance of wellbeing and creating a cleaner, healthier living environment. Electrolux has key solution areas to help families get a better home environment through floor care, air care and water care.

When it comes to Care, it’s all about creating products that enable clothes to last longer and look their best and Electrolux’s latest campaign – FashionCare – introduces a whole new way of washing with Electrolux that is designed to fit perfectly into the lifestyle of the modern mom. 

“We aim to inspire the modern Filipina and show her that there are truly no limits to what she can achieve at home. And with clothes being one of the ways a woman can feel confident, the launch of the FashionCare Campaign is timely as it liberates women from the hassle of hand washing or the expense of dry cleaning when it comes to her delicate or fashionable pieces,” said Andrea Pionilla, Country Marketing Manager of Electrolux Philippines.

The FashionCare Campaign launch introduced the latest washing machines of Electrolux that come with innovations that prevent faded colors, shrinkage and misshaping. Electrolux also created the FashionCare Council, composed of FashionCare ambassador Rajo Laurel, and Council members Amina Aranaz-Alunan and Janice Villanueva, to educate consumers on how to care for their clothes. 

“Clothing matters because there’s a certain power to it. I’ve always believed that, as a designer, my gift is this particular power. With the power comes confidence. And with confidence you are able to conquer everything. It’s our modern day armor,” Laurel said. 

And armed with design solutions from Electrolux, Filipino women and families can certainly look forward to more years of healthier, more inspired and more enjoyable choices for their home. 

For more information and healthy living tips, please visit www.electrolux.com.ph and follow @ElectroluxPhilippines on Facebook and Instagram or @ElectroluxPH on Twitter.