Megastar Sharon Cuneta to star in first Kapamilya teleserye, joins "FPJ's Ang Probinsyano"

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The one and only Megastar Sharon Cuneta’s highly anticipated debut in a Kapamilya teleserye is finally happening as she joins the star-studded cast of “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” the country’s’ longest-running action-drama series that recently marked its historic sixth anniversary.

To formally welcome the Megastar into the show, ABS-CBN rolled out the red carpet for her on Tuesday (November 9) with ABS-CBN COO of broadcast Cory Vidanes, TV production head Laurenti Dyogi, Dreamscape Entertainment head Deo Endrinal, and “FPJAP” star, director, and creative director Coco Martin in attendance.

It was followed by a story conference where Sharon discussed her upcoming role with Coco and directors Albert Langitan, Kevin de Vela, John Prats, and Malu Sevilla.

News about the Megastar’s addition to the cast has been one of the most talked about and most anticipated by Kapamilya fans especially since the show has featured hundreds of stars in the last six years.

It is also one of the biggest highlights in the show’s anniversary celebration as it continues to deliver top-quality entertainment and important values and lessons, such as love for family and community, to every Filipino home around the world.

What will the Megastar’s role be? Will she be Cardo’s (Coco) friend or foe?

“FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” continues to achieve milestones in its sixth year as it became the first Filipino teleserye to livestream on YouTube, where it repeatedly smashed its own live viewership record, peaking at 162,831 concurrent viewers. Through the years, “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” and its stars have also received over 100 awards from various award-giving bodies. The legendary show has also enjoyed success overseas as it seen in other countries via Netflix and The Filipino Channel and its TV broadcast in Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and 41 countries in Africa.

Watch out for Megastar Sharon Cuneta in “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, CineMo, Kapamilya Online Live on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel and Facebook page, iWantTFC, WeTV, and iflix. Viewers who use any digital TV box at home such as the TVplus box only need to rescan their device to be able to watch “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” on TV5 and A2Z. For viewers outside of the Philippines, catch it on The Filipino Channel on cable and IPTV.

For updates, follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok

“Mpowered” Maymay to stage first digital concert on November 26

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With special guests AC, Darren, Mimiyuuuh, and Nyoy

Fresh from the success of her “Amakabogera” single and music video now with almost 1 million views on YouTube, Maymay Entrata returns to the concert stage more confident than ever in “Mpowered,” a digital spectacle streaming on November 26 (Friday) via KTX.ph, iWantTFC, and TFC IPTV.

Happening in celebration of her fifth year in the entertainment industry, Maymay’s first-ever solo virtual concert will showcase her growth as a versatile singer-performer who is now fully embracing her uniqueness with renewed boldness.

The Kapamilya artist shared that she is thrilled for the surprises they have been preparing for the concert, which include never-before-seen production numbers and challenging dance routines. “Maipagmamalaki ko po na labis ang paghahanda namin dito at marami kaming pasabog na ngayon ko lang gagawin,” she said.

Joining Maymay on “Mpowered” are her fellow young artists Darren Espanto and AC Bonifacio, her good friend and social media sensation Mimiyuuuh, and the ‘King of Philippine Acoustic Pop’ Nyoy Volante.

The digital offering produced by ABS-CBN Events follows the success of Maymay’s self-empowering singles “’Di Kawalan” and “Amakabogera,” which will both be part of her upcoming album under ABS-CBN’s Star Pop.

Regular tickets which give viewers access to the main concert are priced at P299. Meanwhile, VIP and SVIP tickets can be purchased at P899 and P1399 respectively, which comes with a special Zoom after party admission with Maymay and hosts DJ Jhai Ho and Edward Barber.

Be “Mpowered” with Maymay and watch her digital concert, streaming worldwide on November 26 (Friday) at 8:30 PM (PHT), with a rerun the next day (November 27) at 10 AM (PHT) via KTX.ph, iWantTFC, and TFC IPTV.

Shopee excites shoppers and uplifts businesses with new record of over 2 billion items sold across 11.11 Big Christmas Sale

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Local sellers saw a massive boost, with orders surging 18 times for those

taking part in the sale for the first time

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, sets two new records at the year’s largest shopping festival, 11.11 Big Christmas Sale. With a huge array of irresistible deals, shoppers across the region bought over 2 billion items across the festival period, smashing its previous record in 2020. Excitement peaked on November 11, with visits spiking 5.5 times in the first two hours compared to an average day.

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “It brings us great joy to see the impact of our 11.11 Big Christmas Sale on shoppers, businesses, and our local communities. The digital economy continues to present many opportunities for growth, and we want to enable more people to benefit from this growth by increasing e-commerce adoption and helping more consumers and businesses go online. At the same time, we are humbled that we can use our platform to give back to the wider community and support those in need. We look forward to creating more impact for our users in the months ahead.”

Helping more shoppers access, benefit from the digital economy

11.11 Big Christmas Sale encouraged more people to access and enjoy the benefits of online shopping, particularly those outside major cities where digital awareness has been relatively lower. This resulted in an 5-time increase^[1] in the number of shoppers from rural and smaller towns, who were able to enjoy the convenience of accessing a wider variety of products on Shopee.

Beyond convenience, the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale also brought shoppers and businesses closer together. More than 3.5 billion messages were sent on the in-app Shopee Chat on November 11, as shoppers were able to interact live with sellers and get more information prior to making their purchases.

As a secure and seamless mobile wallet, ShopeePay continued to accelerate adoption of digital payments at the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale. Across the region, more shoppers used ShopeePay to pay for their Shopee orders seamlessly, especially outside big cities where ShopeePay transactions grew 9 times from an average day.

Creating a record boost for businesses of all sizes

For businesses in the region, the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale was a springboard for growth and recovery. Local sellers benefited from the spike in shopping activity, as those joining 11.11 for the first time saw their orders surge 18 times compared to an average day.

Additionally, Shopee Mall continued to attract many shoppers who were drawn to the attractive discounts and exclusive deals from their favorite brands.

11.11 Big Christmas Sale highlights in the Philippines

●       More shoppers from outside the metro: South Luzon saw the most orders in the whole country, followed by Metro Manila.

●      Shoppers buy everything on Shopee: Filipinos were eagerly anticipating the unbeatable deals at the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale to meet all their needs, from branded items to daily household essentials. A user in Quezon City spent over ₱466,000 in a single order, buying motorcycle parts, electric tools, game consoles, smartphones, and tablets.

○       Shopee remains the preferred one-stop shop for home decor, essentials, and more: Shopee continues to provide a wide assortment of products at the best prices. At the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale, more Filipinos bought Home & Living, Health & Personal Care, and Women's Apparel products. Filipinos have consistently prioritized health essentials and home decor during Shopee’s past sales, and the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale was no different as shoppers stocked up on face masks with over 3 million items sold, and took the time to spruce up their home for the holidays with over 800,000 wallpapers sold.

○       Shoppers take advantage of deals from their favorite brands on Shopee Mall: Filipino favorites such as Uni-Care, Unilever Beauty, Xiaomi, NIVEA, and INSPI received the most orders from shoppers during the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale. 

●       Shoppers found endless fun and joy throughout 11.11 Big Christmas Sale: Live streaming continued to be a core part of the online shopping experience. 5 million hours of live streams were watched on Shopee Live, as users connected with sellers and caught NCT 127 and other top stars live on Shopee. Over 270 million plays were recorded on Shopee Prizes in the Philippines, as users enjoyed more fun and rewards at 11.11.

●       ShopeePay brings more rewards to users, serves more payment needs: This 11.11, more shoppers used ShopeePay for greater convenience, security, and value.

○       Seamless payments both online and offline with ‘Deals near Me’: Through ‘Deals near Me,’ Shopee’s location-based feature, shoppers discovered the best deals offered by merchants nearby and showed their support with over 1.2 million offline payment vouchers claimed.

○       Meeting all payment needs with ShopeePay: ShopeePay has also become more deeply integrated with users’ lifestyles by serving multiple payment needs, including bills and tax payments. During 11.11,  almost 100,000 users used ShopeePay to make their utility bill payments, benefitting from rewards in the form of cashbacks.

Shop from the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale: https://shopee.ph/m/christmas-sale

Download Shopee for free on the App Store or Google Play Store.

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^[1] Compared to an average day

Former PRSP Academic Scholar in PLM leads student programs of PRSP and IABC and joins PRCA APAC’s Next Gen PR World Cup Jury and CIPR International Committee

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From an academic scholar of public relations to a thought leader in the communications field, award-winning communications practitioner and COMCO Southeast Asia’s Regional Integration & Chief Executive Director, Partner and Co-Founder Ferdinand L. Bondoy has been appointed to lead the industry’s student programs – the Students’ PR Congress (rebranded to Students’ PR Con) and Grand Prix (Hack Sprint edition) of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) and the Student Quill Awards of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines.

COMCO Southeast Asia’s Regional Integration and Chief Executive Director Ferdinand L. Bondoy together with some of the graduates of Camp COMCO Mentorship Program

Mr. Bondoy also served as one of the regional jurors of the ICCO (International Communications Consultancy Organization) Next Generation PR World Cup. The Southeast Asian leg of the competition for young PR practitioners was organized by the Public Relations and Communications Association Asia Pacific (PRCA APAC). He was also elected as a member of the United Kingdom based Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) International Communications Committee composed of PR leaders from across the world - Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.

Ferdinand Bondoy

Ferdinand Bondoy has also been elected to the IABC Philippines’ Board of Trustees for 2021 to 2023. He was named as Corporate Secretary and Chair of Digital Communications and Public Relations Committee. He is also serving as the Co-Chair of the Philippine Student Quill Awards and is spearheading a special project for youth and students. Those who want to participate in the Philippine Student Quill Awards can submit their entries at www.philquill.com.

Earlier in 2021, Mr. Bondoy was elected to this year’s Board of Trustees of PRSP. He is also appointed as Chair of the Students’ PR Congress (rebranded to Students’ PR Con) and Grand Prix (Hack Sprint edition) and under his term, he will be introducing and leading the 1st virtual, interactive and nationwide edition of the said student activities. The PRSP Students’ PR Con is happening this November 20, 2021 and interested parties can register at www.prspstudentsprcon.com/register.

Ferdinand started young in the communications field having been an academic scholar of PRSP in Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila) where he graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Bachelor of Mass Communication. In his young professional years, he has been assimilated to IABC Philippines as he led projects for the Digital Communications Committee of the Philippine Quill and Student Quill Awards and eventually serving as an evaluator of the prestigious award-giving body.

“Spearheading the Students’ PR Con and Grand Prix Hack Sprint edition of PRSP and the Student Quill Awards of IABC Philippines is close to my heart as my career and craft started through the industry’s student programs. It is an honor and an opportunity for me to give back to the industry by preparing the next generation of communications and public relations professionals and leaders, just like how I was honed in the field. It has come full circle and I think this is the reason why I was given this position, to complete the narrative that the seed sowed yesterday are the fruits harvested today,” said Mr. Bondoy.

“It is also an honor and a responsibility to represent the country and work for the industry in a global scale through the landmark projects and programs organized by PRCA and CIPR. And we will continue to contribute, be heard and be part of this global community of PR experts and leaders to further grow the discipline across the globe and impact social change.”

In the same spirit of paying it forward, Mr. Bondoy together with COMCO Southeast Asia’s pool of experts, built the Camp COMCO Mentorship Program, an intensive and comprehensive talent incubation initiative, industry linkage course and apprenticeship program designed to transform communication, marketing and multimedia arts students and fresh graduates into revolutionary practitioners of the industry. Now on its 16th Cycle, Camp COMCO has been recognized for producing high-caliber young communications practitioners since 2016. He is also fondly called as “Coach” by those whom he took under his wing and mentored extensively in the practice.

In 2016, Mr. Bondoy co-founded COMCO Southeast Asia, a global award-winning integrated communications agency headquartered in the Philippines with affiliate network presence in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, which champions the practice of the emerging global disciplines of New PR and Smart Social. In just 5 years, the trailblazing communications agency has done groundbreaking work for more than 70 local, regional and international brands including reputable development and humanitarian organizations. Under his leadership, COMCO SEA has been awarded twice as Agency of the Year 2nd Runner-up at the IABC Quill Awards, Best PR Agency - Silver Award at the ASEAN PR Excellence Awards and Finalist for Boutique PR Consultancy of the Year in Asia at Campaign Asia Pacific’s PR Awards Asia, and 85 metals from various local and international award-giving bodies.

COMCO Southeast Asia culminated its Blazing Sapphire 5th anniversary celebration with the launch of COMCO Middle East & Africa and the unveiling of its 10-year growth masterplan which includes the formation of COMCO AOX League of Enterprises, the umbrella organization for the Agency’s existing and upcoming ventures, initiatives and advocacies.

To know more about ComCo Southeast Asia, visit www.comcosea.com. Follow them on social media: facebook.com/comco.southeastasia on Facebook, linkedin.com/company/comco-hq and @comco_sea on both Instagram and Twitter.

Araneta City brings the magic of Christmas to life with Giant Christmas Tree Lighting

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The City of Firsts’ Holiday tradition has been alive for 4 decades now

The City of Firsts has officially signaled the beginning of its holiday celebration with the lighting of its iconic Giant Christmas Tree on November 11.

Decked with dazzling lights, colorful ornaments, and glittering tinsels, the Giant Christmas Tree situated at the Times Square Food Park in Araneta City was lit up in a grand celebration attended by local government officials, senior company executives, celebrities, and patrons with the theme ‘Believe in the Magic of Christmas’.

“We made sure to light up our Giant Christmas Tree in time for 11.11, which tradition says is a special date when anything you wish for can come true. It’s also our way of welcoming the return of our guests to the City of Firsts now that quarantine restrictions are starting to loosen up a bit. Even though we’re now welcoming guests of all ages, we’re still making it a point that all of our customers are safe through the health and safety measures that we’ve put in place,” Marjorie Go, AVP for Marketing of Araneta Group, said.

This year’s event highlights a mix of virtual and online celebrity performances and performances, with strict health and safety measures implemented onsite. A pre-show was also held virtually hosted by DJ Onse, and several lucky viewers got to take home some exciting prizes from the virtual games.

This year’s Giant Christmas Tree Lighting event was graced by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and prominent stars like Piolo Pascual, Maymay Entrata, AC Bonifacio, and Reiven Umali (Tawag ng Tanghalan 5 Champion). Also present were Ms. Intercontinental 2021 Cinderella Obeñita, Bb. Pilipinas International 2021 Hannah Arnold, Bb. Pilipinas Grand International 2021 Samantha Panlilio, Bb. Pilipinas 2021 First Runner-up Gabrielle Basiano, Bb. Pilipinas 2021 Second Runner-up Meiji Cruz, and Binibining Araneta City 2021 Francesca Taruc.

The lighting of Araneta City’s Giant Christmas Tree has been a fixture of every Filipino Christmas celebration for the past four decades. And as this year’s event carves a year-long milestone in the country, the Araneta Group made sure to celebrate the Giant Christmas Tree spectacle in a big way!

As part of this year’s Christmas celebration, the Araneta Group organized the ‘40 Treats for 40’ program, wherein 40 individuals received special gifts from the company. These individuals are essential workers who worked tirelessly even at the height of the pandemic.

“Despite everything that is happening around us now, we still want all people to Believe in the Magic of Christmas. We in the Araneta Group would like to share this wonderful time with some very special people. We have chosen 40 hardworking essential workers in our community who have shown dedication to their service ever since the pandemic began," Lorna Fabian, Vice President for Leasing of Araneta City, said.

Mrs. Judy Araneta-Roxas, Vice President of the Araneta Group, also extended an early Christmas greeting to everyone who attended the event and watched it unfold online. "Christmas is a magical time. It gives us restored joy and a reason to celebrate even in these trying times. Today, as we light our Giant Christmas tree, we wish everyone to experience the special magic of the holidays.”

A grand fireworks display concluded the event, and signaled the opening of the iconic Giant Christmas tree to the public.