Sing Galing’s Back-to-Back Grand Finals Mark Historic Firsts for TV5

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The Back-to-Back Grand Finales for TV5’s Original Videoke Kantawanan ng Bansa is right around the corner, with both editions occurring a week apart. As a fitting culmination for the successful run of the program, many ‘firsts’ and surprises are in store for all Ka-awitbahays.

Securing a partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (or NCCA), the back-to-back Saturdays of Ultimate Pa-Sing-Katan for the celebrity edition and Kantastic Finale for the regular edition, will be held at the NCCA-owned Manila Metropolitan Theater. This move marks Sing Galing as the first TV show in history to mount a back-to-back finale at the theater, which has just been reopened to the public after 25 years. This also signifies NCCA’s support and acknowledgment as Sing Galing commemorates the Pambansang Araw ng Videoke on March 12. Being the country’s national treasure and mecca of culture and performing arts, Sing Galing aptly and proudly celebrates this milestone in the historic venue.

Through its partnership with Facebook, Sing Galing will also become the first television show in the Philippines to utilize FB Messenger as the official voting platform of Sing Galing, to allow Ka-awitbahays to vote for the Ultimate BidaOke Sing-lebrity and Ultimate BidaOke Star, for free.

This broadcast innovation offers three ways of access:  Ka-awitbahays can either 

(1) Scan QR code (can be seen on-air or online) to be redirected to Sing Galing’s Facebook Messenger, 

(2) Type VOTE as comment in Sing Galing’s Facebook Page to be redirected to Sing Galing’s Facebook Messenger, or 

(3) Go to Messenger app and look for Sing Galing to message. 

Voting will be opened within the LIVE shows.

Sing Galing Sing-lebrity edition’s grand finalists "Ultimate Star Hunk" Aljur Abrenica, "Rakstar ng Teatro" Pepe Herrera, "Coverboy Crushie" Patrick Quiroz, "Pambansang Baby" Boobsie Wonderland, "Pambansang Adonis" Jerald Napoles, and "80s Cool Kid" Chuckie Dreyfus, have already entered the finale week where the winner will be declared this Saturday, while the official list of the 5 grand finalists or "Kantastic 5" for the regular edition who will duel it out at the Kantastic Finale, will be announced on March 3 and March 10.

Watch the Ultimate Pa-Sing-Katan and Kantastic Finale at 6:00PM on March 5 and 12 respectively, on TV5 and via livestream on Sing Galing Facebook and TV5 Facebook and Youtube.

Antique Rep. Loren Legarda leads Manila Bulletin-Tangere’s February senatorial survey

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Three-term Senator, Deputy Speaker, Antique Rep. Loren Legarda topped the latest Manila Bulletin-Tangere senatorial preference survey for the May 2022 elections.

Conducted from Feb. 25 to 27, 2022, with 2,400 respondents, the survey results showed Legarda with 51.92 percent of the voter preference.

Ranking 2nd and 3rd were former Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar (46.04 percent) and Broadcaster Raffy Tulfo (46 percent).

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (45.58 percent), Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero (41.71 percent), Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri (37.79 percent), and Senator Joel Villanueva (34.67 percent) ranked 4th to 7th.

Completing the top 12 were Senator Risa Hontiveros (30.13 percent), actor Robin Padilla (28.63 percent), Taguig-Pateros 1st District Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano (27.54 percent), former Senator Jinggoy Estrada (22.04 percent), and former Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque (20.83 percent).

The survey results showed former Vice President Jejomar Binay (20.79 percent) at 13th place.

At 14th to 16th places were former Senator JV Ejercito (20.29 percent), Senator Richard Gordon (18.83 percent), and former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista (18.08 percent).

The Manila Bulletin-Tangere survey was conducted among 2,400 mobile application users—552 in Northern and Central Luzon, 552 in Mindanao, 528 in Southern Luzon and Bicol, 480 in the Visayas, and 288 in the National Capital Region.

Embrace change and find joy in uncertainties in Jollibee Studios’ “My Crush is A Cactus Killer”

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It goes without saying that change is the only constant thing in life. There are times when it brings people to difficult situations they need to overcome, but there are also moments when it leads them to the answers of their greatest whys. Either way, adapting to change can be an uncomfortable process — but the beautiful, empowering love that we find in the midst of it all is what makes the experience worthwhile.

On February 28, the country’s most loved fast-food chain, Jollibee is back again with a trilogy that portrays a love that is worth persevering. My Crush is A Cactus Killer, produced by Jollibee Studios, is a three-part series that follows the story of two people who found a joyful connection that carried them through the toughest times in their lives.

Directed by acclaimed Filipino film director, Sigrid Bernardo, My Crush is A Cactus Killer features up-and-coming artists Gigi de Lana and Raphael Balaccua.

The two will give life to the characters of Mandy (Gigi) and Mikey (Raphael) both of whom share a love for plants--a plantita and a plantito--but that is not the only thing they have in common: both have faced setbacks in their professional and personal lives due to the pandemic. As they try to put the pieces of their lives back together and weather through an uncertain situation, will a shared love of plants make them discover that love can make change easier?

“It’s a universal experience to go through a change, especially in the pandemic, but even though we say 'everyone goes through it', it doesn’t take away the fact that pain and loss is a difficult feeling,” said Arline Adeva, AVP and Head of Brand Communications, PR and Digital Marketing at Jollibee. “What we want to communicate through this new Jollibee Studios series is that hope and true joy could be found if we remain open to all the possibilities that these changes can lead us to.”

Through Jollibee Studios’ exclusive branded content for entertainment, it has captured the hearts of many people with true people and their real-life encounters at the heart of its stories.

Last December, Jollibee Studios released its first mid-length film which has garnered millions of views on the platform. Truly it’s a fitting testament to the Filipinos’ deep affinity with the Jollibee brand and its storytelling.

With My Crush is A Cactus Killer, the brand aims to spread hope, inspiration, and joy to people amid changing times.

Watch the latest and first-ever mini-series exclusively available on the Jollibee Studios YouTube channel.

Join Mandy (Gigi de Lana) and Mikey (Raphael Balaccua) on a journey towards letting love grow in Jollibee Studios’ three-part series, My Crush is a Cactus Killer. The series launches on February 28 only on the Jollibee Studios YouTube channel.

The All-Around Ace POCO X4 Pro 5G Debuts at MWC 2022

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POCO X4 Pro 5G delivers an all-around flagship-level experience with a 120Hz AMOLED display, 108MP camera, and 67W turbocharging  

POCO M4 Pro entertainment powerhouse combines unbeatable affordability, quality, and performance

BARCELONA, SPAIN, February 28, 2022 – POCO, a popular technology brand among the world's young techies, announces the global launch of POCO X4 Pro 5G and POCO M4 Pro during MWC (Mobile World Congress) Barcelona 2022, the world's most influential exhibition for the mobile industry. 

With renewed focus and energy, MWC Barcelona 2022 will set the tone for the upcoming year with a comprehensive overview of the latest innovations. This is the company's first official showcase at MWC under its POCO brand.

POCO X4 Pro 5G is the brand's latest smartphone that packs a flagship-level experience, but at a value for young tech enthusiasts that demand a device that can handle heavy everyday use. With cutting-edge features such as a 120Hz AMOLED display, 108MP camera, Snapdragon® 5G processor, and 67W turbo charging, POCO X4 Pro 5G delivers all-around high-end performance for day-to-day use, gaming and budding professional photography alike. For those seeking an ultimate entertainment experience on the go, look no further than POCO M4 Pro, which packs a 90Hz AMOLED display combined with dual speakers, a 64MP high-resolution main camera, powered by a high-performance MediaTek Helio G96, and of course 33W Pro fast charging.

"This unveiling is a key milestone for our brand. At POCO, we strive to surpass customers' expectations and go above and beyond to provide the best experience at an affordable price," said Kevin Qiu, head of POCO Global. "With POCO X4 Pro 5G, we definitely set the industry standard for this segment, and with these prominent flagship-level features, we truly take the user experience to the next level. For consumers looking for a superior and fun entertainment experience at an unbeatable price, POCO M4 Pro is a highly competitive option."

POCO X4 Pro 5G: Ace your day-to-day use with an all-around flagship-level experience

POCO X4 Pro 5G's large 6.67" AMOLED DotDisplay screen not only catches the eye but also operates at a 120Hz refresh rate, offering smooth and immersive true-to-life visual experience. This is the first time that POCO employs AMOLED for X-series. That, on top of the 360Hz touch sampling rate, means the smartphone responds to every movement in no time. Every scroll, swipe, or drag on screen offers less lag. And every color is vibrant and larger-than-life, thanks to DCI-P3 wide color gamut. The AMOLED display featuring 2400 x 1080 FHD+ resolution can automatically adjust its brightness to match its surroundings. In addition, with a SGS Eye Care Certification to boot, POCO X4 Pro 5G's screen is softer on its users' eyes during long gaming sessions.

POCO X4 Pro 5G has a powerful 108MP sensor at the helm of its camera array. It measures in at a massive 1/1.52" making it one of the world's highest resolution sensors available, which is the first time used on POCO. Paired with the sensor's 9-in-1 binning technology, the sensor captures more light for improved clarity and brings out the most from every shot.

The device is also accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP micro camera on the rear, while a 16MP sensor sits on the front. Whether on the hunt for the best shots while on top of snow-capped mountains, in the heart of downtown, or in the mood for a spontaneous selfie, POCO X4 Pro 5G captures every scene precisely and clearly. It comes with a range of features such as a panoramic selfie option to make sure everyone stays in the shot, no matter how big the gathering. It also offers slow motion, dual-video, time-lapse video, super macro, movie filters and kaleidoscope to breathe life and a dash of excitement to any footage that'll be sure to be attention-grabbing.

Under the hood is a Snapdragon® 695 5G processor built on 6nm production technology, bringing flagship-level speed and efficiency. The octa-core CPU is headed up by two Arm Cortex-A78 performance cores that can reach speeds up to 2.2GHz. In addition to 8GB of RAM, POCO X4 Pro 5G offers an extra 3GB transformed from the 256GB of ROM thanks to Dynamic RAM Expansion Technology[1], making it ideal for lag-free mobile gaming and providing a smooth, 5G-ready user experience.

And with a whopping 5,000mAh battery, users can scroll, browse, and game all day and night with more than 15 hours video playback, 25 hours of reading, 191 hours of music playing back to back[2]. When the device finally is running low on juice, users can get back to the action in no time. Thanks to 67W turbocharging, POCO X4 Pro 5G can charge 70% in just 22 minutes — a mere coffee break — and can be fully charged in only 41 minutes[3]. In addition, POCO X4 Pro 5G delivers an immersive entertainment experience by offering dual speakers for loud and clear stereo sound, and a Z-axis linear motor for stronger vibrations with a crisper and more accurate feedback while gaming. The smartphone also supports the all-new MIUI 13, with new features and performance improvements to optimize the user experience.

POCO M4 Pro: Offering ultimate entertainment experiences at an unbeatable price

POCO M4 Pro is an entertainment powerhouse that combines unbeatable value for money, quality, and performance. Its 6.43-inch screen uses AMOLED DotDisplay for the first time in any POCO M series, and has a 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate, offering a high sensitivity to every interaction with the device.

The DCI-P3 wide gamut brings every color to life, and the display has a brightness rating of up to 1,000 nits. It can automatically adjust its brightness according to its surroundings for uninterrupted entertainment, and is certificated by SGS for both "Eye Care Display" and "Seamless Display," for long-haul viewing sessions. Reading Mode 3.0 allows users to switch to a warmer color temperature to reduce eye strain, especially at night. Users can also add a paper texture to the text background for a more authentic experience. All of this runs at 2400 x 1800 FHD+ resolution, which means users can enjoy smooth use for everything from catching up with the latest vlogs to endless social media scrolling, all the while enjoying a sharp, vivid, and colorful visual experience.

The triple camera setup with a 64MP high-resolution main camera takes sharp, clear, and detailed photos, and is the first of its kind to debut in the M-series. Rounding out the triple set up is an 8MP ultra-wide camera for bringing the bigger moments into perspective thanks to a wider, 118° angle. While the 2MP macro lens can get up close and personal to capture spectacular shots of the micro world we rarely have the chance to see in detail. The triple camera also comes with features that empower users to capture any and every moment of their day in vivid detail including slow motion video, time-lapse video, and night mode. Of course, if selfies are a modus operandi for their social media content, the 16MP front camera more than lives up to the challenge of keeping its users looking their best.

POCO M4 Pro weighs in at just 179.5g and is 8.09mm thick[4], making it the lightest POCO smartphone to date. But the lighter body doesn't mean sacrificing versatility. Rather, it's equipped with a behemoth 5,000mAh battery that can last more than two days[5]. Besides, POCO M4 Pro's 33W Pro fast charging full recharges itself in only an hour[6] -- just enough time for a bite to eat. Fortunately, if time is of the essence, charge POCO M4 Pro for only 10 minutes, which amounts to a substantial two hours of video playback.

Under the hood, POCO M4 Pro carries the MediaTek Helio G96, a high-performance chipset that can handle anything a user might throw at them. While a lightning-fast 2.05GHz octa-core CPU and ARM Mali-G57 MC2 GPU gives POCO M4 Pro all the power it needs to give users the ultimate entertainment experience. But for added measure to ensure that it operates at peak performance, LiquidCool Technology 1.0 Plus is designed to keep moderate temperate, no matter how long and how frequently POCO M4 Pro is used.

If the 8GB of RAM isn't enough, Dynamic RAM Expansion Technology enables the transfer of an extra 3GB from the 256GB of ROM. Storage can be expanded to up to 1TB[7], meaning it's capable of storing a personal library of up to 500 videos, 250,000 songs, and 500,000 photos[8]. POCO M4 Pro also comes with dual speakers for immersive sound experience, a Z-axis linear motor for responsive haptic feedback, and the all-new MIUI 13 for a stable and engaging user experience.

True to their nature as an all-around ace and an entertainment hub, POCO is adding one more service to its list of inaugural features for the latest devices. YouTube's subscription service, YouTube Premium, will come pre-installed on both POCO X4 Pro 5G and POCO M4 Pro - a first for any POCO phone. To sweeten the deal, customers can enjoy YouTube Premium for up to two months free. That means two months of ad-free, offline viewing, and uninterrupted access to video and music content across the Youtube platform.

Product Availability

POCO X4 Pro 5G will come in three colors, Laser Black, Laser Blue, and POCO Yellow. It will also be available in two variants: 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB.

6GB + 128GB: Recommended retail price at 16,990Php via official e-commerce channels.

8GB + 256GB: Recommended retail price at 17,990Php via official e-commerce channels.

The POCO M4 Pro will also come in three colors, Power Black, Cool Blue, and POCO Yellow. It will also be available in two variants: 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB.

6GB + 128GB: Recommended retail price at 12,990Php via official e-commerce channels.

8GB + 256GB: Recommended retail price at 13,990Php via official e-commerce channels.

*Price and availability vary between markets and sales channels.

Please refer to po.co for product availability and detailed sales information in your region.

Disclaimer

[1] Actual support and compatibility of memory cards may vary between manufacturers. 6GB can expand to 8GB and 8GB can expand to 11GB.

[2] Data is based on internal testing. Actual results may vary.

[3] Data is based on internal testing. Actual results may vary.

[4] Thickness may vary slightly between different color variants.

[5] 5,000mAh is the typical value. Based on test results from internal labs. Actual battery life may vary.

[6] Tested by internal labs. Actual results may vary.

[7] Actual support and compatibility of memory cards may vary between manufacturers.

[8] Calculation's assumptions: one MP3 = 4MB, one image = 2MB, and one movie = 2GB.

DOT Launches “Sounds More Fun in the Philippines” Playlist on Spotify

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The Department of Tourism (DOT) presents the “Sounds More Fun in the Philippines” Playlist, a compilation of specially selected Filipino music that will welcome listeners back to the Philippine destinations they love, and let them relive those epic travel memories.

The initial playlists will be available on the digital music streaming app Spotify. The first 10 playlists to be launched are Manila Night Lights, Boracay Beach Bar, Onshore in La Union, Cordillera Calm, The Pan-Philippine Highway Road Trip, Marilaque Bike Trail Mix, Balikbayan Juke Box, Counting Clouds in Camiguin, Wedding Vows in Tagaytay and Deep Dive in Palawan.

The chosen songs aim to set the soundtrack of one’s stories—like the Cordillera Clam playlist that provides laidback OPM tunes to warm the bones like a strong cup of Cordillera coffee; or the Boracay Beach Bar playlist that surrounds one with beach vibes perfect for grooving; or the Manila Night Lights that brings listeners back to the eras of disco, dance-rock, and neo soul, reliving those dazzling nights when the city truly comes alive.

“These tunes will allow listeners to evoke the getaways, secret spots, and homes away from home that every traveler can find somewhere across the 7,641 islands of the Philippines.”, said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. 

The playlists are attuned for every kind of listener—the listed songs can be played loud to get one going before that early morning bike trail, or to keep them company on an epic road trip; or these can be played softly in the background as one savors the bliss that follows a good surf, or daydreams while lounging and gazing at the sea on a white sand beach. 

Through this, the DOT intends to provide the feeling that, wherever you are, the fun is never far away.  

To create the playlists, the DOT enlisted the help of Filipino music obsessives. These include legendary rock DJ and Sandwich bassist Myrene Academia, podcast personality Ryan Joseph, music pundit Jocelyn Blwg, Matt San Pedro of Manila Community Radio and Transit Records, musicologist Patricia Brillante-Silvestre, and music producer Abdel Aziz. 

The songs and artists featured in these playlists are Pinoys as well as international artists and bands with Filipino roots.

Follow DOT’s official Spotify account, Tourism Philippines, and explore the archipelago’s diverse soundscapes and get to know the artists who made the music that has defined generations and those that are charting its future course.

#SoundsMoreFunInThePhilippines is a celebration of why—and where—music sounds more fun in the Philippines.