Carly Rae Jepsen Brings ‘The Dedicated Tour’ to Manila

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Pop star Carly Rae Jepsen will be bringing her ‘The Dedicated Tour’ to Manila on October 23 at the New Frontier Theater. 

Tickets will be on-sale starting August 31 via TicketNet.com.ph and at all TicketNet outlets nationwide. Presented by concert promoter Wilbros Live.

Fans can expect a night full of hits as Carly Rae Jepsen will be performing her chart-topping songs, including “Cut to the Feeling”, “Call Me Maybe”, “Party for One”, “I Really Like You”, “Boy Problems”, “Emotion”, “Run Away with Me” and many more.

After Carly Rae Jepsen released her critically acclaimed album E·MO·TION in 2015, it became “a modern touchstone for a new crop of pop-leaning artists and legacy acts,” as NPR noted, adding “the blast radius of E•MO•TION is expansive.” The album also inspired an abundance of memes — extending the cultural cachet that Jepsen earned from the ubiquity of her Grammy-nominated blockbuster hit “Call Me Maybe” (from her U.S debut album Kiss), which not only climbed to No. 1 on the iTunes Singles charts in over 47 countries, sold over 20 million singles worldwide, and was certified Diamond in the U.S., but was referenced by everyone from former secretary-of-state Colin Powell to Cookie Monster. 

Jepsen’s new album, Dedicated, retains the joyful, hook-filled feeling of its predecessor. But where E*MO*TION, which featured the platinum single "I Really Like You," was an ’80s-influenced synth-pop classic that Rolling Stone called “a pop masterclass” and Stereogum called “indisputable, unfuckwithable pop genius,” Dedicated has a more ’70s-inspired feel at times (though the album defies categorization as a whole). At one point, Jepsen was sure she was making a disco opus. 

“The title was going to be ‘Disco Sweat,’” she says with a laugh. “I really bought into it.” But Jepsen had a change of heart thanks to her travels over the past two years, which included writing trips to the Swedish countryside (“It was spring and there were fields of flowers, homemade breads, and kittens running everywhere”) and a beach in Nicaragua, where she surfed and stayed in a cabana-like casita. Then there was an Eat Pray Love-esque solo vacation in Italy. 

“I had so many songs,” she says. “I needed some space to walk around, reflect, eat pasta, and get to know myself a bit.”

#CarlyRaeJepsenMANILA2019

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Act now, act fast: WWF PH, GCash call for participation of Filipinos in fight for PH forests

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Over the last couple of years, the Philippines has been experiencing an alarming decrease in forest area. Due to rampant illegal logging and the lack of funds to better secure protected areas, the countries forests are going nude. 

Each year, based on data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), around 47,000 hectares of forest cover is lost, which is equivalent to approximately 1.2 million hectares of deforested land in a hundred years. This translates to about 24 percent in deforestation rate, one of the fastest in the world. 

These figures may sound too statistical, but they are a constant and stark reminder for Filipinos of the state of Philippine forests. This is also a wakeup call for everyone that while the government pursues efforts to create a greener country, a great amount of work is still up ahead, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

“Without strategic measures to combat this, Philippine forests will cease to exist in the next two decades -- leaving the next generation without clean air to breath, fresh and lush sceneries to enjoy, and endemic flora and fauna will only exist in picture books,” WWF Philippines President and CEO Joel Palma said. 

The severity of the situation calls for a pursuit of collaboration among all stakeholders -- the state, organizations, companies, and even the common Filipino. For many, participating in drives for the environment may seem to measly an idea due to the gravity of work to be done, but even the slightest act can create a chain of events that could help the country bring its forests back to full life. 

“We need to act now, and we need to act fast. We are at a critical time that loudly calls for action and the participation of everyone. Our fight for a greener Philippines is not won by one group alone. It needs to be a collaborative effort,” Palma added. 

GCash, operated by Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), recognizes the power of its platform to create a huge impact for the environment. Placing itself at the forefront of developing financial sustainability mechanisms that aim to strengthen forest conservation efforts within its growing user base of 20 million, GCash recently introduced GCash for Good. 

Acting as its corporate social responsibility arm, GCash for Good has collaborated with World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Forest Foundation Philippines, Bantay Kalikasan, as well as Haribon Foundation to pursue their shared vision of establishing a greener Philippines.

“Through these collaborations with non-government organizations, international organizations, and various merchants, we look forward to fulfilling our vision of greening the Philippines through our platform, as this initiative shall create a significant impact not only to the environment but also in the daily lives of each Filipino,” Mynt President Anthony Thomas said.

With GCash for Good, Filipinos from all walks of life, especially the youth sector, now have the power to create a positive change for the environment and stay socially relevant. Through GCash for Good, GCash has made it possible for registered GCash users to conveniently send donations to their chosen organization. 

The platform enables Filipinos to reach out further while also creating better opportunities for the society, as it eliminates the hassle of having to endure long processes of donating through banks and institutions and allows people to focus more on what truly matters to them.

Various research has shown that there is a growing trend in crowdfunding as well as micro-donations. Such kind of initiative, while it may generate a minimal amount at a given period, would still go a long way and make a significant impact once it gets added up.

“For every person who would like to make a difference, it’s also important to recognize that working together, aiming for the common goal hand-in-hand, can result in an even greater impact. With GCash for Good, doing something for a cause becomes accessible and easier for all Filipinos,” Thomas said.

Meralco rates down for the fourth straight month

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The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) announced on its monthly infomercial, Meralco Advisory, a Php 0.42 per kilowatt hour (kWh) reduction in power rates this month. The downward adjustment this month equates to Php 84 in total savings for a typical household consuming 200 kWh and represents a total net decrease of almost P1.00 per kWh since May 2019. 

Meralco Public Information Office Head Joe Zaldarriaga (in photo) explained that the overall rate reduction is primarily due to lower charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), brought about by improved supply conditions in the Luzon grid. Also featured on Meralco Advisory was a testament of Meralco’s continued commitment for rural electrification and its renewable energy advocacy with the recent inauguration of Meralco’s latest solar microgrid system in Cagbalete Island, Quezon. This microgrid facility, composed of solar panels, battery storage, and generator set, will provide electricity to 600 households and businesses by the end of the year. Watch this month’s Meralco Advisory here - https://youtu.be/MZ4H5rC_N_Q.

SB19 with newest single "Go Up"

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SB19, the first-ever Filipino boy group trained under ShowBT, the Korean entertainment company here in the Philippines. 

These boys are all-around performers who can sing and dance a wide variety of genres, composes their own music, and create their own choreography. Despite their differences, they can perform seamlessly onstage and strive hard to become better artists.  They are dubbed as KPop and PPop. They do OPM songs. 

The "SB" in S819 stands for "Sound Break", meaning they will break into the Philippine Music scene with their fresh style and unique brand of music

"19" on the other hand, represents a youthful generation as well as represent the bridge between South Korea (area code 82) and the Philippines (area code 63)

At the media conference held,  the first 5-member all-Filipino idol boy group SB19, - Sejun, Stell, Josh, Ken, and Justin present their newest single "Go Up" and also their love song coming up soon titled "Hanggang sa Huli." 

SB19 boys has dreams of breaking into the Philippine music scene. Armed with almost four years of intensive training under K-Pop system, Sejun, Stell, Josh, Ken, and Justin are confident that they can take the industry by storm with their newest single, "Go Up."

SB19 Members: JOSH, KEN, JUSTINE, SEJUN,  STELL

"Go Up" is considered to be SB19's breakthrough single following their debut track "Tilaluha," which was released October 2018. The song talks about the hardships and overall journey in reaching one's goals. Through this, they wish to inspire other people - especially the younger generation- to never give up on their dreams.

As for their music video, it was directed by JC Gellidon, who has worked with local and international brands and celebritles like Donnalyn Bartolome, Brian Puspos, and more.

Released last July 19, the group wants to show to the public that even though they are trained in the Korean system, they still have that Filipino flare that we are all familiar with.

The song is currently out on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon Music, Google Play Music, and many more digital platforms.

Follow SB19 on their Social Media Accounts:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SB19Official

Twitter: www.twitter.com/SB190fficial

Instagram: www.instagram.com/OfficialSB19

YouTube: www.youtube.com/SB19Official

Dani Girl: Of sickness, songs and hope

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“Why is cancer?” 

Far from sitting back and letting her leukemia take over, nine-year old Dani sets off on a whimsical quest to find her hair and figure out the answer to the question, “Why is cancer?”. 

Together with her best friend and guardian angel, they go on a journey with lightsaber duels, game shows, space ships and all the silly games in between, showing that a child’s imagination and fighting spirit have no bounds. 

“Dani Girl: A Musical About Hope” by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond celebrates the childlike innocence, wonder, imagination, courage and hope that people often forget and lose as full-fledged adults. 

The play first premiered in Manila in 2014 as the maiden production of The Sandbox Collective. The show received wide acclaim from audiences and critics. Stage actress Lea Salonga called it “perfection” in its simplicity and execution, while METRO Magazine praised it as a play that “refreshes the mind and soul and touches your heart and spirit.”

'When Dani, a precocious nine-year-old, loses her hair to leukemia, she embarks on a magical journey to get it back. Simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking, Dani Girl is a tale of life in the face of death, hope in the face of despair, and the indomitable power of the human imagination.'