Author: Press Release

The Philippine’s Largest Music Festival Is Returning To Clark This April 2023!

After the massive success of the inaugural Clark Aurora Music Festival last June 2022 that gathered more than 150,000 attendees, the Philippines’ largest music festival is bringing back its magic this year.

Looking to escape the summer heat while still enjoying a wonderful festival? EP!C Events is once again ready to bring you the BIGGEST names in the OPM scene, giving you nothing but awesome live music, breathtaking views, and sheer excitement.

The Clark Aurora Music Festival this coming April 15 and 16 2023 promises to be even more spectacular than ever. This year’s lineup consists of a combination of various genres, from rising stars to the most sought-after artists of today – Ben&Ben, December Avenue, Arthur Nery, Adie, MRLD, Lola Amour.

Moreover, Ely Buendia, Parokya ni Edgar, Kamikazee, Sponge Cola, Silent Sanctuary, and Mayonnaise are also expected to join the fun and bring superb and high-caliber music festival experience like no other.

Another thing worth looking for in this upcoming festival is the BIGGER and BRIGHTER batches of hot air balloons which will be displayed and light up Clark’s skyline, providing the perfect backdrop for a memorable weekend of music.

It’s going to be a huge weekend of music and a hot air balloon display, peeps! So, mark your calendars and get your tickets for the Aurora Music Festival! This is one event you won’t want to miss! See you there!

Clark Aurora Music Festival is presented by EP!C EVENTS and EGGSTOP in cooperation with Clark Global City, Clark Development Corporation and The Medical City Clark.

Tickets go on sale starting January 26, 2023.

Visit our website for tickets http://ticket.clarkaurorafest.com/

www.smtickets.com and all SM Tickets outlets and via Shopee https://shopee.ph/aurorafestival

Thanks to our Major Sponsors: Barenbliss, Aquaflask, San Miguel Brewery, Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdog.

For inquiries, please call 09812390349 or message.

January 26, 2023
Rody Vera’s ‘Walang Aray’ Marks PETA’s Return to the Stage this February

The Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), makers of the hit musical Rak of Aegis, is returning to the theater for full live performances featuring a brand-new original musical, Rody Vera’s Walang Aray!

Walang Aray was chosen to launch the company’s comeback and cap the company’s emerald year after waiting in the wings since its first laboratory performance in 2018 and 2019.

Why Walang Aray? “It’s necessary, after three years of what we went through — not only the pandemic, but also the elections — to do something irreverent and funny. I think that is what people need right now. They need a space to laugh, to sort of allow themselves to have fun and enjoy something,” shares PETA artistic director, Maribel Legarda.

“But of course, in PETA, it’s not just having fun,” Legarda adds, “PETA believes that good comedy makes you think and reflect, and Walang Aray is exactly that.”

Presented by PETA with Indie.Go Media in partnership with Star Magic, Walang Aray is a genre-defying adaptation of the screenplay of the same name, based on Severino Reyes’ classic zarzuela Walang Sugat.

“We must evolve. We cannot do things over and over the same way, we must change, challenge, and chase forward. That is why Walang Sugat evolved to Walang Aray, from the stage, adapted to screenplay, and back to the stage— and we tried to make the comeback different,” Legarda explains.

Legarda describes the new musical as “a play that is really entertaining but at the same time, reflective of us as Filipinos and our own histories.” Walang Aray richly mashes the timeless classic with contemporary language, funk and pop tunes, and tongue-in-cheek humor.

Playwright Rody Vera shares what he hopes audiences will take away from the musical: “It feels like we’re doing this play produced by ‘the mechanicals’ in Act 5 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where at that point, all that was strange and horrible is now past, that while we’re aware these things indeed happened and may happen again, we’re also here to remind people that theater, always… ALWAYS dies and is born anew,” he says. “I wish they’ll have as much fun watching as the prod team had mounting it.”

Walang Aray is top billed by Star Magic’s “hottest musical couple” #KDLex, KD Estrada and Alexa Ilacad, alternating with triple threat theater artists Gio Gahol and Marynor Madamesila as Tenyong and Julia.

The cast also features PETA artists Jarred Jaicten, Kiki Baento, Carlon Matobato, Gie Onida, Norbs Portales, Neomi Gonzales, John Moran, Yeyin de la Cruz, Ayla Garcia, Ada Tayao, Tom Bienvenida, Donn Boco, Gerard Dy, with Gardo Exconde and Csai Habla as the swings.

Walang Aray will run at the PETA Theater Center from Feb 17-May 14, 2023. Tickets are available via TicketWorld.com.ph. For bulk tickets and showbuying inquiries, contact Mitch Go at 0917-539-1112.

For more information about Walang Aray, follow PETA’s social media pages: @petatheater.

January 26, 2023
‘Dirty Linen’s’ Thrilling Pilot Trends on Social Media as Janine Begins Vendetta

ABS-CBN’s newest revenge drama “Dirty Linen” will surely make viewers’ blood boil each night as the series premiered with a thrilling pilot episode that earned multiple trending topics, including a top two trending topic with over 40,000 tweets.

The suspenseful episode gave a series of flashbacks of how a young Alexa (Janine Gutierrez) turns her insurmountable grief into deep desire for revenge after the death of her mother Olivia (Dolly De Leon), who was shot by an unidentified person in the Fiero household.

The series gained widespread praise for the camera work, musical scoring, intriguing plot, and the outstanding performance of the cast led by Janine, Zanjoe Marudo, Francine Diaz, Seth Fedelin, Angel Aquino, John Arcilla, Janice De Belen, Epy Quizon, and Tessie Tomas.

Viewers took to social media to commend the show as topics #DirtyLinen, #DLMissing4, Francine as Chiara Fiero, Seth Fedelin, Nico Sinag, Dolly De Leon, Angel Aquino, and #JanineGutierrez trended on Twitter.

“What a pilot episode! The first episode sent me on an emotional roller coaster that left me gasping for air and compelled me to keep watching to find out what would happen next. You’ll be entranced by the musical scoring of dirty linen #DirtyLinen,” said @jnthncrtz27 on Twitter.

“May ganito talagang local series? Ganito ang WORLD CLASS. Napakaganda! Napakahusay ng pilot episode. Nag-uumpisa pa lang, hindi mo na mapipigil ma-excite,” tweeted @tinosantinooo.

While @iamanjelofactor posted, “NW: #DirtyLinen. Sure enough, this would be my newest addiction. This is the kind of genre i wished & waiting to watch in a TV. This isnt just a teleserye, THIS IS GENUSELY MASTERPIECE psycho TS. Goosebumps! Pilot episode pa lang, pati commercial ayaw kong palagpasin.”

The succeeding episodes will follow how Alexa begins her vicious and redemptive cycle of revenge as she enters the Fiero household as their maid and starts luring Aidan (Zanjoe) and Ador (Epy) into her trap. Alexa will slowly infiltrate the Fiero clan and attempt to gain their trust in order to uncover their dirty secrets with the help of her equally scheming allies Rolando (Joel Torre), Max (Christian Bables), and Lala (Jennica Garcia).

Witness the gripping tale in “Dirty Linen” on weeknights at 9:30 PM on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, iWantTFC, and Kapamilya Online Live on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. 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 “Dirty Linen” on TV5 and A2Z. The show is also available to viewers in and out of the Philippines on iWantTFC, while viewers outside of the Philippines can watch on The Filipino Channel (TFC) on cable and IPTV.

For updates, follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram or visit www.abs-cbn.com/newsroom.

January 26, 2023
Jollibee Group Restaurants Named Among America’s Favorite Restaurant Chains

More wins for the Jollibee Group, as four of its brands made it to the list of America’s Favorite Restaurant Chains for 2023. Newsweek, a premier news magazine and website, together with global data firm Statista, named Jollibee, Chowking, Smashburger, and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) as among the best in their selected categories.

“We are honored that our brands are included in this list of most favorite restaurant chains in the United States. We thank our customers for their continued support, resulting in this citation that inspires us even more in our mission of serving great-tasting food, bringing the joy of eating to everyone,” said Ernesto Tanmantiong, Jollibee Group President and CEO.

The 2023 ranking was determined based on the results of an independent survey among over 4,000 customers and employees of restaurant chains in the United States. The respondents were asked to indicate which restaurant chains would they recommend among three ethnic cuisines and 13 dish categories.

The three ethnic cuisines include Chinese, Italian, and Tex-Mex; while the 13 dish categories consist of BBQ, burgers, chicken, coffee/tea/baked goods, ice cream/frozen yogurt, juice and smoothies, noodles and ramen, pizza, sandwiches, seafood, soup, steak, and Sushi.

Jollibee was cited in the chicken category, Smashburger for burgers, CBTL for tea and coffee, and Chowking for Chinese cuisine category.

According to Statista, all ratings were transformed into a score value and aggregated towards a final score. The survey respondents rated their experience with the restaurant chains using these nine assessment criteria: taste, cleanliness, hygiene and COVID-19 measures, transparency about ingredients, location, dealing with environmental issues, accessibility, service quality, and treatment of employees.

To receive an award, a restaurant chain needed to receive a minimum number of recommendations and an overall score of at least 7 out of 10. In addition, a restaurant chain was required to have at least three locations across different cities within at least two U.S. states.

January 25, 2023
An Educational and Exciting Interactive Wine and Dine Experience at The Cellar

Grand Hyatt Manila launches its latest unique wine-tasting experience, Le Grand Casino du Vin at The Cellar, which translates to The Grand Casino of Wines. Entertaining, educational and rewarding, this wine-and-dine experience includes a 4-course specially-curated dinner set menu with a glass of red and white wine and 12 playing chips at PHP 3,000 net per person. The event will be available every 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of the month from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM, starting 1 February 2023.

Le Grand Casino du Vin is akin to the game of roulette where guests can bet their chips when they play at any of the three themed wine game tables, which guarantees to test their knowledge about wines, awaken their senses or simply rely on luck. The guests will move from one table to another at the whim of their desire, explore the different themes, and learn a lot about wines while having fun. This event is in collaboration with AWC Philippines, one of the largest wine distributors in the country.

Game Themes:

The Type of Wine

Is it red, white or rosé? Participants will have to use their sense of smell and taste to guess the mystery wine. Mystery wine will be poured into a black, opaque wine glass by our host where players can bet what type of wine it is based on their knowledge and senses. The host will reveal the wine by pouring it into a clear glass and the player who guesses the right answer will win the game.

The Aromas of Wine

In this game, players will have to use their sense of smell. The host will present vials of different scents from fruity to floral and the players will guess which wine scent was given to them. With more than 50 options on the board, participants will have to place their bets on the closest scent they think matches.

The Wine Regions

Is it from the old world or the new world? Participants of this game will take their taste buds around the world as they travel through wines. Guests will have to determine where the wine comes from by carefully observing, smelling and tasting. Players will place their bets from all the wine-producing regions presented in front of them.

Surrounded by glass-enclosed wine cellars and intimate lighting, The Cellar is one of Grand Hyatt Manila’s most sought-out intimate dining outlets which specializes in tapas and small plates, best paired with the hotel’s selection of creative cocktails, handcrafted beers and premium wines. Patrons have been coming over to this restaurant for its best-selling succulent Kurobuta and scrumptious paella. The Cellar is open daily from 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM.

For inquiries and reservations, call (63 2) 8838 1234 or email manila.grand@hyatt.com. For updates on the hotel’s latest promotions, follow Grand Hyatt Manila on Instagram @grandhyattmanilaph and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/GrandHyattManilaPh.

January 25, 2023
Asian-led Films on Divergent Cultural Experiences to Screen for Free This February

Award-winning and critically acclaimed international films on the significantly distinct impact of culture in human relations will be screened for free every Wednesdays of February 2023.

The rich collection highlights Asian characters and how tradition shapes one’s perceptions and perspectives of romantic partnerships and connections.

Sepet (2004) by Malaysian director and writer Yasmin Ahmad explored how young love withstood social and racial pressures. Set in Ipoh, the capital city of the Malaysian city of Perak, the teen rom-com followed the story of a Chinese boy who sold unlicensed VCDs and a Malay schoolgirl who sought films featuring her favorite Japanese-Taiwanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro. It is on view on February 1.

Saving Face (2004), the feature-length debut of American filmmaker and screenwriter Alice Wu, shed light on a secret love that went against cultural expectations. Led by a Chinese-American surgeon, her unwed and pregnant mother and her dancer girlfriend, this rom-com drama was a study on traditional values, stereotypical representation and the fluidity of identity. It is scheduled on February 8.

Berbagi Suami (Love for Share) (2006), directed by Indonesian filmmaker Nia Dinata, narrated the intersecting accounts of a faithful Muslim gynecologist, a village girl and an ambitious waitress who found themselves in a polygamous life. The drama comedy presented the consequences faced by women who accepted the fate of becoming the other wife. It will be available on February 15.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018) by American film director, producer and screenwriter Jon M Chu tackled how family can complicate relations between significant others. Based on the international bestselling 2013 novel by American author Kevin Kwan, it introduced a Chinese-American economics professor and New Yorker who traveled to finally meet her boyfriend’s family. In her quest, she discovered that they are among the richest in Singapore. It is set on February 22.

Curated by the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), the free and public online screenings will be conducted via Zoom every 12 noon on the scheduled dates. To register, email mcad@benilde.edu.ph. For more information, visit the official Facebook page of MCAD (https://www.facebook.com/MCADManila).

January 25, 2023
Jumpstart your Money Goals this 2023 with Maya
New year, new goals! We all want to live through the year in a financially secure position. If you’re looking for a way to jumpstart your money goals this 2023, fret not! Maya, your all-in-one digital bank, has got you covered.

Whether you are looking for ways to save on shopping, travel, boost your savings, or get your bills covered, Maya runs down tips and tricks to master your money and get you closer to your 2023 money goals!

Boost your savings
- Grow your hard-earned savings with up to a massive 6% p.a. with Maya Savings for deposits up to P100,000. All you have to do is spend a total of PHP 250.00 on bills, load, or Maya payments (QR code, card, or online). In excess of P100,000, you also earn a base interest rate of 4.5% p.a on your deposits up to P5 million. You also get to watch your money grow as savings interests are credited to your account, daily!
- Maya Savings also lets you set up Personal Goals and earn a guaranteed 6% interest per annum on deposits of up to PHP1M. What’s more, you can create up to 5 different Personal Goals. Think one for each life goal like emergencies, home, car… just what being in control of your own finances looks like.
Save on fees
- Get cash in your Maya wallet for a minimum of PHP 1,500.00 via InstaPay and get your InstaPay fee (up to PHP 25.00) as a cashback!
- No need to worry about transfer fees when you cash in your Maya wallet from any of your linked banks, or from other over-the-counter channels (up to PHP 8,000.00 per month).
Spend and save
- Shop at Robinsons Malls and get some money back with Maya! For a minimum PHP 1,000.00 single-receipt spend, you can receive a PHP 100.00 cashback from your first-ever Maya QR transaction and PHP 50.00 consecutively after.
- Need mobile load? Collect 5% cashback each time you accumulate PHP 500.00 worth of load. New to Maya? Enjoy 20% cashback (up to PHP 50.00) when you load up with Smart or TNT!
Traveling? Save on these deals!
- Enjoy 50% off (up to PHP 1,500.00) on hotels and 1,500 AirAsia points by booking a hotel worth at least PHP 1,500 through the AirAsia super app or website. Simply enter your Maya Visa card details upon checkout and input the code “VISA50”.
- Get 8% off when you book for hotels via agoda.com/visaph and pay using your Maya Visa card.
Completely free to download and register, Maya packs a feature-rich money app, an inclusive digital bank, and everything else you need to manage your money – save, borrow, spend, invest and more, right from your smartphone.

Maya’s digital banking services are powered by Maya Bank, Inc., a digital bank supervised by the BSP. Deposits are insured by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) for up to PHP500,000 per depositor. To learn more, visit maya.ph and mayabank.ph. Follow Maya at @mayaiseverything on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok and @mayaofficialph on Twitter.
January 25, 2023
Ayala Malls Cinemas’ ‘A-List Series’ Spotlights Anna Kendrick’s Best Performance To-Date in the Psychological Drama “Alice, Darling”

For the avid cinema audience, Ayala Malls Cinemas’ A-List is one of this year’s must-see that offers an interesting lineup of curated titles exclusively for its patrons. This January 25, the A-List Series brings Kendrick’s finest performance of her career, as hailed by critics, in “Alice, Darling” – a taut thriller about coercion and control, but most importantly, about the power of deeply-rooted female friendships that ultimately leads to resiliency and empowerment.

When the audience first encounters Alice (Kendrick), she is fully in denial about her fraught relationship with her boyfriend Simon (played by Charlie Carrick) and how damaging it is. “When we meet Alice, she doesn’t really know who she is all. It was actually a really bizarre character to play because the whole point is that she’s sort of lost herself, and that everything in her focus, all her energy, is going toward being kind of small and flexible and to manage her partner’s potential reactivity. And the sense that if she’s just a little bit better, if she is just perfect, everything will be okay. That mindset slowly creeps in, and – before she knows it – she doesn’t recognize herself. Only when she is with her close friends Tess (Kaniehtiio Horn) and Sophie (Wunmi Mosaku) does Alice have a little more room to breathe. It’s interesting because she’s resistant to that at first – if she fully recognizes and accepts herself and then returns to her partner, she will be in serious trouble – and her carefully constructed, self-sabotaging world will come apart,” Kendrick explains.

“Alice, Darling” is a unique, compelling film that has to be made according to Babe Nation Films’ Nolan and Tapscot, who’s committed to championing female-identifying voices and stories. “It was such a unique story we hadn’t seen anything like it. There have been projects that home in on abusive relationships, but nothing this subtle and focused on the friendship between women,” Nolan shares.

Watch “Alice, Darling” starting January 25 exclusively at cinemas of Ayala Malls Glorietta, Ayala Malls Greenbelt, Ayala Malls Circuit, Ayala Malls Bonifacio High Street, Ayala Malls Feliz, Ayala Malls U.P. Town Center, Ayala Malls Trinoma, Ayala Malls Harbor Point, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Ayala Malls Alabang Town Center, Ayala Malls Centrio, Ayala Malls Capitol Central, Ayala Malls The 30th, Ayala Malls Central Bloc and Ayala Malls Solenad.

Watch out for the other upcoming titles to be included in the A-LIST SERIES such as, EMPIRE OF LIGHT and many more.

January 24, 2023
FDCP FilmPhilippines Opens Application for its Incentives Program

Launching its new campaign tagline “Tell yourStories in our Islands,” the Film Development Council of thePhilippines’ FilmPhilippines Office officially opened the applications for the first cycle of the FilmPhilippines Incentives (FPI) program this 2023. The call is open to foreign production companies in business with a Filipino production company or producer on an ongoing project.

With the primary goal to promote the Philippines as a highly-viable filming destination, the FDCP FilmPhilippines Office offers location incentives to attract international productions to film in the country.

The Philippines also offers co-production funds to foreign producers who are looking to co-produce their respective projects with Filipino production companies and producers.

Interested filmmakers and production companies may apply to the following incentive programs:

● Film Location Incentive Program (FLIP): A selective rebate of up to PHP 10 million per project granted to Filipino production companies that are producing TV/VOD series, music videos, and feature-length or short films with a minimum Qualified Philippine Production Expenditure (QPPE) of PHP 50 million.

● International Co-production Fund (ICOF): A selective fund of up to 40% of Qualified Philippine Production Expenditure (QPPE) capped at PHP 10 million per project granted to Filipino production companies who are producing feature-length or short films with a minimum QPPE of PHP 8 million.

● ASEAN Co-production Fund (ACOF): A selective fund of PHP 2.5 million to PHP 7.5 million per project granted to Filipino production companies who are producing feature-length films. 50% of the applicant’s production budget must be spent on Qualified Philippine Production Expenditure (QPPE).

The first cycle of the FilmPhilippines Incentives (FPI) Program is open until March 17, 2023 which will be followed by a Selection Committee Deliberation.

Some of the most notable film grantees of the FPI include “Ella Arcangel: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko” by Melvin Malonzo, “Arnold is a Model Student” by Sorayos Prapapan, “In My Mother’s Skin” by Kenneth Dagatan, “The Gospel of the Beast” by Sheron Dayoc, and popular television series “Survivor.”

Through this initiative, the FDCP FilmPhilippines Office aims to provide funding to local and international production companies to foster collaboration between the Philippines and other foreign countries. The incentive program also opens up a lot of opportunities for Filipino talents and service providers to work on international co-productions.

Now in its fourth year, the FilmPhilippines Incentives Cycle 1 of 2023 comes with a new set of guidelines which interested applicants may download here. For inquiries, kindly send an email to filmphilippines@fdcp.ph.

January 24, 2023
“Magic Mike’s Last Dance” Reunites OG Team for Trilogy’s Finale

The story finds Mike in Miami at loose ends and with empty pockets, having closed his furniture business. Taking bartending gigs, however, proves fortuitous when he meets a mysterious woman, Maxandra Mendoza, who, after a night of getting to know each other, presents Mike with an opportunity he can’t refuse—one that could change him, and his life, forever.

Soderbergh comments, “What we’ve done with these films, this one especially, is give audiences all the pure fun of watching these amazingly talented dancers perform, but also used dance as a sort of Trojan horse to sneak in other ideas.”

The director adds that, for this final round, the filmmakers upped the ante by giving Mike the option to really have it all…if only he can reach out and grab it. “What is desire, what does that mean? What do love and commitment really mean in our world? Wrapped up in all the dazzling choreography and exciting dance numbers, the movie tries to explore those real questions about how relationships are defined today.”

Tatum, who also serves as a producer, observes, “The first movie was about Mike realizing, ‘I need to figure out what I’m doing with my life.’ The second one put these guys on a pedestal and let them flesh out their characters, but it was still really about these men. Since then, women in films have become more open, more conversational about what they want, and we’d also created the live show. What we learned doing that made us want to make this third movie and to really redesign what Magic Mike is. We wanted to put the best dancers in the world in the movie, and have a strong female lead who is pivotal to the story and as important as Mike in the plot.”

Of course, no “Magic Mike” sequel would be complete without ramping up the dance factor. Soderbergh says that there was no question that for this “Last Dance,” the filmmakers knew they had to “blow the dancing up in a very big way.”

A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” slides into theaters across the Philippines beginning February 8.

Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #MagicMikesLastDance

_{Photo & Video Credit: “Warner Bros. Pictures”}

January 24, 2023