Coming from the successful inaugural program in 2024, FWD Life Insurance (FWD Philippines) welcomes a new batch of out-of-school youths (OSYs) to showcase their financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills at the 2025 Dreamers’ Pop-Up Bazaar: Powered by Passion, Driven by Youth.
Open to the public from May 8 to 9, 2025 at Glorietta, Ayala Center, Makati, the event is part of FWD Philippines and Junior Achievement of the Philippines (JA Philippines)It’s My Dream program, which aims to equip OSYs with the appropriate entrepreneurial skills to help them thrive and build their best futures.
FWD Philippines President & CEO, Antonio Manuel “Jumbing” de Rosas said, “As the insurer of the next generation, we believe our youth are the cornerstone for nation-building. That’s why we are committed to showcase the incredible potential of our youth who have dreams to succeed. It is our goal through this program to empower them to become their own agents of change, so they can ably support themselves, their families, and their communities.”
This year, the It’s My Dream program locks in a bigger number of participating OSYs. Products to be sold during the bazaar event were sourced by the participating OSYs from local businesses as part of the program’s practicum.
JA Philippines Executive Director, Krishna Alejandrino, emphasized how the program and the partnership with FWD Philippines is a testament to the transformative power of financial literacy to the youth. “Equipping these young dreamers with practical skills and real-world knowledge fosters their confidence and paves the way for economic independence. We are thrilled to see them take ownership of their futures and create better opportunities for themselves.”
JA It’s My Dream is under FWD and JA Asia Pacific’s groupwide financial literacy program, JA SparktheDream, which was launched in 2023. Learn more about the program by visiting ph.jasparkthedream.org
“We felt the luckiest to be able to meet Ed Sheeran again in Off Limits Festival, Abu Dhabi. What constantly blows us away more than his generational talent and sheer musicality is the genuine, warm connection he makes with everyone he meets, including us.
He recalled how lovely it was for him to be able to perform for Filipinos. He also remembered us from when we met him here in Manila, which is very cool. It’s an honor to have been able to exchange stories with him again. We wish Ed all the best with his new album, Play!” – Paolo Guico, Ben&Ben
The band shared a lighthearted moment, revealing, “Mabango siya [Ed smelled good].” Their admiration for Ed’s effortless charm and presence was evident, with the band members recalling how his natural charisma and positive energy filled the room.
Ben&Ben graced the stage alongside international acts such as Ed Sheeran, Kaiser Chiefs, and OneRepublic at Etihad Park on April 26th. Adding to the memorable experience, the nine-piece band and Ed Sheeran were captured in a friendly photo together backstage.
Prior to the festival, the band posted a captivating cover of Ed Sheeran’s recent release “Azizam,” which garnered significant attention. Ed Sheeran himself acknowledged the cover by sharing it on his Instagram story, leading many of his dedicated fans to discover and express their admiration for Ben&Ben’s musical talent on their social media pages.
This recent encounter in Abu Dhabi marks another special connection between the Filipino band and the British singer-songwriter. On March 9, 2024, Ben&Ben had the distinct honor of performing as a special guest during Ed Sheeran’s “+ – = ÷ x Tour” at the SMDC Festival Grounds in the Philippines.
Recalling the cherished moments from their previous meeting, Ben&Ben took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a concise yet impactful summary:
1. We met Ed Sheeran. 2. We did Karaoke with him. 3. We performed on his iconic round stage. 4. Our frontmen performed our song, Maybe The Night WITH Ed Sheeran and his amazing band.”
Ed Sheeran has kicked off an exciting new era with the release of his latest single, “Old Phone,” which dropped on May 1. He first teased the emotional track with a live snippet shared on Instagram, giving fans a taste of what’s to come. Now available on all major streaming platforms—including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music—the song sets the tone for what promises to be a bold new chapter.
That chapter continues with his upcoming album, Play, arriving on September 12, 2025. Moving on from his Mathematics series, Sheeran explores fresh creative ground, weaving together global influences—from Indian and Persian sounds to the Irish folk traditions of his roots—while staying true to the acoustic and lyrical style fans love. Written and recorded across the globe and finished in Goa, Play is as much about emotional healing as it is about rediscovering joy through music.
NEW SINGLE ‘OLD PHONE’RELEASED ON 1ST MAY 2025 LISTEN HERE
Ed Sheeran Announces New Album ‘PLAY’ Released On 12th September 2025
After closing the chapter on his Mathematics series, Ed Sheeran is finally back and stepping boldly into a fresh new phase for 2025. An artist known for constantly evolving, Sheeran’s latest album,‘Play’ finds him exploring new musical ground through collaboration with producers and musicians from around the world, as well as diving deeper into the timeless sounds and themes that have made him one of the world’s best-loved pop artists. Inspired in part by his exposure to Indian and Persian musical cultures—and their surprising connections to the Irish folk tradition he grew up with, through shared scales, rhythms, and melodies—he explored this borderless musical language, giving the album its distinctive, fresh edge. On more familiar ground, Sheeran also reminds us why he remains the most influential singer-songwriter of his generation, delivering a series of stunning ballads and acoustic-driven songs. The result is a collection that plays with both the familiar and the new, creating a bold, pop-driven sound that only Ed Sheeran could deliver — a vibrant showcase of his artistry that feels both exciting and transformative, and promises to be one of the defining albums of the year.
Ed said…”Play was an album that was made as a direct response to the darkest period of my life. Coming out of all of that I just wanted to create joy and technicolour, and explore cultures in the countries I was touring. I made this record all over the world, finished it in Goa, India, and had some of the most fun, explorative creative days of my life. It’s a real rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish, it encapsulates everything that I love about music, and the fun in it, but also where I am in life as a human, a partner, a father. Going into this album campaign I said to myself ‘I just want everything I do to be fun and playful’ – so that’s why we are building pubs for folk jams, doing gigs on open top buses and singing in pink cowboy hats on bars. The older I get the more I just want to enjoy things, and savour the moments that are mad and chaotic. You can preorder play now, many many more playful things to come before it’s out x”
After the release of his global, hedonistic, technicolor pop hit ’Azizam’, Sheeran gets nostalgic on his brand new single ‘Old Phone’, narrating the disorienting act of reconnecting with his past. Powering up an old phone unused since 2015, he unearths messages from a lost friend, an argument with an ex, and distant family, highlighting how time and separation reshape identity. Blending nostalgic acoustic melodies with raw emotion, the song recalls Ed’s early songwriting roots while exploring growth and memory, capturing an artist that is shaped and transformed by his past ‘Old Phone’ has been produced by Blake Slatkin & Ilya Salmanzadeh.
For its first offering this 2025, Barefoot Theatre Collaborative (Barefoot), the company that staged the critically acclaimed hits Mula sa Buwan, Pride Plays, The Last Five Years, and Bar Boys: A New Musical, will bring WE AREN’T KIDS ANYMORE to the Philippine live theater stage.
We Aren’t Kids Anymore by Drew Gasparini is an uplifting coming-of-age musical that dives into the messy reality of growing up—while never quite feeling like you have. It reflects that point in life where you see that who you thought you’d be is different from who you’re actually becoming, where the dreams you swore you’d chase don’t look the way you imagined, and where the world stops being as simple as it used to be.
Featuring a poem by Keith White with orchestrations and vocal arrangements by Justin Goldner & Drew Gasparini, this musical consists of gut-punching songs from five people navigating the changes that come with the realization that life doesn’t come with a manual. This show will hit hard for anyone who has ever felt lost, stuck, or unsure of the way forward.
Barefoot’s upcoming staging features an all-star cast. The five characters will be played by Gab Pangilinan, Maronne Cruz, Gio Gahol, Luigi Quesada, and Myke Salomon. Katrine Sunga and Angelo Lantaco serve as the female cover and male cover respectively.
At the helm of the production is Rem Zamora as Director. Also joining the creative team are Myke Salomon and Farley Asuncion as Musical Directors, Jomelle Era as Movement Director, Joey Mendoza as Production Designer, Hershee Tantiado as Associate Production Designer, D Cortezano as Lighting Designer and Technical Director and Aron Roca as Sound Designer.
We Aren’t Kids Anymore will be staged for FOUR WEEKS ONLY from May 2 to 25, 2025 at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater in Circuit Makati. The show will run for 90 minutes with no intermission and there will be no admission for latecomers. This production of We Aren’t Kids Anymore is licensed by Concord Theatricals.
For all shows, there will only be two ticketing tiers: Gold (PHP3,200) and Silver (PHP2,700). Opening weekend tickets are now available at discounted rates: PHP3,000 for Gold and PHP2,500 for Silver.
A spy film like no other, ‘Black Bag’ veers away from other espionage thrillers by focusing on the interpersonal relationships of spies working together in one office. While the main plot involves uncovering the leak of a top-secret software program called Severus, the method of discovering the leak delves into the personal lives of six operatives of the British Intelligence. Unlike the tongue-in-cheek professionalism of James Bond or tight-camaraderie displayed in the Mission Impossible franchise, the Steven Soderbergh-directed movie is unafraid to show the massive dysfunction in the world of spies when no one is expected to tell the truth and lying is as easy as breathing.
George (Michael Fassbender) is tasked by his boss to find the leak within the British Intelligence office, and one of the five suspects is his wife, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). George is cold, almost sociopathic is his cleanliness and his stoic demeanor but what is evident is his love for his wife. It’s a rarity in the office, it seems, of a healthy, loving relationship in an office where cheating among partners is almost expected.
Goerge invites to dinner at home the five suspects including his wife: Clarissa (Marisa Abela), her boyfriend Freddie (Tom Burke), James (Rege-Jean Page), and the agency’s psychiatrist Zoe (Naomie Harris), who is also the partner of James. What begins is a game of cat-and-mouse as George plays an intricate game to discover who amongst the five leaked the information and what unravels is a hilarious exploration of messy relationships and an abuse of power.
Yes, the main plot is that of the spy thriller but what is really at play here is how Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp untangles the complications of such characters whose very jobs is to keep secrets. To keep work separate from their personal lives, agents just say “Black Bag” – a code that signals they can’t answer any question because it involves a mission or classified operation. It puts to test the bonds of the only two characters who seem to not have an issue with keeping secrets from each other: Kathryn and George. But when Kathryn is implicated, George must figure out whether she really is involved, and the audience is left to wonder if he will try to protect her or will he expose her.
This isn’t your typical spy thriller that’s action-packed and explosive (though there is one explosion in the whole film). But it’s explosive and action-packed in the way that it reveals how these characters work and interact. In fact, it even borders into comedy by how messed up they have become living the lives that they do. Marisa Abela’s Clarissa is one of the funniest as the youngest person in the room, so she’s a little more brazen, a little more adventurous and not realizing how high the stakes can be.
And the movie is funny, but Soderbergh downplays it and doesn’t direct for the comedy, which makes it even more pronounced. It’s from the wonderful performances of the whole cast that keeps it from getting bogged down by all the jargon. Because ‘Black Bag’ can get dense. It never bothers to explain itself or contextualize things and you have to just keep up and understand the basics to be able to follow.
This is not a movie where you can pick up your phone in the middle of it to text someone (not that you should anyway). It’s a film that requires your full attention because when you do, you can see all the ways by which it plays with us.
I miss these small and intimate movies in the cinema. I don’t want to call it a small movie because it doesn’t have big scenes and large set ups but it’s big in how it makes the most ordinary things – problems in relationships, for example – seem so large and impactful in the larger scheme of things. It’s compact but it packs a large punch.
My Rating:
Secrets, spies, and suspense await. Grab your spy gear and catch Black Bag in cinemas on May 7. Check showtimes and buy your tickets here.
The Philippines’ biggest folk-pop band Ben&Ben will be bringing their music to Cebu, Bacolod, and Davao for the Philippine leg of their The Traveller Across Dimensions World Tour. Overseas performances will also take place in Singapore and different parts of the United States later in the year.
Tickets are already available for the May 24 show at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino, with announcements for the June 8show at the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod and the June 22 performance at the SMX Convention Center in Davao to come in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, tickets for the Singapore show at the Arena@Expo on December 14, as well as those for the performance at theThunder Valley Casino inLincoln, California on July 12 are also available for purchase. Additional show dates and venues will be announced as they become final.
For the tour, the nine-piece band will perform tracks from their third studio album, mixed with some of their past hits. The Traveller Across Dimensions album was released on November 29, 2024, and has produced hits like Could Be Something and Tomorrow with You.
The concept album follows the story of Liwanag, the Traveller, as she journeys through three Dimensions: Light, depicting innocence; Energy, depicting struggle; and Feel, depicting maturity. She writes 12 songs along the way, which relate her experiences in each of the Dimensions.
The songs reflect the various experiences of the band members over the past several years and showcase their growth as people, as songwriters, and as musicians. While their signature indie folk sound remains, the group dishes out city pop and electric beats not present in their previous songs. As the group evolves, so do their stories and their music.
“We are excited to bring the songs from The Traveller Across Dimensions to various stages all over the Philippines and the world. It is a privilege to be able to perform for our Liwanag community in different parts of the country, as well as in Singapore and the US,” Ben&Ben said. “We are also grateful for the support of our tour promotions team for paving the way for us to spread light and love to music lovers beyond Philippine shores through our songs. We look forward to seeing all of you in our shows.”
Leading tour and concert promotions companies AEG Presents Asia (Singapore leg), NY Entourage Productions (US leg), and Ovation Productions (Philippines and Singapore legs) have teamed up to bring to life The Traveller Across Dimensions on stage.
AEG Presents has promoted global tours for big-name artists such as Katy Perry, Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, and Taylor Swift. NY Entourage, through exclusive partnerships with major resort casinos in North America, has brought local artists such as Sarah Geronimo, Bamboo, Piolo Pascual, Jim Paredes, Boboy Garrovillo, Nonoy Zuñiga, Marco Sison, and Rey Valera to stages across the US and Canada. Ovation Productions is one of the Philippines’ most respected concert producers, having staged successful events for a diverse group of artists including Ed Sheeran, Toto, Air Supply, The Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, Tears for Fears, Sting, Celine Dion, Paul Anka, Alanis Morissette, Boyz II Men, and hallyu stars NCT DoJaeJung, Choi Minho, Hwang In Youp, and Park Bo Gum as well as Japanese artists XG, Fujii Kaze, and Ado.
Bogie de Guia, Director at Ovation Productions, said: “It is truly a joy and an honor to again work with the band for their world tour. Having worked with them in their past events, we can truly say that their world-class talent deserves to be heard by more people outside the Philippines. We promise to stage a great show for their fans in Cebu, Bacolod, Davao, and Singapore.”
For his part, Bryan Mosko, Director at AEG Presents Asia, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Ben&Ben! They have such a huge following, and we are glad to be able to help bring their music to people outside their home country.”
NYE President and CEO Nancy Yang added: “Ben&Ben is one of the hottest Philippine bands today. We are happy to be their partner in bringing their music to the US. We believe they are wonderful representatives of Filipino music and their generation.”
Ben&Ben is a multi-awarded Filipino band known for their anthemic sound and electrifying live performances. With critically acclaimed albums that set records in streaming and sales, the nine-piece collective explores personal, emotional, and socio-political themes with underlying messages of human connection, courage, hope, and vulnerability. In less than a decade, they’ve managed to shape an entire generation’s cultural awakening through music that uplifts, inspires, and invites introspection. The band’s songs also serve as both a mirror and a compass, which guide listeners on a journey of self-discovery.
About AEG Presents Asia
Combining the power of the live event with a focus on true artist development, AEG Presents is a world leader in the music and entertainment industries. Operating across four continents, the company has an unparalleled commitment to artistry, creativity, and community. Its tentpole festivals and multi-day music events — which include the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and the legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival alongside American Express Presents BST Hyde Park, Stagecoach, Hangout Festival, Electric Forest, and Firefly — continue to set the bar for the live music experience. AEG Presents promotes global tours for artists such as The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, Kenny Chesney, Paul McCartney, and Katy Perry, in addition to — through its network of clubs, theaters, arenas, stadiums and renowned partner brands such as Goldenvoice, Messina Touring Group, Concerts West, The Bowery Presents, PromoWest Productions, Marshall Arts, Madison House Presents, and Zero Mile Presents — creating and developing an unmatched infrastructure for artist development and audience reach. More information can be found at www.aegpresents.com.
About Ovation Productions
A leading concert promotions company in the Philippines, Ovation Productions has been operating since the 1970s and has promoted some of the biggest names in live entertainment. Awarded for its trailblazing work, the company expanded the concert market for international artists in the Philippines by breaking into and developing provincial markets outside Metro Manila. In 2017, Ovation Productions established a presence in Singapore to expand the reach of OPM talents to a global audience. The company also recently established Tap Digital Media Ventures, a media and entertainment company which oversees the operations of eight linear television channels and an over-the-top (OTT) media streaming service, Blast TV. For more information, visit www.ovation.ph
About NY Entourage Productions
NYE is a premier concert tour promotions company based in the Philippines. Since 2007, its dedicated team has been committed to delivering top-tier entertainment and concert productions to audiences at home and abroad. NYE has proudly collaborated with some of the most prestigious corporate clients in the Philippines, providing entertainment for a wide range of business events. It also brings world-class performances to provincial areas, offering communities outside urban centers the rare opportunity to experience live shows by top artists.
Pioneering the international expansion of Filipino entertainment, NYE is the first Filipino promotions company to successfully bring Manila-based acts to the United States and Canadian casino circuits. It has secured exclusive partnerships with major resort casinos across North America. In 2024, NYE was honored with the Concert of the Year award from the PMPC Star Awards, in recognition of its outstanding production of Dear Heart, featuring Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion. For more information, follow NY Entourage Productions @nsyshows on all social media platforms.
Completely sung-through, ‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’ by Drew Gasparini is more of a patchwork quilt of a play, exploring the feelings of doubt and uncertainty that comes with growing up. There’s a very loose narrative hare, implied upon by the quiet moments between songs as the five players interact with each other without dialogue, as directed by Rem Zamora. These interactions between the actors suggests relationships and histories that are never quite explored and so it leaves a lot to the imagination. What we get, instead, is a musical that puts to song the hopes and dreams and fears and anxieties of people who are no longer children, who are facing the realities of adulting, and wondering if they are who they wanted to be.
Barefoot Theatre Collaborative puts together five incredible performers – Myke Salomon, Maronne Cruz, Gio Gahol, Luigi Quesada, and the incredible Gab Pangilinan – to play these characters that can be us or people we know. They sing songs of heartbreak, of living on the edge, of reaching rock bottom, or of reconciling one’s youth to try and make sense with where they are going. Written by Drew Gasparini and featuring a poem by Keith White, ‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’ is less a story than it is a mood, a moment of interrogation, and sometimes, it’s a declaration.
Photo by CJ Ochoa
The stage is set in the round, with the audience on all four corners of the PowerMac Center Spotlight Blackbox theater. At the center is an elevated stage with a pit in the middle for the band. The stage is cordoned off by a bench that surrounds all sides. Each player comes up, does their quiet interactions hinting at connections, before jumping into songs. The lack of a clear narrative can be jarring, especially if you are unaware of the play’s structure like I was, and you are looking for hints of a story and it wasn’t until the third song that I realized there wasn’t one.
Photo by CJ Ochoa
This is actually a tricky play to perform because each player has got to sing each song and create a character for that song and imbue it with history and a future in the span of the opening verse to the end note. It was extremely difficult for Luigi Quesada who sang the hell out of his solo, but the song is a torch song about love and it felt like a song that would be sung after a lot of stories has already happened. We don’t have access to that story so Quesada is singing his heart out, but the story was missing. But Quesada gets to recite the poem by Keith White that helps frame the whole play and sings the stirring showstopper.
Photo by CJ Ochoa
Myke Salomon had the role where his character was singing songs about other people – mostly family – and so it was in the storytelling form. He was creating the story for us to follow. Cruz had the character with the most radio friendly songs, in my opinion. She has so much personality and verve as an actress that these were easily some of my favorite parts. But that ones who really managed to instill a story in their moments were Gio Gahol, who has a stirring song about hitting rock bottom, and Gab Pangilinan, who filled up the whole PowerMac Center Spotlight that evening but made each song feel like the stand-alone story that it is.
We have such incredible and talented actors in the theater world and these five are wonderful examples of that. With barely a narrative to hold things together, their interactions are authentic and honest, though opaque, and the way that they harmonize through the songs creates a complete picture.
Photo by Kyle Venturillo
As a person who comes into a play looking for a story to chew on, I feel like I’m wanting more, but I was very much full of the incredible performances of these hard-hitting songs. As someone who is going through something right now, on a personal level, this show is a bit of a big group hug that tells us we aren’t alone. If you’re feeling lost, unsure of your path, unsure of the choices you’ve made leading up to the today, Barefoot’s ‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’ will help you feel like you’re not alone.
It is sometimes useful to withhold information in a film’s story to create a sense of mystery; that would get the audience invested into the narrative and capture their attention. The big reveal would create the “Aha!’ moment in the film’s third act that can create an emotional response that can make cinema fun. From the title alone, the horror film directed by Derick Cabrido and written by Enrico Santos ‘Untold’ attempts to use this structure but ends up undermining its film’s relatability making it a difficult watch. After all, ‘Untold’ is a horror film and by withholding important information at the first act of the film, it becomes harder for us to invest in the protagonist Vivian Vera, played by Jodi Sta. Maria.
The movie is about a reporter, Vivian Vera, who is being haunted by her past. Her latest scoops have not been doing as well as a landmark reportage she did in previous years about a massacre that happened at a real estate development property. That story put three people in jail, three of the culprits and the guard that let them in the property to kill the informal settlers whose homes were being vacated for the project. But now the guard has been set free, and Vivian is seeing the ghosts of the victims, and they are terrorizing her.
There are several things that aren’t working well in this film, the most significant one is the structural issue I stated above. As we enter the film, Vivian is the star reporter of the news program Untold and she’s unpleasant to work with, she comes off as two-faced to her boss and to the people around her, and she seems more concerned about her career than anything else. It’s a tough person to like, even when played by Jodi Sta Maria. Her character’s vulnerable side is her relationship with her mother (Gloria Diaz). The film, though, never takes a moment to really cement their dynamic. The nuances and textures of their relationship, much like the big mystery about why Vivian is being haunted, is left as a big exposition scene at the third act. This means that throughout the first two acts, Vivian is a character that we do not like and so it is hard for us to care about her and the fact that these spirits are haunting her.
For a horror film to succeed, we need to be able to care about the safety of the protagonist or at least someone good but this film has a huge absence of innocents. Almost everyone has a dark side or secret. Even the most innocent of the characters, Juan Karlos’ Jasper Torres, who works with Vivian and has an intense crush on her. He is the closest to good with have in the film but when you realize that he is blind to Vivian’s dark side that he would support her even after he discovers who she is do we see that he can’t be all that good. Without someone to root for, the hauntings become less scary.
And this is where it also fails. They say, “less is more” and ‘Untold’ could have used a bit more of this adage because the film is just chock-full of these scary moments. Vivian is constantly entering into a trance and being grabbed and groped and choked by these spirits, but she also ends up alive after every attack. No actual physical harm comes to her. After a certain point, they stop being scary because there’s no real apparent danger. The more we see – and we see the make-up, the special effects, and we get used to loud sound design that comes with everything haunting – we become desensitized and at some point, the people behind me at the cinema just started laughing.The film has a lot to say about not taking everything we see on media at face value. It asks us to interrogate what we see, ask questions, verify information and challenges everyone in that field to hold on to their integrity. It is quick to punish those that have stepped out of line but offers no counterpoint or comparison, so it comes off cynical and jaded. It’s not an easy watch. Even in films like these, we still need someone to root for.
My Rating:
Untold is now showing in cinemas! Check showtimes and buy your tickets here.
I’m not that familiar with the Norwegian playwright and “the father of modern drama” other than having read ‘A Doll’s House’ back in college. So coming into CAST’s staging of an adaptation of his ‘An Enemy of the People’ was refreshing as I had nothing to compare it with. The adaptation, written and directed for the stage by Nelsito Gomez takes on the title ‘In the Eyes of the People’ and Gomez brings a heart serving of Filipino-ness in his reworking of the play. Set in modern times in the fictional Visayan town of Sta Christina, the play is a battleground for truth, politics, science, and the good of the people.
The play opens with a press conference about the grand opening of a hot spring resort in the town of Sta Christina. It is the project of Mayor Peter Lopez (Ron Capinding), who hopes the resort will make the town a tourist destination that would “rival Boracay” and brings thousands of jobs and tourism money to his small town. He invites his sister, Dr. Tricia Lopez-Ramos (Jenny Jamora), to talk about the benefits of the hot springs as she is the head scientist in charge of the project. From the get-go, we can see that the mayor is charming and has a way with words while Tricia isn’t comfortable in the spotlight but the brother-sister tandem is resolute that this project would be good for the town until Tricia discovers there’s an unknown bacteria growing in the waters and as she calls on her brother to delay the opening to ensure the safety of the people, Peter weights in on the loss of income and jobs that a delay would cause. Complicating the issue is Triccia’s daughter, Pauline (Jam Binay), who works in a local paper with her boyfriend Enzo (Zoe De Ocampo), who are deadset in revealing the truth. Rounding up the cast are Nor Domingo as Triccia’s husband Alvin and Katskie Flores as Ruby Ganpon, Peter’s competition for mayor in the upcoming election.
Photos Courtesy of Nicole Chua
The play is practically a face-off between brother and sister as they weight in on what is truly good for the people. The jobs and economic security versus their health over a bacteria that may or may not be the cause of the sickness a young girl has caught after swimming in the hot springs. The younger members of the play, Pauline and Enzo, represent a tug-of-war between the ethics of responsible journalism while Alvin is the bystander who wants none of the trouble.
Photos Courtesy of Nicole Chua
Photos Courtesy of Nicole Chua
What’s amazing about this staging and the writing of the adaptation is how real this whole play feels. The relationship of brother and sister complicates the arguments and the filial ties being torn up by this debate is what makes this show so remarkable. There’s an added layer of the Visayan-ness of the characters. At some point, the dialogue shifts for a brief moment to Bisaya when Ruby and Triccia share some words about the issue and it strikes home. The way the play figures in politics, greed, and ignorance plays so close to the hilt in some real-world issues that are troubling us today.
Photos Courtesy of Nicole Chua
As someone whose family is from the Visayas, there’s aspects of the characterizations that feels so real to me. The stars of the show, Jamora and Capinding, are what sells this fiction and presents it as a relevant allegory for our time. Jamora’s Triccia is such a great example of an educated Visayan woman (in the play, she’s finished her PhD in Harvard), learned and unaware of her own power. This is amplified by the way she deals with her brother. Capinding’s Peter is a pitch perfect portrayal of the grounded, jolly Visayan man who grew up with money but downplays it as he tries to portray himself as an everyman. There’s a posture and a sway about him that reminds me a lot of people that I know from Bacolod. Jamora and Capinding’s performances are so visceral and authentic that they completely take full command of that stage. It’s electrifying to see them at work and because the Mirror Studios is such small, intimate performance space, you see everything up close. The two never miss a beat.
The play teeters into the milieu of upper class problems, with all the characters so highly educated and sophisticated, but it is completely tempered by the arrival of Ruby Ganpon. Katskie Flores is a force of nature as she delivers a powerful take down that grounds the play and reminds us about the people who are not so privileged and who are the ones whose lives are really at stake. This exchange can sometimes feel pedantic and a little on-the-nose but the message is so necessary, especially in these times when everyone is out just for themselves and not thinking about society as a whole.
Photos Courtesy of Nicole Chua
The stage design is simple, with the characters coming in to change the set and furniture to move into a new scene but the narrative is supported by the backdrop turning into a full on projector screen. The projection designs by GA Fallarme helps situate us in each moment – the press conference, a public debate, and the outside world in the form of social media content – the simplicity of the set allows for the projections to fill in the gaps to amplify the spectacle of this battle of wits.
It’s fast-paced and funny but ‘In the Eyes of the People’ is also through-provoking and leads us into a call to action. I’m mostly amazed at how Fiipino this production is originating from an Ibsen play.
‘In the Eyes of the People’ is down to its last weekend at the Mirror Studios.
Arctic Action Unleashed: Tom Cruise on Location in Svalbard
In a brand-new behind-the-scenes featurette for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Tom Cruise transports fans to one of the most stunning and remote filming locations ever used in the franchise—Svalbard, a pristine Arctic wilderness. Calling it “a privilege,” Cruise shares how the raw beauty and extreme conditions of the region helped elevate the intensity and realism of the scenes.
“Svalbard is just breathtakingly beautiful.. It’s a unique experience,” Cruise says in the exclusive behind-the-scenes.
Go Behind the Scenes With the Cast and Crew
Directed by long-time collaborator Christopher McQuarrie, this latest chapter in the Mission: Impossible saga invites fans behind the curtain as the cast and crew navigate icy terrains, helicopter stunts, and the chilling silence of the Arctic to bring Ethan Hunt’s next adventure to life.
With Tom Cruise leading the charge, supported by a stellar cast including Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Esai Morales, The Final Reckoning promises high-stakes thrills, heart-pounding visuals, and groundbreaking cinematography—all captured in breathtaking formats including IMAX, 4DX, and Dolby Cinema.
Mark Your Calendars: May 17
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning opens exclusively in theatres this Saturday, May 17. Experience the adrenaline-pumping action the way it was meant to be seen—on the biggest screens with the most immersive technology available. Book your cinema seats here.
Follow @TomCruise for more exclusive content and never-before-seen glimpses from the Arctic.
