Have you developed the habit of watching hours and hours of streams from live sellers? You’re not the only one!
Pinoys have quickly come to embrace live streaming as an entertaining way to shop. It allows them to view products up close and interact with their favorite sellers in real-time. This makes the “mining” concept grow more popular among Filipino millennials and Gen Zs, where you buy products by commenting “mine” during streams.
With the Shopee Live Sulit Sale, livestream shoppers are in for a treat. Unli “mine” all day, every Friday, and enjoy exclusive deals up to 50%, free shipping with no minimum spend, and 15% off vouchers from your favorite live sellers.
Shopee users also get a chance to win cash prizes up to ₱5,000 every Friday when they watch and buy during the Shopee Live Sulit Sale . Just click on any livestream under the “Up to 50% off” tab and check out any item from participating sellers in order to earn raffle entries.
To get the most out of your livestream shopping experience, here are a few tips to keep in mind when you tune in to the Shopee Live Sulit Sale every Friday:
Visit Shopee Live at different times of the day.
Thousands of sellers go on Shopee Live to sell a wide assortment of products that suit your every need. Starting 10 AM every Friday, you’ll be able to find the perfect seller that can offer the best deals on anything you’re looking for. At the Shopee Live Sulit Sale, log in every hour to catch sellers who offer trending fashion accessories that can spice up your wardrobe, hottest electronic gadgets for your tech hobby or home essentials to make your living space even better. Whatever item you’re looking for, you’ll definitely find a seller for you!
Be part of the live community.
Watching a live selling is a unique experience that brings people closer to one another. Most viewers would feel like they’re part of a community when they get to interact with live sellers and viewers who share similar interests. With the Shopee Live Sulit Sale, you’ll feel like you’re among friends when you chat, comment and share ideas with people who are interested in the same things as you. If you’re lucky, you might just find yourself in a watch party with new buddies during the next Shopee Live Sulit Sale!
Get more out of your live shopping experience.
The best thing about live selling is the unbelievable bargains you get. With the Shopee Live Sulit Sale, we’re taking things to another level by offering flash deals, exclusive voucher drops, and rewards to make your live shopping experience even more sulit. To add to the excitement, the more you buy items at great deals, the more chances you have to win ₱5,000 cash every week!
Make sure to remember all these tips when you tune in to the Shopee Live Sulit Sale every Friday. Just visit the “Live” page on the Shopee app to start your livestream shopping experience!
The Hallyu or Korean wave continues to come in surges, with series, movies, and music ruling Filipinos’ pop culture consciousness. Everywhere we look, there is something Korean to enjoy, and now, there will be fresh and delicious Korean treats to consume as 7-Eleven brings the Korean trend to its stores.
The convenience store giant launches today 7-Fresh K-Style Snacks, the Seoul-inspired line from its 7-Fresh Asian series. The series, which started with Japanese rice snacks and kani salad, now adds delectable Korean snacks to its yummy yet value for money fares: The K-Style Plant-based Chicken Burger (P95) made with UnMEAT patties, pillowy buttery brioche bun, and authentic Korean glaze perfect for the health-conscious grubbers; K-Style Garlic Cream Cheese Bun (P49) made with buttery soft bun and generous special cream cheese garlic filling for the cheese lovers; and the all-time favorite K-Style Egg Drop Sandwich (P85) with buttery brioche loaf bread, sweet and savory egg drop dressing, and made extra special with Aguila Gourmet Meats ham.
Each K-style snack is made with fresh ingredients to ensure their top quality and taste. They can be enjoyed individually or bought for groups of friends and family and are perfect to go with a K-drama binge watch or while listening to K-pop hits. They are also an ideal snack companion for busy students, office workers, and just about anyone who wants a Korean-inspired treat anytime of the day.
The introduction of 7-Fresh K-Style Snacks is 7-Eleven’s effort to expand its fresh selection for customers, while also responding to the growing Hallyu food trend which has become a hit in the Philippines and worldwide.
7-Fresh K-Style Snacks are available beginning today, July 27, in select 7-Eleven branches. K-Style Egg Drop Sandwich is available in Rizal, Paranaque, Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, and Quezon City only. K-Style Garlic Cream Cheese Bun and K-Style PlantbBased Chicken Burger are available in Rizal, Paranaque, Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Quezon City, Muntinlupa, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, and Quezon only.
Like us on 7-Eleven Philippines Facebook, follow @711ph on Instagram, and @711philippines on Twitter for more information.
Watch out K-Pop and K-Drama fans, one of the Philippines most beloved K-Actor is coming back to the Philippines for his “Just One 10 Minute” fan meet series. This time around, fans will get to spend a starry evening during his Cha Eun-Woo “Just One 10 Minute” <Starry Caravan>” in Manila happening on August 6, 2022 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Manila stop will be an exciting one as the actor has always been well received by his fans in the Philippines.
CHA EUN-WOO showed his many charms as an actor in his most well known leading roles in, “My ID is Gangnam Beauty”, “Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung”, and his latest drama “True Beauty”. His likability on-screen only adds to his off-screen charms, which fans can’t get enough of.
After not being able to see the actor live for almost 3 years, fans can look forward to spending more time with CHA EUN-WOO and experience in-person interaction during fun and exciting activities that they should not miss out on. This is a starry evening worth remembering for every Filipino CHA EUN-WOO fan.
Check out the seat plan and for more info and grab your seats via TicketNet Online and TicketNet Outlets – www.ticketnet.com.ph
CHA EUN-WOO “JUST ONE 10 MINUTE” <STARRY CARAVAN> in MANILA is brought to you by DNM Entertainment and YOD Entertainment. This event is powered by Smart Communications and Viu Philippines. Special thanks to our event partners – MakeItLive and Shopee Philippines.
A new teaser trailer for Netflix’s stop-motion musical, Pinocchio, has been released!
We now get a better look at director Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson’s take on the classic tale, with the trailer finally featuring Pinocchio and his father, Gepetto. Watch the new teaser trailer for Pinocchio below:
The first teaser trailer for Pinocchiowas released in January but only revealed the Talking Cricket. Now, the new trailer shows us the grieving woodcarver Gepetto and the wooden boy he carved and treated as a son, Pinocchio. It also teased a story about “loss and love”, and a story that “you may think you know, but you don’t.”
While most may know the story of Pinocchio from Disney’s classic film, which is also getting its own live-action film this year, fans of Del Toro may expect that this story would be more loyal to the original source material, the novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi.
The voice cast of the film includes Ewan McGregor as the Cricket, David Bradley as Geppetto, Gregory Mann as Pinocchio, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, Burn Gorman, Christoph Waltz, and Tilda Swinton.
The film will be released on Netflix and in select theaters sometime in December this year.
Bullet Train brings together seven characters, all with connected, conflicting, and at times, confusing objectives. “Fate brings these people onto this train, and their energies combine in the craziest, most gonzo way possible,” says producer Kelly McCormick.
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
The Twins, Tangerine (Taylor-Johnson) and Lemon (Henry), aren’t actually twins. (No kiddin’.) In fact, though they are seemingly a disparate pair, they are lifelong brothers in arms. Tangerine is a Savile Row-suited killer with slicked back hair and flashy gold jewelry – not exactly subtle. Lemon, meanwhile, possesses a guileless demeanor and moral compass that he has honed entirely from the lessons from “Thomas the Tank Engine” – but he is nevertheless just as talented a hitman as his twin.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Brian Tyree Henry (Courtesy of Columbia Pictures)
Taylor-Johnson and Henry say that their offscreen chemistry drove the onscreen relationship (and vice versa). “Tangerine and Lemon go hand in hand and really rely on each other,” says Taylor-Johnson. “There’s a love between them, a deeply rooted partnership that goes back years and years. That kind of bond needs to be supported by an instant connection and chemistry for us both, and Brian brought the energy, fire, and passion every day. I fed off of his energy, bounced off of his enthusiasm and his charisma. He’s one of the best actors around, without a doubt.”
Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Brian Tyree Henry (Courtesy of Columbia Pictures)
Henry, well-known for his roles in The Eternals and Atlanta, says he was able to tap into the fun odd-couple nature of their characters’ pairing. “Lemon is incredibly genuine. He is the most genuine, childlike, joyous psychopath you’ll ever meet in your life,” Henry says. “He enters a room and you can’t miss him, but at the same time, he has a real ease about him. That’s why pairing him with Aaron’s Tangerine is so perfect. Tangerine is crazy, and there’s a finesse that Aaron has when he steps into the role. He’s that fine wine of sociopaths. The two of us together is so eclectic and fun and we’re just the oddest pairing, but at the same time, it works so well.”
About Bullet Train
In Bullet Train, Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug’s latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe – all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives – on the world’s fastest train…and he’s got to figure out how to get off. From the director of Deadpool 2, David Leitch, the end of the line is only the beginning in a wild, non-stop thrill ride through modern-day Japan.
Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Brian Tyree Henry (Courtesy of Columbia Pictures)
Directed by David Leitch, screenplay by Zak Olkewicz based upon the book Maria Beetle by Kotaro Isaka. The cast is led by Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A Martínez Ocasio.
Bullet Train is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Connect with the hashtag #BulletTrainMovie
Olivia Wilde directs Chris Pine (Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)
In tandem with the announcement, Wilde—who will attend the Festival, along with co-stars Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Gemma Chan and Chris Pine—stated, “I am honored and thrilled that ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. When we dreamed of making this movie, we imagined Venice as our ultimate goal, and we can hardly believe it’s really happening! From our cast—led by the formidable Florence Pugh and Harry Styles—to the design of this world and the kinetic cinematography, the film was crafted for viewing in the collective setting of the theatrical experience. For this first screening to take place in the jewel-like surroundings of the Venice Lido and in the presence of some of international cinema’s most accomplished artists is beyond exciting. I look forward to sharing the visceral ride of ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ with the world, beginning with the Venice Film Festival, and I wish to thank Alberto Barbera and the Biennale for the selection. This is truly a dream come true.”
Check out the film’s new trailer below and watch “Don’t Worry Darling” in Philippine cinemas September 28.
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
The Venice International Film Festival is officially recognized by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Association). The aim of the Festival is to raise awareness and promote international cinema in all its forms as art, entertainment and as an industry, in a spirit of freedom and dialogue. The Festival also organizes retrospectives and tributes to major figures as a contribution towards a better understanding of the history of cinema.
About “Don’t Worry Darling”
From New Line Cinema comes “Don’t Worry Darling,” directed by Olivia Wilde (“Booksmart”) and starring Florence Pugh (Oscar-nominated for “Little Women”), Harry Styles (“Dunkirk”), Wilde (upcoming “Babylon”), Gemma Chan (“Crazy Rich Asians”), KiKi Layne (“The Old Guard”) and Chris Pine (“All the Old Knives”).
Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles) are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950’s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Chris Pine)—equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach—anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia.
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the “development of progressive materials,” their wives—including Frank’s elegant partner, Shelley (Gemma Chan)—get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause.
But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory, and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose what’s really going on in this paradise?
An audacious, twisted and visually stunning psychological thriller, “Don’t Worry Darling” is a powerhouse feature from director Olivia Wilde that boasts intoxicating performances from Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, surrounded by the impressive and pitch-perfect cast.
The film also stars Nick Kroll (“How It Ends”), Sydney Chandler (“Pistol”), Kate Berlant (“Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood”), Asif Ali (“WandaVision”), Douglas Smith (“Big Little Lies”), Timothy Simons (“Veep”) and Ari’el Stachel (upcoming “Respect the Jux”).
Wilde directs from a screenplay penned by her “Booksmart” writer Katie Silberman, based on a story by Carey Van Dyke & Shane Van Dyke (“Chernobyl Diaries”) and Silberman. The film is produced by Wilde, Silberman, Miri Yoon and Roy Lee, with Richard Brener, Celia Khong, Alex G. Scott, Catherine Hardwicke, Carey Van Dyke and Shane Van Dyke executive producing.
Wilde is joined behind the camera by two-time Oscar-nominated director of photography Matthew Libatique (“A Star Is Born,” “Black Swan”), production designer Katie Byron (“Booksmart”), editor Affonso Gonçalves (“The Lost Daughter”), Oscar-nominated composer John Powell (“Jason Bourne”), music supervisor Randall Poster (“No Time to Die”) and costume designer Arianne Phillips (“Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood”).
A New Line Cinema presentation, “Don’t Worry Darling” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set to open in cinemas across the Philippines on September 28. Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #DontWorryDarling
It’s a battle for survival between man and Beast, where Idris Elba’s character, Dr. Nate travels back to South Africa with his daughters only to face the most insurmountable challenge of their lives, to make it out alive from fangs of the rogue and most lethal lion in the savannah.
In Beast, Dr. Nate Daniels (Elba) met his wife in South Africa and both moved on to build a life in the US until the death of his wife. Determined to pick up the broken pieces, Dr. Nate brings his daughters Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Jeffries) back to Africa to honor their mother. They are welcomed by Dr. Nate’s long-time friend Martin (Sharlto Copley), a game reserve manager who is also a wildlife biologist and ardent anti-poacher.
The apex predator’s attack on Dr. Nate’s family may have been expected, but through the decades of tending to preservation of the wildlife, Martin has never seen a lion attack people with the relentless fury that Dr. Nate’s family is experiencing. It seems that the lion is bent on seeking revenge upon the humas who have encroached their territory and slaughtered his pride instead of just fighting to survive.
From the moment they were born, Nate has loved his two daughters with everything he had and knew how to give. When she was diagnosed with cancer, the physician who had long used his hands to heal others could not save the one he cherished the most. Now, trapped in a game reserve with only his instincts to guide them, Nate has to survive for his girls to live. If that is to happen, Meredith and Norah must learn to trust him again.
Elba, for his part is eager for audiences to experience a new kind of thrill that Beast has to offer. “I think it’s a first,” Elba says. “We’ve seen films where the antagonist is a beast or an animal and our heroes are being chased, but this has a dynamic that merges both a family dynamic that we are invested in…alongside the thriller aspects. The thrill ride doesn’t stop.”
A Universal Pictures International release, Beast will open in Philippine cinemas on August 10, ahead of its US release.
Exciting new episodes drop every Wednesday and for the first time ever, spin-off and after-show, Drag Race Philippines: Untucked, premieres August 19, 2022 with new episodes every Friday.
Who has what it takes to reach new heights, impress host Paolo Ballesteros and judges Jiggly Caliente and Kaladkaren, and race to the very top? Meet the queens vying to snatch the crown:
Brigiding
Brigiding is one of the most prominent names in the Philippine drag scene. She is known for her extravagant looks and show-stopping performances and has been featured in Pride parades and drag events both in the Philippines and abroad. She is also one of the founders of Drag Playhouse PH, a local drag content and entertainment provider.
Corazon
A crowned pageant queen with a list of titles on her sash, Corazon has jumped from one beauty contest to another competing in both male bikini contests and provincial Miss Gay events and talent shows. In addition to drag, Corazon is a makeup artist and a designer; creating looks for fellow drag and beauty queens alike.
Eva Le Queen
Eva Le Queen worked as an OFW in Singapore for eight years before giving up her corporate profession to follow her dream of becoming a drag artist. During the day she would work corporate, but at night she worked as a drag queen. Eva won 1st runner-up in Singapore’s Drag It Out All-Stars competition, only four months after she started doing drag. Eva’s Drag is inspired by literary and cinematic villains. Her strengths are in being both a comedy queen and her looks. Eva is a resident queen at Nectar Nightclub and is also one of the founders of Drag Playhouse PH.
Gigi Era
Gigi Era is the Diva from Down Under. Hailing from Melbourne, she is popular in the Australian drag scene for her death-defying stunts and fabulous real hair wigs. Gigi was a former dancer and airplane cabin crew member based out of Dubai. She is now back in the Philippines representing her hometown, Davao.
Lady Morgana
Marina Summers
Marina Summers is a fierce tropical queen known for her fish looks, hot body, exceptional dancing, and all-around performances. Her drag name stems from her love for the beach. Marina left her bucolic hometown of Nueva Vizcaya and moved to Manila to create content for one of the biggest film companies in the country. She began performing as a drag queen in 2019 and recently released her debut single I Have Arrived on Spotify and iTunes. She performs regularly at Nectar Nightclub and is another one of the founders of Drag Playhouse PH.
A proud Davao Queen who has been doing drag for more than 15 years, Lady Morgana is a true classic drag queen. With her spider lashes, high brows, creative wigs, and out-of-the-box costumes, Lady Morgana is known for her comedic and hosting skills, always making sure that her performances are sprinkled with love, laughter, and feelings. She works as a financial advisor during the day.
Minty Fresh
Minty Fresh serves looks that kill all day, every day. She is a model, designer, pop singer, make-up artist, and performer. A staunch supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights, she slays the stage weekly at Nectar Nightclub. Ariana Grande reposted Minty’s Lipsync performance on her Instagram story as she led hundreds of thousands of people in an election sortie in Manila.
Precious Paula Nicole
Precious Paula Nicole is one of the most known Filipino drag queens, having been in the drag scene for more than 11 years. She is a professional dancer and is also known for her comedy shticks and impersonation of divas such as Mariah Carey, Beyonce, and Asia’s Songbird, Regine Velasquez. A STAR performer at O Bar, the premier drag club in the Philippines, she is a mother to a host of other popular drag queens.
Prince
Prince is known on social media for her make-up transformations. Before joining Drag Race Philippines, Prince was a Social Media Strategist and is relatively new to the Philippine drag scene. Prince’s drag is heavily-influenced by sci-fi and anime and believes that “extraterrestrial” looks have a space in Philippine drag. Prince is also one of the co-founders of Drag Playhouse PH. Aside from doing drag, she manages her own make-up and merchandise line.
Turing
Turing has been a professional drag artist for more than seven years, performing in one of the most known drag bars in the Philippines, O-Bar. A Broadway fan and a theater kid who used to be a cheerleader in college, Turing is known in the drag scene as a fierce dancer and a lip-sync slayer. She has openly discussed how drag has made her feel more comfortable in her skin, and is a strong advocate for body positivity.
Viñas DeLuxe
Viñas DeLuxe is a triple threat and an all-in-one package. She started doing drag while at university with a background in theatre that helped harness her sharp wit, performance skills, and knack for comedy. Viñas DeLuxe owns a wig business and has built a strong social media presence. She is also in a drag group called “the Divine Divas”, who gained popularity during the pandemic, mounting digital performances and live streams worldwide.
Xilhouete
Xilhouete is respected in the drag scene in Manila. She is the Creative Director and one of the owners of Nectar Nightclub. Xilhouete is considered a drag mother of many queens, especially those who are regular performers at Nectar. An entrepreneur, director, and artist, Xilhouete advocates for the legacy of the drag queens who have paved the way.
Who will have the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent to win it all? Catch the first-ever Drag Race Philippines and enjoy an ever-growing library of exclusives, originals, and more with discovery+.
Drag Race Philippines is produced in the Philippines by Fullhouse Asia Production Studios, Inc in conjunction with World of Wonder Productions, Inc. Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey, Tom Campbell, and RuPaul Charles serve as executive producers on the series.
New lies are made, new secrets surface, and a new generation of Liars must uncover the truth behind the bloody murders committed by the new A in Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, streaming on HBO GO this July 28.
Instead of a full reboot, Original Sin is set in the universe of the original Pretty Little Liars series, with the events taking place in the town of Millwood where new characters face a mysterious menace familiar to fans. This time, the teens are pursued by a new killer taking the alias of A, for the secrets that their mothers have kept since they were teens themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnXgKHt—w
What’s no longer a secret about Original Sin is that our very own Lea Salonga stars in the show as Elodie, the mother of one of the latest Liars, Minnie “Mouse” Honrada. Elodie is described as an overbearing mother who is trying to keep her daughter safe from past trauma.
Salonga’s on-screen daughter Mouse is played by Filipino-American actress Malia Pyles. The cast also includes Bailee Madison, Chandler Kinney, Zaria, Maia Reficco, Mallory Bechtel, Sharon Leal, Elena Goode, Eric Johnson, and Alex Aiono.
We recently had a chat with Salonga and Pyles in a virtual roundtable interview where the two stars shared details about the show, their characters, and more. Check out the highlights of the interview below:
Malia, how excited were you when you heard that Lea was playing your mother in the series?
Malia: I’ve been gushing about her in all of these interviews. But seriously, you can go back on my Instagram– I don’t know if I’ve shared this with you, Lea– I made a post for International Women’s Day, I would say in 2016 or 2017. And in that post, where I was posting pictures about the women that inspire me, one of those photos was of you.
Courtesy of HBO GO / HBO Max
I definitely didn’t have to have a lesson about who Lea was. First of all, I’m a huge Disney princess fan. Also, [Les Miserables] was the soundtrack of my childhood. My parents didn’t raise me on normal music, they raised me on [theater music]. So Les Miserables and Miss Saigon, those two roles, they meant everything to me. And to get to a point in my career where I had the opportunity to work with her, especially to work so intimately with her, it’s just a dream come true, really.
Lea, were you able to inject your own parenting style into the role of Elodie?
Lea: It’s not so much that I have a lot of the freedom to do whatever I wanted, because the character is the character. I think her parenting is a result of this character’s circumstances and what she has been through as a younger person. So all of that will be made much more clear, and I think then we will understand why all of these characters are the way that they are, as a result of things that happened in their lives as younger people[…] But I think there will always be some sort of instinctive maternal thing anyway that will just kick in regardless of whatever this character is doing.
Malia, how did it feel to transition into the thriller or horror genre?
Malia: I am a huge fan of horror and slasher, and so I was so ready to sink my teeth into this. And I felt so supported by our creative team. We came into rehearsals and our director for episodes 1 and 2, she had a storyboard for us and it depicted a lot of different elements of horror as well as different references to horror films, and so it was clear to me that this was a very visual medium that I was getting myself into.
Courtesy of HBO GO / HBO Max
In tandem with the delicate and nuanced issues that we cover, there’s also this huge external horror that follows and terrorizes these girls and their families, and so it’s really lovely to find the balance of that. I think when exploring trauma so intimately, it’s been helpful to have the horror medium as the backdrop because it almost makes that internal horror that these girls are experiencing more tangible.
I know growing up and coming of age in high school, everything feels so big and impossible at times, and so it was just a testament to how smart our creative team was, exploring this known IP with a different lens. I think it just heightened all the drama so much so in a really beautiful way. And it’s really fun as an actor, and also just as a viewer of drama and horror.
Lea, what made you decide to join the project and how did you get the role of Elodie?
Lea: In this case, I had to actually audition, so it was not like ‘Would you like to take this role?’ It wasn’t like served on a plate. I don’t know how many actors were up for this, but I know it was the beginning of September, I auditioned for it, and sent everything to my manager who then sent everything to the creative team to see if I would be the right person for it.
Courtesy of HBO GO / HBO Max
There might have been something that I did [when I was a teenager] that had some mystery and some detective work and some horror in it, but that was so long ago. Certainly nothing like this, for something like HBO. This is something, I guess, new, and I don’t think I’m an actor that’s necessarily associated with scary things? As I’m normally associated with things made for families or for children, or big musicals where there is a tragedy but not necessarily something like this. I think it’s just one of those things that I just totally left out when I auditioned for it.
And I’m somebody that tends not to choose horror as an audience because I watched The Ring, and that kept me up for so many nights that it ruined the horror genre for me. So it’s kind of karmic, that I ended up on an HBO show that’s horror, slasher, and frightening. It just happened that way, and I just feel very very fortunate.
Lea, aside from the original series, and you and Malia’s involvement in the series, what do you think will make the show appeal to Filipino viewers?
Lea: First of all, there are four of us Filipinos in the show. Besides myself and Malia, we have Emily Bautista and Sharon Leal who is actually one of the mothers– she’s not playing Filipino but she is Filipino. She’s really Filipino, and in our conversations on set, it’s very obvious that she’s Filipino, at least it’s obvious to me.
Second, even though this is a horror-slasher show, at the center of it, there are these five young women, and how their own families figure in this show. We see mother-daughter dynamics from all of them, from all of these young women, and their mothers are very much involved.
Courtesy of HBO GO / HBO Max
We see that there’s dysfunction within families. That there are secrets that mothers keep from their children and vice versa. You know when you’re growing up and you’re a teenager, I remember thinking there are things that I have to keep from my mom. And as I get older and as I’m having conversations with my mother, I’m like ‘How on Earth did I not know this?’
So I think what’s going to appeal to us Filipinos, is watching how these families and how the members of each of these families interact with one another. And how one member of the family affects another, and how trauma affects one generation versus another, and how each of these families deals with this common enemy, that they have to figure out how to combat[…] We love family drama, and there’s an abundance of that here.
Malia, were you able to watch the original series, and did you pick up any pointers when working on this new show?
Malia: I was a big fan, it came out when I was 10. So I was definitely at an age where maybe I should not have been watching it? But I think what the original show does really well is that it does deliver truth and adult themes among these teen girls who are discovering things about themselves and there’s something deeply relatable about that for all ages.
So I remember growing up and watching it, and just thinking how beautiful and iconic these girls were. Also for me in particular, I’m queer and I’m also Filipino, so Shay Mitchell had a huge impact on me, being a Filipina and also playing a queer character. I think it resonated so deeply with me and so it’s been incredible to be able to fill those shoes, in one way or another– continue that Filipina representation in this show, in this universe in particular. And now it’s not [like before when] Shay was the only person of color onscreen in that show. We have such a diverse cast, and we’re representing so many different stories, and it’s been really lovely to not only be able to be something for my people but then also learn from these other girls, and their backgrounds, and where they come from.
It’s really cool, and also just getting to call myself a Liar, it’s just been a dream of a lifetime.
Courtesy of HBO GO / HBO Max
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Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin streams on HBO GO this July 28. All seven seasons of the original series are also available for streaming on the platform. Subscribe to HBO GO now at www.hbogoasia.ph or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store on your device for as low as P99.70 per month.
To celebrate Nutrition Month, the Mama Sita’s Mga Kuwentong Pagkain (MKP) spotlights the stories of inspiring Filipinos, whose creativity in the kitchen proves one can enjoy healthy, wholesome meals and at the same time appreciate the value of living sustainably.
Deliciously vegan
Filipino influencer Jeeca Uy (@thefoodietakesflight) on creativity in the kitchen
Jessica “Jeeca” Uy is a 24-year-old influencer who started an Instagram account in 2015. Today, she has over 800,000 followers, a website, a book, and more posts up her sleeve. What makes her different from other influencers her age? Her insta is about cooking—vegan cooking!
Scallion Buns
“I learned to cook when I was younger, but it was when I went vegan that I really got to apply what I learned growing up,” shares Jeeca, who went vegan in the same year she started her social media handle, @thefoodietakesflight. “I wanted to create vegan versions of my favorite food. I learned a lot from simple stir-frying, braising, pan-frying, baking techniques that I get to apply to plant-based food and alternative protein, like my favorite tofu, today.”
Going vegan
The young cook shares that going vegan “overnight” and being vegan through college had its challenges, but she wouldn’t have wanted it another way. “I think being vegan made me see vegetables in a different light. I saw them as more than just a side or an accompaniment to another main ingredient, and instead saw the potential of tofu and vegetables as the main star of the dish. There are so many different vegetables with varying textures and tastes that I really love to work with.”
Kung Pao Tofu
This new perspective inspired Jeeca to spend hours in the kitchen experimenting with ingredients, flavors, textures, and techniques. Her style is not to focus on salads and wraps, but to re-imagine the food she grew up with as vegan dishes.
Healthy and wholesome eating
Veganism is often associated with healthful living, and one reason why is the use of fresh and wholesome ingredients. Jeeca shares that she doesn’t “do big grocery shopping days,” but buys her fresh produce from a vegetable vendor who passes by her house. “His name is Rey and I usually just get what I need for the day (and the upcoming 3-5 days) from him and work around what I want to cook from there. So, if today he comes selling bell peppers and eggplants, I’d usually buy a few and make an eggplant dish and something with bell peppers for the week.”
Tofu Sisig
Her menu revolves around what’s fresh and available. Tofu and fresh shiitake and king oyster mushrooms are always in stock, as well as dry good like rice, noodles, beans, and dried mushrooms. She buys from her local Chinese or Korean stores. Her freezer keeps frozen noodles, dumpling wrappers, and ready-to-eat vegan food (which she enjoys occasionally as a treat). “I could say my menus are very dependent on what product and ingredients I have access to and work around those,” says Jeeca.
Seasonings, oils, and sauces
Of course, there’s the seasonings and sauces she uses to create different flavor profiles. Some of her go-to options include soy sauces, vinegars, sesame oil, vegetarian oyster sauce, sake, mirin, fermented bean pastes, and chili sauces. She even makes her own chili oil!
For Filipino cooking, Jeeca shares, “I love Mama Sita’s Coconut Vinegar, Sukang Iloko, and Pinoy Ensalada for vinegars—I have an ever-growing stash of vinegars at home that I use for cooking and making different sauces for dipping or marinades. Vinegars are a key ingredient in Filipino cooking, so I really can’t live without them. I really love the different sinigang mixes, from the classic Sinigang sa Sampalok to Sinigang sa Bayabas. I love how these are vegan by default! I use Mama Sita’s Vegetarian Oyster Sauce, Barbecue Marinade, Sisig, and Adobo Marinade for my recipes. They’re super handy to have in my pantry and are staples for my cooking.”
What’s interesting is that this vegan cook’s creativity led her to use the Sinigang Mix in a different way: “I’ve actually made sinigang fried rice using the sinigang powders. It’s actually so good to sprinkle the powder over anything and everything, but that fried rice was just on another level with a mix of vegetables!” she shares.
Seven years since her lifestyle change, Jeeca can say that her food choices go beyond the plate: this young cook’s healthy cooking is also her way of living a more sustainable lifestyle. With her creativity, influence, and relevant message, Jeeca has shown that foodies like her can not only take flight, but also soar.
