SPOTTED | Monaco princess photographed holding a Jollibee toy

Princess Gabriella, one of Monaco's youngest royalties, was photographed holding a Jollibee toy during the Sainte Devote ceremony last January 26.

Image Courtesy: Palais Princier de Monaco

The princess was with her parents Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene and her twin brother Prince Jacques.

If you'd take a closer look at the image above, Princess Gabriella was holding what seemed to be a Jollibee toy from the Jollibee Musical Band collection that came with the Jolly Kiddie Meals last year. 

Charlène et Gabriella || Sainte Dévote 2018 🌸 . I adore Gabriella's little boots 👢❣️ . #Monaco #Monegasque #LittlePrincess #PrincessOfMonaco #January2018 #Janvier2018 #PrincipauteDeMonaco #PalaisPrincier #PrincipalityOfMonaco #PrincessCharlene #CharleneDeMonaco #LittleLady #PrincessCharleneOfMonaco #RoyalLady #PrincesseCharlene #PrincessGabriella #PetitePrincesse #RoyalKid #RoyalChildren #MereEtFille #MèreEtFille #MomAndDaughter #MommysPrincess #ShyLittleGirl #MommyAndDaughter

A post shared by Charlène de Monaco 👑 (@charleneofmonaco) on Feb 3, 2018 at 8:50am PST

It's humbling to see a Filipino brand extend its reach up to western Europe and, to a lot of people's surprise, to looked-up-to royals. It would really let one wondering how the Jollibee toy ended in the hands of a princess.

LIST | 10 Pinoy youtubers, vloggers you should follow (Part 2)

Note: Spotlight Philippines had a difficulty adjusting the codes for this article in such a way that the comments section and the share button won't overlap on the blog's content, kaso wala eh, nothing good happened so I decided to cut the first part into two parts. Part 1 of this list is found here.

This is a list of 10 Filipino Youtubers you might want to follow. You could be wondering right now if I'm following anyone of them. Yes, in fact, I am following some of them inc. Lloyd, Wil and Trick Ramos hehe. One thing their videos have in common is their sense of humor. I really love to laugh so videos that light up my mood are my favorite. Images: Ranz Kyle, Trick Ramos

4. TRICK RAMOS

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Trick Ramos

I came across his self-titled youtube channel Trick Ramos just a week ago and all I can say is that this youtuber will make it big time.

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Trick Ramos

5.

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He identifies himself as a jologs travel vlogger from PH. Watching his travel videos really brighten up my day not just for his awesome video editing but also for the sense of humor he injects in all of them. You won't be closing a tab with his work on it without having that smile drawn on your face. Trick does not run out of ideas when it comes to entertaining his subscribers. What's really enticing is that you'd be surprised at how good he is in impressing people by inserting surprise clips that tickles your sense. There's no doubt this guy will be popular in the coming years. Mark my word.

He identifies himself as a "jologs travel vlogger from PH." Watching his travel videos really brighten up my day not just for his awesome video editing but also for the sense of humor he injects in all of them. You won't be closing a tab with his work on it unless a smile has been drawn on your face. Trick does not run out of ideas when it comes to entertaining his subscribers. What's really enticing is that you'd be surprised at how good he is in impressing people by inserting surprise audio and video clips that tickle your senses. There's no doubt this guy will be popular in the coming years. Mark my word.

5. RANZ KYLE

With over 2 million subscribers on Youtube, 1.2 million followers on Facebook, and 1.3 million followers on Instagram, Ranz Kyle together with his sister Niana make up the dancing duo whose bubbly choreographs propelled the Youtube channel to its highs. Ranz Kyle's channel has got a huge following not only in the Philippines but also outside the country.

The channels consists mainly of choreographs, pranks and dance challenges. His most popular video is "When 'Shape of You' by Ed Sheeran Comes Along," a short funny clip showing what happens to a person who gets carried along by his/her song jam, in this case, Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You."

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Ranz Kyle

Alright, let's take a binge-watch break! Five (5) Youtubers have been introduced in this two-part list, and there are five (5) more to go! Who could they be? Get updates on Part 3 of this list by checking out Manila LifeBox.

LIST | 10 Pinoy youtubers, vloggers you should follow (Part 1)

It's not surprising that a lot of Filipino millennials nowadays have decided to join Youtube as a Youtuber or vlogger. There's a lot of perks (monetary and in kind) that come alongside being popular as a social media influencer, not to mention the lower costs associated with setting up your own studio and planning everything for yourself rather than relying on so many cash-strapping equipment and staff. So, why not do it on your own right? Hence, many Pinoys have taken the route of Youtube stardom.

Image Courtes: Youtube

Despite the numerous attempts to gain a huge number of followers, only a few have reached the top with hundreds of thousands of followers. This list I created includes some of the most popular Youtube stars (Youtubers, vloggers, channels) in the country.

1. LLOYD CAFE CADENA

First, we have Lloyd Cadena who is definitely one of the most famous Filipino youtubers in the country today. His channel has an at-least-500-thousand-strong following, mostly young students. This influencer has over 4 million followers in Youtube.

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Lloyd Cafe Cadena

His videos are really on point when it comes to sharing pieces of advice regarding life scenarios (especially love) or some tips just about anything. Lloyd's videos also tackle a lot of topics from food and entertainment to personal encounters together with his friends BNT Productions.

Lloyd Cafe Cadena has been awarded the YouTube Silver Play Button in 2013, Best Comedy on YouTube at Globe Tatt Awards in 2013, Cosmo Webtastic Award in 2015, Hall of Famer for Chicken Pork Adobo in 2015, and Youtube Personality Award in Influence Asia 2017.

2. MICHELLE DY

Girls would surely want to read up and get to know this second Youtuber in the list. It's no other than Pinay makeup guru Michelle Dy! With 260k followers in Instagram, 90k followers in Twitter, and 480k subscribers in Youtube, she sure knows what she's doing. Her videos focus on makeup tutorials, TV serye-inspired transformations, trendy challenges and a list of monthly favorites (beauty items). At present, she gives personal makeup workshops at affordable prices.

Her channel's most popular video features herself demonstrating GMA 7's Encantadia 2016-inspired sang'gre looks. Watch it below!

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Michelle Dy

3. WIL DASOVICH

A TV celebrity, model, and Youtube vlogger, Fil-Am Wil Dasovich is probably the most popular, sought-after male Pinoy vlogger in the Philippines. And his star continued to shine when he joined "Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7," one of ABS-CBN's top rating reality TV shows. In this year's Influence Asia 2017, which was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wil won not just one but three awards, Youtube Channel Award, Breakout Influencer Award, and Influencer of the Year.

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Wil Dasovich

Although born in the States, Wil decided to make PH his home and made videos about the local culture. His videos often feature his travel escapades in and around the Philippines. His fluency in speaking Tagalog and gay lingo has made his videos unique from the rest. In his channel, his works focus on "traveling, personal health & well being."  He also makes daily vlogs "meant to encourage everyone to go out, explore, and make the most out of every situation they come across."

P.S. This blog is encountering template problems when the article seems to be too long so I cut it short. Here is Part 2 of the list of Pinoy Youtube stars you might want to check out.

SPOTTED | Student filmmaker spies on thief who stole his smartphone for documentary

What happens to a stolen smartphone after the theft?

This was mainly what was in mind of a young filmmaker in Amsterdam who  produced a short documentary about the life of a smartphone thief. There's a catch though; unless the sim card is destroyed or the phone is reset, the documentary about this thief's life continues. 

All student filmmaker Anthony van der Meer needed to do were to bug his smartphone, wait for it to be stolen, and eventually, monitor the thief.

Image Screenshot: Find my Phone - Subtitled (Short Film)

For this documentary, der Meer intentionally had his smartphone stolen. Before the theft took place, the smartphone was loaded with a bugging software Cerberus whichs gave the young docu maker access to his  stolen device's location and information which include new messages and contacts added. The app alsoo allowed der Meer to have sort of control over its camera and microphone through WiFi access.

The actual theft wasn't documented due to unforeseen circumstances. However, for two weeks, der Meer spied on the thief. He compiled the details and clips and then made these into the short film seen below called "Find My Phone - Subtitled".

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Anthony van der Meer

Since December 13, the film has already reached 4.1 million views.

Reaction:

Although it's not that normal a theme to take center stage in short films and documentaries, I find this really interesting. Getting to know a thief through surveillance technology, although it somewhat bypasses privacy, is actually an out-of-the-box way of crafting a film project dedicated towards

But, if you were to be asked, was it really a good idea to conduct such snooping? For me, it was quite justifiable. The clip did tell us something about the thief's life. In fact, it gave us a sneak peek of the type of person this man is, only to realize in the end that what we see or hear through a smartphone may or may not be what is real.

In der Meer's words, "suddenly, I had made eye contact with the thief. In front of me was a completely different person than I imagined. Nothing was left of the sad, kind man I thought I knew. I realized that the bond I thought I had built with him was merely one-sided. The aggressive attitude and the smell of hasj that surrounded him, made it clear to me; I don't know this man in front of me after all."

SPOTTED | When Art allows two strangers to meet for the first time

Can one still find love through Art? Will two strangers even meet for the love of Art? Well, this is the case of two people who decided to meet in order to hand over each other's sketch. Sounds unrealistic right?

In a post in GUHIT Pinas, Facebook user Jessol Angeles shared what has been a successful #arttrade with a fellow member. And oops, there's a twist hahaha. Just like Art, anything can be misinterpreted haha. View the photo below.

Image Screenshot: Jessol Angeles

Comments just kept on rushing soon after. Some users can contain their reactions.

One commenter, Angel Vi Manong, said, 

In GP, Instead of saying "pusuan mo ko? pusuan din kita" we say "draw mo ko? Drawing din kita" and I think that's beautiful😂❤

#heARTtrade

Benjie Wakui added,

Stay strong in advance po. 😁

Mikkaela Morales Amor wittingly joked,

Respeto naman sa mga in-undas ang lovelife 😂😂😂😭

Could this be the start of something new? Let's just hope so. This might usher in a new, effective way of subtle, covert "dating" -- for the sake of Art. HAHA. Push na yan, bro!

VIDEO | Cute or cruel? These puppies obey their master like soldiers.

I came across this video on Facebook wherein a pack of cute, little puppies (poodles?) were walking along a park with their master. What's pretty interesting though is how these pups follow according to their master's instructions. The pack followed a synchronized movement, except for an instance when the bigger pup walk on his/her two hind feet which, for some viewers, was to an extent cruel. Is this video cruel or just plain cute?

Cưng quá ta <3Source: 中国日报

Posted by Pho on Friday, January 8, 2016

MUST WATCH | Mommy panda finds out baby isn't in bed

Mothers of any kind of species definitely bear that instinct to care for their young. As it happens to us, mothers of the wild do the same thing when they realize their young is out of their watch.

All mothers and babysitters do come across this. Every once in a while, when it's nap time or late at night, we sometimes see our young ones take some moments exploring whatever area is interesting. And when we catch them already far from our vision, we rush to their aid and do what we ought to do.

Well, here's an extremely cute case of what motherhood duties are in the wild. Watch what happens when this mother panda finds out that her baby isn't in bed.

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel 100BambooLtd

SPOTTED | What a beautiful Disney medley! Listen and be mesmerized.

Have you ever been in a situation wherein you accidentally click on a Youtube video and find yourself stuck replaying that video for all its greatness and wonder?

Well, this I felt in a disney medley which is probably the best of the best medleys out there. Featuring vocal group Voctave, Pentatonix female singer Kirstin Maldonado and her boyfriend Jeremy Michael Lewis, the music video found below raised the Disney magic several times more powerful with a very strong rendition of three Disney movie songs, I See the Light from Tangled, You'll be in My Heart from Tarzan, and Go the Distance from Hercules.

Enjoy this exemplary medley!

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Voctave

VISIT | Check out this new It's More Fun in the Philippines video featuring Apl.de.ap and the best tourist destinations in the country!

The Philippines, with all it's 7,107 and counting islands, is a country every traveler or tourist should place in their bucket list. It's full of awesome places that once you go there, you'd keep on coming back! And it's just an understatement!

In its campaign to boost tourism in the country and in support of the Department of Tourism's new slogan Visit Philippines Again in 2016, Tourism Philippines launched a music video of some of the best tourist spots in the area with international artist Apl.de.ap singing in the clip and touring around the country.

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Manila Philippines

Here are some of the best areas or places in the Philippines a tourist should check out!

• Manila
• Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
• El Nido, Palawan
• Coron, Palawan
• Cebu 
• Davao City
• Bohol
• Legaspi City
• Siargao Island
• Baguio City
• Boracay Island
• Vigan City
• Camiguin
• Batanes
• Sagada
• Banaue Ifugao
• Iloilo City
• Guimaras Island
• Dumaguete City
• Siquijor Island

Each tourist spot mentioned above will have a dedicated post containing what to do, how to get there from Manila, where to stay, what to buy, when to prepare, etc. 

So, if you want some updates regarding this, feel free to like its Facebook page Spotlight Philippines and its sister website's Manila LifeBox. You may also subscribe via email. Just look at the left tab and you'll be able to be updated. Follow me on Twitter too!

SPOTTED | Dance duo Lucky Aces impresses Dance Kids judges with MC Hammer hits

A duo of Fil-Canadian dancers, Lucky Aces, have impressed the "dance masters" of Dance Kids in their performance of MC Hammer Hits during the Step Up segment of the ABS-CBN show. 

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Dance Kids

Canada-based Filipino dancers AC Bonifacio and Lucky Ancheta, who have shown finesse and versatility, received a standing ovation on Saturday for their performance of MC Hammer's popular dance hits, "Can't Touch This" and "Too Legit to Quit."

Lucky Aces and John Nicole Crudo (from Cavite) are the first kid performers to move on to the live semifinals.

SPOTTED | 6 Well-Loved Pinoy Junk Food

Pinoys love to eat! That's an understatement!

There are those picky ones who prefer casual dining experience. There are those who love to dine in at fast food restaurants, while others just prefer to eat at home. And there are those who just want to be in the company of others and feast on some salty chips --- junk foods that go along with every movie you watch, with every heartache story you tell, or with every small success you celebrate.

Image Source: Phil-Em.com

These 6 Filipino chichiryas have stayed in the Filipino households for a very long time. Check out the list of the 6 well-love Pinoy junk foods here! 

VIDEO | How menstruation (regla) works

Almost all women will experience this -- menstruation. But how does it happen? And why does it happen? What makes one cycle of menstruation? And why does it take an average of 28 days?

Image Screencap: Youtube channel TED-Ed

Youtube channel TED-Ed has come up with an audiovisual (video) clip of how menstruation works. Take time to realize why it's important to know what happens in menstruation so that you'd be more aware and empowered to teach others what it is all about.

In the very interesting video below, you will come across terms like ovaries, oocytes, and follicles, and hormones like estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH). But more than just being familiar with these names, you will understand better the mechanisms that take place in every menstrual cycle. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel TED-Ed

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel TED-Ed

LIST | 88th Academy Awards nominations, nominees

The nominations for the 88th Academy Awards in its 24 categories have been revealed at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The Revenant takes the most Academy Awards nominations (12), with Mad Max second (11), and Fury Road third (10).

Happening on February 28, 2016 at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, the 88th Academy Awards will be hosted by Chris Rock, and will be aired live by the ABC network at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT. Also, the presentation of the Oscar will be televised live in at least 225 countries and territories all over the world.

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR

“The Big Short” Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers
“Bridge of Spies” Steven Spielberg, Marc Platt and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers
“Brooklyn” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
“Mad Max: Fury Road” Doug Mitchell and George Miller, Producers
“The Martian” Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, Michael Schaefer and Mark Huffam, Producers
“The Revenant” Arnon Milchan, Steve Golin, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mary Parent and Keith Redmon, Producers
“Room” Ed Guiney, Producer
“Spotlight” Michael Sugar, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin and Blye Pagon Faust, Producers


ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

“The Big Short” Adam McKay
“Mad Max: Fury Road” George Miller
“The Revenant” Alejandro G. Iñárritu
“Room” Lenny Abrahamson
“Spotlight” Tom McCarthy


PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Bryan Cranston in “Trumbo”
Matt Damon in “The Martian”
Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Revenant”
Michael Fassbender in “Steve Jobs”
Eddie Redmayne in “The Danish Girl”

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Cate Blanchett in “Carol”
Brie Larson in “Room”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Joy”
Charlotte Rampling in “45 Years”
Saoirse Ronan in “Brooklyn”

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Christian Bale in “The Big Short”
Tom Hardy in “The Revenant”
Mark Ruffalo in “Spotlight”
Mark Rylance in “Bridge of Spies”
Sylvester Stallone in “Creed”

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Jennifer Jason Leigh in “The Hateful Eight”
Rooney Mara in “Carol”
Rachel McAdams in “Spotlight”
Alicia Vikander in “The Danish Girl”
Kate Winslet in “Steve Jobs”


ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“The Big Short” Screenplay by Charles Randolph and Adam McKay
“Brooklyn” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
“Carol” Screenplay by Phyllis Nagy
“The Martian” Screenplay by Drew Goddard
“Room” Screenplay by Emma Donoghue

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“Bridge of Spies” Written by Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
“Ex Machina” Written by Alex Garland
“Inside Out” Screenplay by Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley; Original story by Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen
“Spotlight” Written by Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy
“Straight Outta Compton” Screenplay by Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff; Story by S. Leigh Savidge & Alan Wenkus and Andrea Berloff

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR

“Embrace of the Serpent” Colombia
“Mustang” France
“Son of Saul” Hungary
“Theeb” Jordan
“A War” Denmark

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR

“Anomalisa” Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson and Rosa Tran
“Boy and the World” Alê Abreu
“Inside Out” Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera
“Shaun the Sheep Movie” Mark Burton and Richard Starzak
“When Marnie Was There” Hiromasa Yonebayashi and Yoshiaki Nishimura

ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN

“Bridge of Spies” Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Rena DeAngelo and Bernhard Henrich
“The Danish Girl” Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Michael Standish
“Mad Max: Fury Road” Production Design: Colin Gibson; Set Decoration: Lisa Thompson
“The Martian” Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Celia Bobak
“The Revenant” Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Hamish Purdy

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

“Carol” Ed Lachman
“The Hateful Eight” Robert Richardson
“Mad Max: Fury Road” John Seale
“The Revenant” Emmanuel Lubezki
“Sicario” Roger Deakins

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

“Carol” Sandy Powell
“Cinderella” Sandy Powell
“The Danish Girl” Paco Delgado
“Mad Max: Fury Road” Jenny Beavan
“The Revenant” Jacqueline West

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING

“The Big Short” Hank Corwin
“Mad Max: Fury Road” Margaret Sixel
“The Revenant” Stephen Mirrione
“Spotlight” Tom McArdle
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

“Amy” Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees
“Cartel Land” Matthew Heineman and Tom Yellin
“The Look of Silence” Joshua Oppenheimer and Signe Byrge Sørensen
“What Happened, Miss Simone?” Liz Garbus, Amy Hobby and Justin Wilkes
“Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” Evgeny Afineevsky and Den Tolmor

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

“Mad Max: Fury Road” Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin
“The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared” Love Larson and Eva von Bahr
“The Revenant” Siân Grigg, Duncan Jarman and Robert Pandini

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SCORE)

“Bridge of Spies” Thomas Newman
“Carol” Carter Burwell
“The Hateful Eight” Ennio Morricone
“Sicario” Jóhann Jóhannsson
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” John Williams

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG)

“Earned It” from “Fifty Shades of Grey”
Music and Lyric by Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Jason Daheala Quenneville and Stephan Moccio
“Manta Ray” from “Racing Extinction”
Music by J. Ralph and Lyric by Antony Hegarty
“Simple Song #3” from “Youth”
Music and Lyric by David Lang
“Til It Happens To You” from “The Hunting Ground”
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren and Lady Gaga
“Writing’s On The Wall” from “Spectre”
Music and Lyric by Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING

“Bridge of Spies” Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Drew Kunin
“Mad Max: Fury Road” Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff and Ben Osmo
“The Martian” Paul Massey, Mark Taylor and Mac Ruth
“The Revenant” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Randy Thom and Chris Duesterdiek
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Andy Nelson, Christopher Scarabosio and Stuart Wilson

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING

“Mad Max: Fury Road” Mark Mangini and David White
“The Martian” Oliver Tarney
“The Revenant” Martin Hernandez and Lon Bender
“Sicario” Alan Robert Murray
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Matthew Wood and David Acord

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS

“Ex Machina” Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and Sara Bennett
“Mad Max: Fury Road” Andrew Jackson, Tom Wood, Dan Oliver and Andy Williams
“The Martian” Richard Stammers, Anders Langlands, Chris Lawrence and Steven Warner
“The Revenant” Rich McBride, Matthew Shumway, Jason Smith and Cameron Waldbauer
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan and Chris Corbould

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

“Body Team 12” David Darg and Bryn Mooser
“Chau, beyond the Lines” Courtney Marsh and Jerry Franck
“Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah” Adam Benzine
“A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness” Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
“Last Day of Freedom” Dee Hibbert-Jones and Nomi Talisman

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

“Ave Maria” Basil Khalil and Eric Dupont
“Day One” Henry Hughes
“Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut)” Patrick Vollrath
“Shok” Jamie Donoughue
“Stutterer” Benjamin Cleary and Serena Armitage

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

“Bear Story” Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala
“Prologue” Richard Williams and Imogen Sutton
“Sanjay’s Super Team” Sanjay Patel and Nicole Grindle
“We Can’t Live without Cosmos” Konstantin Bronzit
“World of Tomorrow” Don Hertzfeldt

DETAILS | Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2016

Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2016 (Click to enlarge)

Get ready to fly high and reach for the skies in this year's Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2016. Expect to be compelled with this crowd-enthralling festivity! 

Celebrating its 20th year of launching hot air balloons from the Philippine grounds, the 2016 Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta comes back to bring another weekend of undeniable fun and mesmerizing colors. 

When it will happen 

While the official lineup of activities is yet to be declared, let it be known that the Philippine Hot Air Balloon festival will still take place in Clark, Pampanga this February 11-14, 2016. The schedule of the 20th Philippine Hot Air Balloon Fiesta will be announced soon. 

What to watch out for 

Besides the much-anticipated hot air balloon launches that will take place early in the morning and will set the night to light, there are other activities and events to look forward too! Take delight and be inspired in awe as you watch trained individuals perform skydiving, aerobatics, and paragliding. You can also engage in flying your own kite and remote controlled aircraft. Would it be possible to launch drones as well? We’ll see. 

Ticket prices 

The prices for admission to the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is 350 Php for General Admission and 6,000 Php for VIP in a 1-day access to the festival grounds. 

Speaking of VIP passes, you can get these additional services with it: 

• Priority entrance
• An air-conditioned lounge 
• Complimentary use of the balloon launch patio
• Breakfast and lunch buffets 
• Afternoon high tea
• Complimentary snacks & beverages

If you want to ride a hot air balloon, you’ll have to shell out $350. Meanwhile, tandem paragliding is less costly at $150. Doing tandem skydiving will cost you $400, while airplane discovery flights will make you spend $120. Figures are either in Philippine Pesos (Php) or US dollars ($). 

Where to buy tickets 

Purchase the 20th hot air balloon fest tickets through PIHABF offices at the Air Ads Hangar, Andrews Avenue, Pasay City. You may also visit its site via http://www.philballoonfest.net/online-ticketing/. 

Tickets will also be sold at the festival entrance through ticketing gates and counters in the venue that will open daily.

Photo Courtesy: BalloonTeam.net

Where to dine out 

You can bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages to the venue. Food stalls and booths will also be present there to offer yummy and tasty snacks and meals, and thirst-quenching drinks. 

Best time to be there 

Gates usually open at 5 AM. Just wait for the official programme/schedule of the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta to be announced so that you'd be able to prepare more for the event. It's going to be one of the best days of your year!

Where to park my car 

Parking lots will be made available near and around the venue. The handicapped will also be allotted special parking slots in the area. Parking attendants will also be provided to guide you and avoid parking mayhem. 

Be updated on the official schedule of programs for the 20th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. Like the PIHABF official Facebook page via https://www.facebook.com/pihabf/. Visit www.philballoonfest.net.

VIRAL | Miss Universe crowning mistake parody trends

A 4-minute video uploaded by a certain Facebook user, Benedict Togonon Tan, has gone viral after it shows a parody of the controversial Miss Universe pageant title announcement error.

In the parody of the Miss Universe mis-crowning moment, the comedian who took the role of host Steve Harvey sang to the tune of Justin Bieber’s Sorry, which was then followed by the response of Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez with the JB's song What Do You Mean after being wrongleygiven the title of Miss Universe.

The character of Miss Philippine Pia Wurtzbach in the video went back to take the crown with an Adele hit Hello.

Laughed so hard at this skit!Hello Radost Todorova - Official
Posted by Benedict Togonon Tan on Saturday, December 26, 2015

As of posting time, the Miss Universe parody video has received at least 762k views and 20.2k shares.

SPOTTED | International sensation Ed Sheeran quits social media

Image Courtesy: Getty Images

Looks like someone's going to be missed for a while.

Just a few hours ago, Ed Sheeran, the popular singer-songwriter behind hit songs Give Me Love, Photograph, and Thinking Out Loud, has announced that he is "taking a break" from social media on his Instagram account.

He detailed in his Instagram post, which now has 387 thousand likes, that he has found himself "seeing the world through a screen and not my eyes," so he is taking a break from phone, emails and all social media for now. He further said that he is "taking the opportunity of not having to be anywhere... to travel the world and see everything I missed."

Please read x

A photo posted by @teddysphotos on Dec 12, 2015 at 10:29pm PST

He also confirmed via his Instagram post that his third album is "on its way and is the best thing I have made thus far".

With over 16 million Twitter and 5.5 million Instagram followers, Sheeran is hugely one of the artists to successfully roam the world. He has just finished his world tour of his second album X in Auckland, New Zealand which became number one in the UK, Australia and the US charts, was nominated for album of the year at the Grammy, and won the Brit award for the same category.

TRENDING | #ALDubEBTamangPanahon hashtag numbers at 39.4 million tweets

It's official. #ALDubEBTamangPanahon 39,430,893 tweets were made by AlDub nation! Congratulations!

STATS UPDATE: FINAL AND OFFICIAL TWEET COUNT FOR #ALDubEBTamangPanahon 39,430,893 TWEETS pic.twitter.com/hEUStbBqjk

— ALDUB RECORDS (@IstatistikaGURU) October 24, 2015

VIDEO | Marian Rivera, Dingdong Dantes arrival disrupts long voter registration line in QC Hall

A netizen has uploaded a clip showing how most Filipinos tend to forget their problems in the short run when (possibly unintended) distractions (e.g. celebrities) get into the scenario. In this case, Sandro Del Rosario detailed what happened while he was registering as a first time voter in Quezon City Hall.

I was just going to register as a voter "peacefully" but then this happened... DingDong Dantes and Marian Rivera arrive...
Posted by Sandro Del Rosario on Thursday, October 22, 2015

Video Source: Facebook user Sandro Del Rosario

The apparent problem here was the long line that was somehow irritating some of the registrants. The arrival, however, of celebrity couple Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes changed the atmosphere. People flocked to know what was happening and eventually, everything turned to chaos. The queue just disappeared at an instant and the people were just okay with that.

Definitely, this would not have happened if the guards, as per cam time, secured the line before giving vehicle pass to the couple. It's not Marian and Dingdong who's to blame for such case because they just wanted to vote as well, while there clearly was no other way for them to register as lining up personally would have caused more commotion with the graveness increasing the longer that they stayed there. It's mostly the people who should be criticized since they just wanted an easy escape out of the system they were in, whether they just got carried away or not.

Based on his experience, Del Rosario ended with three statements. One, Filipino are far too easily starstrucked. Two, they seem to forget all their problems when they see a celebrity. And three, while privileged people are given special treatment, most of the Filipino "masa" unconsciously and willingly subjugate themselves.

Furthermore, the video just shows that status symbol really has a lot of influence in Philippine society and that influence is a key piece in achieving a more robust, equitable, and sustainable development.

SPOTTED | These celebrity sketches look like actual BnW photos!

Marian Rivera photo sketch by Hans Alcanzare

Look! Hans Alcanzare, the artist behind the viral charcoal photo sketches of Maine Mendoza aka Yaya Dub and Alden Richards who make up the AlDub love team, had  actually shown some cool skills two years earlier. The 23-year-old St. Louis University graduate, who's now an urban planner and a civil engineer, did impress a lot with his own sketch of Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian Rivera.

A sketch of Marian Rivera with artist Hans in one of the photo tiles.

At just one glance, one could easily see Dingdong Dantes' wife in shades of black and white. It's amazing because one might mistaken it for a BnW photo, but err not, it's actually crafted by the same brilliant mind who made photo sketches of local celebrities like Anne Curtis and Megan Young to international stars like Andrew Garfield, Kim Soo Hyun, Johnny Depp, Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie, and Robert Downey Jr.! Check out his incredible works below. Kudos Hans!

Hans Alcanzare Charcoal Sketches Collection

Got any cool/inspiring Pinoy stories/features of accomplishments to share? Feel free to send them to spotlightphilippines(at)yahoo(dot)com(dot)ph.

SPOTTED | A mysterious floating city over China?

A video clip on Youtube showing a mysterious floating city (or resemblance of such) in the clouds above Fushan, China has attracted thousands of curious viewers and mystery hunters. Is this a holographic image made by some group of technology enthusiasts? Is this a government project being tested? Are we seeing the future---the parallel universe, perhaps? Is this just a cloud that is processed by our brains as an optical illusion of a city? Or is this even true?

Video Source: Youtube user Rajesh Parameshwaran Iyer

My gut feel says this is more likely either a man-made hoax or simply a cloud. If indeed hundreds of spectators have seen this floating city over Fushan, there should have been more clips of these (at least more than one) to show that this did happen. But, as of the moment, only one and just one clip is present online. Had there been more clips from various angles and had there been more hype from international media, this could have been more legit rather than just a plain noise-maker.

If indeed this did happen and more videos go online, then some mix of science and technology must be behind this. Perhaps an ominous cloud that just appears like a floating city? Or perhaps it's just trickingo our eyes? What do you think