2012 02/08-02/14

MANILA MAIL COMMUNITY

GMA-7's Mari Mar starring Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes will start airing FREE starting February 19, 2012 on FIL-AM TV digital network (Channel 31.3).

Atty. Ray C. Espinosa of TV5, right, celebrates Willie Revillame's birthday at Wil's Event Place in Quezon City recently with Head of Operations-International Jeff Remigio (3rd right), Head of Marketing Liza T. Latinazo, TV5 President & CEO Ito Ramirez (left), among others.

American Idol Runner-Up David Archuleta, right, recently concluded his "Nandito Ako" teleserye shoot in the Philippines shown here with TV5 bigwigs Perci Intalan (2nd right), Jeff Remigio (2nd left) and this Columnist in this souvenir photo taken at TV5 Novaliches.

Carmina Villaroel, Janice De Belen, Joey Marquez & Ogie Diaz topbill ABS-CBN’S newest showbiz-oriented talkshow, “SHOWBIZ INSIDE REPORT”

Filipino Chinese-American actress/singer Vanessa Hudgens (Disney’s “High School Musical” series) stars with Samoan American Dwayne Johnson (“Fast Five”) in the newest 3D action family adventure film, JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND. A New Line Cinema presentation of a Contrafilm production is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film will be released in IMAX® theaters worldwide on February 10, 2012. For more information about the film, visit http://www.theMysteriousIsland.com.

GMA-7's ALICE BUNGISNGIS will be played by one of the hottest tween stars on Philippine television today – Bea Binene together with Jake Vargas as her love interest Ace.

San Leandro-based Pinoy World Boxing Champion Nonito Donaire Jr. (right) wins a 4th title against Puerto Rican champ Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. via a split decision victory in a super bantamweight title bout in San Antonio, TX last Saturday.

More power to the Officers and Members of the St. Joseph The Worker of Our Lady Of Peace Church located in Santa Clara, CA headed by Bro. Frank Rom, Honorary Leader and the newly installed New Leader Bro. Joey Kimpo. The members meet every 3rd Sunday of the month and every Thursday at 7:00p.m. in the church for their weekly adoration. Everybody is welcomed to join the group

Miss World First Runner Up Gwendolyn Ruais had a chance encounter with Elk Grove's Justin Smaby at the Elite Manila offices in Makati City last week.

American Idol David Archuleta of "Nandito Ako" miniserye, center, sandwiched by TV5 bigwigs Perci Intalan (right), Jeff Remigio (left) and Manila Mail Newspaper's Richard Lao (2nd left) & Bradford Adkins (2nd right) in this souvenir photo taken at TV5 Novaliches.

“FREE” FIL-AM TV LAUNCHES FEB 19TH

(On Testing Phase for almost a month now, the LA-based station finally rolls-out)

TO-BE SEEN IN THE CITY

(Pasadena, CA) This Columnist has been privileged to be granted an impromptu site inspection of the newest FREE FIL-AM TV Studios located in Pasadena, CA last weekend. What we saw awed us as the facility already is 99% complete, staffed and operational. It has come to this Columnist’s attention, that the KVMD Digital Television (Channel 31.3) already on testing phase for almost a month now, will finally launch on Sunday, February 19, 2012.

FIL-AM TV has the distinction of being the FIRST US-BASED Filipino American television channel to broadcast FREE and 24/7 to an estimated 1,000,000 Filipino Americans who reside in the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura. It is also aimed to roll-out the FREE entertainment technology in Northern California before the year ends.

Completely independent, fiercely entrepreneurial and passionately local, FIL-AM TV is a platform for collaboration, creativity and initiative, and the collective voice of the Filipino American community.

FIL-AM TV is a specialty channel developed and operated by Filipino Media Group, Inc. Programming schedule and other information are readily available at www.FilAmTV.com

SEEN IN THE CITY

VANESSA HUDGENS STARS IN JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND

Filipino Chinese-American actress/singer Vanessa Hudgens (Disney’s “High School Musical” series) co-stars with Samoan American Dwayne Johnson (“Fast Five”) take center stage in this year’s anticipated family adventure film, JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND. The 3D movie is a New Line Cinema presentation of a Contrafilm production and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film will be released in IMAX® theaters worldwide on February 10, 2012.

In this follow-up to the 2008 worldwide hit “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” the new 3D family adventure “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” begins when young Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson, reprising his role from the first film) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist. It’s a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret.

Unable to stop him from going, Sean’s new stepfather, Hank (Dwayne Johnson), joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

"Journey 2: The Mysterious Island", is directed by Brad Peyton ("Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore"). It also stars Michael Caine as Sean’s grandfather, Alexander Anderson, and Kristin Davis as Sean’s mom, Liz Anderson.

The film is produced by Beau Flynn & Tripp Vinson, and Charlotte Huggins from a screenplay by Brian Gunn & Mark Gunn, screen story by Richard Outten. Serving as executive producers are Michael Bostick, Evan Turner, Marcus Viscidi, Richard Brener, Samuel J. Brown and Michael Disco. David Tattersall ("Gulliver’s Travels") is the director of photography; Bill Boes ("Fantastic Four"), the production designer; Denise Wingate ("Wedding Crashers"), the costume designer; and Academy Award© nominee Boyd Shermis ("Poseidon"), the visual effects supervisor.

Presented in IMAX 3D, this film has been digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience.

About Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Hudgens began her career in the world of musical theatre at the age of eight, with roles in such productions as “Evita,” “Carousel,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “The King & I,” “The Music Man,” “Cinderella” and “Damn Yankees,” and most recently appeared as Mimi in a stage production of “Rent” at The Hollywood Bowl, directed by Neil Patrick Harris.

The recognition Hudgens received for her early work quickly brought her to the screen, and she made her feature film debut in Catherine Hardwicke’s “Thirteen,” starring Holly Hunter and Evan Rachel Wood. Soon thereafter, she co-starred in the action-adventure film “Thunderbirds,” and was a recurring guest star on Disney Channel’s “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.” Her other television credits include appearances on “Quintuplets,” “The Brothers Garcia,” “Still Standing” and “Robbery Homicide Division.”

It was Hudgens’ role in Disney Channel’s breakaway sensation “High School Musical” that garnered her the most praise and attention. She played Gabrielle Montez, the sweet girl torn between her attraction to both basketball jock Troy Bolton and the school musical auditions. With critics and fans clamoring for more, Hudgens reprised her role in the highly successful follow ups, “High School Musical 2” and the feature film “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.” She then followed up those hits by starring in “Bandslam,” a film which centers around a high school misfit and a popular girl who form an unlikely bond through their love for music.

Hudgens most recently starred in Zack Snyder’s “Sucker Punch” and in “Beastly,” a modern-day take on Beauty & the Beast. Her upcoming film projects include the Ron Krauss drama “Gimme Shelter,” Scott Walker’s thriller “The Frozen Ground,” with Nicolas Cage and John Cusack, and the crime drama “Spring Breakers.”

Briefs & Shorts

NONITO Wins

Texas-based AJ Cruz of Dynamic Vision Entertainment, LLC who watched the fight in person, relayed to us last Saturday the good news that Nonito Donaire Jr. won against the Puerto Rican champ Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. via a split decision victory in a super bantamweight title bout in San Antonio, TX.

Two of the judges voted in favor of Donaire: Levi Martinez and Don Trella gave a similar score of 117-110 in favor of the Pinoy boxer. However, the authorities should conduct an inquiry as to why the 3rd judge–Ruben Garcia appeared to have seen a different fight, scoring in favor of Vasquez 115-112, making it a split decision win for the Pinoy boxer (maybe he made a mistake somewhere in the scoresheet?).

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“After two years of being a morning kapamilya favorite, "It's Showtime" will be ABS-CBN's newest noontime program effective Monday, February 6, 2012. The new show will be hosted by Vhong Navarro, Anne Curtis, Billy Crawford, Karylle, ‘Kuya’ Kim Atienza, Teddy Corpuz, Jugs Jugueta and Vice Ganda, whose camaraderie, spontaneity, talents, and shared sense of humor have brought joy to Kapamilyas. Joining them in "It's Showtime" are dance master Jhong Hilario, and favorite "ex hurados" Ryan Bang, and Coleen Garcia. Together, they will be bringing a new and more exciting show filled with surprises and engaging segments that will make viewers experience MORE FUN IN SHOWTIME. ABS-CBN thanks the "madlang people, " here in the Philippines and in The Filipino Channel (TFC) markets worldwide, for being with Showtime and its hosts in their journey of bringing joy and hope every morning the past two years. ABS-CBN invites the viewers to continue their unwavering support for Showtime as it moves to noontime, from Monday to Saturday starting February 6.” -ABS-CBN OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON NEW NOONTIME SHOW “IT’S SHOWTIME”

emailed to us by Bong Osorio, Head of ABS-CBN Corporate Communications, in the Philippines containing the station’s official statement on its new noontime show “It’s Showtime.”

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