Boy George thrills Manila

MANILA, Philippines - His look is iconic, so do his band’s songs. And he is coming to Manila at this time when the LGBT community here is at its most profound as a collective soul.

Boy George, no doubt an epitome of androgynous persona pop history can be proud of, will perform on June 17 and 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. He is expected to sing signature Culture Club songs with, yes, drummer Jon Moss, guitarist Roy Hay and bassist Mikey Craig.

But apart from the group’s complete line-up and the excitement of hearing his voice singing live in front of Manila concert goers, what’s being talked about is the essence of bringing in an icon whose very look inspired, at its core, the country’s gay community in dressing up and moving around in style.

“I just really love doing live shows in places where we’ve never been because now we’re a band at our peak and I think you’ll get a surprisingly good show,” said Boy George during his video call to Philippine media last April 21 at Luxent Hotel, Quezon City.

The local press found the self-proclaimed Culture Club CEO surprisingly accommodating during the chat as gay fan-guests started singing the band’s hits and sharing their adulation for him right after the feed went off.

Among the ’80s bands that captured the Philippine market, Culture Club is one of those few that scored really numerous hits that went deep into the public consciousness. In fact, 10 of these can be counted as familiar even to non-die hard Pinoy fans, namely, Karma Chameleon, Miss Me Blind, It’s A Miracle, Move Away, Love Is Love, Do You Really Want To Hurt Me, I’ll Tumble For You, Church of the Poison Mind, Mistake Number 3 and The War Song. Two others, Time and Victims, can make a strong case, too.

Royale Chimes Concerts and Events, netting its biggest fish yet in its growing stable of international stars flown to Manila, is making the highly-anticipated visit possible. One of the promoters had his shirt printed with the words “War Is Stupid,” lifted from the chorus of The War Song.

Obviously, Boy George is on top of the heap when it comes to making statements because he is simply, or should we say fashionably, a walking statement.

Answering a query from The STAR, he noted, “I call myself the CEO as a joke but I guess I’m the face of Culture Club, the spokesperson and the singer.”

Seldom when a frontman acknowledges that he is the heart and soul of his band, as most usually opt to say he is just a member like anyone else. That reply showcased the honesty and courage embedded in him which made him a strong voice for people who can’t come out of the closet.

Yet, humility naturally reigns in his voice, as he said, “I never thought I’d be sitting here 30 years down the line discussing my career. It’s very surprising to still be talking about what I did but it’s a wonderful privilege.”

Culture Club, reunited after more than a decade, is on a 40-city tour to kick off on June 8 in Australia. Last year, the group released its first single, More Than Silence, off a new album called Tribes. Certainly, there will be a lot of party-atmosphere noise as the Boy George tribe in Manila comes together, hats off or on.

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Read more at: http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2016/04/29/1577798/boy-george-thrills-manila

WATCH: ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ final trailer revealed

MANILA, Philippines - Following his acclaimed work on “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” director Bryan Singer takes the franchise to new heights with “X-Men: Apocalypse.”

In this film, the X-Men battle the original and most powerful mutant, Apocalypse. In 1983, the invincible and immortal Apocalypse is set free after being entombed for several millennia.

Enraged that his kind is no longer treated as gods, Apocalypse assembles a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto, to destroy humankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign.

To end Apocalypse’s path of global destruction, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) and Professor X (James McAvoy) lead a team of young X-Men in an epic showdown with a seemingly unstoppable enemy.

“X-Men: Apocalypse” will open in the Philippines on May 18, ahead of its US screening.

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Article source: http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2016/04/28/1577680/watch-x-men-apocalypse-final-trailer-revealed

US helps take down site with leak of Filipinos' data

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED 2:55 p.m.) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday announced that a website built by hackers containing a massive leak of almost 55 million registered voters has been taken down.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the United States Department of Justice helped to disable the website that angered Filipinos Thursday upon finding their names and personal information on the website.

Hacking group LulzSec Pilipinas launched the website wehaveyourdata.com featuring a search engine enabling users to search for their names in the leaked Comelec database hacked and stolen in March. Included in the listing are full names, birthdates, addresses, parents' names, passport numbers and even, at times, text markers of fingerprints.

Citing the Philippines's Department of Justice, which oversees the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in charge of the hacking probe, Jimenez said the data was preserved by the US DOJ via web security provider CloudFlare and repurchased from domain registrar GoDaddy.

"DOJ [is] currently in the process of requesting for the preserved data on Cloudflare and GoDaddy, through official channels, [and] coordinating with NBI," Jimenez said in a statement on Twitter.

On Friday afternoon, a review by Philstar.com of the WhoIs domain name registration of the website shows that the site wehaveyourdata.com was successfully reregistered on GoDaddy at 1:56 p.m., Manila time.

Experts say, however, that even with the site taken down, crooks may have already backed up the data and planning on their next moves.

"Taking down the website doesn't matter. The people who can do damage with the information already [have] the data," Carlo Ople, managing director of Dentsu Digit, said on Twitter.

The data, meanwhile, are still available on torrent listings for downloading.

The NBI is still investigating the matter and going after individuals behind the hacking and what could possibly be the largest government leak in history.

Election officials say the May 9 national elections will go ahead despite the hacking scandal.

Government agents late Wednesday arrested a 23-year-old suspect, a new graduate of information technology, in his home in Manila. Officials say they are still hunting down his alleged accomplices.

Jimenez said the automated elections will be run on a different server, not on the one that was hacked, and that experts say the polls are unlikely to be compromised.

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Article source: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/04/22/1575659/us-helps-take-down-site-leak-filipinos-data

NBI: Comelec hacker may face additional complaint

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation on Friday announced that the alleged mastermind of hacking the official website of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) may face an additional complaint.

Paul Biteng, a 23-year-old information technology graduate, was earlier arrested by the NBI and was placed under inquest proceedings before the Manila Prosecutor's Office.

READ: IT grad, 23, arrested for Comelec website hack

The suspect was charged for violating Section 4A-1 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act for "illegal access to the whole or any part of a computer system without right."

NBI Cybersecurity Division Chief Ronald Aguto said that an additional complaint may be filed once the forensic examination on the computer of Biteng has finished.

The NBI is set to check the activities of the suspect on his personal computer before, during and after the hacking.

Meanwhile, a group of hackers launched a website where data of Filipino voters may be searched and downloaded.

The Comelec, however, has announced that the website had been taken down with the help of the United States Department of Justice.

"DOJ [is] currently in the process of requesting for the preserved data on Cloudflare and GoDaddy, through official channels, [and] coordinating with NBI," Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said in a statement via Twitter.

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Article source: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/04/22/1575666/nbi-comelec-hacker-may-face-additional-complaint

Smart launches faster data connection

MANILA, Philippines – These days, more and more Filipinos rely on the Internet for entertainment purposes. Filipinos are able to catch up on their favorite TV shows and movies through the Net. Celebrities, on the other hand, like to update fans of their activities through social media, posting photos and videos.

Video and audio streaming, as well as gaming and live chatting, are better enjoyed when one has fast data connection. The demand to post, view and share bandwidth-heavy content is continuously increasing.

So, in a bid to provide faster data connection, PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications introduced the LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) service at the island of Boracay last April 13.

Asked what is the significance of faster data connection to the average Filipino, Ramon Isberto, Smart and PLDT’s head of public affairs, told The STAR during the launch event that the Internet experience becomes more vivid. Like when one makes a video call, “Hindi lang yung parang kelangan mo pang i-imagine kasi makikita mo, you can also hear the voice, both live and recorded,” said Isberto.

Moreover, Isberto said that faster Internet connection strengthens the communication between family members, which is an integral part of the Filipino culture. “There is that need to communicate. That used to be done before through texting and calling, ngayon nagkaroon ng bagong channel. It’s a much more media-rich channel, photographs, pwede kayong mag-video-call,” Isberto explained.

Additionally, OFWs can definitely benefit from the LTE-A service. “The sense of distance is mitigated,” he said. “Dati makikita mo lang yung anak mo once in 12 to 18 months, ngayon bubuksan mo lang ang Facebook, makikita mo na sila.”

Also, faster data connection provides more high-definition videos and calls, where consumers capture even the slightest gestures of a loved one.

Filipino humor becomes more evident as data connection improves. Isberto cited Filipinos’ knack for creating humor even in mundane situations, thus giving birth to funny memes and videos that are actively shared in different social media platforms.

Isberto also recognized that faster data connection improves the way stars and fans interact with each other. This is more apparent with the rise in Snapchat, YouTube channels and livestreaming that celebrities use to connect and interact with their followers.

The new LTE-A service has the capability of “carrier aggregation,” which combines two or more radio frequency bands in order to deliver bigger bandwidth and faster data speeds. In Boracay, LTE-A service has posted speeds of up to 260 mbps. This is the same technology used by other operators around the world like Optus in Australia, Sprint in the US and Turkcell in Turkey, among others.

“This is just to spearhead what we are doing. This shows everybody where Internet is going. At the same time, we are boasting speed on the conventional LTE and on 3G significantly,” said Joachim Horn, PLDT and Smart chief technology and information advisor.

“It’s three to four times faster,” described Horn of the LTE-A speed capability. For more TFC filipino channel – Please don’t forget to visit us and click the following link to subscribe: pinoy channel TV ABS-CBN

Read more: http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2016/04/21/1574986/smart-launches-faster-data-connection

Agoda gives summer ideas at Davao Fun Sale

MANILA, Philippines - Agoda.com, one of Asia’s leading hotel booking sites and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), is helping people end summer on a high note with a trip to the Visit Davao Fun Sale 2016.

Now in its second year, this event hopes to make the region one of the more attractive destinations this summer season.

The ongoing event, which ends on May 31, has three main themes: Adventure and Sports; Culture and Arts; and Party, Fun and Leisure.

Agoda.com presents several activities worth checking out during the festivities. 

Indulge in Davao's culture
Catch up on coffee culture
A breath of self-expression

Art enthusiasts will be excited to know that until May 31, Mindanao hosts a huge art exhibit as hotels and malls around the area join in to feature various local artists and their works.

Music lovers are in for a unique treat with Ethnica Music Fusion on April 16, an eclectic fusion of tribal and digital music at the Matina Town Square. Weekends are also fun at Sales Bar Tekanplor along Sales Street in Davao's Chinatown, where local indie musicians perform.

There will also be an Indie Film Festival which will showcase some of Mindanao's best independent films from May 7 to 17 at the Davao Cinametheque.

Davao's coffee culture is riding the third-wave with the opening of coffee shops such as Frog Kaffee and Roastery at Prime Square along F. Torres Street.

Owned by an Austrian-Filipino couple Markus Ableitinger and Gina Ellorango, the coffee shop specializes in custom coffee beans that are freshly roasted right on the premises. One can also pick from the many different methods of having their coffee brewed, from air-pressed, syphon, the pour-over, the French-pressed, and pole drip coffee system. 

A recurrent favorite of Dabawenyos and travellers alike would be the Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimps at Lanang. They offer the best-tasting crab and shrimp in Davao. Diners can choose how much they want to eat and then customize the spice level and sidings that go with the delicious crustaceans.

Aside from amazing seafood, the biggest draw to Blue Posts are the restaurant's freedom walls which are full of art and markings left by previous diners. Guests love leaving their own little mark or a word or two.

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How showbiz rallied to help Julio Diaz

On Sunday, at around 5:50 p.m., Nadia Montenegro posted on our Actors Guild Viber group a message that read: “JULIO DIAZ needs a million pesos for a possible brain procedure to prevent brain aneurysm, as posted by his sister! Oh no! PRAYERS pls, one of the most underrated actors we have.”

She reposted the message that Julio’s sister Ana Marie Regaliza-Datuin wrote on Facebook: “Can’t go to sleep thinking of how to get help for my brother, Marnie Regaliza a.k.a. actor Julio Diaz, who needs surgery within the next 24 hours to prevent brain aneurysm. He was rushed to the hospital today after fainting due to what they earlier suspected as a stroke. In the Philippines, they will not perform any medical procedure even if it’s a matter of life and death if money is not there.

“More than a million pesos or $30,000 plus is required to keep him alive, the kind of money he does not have right now since he is no longer active in acting as he was during the late ’80s to early ’90s. At the moment, all he’s getting is pain medication to ease the severe headache until he gets the surgery he needs. Does anybody in the Philippines know how to access government assistance in situations like this? I am desperate for answers. My eldest son Mike Datuin is currently by his uncle’s side trying to get some local help. Prayers at this time are greatly appreciated too.”

Help, like manna from heaven, was given by several actors. Members of the Actor’s Guild were eventually able to facilitate Julio’s transfer from a hospital in Bulacan to St. Luke’s in Global City, Taguig.

Robin Padilla and Coco Martin donated P100,000 each and ballet dancer Lisa Macuja-Elizalde donated $1,000 via gofundme.com.

Gina Alajar suggested that if each of us on the Viber group donated P4,000, the one million goal will be reached.

As of this writing, we were able to raise almost P300,000 in pledges and almost $10,000 on gofundme.com.

Julio was able to undergo surgery on Sunday. He is now awake and recuperating at the hospital’s intensive care unit.

Donations for Julio are still accepted and may be deposited to the EastWest bank account of Michael Angelo R. Datuin (acct.# 001168303651). You can also send your donations via www.gofundme.com.

I would like to quote Nadia who shared, “It’s amazing how God works. The best thing is how he used all of us sa iba-ibang strengths natin. Let’s continue to lift him up in prayers.”

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Article source: http://www.mb.com.ph/how-showbiz-rallied-to-help-julio-diaz/#9TFBIdiJ3Ltl5FXU.99

KC Concepcion on working again with Piolo Pascual

MANILA, Philippines – KC Concepcion says that she is open to working with former boyfriend Piolo Pascual, but both of them have to be ready to do it.

In an interview with the press, Wednesday, April 6, at the launch of KC's new project, KC's Closet, she said that she and Piolo had been cordial.

"Piolo and I are okay. I think that if there is any project, we would have to talk about it, and of course, dapat pareho kaming (we both have to be) 100% [ready].

"Kasi ang hirap din naman parang hindi ka naman 100% kasi siyempre unfair naman iyon para sa mga manonood at makikita rin naman sa camera iyon if ever (It's very difficult if we're not 100% into it. That would be unfair to viewers and it will be definitely seen on camera)," KC said.

"But right now, I just wanna focus on the things na makakapagpa-happy sa akin, na(that will make me happy, like) things I wanna do right now. If the Piolo project comes, then we will see but I have to feel that he’s even 100% [ready]."

In September, KC posted a photo of her and Piolo after their hosting stint for ASAP in London. Back in June, KC said that she and Piolo had been talking to each other again after their breakup made headlines in 2011.

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Read more: http://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/128553-kc-concepcion-piolo-pascual-online-shop

Bilang Pilipino-SWS Poll: 1 of 4 voters closely follow political ads

MANILA, Philippines – One out of four Filipino voters closely follow the political advertisements of candidates for the upcoming elections, according to the Bilang Pilipino SWS Mobile Survey released on Wednesday.

The survey conducted on March 29 showed that 25 percent of Filipino voters follow political advertisements "very closely" while 38 percent said they follow them "somewhat closely."

Meanwhile, 21 percent of the survey respondents said that they follow political ads "just a little" while 13 percent they do not follow at all.

The survey also found that 24 percent of Filipino voters strongly agree and 43 percent said they somewhat agree that political ads of candidates help them in choosing who to vote for in the May 9 elections.

This garners a net agree score of +51 (67 percent strongly and somewhat agree minus 16 percent somewhat and strongly disagree) which is classified by SWS as "very strong."

Most of the respondents said that they follow the political ads of Sen. Grace Poe (38 percent), followed by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (26 percent).

Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas ranks third with 19 percent followed by Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago with 16 percent and 1 percent, respectively.

For vice presidential candidates, 38 percent said that they follow the political ads of Sen. Chiz Escudero while Sen. Bongbong Marcos and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo both scored 25 percent.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano got 11 percent followed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Sen. Gringo Honasan with 1 percent.

The survey was conducted among a sample of 1,200 validated voters, 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Out of the 1,200 original panel respondents, only 753 or 63 percent responded: 197 in Metro Manila, 181 in Balance Luzon, 195 in Visayas and 180 in Mindanao. The sampling error margins is at ±4 percent for national percentages.

"The sample was drawn using standard SWS sampling procedures, and was first interviewed face-to-face on March 8-11, 2016 to become the panel for the mobile survey," SWS said.

The respondents were invited and then agreed to be members of a panel of respondents to receive and reply to a few survey questions each day through the mobile phones provided to them for free by Starmobile.

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Read more: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/04/06/1570029/bilang-pilipino-sws-poll-1-4-voters-closely-follow-political-ads

Mar still convinced he’s doing well, despite poll standing

BAYUGAN CITY – Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II is still convinced that he is doing well even if he remains a laggard in pre-election surveys.

Roxas said his survey numbers have been consistent and are not that far from those of his rivals.

“I started with four percent while my rivals had 50 percent. Now, all of our scores fall within the line of two and they are ahead only by a few points,” Roxas told reporters on Monday night here.

“I think we have a good standing,” he added.

Roxas believes his track record will be his edge in the upcoming elections.

“We have seen the reaction and the reception of our countrymen based on our clean track record and we have a platform that is not based merely on promises,” he added.

Roxas is still trailing in surveys despite the endorsement of President Benigno Aquino III, who has consistently posted high satisfaction and trust ratings.

Roxas ranked third in the Bilang Pilipino-Social Weather Stations mobile survey conducted on March 30.  He and Vice President Jejomar Binay were tied with 17 percent in the survey, which had 1,200 survey respondents.

Sen. Grace Poe topped the mobile survey with 34 percent followed by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte with 31 percent.

The survey had sampling error margins of 14% for national percentages, 17% in Metro Manila and Visayas, and 18% in Balance Luzon and Mindanao. 

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Article Source: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/04/05/1569686/mar-still-convinced-hes-doing-well-despite-poll-standing

Hailee Steinfeld is coming home to PH

Pitch Perfect 2′s Hailee Steinfeld is returning to her roots, the Philippines.

The Filipino-American is set to perform in Eastwood Mall Open Park on April 8 and Uptown Mall Bonifacio Global City on April 9. On April 10, she will have a meet-and-greet with her fans and supporters at the Venice Grand Canal in McKinley Hills.

Ahead of her Philippine visit, she has already gone to Australia and Japan.

In her previous interviews, she consistently expressed her “dream” to visit the country.

“I have always wanted to go to the Philippines. You don’t know how badly I want to go. I have to stop saying it and just go; but yes, very soon. I promise”, Steinfeld said in 2015.

The 19-year-old singer and actor is the daughter of an interior designer from Bohol, Cheri Domasin, and a personal fitness trainer, Peter Steinfeld.

She first announced that she will be finally going to visit the country on March 16.

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Read more at: http://www.mb.com.ph/hailee-steinfeld-is-coming-home-to-ph/#Wi5DImQVz4feZIbh.99

Everyone is Happy with Comics About Mar Roxas

MANILA, Philippines — Ignoring the backlash stirred by the comics that depicted her husband as a hero, Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Manuel “Mar” Roxas II's wife Korina Sanchez posted online photos showing people enjoying the controversial campaign material.

In her Instagram account, Sanchez claimed that everyone is "happy" about the comics, which was heavily criticized for its supposed inaccurate portrayal of the events during the height of typhoon "Yolanda."

"So happy everyone is happy about Mar's comics," Sanchez said in an Instagram post dated March 31.

"Thanks to all the supporters who had this made for us - to show (the) truth about Mar's life and achievements! We love you!" she added.

Sanchez, a longtime broadcaster, posted three photos showing her posing with people holding copies of the comic book "Sa Gitna ng Unos (In the middle of a storm)." She claimed that people from Tarlac and Nueva Vizcaya loved the comics.

Some Internet users who wrote comments about the posts bashed Sanchez, calling her an ambitious woman who is raring to become the country's First Lady. They also claimed that the comic book did not show what really happened in areas ravaged by "Yolanda" and even branded it as an insult to the typhoon victims.

Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

There were also positive comments by Roxas supporters, who described him as the choice of intelligent voters.

The comic book "Sa Gitna ng Unos" portrayed Roxas as a public servant who faced dangers because of his desire to help the victims of typhoon "Yolanda."

It also portrayed him as a selfless politician who values the country more than his ambition. Sanchez was also portrayed positively by the comics, describing her as "a beautiful broadcaster" who has the courage to fight corruption and a heart for the poor.

The comic book has been pummeled by Roxas's rivals, Catholic leaders, and Internet users who dismissed it as a propaganda designed to mislead the public.

The camp of Roxas claimed that the comic book was produced by supporters who want to counter the allegations that he did not do enough to assist the victims of "Yolanda." Roxas was the interior secretary when "Yolanda" struck the Visayas and left more than 6,300 people dead in 2013.

The identity of the funder of the comics remain unknown. The comic book did not contain any information about the one who paid for its publication, a key requirement set by the Commission on Elections for campaign materials.

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Read more: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/04/01/1568336/korina-everyone-happy-comics-about-mar-roxas