Entertainment

Smart Padala, the remittance brand of PayMaya Philippines (formerly Smart eMoney Inc.), launched last Wednesday its new campaign with Angel Locsin as its brand ambassador as part of efforts to further strengthen its leadership in the remittance-service industry. 

Story and photo by Alvin I. Dacanay  In a move applauded by ordinary Filipinos, the National Museum of the Philippines announced last Thursday that admission to its museums nationwide is now “permanently free of charge.” 

We Filipinos love coffee, whatever the time of day. At least, that’s what Euromintor’s 2013 research tells us, which showed that we consume 1.2 kilograms of coffee per capital yearly, putting us among the top 50 coffee consumers in the world. 

Story and photo by Alvin I. Dacanay  A day before Rodrigo Duterte is inaugurated as our country’s new president, the Virgin Labfest (VLF), Metro Manila’s foremost festival of new one-act plays, will open its 12th edition—aptly christened Binyag (Baptism) and represented by a hatched egg containing the number “12”—at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) …

Sixty-five movies, including 10 new ones from the Philippines, will be shown in select cinemas in Metro Manila as part of the third World Premieres Film Festival (WPFF), which will run from June 29 to July 10.

On Thursday President Aquino will take his bow and exit the political stage to allow his successor Rodrigo Duterte to enter and take his place under the blinding lights that are trained on him as his audience, the Filipino people, wait for him to act. 

As someone with ties to the Philippine literary and theater communities, it pleases me to see more of our independent filmmakers adapting Filipino novels, stories, and plays for the big screen.

In celebration of July as Philippines-Japan Friendship Month—a friendship that marks its 60th anniversary this year—The Japan Foundation Manila and Shangri-La Plaza team up again to hold Eigasai 2016, the newest edition of the annual Japanese film festival that will run at the Shang Cineplex from July 8 to 17.

By Himaya Perez  Call it the Philippines’s definitive beach party. 

Thirteen years ago we were introduced to Dory, the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish in the extraordinary underwater world of Finding Nemo. Now the lovable character embarks on an exciting journey to reunite with her family in that movie’s much-anticipated sequel, Finding Dory.