February 2023

In keeping with its promise to support Filipino sporting events and other popular Pinoy activities, BingoPlus, the country’s first and only live-streaming bingo site, now sponsors golf competitions.

BingoPlus has made golf its top priority for the month of February. The brand has been an active sponsor of professional basketball conferences, sports teams, beauty pageants, musical performances, and performers as well as traditional Filipino cultural festivals like the Sinulog in Cebu and MassKara in Bacolod.

BingoPlus is one of the Platinum sponsors of the 51st Golden Tee Invitational Tournament at Manila Golf and Country Club, which took place on February 9. This tournament aims to develop new collaborations. BingoPlus will also be one of the Titanium Sponsors of the Third Zamora Cup Invitational Tournament at the Wack-Wack Golf & Country Club on February 23 as a mark of commitment.

AB Leisure Exponent Inc. President Jasper Vicencio said BingoPlus is really trying its best to fulfill its mission of promoting the country’s different types of leisure activities because it wants to contribute to a society with a good work-life balance.

“The nature of our business is leisure and offering the Filipino ways to live a relaxed, well-balanced life gives us fulfillment in what we do. Golf is about the three C’s of camaraderie, connections, and charity. It is a strategic game as well as a game of skill, accuracy, and concentration that imparts many values. We want to give back to the community by participating in this mental, high-level game that allows us to contribute to charitable causes.”

Vicencio went on to say that BingoPlus is proud to be supporting the two elite golf competitions because it would enable the brand to connect with privileged groups and the causes they want to promote.

“Being part of these prestigious golf tournaments allows our brand to participate in the worthy causes that organizers contribute to. We look forward to further collaborating with them and fellow sponsors to promote the sport and align with their respective business inclinations as well. We see leisure fulfilling a deeper mission for the country. As a leisure company we strongly believe that creating a society of relaxed, happy individuals will ultimately result in a productive citizenry, ” Vicencio concluded.

The music video for Rico Blanco’s current single, “Palibot libot,” released under Sony Music Entertainment, tackles science fiction themes.

The images, directed by Cris Escolano and Rico Blanco himself, tell a tale of humanity in a hopeless miserable world. Model Tuti Pon, robotic character “The Entity,” and actor Rico Blanco all appear in the music video.

Pon claims that she enjoyed portraying the female protagonist and embraced the nuances required to successfully portray her character. “I would do it again if I had the chance. It was definitely a new experience for me.”

Production Designer Justine Arcega-Bumanlag expressed enthusiasm in working with the team and conveying the fantastically imaginative vision of the material. She shares, “For this, Rico Blanco was aiming for a classic-looking music video that stands the test of time. He wanted to veer away from CGIs, so we started building a set that looks like a wreckage from an unknown planet, and using it all throughout the time.”

The character from a series that he filmed in La Union last year served as the inspiration for the song, which examines the ambiguity that exists between friendship and relationship. The narrative of the song, however one-sided, is “anchored precariously on someone’s steadfast loyalty,” and it is blunt about the fact that love is not always synchronized. It has drawbacks, but that is part of its allure.

The song “Palibot libot” will be on Rico Blanco’s upcoming fourth studio album, which Sony Music Entertainment will distribute.

Watch the music video of “Palibot libot” here.

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With the official release of her Tower Sessions Live CD through Sony Music Entertainment and a reunion event involving her legendary bands Hungry Young Poets and Barbie’s Cradle, Filipino singer-songwriter Barbie Almalbis marks a significant milestone in music.

Both events commemorate her 25th anniversary in the Philippine music industry as a lady who effectively mastered Pinoy rock through emotionally stirring composition and uncompromising artistic freedom. It is indeed a wonderful event as we witnessed a great milestone that is full of love and light. She delivered all her songs with a grateful heart and we enjoyed it so well.

The Tower of Doom members Eric and Carlo Perlas produced Barbie Almalbis’ Best Hits live album, which has a fresh arrangement of her classic and contemporary songs. Kyle Cayton recorded the album, while Simon Durias mixed and mastered it. Along with more recent songs like “Days Are Long,” “Silaw,” “Tigre,” and “Kumpas,” the album’s first single, it will also include classics that defined careers, including “Firewoman,” “Torpe,” “Tabing Ilog,” “The Dance,” “Goodnight,” and “Just A Smile.”

“It’s always been a dream of mine to record our songs live, because we’re always rearranging songs as a band, and I think there’s something special that gets captured when the we play live together,” Almalbis shares. “My producers and collaborators did such a great job of making you feel like you’re at the gig. You can feel the power of the kick drum and the bass, and then have guitars blasting in your ear — in a pleasant way, of course.”

Aside from the release of Tower Sessions Live on digital platforms, Barbie Almalbis is set to headline her 25^th Anniversary concert at 123 Block, Mandala Park on March 11 (Saturday), from 2pm onwards. Celebrating the impact of her music as a guide to many people’s journey in life, the show will reunite her with former bandmates in Hungry Young Poets and Barbie’s Cradle.

Aptly titled Firewoman:25 Years of Barbie Almalbis, the mini-music fest will also feature sets by some of the country’s finest acts, including Sandwich, Gab Alipe of Urbandub, Clara Benin, I Belong To The Zoo, Kai del Rio, and Bird.

Reflecting on her career as an artist, Almalbis expressed gratitude to her fans who have been supportive of her endeavors through the years. “I didn’t have so many plans growing up, but always just dreamt of playing music. I’m so grateful that I get to do this and share the experience with others too. I’m always touched by the support of my fans and friends, and really humbled and encouraged by their words and stories about how these songs have also become part of their journey.”

Under Sony Music Entertainment, Barbie Almalbis’ Tower Sessions Live is now accessible on all digital platforms throughout the world.

You may get tickets for her forthcoming performance, Firewoman:25 Years of Barbie Almalbis, on TicketMelon. In collaboration with Sony Music Entertainment, Backspacer Records, JB Music, Nova Health Shop, D&D, Smirnoff Mule, and 123 Block, the event is hosted by GNN Entertainment Productions.

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This might very well be a verse from a love song. Yet The Dawn, one of the nation’s pioneering rock bands, poses this query in their brand-new song, “Earth.” The song “Earth,” famous for its anthems like “Salamat” and “Iisang Bangka,” poses the existential query, particularly in light of the current political, societal, and even personal concerns.

It’s been a struggle to be a human. There’s always the question, can we go on like this? Is this how we’re supposed to deal with things? Is there a better way, says The Dawn frontman Jett Pangan. “We, as human beings, when we’re faced with troubles that seem insurmountable, we tend to look the other way. Maybe not to say we’re in denial, it’s more of the fear of the unknown.”

He pointed out that it’s not condescending but, in fact he asks himself the same question. The pandemic also raised that big question. “We’re all hoping that after all these we become better people,” he said.

Trust The Dawn to come up with a song that is timely and relevant. The society has seen a rise in mental health concerns among the youth. In fact, in a study by the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI), it highlighted that between 2013 and 2021, there are twice the number of young Filipinos who felt loneliness, sadness, and being disliked.

One of the band’s guitarists Rommel “Sancho” Sanchez, emphasized that “Is love still a thing,” can also be read as “is empathy still a thing?” Sanchez said that with the mode of communications now, it’s easy to be snarky. Their hope is that through this song and with this one powerful line, people will pause, reflect, and hope that they can be a little kinder.

Apart from the significance of its lyrics, there are a lot of reasons that make “Earth” distinct.

It was recorded during the pandemic and every member of the group had to record individually. The Dawn drummer JB Leonor shared he made a story with the drum parts alone. There’s a reason for every note of the drum.

“Earth” is the last song that their bassist Mon Legaspi recorded before he passed away. And it was an ode to him that they committed to finish the track.

Sanchez was the last one to record the guitar parts. “I lost the recordings when my hard drive failed. We had to ask permission from Mon’s sister and asked a friend to help extract his parts. It was really difficult for me to record my parts,” he said.

The song itself went through a lot and now that it’s here, it is definitely a treat not only to the loyal fans of The Dawn but to everyone who appreciates great music.

The band is motivated to continue by the response to “Earth.” Francis “Kiko” Reyes, one of the guitarists, deserves credit for claiming that the band’s creative connection persisted throughout the pandemic. With all of his rally cries and the response to the new song, Pangan exalted that an EP, or new collection of songs, was imminent.

The Dawn wishes to be a part of the music scene since they are aware of how dynamic it is nowadays. He continued by saying that people are more accepting of music today because of the blurring of genre and label boundaries. They don’t say whether the music is too hip-hop or too rock. There’s no border to cross now that music has merged in all genres, and The Dawn has been blessed with a platform to be heard over the years. This time, it’s their new song “Earth.” The Dawn is a band with a lot to offer, and like the true rockstars they are, they follow their musical inclinations. No categorization, just genuine love for music. Play The Dawn’s Earth music now on Spotify and Youtube.