Philippine News

MANILA, Philippines, December 29 ------ Barbie Forteza joins acting greats Charo Santos and Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo in a drama penned and directed by Brillante Mendoza. The film’s recently released teaser opens with Forteza narrating lines from Pablo Neruda’s poem “Tonight I Can Write (The Saddest Lines),” setting a reflective tone anchored on love, memory and loss. “Tonight I can write the saddest lines / The night is starry and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance,

NEW YORK, December 29 ------ Outside the Paley Museum on West 52nd Street, about 50 fans lined barricades in hopes of spotting members of the “Stranger Things” cast. They had come from as far as Texas and started arriving at 2 p.m., clutching posters, playbills and, in one case, a purse with Hawkins High School pins. Inside, half a dozen cast members, including Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Maya Hawke and Natalia Dyer, walked a red carpet as the show’s uno

December 28 ------ Rock band My Chemical Romance (MCR) has announced the rescheduling of its highly anticipated concert in the Philippines following the postponement of its Asia tour dates for The Black Parade 2026 tour. The announcement was shared through the band’s official Instagram account, where they addressed fans across Southeast Asia and clarified that the affected shows would still push through. The band was originally set to perform at the Philippine Arena on April

MANILA, Philippines, December 28 ------ A film can reflect on the present, preview the future or look back on the past. This year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry, “Manila’s Finest,” takes on the latter, bringing one back to 1969 and following a police squad. Personal and collective stories will unfold as viewers try to make sense of the actions and decisions of the characters. Among them are policemen Severino Meneses, Rogelio Liwanag and Epifanio Javier, played by

December 27 ------ At the star-studded premiere night of "Call Me Mother" in SM Megamall, Shuvee Etrata shared what she learned about motherhood. "Hindi siya sa dugo lang," Shuvee told GMA Integrated News reporter Athena Imperial. "As long as there's love, there's care, andun ang pag-aaruga, anybody can be called a mother," added the MMFF first-timer, who earlier thanked the film's lead star Vice Ganda for the opportunity. In Imperial's report, Vice said it was exactly the mo

December 27 ------ Singer-songwriter Jarlo Base expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the myriad of blessings that have graced his life this year, reflecting on the opportunities and moments of joy that have illuminated his journey. During a recent appearance at the Manila Bulletin Christmas Party, Jarlo expressed gratitude for being part of the Star Magic family. "Marami akong gustong ipagpasalamat pero siguro for 2025, yung pagpasok ko sa Star Magic. At first nakaka-intimid

MANILA, Philippines, December 26 ------ The 51st Metro Manila Film Festival officially opens this Christmas Day, returning to its traditional eight-film lineup to give more movies a chance at box-office success. “From 10, we returned to eight so that all films would have an opportunity to earn,” said Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair, lawyer Romando Artes, explaining the rationale behind scaling down the entries from last year’s 10 back to eight. “We went back t

December 26 ------ Kim Atienza marked this year’s Christmas by remembering his late daughter, Emman Atienza, as he shared their last complete family photo taken on Christmas Eve last year. In a social media post on Wednesday, Dec. 24, Kim reflected on the photo and expressed how much he missed his youngest daughter, Emman, who died last October. “This was the last photo of all of us together last Christmas Eve. How we miss you, dearest Emmansky,” Atienza wrote. “Thank you, Je

December 26 ------ Celebrity couple Loisa Andalio and Ronnie Alonte are set to welcome their first child after announcing Loisa’s pregnancy. In a joint post on social media, the newlyweds shared their joyful news, describing the baby as a “miracle” they have been quietly cherishing. “Baby Jesus, maraming maraming salamat sa pinakamalaking blessing na ipinagkaloob mo sa amin ni R2. You trusted us with a miracle we’ve been quietly holding close to our hearts,” Loisa wrote in a

December 26 ------ Taylor Swift is spreading the joy this holiday season. Just in time for Christmas, the global superstar donated more than ₱117 million to charitable organizations including Feeding America, the American Heart Association, and MusiCares, all confirming her contributions on December 24 (PHT). Feeding America, the largest non-profit hunger-relief organization in the U.S., shared the news on Instagram, posting a message from its CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot ex

December 25 ------ Willie Revillame is set to make his television comeback with his new game show “Wilyonaryo,” which will be aired on the primetime slot of TV5 in January 2026, instead of the earlier announced. Revillame announced this during a livestream on his Facebook page, saying he wanted to debut the show in a larger studio in Mandaluyong City. Revillame further noted that he wants to start the program with a live studio audience. The exact date, however, when the show

December 25 ------ Bianca de Vera, Will Ashley, and Dustin Yu had no trace — or at least, they did their best — to hide their nerves as they reeled in their experiences at their first Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). De Vera, Ashley, and Yu are the lead stars of “Love You So Bad,” which tells the story of a bubbly young woman named Savannah who is torn between the calm Vic and adventurous LA. Aside from the romantic comedy, Ashley is part of “Bar Boys: After School” while Y

December 24 ------ Families gather together during Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the real reason for this Yuletide season. Preparations for the holidays begin as early as September. A dazzling array of lights has decorated our houses and the malls. There are annual Christmas tree lighting events in various places in the country. Policarpio Street in Mandaluyong City is one of the most visited streets during the holiday season because of the grandiose displ

December 24 ------ Ahtisa Manalo has shared her perspective on the viral confrontation involving Miss Grand International president Nawat Itsaragrisil and Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch, who was the eventual winner of Miss Universe 2025. Manalo, who represented the Philippines and finished as third runner-up at the 74th Miss Universe pageant, offered her firsthand account of the tense moment between Nawat and Bosch in a recent interview with Vice Ganda. The incident occurred at a p

December 23 ------ Reina Hspano-Americana 2025 Dia Mate was named the winner of the sixth round of "Your Face Sounds Familiar." Mate's transformation as Kylie Minogue, performing the song "Santa Baby," entertained and won the hearts of jurors and her fellow celebrity performers. "'Yung ginawa mo ngayon eksakto, parang guwantes na eksaktong eksakto sa kamay at dahil doon ay ang ganda ng performance mo. Ang palakpakan nang ka-Familiars ginawa nila 'yon sa kalagitnaan ng perform

MANILA, December 23 ------ After a decade as a leading man, Alden Richards is embracing his first role as an antagonist in the Hollywood action film "Big Tiger." According to the actor, portraying a villain has long been on his bucket list. "I have been dreaming about this, the bad guy," Richards said Sunday in Mandaluyong City. "Iba, medyo disturbing kasi hindi ako sanay. But at the end of the day, when I saw the teaser—I think I am going to like this job." Richards describe

December 23 ------ IU and Park Bo-gum-headlined K-drama series “When Life Gives You Tangerines” topped the much-anticipated “Best K-dramas of 2025” list released by Time magazine. The magazine published its Top 10 picks last Thursday, Dec. 18, stating how the slice-of-life series managed to pull off director Kim Won-suk’s goal of “[helping] break down the invisible barriers between generations, genders, and just people in general” with its storyline. “This year’s best K-drama

LOS ANGELES, United States, December 23 ------ "Avatar: Fire and Ash," the third installment in James Cameron's blockbuster sci-fi fantasy series, debuted atop the North American box office with $88 million (P5.1 billion) in ticket sales in the weekend before Christmas, industry estimates showed. "Fire and Ash" grossed $345 million (P20 billion) worldwide in its opening weekend, and is expected to do very well abroad, according to David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Res

December 22 ------ With her doll-like beauty and fair complexion, Kai Montinola is noted for her potential to represent the Philippines in international beauty pageants, notably, Miss International, as some refer to her as the prototype. In every pageant, there is a certain prototype that candidates aspire to follow, which can be seen in the visual appeal of its winners. For Miss International, the global tilt prefers beauties with fair complexion, innocent aura, and a Barbie

December 22 ------ Sparkle GMA Artist Center is ending the year with fresh collaborations and stronger ties with both new and established artists. Present during the ceremony were GMA Network Senior Vice President for Programming, Talent Management, Worldwide, and Support Group and President and CEO of GMA Films Annette Gozon-Valdes, and First Vice President of Sparkle GMA Artist Center Joy Marcelo, Assistant Vice President for Talent Recruitment and Development Jenny Donato,