Star Powerhouse

Caption: President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. recognizes the 10 winners of the Galing Pook Foundation 2022 at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacanang Palace. He commended the Galing Pook Foundation for recognizing and incentivizing top performing LGUs. With them in the photo are: Galing Pook Foundation chairman Mel Sarmiento, Local Government secretary Benjamin Abalos, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.  Ten outstanding local governance programs were recognized in the 2022 Galing Pook Awards held at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacanang Palace last Tuesday, November 22, 2022.   Galing Pook Foundation with its co-presenters SM Prime Holdings Inc., and the DILG-Local Government Academy, and sponsors Cebu Pacific and Airspeed named local government units from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao that promote innovation and excellence.   President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. commended the Galing Pook Foundation for recognizing and incentivizing top performing LGUs. He stressed how strong collaboration b...

  More than just an area where students gather to hold classes, a school environment plays a vital role in learners’ cognitive development. Research has shown that with an environment conducive to learning, students increase their attention and focus, and they are more motivated to practice higher-level critical thinking skills. Adamant to provide students with venues where they can fully hone their skills and knowledge, SM Foundation (SMFI)—the corporate social responsibility arm of the SM group—cemented its partnership with the Department of Education (DepED) in 2002 through DepEd’s Adopt-A-School Program. Through this, SMFI builds SM school buildings in grassroot communities, complete with basic furniture and equipment. More so, SMFI integrates specialized features to each SM school building to address the unique needs of their school recipients—some received rooms dedicated as a guidance office, a clinic, a mini-library, and some even got a water tank and a handwashing facility...

2022 has been a stellar year for Filipino singer-songwriter/producer Ace Banzuelo with his emotional single "Muli" breaking through the mainstream pop consciousness two years after it was released—thanks to its relatable lyrics and vibey, electro-ballad sound. After trending significantly on TikTok, the song launched Banzuelo into the spotlight, unmovable at the top of the Spotify Philippines and YouTube Philippines Trending charts for an extended period of time.   Fast forward to November 2022: Banzuelo continues to build on the success of "Muli" with the release of " Kulang ," an unabashedly vulnerable track with trap, R&B, and bedroom pop influences. Decked in retro-futurist synthesizers and laid-back, hip-hop beats, "Kulang" finds the 22-year-old multi-hyphenate aimlessly writhing over heartbreak in his quiet, subdued time, wallowing in loss or lack of personal direction.   According to the Himala  artist, "Kulang" examines a st...

Singaporean experimental pop artist Naomi G has finally released “Delirium,” the titular track off her upcoming album to be released soon. A love letter to her partner, who has ongoing bouts with dissociative disorder, Naomi G deep-dives into the complexities of love and mental health on this brooding alt-R&B banger. The lingering familiarity of an electric guitar, complemented by syrupy synths, underpins the tune with an etherealness reminiscent of the oscillation between dreams and reality. Naomi G's vocals cut through the cloud of dissociative ambivalence, adding a dimension of soul and charisma to the track. She sings over and over, "Baby, you're in delirium" to bring her partner back to reality, and her message is one of compassion, love, and understanding. No stranger to approaching complicated themes with confessional poignancy, Naomi G’s previous tracks have dealt with personal issues that raise a middle finger to male toxicity and emotional abuse. Now tha...

Indonesian rapper, singer, and producer  Rich Brian  unveils a new single and music video entitled  “VIVID”  featuring Florida rapper  $NOT  out now via  88rising/Warner Records .   Listen to  “VIVID”  HERE  and watch the music video  HERE .   Produced by  Rich Brian  himself,   “VIVID” layers a flute-laden loop above a throwback nineties-style R&B guitar lick, skittering 808s, and swooning strings. Brian and  $NOT  trade verses back and forth in a hypnotic volley, dissecting relationship ups and downs. It builds towards a biting send-off with the advice to,  “Turn your frown around, nobody gives a fuck . ”  The accompanying visual brings  “VIVID”  to life as Rich Brian thwarts off his feelings at a golf course, swinging at frowning golf balls, hoping to absolve his worries with a hole-in-one shot.   “This song was the result of this one week I started listening to Musi...

For cinephiles, the Argentine film industry is considered to be one of the most successful in Latin America, known for the quality of its moving pictures. It’s the most awarded country for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film (now renamed to Best Ibero-American Film) at the Goya Awards, Spain’s version of the Academy Awards, with 18 wins and 28 nominations. Speaking of which, it’s also the first Latin American country that has won in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards with the 1985 post junta movie, The Official Film Story , directed by Luis Puenzo.   As it returns to Shangri-La Plaza  after a two-year hiatus, Cine Argentino  is screening five restored beloved films from the 1980s to the aughts at The Red Carpet  on November 18-21, 2022 .   Now on its sixth year, the film festival aims to show the evolution of modern Argentine cinema, the diversity and richness of its culture, and the unique yet relatable Argentine way of life.   A ...