Actress Julia Barretto is set to start 2025 with a bang as she takes on three exciting projects: What Lies Beneath, Hello Heaven, and Artista Academy.
She is particularly excited to begin working on What Lies Beneath under ABS-CBN, where she will collaborate with a talented cast that includes Bela Padilla, Janella Salvador, Charlie Dizon, Jake Cuenca, Jameson Blake, and JM de Guzman.
“I’m looking forward to this project, which has a unique and exciting storyline. Since and after the pandemic, I’ve been doing love stories, so this will be a refreshing change. I’m excited to work with the Kapamilya team on this series.”
As for her other projects, Julia shared her enthusiasm: “Artista Academy is equally exciting. It will be my first time hosting a reality show, and I’m thrilled. With Hello Heaven, I’m excited to work again with direk Antoinette Jadaone. I previously worked with her on Love You to the Stars and Back seven years ago with Joshua (Garcia), so this will be our second project together. We’ve always talked about working again, and now we’ll get to do that for an extended period since Hello Heaven is also a series.”
Julia is also proud of her role in Hold Me Close, her entry in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival.
“I’ve seen the film, and it gave me a different feeling. That’s the magic of direk Jason Paul Laxamana—he takes you into a world he’s created. I’m so thankful to be part of this amazing film. I think you’ll understand once you watch it. The whole family can enjoy it, as it’s rated PG,” Julia said.
* * *
A new digital banking platform, VBank, was recently launched with the goal of promoting financial inclusion among Filipinos. The platform is the brainchild of senatorial aspirant Luis “Chavit” Singson, who personally attended the launch at the “Blackout Festival” at the Bridgetowne Destination Estate in Quezon City.
Comedy Queen Ai Ai Delas Alas, VBank’s brand ambassador, also attended the event and urged the public to support the initiative.
“VBank is a transformative tool to address the financial exclusion of many Filipinos. It’s practical and beneficial for everyone, especially in today’s digital age,” she said.
Manong Chavit emphasized the benefits of using VBank. “Around 70 percent of Filipinos still don’t have bank accounts, which makes it difficult for our economy to grow. With VBank, we want to include everyone financially,” he explained.
VBank, paired with a VCard powered by Visa and Mastercard, is a safe and convenient option for users.
“The VCard can be delivered directly to your doorstep, eliminating the need to go to a branch,” he added. “We plan to collaborate with local government agencies to roll this out, aiming to make financial services more accessible to all Filipinos.”
