GMA’s consistently top-rating and long-running science and infotainment program AHA! incorporates the teaching of sign language in its episodes beginning last Sunday —becoming the only program in the Philippines today that teaches the said method of communication.
Sign language on TV is usually presented by a “signer” that appears in a cameoat the bottom left corner of the screen as the program is being broadcast. Believing that inclusiveness is integral in learning, AHA!now enables the sign language to share the limelight with the spoken or oral language.
For program host Drew Arellano, teaching sign language in AHA! is a welcome addition to the show. Drew says being among people who can only communicate through sign language can be a challenge so he can only imagine how hearing-impaired individuals feel when being with those who can clearly hear.
“Ganun pala ‘yun. Kapag kasama ko [sila], ako ‘yung hindi kayang mag sign language. So, sila parang smooth ‘yung kanilang communication. Ako yung nakakarinig, pero ako ‘yung very indifferent sa kanila,” Drew says about his experience with being with the hearing-impaired individuals.
“So I’m sure, ‘pag sila naman ay mapunta sa setting kung saan mas marami ang nakakarinig, eto rin yung nararamdaman nila, nahihirapan din sila,” he adds.
AHA! is a weekly program that dishes out interesting facts and trivia about a wide array of topics. Each episode promises new discoveries in the form of wacky adventures, making learning more fun. By teaching sign language in every AHA! episode, the hearing-impaired viewers will be able to appreciate the show better and will have a healthier relationship with the rest of the show’s audience and vice versa.
Along with this move to introduce and teach sign language to a broader audience and to create a greater awareness of it as another means of communication, AHA! also aims to promote core Filipino and social media values in its episodes. This will further bolster the program’s thrust in promoting science and learning as cool, enjoyable, and accessible to all—be it for hearing or hearing impaired children.
Ever since its first airing in 2010, AHA! Has remained the no. 1 program in its timeslot. It continues to earn the nod of various award-winning bodies. It has consistently been a recipient of the Anak TV Seal Award since 2010. It won as Best Lifestyle Show while Drew was cited as Best Lifestyle Show Host at the 2015 Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) Star Awards for Television. It also took home the Outstanding Educational Program and Outstanding Educational Program Host awards at the 6th Golden Screen TV Awards in April last year.
★★★★★
Dulaang Filipino restages Shakespeare classic with a twist
Rolando S. Tinio’s classic Filipino translation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet gets a modern-day update in Dulaang Filipino’s R&J, the theater company’s official entry to the 11th Lasallian Arts Month.
Set in the neon-lit fast-paced world of show business, Juliet is the rising star of Capulet Studios Inc., while Romeo is the leading male artist of Montague Studios Inc., its rival. This tragic story is subjected to the trappings of music videos, klieg lights and paparazzi to provide today’s audience with an alternate way of appreciating this classic.
Dulaang Filipino (DF), the official theater group of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), presents its contemporary adaptation until Feb.19at the School of Design and Arts Theater.
A benefit show on Feb. 19 will be staged specially for DF alumni. This production is the company’s main presentation for this school term.
The Lasallian Arts Month is an annual month-long event that celebrates the arts with a series of productions by the different artist groups under aegis of DLS-CSB’s Office of Culture and Arts. These are Dulaang Filipino, Saint BenildeRomançon Dance Company, Coro San Benildo, Karilyo and Stage Production Operations Team. Students from the Jaime Hilario Integrated High School, a Lasallian public school in Bagac, Bataan, is joining in a special participation.
For inquiries, log on to facebook.com/cultureandarts.benilde.
★★★★★
Heart paints amidst campaign frenzy
No one can stop Heart Evangelista from painting. She says she can forget everything else but not painting. She is very focused on making a name for herself as an artist that even if she is scheduled to go on provincial sorties with her husband Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero who is gunning for the second highest postion in the government, she won’t forget painting.
“I will continue talaga. Kung meron akong isang dedication is I will really paint until tumanda ako. Matitigil na lahat ng pag-aartista, magpi-paint pa rin ako. Yun ang goal kaya kahit busy ako, tuloy pa rin angpagpi-paint,” says Heart.
Heart held an exhibit of her works called Oceans Apart at the Ayala Museum recently featuring her art works that he dedicated to her father, Rey Ongpauco.
She also did a collaboration with Mark Bumgarner. She hand painted some of thegownsthat were auctioned for the benefit of Thalassemia Foundation of the Philippines nad Corridor of Hope.
Heart is very dedicated to her craft. Apart from the recent exhibit she could be starting a new project on GMA 7.
She is also working on her line of clutch bags.“I’m designing clutch bags so I’ll be launching a clutch line soon and pati na rin mga bags ko. Hopefully, by the end of the year mai-launch ko sya,” the actress-turned-painter says.
★★★★★
FPJ enrolled daughter in taekwondo classes
His fans are familiar with his rapid-fire punches that made Fernando Poe, Jr. unbeatable and unparalleled as an action hero.
So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that he enrolled his daughter, Grace Poe, in taekwondo classes when she was still a young girl.
In fact, Grace is a black belter although she never brags about it or shows it to colleagues and friends. You can’t even notice it in her physique.
“Importante sa tatay ko natalagang kaya mong depensahan ang sarili mo at saka kahit malumanay kang magsalita ay hindi ka rin naman magpapaapi,” Grace said in one interview.
Grace doesn’t think of her gender when it comes to fighting drugs and criminality. And this she said she will lead when she becomes the president of the nation.
“Ako na mismo, kung ako ang pangulo, ang tututok sa PDEA, PNP, military, kung sino man, kung national security threat kagaya ng droga,” the Senator assured Filipinos.
“Hindi lang ako mukhangmasyadong brusko. Pero, huwag ninyong kalilimutanna ang nagpalaki sa akin ay si FPJ,” Grace added.
★★★★★
Bridal Fair 2016 picks Jessy Mendiola
Weddings & Debuts Bridal Fair, staged every year at the SM Megatrade Halls 1, 2, & 3 in Mandaluyong City, gathers more than 350 wedding and debut suppliers under one roof, giving couples and debutantes a wide array of suppliers to choose from.
For the Bridal Fair’s 2016 edition to be held on Feb. 19, 20, and 21,ABS-CBN actress Jessy Mendiola and Brazilian hunk model Daniel Felipe Richter were tapped as the
The annual Weddings & Debuts Bridal Fair is distinct from other bridal fairs as it offers not just two but three days of shopping galore for future brides ad debutantes.
This means more time for the couples and debutantes to scout for their suppliers. They can canvass on the first day, shortlist on the second day, and book on the third day.
“This is one of the reasons why a lot of Filipina brides based abroad schedule a trip to the country in February to visit our Bridal Fair, they have ample time to choose and book their wedding suppliers,’’ says one of the organizers.
It is also a plus that the fair features a diverse group of vendors under one roof.
“Brides are not working on an unlimited budget. That is why we make sure we have suppliers from various price points. A certain bride can, for example, splurge on her caterer, but can opt to choose a more modest cake,” she explains.
Another plus factor is the participation of trusted, seasoned suppliers as major sponsors.
Smart Shot Studio is one of them.
With more than 100 Awards and accolades both here and abroad, Lito Genilo, an expert in the field of wedding photography, may well be an understatement.
He is backed by an armada of international awards and recognitions, including the prestigious title of Master Photographer from the New York-based Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI). This award giving body which has members from all over the US and more than 50 countries has recognized Genilo’s masterpieces numerous times from 2007 up to the present.
Lito’s colleagues in the wedding photography industry, namely the Wedding and Portrait Photographers of the Philippines, (WPPP)have likewise recognized this by honoring him with the same title.
A WPPP Certified Wedding Photographer, Genilo twice won the Photo of the Year award from the Society of Portrait Photographers of the Philippines (SPPP).
Aside from having catered major celebrity weddings, Juan Carlo The Caterer has also dominated the debut scene. After catering the coming of age parties of actresses Julia Montes, Kathryn Bernardo and Eula Caballero, Juan Carlo The Caterer was also chosen to cater the debut party of Liza Soberano in Mabini, Batangas. The party’s theme was Bohemian inspired. Juan Carlo served its famous meat dishes, including Jalapeño Bite with Mixed Seafood and Beef.
Other signature Juan Carlo Hors d’oeuvres, dishes, and desserts include the Lengua Cecilia, a food heritage from the third generation of the Del Rosario’s, Juan Carlo’s Pork Belly With Chili Caramel Sauce, Beef Calderetang Batangas, Salmon with Tequila Cream Sauce, Frutta Pavlova.
Aside from the Grand Raffle of the Organizer of Weddings & Debuts 2016 Bridal Fair,
AMI Jewels will give out P 50,000, P 20,000 and P 10,000 cash prizes for lucky on-the-spot booking couples who will book with them at the Bridal Fair.
Every P 1,000 worth of payment entitles couples to 1 raffle ticket. As only bookers during the 3 days are eligible to join, couples get a big chance to win.
AMI Jewels has a loyal clientele owing to its beautifully crafted designs and competitive prices. The company prides itself with seasoned gemologists, one of which even studied at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the same body trusted to grade and provide diamond certifications worldwide.
To get free entrance to the Weddings and Debuts Fair,register at www.weddingsanddebuts.com.ph and like on FB /weddingsanddebuts.
★★★★★
Red-letter day for 90.7 Love Radio
90.7 Love Radio had all the reasons to celebrate Valentines Day. Not only was it the station’s 42nd anniversary on the FM band, but it has kept its ranking as the over-all no.1 radio station for the 14th straight year, and amid the stiff competition among FM stations, it certainly is no mean feat for DZMB (the station’s original call sign).
With the onset of 2016, top honchos on the FM radio operations team at Manila Broadcasting Company have come up with bigger plans to ensure that Love Radio remains a step ahead, particularly with a strong pitch to combine their strength on radio with the capability of new media. Projects still in the pipeline will keep station hands focused on giving their best, making sure that when listeners are surveyed as to which station they listen to, the answer remains the same — 90.7 Love Radio kailangan pa ba’ngi-memorize’yan?