Gabi ng Parangal: Metro Manila Film Festival 2016 Winners

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"MMFF is a lot like Hunger Games... complete with fancy parties and a grand parade before they make us kill each other. While I wish our film survives, I'm hoping all 8 entries Mockingjay's the shit out of the Establishment. May the odds be in our favor. #Reelvolution" - Avid Liongoren

Congratulations to all the winners of the Metro Manila Film Festival 2016 which were recognized during the Gabi ng Parangal awards night held on December 29, 2016 at the Kia Theater located in Araneta Center, Cubao. Erik Matti's Seklusyon dominates the MMFF 2016 from which he also won as Best Director. Seklusyon have won all category directing towards the top award but the movie about the private lives of OFWs living in Hong Kong, Sunday Beauty Queen, wins as Best Picture. This inspiring movie is the first ever documentary to ever make it to the festival, and surprisingly won the highest award.

The People's Choice Awardee is Die Beautiful where Paolo Ballesteros wins as Best Actor. Ballesteros also received the accolade at the Tokyo International Festival in November. Christian Bables wins as Best Supporting Actor for Die Beautiful.

As expected, Irma Adlawan wins as Best Actress for Alvin Yapan's Oro.

However, Nora Aunor starrer Kabisera and Eugene Domingo starrer Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2, did not win any single award.

According to MMFF spokesperson Noel Ferrer, unlike previous MMFFs, this year's competition is more "democratized". However, these movies must fill up at least 10% to 20% of the cinemas where they are being screened so they can stay in the bigger theaters. Otherwise, they will either be transferred to smaller theaters or be pulled out of cinemas.

Theaters are asked to extend MMFF 2016 movies ’til January 7, 2017.

In other news, what can you say about Mocha Uson's performance as #MMFF2016 ambassador?

Start the New Year Right with Color Manila’s Biggest Event

Wazzup Pilipinas!

COLOR MANILA, the country’s most aggressive ‘concept fun-run’ organizer gears up for its biggest and most colorful event to date - the COLOR MANILA RUN YEAR 5, to be held on January 8, 2017, at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Grounds.

The organizers, headed by Jay Em and Justine Cordero, expect around 12,000 runners who would be joining this much anticipated event.

According to COLOR MANILA’s President, Jay Em, “The annual COLOR MANILA RUN has always been designed to help the participants jump start their fitness goals for the year. We are lucky enough to have had participants who have been with us, and have supported us from the inception. Now on our 5th year, we intend to encourage more runners and non-runners alike, to join our various events held in different cities.”

Justine Cordero, VP of COLOR MANILA, says, “Since this is our 5th year, we have made COLOR MANILA RUN YEAR 5 very special by coming up with exciting race kits that our loyal participants and new registrants would love. Our Deluxe kit includes a dry fit shirt, sunglasses, race bib, finisher’s medal and a color packet. Then for the Rockstar package, there’s an additional headwear and drawstring bag. And of course, for the 21K runners, their race kit includes - singlet, sunglasses, drawstring bag, pillow, race bib, timing chip, the finisher's medal, finisher's shirt, GU Energy Gel and the color packet. Most of our participants have also enjoyed collecting our merchandise.”

Participants may also expect celebrities to join the event. Notable celebrities and athletes who have joined the event in the past years include Karylle, Kuya Kim, Yassi Pressman, Dominique Roque, Sam YG, Bubbles Paraiso, Yael Yuzon, Rojun Cruz, Katarina Rodriguez, Clea Pineda, Coach Jim Saret, Sheena Halili, Rica Peralejo, Jodilly Pelendre, Betong Sumaya, Miss Earth 2015 Angelia Ong, Miss Universe Maxine Medina, 1st runner-up Ms International Nicole Cordovez, Phil and James Younghusband, Crystal Belo, Maxine Magalona, JC Intal, Elmo Magalona, Patricia Tumulak, Bb Pilipinas Ann Colis, Eric Virata, Toni-Toni, Gerard Pizaras, Jan Marini, Diana Zubiri, Zara Carbonell, Will Devaughn, Eruption and Volcanoes’ Chris Everingham.

Participants can also choose from 3K, 5K, 10K and 21K. Registration is still ongoing at www.colormanilarun.com.

10 Ways to Enjoy the Holidays at Home

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Christmas is the most enjoyable time of the year. For one whole month, we get to eat our favorite food, see friends and family we haven’t seen all year, and give and receive presents from the people we love. One of the best parts about the holiday is that we get time off from school and work - and this means we get to do some of the coolest things!

As we have shifted to the digital age, new holiday traditions are now being created by Globe Broadband. Now Filipinos have more ways to enjoy their digital lifestyle at home with fast and reliable connections.

With loads of entertainment right your fingertips, here are the top 10 ways to have a blast at home for the holidays!

1. Binge-watch shows on Netflix

Take advantage of the holiday​break and catch up on some of the most popular titles on Netflix, online or via offline mode. Netflix produces award-winning original shows, such as the political thriller Designated Survivor, the prison comedy-drama Orange is the New Black, the sci-fi homage to ‘80s classics Stranger Things, and the period drama The Crown. In January 2017, Netflix is also releasing the TV series A Series of Unfortunate Events. Based on the internationally best-selling series of books by Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) and starring Emmy and Tony Award winner Neil Patrick Harris, A Series of Unfortunate Events recounts the tragic tale of the Baudelaire orphans -- Violet, Klaus, and Sunny – whose evil guardian Count Olaf will stop at nothing to get his hands on their inheritance.

2. Watch blockbusters on HOOQ

Those who like more variety in content can tune in to HOOQ. Together with hit international TV and movie titles, the video-on-demand service also carries a wide selection of Filipino content through its partnerships with the likes of ABS-CBN, GMA, VIVA, and Regal. Relive the classics by watching the films of Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal, indie favorites from Cinemalaya, and recent TV shows. Early next year, HOOQ and Globe studios, will release the first ever co-produced Subscription Video on Demand original series in Southeast Asia: On The Job, a spinoff on the award-winning Erik Matti film of the same name.

3. Get to know the up and coming ballers with NBA League Pass

Fans of the National Basketball Association (NBA) can watch live games in high-definition video, as well as exclusive content on NBA League Pass. They can even watch game replays from recent seasons, classic NBA games, special features, interviews, and documentaries!

4. Let your kids learn on YouTube Kids

Parents who are looking for educational entertainment can certainly find some of the best videos on YouTube Kids. Its content is specifically curated for kids through 4 categories – Shows, Music, Learning, and Explore. With built-in parental controls, moms and dads are assured that their kids are able to watch quality content that will help them learn new things. 

5. ​Relive your favorite Disney stories

Take the magic of Disney everywhere and even relive your favorite fairy tales using the Disney Channels Apps! From the Disney Princesses to hit shows such as Phineas and Ferb, Gravity Falls, Art Attack, and Girl Meets World, among others, the Disney Channel Apps has some of the best episodes to keep the family entertained. It even has Disney Original movies, music videos, and short clips! Younger ones will enjoy Disney Junior Asia, which has episodes of Sofia the First, Elena of Avalor, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and more! Disney XD Asia is more action-packed with content like Avengers Ultron Revolution, Star Wars Rebels, and Guardians of the Galaxy!

6. Rock out to Spotify

Music lovers get to party with their favorite tunes w​ith premium access to Spotify and its millions of playlists perfect for every occasion. Spotify Premium lets you create your own playlists, share them with friends and even download it for offline listening. The Discover feature also lets one listen to new tracks and similar songs you may like based on your recently played music.  Ever get-together will definitely have its own playlist!

7. Let out your inner diva with Sing! Karaoke by Smule

Belt out to your most favorite tunes with Sing! Karaoke by Smule. This new app changes the way you do sing-alongs because you can now take it anywhere with your smartphone. Fulfill your dreams of becoming the Philippines’ next superstar by recording a song on the app to an audience of thousands. Now you can take your shower concerts to the next level and even jam with your favorite artists that are featured on the app!

8. Conquer the world on Garena, Steam, PlayPark, and Gameclub

Gamers in the family will have the coolest time playing games online without worrying about running out of credits! Gamers can now easily get e-pins for Garena, Steam, PlayPark, or Gameclub to build bases, conquer worlds, and defeat the enemies before mom calls you for Noche Buena dinner.

9. Enjoy your favorite apps on faster speeds!

Entertainment apps are best enjoyed with fast and reliable speeds. For only 1299/month, you can get your movie marathons, karaoke sessions, and even game nights with Globe Broadband speeds of up to 10 Mbps. Customers also have the option to boost their monthly data allowance or their WiFi connection for maximum viewing pleasure.

10. The best devices for an awesome experience

Changing the way families enjoy broadband, Globe now offers customizable plans that allows customers to bundle it with a variety of devices! From Android and smart TVs to streaming devices such as Google Chromecast and Apple TV, you can pick the device that matches your home digital lifestyle.

The holidays let us have more time to enjoy and discover new things. With a reliable connection coupled with some of the most entertaining content, everyone is up for another memorable time filled with awesome flicks, cool hits and fun games all from Globe Broadband.

To know how you can get a Globe Broadband plan today, visit broadband.globe.com.ph

Globe Provides Support to Communities Affected by Typhoon Nina as Restoration Activities Continue

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As of 2 pm Tuesday, Globe Telecom is now able to provide critical telecommunication services in majority of areas heavily affected by Typhoon Nina amid accelerated efforts to restore the company’s wireless network.

According to Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications, the company has restored 53% of service areas that were adversely impacted within the last 24 hour period.

Widespread commercial power outages and multiple fiber cuts following strong winds caused service disruptions especially in critical areas such as Legazpi, Albay and in Pili, Camarines Sur.

“Globe will continue to step up restoration efforts until we have completely restored voice, text, and data services in all typhoon-hit areas,” she emphasized.

Alongside restoration efforts, Globe is helping the victims of Typhoon Nina by providing libreng tawag and libreng charging stations in Boac, Marinduque and in Barangay Tinago, Naga City.

Hontiveros: We Didn't Need 6,000 People Dead to Implement a Public Health Policy on Drug Abuse

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Asserting that the country's drug problem has always been a public health concern, Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros today said that the government should have implemented a public health policy on drug abuse from the very start, instead of encouraging a climate of killing in its war on drugs.

"Our country did not need more than 6,000 people to die in order to see drug abuse as a public health issue. The government's supposed shift to a public health approach in its anti-drugs campaign should have come first in a comprehensive response. At this point, I am afraid that this is an attempt to appropriate the public health advocacy without stopping and exacting accountability for the extrajudicial killings. Malacañang is painting a picture of victory and is using the public health discourse to provide a humane face to its deadly war on drugs and evade accountability for the patent abuses," Hontiveros said.

It was reported that on Tuesday, Malacañang announced that the country’s drug problem has now become a “public health issue" after it claimed "victory" in its war on drugs. This is despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s failure to make good on his electoral promise to end the drug problem in six months.


"Add rehab centers and stir"

Hontiveros said that the Duterte government can't just use an "add rehab centers and stir" approach in its belated attempt to add a health angle to its deadly war on drugs.

"It would be mechanical and tokenistic. The government might think that by simply building a mega-drug rehabilitation center and putting all the drug addicts there, it has sufficiently addressed the health needs of the drug users. Yet, what the majority of the drug users actually need are not inpatient care but outpatient healthcare interventions," Hontiveros explained.

Hontiveros, who is Chair of the Senate Committee on Heath, said that only 9% of suspected drugs users who have surrendered under Oplan Tokhang were committed in rehabilitation facilities. The 91% who do not need institutionalized support went back to their communities. She said that the progress in modern drug rehabilitation and comprehensive out-patient healthcare programs guarantee that only those who are extremely addicted to illegal drugs are admitted to a drug rehabilitation facility.

"The government should have heeded our appeal at the outset and mobilized resources in the funding of out-patient rehabilitation programs and community drop-in centers, as well as harm reduction capacity-building sessions for local governments, health agencies and non-government organizations. Now, much harm, which could have been prevented, has been inflicted on thousands of dead, drug dependents further cut off from health services and poor people deprived of public funds used for Tokhang instead of for social and economic programs," Hontiveros said.



End the killings, best public health approach

The senator said that the best public health approach now appropriate for the situation is for the government to put a stop to the extrajudicial killings.

"Ending the killings and holding all those responsible for these atrocities must be done alongside the implementation of a public health agenda on the anti-drugs campaign. Failure to do so will fuel further speculations that the government not only condones the EJKs, but sanctions them, to the detriment of the people's health," Hontiveros concluded.

Restoration Activities Undertaken Amidst Typhoon Nina Aftermath

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Globe Telecom has dispatched technical personnel to immediately restore network services affected by Typhoon Nina in some parts of Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Marinduque, Sorsogon and Masbate, Oriental Mindoro and Quezon as of 12 pm Monday.

Strong winds from Typhoon Nina that caused commercial power interruption and multiple fiber cuts resulted in temporary service disruptions especially in Albay and Camarines Sur. Business continuity protocols including network redundancies have been activated to reduce the impact of service disruption to customers in the said areas.

"Based on our network team assessment, intermittent services were mostly caused by commercial power outages in the Bicol Region. Generator sets for cell towers are now being used to allow customers to use basic telecommunications services such as calls and text messaging. However, at least 6 towers located in Camarines Sur (4 towers) Albay and Marinduque were structurally affected which will make full service restoration longer. The towers were reportedly damaged because of strong winds that ran up to 200 km per hour. Multiple fiber cuts were also reported from Pili to Legaspi," said Yoly Crisanto, SVP for Corporate Communications of Globe.

Globe technical teams have been deployed to make restoration efforts as soon as weather permits. Globe is likewise coordinating with government agencies relating to deployment of relief operations in areas affected by the typhoon.

Globe: 11 SMS Alerts Sent Out to Customers Prior to Typhoon Nina’s Landfall

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Globe Telecom transmitted a total of 11 text messages, warning customers of potential dangers coming from Typhoon Nina prior to its landfall.

According to Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications Yoly Crisanto, transmittal of the text messages was undertaken in coordination with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) at no cost to consumers. “As a provider of vital telecommunications services, Globe recognizes the importance of disseminating information that would help ensure the safety and security of our customers specially during times of emergencies and calamities. The company is deeply committed in providing support for the government in undertaking such initiatives,” Crisanto said.

Crisanto said the mobile disaster alerts sent by Globe included critical information that communities at risk can use to prepare for and respond to disaster. She said Globe began transmittal of SMS alerts last December 24, at around 6 pm directed to customers in Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Northern Samar, warning them to take caution against dangers brought by the typhoon.

Globe said 10 more text messages were sent out, also directed in addition to the four provinces, to customers in Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Masbate, including Ticao and Burias island, Marinduque, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, Romblon and Polilio island. Globe sent out close to 11 million text messages, which were crafted by NDRRMC and relayed to Globe for transmittal, she added.

Globe Well-Equipped to Accommodate Upsurge in Holiday Network Traffic

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Globe Telecom said it is ready and well-prepared to accommodate an expected surge in network traffic during the holiday season.

The company expects a significant increase in network traffic even as customer behavior in sending holiday greetings continue to evolve, Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications Yoly Crisanto said.

“Growing adoption of smartphone devices, as more and more of our customers continue to shift to a digital lifestyle, is expected to lead to surges in data use. With the seasonal increase in data traffic, we want to assure our customers that Globe is ready and well-prepared to accommodate our customers’ bandwidth requirements,” Crisanto said, adding that Globe also expects similar a surge in network traffic coming from voice and SMS traffic.

Globe recently completed deployment of 500 LTE sites using the 700 megahertz band consistent with efforts to improve internet service in the country. Majority of the company’s L700 sites were deployed mostly in Metro Manila and other highly-populated areas, where majority of customers using LTE-based handsets are located. In addition, the company also activated 900 additional LTE sites using the company’s additional spectrum allocation in the 2600 megahertz band.

With the deployment of LTE sites using both the 700 and 2600 bands, Globe is now able to deliver a more comprehensive LTE coverage in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao and other major urban areas in the country. The use of both LTE 700 and LTE 2600 bands, along with the company’s additional spectrum resources, supports the capacity enhancement initiative launched by the company early 2016 intended to elevate the state of internet in the country. Globe also launched early this year an initiative of creating an internet superhighway by deploying fiber optic cables in 20,000 barangays all over the country to provide faster and more reliable internet access in about 2 million homes nationwide.

NPC: Bagong Taon, Magbagong Buhay at Magbago ng Password/s

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The National Privacy Commission (NPC) is recommending that Internet users change the passwords of their email and social media accounts as part of their new year’s resolutions. According to Privacy Commissioner Raymund Enriquez Liboro; “Regularly changing your passwords for online accounts such as email and social media is one of the most basic and easiest ways of protecting your data privacy.”

The Privacy Commissioner said this after it was recently revealed by Yahoo that more than 1 billion user accounts were compromisedfrom a data breach that happened in August of 2013. The breach is now considered the largest email data breach in history. Sensitive personal data were compromised including email addresses, dates of birth and telephone numbers that can be used in identity theft and phishing scams. The breach much was bigger than the data breach in 2014 of around 500,000 user accounts that was only announced by Yahoo in September of 2016.

“If you use Yahoo for email or other yahoo online services, we suggest that you not wait until the end of the year to change your account credentials, but instead change them as soon as possible.”, Chairman Liboro said. “Email is usually the means social media services such as Facebook confirm your identity, if your email is compromised, there is a chance that your social media accounts are compromised as well, and criminals could use confidential information there to commit cybercrimes directed at you or the contact list on your email and social media accounts.” Liboro added.

In the Philippines, personal data breaches must be reported to the NPC within 72 hours from their discovery, this is according to the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Data Privacy Act (R.A. 10173) issued by the Commission in August of this year.

Other than password changes the NPC is also recommending that Internet users utilize two-factor authentication for confirming their identity. Two-factor authentication is when Internet services send a text message or a code to your mobile phone to confirm who you are instead of just sending an email. Email providers sometimes use this feature when someone accesses their account from an unfamiliar IP address or device.

Best practices in changing passwords include:

1. Don't re-use passwords. One ultra-secure one won't be any good if someone finds it.
2. While combining upper and lower case passwords with numbers to alter a memorable word - M4raD0na - is often advised, these are more easily cracked than you might think.
3. Make a memorable, unusual sentence: “Ako ay isang responsableng mamamayang Pilipinong internet user (aa1-rmpiu).”
4. Changing passwords to passphrases like: “AskalsAreTheBestTeamInAsia”- dramatically improves security. Each additional character increases the number of possible combinations exponentially, making it virtually impossible to crack.

Globe and Partners Commit to Rehabilitation of PGH Pediatric Cancer Clinic

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Globe Telecom, together with its strategic partner Amdocs, major stockholder Singtel, concerned customers and employees joined forces to successfully raise funds for the much-needed rehabilitation of the Philippine General Hospital’s pediatric cancer clinic.

The cost of renovation, which is P863,380.52 will be turned over to the PGH Medical Foundation, Inc., a non-government organization founded in 1997 which acts as the fund-raising arm of PGH.

Amdocs and Singtel donated P200,000 and P100,000, respectively, as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts while the rest came from Globe employees and customers.

This was in response to a call made by Globe to its employees, partners, and customers to share their time, treasure, and talent in bringing cheer to the young cancer patients in PGH and in helping raise funds for the clinic. PGH currently serves about 600,000 patients annually, about 80 percent of which are indigent.

“We are proud to have our partners, employees, and customers step in to participate in this worthwhile undertaking. We continue to encourage everyone to work together so that through this project, we can all bring hope to the patients at the PGH pediatric cancer clinic,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications.

Earlier, Globe launched a heartwarming video in line with the premiere of the latest Star Wars movie franchise Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The video garnered over 40 Million views and was recognized by international news sites such as CNN, Mashable, and Huffington Post among others. The video strongly demonstrated the resilience of children in face of adversity and encouraged the audience to help in the rehabilitation of the PGH Pediatric clinic via donations through prepaid load or charged to their postpaid bill.

Globe always tries to give back to the communities where it operates, thus, PGH was chosen as the beneficiary of the project. Manila, where PGH is located, was the first local government unit to cooperate in removing the hurdles in infrastructure building, thereby, allowing the deployment of fiber optics in Binondo for ultra-fast internet access.

Those interested to help may still donate denominations of P100, P200, and P500 from their prepaid load or postpaid plan via SMS by texting PGH to 2158-0744 (PGH) or by using their GCash Android App and following the instructions given.