9 FEU DepComm shorts vie for Adamson filmfest awards

Wazzup Pilipinas!



Nine short films made by Digital Cinema and Convergent Media students from Far Eastern University (FEU) Department of Communication qualified for “REALIFILM 2023 | Haze of Truth: Underlying Gap of Life,” an interschool film competition organized by Adamson University’s Silip@Lente in collaboration with the AdU Cultural Affairs Office.

“Akin ang Buhok Ko” written and directed by Luke Salazar, “All the Things Left Unsaid” by Josh Van Ulric Ocampo, “Ang Babayi” by Sydney Dominic Roxas, “Baka Búkas, Bukás Na” by Ely Baculo, “Banaag” by Frangel Obien, “Heels On” by Daniel John Sanchez, “Hilahil” by JD Mardo, “If You Leave Me, Please Let Me Know” by Patrick Pangan, and “Save the Last Dance for Me” by Kaloy Cabarrubias will compete with 17 other student finalists at AdU Theater on January 27, from 1 to 5 p.m.

“Akin ang Buhok Ko” follows the story of a nine-year-old boy who simply wants to keep his long hair against the wishes of the adults around him. It previously won Best Short Film and Best Director for Salazar at FEU’s “LIKHANG MULAT: Gabi ng Parangal 2022.”

 
In “All the Things Left Unsaid,” a boy narrates his life as a queer individual speaking about his inner child in a very mundane setting. He starts by unfolding his imaginative perspective on the laundry as a colorful world with dirty clothes and cute little fishes.

On the other hand, “Ang Babayi” tells an alternate version of The Story of Creation, this time Eve (Joyce Macalia) emerges from the water and becomes the first human instead of Adam. Her exploration of survival in the Garden of Eden leads her to a predatory foe and an unlikely companion.

In “Baka Búkas, Bukás Na,” two old men, who hang out every day in a local coffee shop, reminisce about their bittersweet past when two young men enter the coffeehouse.

“Banaag” is about a woman who creates an almost perfect life as she co-exists with her younger and future self in an attempt to heal the wounds of trials and tribulations.

In “Heels On,” a young father (Dani Sanchez) wears fabulous clothes and heels as a dance teacher at a studio in Cubao. As he gets home, he thinks that his daughter does not have any idea about his work.

Meanwhile, chaos erupts as an uninvited guest interrupts three men having a casual drink in “Hilahil.”

In “If You Leave Me, Please Let Me Know,” a young boy (Kaloy Estrella) thoroughly looks at a giant felled tree in front of their house. The tree seems oddly mysterious to him as he finds connection to it. This as bullies tease him that he is a son of a Kapre, a giant creature who lives in a tree. The short film is one of the finalists in the Young Voices section of Sine Halaga 2 and Sorok Short Film Festival.

Finally, in “Save the Last Dance for Me,” a young man (Aristedes Lamorena, Jr.) meets a mysterious woman (Bjorn Pestaño) in the middle of a forest. Mesmerized by her beauty, he is determined to pursue her, and they develop a deep connection. He is unaware that this encounter will alter his life forever.

FEU DepComm program chair Herwin Cabasal lauded the FEU films for being “proud to tell the stories of the unheard and explore the gaps in today's society.”

REALIFILM has “Romanticizing Life and Social Issues” as its theme in this year’s competition.

Coco Martin chosen as 'The RiteOne' to continue legacy of Ms. Susan Roces

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



The country's leading pharmaceutical brand RiteMed has officially unveiled its new brand ambassador with the launch of its latest TV commercial (TVC) featuring the well-loved and highly respected actor-director Coco Martin.

Coco graciously accepted the challenge of continuing the legacy and advocacy of the Queen of Philippine Movies, Ms. Susan Roces, of empowering the masses in opting for quality and affordable healthcare.

Coco rightfully opened the TVC with the line “Ang sabi ng lola ko, ‘wag mahihiyang magtanong...at hanapin ang check", which not only gives honor to Ms. Susan but also reminds the people of the Filipino culture of listening to the advice of their elderly loved ones.

Filipinos remember the wife of the late Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ), the King of Philippine Movies, for her famous lines in TV and radio commercials that espoused affordable medicines such as: “Bawal ang Mahal” and “Huwag Mahihiyang Magtanong”. Ms. Roces passed away in May 2022. Since then, RiteMed conducted a long and thorough selection process to be able to choose "The Rite One" to take the place of the late actress.

Coco, who became a hero of the masses for his role in "FPJ's Ang Probinsyano", one of the longest-running and most successful soap operas in Philippine TV's history, emerged as the hands-down choice.

The actor-director even suggested the adaptation of Ms. Susan’s famous tagline, Huwag Mahihiyang Magtanong, well-aware that everyone should have the right to ask questions. “Una, para hindi tayo magkamali. Pangalawa, ang mga ang mga Pilipino po ay likas na mahiyain; tinuturuan tayo dito na may alternatibo. Pag naiisip natin na ‘mahal yan’, tinuturo sa atin ng RiteMed na may alternatibo na mas mura," Coco stressed.

“Maraming maraming salamat po sa pagtitiwala. Napakalaking obligasyon po itong ipinasa po sa akin,” Coco said in his speech during the contract signing with RiteMed. “Naikwento ko nga po na kapag dumadaan ako sa Quiapo at pag nakikita ko yung overpass doon, ang laki laki ng billboard ni Tita Susan. Pumasok sa isip ko, ‘sino kaya ngayon ang papalit kay Tita Susan?’ kasi iba po talaga. Hindi lang bilang apo niya sa 'Ang Probinsyano' o sa mga proyekto naming. Alam na alam ko po kung anong klaseng tao si Tita Susan. Hindi po siya basta basta nagtitiwala sa mga produkto ng hindi niya nasusubukan dahil ayaw niyang masira ang kanyang pangalan.

The actor-director emphasized the impact and the legacy that Ms. Roces left and how she became the voice of every Filipino especially when it comes to affordable health care.

“Sobrang laki po ng naging impact. Alam naman po natin na mahirap ang buhay, lagi tayo nag-iisip kung paano makakamenos at paano pa rin natin maitatawid yung pangangailangan, lalo na yung kalusugan. Kasi si Tita Susan, silang mag-asawa ni FPJ, parang sila yung simbolo ng bawat Pilipino eh, na kapag may sinabi sila o may ginawa sila, lahat nakikinig. Napakalaking impluwensya nila sa mga Pilipino, kaya ingat na ingat si Tita Susan talaga sa mga paggawa niya ng mga proyekto at kung ano man ang mga ineendorso niya, lalo na po itong RiteMed.

Atty. Joey Ochave, RiteMed President, welcomed the new brand ambassador with great honor.

“It was 11 years ago when we had Ms. Susan and it was one of the best decisions that we’ve made. She was not just a face and a voice. She was a co-creator of the brand. The sudden shift on the lighter tone of 'Huwag Mahihiyang Magtanong' was her idea,” recalled Ochave. “From then on, RiteMed took this advocacy to heart.”

“Just a brief history, RiteMed was launched upon the request of the government then. Before, people had the impression that generics are sub-standard. Because of this, we strived to change that perception as people still wanted to associate themselves with a brand, because a brand is a badge of trust. Parang pangalan iyan, ang hirap magtiwala sa hindi mo kilala, sabi nga ni Ms Susan.”

RiteMed, thus, worked hard to make quality healthcare more affordable. “We want to assure everyone that [RiteMed] is a brand that you can trust. It’s a company branding and not just a product brand,” Ochave highlighted.

RiteMed General Manager Vince Guerrero said Coco possesses the traits that they are looking for in a brand ambassador.

"Coco not only understands but actually represents the aspirations of the masses, which is why he is esteemed by the common people for advocating what is right," Guerrero said. "As the new face of the brand, we believe he will be a good reflection of RiteMed’s continuing thrust to provide affordable quality healthcare to our people.”

Coco acknowledges the weight of being the new face of a trusted brand. “Alam kong ang laki ng responsibilidad bilang brand ambassador ng RiteMed. Ito po ay legacy ni Tita Susan at iyon po ang panghahawakan ko.”

How To Pay for Flights Using Cryptocurrency

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



According to buidlbee, the cryptocurrency has become a rapidly gaining popularity as a way to pay for the services of airlines. Already in 2022, you can fully pay for the trip with cryptocurrency, starting with booking airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, etc.

In this article, we will tell how you can purchase airline tickets with cryptocurrency, as well as about airlines that sell tickets by paying with cryptocurrencies.


How to buy a plane ticket with cryptocurrency

The process is about the same everywhere: you start any supported crypto on the website of the air carrier, simply by downloading and registering a wallet on your phone and sending your crypto to it (we do not recommend starting a lot or storing it, because the services are centralized).

After that, simply select the payment method of the airline, which will convert your crypto into a currency to pay for the airline and the ticket will be issued within 24 hours (or during the time that is written on the site). However, in most cases, it is issued immediately.






Airlines

The first airline in the world to start selling tickets for its flights to the Baltic countries, Europe and Russia for bitcoins since 2014 is airBaltic, an airline based in Latvia. According to AirBaltic, over seven years, more than 1,000 tourists have bought plane tickets from the airline using cryptocurrency.

In addition to the Latvian National Airlines, companies such as Polish Airlines (LOT), the Canadian Airlines and the Japanese low-cost airline Peach Aviation are leading in the sale of air tickets for cryptocurrency. CheapAir, a California-based firm, was one of the first airlines to sell tickets for bitcoin in the US in 2013. It is believed that crypto transactions are not only confirmed and safe, but also that purchases using electronic currencies are easy and fast.


Travel companies

Electronic currencies are quite popular, especially among travel agencies that sell tickets via the Internet. The Australian travel site travala.com and the Spanish destinia.com joined the list of "advanced" companies. This platform was created with the ability to book travel. The platform is based on the blockchain. Based on this, its big plus is the flexibility when paying with a crypt (besides this, of course, flights can also be paid with ordinary cards). On the Travala platform, there is a wide choice of cryptocurrencies to pay for services. There are also thousands of hotels, car rental services to choose from. A feature of this platform is the presence of its own AVA cryptocurrency.

In addition, entire service sites have appeared, for example, travelbybit.com is a partner of Binance, one of the largest exchanges for cryptocurrencies in the United States. For digital currencies and, of course, bitcoins, hotels and flights are available for booking on the site. The service allows tourists to compare flights listed in the selected state currency before buying with cryptocurrency.

No less famous is the Alternative Airlines platform, where you can find flights from numerous airlines and pay for the purchase of tickets using digital money.


Benefits and risks

As an addition, it can be noted that all cryptocurrencies, of course, are not without risks, but the benefits that accompany them outweigh the possible disadvantages. Users of virtual money get anonymity, high speed of transactions, lack of dependence on financial institutions, small commissions, no “limits” for transfers. However, it is also important to monitor the risks, for example, jumps in the rate of the crypt, the real benefit of such payment, the lack of sufficient technical capabilities.


Conclusion

When buying air tickets, we often lose money on conversion, or additional commissions. Innovations in terms of new settlement options can significantly reduce the cost of air tickets due to the elimination of unnecessary commissions, and sometimes even certain types of tax. At the moment, not many companies have decided to optimize in this area, but the list of services is constantly expanding, and it is only a matter of time when payment with cryptocurrency will be available everywhere.

It is worth saying that the above airlines and services are not the only ones where you can pay for the flight using cryptocurrency. For example, Abitsky, thanks to this service you will be able to pay for a flight while traveling all over Europe.

Planning your trip is always difficult and time-consuming, but finding a travel agency that accepts bitcoins is no longer difficult.