An Unending Urge to Serve: Sam Verzosa

 

This is just one of the few instances where I met Congressman Sam Verzosa (of Tutok To Win Partylist), and yes he's been doing this even before he went into public service. Today was the same as he ventured into the inner streets of Manila, to say the least, spend time and effort for the people who live here. 

He's worked with organizations, in Frontrow Cares, and his show SV Cares in GTV to make sure that he could still lend a hand where he can. His story of success is amazing. Growing up in the streets of Sampaloc, Manila, he wanted to make sure his family would have food on the table, a livable income, and education. He didn't get this outright, so he had to device a way to use his street smarts to find and build a business that could finance his needs and his family. He now owns several businesses and was successful with it because he really worked hard for it. With his capacity yo earn, he now has the chance to help other people which is why he's doing this. He didn't just give rice and basic necessities, but also taught how they could have their own businesses so they too could fend for themselves. He's teaching them exactly what he learned from his life story, he did this in different parts of the Philippines and this time, he wanted to do it in his hometown Manila.

Here's our interview with him during his activities:

Sam says "This is really not just because I'm celebrating my birthday in a few days, this is something that I do on a normal day to help communities. I've been doing this for a while now. I'm glad that Frontrow Cares, different organizations, Tutok to Win, Batang Sampaloc Foundation and SV Cares have partnered up so we can do this for them. We are just continuously doing what we have been doing in the past. We are now in Pandacan, but this morning we also went to Sta. Mesa, Pandacan, Sta. Cruz, and not just give them necessities, but medical assistance too. People need their maintenance medicine, and we included that in our caravans."

He adds "I almost cried when I saw the crowd here earlier, they warmly welcomed me when I arrived. I went to different parts of Manila and it felt special. I received hugs, some people were crying, and this is one of the reasons why I want to do this more on ground. This is why I want to extend help, even if it's out of my pocket, because I have the capacity to do so and hope I could do this even more. As long as I have the capacity to help, I will do it." 

His unending urge to serve is evident, and for the people of Manila, who sees value in this, SV will be in your place soon. He promises to do this as long as he has got the capacity to help, and that's good news.

10CM Set to Perform "CLOSER TO YOU" Concert in Manila This August

This afternoon, we've had the chance to interview one of the hottest idol singers from South Korea. They're called 10CM, and he's set to perform in Manila this coming August 31st at the New Frontier Theater in Araneta City, Cubao QC. The event is produced by Cornerstone Concerts (a subsidiary of Cornerstone Entertainment) and South Korea based Magic Strawberry Sound.

For those who don't know, 10cm is an indie pop project that is being led by Kwon Jung-yeol. They were initially debuted as a duo (with Yoon Cheol-jong), but split in 2017. His songs are now part of various KDrama shows like Queen of Tears, Crash Landing On You, Start Up, Hotel de Luna, Lovely Runner and a whole lot more. He still carries the same name 10cm which they got from the difference in their height. His idea of fun is still staying in the studio and creating music, so if he's tasked to make one for a drama, he just needs to know the plot and put it all in the lyrics (pretty good process). This makes it custom fit the feel and actual story, which makes it easier to connect with... and his fans.

Here's our exclusive interview with him yesterday 

He wants to be able to connect with you especially with his music, so the content of his upcoming concert will be more of your favorites. He teased some of it during TJ Monterde's sold out concert a few days ago where he performed a medley of his KDrama hits, much of which will be done in full versions in August 31st.

While TJ Monterde loves 10cm's music, Yoon also fancies his too. It was mutual admiration and seeing them perform in TJ's concert was like a dream for all.

10CM has also won various awards from Melon Music, for Best Collab and Best Folk and Blues in different years. This tour is also going to be done in SEA countries such as SG, Malaysia and Thailand. In East Asia, there will be Taiwan, hopefully more countries soon.

Tickets are being sold in Ticketnet, so make sure you get them while it's still available. This would be perfect for those who love his music, the KDramas it's in, so you could get all the feels all over again!

Shot in SEOUL: KELVIN MIRANDA and KIRA BALINGER for "Chances Are, You and I"

There are still a lot of stories to be told and this one is both romantic, heartbreaking at times, and could pull heartstrings. It also talks about love, friendship, taking chances, and dreams... this of which will be discussed lengthily in this movie by Pocket Media Productions Incorporated. This stars Kelvin Miranda and Kira Balinger, some of the country's most promising stars.

A Little Backgrounder:

This is the first project of Director Catherine Camarillo under her production outfit PM Productions Inc. This was during the pandemic, and when the franchise of ABSCBN wasn't renewed. This was a family decision, more or less, and since her daughter had this script for a while now, they wanted to do this specific one and offer it to streaming services pre-prod. The scenes were all shot in 2022, and a little during the latter part of that year because production ceased when restrictions came during those times. 

The film had to be shot in two locations, one in Manila and the other in Seoul in South Korea. It was mainly due to the look they wanted to portray especially during winter time, which they find perfect, and hellish when they got so cold after scenes were cut.

This is also the first time that Kelvin and Kira are being paired on screen, but they've got quite different first impressions when we interviewed them yesterday. It was essential for them to not only wear 3 layers of clothing, have heaters, and several heat packs underneath just to survive all of that. They were so grateful the crew from Manila and Seoul stepped up and made sure they were comfortable as arrangements were made during filming.

Director CC says "It was really the perfect weather to shoot in the snow because of the visuals. We might have had a hard time shooting because of it but really, I was so impressed with how Kevin and Kira held up in that temperature. They knew the vision of what we were doing and really understood the script. They knew their lines, so I really didn't have a problem with the scenes we had to shoot in Korea. I was happy how they really portrayed the roles, and I hope you appreciate how it felt during our teaser drop (check @catherineocamarillo on IG) because that is made with pure love, passion and hard work."

She adds "I may have had problems securing artists in my home network, but I told my staff I needed a new pairing. It was an audition, I pitched it with Kelvin and Kira then profiled how they both speak, or see how they could add to the characters/role they needed to do... and I appreciate how they interpreted it."

Director CC also holds several hit projects under her belt including "Halik" and "Wildflower" on TV. Her real orientation is film, so this is the caliber of what you're about to see in CAYI.

Here's our interview with Kelvin, Kira and Direk CC yesterday, please enjoy!

 

About Sol and Gabi

Kelvin says "My character was more or less an opposite of me. Sol is quite happy, with a loving family, and might have bottled up angst which would surface when he's dealt with a very huge scare later on. It made him look at life differently, but manages to deal with it like it's not a big thing. He takes these challenges easy, and learns from it. He's also quite adventurous and tough, a man's man and is fond of extreme sports which you'll see in the film. That's where he feels that he exists, and I think that's who he is in a nutshell."

He adds "Maybe I gave a lot to my character because I felt like an actor in this film. It's a big concept, and the trust given to me is no joke. I really felt like I was Sol when we made this."

Kira told us "Gabriela Sinag is a hard worker, she volunteers and is so bubbly... severely a person for others. Behind that, she's hurt, and will perhaps get through things with the help of Sol. That's where the fun starts. Honestly, I don't know if I'm crying because of the emotions or the cold, but it gives you a sense of focus so you could do the role and not just because of the environment. It was a different experience for me. The Korean team were so professional, so you really need to step up, and they take care of you. It was so wonderful with our short stay, it was memorable. Personally, I thought he was a bad boy because he was always wearing black, he had earrings, the works! He showed me that under all that machismo, he's a nice person and very devoted to his craft. He is such a giving actor, and it was so easy to work with him."

Flip a coin and take a chance in CHANCES ARE, YOU and I when it comes out in theaters this May. Official release will be done by Regal Entertainment in theaters nationwide!

PS

It was such a joy to talk to Kelvin and Kira, and the stories of Direk may just be the tip of the iceberg. Hope to get to interview them about this film before it shows soon!