If it ain't in my site, I usually say it didn't happen. This time, it did. A few stars came out to play at the recent Pinoy Drop Ball Launch in Grand Hyatt in BGC. They weren't joking too when they said they'll provide entertainment because one by one, they came on stage and proved why the Filipino artists are a force to be reckoned with.
The country's sweetheart Maine Mendoza, clad in a pretty purple jumpsuit said hi to the audience, took more than the usual photos with BingoPlus&DigiPlus executives as they launch the new game Pinoy Drop Ball. It's based on the nostalgic one you used to do in fiesta perya, and is said to be an advancement they accomplished ahead of the rest. This will now be part of the line of home grown games they have in their platform, but the entertainment value they promised didn't end there.
Aside from the appearance of Maine Mendoza, they also had one of the nation's hottest PPOP group ALAMAT. They're from different parts of the country, which would be a good place to have them use the platform, but then again, it's available globally so that's a given. Aside from that, they got one of my favorite artists Julie Anne San Jose, who literally sang across the room and proved why she's one of the country's most powerful singers. They have measures and quality assurance for the things they use with the games, fair play is expected as they are duly licensed too. Their platform is certainly promising, if you see its worth, go ahead and do it today!
It's been a while since I've seen the country's IT girl, Maine Mendoza. The last time I think was during the launch of her husband Arjo Atayde's restaurant in Quezon City. She was so nice, very approachable, so it's no surprise that companies still get her to represent them especially in entertainment. Recently, she was at the launch of Pinoy Drop Ball, the newest among DigiPlus' line of perya games which will be live streamed at every instance, something that's traditionally seen in local fairs in the Philippines.
Aside from Maine, the launch was also graced by one of the hottest boy groups in the country, ALAMAT who provided us with really good dance-able song numbers during that evening. Their Chairman Euseblo Tanco likened Pinoy Drop Ball to several of their existing entertainment offerings that are not only exciting but authentic and culturally resonant. According to him, this is a huge leap forward to put mortar and pestle offline fun into digital, which now is available for adults to enjoy. They follow strict standards, as it is appropriately licensed, and employ rules to make sure fair play and consistency happens at every aspect, and available whenever you want to enjoy it. They also change hosts every 20 minutes so no one gets tired when throwing the ball, the chance to become victorious is there!
It was surely an evening to remember, and with what they have on the platform rolled out, the variety of what people can enjoy is just a LOT! It was certainly awesome to see Maine Mendoza again in person, she's adorable!
It's been a while since I've last seen multi awarded actor and Congressman Arjo Atayde. He's been very busy, with good reason because after his wedding, he had to really pay attention to his duties as a public servant in the 1st District of Quezon City. The movies/series that he's done a few years ago is reaping fruit, and recently won him Best Male Lead for his role in Cattleya Killer at ContentAsia Awards 2024.
We celebrated with him, his family, and a few more people from the press. They held a no holds barred interview to specifically get more updates from the busy good looking man fresh from Taipei, Taiwan where he received the it.
Arjo also addressed one of the movie projects where he was supposed to appear but ended up not being in it. His sole reason was because he wanted to be 100 percent in that project and felt it would be unfair to his co-actors if he didn't commit to the role just like them. He also doesn't choose projects and trusts his management about what he does, it is sometimes the schedule that he gets a little trouble with because he has a lot of priorities. The roles he take, is something he is thankful for because it becomes his outlet to be able to express his artistry. He's glad he is not boxed, tied to roles, in his 11 years in the business. He says "Every role I take is a learning opportunity."
People asked about Arjo and Maine on becoming parents and he told us "We are enjoying each others time because we wouldn't be able to do this in the long run. We definitely talk about it but we'll keep that as a secret. We are all excited though about having our pamangkin (with Ria and Zanjoe) and support Ria and Z, it's their story to tell, but we are SUPER SUPER excited and send much love to them!"
Here's the press conference on video, please raise the volume a bit because it was a little too noisy (along the road) but please, enjoy!
Arjo also shared a preview of MOONLIGHT, a film made by US based Isabel Sandoval. She's had great success with previous project Lingua Franca which won awards in 2019, and the Filipina film maker didn't disappoint with what we saw that evening. It's a masterpiece just waiting to be showcased in festivals and platforms. Arjo also showed us scenes from "Bagman" and "TOPAKK" which we loved. Each felt like Hollywood quality, no doubt, and he says this is just the start.
The wins in several award giving bodies would mean more exposure not just for Arjo but for the Filipino talent. Hopefully, this snowball starts an avalanche of opportunities for Filipino actors, those behind the camera and productions that are just waiting to be discovered. His work as Congressman of the 1st District of Quezon City will continue, and he vows to continue to help the communities he represent and make effective laws. He also wants the bills he principally authored (all 223 of them) be implemented well including the Eddie Garcia Law which is for the occupation and safety standards in the entertainment industry.
Thank you for the opportunity to see you again Cong. Arjo! Thank you also to Ms. Sylvia Sanchez who was also there that evening to tell us a few things about Ria and Z. (and for taking care of my Mom during Dessa's concert a few weeks ago). As Arjo said, this is just the start of good things ahead for whatever hat he wears!
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