PUREGOLD Cinepanalo Film Festival Showcased Good Short Films

It's the weekend and after the really fun Puregold Cinepanalo Film Festival Awards Night, we took time to watch the student short films this Sunday afternoon before they end screenings. 

Short films are, short. If you couldn't get your point or story across, I would feel it would fail, I think the few ones I saw were actually good. Super happy about how Puregold Cinepanalo Film Festival became a great platform for regional film makers to showcase what they can do despite the odds. I didn't even need to read the subtitles in order to understand them.

Dito, Dati was about memories. They had a short film made on VHS recorded tapes but in the end they lost it all. Then they reminisced where it all happened, how it happened. It played on family ties, filial love and what lengths you would go for them. 

Ritche Films Production on the other hand offered Sine Sine, a short film about friends in the Bicolano dialect. A supposed date plan was about to go into shambles because the local movie house called Obet's Sine Sine was closing down. It was cute, mostly about puppy love. When the plan to watch a movie didn't pan out, they made their own film. Obet's Sine Sine was back in business, and the date continued. It made the folks inside the cinema giggle. No wonder this won awards. Their soundtrack was fun and catchy too. 

Daog/Pildi was another regional short film. In Cebuano, they get to tell the adventures they had in arcade gaming (a thing I adore). It was old school, had a little cute and romantic story line. 

SAMPIE was eye candy. It's a coming of age film that had elements of a cartoon (in 2D) about a mermaid, a gay one. It's also about family  and the little joys of life. It is also about acceptance. Pretty good short film, no wonder it won awards too. 

"Our One and Only Baboy" was about an elderly couple, one stricken with cancer but chose to give up and just enjoy his vices. The lone pig was opted to be sold for money, for his medical needs and finances... But they treated it like their child (they didn't have kids). His wife was not so keen in doing it. The film has flaws, the panning shots made me dizzy, but it was certainly a touching film. It's about dreams, the idea of true happiness, love and what matters most.

If you can catch the other films today, go do it. Or maybe wait for a future release in platforms, because from the looks of it, they've got a lot of people out there that would really appreciate it.

Thanks to Puregold who's doing this annually, the ones who made it possible to showcase regional films in actual cinemas. I loved the shorts!

Celebrating Women's Month with Mary Rose Marbil: A Story of Love, Compassion, Family and Service

She was all smiles when she went in. Donned in a white crisp top, hair tucked back and a presence I couldn't put to words. She has this presence signifying power, poise, posture that make known strictness. But once she uttered words, it felt like we were welcomed home, like no strangers... getting a warm hug. 

She's the beautiful Ms. Mary Rose Marbil, loving wife to PNP Chief Rommel Francisco Marbil and caring mother to recently engaged Robyn Marie Marbil. She's also the PNP OLC Foundation, Inc. (previously Officer's Ladies Club) Adviser, an honor she doesn't treat as an obligation, but an opportunity to help through charitable causes, now geared to help PNP Personnel and their families. This is also something that she is passionate about. 

Photo from the PNP OLC Foundation, Inc. Facebook Page

 

This strong disposition must have come from somewhere, so I asked about who she gets the inspiration from. She immediately answered her Mom. She says "The woman who made a big impact is my Mom. Not just because she is my Mom, but because of how she is, and how she handled things. She's always objective about things. When we got married, we stayed with her for 3 years. She didn't want me to stay in PSG quarters because there would be a lot of chismis there. It might have been difficult to have 2 queens in one castle, but it wasn't with her. If there are conflicts, she never asked why, but just be present and be there for me. Even with the siblings, she's the most level headed. That's my Mom."

With the PNP OLC Foundation, Inc., she was involved in spearheading their ongoing project called LAB Virus (which they coined from Love and Blessings). She usually goes with the PNP Chief in various locations in the country but didn't participate much in efforts. With the project, she was able to start helping PNP personnel and their beneficiaries. With the foundation, she didn't have to wait for a regional visit to help people. It also rarely happens, and this was able to put them in a more pro-active state. 

The foundation sought help from health services to identify over 500 individuals that are critically ill. This was a huge number, even the Chief PNP was surprised. Much of them were suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease and needs lengthy dialysis treatments in their respective regions. They provided them needed financial assistance that would help for medical bills and for their daily spend. 

While it was a huge help, they wanted their actions to also be more sustainable. One of the regional leaders in Cebu was teaching life skills in making soap. It's a business they could easily teach PNP personnel and their beneficiaries, so they could fend for themselves, and put food on the table after getting help from the PNP OLC Foundation, Inc. Very soon, they will also be teaching and giving away business kits to street sweepers in Camp Crame. They are excited to do this in Manila/Laguna too.

 Here's our interview with Ms. Mary Rose a few days ago:

Spreading love with every touch, the PNP OLC Foundation, Inc. is continuously going around regions including BARMM. With help from private individuals who signified support through their organization, they would be able to lend a hand to more people especially PNP personnel and their families.

Recently, they also had a concert with singing PNP personnel to raise funds for the foundation. They also get help from individuals, other foundations (and the public) so they could come to the aid of more people in times of need. Her experience in the corporate world has helped her organize a structured operation to cater the underprivileged. They now have officers that will be able to continue efforts and ensure it would be addressed after her term. This is such a selfless and noble task, but she finds insurmountable fulfillment doing this.  

Her message to women out there, "There's always something you can do. You're not just a wife, let's not limit ourselves to what people think you can do. We are limitless, especially as women. It shouldn't be a hindrance, I even think there's more power in that. We have our charm, use it to move and make things happen. With our talents, we can use it for the welfare of the people around us. Do what you need to do!" Her story of love, compassion, her family and the service the foundation does for others is so inspiring.

Thank you for sharing your time Ms. Rose, it was certainly a pleasure getting to know you!

VICE GANDA Changes Lifestyle with SANTÉ BARLEY

One of the busiest stars, artists, host, comedian and one who owns her Unkabogable brand in the country is VICE GANDA. Her wit, humor and impact is undeniable, but of course, with her very busy schedule, one would wonder how she does it. Vice is actually human too (albeit looking perfect on screen) and she does feel tired sometimes. She also gets stressed and often doesn't get breakfast before she goes out for work, which only means one thing, she needs HELP when it comes to her health.

Today was a momentous occasion for her career as she gets welcomed by the folks from SANTÉ INTERNATIONAL, a leader in health and wellness products in the country. Trusted by a lot of Filipinos, they've been producing quality barley products that's certified by the folks from BioGro in New Zealand.

The company has always geared towards making lives better, healthier, which is why they've made products with the help of science and nature. If you've heard about Santé Barley, they have managed to produce this with the highest quality in mind and is full of nutrients. They also have Santé Pure Barley Juice, Santé Pure Barley Capsules and the Santé Fusion Coffee. Vice did her homework and researched about the products prior to taking it, she also took time to see the people from Santé International and the other endorsers prior to using the products. Now it has become part of her lifestyle, and she admits it has solved her problems with regards to constipation, something that she's been suffering from for years. She also told the crowd how good it feels to feel clean prior to going out for work, especially when seen in the public and the entertainment industry. It is also part of her advocacy now, more so as she learns how good it is with her lifestyle. Vice has also enjoined her Mom and Sister (a doctor too) which has seen the remarkable change it has done for her.

Here's our coverage of the event on video, sub if you want to see more content like this! :)

 

With her remarkable career that has not just been noticed in the Philippines but the whole Asian region, she wants to also give herself a chance to take care of herself more. Taking Santé Barley everyday and going to her check ups was something she wanted to do so she could continue to live longer and #LiveForMore. Live For More is also a campaign that she belongs to with Santé International. Their CEO Joey Marcelo has noted how Vice has continued to thrive in aspects of her career while continuing to inspire others, a reason why Vice was chosen because it is part of their mission to help even more Filipinos, people, here and abroad!

If you want to know more about VICE GANDA and her journey with Santé International, just follow their social channels or visit their website santebarleyorganic.com for more information about the #LiveForMore campaign.