New Pinoy BL Series "My Extraordinary" Out on September 27

This September 27 looks so promising as Asterisk Entertainment, the GagaOOlala app and TV5 will premiere the much awaited BL series called My Extraordinary starring Enzo Santiago and Darwin Yu. The last time we talked to these two was during the Asterisk Digital Entertainment launch which was held in Alabang a couple of months ago. True to their promise, they are now delivering this story of two young guys who initially were just school mates, but now delved into young love. 

This series is directed by Jolo Atienza and written by Vincent DeJesus. This is also produced by Asterisk Digital Entertainment. They play the lives of Shake and Ken, of which one is a loner while the other is more of an extrovert and outgoing person. Much of their stories are told like a slice of life, including their own discovery of how they identify themselves, and how love becomes love in their eyes. 

Direk Jolo Atienza says “Each scene has a purpose, one scene will be important to another one in future episodes. Enzo and Darwin will showcase their chemistry, you will be surprised how this comes out because when we made these scenes, they knew how to make people kilig.  Initially we didn’t have much confidence about the theme but people have been watching BL recently. Asterisk Entertainment got Thai trainers to do workshops here for them, they have been well armed to workout their chemistry. We won’t fall behind with kissing scenes but it won’t focus on that, we need to show this on TV so there are restrictions. They came to the set prepared and you will believe them and their story. This isn’t just about Ken and Shake, it is about the people who couldn’t accept them, Ms Yayo’s character struggled accepting them.” 

Enzo says “We already clicked when we met in February and we had a good relationship even before that. We practiced in the workshops, and that had a lot to do with how comfortable we felt while shooting this series.”

Direk Jolo adds "This was tailored fit, the development of characters and story was done for us. I am happy that there are now fans doing terms like Kambings, everytime we have something new to publish they really support us and even give gifts sometimes. They are so sweet! We got locked down because of protocols. Three locations in Antipolo, Rizal and Bulacan. We had to be together for a long time to finish scenes and come back to another if we need to move we have to follow government protocol. We are excited to see it on September 27. We don’t mind sexuality tags, we don’t judge and do support LGBTQ causes. We know we are straight, allies too.”

Darwin Yu “Love is love, not based on looks, it’s the connection, if you are happy with a person then go for it. Love has no gender, which is what we know before, and while we are doing this series. I hope people learn that from our show.”

It will be shown earlier on the GagaOOLala app at 10pm and will be then shown on TV5 and the Asterisk Entertainment channel on YouTube after an hour. Make sure you get to know these guys and how the love of Shake and Ken would blossom into a great story. The series also stars Yayo Aguila, Jojit Lorenzo, Z Mejia, Karissa Toliongco, Kayden Soriano, Keijee Mesina, John Cortez, Sam Cafranca, Philip Dulalia and Catcat Sanchez. 

I can't wait to see this! 

The Philippines on Medical Malpractice

In this time of pandemic, we have seen a lot of people struggle to go to clinics, hospitals to receive medical care. Since most hospitals are at full capacity, we see people sometimes been referred to other institutions, or flat out just give up or go back home because most of the time, they won’t be able to receive the care they need due to the lack of medical personnel. Understandable in some cases, but every Filipino should always have the care they need in times of emergency. The right and proper care with the safety of the patient in mind, and also the front liners, medical professionals who literally life and limb are out there for us every single day. Quality of work should never be sacrificed either because the last thing we would want is to have to suffer both on the patient’s side and the attending medical pro.  Medical malpractice is no joking matter and ultimately, we are talking about lives here. Aside from that, most medical personnel in the Philippines actually don’t have malpractice insurance. In the US, it is also referred to as professional liability insurance and some states do require it. 

Claims for this kind of insurance can be made against a clinician when negligence is alleged in the conduct of their professional activities like medical care. It is typically unique to physicians/doctors because if patients say they incur any additional expense or future hospitalization brought about the alleged malpractice, that is its main function. That could include loss of income because they would not be able to work anymore, also pain and suffering, or in some cases, if they pass away. Sometimes, it may include defense coverages that if in case you get involved in a lawsuit, they cover expenses all throughout the defense of the case. Aside from that, some products cover cyber liability cases wherein if in case there is a breach of confidentiality between patient-doctor relationships, they will also cover that too. It could be the doctor who is covered or the actual practice (for example you have a clinic and employ people included there) and they could be covered with that as well. 

Having that said, do you think medical malpractice exists in the country? I feel so. With the numerous incidents and stories seen on media wherein patients are not attended to, given proper medical care, the right prescription which results later on to incur disabilities, additional medical costs, and medical fees, who would pay for that? Most often than not, people take a blindsided approach which would be detrimental to the patient and the physician as well. This is why, there should be institutions that would cover this and I’m glad there are several of them now in the Philippines. Although if I were to ask of who is the best medical malpractice insurance in the country, that would be a small list. It’s all about experience and ease of getting coverage. Pricing is also different with shared or individual coverages, and how much of it is needed. It may be dictated by laws, it can be dictated that or simply advised by professionals. I hope things will be better soon, because both patients and medical professionals need protection like that. I prefer my premiums be low just like any regular joe because it might be a burden to an already very costly monthly bill we all get right?

I hope policies become very easy to understand and a lot of people get to know things that can protect them, their lives and livelihood as well. The country should do headway in protecting our rights, because that is a very important matter.

The New 2020 Toyota Hilux

Toyota Motors Philippines just launched the new Toyota Hilux, the country’s favorite pickup truck. It’s the toughest on every road and has served Filipinos for years. This new model also comes in cargo mode which would be perfect for businesses who require heavy loads. It’s 4x4 variety has a 2.8 diesel engine, 201 HP, very fuel efficient despite its size, and very nice interiors. Of course, it’s why the name came from “high luxury”.

They also got a new color variant called Emotional Red. It also does Apple Car Play and Android Car, connects to bluetooth in a cinch, and does a very smooth ride. It also has got cruise control so you get relaxed in long drives, it also detects things if you are near possible bumps when parking. Six Speed or Automatic, and Manual Transmission, they all work good with any type of driver. The 7 air bags also makes sure you are safe when accidents happen.

Atsuhiro Okamoto says “Hilux sales may have been affected by the pandemic, all models. But in this situation, the small vehicles are doing okay. Overall, the demand is still there and we are waiting for guidelines  for the next few months, hopefully more relaxed and if that happens, demand will normalize.”

Rommel Gutierrez FVP for Corporate Affairs says “We have sold only hundreds of cars this month, we have seen the trend is increasing, hopefully this is going to be hitting the years targets less 30% which we expect to happen.”

Sherwin Chualim says “The lack of transportation hs increased the sales for Hilux because of the need for carrying people and goods in the market. It has a more powerful engine but 15% more fuel efficient than its predecessor. It has been the number one pickup truck in the past few years because it is tough for business or leisure use. We made it more safer on the road and more relatable to users. This is legendary, still. It will have one price across the country, it has built in value rates, tradein rebates and free periodic maintenance which customers can take advantage.”

Hilux customers will love the new version, assembled in Thailand, this will be 20,000 strong in the Philippines hopefully before the year ends. At 840,000-1.8 Million price range and 12 varieties of this Hilux (cargo and FX included), it fits a lot of budget points for consumers. You can check it out on Toyota.com.ph for a virtual showroom tour. This is why the 7,000+ Hilux units are already out there just this year, hopefully more before the year ends. 

So who wants a tough vehicle?

World's Thinnest ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX425) Available Now!

The standard for laptops has always been raised and ASUS ZenBook is now on top with the newest and world's thinnest ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX425). It is currently available in Pine Grey and Lilac Mist color variety with modern design, it stays portable with an immersive display and very sleek, sophisticated look.

This stems from really good design decisions making the lid of the ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX425) with diamond-cut aluminum alloy and that premium looking concentric-circle ZenBook finish done on previous models. This ASUS ZenBook 14 UX425 also weighs around 1.13 kg with a side profile of less than 14 mm making it have one of the most sleekest form factor, all done to construct a piece that is easy to carry.

The thin and light ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX425) is also equipped with the newest Intel Ice Lake processors, one that can support up to 8 GB of memory and 512GB PCIe 3.0 x2 SSDs. It does not forget function as it has a complete set of I/O ports which includes the impressive Thunderbolt 3, standard HDMI 2.0 and USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports plus a microSD card reader. Photo enthusiasts wouldn't have a problem post processing and using different media on it.

This ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX425) also has a 67 Wh battery providing up to 22 hours of battery life which is more than enough to cover the usual work day. It can also charge fast, getting your laptop computer from 1% to 60% in a mere 49 minutes. The screen also is quite bright, clear and power-efficient, showcasing its NanoEdge Display with a 90% screen to body ratio. It gets you an immersive viewing experience either for productivity or entertainment.

The all-new ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX425) costs Php 54,995 and is available in ASUS Concept Stores and partner establishments nationwide. If you want to know more about the ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX425), go get more information from their product pages at the ASUS PH website here https://bit.ly/ASUSZenBookUX425.