See Her Shine: SOPHIA STAVE

I've been covering photo shoots of celebrities for quite a number of years. This was kind of special as it's been a while since I've gone out because of the pandemic. I've seen a few photos of her online and getting to know a new artist might seem to be a chore for some, but I felt a little excited because Tyronne Escalante Artist Management had a gem in their hands. She's Sophia Stave, a Filipino American beauty from the province of Bukidnon which is an extensive plateau and mountainous area in Mindanao.

After living in San Francisco for a couple years, she and her parents went back to Malaybalay, Bukidnon 4 years ago for business and pleasure. She didn't know she'd end up representing the city through a pageant that didn't push through because of the pandemic. She was discovered through social media by TEAM (Tyronne Escalante Artist Management) and she's been riding the wave since then. 

Sophia has a soft heart for horses and she's been riding competitively since 2018 after tagging along with friends in the province. That's good news so if there would be stunts in projects that would require riding one, she'd wouldn't have to train for it. She also plans to take up Animal Science in college soon as it is clearly has become a passion. She also wants to make it far in showbiz, use this platform to good use and do well in every project she's involved in. Sophia also adores Liza Soberano which she feels she could connect to since they almost have the same background since she too came from the US. She also loves Daniel Padilla, which to me means she has good taste! Here's more of our interview with her at the studio on our video editorial.

 

 

 

We couldn't help but marvel on how she looks. She's very pretty even up close. These photos don't do justice (which I captured on mobile during the shoot).

Currently, Sophia is currently making herself busy at their farm in Bukidnon during the pandemic. She's taking lessons and watching more Filipino movies/series to learn more about the language and her craft. She's a bit flexible in roles she wants to do, she's both a princess and a toughie. Now if she lands in a network soon, you know you've seen her here first. Follow TEAM's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TeamTyronnePH) for more updates about her and other artists from their camp. 

You'll see Sophia Stave shine even brighter, soon!

Andrea Torres Says No Official Talk Yet on John Lloyd Cruz Project

It's so refreshing to see Andrea Torres in GMA shows these days. She's definitely made a mark in The Better Woman, Victor Magtanggol, Contessa, Alyas Robin Hood, The Millionaire's Wife, My Faithful Husband, Pari 'Koy, Ang Lihim ni Annasandra and more but this new one with Dennis Trillo, Bianca Umali and Alice Dixson is going to be highly controversial as it delves on polygamy and religion, some of the most taboo things to talk and see on TV these days. We got to see her a few days ago via an interview online as she signed with GMA Artist Center again (renewal of contract) and during the blogcon, she told us a few more things about the upcoming show called Legal Wives wherein she'll be playing one of the wives. She's also the only one that's coming from a Christian upbringing which would not be easy to understand that she'll be living with two other wives under the same roof. Here's a video of that blogcon, please enjoy!

Andrea adds "It's very important for me that you are aware when you get on set, you condition yourself as a ray of sunshine, to make sure you lighten up peoples burdens. I also make it a point to make my projects better so the next one is even bigger. One of my favorite things is making back stories for the characers I play in series, I make sure I ask production, learn the script so I make sure to deliver and have the chance to make her come to life. The actions of Muslims to me now have a deeper meaning, they're very selfless, and when you watch this, you will see why they made sacrifices for Allah. It has changed how I view them, how they are family oriented, how they are as people. Diane and Ysmael are conflicted, but they love each other."

She also was aware to observe Muslim traditions while portraying the role and tells us "On set, we have Imams, we were taught how to pray, they also bring food, it was a different world. I really am amazed how they are with families, if it's too hard for them, they just follow what is on the Quoran, even if they don't want to do it, they do it right because it's there."

You'll probably be wondering how this would all feel as it gets shown on TV. Will you love her? Or hate her? That remains to be seen. She also has chosen to remain with GMA because she has grown to the actress that she is because of her experiences here. With the onset of actors going to GMA recently, she doesn't treat them as threats, but rather an opportunity to work with other actors that she wasn't able to in the past. She's raring to do that in the next few months, hopefully that John Lloyd Cruz project pans out if it is true, but so far there hasn't been an initiative for talk about it yet, so she would be happy to find out details about that soon.

Congratulations Andrea on your continued success with GMA Artist Center!

Huawei Does Good Beyond School Borders

Looks like STI College just got another feather to its hat as Huawei Philippines conferred to them the ICT Partner of the Year Award for 2020. For being an institution that makes sure their students are job, future and life ready, they have garnered the highest percentage of passing scores via Huawei Certifications of the Huawei ICT Academy. 

STI College also makes use of their existing Enrollment to Employment program in order to make sure their students get equipped with useful certifications they need to land the job in the outside world. Their curriculum is also adept, making sure they have the right equipment, highly skilled faculty to teach to keep their course is above standard. They have partner corporations who readily get students for training, preparing them for their dream jobs and getting them ready for 22 technical fields they can apply for. Oh and yes, the academy has over 100 certification exams you can take so there's so much of these that can coincide with your specialty/interest. Whether you're in cloud computing, big data, AI, networking or storage, they've got that assured and trusted with their different partners. Industry certifications are a big deal especially if your qualifications need something tangible, to start work from day 1.

It's very competitive out there and without these guarantees that they're getting the right people for the job, it would be costly for them to run businesses without the personnel who had the training. With Huawei and their partner schools further their cause, that New Value Together, Win Together call would be a reality. That's a good thing.

JAMES REID Does 3 "Mas Cool" Viral Videos for MOUNTAIN DEW

If it ain't broke, why fix it?

We've been confined in our homes for a little over a year now and since quarantine restrictions were set in Manila, entertainment was something that people have been looking forward to everyday. Perhaps to get their mind off things, or keep their family in high spirits.  Mountain Dew knows how important that is so aside from the usual Tiktok trends that people have been doing these past few months, they went in and started to put a new twist on it and held their new campaign "Mas Cool Pag May Dew Ice".

In it, they chose three viral videos and put James Reid and Dew Ice in the mix making it even cooler. First is the guy who got caught playing a game during online class who mistakenly got his mic on during a game. Second is everyone's favorite thing to do, watching K-Dramas and third is about the "Me and My Jowa Challenge" of which all, have garnered millions of views already. It just was made special as James appeared in all of them plus of course, Mas Cool Pag May Dew Ice right?

And of course, we can't just say it here, we had to try it ourselves! It's been so hot these past few months and this was just the refreshing drink I needed to have. I put it in the freezer for an hour or so and dang, it was so good right after a meal. It tasted sharp, it tasted like lime and it's not too sweet! It's also available in different sizes, but I want the bigger one so I could share with friends and family.

If you want to know more about Dew Ice and the fun we're having with it, just search for Mountain Dew Philippines on Facebook or look for @MountainDewPH on Instagram because they're posting these videos there too!

Keep it cool!