Klea Pineda Opens Up on Why She's Not Joining Pageants YET

Klea Pineda just renewed her contract with GMA and GMA Artist Center. With the Never Say Goodbye star doing this, what does she expect to do with GMA this year? For starters, there's a lot on the pipeline and aside from that, she'll be doing projects with other stars from the same network. We talked to her this afternoon after she signed with GMA and Artist Center executives.

Klea says "I don't really have an expectation, whatever the management chooses for me, what character I play, I'm willing to do it. I believe they won't give me something that wouldn't help with my career. I don't want to be stuck in one love team, I want to be with different leading men so I can grow as an actor. I want to work with my co starstruck batch like Arra, Jay, Ayra, Prince, it's been so long since I have worked with them, more so in a regular show. I wish we could do that. I chose to stay in GMA because they gave me a break, they gave me the opportunity, they opened doors to fulfill my dreams. I came from auditions, I lined up, I really started from scratch and they believe in me. In the future, I hope to have a family of my own but still work here as a Kapuso. Harlene and I was just hanging out, we recorded it and posted online and you can see how we bonded so fast like we have already worked previously. Max, Lauren, Ms. Snooky, we all worked for the first time and we bonded over that during the locked in taping. It's not the end of the pairing with Jeric, I am happy to be paired with others so I can learn from other artists, I don't want to be stucked in a loveteam and Jeric knows that I want to be with other leading men in this industry because you will learn a lot from other artists too. Jeric and I bonded over regional shows, when we promote things, we are together, we have coffee in the morning, he's a very good gentleman, but our friendship won't end there. We still send each other messages, we support each other, talk when we have shows and he's very supportive. Our friendship is very matured. I wish for a primetime show, but it will happen in time. I'll feel fulfilled when I hear my show will be next after 24 oras, and with Bea Alonzo of course."

 

Here's the rest of the interview on video, enjoy!

 

 

Klea will be working with Jak Roberto, Lauren Young and Snooky Serna on Never Say Goodbye under the GMA Entertainment Group so stay tuned for that!

YouTube Shorts NOW Available in the Philippines

I've been trying the beta of YouTube shorts and the format is promising. This was launched last July 13th and beta testing has been available for select countries including the Philippines. The video for YouTube Shorts must be 59 seconds or less and vertical. If you're planning to repurpose your videos from other platforms, make sure the music you've used is copyright free. 

The editing tools include putting in text in a timeline, adding music, flipping front and back camera, a timer, and controlling speed of the video. It's pretty simple now, but they're probably planning to have more in the coming months. 

It also adds on your video list but I did put it on a playlist just to make sure it doesn't mess up my channel's thumbnail theme. These are exciting times because you can gain a lot more audiences in YouTube Shorts. I'll use it to update my community if I'm about to interview people, and post updates there. 

Here's my first YouTube Shorts Video!

 

These are exciting times! Go update your YouTube app and click the plus sign, you should see a Create Shorts Beta option on your mobile phone afterwards. Lovin it so far!

A Message of Peace from DS Loren Legarda this Eidul Adha

As announced by the Malacañan Palace, the 20th of July 2021 has been marked as a holiday for "Eidul Adha" or Feast of Sacrifice across the country. It also marks the end of Hajj or the pilgrimage to Mecca. It's also one of the largest occasions for Muslims worldwide marking the the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ishmael (also known as Abraham and Ismael) as a form of total obedience to God, but God intervened and used sheep for  the ritual instead. During this time, our Muslim brothers and sisters reflect on the act and offer special prayers.

In  a recent post, Deputy Speaker, Former Senator and Bai A Labi (Honorary Muslim Princess bestowed by the Marawi Sultanate League) Loren Legarda sent her wishes to the public in celebration of this day. She says "I hope the values of selflessness, obedience and faith would bring us peace, blessings and harmony. I join our brothers and sisters in the Muslim faith in commemorating the Feast of Sacrifice, Eid Al Adha Mubarak!"

Here's her full message on video from her Facebook page:

May we all see the value and reason why this has been celebrated for centuries and hope today, we remember it all so we become better, selfless individuals. May your homes be vessels of peace, devotion and be full of blessings! Eid Mubarak!

Tidy Up with Organized Chicas Lifestyle

Tidy bags, tidy life - and staying stylish is a plus. A new brand called Organized Chicas Lifestyle is Shaina Magdayao's first venture into retail together with her life long friend Nikki Medina. Her aesthetic, was simple clean lines, mostly fancied things like cotton or linen. They made a line of bags and accessories with a purpose of organizing your essentials to remain clutter free, practical, simple and stylish. She felt during this time, it is paramount to have things that have fabric sewn strong, washable, absorbent but still carries a certain chic that people would certainly appreciate. 

We talked to her while she was in The Farm at San Benito last week, she says "In the middle of pandemic, we thought of helping people, my partner and I are admittedly OC and when we started taping for Probinsyano we had to fix our own things. When it was all organized, I thought why not get this off the market and bring opportunities to the people who create these products. My blazer and tops are all Organized Chicas, all made of canvass, cotton, linen, not just bags now, but even clothes. I'm into classic but quality pieces, we made our own brand. This business has always been a dream and we've been very grateful for the support of everyone even in the middle of the pandemic. You need something practical, sustainable, thing that you can re-wash but go and use again. I'm grateful that my partner does really good quality control, the stitching, things like that always have been checked before we approve the product. The day to day management is difficult because I'm also taping episodes, but I'm grateful that this business is growing and is expanding. With God's grace we're still here. This is all about functionality, before we started, are the bags that I personally use in taping. The pockets outside, it can fit face shields, I always wanted things to be tidy and together with the bag, we also have inserts/organizers, it's our way to make sure you too can have that convenience. Very practical, so we didn't have much challenges in making these products. Nikki and I have been friends since high school, she's a professional makeup artist and we're kinda in the same business. We didn't see this coming that we would eventually become business partners, she's very hands on and I'm doing marketing for it. We complement each other and I guess it is our strengths. We're blessed that everything has been smooth sailing. We're being given something exciting, I hope we get to see this grow even more in the next few months. Even before we became business partners, having her around was like having people that I can trust. It's an advantage that we decide on things, and she's not just a partner, she's my friend."

Shaina then showed us a few pieces from their collection. They also sent us samples so we could see how the product looks like in real life. (Follow my stories @kumagcow on IG). Judging from the looks of it, the fabric is made of thicker material, but overall, it still feels that you can carry it around and never feel hot when it touches your skin. It's stitching is commendable, someone placed a real value on quality control and I didn't even see a fiber stick out on all corners.  

 

 

To budding entrepreneurs, Shaina reiterates "You have to be hands on.  With whatever that you're doing, you always have to remember to do what you love. Quality wise, I know we've got the best products compared to what's out there in the market. I personally used this and initially I just had a couple pieces customized with my initials, it has become instrumental on how I got into this business. I had to adjust my lifestyle because of the pandemic, I don't need the expensive ones because this can be washed easily and keep us safe. I felt that I had to open up myself more because this is how I am, I developed my sense of style, I'm not trendy, I choose things that are right and feel good. With my sisters business, I saw how you have to really manage it, do marketing, because we know showbiz isn't really forever, so you have to make sure you're wise with my investments. So far, I think I'm doing good."

She also had future plans and some answered wishes from current customers. Shaina says "We all started with all original canvass, but people have been requesting for colors and starting today we're offering black, army green, and perhaps blue ones after this launch. We're also launching clothes soon, so stay tuned for that!"

If you want to see what Organized Chicas Lifestyle has to offer, follow their IG account @organizedchicas and order through there. This is a cause that will help a lot of people. Stay chic!