OPPO Starts 2024 with OPPO Pad Air

Looks like our friends from OPPO are starting the year fresh with the new OPPO Pad Air. It's their newest tablet made with entertainment and productivity in mind, plus way more storage than usual. I'm going to give you more reasons to have it.

Tablets certainly have been useful for so many things. Watching movies, streaming videos, and putting in a lot of work for office or creatives. The bigger display gives it more flexibility because you can see things even more than the usual smartphones we carry around. The OPPO Pad Air gives you a balance of both work and play. It also doesn't shortchange you on processing power, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chip, 8 CPU Cores, and an AI System Booster 2.1, you can make work quite smooth and add social media, movies, and a little gaming when you want to get less stressed. 

If it ain't enough there's also space for a 512 GB sd card for more storage if your internal one doesn't cut it. Battery life is amazing with its 7100mAh which can last you the whole work day. You can also do 18W fast charging and not wait too long when you need to go out with it. It's also light, designed slim, easy on the eyes with the 2K HD Eye Care it does when you take it out of the box.

They also made it affordable, so make sure you wait for updates at their website oppo.com.ph or their social channels when it gets out on February 1st. I'll update you soon about it!

Bistro Group Opens SARAP Bistro Filipino and Xi Nen Hot Pot at MY SOUTH HALL

 

After a long time, it was certainly nice to journey down south and have a good meal at My South Hall, Bistro Group's line of concept restaurants at Conrad S'Maison. Got to eat there a few times, and each time, I'd try to order something new because it houses Fish & Co., El Pollo Loco, Modern Shang WCKD, and cult hit Randy's Donuts. 

They had something new up their sleeve when I got there a few days ago. The first is called SARAP Bistro Filipino and the other is Xi Nen Hot Pot. These are two new brands they've conceptualized for My South Hall to add to the already great selections that they had. This is quite fun for restaurateurs since you can pretty much test the waters if people love the new dishes. I had my eyes on a few especially the Filipino dishes from SARAP because even if some were traditionally prepared, it felt new for me.

SARAP Bistro Filipino specializes on Filipino comfort food, the classics and those that were made with a twist. They are served family style so you can order a few to get a taste of the new viands. I like those with sauces that I can smother over hot Garlicky Rice. What's special about MY SOUTH HALL is that you can order from other restaurants without going too far because they are in one place. SARAP Bistro Filipino had Sinigang, Bopis (which doesn't taste organy), Fried Tawilis (eat it while it's hot!), Lumpia (they make a mean one) and Ginataang Kuhol.   

Xi Nen Hot Pot serves Taiwanese inspired hotpot dishes. You just need to choose our protein and they'll cook it for you on the table (yes you don't have to cook!) which is quite different than usual hotpot restaurants. Their broth can be adjusted to taste as they'll give you sauces to adjust the flavor, and since I did like it a bit more intense, I put in the whole plate in because I like it savory. Here's what it looks like on video a few days ago.

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See, there's more where this came from and if you're a person who couldn't choose where to eat or what to have for lunch or dinner, this place is perfect! 

This is again located at the Conrad S. Maison. Walk to the far right at the back (when facing Mall of Asia) and look for the MY SOUTH HALL sign. Ask the friendly hostess to have you seated as there are instances it gets quite busy during those peak hours. Take home desserts, drinks and donuts before going home, you're going to love it!

DONNY Proves Actors Bloodline: GG (Good Game) The Movie Out in Theaters Today!

Just got out of the cinema after the premiere night of GG (Good Game), the movie starring Donny Pangilinan. It's a film about eSports, but right off the bat they made the presence of drama felt in this movie by Director Prime Cruz. The film also stars his Mom Ms. Maricel Laxa, Baron Geisler, Johannes Isler, Igi Boy Flores, Gold Aceron and a throng of gaming and streaming personalities too.

To tell you honestly, I was looking forward to see this during the Metro Manila Film Festival but fate had other plans. Now that it's going to be released this January 24th, but something tells me it is going to be big because a LOT folks were at the rails of SM Megamall's Cinema 2 when I arrived, I was even early in fact. For me, that was the measure for how excited folks are (and hopefully translate to box office success) and I think with Star Cinema distributing this particular movie in the country, they'll be successful putting this in around 198 cinemas today (if I heard it right during Donny's interview). 

The movie will start to get you to think about the dynamics of the family, and the pressures of studies, the expectations of some, and spending time for passion. The film has excellent production value, they got Metasports create "Requiem", a 5x5 FPS game for the PC. 

The color grading, the stitching of the plot, and the reveal of the twists, was given a lot of time to mature before letting it all out. Can't say much, but one thing for sure happened during the screening... I felt the urge to say that the apple certainly doesn't fall far from the tree. This is certainly an acting challenge for Donny, and having Ms. Maricel Laxa as his Mom in the film must have certain expectations (for most people, to be on the level of his Mom). He didn't disappoint, because from where I was sitting in the balcony, there were several people already crying from simply understanding the trials they were going through. Boy had so much emotions bottled up especially towards the end of the film.

 

They made this for a whole year, so you could see how it wasn't rushed post prod. I've seen films joining festivals in the past that felt clumsy, unfinished, and had so much loose ends. They don't have that, and I hope you see how a LOT of people worked tirelessly to put these together despite being an indie film... and how they did production work personally to make sure you get your money's worth when it hits cinemas. 

Here's a glimpse of the red carpet premiere, please enjoy!

 

 I've played a lot of games, I'm sure some of you do too. You don't even have to be a gamer to understand the film, because yes, it breathes family, love and camaraderie. It's best to bring family, friends and peers to get your movie fix. Watch GG (Good Game) The Movie, out now on theaters!

Finalists for Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival Bared

After the several successful series shown on The Puregold Channel, here goes one of the country's biggest supermarket chains championing Filipino films once again with the first ever Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival. 

They have scoured the country for the most talented storytellers and picked over 31 finalists which they presented today at the Artson Events Place in Quezon City.

Ms. Ivy says "To everyone who's doing films, a pleasant morning. We are so proud to have you here today. The wonderful stories you sent now have faces with them. The festival is a platform for Puregold to make sure film will be passed on to generations to come. This goes beyond production, but igniting change and making dreams come true. We are your ally, to be part of the development of Filipino cinema. You are the stories of Puregold now and tomorrow."

Introduced to the press were Jenievive B. Adame who did "Smokey Journey" from STI College Cubao, Ma. Rafaela Mae Abucejo who made "Saan Ako Pinaglihi?" from Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Alexa Moneii Agaloos who made "Ka Benjie" also from Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Kent Michael Cadungog who did "Text FIND DAD and Send to 2366" from the University of the Philippines, John Pistol L. Carmen of "Repeater si Peter" from Bicol University, Chrisha Eseo Cataag who did "Hallway Scholar" representing the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng San Pablo, Patricia W. Dalluay who made "Lola, Lola, Paano ba 'Yan?" from Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Joanah Pearl Demonteverde who made "Kang Pagpuli Ko" from University of the Philippines - Visayas, Joshua Andrey A. Doce who did "I Am Mutya And I Thank You!" from Bicol State College of Applied Science and Technology, Neil M. Espino "Sa Hindi Paghahangad from De La Salle Lipa, Terrence Gale Femandez "Kaibigan ko si Batman from Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Daniel Gil who did "Distansya" from Ateneo de Davao University, Alexandra Lapid who did  "Queng Apag" from Mapua University, Reutsche Colle Rigurosa Lima who did "Till ni Lola" from University of San Carlos, Dizelle C. Masilungan who made "Kung Nag-aatubill" from the pontifical University of Santo Tomas, Jose Mikyl Medina who did "Lutong Bahay" from De La Salle University, Ronjay-C Mendiola of "Last Shift" from Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Mark Terence Molave who did "Paano po gumawa ng collage college?" also from Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Jhunel Ruth A. Monterde who did "Si Mary May Crush Kay Tess" from De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, Doxford D. Perlas who did "Naduea Eoman Si Brownie (Brownie's Lost Again!)" from University of the Philippines - Visayas, Andrea S. Ponce of PUP - Sta. Mesa who made "Layag sa Pangarap", Edz Haniel Teñido Purificacion who did "Dzai Dzai Dzai Delilah" from Mapúa Malayan Colleges in Laguna, John Wilbert Llever Sucaldito who did "Tambal nga Sabaw" from Far Eastern University, Tyrone Lean J. Taotao who made "Abandoned Lullabies" from Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Sta. Mesa, Marian Jayce R. Tiongzon who made "May Kulay Rosas Ba Sa Bahaghari?" from University of the Philippines - Visayas.

6 full length films are also included like Kurt Soberano's "Under the Piaya Moon", Eugene Torres' "One Day League: Dead Mother, Dead All", Sigrid Bernardo's "Pushcart Tales", Raynier Brizuela's "Boys at the Back", Joel Ferrer's "Road to Happy" and Carlo Obispo's "A Lab Story". Puregold gave them 2.5M pesos each full length film as grants while 100 thousand pesos went to the short film entries.

These were chosen by film directors Jeffrey Jethurian and Victor Villanueva, Puregold Senior Manager Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, Lyle Gonzales of Republic Creative, and Festival Director Chris Cahilig.

If you want to watch the films, the premiere will be done at the Gateway Cinemas from March 15 to 17. There will also be several regional screenings plus short films shown on The Puregold Channel on YT, their social channels FB and TikTok.