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Filipino Times
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Filipino Times
Taylor Lautner acknowledges viral Filipino 'What hafen, Vella?' meme
Taylor Lautner is now aware of the viral Filipino meme that parodies his 'Twilight' character, Jacob Black. The line 'What hafen, Vella?' became popular through Cristopher Diwata, a Filipino impersonator, and has trended again years after it first aired. On TikTok, Lautner shared a video with his wife, Taylor Dome. In the comments, one user teased that he had noticed everything except the meme, saying, 'Bro noticing everything except 'What hafen Vela' trend.' Lautner replied, 'Yup, but it's not your fault, it's mine,' a nod that showed he's now aware of the trend. His comment has reached over 55,000 likes as of this writing. Although Lautner didn't recreate the meme himself, this is the first time he's publicly acknowledged it online. Cristopher originally performed the meme line in 2013 on ABS-CBN's 'It's Showtime' under the 'Kalokalike' segment. The video resurfaced in recent months, making the impersonator viral once again. Cristopher has since collaborated with Filipino celebrities and brands like SB19, Ben&Ben, Barbie Forteza, and TikTok star Abi Marquez, thanks to the line's renewed popularity.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Philippine health agency quashes mpox lockdown rumours
"Don't dismiss this, please share! [The government] is trying to determine if the entire country should be placed on lockdown because of the danger of mpox," reads part of the Tagalog-language caption of a graphic shared on Facebook on May 31, 2025. It bears the logos of the Philippines' Department of Health and the World Health Organization, says the lockdown will start "June 10, 2025" and adds the use of face masks will be mandatory. The Facebook post also includes links to products sold on popular e-commerce sites Shopee and Lazada. Similar posts were shared elsewhere on Facebook, as were similar graphics about a June 6 lockdown purportedly shared by Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN. "Oh no, here we go again, this is scary," read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "And children are about to go back to school next month at the opening of the school year!" Multiple towns in the central and southern Philippines in May reported cases of mpox, a disease caused by a virus from the same family as smallpox that manifests itself in a high fever and skin lesions (archived here, here and here). But the archipelago's health department says there is no need to restrict the public's movement. According to the agency, the cases reported in May were caused by the mild Clade 2 variant -- not the highly transmissible Clade 1b strain of the virus that has killed hundreds of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was also detected in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Sweden (archived here and here). The Department of Health said in a May 31 statement that posts claiming a lockdown was imminent were "fake", and there was no need to restrict movement because mpox is not airborne (archived link). "Lockdown does not work for mpox. Why? Because it is [transmitted via] skin-to-skin contact, so there could be more skin-to-skin contact if there is a lockdown," health chief Ted Herbosa said in a press briefing on May 31 (archived link). Separately, the heath department and the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases said mask mandates imposed by several localities in response to mpox cases were unnecessary and would not prevent the spread of the virus (archived here. here, here and here). There has also been no surge in the number of mpox cases in the country. According to information released by the health department, more cases were recorded in April than in May (archived link). The Philippines has not recorded any cases from Clade 1b. The lockdown graphic purportedly shared by ABS-CBN was also dismissed by the health agency as "fake" on May 31 (archived link). The graphic uses the same background of a genuine graphic shared by the broadcaster on its official Facebook page on May 28, 2020, at the height of the Covid pandemic (archived link). The original graphic was about Metro Manila being placed under "General Community Quarantine". AFP has debunked other false claims about mpox here.
AFP
03-06-2025
- Health
- AFP
Philippine health agency quashes mpox lockdown rumours
"Don't dismiss this, please share! [The government] is trying to determine if the entire country should be placed on lockdown because of the danger of mpox," reads part of the Tagalog-language caption of a graphic shared on Facebook on May 31, 2025. It bears the logos of the Philippines' Department of Health and the World Health Organization, says the lockdown will start "June 10, 2025" and adds the use of face masks will be mandatory. The Facebook post also includes links to products sold on popular e-commerce sites Shopee and Lazada. Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on June 1, 2025 Similar posts were shared elsewhere on Facebook, as were similar graphics about a June 6 lockdown purportedly shared by Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN. Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on June 1, 2025 "Oh no, here we go again, this is scary," read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "And children are about to go back to school next month at the opening of the school year!" Multiple towns in the central and southern Philippines in May reported cases of mpox, a disease caused by a virus from the same family as smallpox that manifests itself in a high fever and skin lesions (archived here, here and here). But the archipelago's health department says there is no need to restrict the public's movement. No lockdown According to the agency, the cases reported in May were caused by the mild Clade 2 variant -- not the highly transmissible Clade 1b strain of the virus that has killed hundreds of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was also detected in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Sweden (archived here and here). The Department of Health said in a May 31 statement that posts claiming a lockdown was imminent were "fake", and there was no need to restrict movement because mpox is not airborne (archived link). Image Screenshot of the Department of Health statement "Lockdown does not work for mpox. Why? Because it is [transmitted via] skin-to-skin contact, so there could be more skin-to-skin contact if there is a lockdown," health chief Ted Herbosa said in a press briefing on May 31 (archived link). Separately, the heath department and the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases said mask mandates imposed by several localities in response to mpox cases were unnecessary and would not prevent the spread of the virus (archived here. here, here and here). There has also been no surge in the number of mpox cases in the country. According to information released by the health department, more cases were recorded in April than in May (archived link). The Philippines has not recorded any cases from Clade 1b. Repurposed Covid graphic The lockdown graphic purportedly shared by ABS-CBN was also dismissed by the health agency as "fake" on May 31 (archived link). The graphic uses the same background of a genuine graphic shared by the broadcaster on its official Facebook page on May 28, 2020, at the height of the Covid pandemic (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared graphic (left) and the ABS-CBN post from May 2020 (right) The original graphic was about Metro Manila being placed under "General Community Quarantine". AFP has debunked other false claims about mpox here.
GMA Network
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Olive May and John Clifford hope these stars would guest on 'Maka'
'Maka,' the youth-oriented show by GMA Public Affairs, presents a Gen Z barkada's lives and challenges, with the help of guest stars like AC Bonifacio, Juancho Trivino, Jay Ortega, Rodjun Cruz, and many more. In an interview with GMA News Online, stars Olive May and John Clifford shared their dream artists to work with on the show. 'Barbie Forteza,' Olive said. 'Huy, taas ng pangarap,' she added with a laugh. John said, 'Since nag-guest na sa atin si AC, [sana] may second guest tayo na from ABS-CBN.' Olive added, 'It's possible kasi every episode, ibang story naman.' The duo also said that they have a lot of core memories with their guest stars because they only have short tapings together. These include dancing with AC and swimming with Jay. 'Sinusulit talaga namin na makilala sila,' John said. 'It's a nice feeling na there's a new face na pumapasok sa 'Maka' every week. Kasi syempre, nakikita na namin 'yung lahat ng cast so parang masaya 'pag may dumadating na bago.' Olive added, 'We hang out together po, like the whole day. Kinakausap po namin sila, nakikipaglaro po kami.' John also said that the whole cast does their best to welcome the guest star into the 'Maka' family. 'Maka' airs at 4:45 PM on Saturdays on GMA and via Kapuso Stream. Global Pinoys can watch it via the international channel GMA Pinoy TV. —JCB, GMA Integrated News
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
From BINI To Sheetal Devi: Meet The Breakthrough Stars And Athletes On The 2025 30 Under 30 Asia Entertainment & Sports List
Forbes Asia Back in February, BINI, the eight-girl pop sensation from the Philippines, kicked off its 15-city world tour with a sold-out concert at home, packing excited fans into the 50,000-seat Philippine Arena north of Manila. Short for 'binibini'—or young woman in Tagalog—BINI is the brainchild of Philippine media company ABS-CBN, which, inspired by the global popularity of South Korean girl groups, selected members Gweneth Apuli (Gwen), 21; Maraiah Queen Arceta (Aiah), 23; Sheena Mae Catacutan, 20; Mikhaela Janna Lim (Mikha), 21; Mary Loi Yues Ricalde (Maloi), 22; Jhoanna Chritine Robles, 20; Stacey Aubrey Sevilleja, 21; and Nicolette Vergara (Colet), 23; in 2019 from 250 aspirants following a nationwide talent search. The octet form one of the entries on this year's star-studded Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia: Entertainment & Sports list, who are making waves in the music and entertainment industry. "Our posts show who we really are... and that's one reason our fans like us." In K-pop style, the young trainees, under the management of ABS-CBN, spent the next three years living together and training every day. 'It's mentally, emotionally, and physically draining,' says Sheena, the main dancer. The pandemic also took its toll, according to main vocalist Maloi, preventing them from visiting their families. When AaBS-CBN lost its broadcast license in 2020 in a political spat, the group was spared the chopping block amid company layoffs. Forbes Asia In 2021, BINI released its title track 'Born to Win,' an anthem about empowerment, from its debut album, which has since racked up over 100 million streams on Spotify. The group's first solo concert in Cubao, one of Metro Manila's oldest commercial hubs, sold out in under two hours in 2024, prompting the addition of two more shows. From then on, BINI raced to the top. Last year, it won Best Asia Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards and Billboard K Power 100's Voices of Asia award at its Seoul event. In March, Billboard Philippines named the eight members its Women of the Year as their top songs surpassed a billion streams on Spotify. BINI's most-viewed video on YouTube, 'Pantropiko,' which loosely translates to 'Tropical,' had amassed 105 million views at the end of April. 'Salamin, Salamin,' or 'Mirror, Mirror,' has attracted over 84 million views since its release last year. Building an online presence also played a major role in their rise. 'At first, we were ignored, but then we noticed more public interest when we posted on social media' following the first album, says Mikha. The members shared their daily activities and thoughts, their favorite foods (pepperoni pizza, green mango with spicy shrimp sauce and stir-fried noodles, to name a few) and practical jokes (a video of Sheena making prank calls to Jhoanna and Aiah has over 2.4 million YouTube views). BINI In particular, they weren't afraid to describe their humble backgrounds and families' struggles. All eight members come from low to middle-income families in the provinces. Two grew up without fathers; another two had fathers working overseas. Gwen briefly quit due to the rigorous routine, while Sheena lost her mother during training and Jhoanna's grandfather died. 'Our posts show who we really are,' says Aiah, 'and that's one reason our fans like us.' Since its first album four years ago, BINI went on to release three more on pop themes like crushes, love and friendship. The group has also recorded some mature numbers, such as 'Karera,' with its message of resilience—and promises more. 'Our songs will evolve with our fans,' says Colet. BINI is the only girl group to make this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, while K-pop was represented by two boy bands. South Korea's Stray Kids found global popularity by following their instincts, producing rock hits with a noisier, more industrial sound than the usual K-pop group. The 8-member group, formed in a reality TV show in 2017, debuted with their EP "I Am Not" in 2018, which quickly went platinum. Four years later, its EP "Oddinary" topped the Billboard 200, making Stray Kids the third only K-pop group to achieve that position, following boy bands BTS and SuperM. The group, included in 2023 on Time magazine's Next Generation Leaders list, performed in 2024 at the American Music Awards. K-pop band Stray Kids at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards. Also making waves is K-pop group Big Ocean, the first to be composed of members with hearing impairments: Kim Ji-seok, Lee Chan-yeon and Park Hyun-jin. Its agency, Parastar Entertainment, focuses on representing artists with disabilities. The group's vocals are recorded with the use of AI, and while performing on stage they wear special vibrating devices to help synchronize dance movements. The trio released the group's first mini album in November 2024 and have over one million Instagram followers. Proving that physical disability is no barrier to excellence, paralympians from across the region demonstrated incredible athletic abilities and emerged victorious at recent global events. Sheetal Devi became India's youngest Paralympic medalist after winning bronze in an archery team event at the Paralympics in Paris. Born without arms, Devi sits to hold the bow with her right foot, pulls the string taut with her right shoulder and then releases the string by unclenching her contracted jaw and shoulder. One of her coaches—inspired by another armless archer, Matthew Stutzman—helped create a special bow for her. Devi received the Arjuna Award, India's national sports prize, in 2023. Sheetal Devi of India competing at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. From Afghanistan, Zakia Khudadadi made history last year as the first athlete on the Refugee Paralympic Team to win a medal. Khudadadi's rise started in 2016 when she won the African International Parataekwondo Championship representing Afghanistan and then qualified for the 2020 Paralympics. In 2020 she became the second woman from Afghanistan to compete in the Paralympic Games since the event started in 1960, although she had to flee Taliban-controlled Kabul to compete. Now on the Refugee Paralympic Team, Khudadadi took bronze in the women's 47kg category in Paris 2024. Read our complete Entertainment & Sports list here – and be sure to check out our full Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2025 coverage here.
