Latest news with #Tagalog
Filipino Times
6 days ago
- Climate
- Filipino Times
Love conquers all: Wedding goes on despite flooding at Barasoain Church
Love truly conquers all — even the flood at Barasoain Church. Despite heavy flooding inside and around the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish—better known as Barasoain Church—in Malolos, Bulacan, a wedding ceremony still pushed through on Tuesday, July 22. Continuous rains brought by the southwest monsoon (habagat), intensified by Severe Tropical Storm Crising, caused floodwaters in the area to rise up to knee level. But for Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar, none of this was a reason to postpone their special day. The couple and their guests braved the floodwaters, walking through ankle- to knee-deep water just to reach the altar. Inside the historic church, they exchanged vows and promises of lifelong commitment—proving that even a flood cannot stop true love. 'Na-s-stress na ako dahil hindi ito 'yung pinlano namin,' the bride said on their wedding video. 'Pero lagi niyang sinasabi sa'kin, 'ang mahalaga magkasama tayo.'' Photos of the wedding quickly made rounds online, inspiring many netizens who admired the couple's strength and faith amid the storm. 'It's heartwarming to see them smiling despite the storm. Truly, nothing can stop their love. Whatever challenges come their way, they will overcome them as long as they have faith,' one comment read in Tagalog. 'From the very start, you braved the flood and nothing stopped your union. May God bless your marriage and help you overcome every trial, just like how you faced the flood and heavy rain with courage,' another netizen said. 'Hindi alintana ng mga ikakasal at maski ng kanilang mga panauhin ang baha, maituloy lamang ang pag-iisang dibdib ng mag-asawa sa harapan ng Dambana ng Diyos,' a post from the Parish read. Two years ago, a couple also tied the knot in the same church under similar circumstances. Paulo Jayvee Padilla and Dianne Padilla made headlines in 2023 after pushing through with their wedding despite the flooded aisle. Their photos went viral, with netizens dubbing them the 'Crazy Rich Asians' version of Barasoain, a reference to the lavish wedding scene in the 2018 American romantic comedy film.
_2025_07_24_10_43_51.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Dennis Trillo teaches Kim Ji Soo hilarious Tagalog sentences
Kim Ji Soo enlisted the help of none other than Dennis Trillo to teach him some Tagalog! On TikTok, the South Korean actor posted a video of their lesson. 'Today, I'm learning Tagalog acting with great actor, Dennis Trillo,' he said. Dennis said he wrote several funny lines for them to try out. The Kapuso Drama King recited the lines first, and Ji Soo did his best to copy each one. The lines include, 'Ang baho! Sinong umutot?', 'Pakiusap! Ibalik mo ang salawal ko,' and 'Parang awa mo na, magsipilyo ka naman.' Amused netizens jokingly commented, "Jisoo, parang away mo na, lumayo ka kay Dennis." Ji Soo is a guest star on 'Sanggang Dikit FR' starring Dennis and Jennylyn Mercado. He calls his character 'totally a bad guy.' "Sanggang Dikit FR" follows Sgt. Bobby Enriquez (Jennylyn) and Lt. Tonyo Conde (Dennis). After having experienced personal losses, the two police officers are brought together when a high-profile murder happens involving people close to them. The show recently filmed scenes in Europe and the United Arab Emirates. Catch "Sanggang Dikit FR" from Mondays to Fridays at 8:50 p.m. on GMA Prime. —Nika Roque/JCB, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Filipino Times
Manny Jacinto to visit PH to promote ‘Freakier Friday'
Filipino-Canadian actor Manny Jacinto is set to visit the Philippines to promote his upcoming film Freakier Friday, the sequel to the 2003 hit movie Freaky Friday. In a video interview with Filipino-American journalist Yong Chavez posted on the CBO Channel's X account, Jacinto confirmed the visit. 'Hi, Philippines! I will be coming to visit to promote the film, Freakier Friday. I hope to see you guys there soon,' the actor said. The actor added that he is currently practicing speaking in Tagalog, something he says he 'always' does. As of writing, no official date has been announced for the visit. It is also unclear if other cast members will be joining him. In Freakier Friday, Jacinto plays Eric Reyes, a chef and single father leading man of Lindsay Lohan. The film marks a major role for Jacinto following his performances in The Good Place, Top Gun: Maverick, The Acolyte, and Trese. Jacinto was born in the Philippines and raised in Vancouver, Canada. He has expressed interest in working with Filipino writers and producers for future projects. He is also set to appear in the upcoming thriller films The Knife and Balestra.
Eater
22-07-2025
- Business
- Eater
Famed Filipino Food Cart Baon Kainan Is Transforming Into a Restaurant
is a freelance food and drink writer in Portland, Oregon. She's worked in food media since 2018, with a particular focus on small businesses that have been largely left out of mainstream media. When Ethan and Geri Leung moved from Seattle to Portland to open Baon Kainan in 2021, their Filipino food cart was an instant success. It earned Eater Portland's Best New Cart Award that year thanks to its playful comfort food dishes like kare kare fries. Now, after four years and a few location moves, the Leungs will close the food cart on July 25 and open a restaurant on September 3 at the Lovely Rita space in The Hoxton hotel in Old Town. This will be a six-month residency for now, with the possibility of extension. Along with the move, Baon Kainan, whose name refers to food packed for a trip or for school or work, is getting a new concept and a new name: Pamana, which means legacy in Tagalog. 'Pamana always stuck, because at the end of the day, what we do is for our family and what we learned from them, and that's how we keep a lot of our stories and our culture alive,' says Geri. 'And I think that's what we were doing at Baon — and now we get to do it on a more expanded level.' Geri draws inspiration from her family's tattered green binder, which includes recipes from her adoptive dad's mother who lived in South Carolina and her mother's first forays into cooking so-called American food. She also takes ideas from her childhood growing up in a military family in Italy. Ethan, meanwhile, will draw from his mother's recipe journals and his mixed Filipino-Chinese heritage. Pamana will initially be open for brunch only. Some dishes will be revamped from Baon Kainan's existing brunch menu, like bistek and eggs. Rather than the braised beef served on the cart and packed into paper boxes, they'll cook whole steaks to temperature — an homage to one of Ethan's favorite dishes that his mom would make for him. Other dishes draw from memories of cooking together as a family. The tortang talong, or eggplant omelet, is an unconventional take on the classic dish, served extra-crispy in a twist that Ethan's mom and Geri devised together one day in the kitchen. The cart's popular chewy ube bibingka dessert will be revamped into pancakes, offering that same bouncy texture in pancake form accompanied by a drizzle of creme anglaise. One of the couple's favorite childhood snacks, turon — hot, crispy banana lumpia — is the inspiration for French toast topped with saba bananas and jackfruit. Molly J. Smith Baon Kainan was known for its collaborative spirit, working with other food carts and hosting a Filipino-inspired breakfast sandwich pop-up, Balong, which has since opened its own brick-and-mortar shop. Pamana will keep its collaborative culture going by serving Balong's pan de sal with garlic butter or coffee butter. They'll also use Balong's pan de sal for breakfast sandwiches stuffed with longanisa, and make pan de sal fried chicken sandwiches with gravy for dipping — a tribute to Filipino fast food chain Jollibee, which holds a particularly special place in Geri's heart. 'Jollibee has been a way for me to connect with my family in the Philippines, because I actually didn't get to meet my Filipino side until I was in my mid-20s,' says Geri. 'But the one thing that me and my cousins and my godsons and my goddaughters could actually connect on was we both love Jollibee.' Lovely Rita will continue to operate its coffee program to accompany Pamana's food. Brunch will be dine-in only to start, served on the hotel's main floor — but eventually, food will be available for take-out and even room service. After settling into brunch service, the restaurant will eventually begin offering dinner, likely in the fall. The Leungs are quiet about dinner menu details for now, but word is that the cart's pancit will make a return. In the meantime, the Leungs are excited to build community in their Old Town location. 'We have our friends at Deadstock Coffee, Goodies Snack Shop, Barnes and Morgan, all doing amazing things — we want to be in a place where we can uplift each other, too,' says Ethan. With Pamana, they'll be adding a new brick-and-mortar to the city's Filipino food scene, which has seen massive growth this year. 'We're taking up space in the Hoxton, Sunrice is opening their spot on Williams, Balong opened up in Fubonn, we got a Jollibee out in Hillsboro,' says Ethan. 'It's really cool to see — and I think there's going to be more,' says Geri. Molly J. Smith / EPDX
The Star
19-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Can Singapore maintain its ‘exclusive' concerts going forward?
IN the snaking lines for Lady Gaga merchandise at the Singapore Sports Hub's foyer in May, one could hear a smattering of Tagalog and Vietnamese, Thai and Hindi, and mainland Chinese Mandarin among the chatter. It was a smorgasbord sampling of fans from Asia and beyond, who had descended on Singapore for Lady Gaga's only shows in the region. As with Taylor Swift's runaway success of sold-out shows in March 2024, the Republic had once again managed to work out such a deal – making sure that Lady Gaga performed only there. Besides the economic boost, this strategy of securing international superstars for Singapore-exclusive shows could fuel the country's aspirations of being a global entertainment epicentre – and is one that should be pursued for as long as possible. Swift set a high bar, With six shows that sold over 300,000 tickets, Swift's concerts – combined with British band Coldplay's six shows in January 2024 – injected up to S$450mil (RM1.5bil) into the Singapore economy, bringing in high international visitor arrivals, hotel occupancy rates and tourism revenue, according to private-sector estimates. Economists estimated that Gaga's concerts have generated as much as S$150mil in tourism receipts but it appeared that tickets took longer to sell. The rise in business during the week of the Gaga shows was far less pronounced than when Coldplay and Swift were in town in 2024. While Gaga also has a smaller and niched following, 2025 has also been a slow year for business due to the shaky global economy. Still, paradoxically, tourism experts say the climate of global economic uncertainty could encourage spending on such one-off events. Associate Professor Kuan-Huei Lee, director of programmes, business, communication and design at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), said: 'During periods of crisis and economic uncertainty, individuals may increase their spending on emotional or aspirational goods and experiences that they perceive as 'once-in-a-lifetime' events, such as a Lady Gaga concert.' Can the formula be repeated? Lady Gaga's recent run of shows marks the second time in two years that a major international act has chosen Singapore as its only regional stop. However, pulling off such 'once-in-a-lifetime' events on a regular basis could be a challenge. Not only is it contingent on mega artistes' touring schedules and attracting them to Singapore, but other countries in the region could also emulate the Republic's strategy. But observers agree that Singapore is well placed to keep the momentum going. Several key factors make it a preferred choice in the region, noted tourism expert Benjamin Cassim, senior lecturer at the School of Business at Temasek Polytechnic. These include the availability of hospitality and tourism infrastructure for travelling artistes, their teams and visitors attending the concerts, as well as venues with a proven track record that are equipped to deliver in terms of size and technical support. Accessibility is another element, including the ease of getting to Singapore, and travelling within it safely, with an efficient public transport system that is close to venues. Cassim noted that the Republic has already established itself as a premier entertainment and sports events destination, not just within the Asia-Pacific region, but also globally. 'A major catalyst for this transformation is probably the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix event that Singapore started hosting in 2008,' he said. The F1 Singapore GP's consistently stacked and high-quality off-track entertainment line-ups – with concerts by A-listers, built around the marquee race event – have been a template that has since been imitated by other F1 races around the world. 'The more concert and entertainment events Singapore hosts, the more experience the relevant stakeholders get at honing their craft,' said Cassim. 'This increases our levels of expertise to successfully deliver top-notch events.' For concert promoters as well, Singapore is a reliable choice, though it is the most expensive in the region. It costs about 25% to 30% more to stage a concert here, compared with other places in the region such as Seoul, Bangkok and Jakarta, noted Zaran Vachha, co-founder of independent touring company Collective Minds. 'Bringing someone like Lady Gaga here costs millions of dollars, and at that level, they don't want things to go wrong,' he said. 'And in the region, despite it being the most expensive, Singapore is the least risky place to do that – in terms of everything from securing venues, licensing, approvals and visas (for artistes and crew), to (ensuring) ticket demand. 'It's a safety net for both promoters and artistes.' Securing the next big fish While Singapore has a first-mover advantage in this space, and the ability to make it happen again, it should pursue this 'Singapore-exclusive' strategy for as long as it can before others catch up. 'Replicating Singapore's advantages as a tourist destination is challenging,' said SIT's Prof Lee, noting that organising such events involves well-oiled coordination between the public and private sectors – the government, venue operators, lodging and logistics. She added: 'As neighbouring countries continue to lag behind in competing with Singapore, it is crucial for Singapore to secure exclusive agreements. 'These should align with fan travel patterns, capitalise on logistical strengths, integrate additional activities for tourists to enjoy outside the concert, and closely observe emerging competitors in the region to adapt and adjust.' In 2024, Singapore hit a record S$29.8bil in tourism receipts, driven largely by visitors from markets such as China, Indonesia and Australia, said the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). Between January and September 2024, tourism receipts showed that spending grew across all categories, led by the sightseeing, entertainment and gaming category, which increased by 25 % to S$4.6bil. STB's outlook for 2025 is even more bullish, with expectations of receiving 17 million to 18.5 million international visitors, bringing in S$29bil to S$30.5bil in tourism receipts, surpassing 2024's numbers. After 2024's sold-out shows by Taylor Swift and 2025's run of shows by Lady Gaga, perhaps Singapore should angle for its next big fish in 2026. With such marquee concert events in the year attracting top tourism eyeballs and dollars, and with Singapore shifting priorities to quality tourism instead of quantity in terms of visitor numbers, the Republic must strike while the iron is hot – and continue on its rodeo run to lasso the highest stratosphere of superstars in the world. There is a very limited list of such stars, and one Beyonce Knowles-Carter – currently on her reportedly 94% sold-out run of Cowboy Carter shows around the US and Europe for 2025 – happens to be on it. — The Straits Times/ANN
