SC Justices Propose BAR EXAMS CHANGES: Test CONTENT, PASS/FAIL Format

The annual Philippine Bar Examinations for aspiring law students entering the legal profession has become something of a ritual in its execution, on the part of the administrators on the Supreme Court, the examiners, the test-takers, and their families, that there seems to be a formalized method of doing things. One element of this Bar Exam ritual is the publishing of the exam passers, presented as a list of names and score percentage with the top-notch test-takers listed first. It tended to be a source of pride for the schools that the passers hailed from, but a Supreme Court justice believes it to be superfluous.

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Official Announcement Out for SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB S6 Coming in SEPTEMBER

Samsung consumers who are waiting to get an in-depth intro for their latest upcoming mobile devices have their long-hyped unpacking event to look forward to. But that is not until August 7 a week from now. The primary tech to be showcased is the Galaxy Note 10 phablet, but there are also the exotic Galaxy Fold phone-tablet (distinct from “phablet”) and the next Galaxy Pad “straight” tablet to expect. The Galaxy Tab S6 has already gotten some images leaked earlier this month that highlighted its unique stylus placement among other things. With that cat out of the bag, Samsung has decided to make things official.

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RAIN OR SHINE Still Fighting for FINALS by Stopping BEERMEN Sweep in Game 3, 112-104

The 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Semi-Finals got going Friday last week, and the teams that got in were pretty much as expected. While the Alaska Aces drew first blood in the quarterfinals against TNT KaTropa, the fact that the latter was twice-to-beat meant it was a premature hope by their second game. Ginebra as expected swept Magnolia clean. NorthPort despite having twice-to-beat advantage succumbed to the San Miguel Beermen while online in the Blackwater vs. Rain or Shine best-of-3 matchup was there a drawn-out fight. The Elasto Painters would thus face powerhouse San Miguel in the Semis, with the Beermen triumphing Saturday and Monday, but Rain or Shine fought back.

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CROSS-BORDER CABLE CAR Line Being Planned to Connect RUSSIA and CHINA

Aerial lifts are a means of transportation above the ground via cables, carrying anything from open ski lift chairs to large enclosed cabins carrying multiple passengers. They are often a fast and scenic alternative to travelling to and from higher elevations, or across large deep expanses like over valleys or even the sea (connecting a mainland and an island for instance). Examples from the Philippines’ neighbors include gondola lifts in Hong Kong (Lantau), Singapore (Sentosa) and Malaysia (Genting Highlands). But there is an even bigger cable transport system being planned far to the north, one that will connect two countries across a wide river that serves as a natural boundary.

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KZ TANDINGAN Reps OPM, WOWS Hosts of BBC Radio Show

At any other time, it would have been enough if singer and recording artist KZ Tandingan had remained a popular performer solely in the OPM scene. But opportunities can come and when they are taken there is a chance to go far and above what is already there. KZ becoming a contestant in Chinese singing reality competition “Singer 2018” led to her talents and stage presence catching a larger audience than the Philippines alone. She even befriended fellow overseas contestant, UK recording artists Jessie J. Somehow word of that got back to the UK, because when KZ was in London to promote a local Filipino pop event there, a radio guesting garnered such positive reception.

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PCSO LOTTO is BACK AGAIN

The evening of Friday last week felt like a nightmare for many persons and families looking to receive charitable medical finance aid, as well as aspiring millionaires looking to get rich quick. That had been the time when the announcement of President Rodrigo Duterte declared all operations and licensed franchises of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office shut down, an order enforced over the weekend. The charge against the agency was “widespread corruption,” but that flew over the despairing charity beneficiaries and the everyman looking to get lucky. Even legislators think closing PCSO entirely as overkill. Perhaps that is why the Lottery, at least, is back.

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“EAT BULAGA!” Celebrates 40 YEARS with New MYANMAR Overseas FRANCHISE

When a show is good, no circumstances can ever keep it down. “Eat Bulaga!” the most iconic noontime variety program on Philippine TV, has entertained the country on three networks for four decades and pioneered a lot of the features one might expect from a show that airs weekdays and Saturdays at noon. It also achieved international recognition when an Indonesian network franchised “Eat Bulaga!” for localization, which aired first from 2012 to 2014 and on to a new carrier afterwards until 2016. Just as it seems getting an overseas franchise was just a flash in the pan, it happened again, this time in Myanmar.

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Hackers Develop Working UNOFFICIAL ANDROID Mobile OS EMULATOR for NINTENDO SWITCH

Ever since its debut back in 2017, the Nintendo Switch hybrid console/portable gaming system has become one of the best videogame devices ever. It has become a hit for parties with its multiplayer capabilities (Joy-Cons), customizable gameplay experiences (Labo), and a healthily growing library of game titles. Already Nintendo has started bringing out variants like a pure-handheld Switch Lite and a new version with a longer battery life. But other quarters are interested in making the basic Switch do more than just play games. Due to an access loophole in the device’s Tegra X1 internal chip, hackers have developed a ROM for the Switch that enables it to run Android.

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WESTLIFE RETURNS for TWO-NIGHT CONCERT in “THE TWENTY TOUR” at SMART ARANETA

Any fan of boy bands from the 1990s that think Boyzone is the only big-name group that ever came out of Ireland has not been listening to enough music from these performers. Also hailing from the Irish capital of Dublin since 1998 was another five-man boy band called Westlife. They came onto the scene a year after their performance debut with their self-titled first album, featuring memorable numbers like “Seasons in the Sun,” “Fool Again” and “Flying Without Wings. After splitting in 2012, four members reunited in 2018 for new music and reunion tours around the world. And their latest stop this week is here.

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“ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD” New BIGGEST Weekend Opener for TARANTINO

Back in 2014, filmmaker Quentin Tarantino dropped a bombshell of an announcement regarding his career in the motion picture industry. He had declared that he has set out to personally direct only ten movies during his time in Hollywood and that he will retire after finishing the tenth. Perhaps that might have, in its own way, helped contribute to the interest that has begun to gather for what should be his penultimate directing job, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” for Sony Pictures which premiered last week in the US. With “ninth movie by Tarantino” as part of its promotion, it is no wonder that the opening weekend was big.

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ZEPHANIE DIMARANAN is First “IDOL PHILIPPINES”

What makes a singing idol in the Philippines? Is it the voice? Should that voice be a natural talent or one honed by practice and experience? Could it be the looks? Is it the personality or the style? Could it be all of these or any combination of these? Three times the Philippines tried to find out in three local iterations of the international “Idol” franchise. This year, ABS-CBN, which seems to have an exclusive right to all local franchises of overseas programs now, launched “Idol Philippines” to once again find a new recording artist idol for the country to be proud of. Last Sunday, that idol was finally found.

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JOKE? TEASE? RYAN REYNOLDS Name-Drops “DEADPOOL,” “PHASE 5” on INSTAGRAM

It has been around a week now since the conclusion of the 2019 San Diego Comic Con (SDCC). Despite the passing of time, it probably still is easy to recall all of the good bits from that event, namely the teasers, trailers and previews of what is to come later this year or the next. One of the biggest panels in that regard is, obviously, Marvel Studios when they charted the upcoming Phase 4 of the MCU franchise.  Studio head Kevin Feige also promised more movies, including for “Fantastic 4” and “X-Men” too. But they made no mention of “Deadpool.”

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PCSO Outlets NATIONWIDE Ordered CLOSED by PRESIDENT Pending CORRUPTION Investigations

Perhaps one of the top locations wherein which Filipinos throw their excess money rather consistently is with gambling. Lately that has been with the various draws and lotteries managed by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), the revenues of every ticket and number combination going into charitable ends such as medical assistance, health programs and the like. Whenever the lottery prize inches closer towards big money like a billion pesos, one can expect aspiring lotto winners to pack the PCSO outlets until the prize is won. That routine has been severely affected however, when last Friday the President ordered all PCSO outlet operations to close.

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TESLA Promises: Today, Arcade GAMES; Tomorrow, YOUTUBE and NETFLIX Streaming

By now, Tesla seems to have reached some optimum on getting their electric vehicles manufactured at a pace to meet customer demand. At the same time they have begun to expand the capabilities of their cars to do, interestingly, far more than get their drivers from Point A to Point B. There has been quite the news buzz on the new stuff Tesla is adding to their dashboard display panels on their Model-3s, new Model-Y’s and others, like turning it into “Tesla Arcade” with a growing selection of playable videogames. What might be next? How about adding online media streaming?

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Strong EARTHQUAKES Hit BATANES Saturday, Causing DEATH, INJURY and DESTRUCTION

The northernmost province of the Philippines, Batanes, has long been known as a punching bag for the Pacific typhoon season, and at worse a disaster magnet. That is not entirely true when strictly scientifically speaking, but the inhabitants did leave lasting reminders reminds of how they needed defense against extremes of the weather with their heritage Stone Houses. But the Batanes islands have more than just the possibility of a typhoon visit to worry about. Case in point, this past weekend the province was struck by a series of powerful quakes that killed some and injured many, plus damaged structures.

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“SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME” Now BIGGEST-EARNING Movie of Title Character

In 2002, riding on the resurgent superhero movie genre started by 20^th Century Fox’s “X-Men,” Sony and Columbia Pictures released their big-screen adaptation of another Marvel character, “Spider-Man” starring Tobey Maguire. Its box office success set certain records such as being the first film to make over $100 million in one weekend alone, and was considered – at the time – to be the most successful comic book hero movie. Disney-Marvel Studios and the MCU may laugh now, but it was a big deal then. It simply became bigger when Sony and Marvel agreed to share film rights and allow Peter Parker to join the MCU. Now that decision has paid big.

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Philippine’s “MIRACLE IN CELL NO. 7” REMAKE Sees BELA PADILLA Replacing NADINE LUSTRE as Lead

In 2013 South Korean production company Next World Entertainment released a heart-warming yet tear-jerking comedy drama about the misadventures of a mentally challenged man thrown into prison for a murder he did not commit, the bond he shares with his daughter and the ones he forms with his hardened criminal inmates. “Miracle in Cell No. 7” was quite the hit in Asia that it was remade in India in 2017 (though there were alleged copyright issues involved) as well as this year in the Philippines, in time for the Metro Manila Film Festival. Nadine Lustre was initially attached to the project but has stepped down and replaced, citing personal reasons.

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APPLE Buys INTEL’s Smartphone MODEM Business in $1 BILLION DEAL

It is not often apparent to many casual tech users that the branded devices they have are actually made out of components that come from various firms and are put together by the manufacturer whose brand is on the casing. Smartphones, for example, have a lot of internal parts that are either licensed or bought from companies that make them. Qualcomm for instance has its chips being near-ubiquitous in smartphones, Android or Apple iPhones. Qualcomm and Apple actually got into a legal battle since 2017 when the latter switched to using Intel chips due to costly patent licensing from the former. The two have settled, and now Apple has acquired Intel’s modem business for smartphones.

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MAYWEATHER “Reminded” PACQUIAO to BODY-SHOT THURMAN in Sunday’s WBA Match

The WBA Super Welterweight Championship Fight between Keith Thurman and the Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao last Sunday, July 21 (July 20 evening in US) ended in a Split Decision win for the Fighting Senator from the Philippines. While the country’s Fighting Pride showed his American opponent who was boss by knocking him down in Round 1, Thurman recovered and actually managed to go neck and neck points-wise against Pacquiao in the middle rounds. It was toward the end, when Manny began to focus on body shots, that the gap was widened again until the final bell. Interestingly, while Pacquiao’s corner did strategize on the body attack, its importance was reminded to them by somebody in the audience: Floyd Mayweather himself.

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NBC’s “WILL & GRACE” Revival Ending with S11 in 2020

If there is a show on television that could be said to have contributed to the normalization of the portrayal of LGBT persons on pop media, and eventually in real life, a strong case can be made for NBC’s “Will & Grace.” Premiering in 1998 and airing on that network until 2006, the remarkably hilarious home lives of a cohabiting gay lawyer and straight interior designer, along with their friends, was a big enough hit that a one-off 2017 revival did not take much to be expanded into more seasons, with one announced before the follow-up even aired. But that extra season also turns out to be the second finale.

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SECURITY OF TENURE Bill VETOED

One of the hottest legislation topics in the country today is the proposed bill that would ideally put an end to the bane of the low-rung Filipino working man’s job experience: employment contractualization. The notion that a labor-only employee will never reach regularization and instead be cut off according to their contract is one thing labor groups have been fighting in recent years, as embodied in the “End Endo” (End of Contract) bill being pushed in Congress. On Thursday evening Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo crushed labor groups’ hopes by announcing the bill has been vetoed by President Rodrigo Duterte, only to say otherwise immediately afterwards.

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ENGLISH CHANNEL Crossing by FRANKY ZAPATA’s HOVERBOARD AIR FAILS Midway

The 1989 movie “Back to the Future Part II” can be considered one of the most influential forces in the conceptualization of how future gadgets might work in the 21^st Century, especially the year 2015 in which it partly takes place. One featured device that has fired the popular imagination is the hoverboard. Numerous attempts have been made to replicate the tech needed to make a functioning replica, with one being the Flyboard Air, a bulky gas turbine-powered hoverboard with backpack fuel supply invented by watercraft-rider Franky Zapata of France. Having proved the vehicle’s concept via a lake crossing and long-distance coast ride, Zapata made an ambitious attempt to cross the English Channel this Thursday.

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ABS-CBN Kiddie Comedy Sketch Show “GOIN’ BULILIT” ENDING in AUGUST

One claim ABS-CBN has in TV programming trends is trying to keep a comedy sketch show as a constant part of their lineup, be it as a program of its own (“Goin’ Bananas” and the current “Banana Sundae”) or as an integral part of another show, like its noontime varieties and the former “Ang TV” child and youth-oriented entertainment program. In 2005 the network combined comedy sketches with kid performers (and midget comedy actor Dagul) to create “Goin’ Bulilit,” which made audiences of all ages laugh non-stop for over a decade. But soon, there will be a literal last laugh as the program goes off-air.

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Oregon Residence Used as BELLA SWAN’s HOME in “TWILIGHT” Film Now a Top AIRBNB Rental

It may not be as prominent and rabid as it had been in the decade before, but there would still be an active global fandom for the modest media franchise started by Stephenie Meyer and her book series about a human girl and her “vegetarian” vampire boyfriend. “Twilight” and its sequels in the saga (three more books, four more movies) were a collective smash hit that turned the real-life equivalent of its setting – Forks, Washington – into a tourist destination. The movies however, were filmed just about everywhere in the Pacific Northwest. The Forks home of Bella Swan and her father, for example, was in Oregon. And now said home is listed as an Airbnb location.

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PUERTO RICO Governor Resigns After Publicized QUESTIONABLE Phone CHATS, PROTESTS

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea, an unincorporated territory of the US, has not been having a good time of it for over a decade now, thanks to a long-running economic recession. And while the island territory may have gotten some new added tourist arrivals in 2017 after seeing a beautiful music video for Puerto Rican talents Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s hit song “Despacito,” it was negated in September that same year by Hurricane Maria. The slow recovery compounded by the recession has spurred local protests against the Commonwealth government, which escalated after people caught unflattering descriptions of them from text messages by Governor Ricardo Rossello.

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SAMSUNG Sets SEPTEMBER as New RELEASE Date for GALAXY FOLD

A naïve and somewhat youngish perspective of the future, technology-wise, would be lots of cool stuff without considering the intricacies of the hardware and software that might go into realizing that tech application. Last year Samsung teased users with a smartphone that opens up into a tablet – or many a tablet that folds up into a phone. Anyway, the Samsung Galaxy Fold was formally introduced at the start of 2019 then brought back to the drawing board because reviewers noted their showcase units’ touchscreen and folding hinge easily broke down. Samsung announced last month that the hinge problem was solved, but was silent on when the fixed Fold will release.

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HBO Programming Chief Chimes in on “GAME OF THRONES” Season 8 Petition and EMMY Nominations

Fact One: The eighth and final season of HBO’s medieval fantasy series “Game of Thrones,” also the shortest at only six episodes, was the least positively reviewed installment of the near-decade-long saga. Fact Two: The reception has actually been so bad that disgruntled fans have started an online petition to have HBO remake the season without the original show-runners whom they blame for the poor quality. Fact Three: Despite the bile being thrown at the swan song of “Game of Thrones” its last season still managed to break record nomination numbers in this year’s Primetime Emmys. But what exactly does the network think about these?

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Bill to RENEW Expiring ABS-CBN Franchise FILED Again in 18th CONGRESS

The 18^th Congress of the Philippines was opened on Monday, July 22, with the election of leaders, speakers and deputies for the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the State of the Nation Address by President Rodrigo Duterte. With the formalities out of the way the main body of national legislation in the country can start working on stuff like the 2020 budget, or the possibility of returning the death penalty for drug-related crimes (a Duterte recommendation), or maybe, finally getting a bill renewing the license of media giant ABS-CBN which is expiring next year. Foiled in the 17^th Congress, a bill to that effect is being refilled.

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Actor RUTGER HAUER of "BLADE RUNNER" Fame, DEAD at 75

After making himself popular in his native Netherlands via a lead role in a 1969 hit television show, actor Rutger Hauer would then head to Hollywood, where he would become a part of cyber-punk popular sci-fi history. He was cast opposite Harrison Ford as the antagonist Roy Batty, a “Replicant” artificial human with a limited lifespan in 1982’s “Blade Runner” by Ridley Scott. Following that film, which was partly immortalized by a moving soliloquy delivered by Hauer, he would become a regular star or bad guy in B-movies and occasional blockbusters, even going into videogame voice acting. And after a career spanning some 50 years, Rutger Hauer has passed away.

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JOLLIBEE to Acquire COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF for $350M

Starbucks, that globally ubiquitous coffee and coffeehouse chain (despite cutting down on international stores this year), is not the only one in the world. There are lots more than that which has branched out from the US. For example, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, which started as a coffee service for business offices in 1963, now has more than a thousand stores operated by or franchised to them across a modest 32-country presence (US included). And in one bold move, an international fast-food chain from the Philippines that has been on an acquisition spree is making The Coffee Bean its newest subsidiary this week.

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QUENTIN TARANTINO Talks “STAR TREK” Film Script; Reveals Possible SETTING

Fans of classic science fiction TV that has been brought forward to the present and future are sure to be pleased with the current state of the iconic “Star Trek” franchise. It seems there is a bit of something depending on when a fan became a “Trekkie.” New entries will have the likes of “Star Trek: Discovery” while fans of the lead captain from the 80s-90s “The Next Generation” will totally eat up “Star Trek: Picard,” both shows being on CBS All Access. For big-screen audiences disappointed with the cancellation of a “Star Trek 4” from J.J. Abrams, a project being conceptualized by Quentin Tarantino might be just the ticket.

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Taptic Engine, A13 Chip and More LEAKS and RUMORS Regarding the Possibly Upcoming APPLE “iPHONE 11”

Samsung may be busy hyping up their Galaxy family of mobile devices ahead of a major Unpacking event this coming August, but they are hardly the only tech manufacturers with something new and nifty that they have not introduced yet as of this time of the year. Apple has its own arrow to shoot yet before 2019 is out, that being the “iPhone 11” following the 2018 release of the iPhone XS/Max and XR models. The tech giant has not made any official pronouncement on the new smartphones for now, but there have been lots of leaks already coming out.

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ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK Production MEMORABILIA to Be AUCTIONED

This week, the seventh and final season of prison comedy-drama series “Orange is the New Black” will become available for streaming on its massive mother platform, Netflix. While the misadventures of an inmate in a federal woman’s correctional facility has been supremely delightful online watching since its premiere back in 2013, the fact that its inspiration novel chronicled only a year in prison meant its story will not last very long. With production long over with and only the streaming release is left, memorabilia from the set will soon be making many “OITNB” fans happy, when they are offered for public auction this coming Friday.

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POST-OP LIZA SOBERANO RETURNS to HOMECOMING with Family, ENRIQUE GIL

By now, one might be tempted to say that Pinoy super-heroine “Darna” and Liza Soberano in the same sentence is old news. After all, she already bowed out from the casting for the character’s latest film under ABS-CBN months ago, and just last week Jane de Leon has been given the mantle following Angel Locsin and Marian Rivera. But for Soberano, the top priority had been fixing her fractured finger sustained from shooting the ABS-CBN fanta-serye “Bagani,” the reason for her withdrawing from the “Darna” project. This week, following a lengthy period of operations overseas, Liza returned to the Philippines.

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NEW MARTIAL LAW EXTENSION Over MINDANAO Proposed for YEAR 2020

The country can perhaps still recall the national nightmare that began on May 2017. At the time a routine arrest of terrorist leaders in Marawi City instead triggered a gathering of Islamist militants that drove out police and military forces before doing the unthinkable for Filipinos: the declaration of a territory of the Islamic State (ISIS). It would not be until October later that year when a concerted effort by government forces finally liberated a ruined Marawi from ISIS-aligned control, during which President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao, May-December 2017. For security considerations a one-year extension was given for all 2018, and again all 2019. But now another year-long extension is being proposed.

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BORIS JOHNSON: NEW UK PM

The removal of the United Kingdom from membership in the European Union has become a politically fatal endeavor for the country’s Prime Minister. David Cameron, who had been put up into launching the “Brexit” referendum back in 2016, resigned both office and political career when the “Leave” votes won, as he had hoped it would enforce the notion that most of the country wanted to remain. His successor at the head of the Conservative/Tory Party, Theresa May, tried to carry out the Brexit procedure but was stymied by extremists who favored leaving without any deals, something she sought to avoid. She too resigned recently, leading to another Tory leadership election.

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“THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER” Bringing Back NATALIE PORTMAN…As FEMALE THOR

Last week, just as the 2019 San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) was about to kick off over the weekend, Marvel Studios announced that Taika Waititi, the New Zealand director that made the 2017 film “Thor: Ragnarok” into a surprise blockbuster due to its different tone, would also be returning to be at the helm of “Thor 4.” Then as the SDCC went underway, during the Hall H Marvel panel, the Phase 4 film release timetable of the Marvel Cinematic Universe revealed that “Thor 4” is “Thor: Love and Thunder.” And then they revealed the movie as an adaptation for one of the “Thor” Marvel Comics’ best-known recent storylines from 2014.

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“FAST AND FURIOUS 9” Puts Filming ON HOLD Following ON-SET Mishap

Next month, two of the biggest physical powerhouse characters from the long-running vehicular action film series “Fast and Furious” will premiere their own spinoff adventure from Universal Pictures, “Hobbs and Shaw.” This movie features Dwayne Johnson’s DSS Agent Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham’s ex-UKSF-turned-mercenary Deckard Shaw for some teeth-clenched teamwork against a rogue British agent-turned-terrorist with superhuman abilities portrayed by Idris Elba. It is all well and good but fans will likely want to get back to the real action, the ninth “Fast” film starring franchise face Vin Diesel. It might have to wait a bit because filming has stalled due to an on-set accident.

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FLOYD MAYWEATHER Reportedly Made CHINESE BOXING ADVISOR for TOKYO OLYMPICS

There are perhaps two major sticking points in the illustrious fight history of Philippine boxing legend and incumbent Senator Manny Pacquiao: Juan Manuel Marquez who managed to epically knock him out in their fourth encounter back in 2012, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. whom he never did beat in 2015. The latter has successfully entered his second professional retirement with a clean 50-win 27-KO record, and recently even visited the Philippines to meet with Manny and do a few product endorsements in the country. He has also somewhat definitively shot down rematches with Pacquiao. And now, he apparently has been tapped by China to help develop their boxers for Tokyo 2020.

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First TRAILER Out for MISTER ROGERS Biopic Starring TOM HANKS

Back in the 1960s, children’s TV programming producer Fred McFeely Rogers developed a half-hour educational program for young ages that would later become a television legend along with its host. “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” clicked with audiences in the US and around the world for its carefully balanced concept of discussing real-world topics while encouraging children’s imaginations. The show would broadcast for decades on PBS and for a time was the longest-running children’s TV series (now held by “Sesame Street”). Over a decade after Rogers’ death, his memory will be revived in an upcoming biopic where he will be portrayed by Tom Hanks, a trailer of which has just been released.

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MOIRA DELA TORRE, STAR MAGIC Talents Flood AWIT AWARDS Nominations

Music industries of countries around the world have their own awards, the Philippines has its own. One in particular is the Awit Awards, begun in 1969 as a labor of love by the country’s then-correspondent to Billboard. It originally lasted only until 1971, but would be revived in 1988 by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI), which continues to annually hold the awards until now. As of last week PARI has begun releasing the list of nominees for the 2019 Awit Awards, and a scan of the names of singers and groups in the announcement indicates a strong presence of Star Music talents.

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NINTENDO SWITCH JOY-CON Controllers Are Reportedly Manifesting “DRIFT” Control Errors

Sony and Microsoft can continue to hold their current videogame consoles as the most powerful entertainment platforms around, but they cannot deny that the more recent entry of the Nintendo Switch to the competition in 2017 has cemented its reputation as the most “fun” way to play. From seeing the action on TV at home, to taking the system on the road for multiplayer gaming, the Switch does it all. One important factor is the Joy-Con controller that can be passed around to more participants, with one controller being split into two. The innovation is amazing. But as the years go by some problems with the Joy-Cons have started emerging.

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SONA IV PRESIDENT DUTERTE Repeats OLD PROBLEMS, Alongside New Developments

Every forth Monday of July, every year, the President of the Philippines goes before a Joint Session of Congress in order to address them, and the country via TV, radio and internet streaming, regarding the economy, politics and social condition of the Philippines. The State of the Nation Address (SONA) may have been under recent scrutiny for being turned into a fashion show by well-dressed legislators, their families, and celebrity audiences, but the message delivered then by the Head of State is important. This Monday was also the fourth SONA by President Rodrigo Duterte, and true to his dogged determination, the same unresolved topics from his previous speeches were reiterated.

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“DUCKTALES” Promises EPIC Season 2 EPICER SEASON 3 at SDCC

Ask any Disney fan what the most successful animated series remake on television is nowadays, and they will likely put forth the “Ducktales” reboot, launched in 2017, against any other re-imaginings on broadcast, cable and streaming to date. The original series launched in 1987, and would eventually become part of the iconic Disney Afternoon syndicated block along with so many other hit cartoon series. The new “Ducktales” have started planting the seeds of a shared setting with reboots of its fellow DA shows similar to the MCU. They have one series connected in “Darkwing Duck” this season 2. Season 3 promises more of them.

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Charity Proposes New DENIM JEANS Design Guidelines, Like NO RIVETS

In the 19^th Century a German Jew named Levi Strauss went to the US and, while managing the family dry goods store in San Francisco, helped designed an evolution of pants that would grow beyond its American Western roots to become a global fashion standard: denim jeans. Sturdy pants made of denim fabric, Strauss and Jacob Davis devised a method of reinforcing the stress points with copper rivets. Today, improved machine-sewing technology provides the necessary reinforcement to jeans, making its rivets more decorative than functional. In that regard, a UK-based charity is proposing an initiative for jean manufacturers to remove the rivets, along with other manufacturing guidelines extending pants lifetimes.

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MARVEL STUDIOS Introduces MCU Franchise PHASE 4 During SDCC 2019

When “Spider-Man: Far from Home” by Marvel Studios premiered in cinemas early this July, it signaled the end of “Phase 3” for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film series. Said Phase also concluded the long-running general myth arc that was first established in the first “Avengers” film back in 2012. The over-a-decade-old franchise, which encompasses movies and series on both broadcast and digital TV, has followed a set of characters and a loose but defined storyline since 2008, but the question now is: “What next”? This weekend, on the hallowed room of Hall H in the 2019 San Diego Comic Con, Marvel Studios showed the immediate future: MCU Phase 4.

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ALASKA Frustrates 2-to-Beat TNT with 108-72 Win, Forcing DO-OR-DIE Match

Last Sunday, the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals played its third game. While most of the country may have been basking in the new glory attained by boxing Senator Manny Pacquiao, the first pairing among the eight seeded teams in the Commissioner’s Cup playoffs bracket went head to head at Smart Araneta Coliseum. On one side was the twice-to-beat and powerful TNT KaTropa; on the other, the Alaska Aces which beat the Meralco Bolts last Friday for the eighth seed. What had seemed to be a routine mop-up by Talk N Text, turned into a surprise upset by the Aces.

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“THE LION KING” REMAKE from DISNEY Retells Familiar Story ANEW

It was the very first thing one heard when Disney’s animated classic “The Lion King” premiered in 1994, and the first voice one hears when the movie is replayed on home media. It is the first lines that will be sung when one watches the stage musical adaptation on Broadway or any other venue around the world that hosts said production. The beginning of the song “Circle of Life” features lines originally sung by South African musician-producer Lebo M, in the isiZulu language: Nants ingonyama bagithi baba (Here comes a lion, father) Sithi uhhmm ingonyama (Yes, it is a lion).

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Still Formidable at 40: PACQUIAO BEATS THURMAN by SPLIT DECISION

Ideally, an athlete in a combative sport like boxing would, as he grows older and loses the physical prowess of his youth, would in turn acquire skill and insight from his many battles that would optimally give him the edge over younger opponents. Senator and active boxer Manny Pacquiao is certainly a highly skilled veteran, as evidenced by his current lifetime achievement of eight world division titles. At 40 years and nearly a quarter-century of boxing he must have seen it all. But he goes the extra mile by drawing the will and strength to fight like he was half his current age. His latest foe, Keith Thurman, thought so.

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Past NOSTALGIA and New EXCITEMENT Promised in “TOP GUN: MAVERICK” Trailer

Using cinema as recruiting propaganda for organizations and agencies is nothing new, but usually that is a conscious and deliberate element in the movie’s production. But if a film created primarily to entertain becomes a recruiting tool then that can be a happy accident. “Top Gun,” the 1986 air combat action blockbuster which made Tom Cruise a star, also spurred many hot-blooded moviegoers to flood US Navy recruiting desks hoping to make it as aviators. The film became an instant modern classic, with a sequel starting conceptualization nearly 30 years later. At last, ahead of its premiere next year, a first trailer has been released.

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