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Tom Holland’s Uncharted wins weekend as Spider-Man inches closer to $800 M in North America

Tom Holland in Uncharted (2022)

LOS ANGELES — It’s (still) good to be Tom Holland.

The 25-year-old actor has been all-but-singlehandedly propelling ticket sales at North American movie theaters, leading two films in the top three spots on domestic box office charts. Over the weekend, his action-adventure Uncharted repeated No. 1 as his comic book epic Spider-Man: No Way Home followed closely behind in third place.

Uncharted, Sony’s long-in-the-works video game adaptation, brought in $23.2 million from 4,275 domestic venues in its second weekend of release, representing a 46% decline in revenues from its opening. That brings its domestic total to $83.3 million. A drop of around 50% is standard for big-budget tentpoles, but making its hold a little more impressive, the film did not enjoy the rapturous reviews that greeted Spider-Man: No Way Home. It helps that Uncharted is based on an extremely popular video game series and caters to younger males, a demographic that has been reliably going to the movies during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Meanwhile, another Sony blockbuster Spider-Man: No Way Home took the No. 3 spot with $5.7 million from 3,002 North American theaters, sliding only 23% in its 11th weekend in theaters. Since debuting on the big screen in December, the Spidey threequel has managed to stay in the top three on domestic box office charts — a rare feat with or without an industry-altering pandemic. Through Sunday, No Way Home has collected an enormous $779.8 million in total. Given the movie’s stellar week-to-week holds, Spider-Man could soon become the third movie ever to cross $800 million at the domestic box office.

In second place, Channing Tatum’s PG-13 canine adventure Dog had surprisingly solid attendance levels in its sophomore outing. The road-trip buddy comedy, from MGM, earned $10.1 million from 3,827 screens over the weekend, pushing its North American tally to $30.8 million. It’s a strong result for a movie that carries a $15 million production budget. The movie, which was smartly marketed with the tagline “Don’t worry, the dog doesn’t die” in an attempt to win over anyone still reeling from the 2008 tear-jerker Marley and Me, continues to perform in America’s heartland.

Two new releases, Studio 666 and Cyrano, failed to make a notable dent on box office charts.

Studio 666, a horror-comedy-musical-fantasy about Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and his bandmates as they attempt to record their 10th studio album, landed in eighth place with $1.5 million from 2,306 North American theaters. The R-rated film got mixed reviews, though several film critics admitted Studio 666 is at least fun to watch. Associated Press critic Jake Coyle liked the film to “a decent SNL sketch stretched to nearly two hours” and the New York Times critic at large Wesley Morris aptly described the movie as exuding “real Scooby-Doo-meets-The Shining vibes.”

Cyrano, a romantic musical drama directed by Joe Wright and starring Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage, nabbed the No. 9 spot. The well-reviewed film, based on the 2018 stage musical and Edmond Rostand’s 1987 play Cyrano de Bergerac about an emotionally crushing love triangle, opened in just 797 locations and grossed $1.4 million. Nearly 60% of opening weekend audience members were female, according to exit polls. MGM will continue to expand the movie’s theatrical footprint in the coming weeks, but given its $30 million production budget, the profit margins for Cyrano could be more brutal than heartbreak. — Reuters

POC to field ‘fighting’ 656 athletes in Hanoi

POC President Abraham Tolentino — PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

By Joey Villar

THE Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) will field in a “fighting” 656-athlete delegation to the Hanoi Southeast Asian (SEA) Games set on May 12 to 23 with an eye at finishing at least in the top three.

POC President Abraham Tolentino said the number, which will compete in 44 events from 39 of the 40 sports calendared in the biennial meet, is almost half of the 1,115 athletes the country sent to battle in the 2019 Manila SEA Games where the host nation emerged the overall champion with a historic haul of 149 gold, 117 silver and 121 bronze medals.

The slash, according to the congressman from Tagaytay, could drastically affect the Filipinos’ title-retention bid but vowed the team they would send would be a competitive bunch who may be good enough to snare a place in the top three.

“Comparing the numbers when we hosted the Games in 2019, we’ll have a delegation that’s slashed almost in half from three years ago,” said Mr. Tolentino. “And a quick look at the numbers show we’ll be hard-pressed to repeat as overall champions.

“But we’ll have a fighting team in Vietnam, setting aside the difficulties of training and competing or training overseas because of the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic,” he added.

The PhilCycling chief have said in January that the Hanoi Games has been reduced to a race to second place and at least a top three finish for the Filipinos is a strong possibility.

Of the 44 disciplines, the POC has yet to receive a tentative list for athletics, men’s 3×3 and 5×5 basketball, weightlifting and jiujitsu.

The deadline for the submission of entries by names is on March 12 and Mr. Tolentino said the POC is hopeful to complete the list — including expected revisions from NSAs (national sports associations) which already complied with the body’s Feb. 24 internal deadline — by then.

“Several NSAs were allowed to submit tentative lists because they’re still completing their final qualifications or trials,” said Mr. Tolentino.

The estimated size of the delegation is pegged at 874. Also on the tentative list are 177 team officials (coaches, team managers and/or NSA heads or representatives) and 20 members of the medical (doctors, nurses and masseurs/therapists) and administrative staff.

Competition venues for Filipino athletes are spread out in four clusters although majority will be in the main hub of Hanoi, Mr. Tolentino said. The POC based the clusters on their proximity to Hanoi.

Filipino athletes will be competing in diving, swimming, finswimming, archery, athletics, badminton, 3×3 and 5×5 basketball, billiards and snooker, bodybuilding, bowling, boxing, canoe-kayak, chess, cycling, dancesports, esports, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics (artistic, aerobic and rhythmic), beach handball, judo, jiujitsu, karate, kickboxing, kurash, muay thai, pencak silat, rowing, sepak takraw, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon/duathlon, volleyball, beach volleyball, vovinam, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.

The Philippines is not participating in Vietnam’s 40th sport of xiangqi (Chinese or elephant chess).

United Kingdom takes aim at rich Russian owners of luxury London property

JOÃO BARBOSA/UNSPLASH

FROM Chelsea penthouses to Highgate mansions, Russia’s long-standing infatuation with UK real estate is evident from a cursory glance at some of the country’s priciest property transactions. The past decade has seen that trend explode.

The number of UK properties whose owners’ principal correspondence address is in Russia reached 1,127 in August 2021, according to data released by the Land Registry under Freedom of Information laws last year. That’s up from 86 at the start of 2010 —  a 1,200% increase.

And that’s likely a lowball figure. It doesn’t capture properties that are owned by companies —  a structure often favored by wealthy owners from around the world looking to camouflage their holdings.

The Ukraine conflict could finally thrust such anonymous owners into the open. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday he would push forward legislation on a long-stymied register of overseas property ownership as the UK sanctioned more than 100 Russian individuals and entities, part of a coordinated push by Western countries against Russian companies and oligarchs in the wake of that nation’s invasion of Ukraine.

The UK measures, which target everything from banks to Russia’s national air carrier, also include a new unit in the National Crime Agency (NCA) to target “Russian assets hidden in the UK,” Johnson said. It will mean “oligarchs in London have nowhere to hide.”

A spokesperson for the NCA said the agency “will use all legislative options and tactics available to the agency to pursue the assets of corrupt elites.”

A registry would be a marked shift for the UK’s often opaque real estate market where offshore entities can shield the identities of owners.

More than 85,000 properties are owned by offshore entities, according to Transparency International, a nonprofit organization. That’s despite a series of tax measures introduced since 2013 that punish owners that hold properties via companies rather than in their own names.

Transparency International estimates that about £1.5 billion ($2 billion) worth of UK property has been bought by Russians accused of corruption or with links to the Kremlin since 2016. About 55% of that is held by companies in Britain’s Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

Even the truncated Land Registry data show property is a key asset class for Russians. The relative growth in the number of buildings whose owners appear to live in Russia was among the fastest of any country. Only UK properties whose correspondence addresses were listed in Taiwan and mainland China increased at a quicker pace.

STALLED LEGISLATION
“London is a truly international city that attracts truly international people from all over the world,” property advisor Charles McDowell said in a phone interview, noting he’d seen an uptick of Russian buyers in the past year. “As with any country, you’re going to get your fair share of good, bad and indifferent.”

Security barriers sit closed outside the St. George’s Hill private estate in Weybridge, Surrey, UK on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. The county of Surrey, an hour by car southwest of London and the biggest contributor of tax revenue in the UK outside the capital, is a region that’s struggling to balance the books and exposing its more vulnerable side.

Other areas have also appealed to Russians. Scottish estates have proved popular, so too the manicured lawns, golf course and round-the-clock security offered by St. George’s Hill, a 960-acre (388-hectare) gated enclave in Surrey. Russian billionaire residents there have included Oleg Deripaska, a target of US sanctions, and Boris Berezovsky, a onetime ally-turned-enemy of President Vladimir Putin who died in 2013.

Demand was bolstered by the British government’s — now-scrapped —  golden visa program that gave foreign nationals a path to residence if they invest more than £2 million ($2.7 million). Wealthy individuals from China and Russia were among the largest group of nationals to receive Tier 1 visas since the program’s launch in 2008.

REFUSAL RATES
A 2015 official review on the program noted refusal rates for Russian nationals were lower than average. A 2020 parliamentary report on Russia’s influence on British politics also said the immigration program had been exploited, with many oligarchs attracted to the UK for its light-touch regulations, strong housing market and range of investment opportunities.

The cancellation of that program may have dimmed London’s appeal, but Russian money remains a conspicuous presence in London’s priciest neighborhoods. “Londongrad” and “Moscow-upon-Thames” have become familiar monikers for the UK capital.

There’s even a bus tour. Organized by Russian activists, the “kleptocracy tour” takes groups across London, pointing out luxury flats and townhouses owned by Russians. — Reuters

PSBank posts higher 2021 net income

PHILIPPINE SAVINGS Bank’s (PSBank) net profit rebounded in 2021, supported by a higher fee income and lower loan loss provisions as asset quality improved.

PSBank’s net income rose by 21% to P1.5 billion last year from 2020, it said in a filing with the local bourse on Monday. Based on its previous financial report, the bank’s net income in 2020 was P1.108 billion.

However, the bank’s 2021 net income was still below the P3.028 billion it booked in 2019 before the crisis.

“The strong income performance was on the back of the increase in fee income by 22%, operating efficiencies which saw expenses decline by 3%, and the reduction in loan loss provisions owing largely to improved asset quality and effective collection efforts,” the bank said.

“Our financial performance in 2021 is a testament of the strength of the bank’s balance sheet, and the agility of the organization to quickly adapt to volatile market conditions. Our early and proactive efforts to adjust our strategies and operations allowed us to be at the forefront of opportunities as they unfold,” PSBank President Jose Vicente L. Alde said.

The lender said loan applications picked up as the economy gradually reopened. In particular, it said retail loan demand went up by the second half of last year.

As of end-2021, the bank’s net nonperforming loan ratio declined to 3.4% from 5.2% a year earlier.

Meanwhile, total deposits increased by 29% to P216.8 billion from P167.46 billion.

PSBank’s assets grew by 19% to P261.81 billion as of end-2021 from P219.41 billion a year earlier. Its capital position reached P34.89 billion.

The bank’s capital adequacy and common equity Tier 1 ratios rose to 24.3% and 23.2% respectively, both above the requirements of the central bank.

The bank carried out digital initiatives last year, including allowing new clients to open a savings or prepaid account through their mobile app. The bank also allowed clients to reload their tollway RFIDs (radio-frequency identification) through online means and to pay their loans through 7-Eleven outlets.

“Our digital transformation roadmap launched earlier than the pandemic allowed us to stay ahead of our customers’ requirements for non-contact banking,” Mr. Alde said. — L.W.T. Noble

Light utility aircraft Bell 429 seen popular among PHL customers

AEROSPACE company Philjets Aero Services on Monday said the Bell 429, a light helicopter, continues to gain appeal among corporate customers in the Philippines.

“Bell Textron, Inc. together with its independent representative in the Philippines, Philjets Aero Services, [recently] delivered the 10th Bell 429 to a corporate customer in the country,” the Philippine-based aerospace company said in an e-mailed statement.

American aerospace manufacturer Bell Textron is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.

This “demonstrates the Bell 429’s continued popularity among corporate customers in the Philippines who value the Bell 429’s reliability, smooth and quiet ride,” the company noted.

Philjets likewise said the Bell 429 had surpassed 500,000 global fleet hours earlier this year.

“The Bell 429 remains at the forefront as mission requirements evolve. Advanced capabilities of the 429 include single pilot IFR (instrument flight rules), Category A operations and an integrated avionics glass cockpit, designed to offer the best combination of flexibility, safety, and durability.”

The Bell 429 is considered capable of completing a range of missions including search and rescue, medical evacuations, natural disaster relief, national security, and military training.

“Along with the newest Bell 429 in the Philippines, there are currently more than 400 Bell 429 aircraft serving an array of customers, offering versatility through missions and excellent performance,” Philjets said. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Armani pays tribute to Ukraine suffering with silent show

ARMANI.COM

MILAN —  Giorgio Armani switched off the music to hold his Milan fashion show in silence on Sunday out of respect for the people caught in the Ukrainian conflict.

Models strutted down the catwalk in an eerie quiet, interrupted by applause from the audience, wearing short jackets in pastel hues and shiny, sequined black and silver dresses. (View the show here: https://www.armani.com/en-us/experience/giorgio-armani/fashion-show-fall-winter)

“My decision not to use any music was taken as a sign of respect towards the people involved in the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine,” read a post across a black banner on the fashion designer’s Twitter account.

“The best thing to do is send a message that we don’t want to celebrate because something very disturbing is happening around us,” the 87-year-old designer, visibly moved, later said on the sidelines of the show.

Both male and female models sported black velvet coats, jackets and trousers for the 2022/23 fall/winter collection, sometimes with dabs of blue, or a red trim. There were also electric blue silk evening gowns and sleeveless blouses, embroidered tops, long white overalls and flowery prints.

Designs from Armani’s main line traditionally bring down the curtain on Milan’s fashion week, which this season hosted mainly in-person catwalk shows rather than digital presentations, including by the likes of Prada, Gucci and Dolce&Gabbana. — Reuters

Gilas Pilipinas shifts focus to Hanoi SEA Games

A PBA-BACKED Gilas Pilipinas — PBA IMAGES

NOT wasting its time in the aftermath of a dismaying loss to New Zealand in the 2023 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup (WC) Asian Qualifiers, Gilas Pilipinas will shift its focus to the next big goal in the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi.

The SEA Games, where the Philippines is the long-time reigning basketball champion, is slated in May, making it a must for coach Chot Reyes to plot an early plan that is likely to feature a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)-backed squad.

“We have to meet with the PBA to synchronize calendars. We’re looking now at the Southeast Asian Games,” said Mr. Reyes following a split outing in the WC qualifiers with an 88-64 win over India and an 88-63 defeat to New Zealand for a 1-1 card in Group A.

In the said tournament, Gilas paraded a hastily-assembled squad led by the core of TnT Tropang Giga, national cadets, Dwight Ramos and Thirdy Ravena from the Japan B.League and naturalized player Ange Kouame of Ateneo.

For the SEA Games, it’s uncertain whether overseas players could be available anew while Mr. Kouame and other collegiate prospects like Justine Baltazar of La Salle and Carl Tamayo of UP are expected to be in the playoffs of the returning UAAP play.

“That’s another thing to take into consideration — who’s going to be available. Unfortunately, I cannot answer that question because we have to sit down and actually craft the plans,” Mr. Reyes lamented.

The PBA for its part, is expected to be hit the offseason by the time of the SEA Games after its ongoing Governors’ Cup that’s already on the tailend of elimination round.

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial has confirmed the scheduled conversation with Mr. Reyes, who also serves as TnT mentor in the PBA, as early as today regarding his proposal.

Gilas last sent an all-pro squad also in the SEA Games held in the country in 2019 under the tutelage of Ginebra mentor Tim Cone, who steered the Philippines to its 13th straight gold medal. — John Bryan Ulanday

Bria Homes planning to break ground for condo project within Q1

BRIA HOMES is planning to break ground for its new condominium project in General Trias, Cavite within the first quarter.

The company has started pre-selling Bria Condo General Trias, which targets young professionals and millennials.

In a statement, Bria Homes Division Head Eduardo T. Aguilar noted that young, aspiring Filipino homeowners are showing a growing interest in the company’s condominium projects.

The walk-up condominium offers 24-square meter units with provisions for a bedroom, dining, and kitchen area, living room, and toilet and bath.

Amenities include a clubhouse with a swimming pool, gym, playground, and function halls.

Bria Homes is a subsidiary of Villar-led Golden MV Holdings, Inc.

PhilGuarantee profit rises

PHILIPPINE GUARANTEE Corp. (PhilGuarantee) posted a net income of P1.37 billion in 2021, close to triple the figure seen a year earlier, as cost-to-income outcomes improved, the Department of Finance (DoF) said.

The state-run firm’s net income rose by 182% to P1.37 billion in 2021 from P487 million the previous year, the DoF said in a news release Monday.

PhilGuarantee President and Chief Executive Officer Alberto E. Pascual said in a report to the DoF that cost-to-income outcomes, which assesses efficiency by measuring costs as a proportion of income, improved to P850 million last year from P1.16 billion in 2020.

He said the company’s income from loan guarantees in 2021 reached a total of P1.59 billion, slipping by 2% from P1.62 billion a year earlier.

Meanwhile, its non-guarantee income rose by 176% year on year to P2.32 billion from P839.6 million.

PhilGuarantee provides credit guarantees to housing, micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and agriculture, along with other industries prioritized by the government.

“Sources of guarantee income were guarantee fees from loans for MSMEs and the agriculture sector; guarantee premiums from housing loans; and application, service and commitment fees,” the DoF said.

The state guarantee finance agency registered an outstanding guarantee portfolio of P182.9 billion as of end-December.

Assets inched up by 6% to P60.88 billion, while liabilities declined by 9% to P34.32 billion.

“PhilGuarantee is currently disposing its big-ticket assets located in the cities of Manila, Quezon, and Mandaluyong to generate an additional P7.33 billion in income this year,” the DoF said, quoting Mr. Pascual.

The company’s total equity grew by 36% to P26.56 billion.

According to Mr. Pascual, the corporation assisted 6.5% more beneficiaries last year for a total of 202,269 small business entrepreneurs, housing borrowers, and agri-fisheries workers.

“(PhilGuarantee) also partnered with an aggregate 128 banks and other financial institutions for the various credit guarantee facilities,” the DoF said.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte in 2018 merged and transferred the functions of agencies performing loan guarantee into one corporation, or PhilGuarantee. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Basic Energy earmarks P31M for 50-MW wind project

BASIC ENERGY Corp.’s board of directors has approved a P31-million initial budget for the assessment of a wind power project under its subsidiary Mabini Energy Corp.

In its disclosure to the exchange, Basic Energy said its board during a meeting on Feb. 24 had given the green light to the wind resource assessment of Mabini Energy’s wind power project, which will start soon with an estimated initial budget of around P31 million.

The approved project proposal aims to build a 50-megawatt wind farm in Mabini, Batangas covering an area of 4,860 hectares, the parent company said in an earlier disclosure.

The energy firm will then discuss the project with the land owner where the tower will be built and coordinate with the local government for necessary documents.

Meanwhile, the firm’s board also approved the proposed P40-million budget for this year’s capital and operating expenses of its Green Energy Transport Project. The budget will be disbursed on a quarterly basis.

“The board had decided to proceed with initiatory actions and negotiations on the solarization project and for the project to initially be housed in [Basic Energy] until the board comes to a decision on which corporate vehicle to use, taking into consideration the requirements to be met once project becomes fully operational,” the company said.

The project seeks to solarize 30 retail station sites, tied with other commercial or public transport group, and acquire 60 electric buses.

So far, five of the 15 oil companies that were tapped have signed a memorandum of understanding with the firm.

Shares in Basic Energy at the local bourse closed unchanged on Monday at 51 centavos apiece. — Marielle C. Lucenio

PBA goes 100% fans capacity with Alert Level 1

WILLIE MARCIAL — PBA IMAGES

WITH Metro Manila transitioning to Alert Level 1, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is ready to accommodate around 18,000 fans again in the succeeding games of the Governors’ Cup beginning tomorrow at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“One hundred percent capacity na tayo sa Araneta,” (We are at one hundred percent capacity in Araneta) commissioner Willie Marcial told The STAR in the wake of the Inter-Agency Task Force’s downgrade of NCR’s status to the lowest alert level starting today.

Alert Level 1 effectively lifts the restrictions on the total on-site or sitting capacity of sports venues, among other establishments.

Previously, while the stricter Alert Level 2 classification was in place, the pro league only allowed a maximum of 5,000 spectators inside the Big Dome.

The PBA opened the doors to as many as 4,500 over at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, which hosted the games last week, and will expand this to around 8,000 to 10,000 under Alert 1.

The import-flavored tournament returns to the Araneta for its March 2 to 11 slates.

Mr. Marcial stressed that minimum health protocols will continue to be implemented for the bigger live crowd.

Following the lowering of the quarantine qualification, the pro league is also taking a look at whether it needs to adjust its testing protocols for the teams.

Under the present setup, all participants undergo RT-PCR testing every Mondays and antigen testing on the day of their respective games. — Olmin Leyba

Entertainment News (03/01/22)

A Thousand Women (2018) by Rita Toledo

5 films tackle current issues on Women’s Month

TO CELEBRATE and commemorate March as Women’s Month, five films that touch on the issues, concerns, challenges, struggles and realities of women will be screened for free each Wednesday. The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde has selected several full-length films to explore and highlight the individuality and the solidarity that create nuances and resonances in the different narratives of women. Roma (2018) by Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, set in the 1970s Mexico City, introduced Cleo, an indigenous Mixteco live-in housekeeper who worked for a middle-class household with four children. She finds herself trying to support what’s left of the family, all while preparing for her own unexpected motherhood. The drama will be on view on March 2. Rocks (2019), a coming-of-age piece by British filmmaker Sarah Gavron, follows the lively yet heartbreaking journey of a Black British teenager girl who struggles to take care of herself and her younger brother as they are abandoned by their depression-prone mother. It screens on March 9. Body of Truth (2020), directed by Evelyn Schels, studies the influence of violence, oppression and war in art. It profiles contemporary Iranian visual artist Shirin Nesha, Serbian conceptual performance artist Marina Abramović, Israeli sculptor, video and installation artist Sigalit Landau, and German photographer Katharina Sieverding as they explore their histories for art. It is slated on March 16. A Thousand Women (2018), directed by Brazilian screenwriter Rita Toledo, is a documentary focused on female artists Lena Chen (USA), Florencia Duran (Uruguay), Bia Ferreira (Brazil) and Ana Luisa Santos (Brazil) as they transform their experiences into meaningful representations of feminism today. It is scheduled on March 23. The final film is The Flowering of the Crone: Leonora Carrington, Another Reality (2015), directed by American filmmaker, poet, author, and historian Ally Acker. The motion picture covered British-born artist Carrington full oeuvre with rare personal footage from the 1940s through the 21st Century. It contains a fanciful depiction of her famous 1939 short story “The Debutante.” It will be shown on March 30. The film screenings will be conducted via Zoom at noon on the scheduled dates. All shows are free and open to the public. Interested participants may register through https://forms.gle/3AUP8tbMVPFoaPfQ8. For more information, e-mail mcad@benilde.edu.ph.

Isang Harding Papel opens Dokyu Power fest

THE DOKYU Power film festival opens with Isang Harding Papel, A Martial Law Musical by Palanca-awarded writer Augie Rivera. Based on a true story, the film is about a child, Jenny, age seven, and her mother, Chit, an actress imprisoned for staging a street play critical of the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos. Jenny’s visits are peppered with stories she collects and saves to share with her mother. During each visit, her Mom gives her a paper flower she made. Eventually, Jenny’s collection of paper flowers resembles a lush garden. Directed by Nor Domingo, is a filmed version of the musical of the same title, adapted from the Adarna House children’s book illustrated by Rommel Joson. The film and others like The Kingmaker by Lauren Greenfield are streaming for free. The Dokyu Power fest is streaming until April 9. It is organized by DAKILA and its Active Vista Center, and the Filipino Documentary Society or FilDocs, the same group behind the 2020 documentary film festival Daang Dokyu. For updates, log on to Daang Doryu’s Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/DaangDokyu.

GMA Network’s first horror series Widows’ Web

GMA NETWORK has launched its first horror series, Widows’ Web, which follows four women caught up in a twisted murder case and are entangled in a web of secrets, mysteries, and lies. Directed by Jerry Lopez-Sineneng, it stars Carmina Villarroel, Vaness Del Moral, Ashley Ortega, and Pauline Mendoza. The series also features Ryan Eigenmann as the murder victim. It also introduces Vanessa Pena and Anjay Anson. Widows’ Web airs weeknights after First Lady on GMA Telebabad.

City of Dreams’ Dreamplay reopens

AS METRO Manila eases its quarantine restrictions, DreamPlay, the world’s first DreamWorks-inspired family entertainment center at City of Dreams Manila, reopens its doors at a limited capacity to welcome back families in a fun and safe environment. One of the safest play spaces for children with a fully vaccinated staff at a Safety Seal-certified venue, the interactive play and creativity center once again shares the stories of DreamWorks through an engaging, immersive, and technologically rich experience for families and children. Currently open from Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., DreamPlay can entertain about 100 guests, both children and adults, or at 20% total capacity of the venue at a given time. Tickets with access to all the play space’s attractions are available at P1,500, while non-participating tickets can be purchased for P250. Entry will be on a first come, first serve basis. DreamPlay is located at The Shops at the Boulevard, upper ground floor of City of Dreams Manila. For inquiries and reservations, call 8800-8080 or e-mail guestservices@cod-manila.com or visit www.cityofdreamsmanila.com.

Tala Gil releases live sessions EP

SINGER-songwriter Tala Gil has released her new EP, call me when you wake up (Live Session). Drawn from her latest EP of the same name which was released in Nov. 2021, the Live Session release allows listeners to enjoy her songs in a new light. In the EP, she also gives insights into how she worked on each song through earnest voice memos that give details about each track. The EP is available on all streaming platforms under Universal Records Philippines.

Mezzaluna releases new single

FOLLOWING her debut single, “In Situ,” the 20-year-old Indonesian singer-songwriter Mezzaluna offers another peek into her personal life with her signature storytelling style.  “I wrote this song based on a personal experience that I went through back in high school,” Mezzaluna said in a statement. The ballad tackles disappointment and hopelessness. “I Beg” marks Mezzaluna’s second collaboration with Indonesian industry veterans, producer Gio Wibowo and creative director Deby Sucha. Wibowo, who had previously worked with her on “In Situ.” “I Beg” is available on all digital streaming platforms.

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