C2 Sarap ng Bukas Concert and Music Video Awarding Ceremonies

I like listening to different kinds of music and enjoy going to concerts. So I was really glad to be invited to the C2 Sarap ng Bukas event last night where 10 talented finalists of the C2 music video creation contest were featured. It’s one of the most exciting events I’ve ever been to!

There, I got a chance to witness some of the Philippines’ most respected bands on stage like Tanya Markova and Callalily plus the newest music sensation Somedaydream who performed a couple of very catchy songs.

This is the first time I’ve heard Tanya Markova play live and it was phenomenal. Their performance level is too high! At first, they may look like some punk gothic band that plays emo music. But when they started playing, they suddenly looked and sounded like harmless kids having fun and singing in front of many people.

Then there’s also this band called Gracenote where the vocalist was able to fully capture the voice of Haley from Paramore. She seems to have a lot of confidence in performing and just doing her thing.

Callalily has the most number of fans that night. I mean, girls just went crazy over the vocalist, Kean Cipriano. I like this band but was kinda disappointed because they did not sing my favorite songs, their old ones, which I started listening to when I was still in high school. But it’s okay, they still performed well to the delight of the audience.

I’d like to congratulate the winners of the C2 music video contest. My bet actually was the one made by Joan Rodriguez. She created a video with a simple story that made a deep impact on me and on many of those who saw it, including my mom. Too bad it didn’t win. I found the concept amazing because the footages showed the many challenges faced by hardworking Filipinos’ and yet, they still manage to smile at the end of each day. That’s a great attitude to have and one that we must always remember.

*Pictures borrowed from Orange Magazine TV's photo album

Movie Review: In Time

Can you imagine a world where you stop aging past 25, where money is replaced by time as currencies, where the rich can live forever, and where the poor die young, the only way to stay alive is to either steal, inherit, or earn time? 

Let me tell you a short part of the movie In Time where time is everything in the world ...

Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) is one of the unlucky ones. He only has about a few hours left to live like his mother Rachael (Olivia Wilde). It is Will’s mother’s birthday. Imprinted in their arms is a running clock that shows how long they have to live. In their world, people earn time by working, spending it for everyday living, or they could do something foolish like gamble their remaining time for them to earn even more time. 

One day after work, Will saves a rich stranger, with a century on his life, from people who kill others to gain more time of their own. Will and the stranger manage to get away safely and sleep in an abandoned warehouse. The next morning, Will looks at his wrist and sees that he gained a century of time in his life. He thinks that the man gave him his time as a gift but the man committed suicide. 

As the day ends, Rachael only had about 1 and ½ hours left on her clock. When she was about to get on the bus to meet her son to celebrate her birthday, she found out that the bus driver increased the fare by one more hour from the usual time of only one hour. So she runs instead. 

Will sees his mother sprinting towards him and quickly realized that his mother was about to lose all her credits. As they were running towards each other, with only seconds and a few meters left, Rachael “timed out” as she leaps and falls dead on her son’s arms. Will is enraged with grief so he uses his time to get revenge on people who starve the poor from time.

The concept of the movie is so incredible and imaginative. I really liked watching it. I think the story gives a valuable lesson to all of us: “You cannot live forever, so don’t waste your time”.

This movie also stars Amanda Seyfried and it is directed by Andrew Niccol. Watch it in a theater near you. It is a really great film to see!

Movie Review: Puss in Boots

Long before he even met Shrek and Donkey, Puss in Boots had done things that mankind has never seen before. Although this cat is known for his swashbuckling adventures with Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona, many don’t know and never heard about the story behind the Boots.

Puss in Boots the movie stars Antonio Banderas as the voice of Puss in Boots. He is joined by a bunch of other actors who made the characters in the story sound very real. This is a movie that people will certainly enjoy. Puss in Boots was just an ordinary boot-wearing cat who travels around the country hoping to find a way to clear his name because of something he may have caused from when he was young. He bumps into Kitty Soft Paws (voiced by Salma Hayek), a cat with the softest paws in the world, and Humpty Alexander Dumpty (voiced by Zach Galifianakis), his long lost brother whom he knew when he was still a small kitty and was the burden of Puss’ childhood.

Humpty apologizes for the mistake he has caused Puss, begs for Puss’s forgiveness, and asks him to come with them in search of the magic beans, the giant’s castle, and the Golden Goose who lays golden eggs. Puss then joins the quest with Humpty and Kitty Soft Paws to find the treasure. Who knows where their adventures will take them as two mischievous bandits called Jack and Jill are on their trail to find Puss and his friends ... or so you think they are.

I like this movie very much. It is very entertaining to watch because it is packed with comedy and adventure. The 3D effects are great and the sounds are good. It is currently one of the best Disney Pixar movies I have ever seen. I recommend it to be watched by everyone, not just children but adults too. Watch Puss in Boots in theatres starting this weekend!

Sponge Cola Launches New Album "Araw Oras Tagpuan"

Sponge Cola is a Filipino rock band that has a lot of great songs. Last October 20, I attended a Blogger's Night featuring the band and their newest album Araw Oras Tagpuan. I found Yael, the lead singer, very energetic and quite funny too. He and the rest of the band members (Gosh, Ted, and Armo) performed four acoustic songs including the famous “Tambay” which I frequently hear when hanging out with my friends.

I was very glad that they performed their old song “Jeepney”. I grew up listening to this when I was still an elementary student and I consider it one of the best OPM songs I’ve ever heard in my life. Sponge Cola hasn’t changed their style much and I say that in a positive way. They have maintained their energetic and free personality that made them famous in the first place.


The band’s newest album, Araw Oras Tagpuan, has 12 tracks plus one hidden track called “Easy as Pie” which I found amusing. The track called “Kay Tagal Kitang Hinintay” became a fast favorite of mine because it has deep meaning as well as great and beautiful lyrics that inspired me to become a songwriter. Who knows, it might inspire you, too!


The album has a tremendous impact especially when you listen to all the tracks. I’ve heard them all and found that the song “Warning”, which has jazz and blues elements, made me much more interested in listening to the rest of the songs. In my opinion, jazz is the music which has the highest standards but a lot of young people nowadays tend to just listen to what is new.


So I really hope that my friends, who depend so much on foreign rock bands, would learn to appreciate and discover that OPM rock is just as cool as the American rock culture. Aside from Sponge Cola, some of my other favorite OPM bands are Hale, Kamikaze, and Callalily.

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience of meeting the members of Sponge Cola and hearing them sing live. They are all awesome and very talented. It was a great night. More albums to come Sponge Cola!

Sponge Cola’s Blogger’s Night was presented by Universal Records in cooperation with Pinoy Magazine, BANDS Magazine and official online partner Orange Magazine TV with special thanks to Coca-Cola Philippines.

*Thank you Universal Records and Orange Magazine TV for the invite!