Event Coverage: Nuvali's Earth Day Concert

I was invited last Saturday to come to Nuvali in Laguna to participate in an Earth Day concert. The last time I was in Nuvali was a year ago and it's nice to come back to this place because of the fresh air and the nice scenery all around.

It was an honor to attend this wonderful event because it made me more aware of what's happening right now in our environment. Through the clips shown in between songs during the concert, audiences were reminded that even the simplest of things like picking up trash and recycling stuff can already make a BIG impact to save Mother Earth.  

The concert was graced by well-known singers in the Philippine music industry. Although my mom has Zia Quizon's album already, the other night was the first time I've heard Zia Quizon sing. As a jazz fanatic, I was amazed by her voice and honestly think she could be one of the best OPM jazz artist in this generation.

Jed Madela also sings fantastically. My favorite part was when he sang "What a Wonderful World". I really would have wanted to hear Christian Bautista sing one or two songs from his album Outbound, which I have, but he didn't. At least he sang a Michael Jackson song and that, for me, was enough. This is not the first time I have seen Christian Bautista up close. The first time was during a Bloggers Meet at the Universal Records office last November. You can read my review of his CD and about the event here.

Kyla and Juris also sang with the other three and the night was filled with good music and good vibes for the environment. 

Overall, I enjoyed the event very much. Audiences not only got to witness famous people perform on stage but also learned how we can do our part in saving our planet. And Nuvali's open air concert area was the perfect venue to do all that. It was a really great night.

Movie Review: The Lorax

What if one tiny seed can be more capable of anything that you have ever imagined? And what if one only needs to do is to plant that seed to make a difference for everything and for everyone? I watched The Lorax with my mom the other day and learned that we, too, can make a difference by doing what is right when it comes to saving the environment and start by just planting one seed.

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment presents The Lorax. This film is adapted from a classic Dr. Seuss children’s book. It is the story of a young idealistic boy named Ted (voiced by Zac Efron) who lives in a town called Thneedville where everything is all artificially made of plastic, metal, and synthetics. To win the affection of Audrey (voiced by Taylor Swift), the girl he admires, Ted does something remarkably idealistic -- to find a real tree no matter what. His grandmother luckily gave him some tips how to find what he's looking for.

So Ted finds a way to get outside of town to find out where the so called Once-ler (voiced by Ed Helms) lives and who he thinks knows where to find a real tree. Meanwhile, he does not know that the greedy Mr. O’Hare (voiced by Rob Riggle), who is a popular businessman in Thneedville, is watching and doing all he could to keep everything artificial and plastic because that is making him very rich.

During several visits, The Once-ler tells Ted stories of a beautiful place where trees where still blooming, where it was the home of little bears, birds and fishes, and how the forest was guarded by this strange and grumpy yet charming creature called the Lorax (voiced by Danny De Vito) who speaks for the trees.

In the end, the Once-ler gives Ted the last truffula seed so that he can plant it in the middle of the town for everyone to see and hopefully gain their trust and cooperation for helping to build a better place. But before Ted is able to do that, Mr. O'Hare tries everything to stop that from happening. Find out what happens in Thneedville and if the Lorax and the Once-ler will become friends again. 

The Lorax has a beautiful story and lessons for everyone, not just for kids but also for adults. The animations and colors are also really good. Please watch it with your parents, brothers and sisters. It's a great movie for the whole family. 

MTV EXIT Holds Live Concert In Manila To Raise Awareness Against Human Trafficking

Do you know what human trafficking means? A lot of people may not know this but human trafficking is the modern-day form of slavery involving illegal trade of people for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, and forced labor. It’s real and it’s happening all over the world.

Many Filipinos, too, are victims of human trafficking, that’s why MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) hosted a summit for the youth as well as a concert here to help put an end to the exploitation. Representatives from the United States of America and Australia came to the Philippines to spread awareness that this is happening and is very much real here in our country.

Please read the rest of my concert review at Orange Magazine TV's blog where I am a contributor. You can find there the photos of the speakers like MTV Exit Ambassador for the Philippines, Dingdong Dantes, and performers including Jay Park and surprise guest Jason Mraz.