athena mae imperial of casiguran, aurora win miss earth philippines 2011

here are the winners of the recently concluded miss earth philippines 2011:

Miss Philippines Earth: ATHENA MAE IMPERIAL (Casiguran, Aurora)

Miss Philippines Air: JONAVI RAISA QUIRAY (Puerto Princesa City)

Miss Philippines Water: MURIELLE ADRIENNE ORAIS (Cebu City)

Miss Philippines Fire: MICHELLE GAVAGAN (Las Pinas City)

Miss Philippines Eco-Tourism: TARHATA CLIO SHARI RICO (Makati City)

photo is from: http://www.missphilippines-earth.com/news.html

pilipinas got talent: leoniel & elizabeth and marcelito reaches the finals; wildcard round announced

dancing partners leoniel enopia & elizabeth dazo from bacolod city and singer marcelito pomoy of cavite bacame the 11th and 12th grand finalists respectively of pilipinas got talent. leoniel & elizabeth got the highest number of votes after saturday night's performance, getting 34.06% of the votes.

the next two highest vote getters were the singing group joy's diva from batangas (28.58%) and cavite's pride marcelito (23.71%). both acts performed again for the judges. all three judges favored marcelito to go through to the grand finals.

other semifinalists in this last group were the returning kapidamu band, acrobatic group larvae and singer suwahib samplidan.

these are also the 2 acts that i picked to advance to the grand finals. what was surprising was that marcelito did not get the top spot in terms of votes after having the highest media and digital exposure in the internet. so this only proves that voting for your favorite is really important, do not be complacent.

it was also announced that next week will be a wild card week. all the acts that got into the top 2 or 3 in the text votes in the past 6 weeks but was not chosen by the judges will return and again battle it out for another 2 slots in the grand finals, making the final grand finalist count to 14. the 6 returning acts are:

from week 1: rico the magician from caloocan city

from week 2: skeights, a band from davao city

from week 3: collins gutierrez, a singer from laguna

from week 4: the next generation band from davao city

from week 5: singer kenny padalla from baguio city

from week 6: singing trio joy's diva from batangas city

the top 2 acts with the highest percentage of votes will advance to the grand finals. there will be no judges votes in this episode so every vote counts.

pilipinas got talent: my picks for semifinals group 6

after the results show last night, this is one of the best line up of semifinalists of the 6 groups this season. the 6 acts that performed last night were:

1. joy's divas - a singing trio from batangas

2. leoniel & elizabeth - ballroom dance partners from bacolod city

3. kapidamu band - a band from atimonan, quezon, also a semifinalist in season 1 (grouped together with magician ala kim and singer markki)

4. suwahib samplidan - a singer who sings while eating nuts

5. larvae - an acrobatic group from digos city

6. marcelito pomoy - a male singer who can sings with a female voice

based on their performance last night, i think the 2 acts that would get through will be marcelito and leoniel & elizabeth.

marcelito is an easy choice for this group. after a standing ovation from the judges and the audience in the ausition round, marcelito bacame an instant youtube sensation, with his video hitting more that a million hits so far. he has already the fan base and his great performance last night will surely earn him the votes that he needs.

leoniel & elizabeth definitely made a statement last night. their routine was great but not flawless (as the judges said last night). choreography and song choice was really good and their projection was excellent. hope they get the votes from the audience as well.

in striking distance will be kapidamu band. they are really good but they choose an old classic song. being a young band of members with ages ranging from 11 to 17 years old, they should have chosen a more modern song. this might hit their chance to be in the finals. i also agree with fmg that their key was lower than the original version. but since they already have their fan base since season 1, i think they will have a good chance of getting the votes.

larvae was a bit of a disappointment last night. i was looking forward to see them perform last night after their good showing in the auditions. the performance was doing good until the last part, where they got off balanced and some of them fell to the ground. i don't think that was enough to get them through.

joy's diva's song choice got them off the competition already. girls, you cannot match the intensity of destiny's child. suwahib's performance was entertaining but i think singing while eating peanuts is not worth a million bucks. the singing wasn't great also, but it was good and entertaining.

so watch out for tonight's results show to see who gets the final slots in the finals.

pepsi launches new digital campaign: "sa akin ang pinas"

pepsi philippines launches a new digital campaign via youtube, a feature film titled "sa akin ang pinas". this is to promote a limited promo sku pepsi pinas. the short film stars joseph izon, which was a former tgis cast member and some of the recognizable contrabidas in the philippines.

here is their film as shared in their youtube channel:

source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4wR3OOemlM

grand lotto 6/55 draw result - june 1, 2011

the winning numbers of the much awaited grand lotto 6 / 55 draw are:

09 - 05 - 26 - 30 - 19 - 45

jackpot prize is at PhP356,552,917.20. according to the pcso, there is only 1 winner.

philippines tops group A preliminary round in fiba asia champion's cup 2011

smart gilas pilipinas tops group A of the preliminary round of fiba asia champion's cup 2011. they secured the top spot after sweeping their four assignments in the round. they beat saudi arabia (101 - 69); malaysia (95 - 64) and iraq (74 - 64). they copleted the sweep by beating jordan (76 - 74) in an almost even match.

here is the final standing for group A:

Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
Smart Gilas	4	4	0	346	271	+74	8
ASU Sports	4	3	1	328	288	+40	7
Al-Ittihad Jeddah	4	2	2	319	331	−12	6
Duhok Sports Club	4	1	3	293	307	−14	5
KL Dragons	4	0	4	293	382	−89	4

jordan, saudi arabia and iraq will also advance in the knock out round.

in the other group, lebanon, iran, qatar and syria advanced into the next round. standings of the group is as follows:

Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
Al-Riyadi Beirut	4	4	0	349	309	+40	8
Mahram Tehran	4	3	1	330	272	+58	7
Al-Rayyan	4	2	2	305	286	+19	6
Al-Jalaa Aleppo	4	1	3	292	325	−33	5
Al Shabab	4	0	4	286	370	−84	4

smart gilas pilipinas will next battle syria in the knockout stage of the competition. match will be held at the philsport arena on june 3.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_FIBA_Asia_Champions_Cup

from gmanews.tv: 10 Things to do in Los Baños in 24 hours

10 Things to do in Los Baños in 24 hours

ANNA MAE YU LAMENTILLO, GMA News

I was born and I’ve lived most of my life in Manila. In the past, whenever I traveled to the countryside, I couldn’t seem to pull it off for more than two weeks. I was a full-time city girl, or so I thought. That is, before I went to study at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños.

Four years ago, nature was just an inanimate object I did not really pay attention to. Grasses were no different from little figurines. Walking for just a few meters was already tiring, and yes, even Manila air was perfect.

A year in Los Baños changed everything. Running around the campus, playing at the Freedom Park, taking a walk between classes, and bathing in the hot springs made me realize the beauty of a laid-back lifestyle.

Here’s how to fall in love with Los Baños in 24 hours.

1. National Arts Center

If one image could encapsulate Los Baños, it would be the picture from the National Arts Center.

Looking down from the circular open-air theater Tanghalang Maria Makiling on top of a plateau, you’ll see a panoramic view of the municipality right down to a small crater on the edge of Laguna de Bay, popularly known as “The Crocodile Lake."

The sprawling government compound also boasts of the St. Marc’s Chapel, designed by National Artist Leandro Locsin. It is the home of the Philippine High School for the Arts, an institution created for young and gifted scholars from all over the country.

2. Mount Makiling

4 am. That’s the perfect time to head to Mt. Makiling, the legendary mountain of Los Baños. The trail begins at the UPLB College of Forestry, past the lower campus. Climb up to one of Mt. Makiling’s two peaks, and get to know the endemic and exotic plant life. Among the popular destinations on the mountain are the Mud Springs and Flat Rocks. Word of advice to the adventure lover: get a guide.

3. Boston Cafe

If you like your snacks with a Los Baños mark, head to one of Caldi Group’s cafes. There’s Boston Grove, a homey brasserie beside LB square; One Caldi, a bistro near the UPLB Gate; and Boston Cafe, a coffee shop inside Robinson’s. Must try: ELBIccino

4. Elbi Proven at Raymundo Gate

Students, professors, and locals queue up for street food at Raymundo Gate. Dogs roam the area and the line can get quite long, but if you’re going to have street food in Los Baños, this is the place to go.

A generation-old stall in Raymundo, Elbi Proven makes no compromise to finicky

diners who are in a hurry, so be prepared to wait and fall in line. Don’t worry, every minute is worth it. If you have a hard time looking for it, just ask anyone around: The humble place is pretty popular.

5. Dal Cielo

If you’re itching for inspired cuisine from the colonial era, make sure to visit Dal Cielo. Must try are their Cream Puffs and Paella.

6. IRRI Riceworld

The place has the world’s most comprehensive collection of technical literature on rice in more than 80 languages, and the largest museum on rice artifacts. The problem is, hardly anyone goes inside. Just so you know, their resto offers unlimited rice for 10 pesos.

7. LB square

With its candle-lit atmosphere and bare light bulbs, Los Baños is far from being an all-nighter. There is one area, however, that wakes up at 6 pm and stays awake until the wee hours of the morning: LB square. It’s got international cuisine, affordable alcohol, and all-night karaoke.

8. The Orient Buko Pie

You have to be patient with the long queues, but then again, what’s Los Baños without Buko Pie?

9. University of the Philippines Los Baños

The largest university in the Philippines gives proletarians the perfect relief from restricted, confined spaces through immersion in nature’s very own playground. Around the area are remarkable pieces of art, built and crafted by our nation’s finest. The grandeur of Leandro V. Locsin’s architectural vision can be seen at the DL Umali Auditorium, UPLB Main Library, Jose Rizal Carillon, and Student Union Building. It’s worth the walk.

10. Fertility Tree

Before you leave, don’t forget to lie down under the famous tree. You never know -- you might just be bringing something else, other than an ‘instant’ baby.

source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/222233/lifestyle/10-things-to-do-in-los-baos-in-24-hours

image from: http://www.pbase.com/image/44903870