Category Archives: Film and TV

Film and TV, Human Interest, Politics, The Media

FILM ACTORS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: WHO WOULD YOU VOTE FOR?

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Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – The U.S. has had an actor president in the person of Ronald Reagan, and so has the Philippines – Joseph Estrada.  However, Filipinos seem to be ahead of the U.S. in terms of film actors running for political office.  Voters always seem to look up to their reel idols to solve the country’s real problems on both the local and national levels.

actors
Top, L to R: Revilla, Sotto, Estrada Bottom, L to R: Bautista, Santos, Aquino, Muhlach

In its continuing series on Philippine “presidentiables” — those who could be president — The Adobo Chronicles has come up with a short list of film actors who could be president (and in one case, president again).  Who would you vote for?  Participate in our worldwide poll.

Film and TV, Health & Medicine, Human Interest, International, The Media, Travel

THE CURIOUS CASE OF WHITENING SOAPS IN THE PHILIPPINES

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imageManila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Women the world over would die for the chance to sunbathe in Hawaii, The Caribbean, or the white sandy beaches of the Philippines – from Boracay to Puerto Princesa. They also pay top dollars (or whatever their currency is) to invest in bronzers (think U.S. Speaker John Boehner) or book sessions at tanning salons, ignoring warnings about UV rays-induced skin cancer.

Not so in the Philippines. White is better, especially among women who aspire to be on film, television, or to become beauty queens.

Whitening soaps have become priced items in the Philippines that many local and foreign soap manufacturers have invested millions of dollars to come up with products that promise whiter skin. Fruit-based soaps (papaya, citrus and others) as well as  chlorine-based products have become popular in recent years.

Whitening soaps have also been among the top requests from Filipinas  to their relatives in the U.S. and elsewhere when the latter ship balikbayan boxes back home.

Is this just a temporary trend or a residue from the Philippines’ colonial past?

We encourage our readers to weigh in by commenting.

Arts, Business, Film and TV, International, The Media

SPIDERMAN FILM BREAKS RECORDS IN THE PHILIPPINES; KRIS AQUINO CLAIMS CREDIT

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imageManila, Philippines  (The Adobo Chronicles) – Despite mixed early reviews, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” is off to a swinging start at the Philippine box office.

As announced by Columbia Pictures Industries’ Victor Cabrera, the film’s cool P112.6 million gross from April 30 to May 1—the biggest first two-day gross in the country’s history— is a milestone for the rebooted Marvel superhero.

Kris Aquino, TV host and sister of Philippine President Noynoy Aquino immediately claimed credit for the film’s box office success.  She said that her series of interviews with the film’s leading actors which aired on her local TV show last week was the reason for the flick to gain enormous popularity among Filipino moviegoers.

In the interviews, Aquino told Jamie Foxx that she is the Oprah Winfrey of the Philippines, commented that Emma Stone is not that hot, and boasted to Andrew Garfield that no local or foreign film could ever surpass the opening day record of her son Bimby’s local film, ‘My Little Bossings.’

Readers are asked to weigh in on Aquino’s claim by participating in The Adobo Chronicles’  online poll.