Tuesday, January 18, 2011

A Repost From ABS-CBN News


Charice's mom apologizes, appeals for understanding

Charice's mom apologizes, appeals for understanding

MANILA, Philippines- After drawing negative feedback from the entertainment press, the mother of international singing sensation Charice on Monday came to the defense of her daughter.

Charice’s mom, Racquel, appealed for understanding from the entertainment press, who got mad after the 18-year-old songstress refused to grant them an interview last January 8.

Charice performed with Mr Pure Energy Gary Valenciano at SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds two weeks ago where they also launched their individual scents created by Aficionado Germany Perfumes by Joel Cruz.

Before and after Charice's performance, no one was reportedly allowed to get an interview with the young singer. Also, fans were prohibited from going near her. The rumor was that Oprah Winfrey ordered the tight security.

Racquel explained that her daughter was already too tired and wanted to rest after the show.

“Kasi ‘yong araw na dumating si Charice, mula umaga, natapos ‘yong concert halos 1 a.m,” she said. “Pero sana naman ay naiintindihan nila na napapagod din ‘yong bata, na kailangan ding magpahinga. Hindi nila kasi alam kung gaano ka-busy si Charice sa America para mag-comment ang iba ng ganoon,” she said.

“All the time naman na uuwi kami, lahat ‘yan (interviews) ay napagbibigyan namin,” she added.

Racquel also reiterated that, contrary to criticisms, Charice has never forgotten the Philippines and her humble beginnings. “Lagi kong pinapaisip sa kanya, there’s no place like home. Home niya ang Philippines. Iba pa rin ang mga Filipino.”

‘Disappointed’

Some reporters expressed disappointment over the incident.

Below were some of their sentiments:

“Humihingi na ng permiso, ‘yong handler n’ya sinabing she’s just here to sing . Hindi kami makalapit doon sa tent, paglabas niya ng tent ay nakatalukbong na siya tapos naglalakad na para siyang bulag na inaalalayan siya noong malalaking mama, tapos tinatawag namin siya ni hindi siya lumingon so parang nakakasama ng loob. Nagulat lang ako that night, kasi may sinabing ‘yong handler niya na protocol diumano at galing iyon sa opisina ni Oprah Winfrey. Gusto man naming intindihin pero bakit hindi man lang ginawang exception to the rule ang Philippines bilang isang Filipina ka? Nakakairita! Sumama ang loob ko,” an emotional Ambet Nabus of Pinoy Parazzi said.

“How sad! It’s so unbecoming of a Filipino artist na ganoon ang ginawa niyang trato sa media. Parang sorry ha, pero yuck! Disappointed ako sa kanya,” added Leo Bukas of People’s Taliba.

If some were disappointed, columnist and talent manager Alfie Lorenzo has a different take on the issue.

He said: “The security are just doing their job. Ganyan talaga ang security sa Amerika, sinusunod lang, kaya walang pagkukulang si Charice.”

Racquel has apologized to the press over the incident.

“Humihingi ako ng paumanhin, sana naiintindihan ninyo rin na napapagod din ang anak ko. Huwag na lang itong pahabain,” Racquel said. -Reports from James Cantos, PUSH.com.ph and radio dzMM

Reposted From James Cantos of ABS-CBN News

Monday, January 17, 2011

A Repost From Glenda Villena of Yahoo! Southeast Asia

Oyo, Kristine succeed in keeping their wedding 'private'

By Glenda Villena, For Yahoo! Southeast Asia Sunday January 16, 2011 08:54 pm PST

Instead of the previously reported January 11 wedding date, Oyo Boy Sotto and Kristine Hermosa's beach wedding was held last January 12 at Balai Isabel in Talisay Batangas.

According to reports only 150 guests were invited in the solemn ceremony.

So how did they manage to keep some of the crucial wedding details away from public sleuthing?

Nelwin Uy, the newest wedding photographer to the stars shared his first-hand experience with the couple while they were having their pre wedding photo shoot in Subic.

"Oyo and Kristine just want to have a very private wedding. So from the pre wedding shoot they told us not to release photos not until the wedding day since they don't want public to know that they are going to get married anytime soon," Uy said in an email sent to Yahoo! Southeast Asia.

"It was the first time [that] I've worked with a celebrity wedding and at first [I was] a bit anxious on how to execute my ideas with them. But in the end they were very responsive and cooperative. I feel that they are really in love with each other that made the shoot very easy and extra special for them. We all had a good time during the shoot," added Uy.

The engagement photo shoot according to Uy had no solid concept. The couple just wanted to have "fun and relaxed looking photos." Mikey See took care of the make-up, Threelogy handled the video production while styling was left in the hands of Geof Gonzales.

Photos courtesy of Nelwin Uy Photography

+++

Glenda Villena is a showbiz writer and proud mommy blogger who enjoys sharing precious moments with daughter Magi.


Reposted From Glenda Villena For Yahoo! Southeast Asia

Sunday, January 16, 2011

A Repost From AFP




More than 100 dead in Indian pilgrimage stampede

IDDUKI, India (AFP) - – More than 100 Hindu devotees were killed after a road accident triggered a stampede among thousands of pilgrims returning from an Indian religious festival, officials have said.

The Friday evening tragedy unfolded in a remote, mountainous area of southern Kerala as pilgrims made their way home from an annual ceremony at the hill shrine of Sabarimala that draws three to four million people each year.

Kerala Home Secretary Jaya Kumar told AFP that 104 people had been confirmed dead and dozens more injured, some of them seriously. The state government ordered a judicial probe into the incident.

Police officials said a packed jeep had lost control and ploughed into a crowd of devotees packed onto a narrow road in a hilly and densely forested area 10 kilometres (six miles) from the shrine.

"The accident caused a mass panic and triggered a stampede on the hillside," said Special Police Commissioner Rajendra Nair.

The search for bodies and survivors was hampered by the remote location, heavy mist and the thick forest terrain.

Indian television showed pictures of casualties being passed over the heads of tightly packed crowds of pilgrims in a rescue effort that stretched deep into the night.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony called the incident "a tragedy beyond anyone's imagination" and the Southern Naval Command dispatched an emergency medical team to the accident site.

The stampede occurred on the final day of the pilgrimage at the Sabarimala shrine, located in Idukki district, about 200 kilometres from the Kerala state capital Thiruvananthapuram.

It is the second time in recent memory that the festival has been struck by disaster. In 1999 more than 50 Hindu devotees died after a landslide on a crowded hillside at the site.

Stampedes at public events in India are common as large numbers of people crowd into congested areas. Few safety regulations and absent or inadequate policing mean panic can spread quickly with deadly consequences.

The spark is often an accident but occasionally simply a rumour about a bomb or attack leads to a crush. Women and children frequently make up the majority of the victims.

The governor of Kerala, a popular holiday destination and spice-growing region with sandy beaches and lush green mountains, said he was "shocked and saddened" at the loss of life.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said his thoughts were with the relatives of the victims and announced compensation payments of 100,000 rupees (2,200 dollars) to the dead's next of kin.

Anxious pilgrims with missing relatives thronged local hospitals on Saturday, as officials tried to identify the bodies brought down from the stampede site.

Most of the victims were from the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Under the customs of the pilgrimage, hundreds of thousands of men and women set off on foot in groups for the Sabarimala temple, each carrying a cloth bundle containing traditional offerings.

But many of the elderly, or those short of time, opt to cram into overloaded buses and jeeps to travel as close as possible to the temple, which is believed to be where the god Ayyappa meditated.

The shrine is packed with devotees throughout the pilgrimage season from November to January.

In March last year, police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh blamed lax safety for the deaths of 63 people -- all of them women and children -- in a stampede outside another Hindu temple.

At least another 10 people died in a stampede at a temple in the state of Bihar in October.

Reposted From AFP

Followers

How do you want to see your blog reviewed, evaluated and rated as I see it? It's free!!! All that I request from you is a backlink from your blog to my blog by including my blog in your blogroll or enroll my blog in your subscriber or email feed. Aren't you curious how I will rate your blog as I see it?

To All Filipino Bloggers

May I invite you to join Filipinos Unite!!!. You can do so by commenting on my post or sending me an email containing your name, address, name of blog and its url. My email address is melalarilla@gmail.com. Your name, address, name of blog and its url will be included in the official registry of members posted permanently at my blog. Please join and be counted. Thank you so much. Mabuhay and God bless you and your loved ones.