Author: Je Cabebe
Cinemalaya’s latest crop of entries welcomes “Kaka Sa Yawan,” a coming-of-age drama directed and written by Alpha Habon, which tells the story of two boys from different worlds whose childhood friendship becomes the promise one of them must keep as an adult. The film follows Niko, a 21-year-old from Manila who returns to Mindoro — the island that once broke him — and is pulled back into the memory of a pivotal summer he spent there as a child. It was during that summer that he formed a bond with Ayan, a playful Tadyawan-Mangyan boy with big dreams of his…
Hong Kong-born, UK-based singer-songwriter and actress Qymira has been called an honorary Filipina, and she wears the title with visible emotion. “This is something that is very, very special and dear to my heart,” she said, tracing the connection back to close Filipino friends who first opened her eyes to the culture, the family bonds, the warmth she now calls a second home. But it’s her work with the country’s children that she describes as something else entirely. Qymira, whose real name is Leslie Loh, runs the One Gaia Foundation, which supports young people through music, arts, and sports programs…
In a quiet corner of Boy Abunda’s home, three large canvases lean against the wall — each one a silent indictment of a scandal that gripped the nation. They are the work of 22-year-old Julie Anne Baltar, a Fine Arts summa cum laude graduate of Philippine Women’s University and one of the broadcaster’s academic scholars, who has just given LionhearTV an exclusive, on-site look at the paintings and the story behind them. The collection, which has grown from a single commissioned piece into what is now known as “Buwayaserye,” was born out of the flood-control corruption scandal that erupted into…
From reality TV rookie to love team royalty, from chart-topping artist to talent mogul, James Reid’s career has been anything but predictable
For decades, the “young love, sweet love” formula has been the heartbeat of Philippine entertainment.
In Philippine media, LGBTQ+ stories are often boxed into one of three categories: tragic, comedic, or tokenistic. The gay best friend. The trans woman in distress. The flamboyant comic relief. And while there have been breakthroughs—Die Beautiful, Bwakaw, Gameboys—the industry still treats queerness as a narrative accessory, not a lens. It’s time we said it plainly: The queer gaze is not a genre. It’s a perspective. A way of seeing. A way of feeling. When queer creators tell stories, they don’t just insert LGBTQ+ characters into heteronormative plots. They reshape the emotional architecture. They challenge power dynamics. They center longing,…
Her reign as her generation’s biggest female star isn’t just about popularity—it’s about impact. Kathryn Bernardo represents a kind of stardom that’s earned, not manufactured.
Montano plays a bomb squad leader who goes extra lengths to apprehend a sly bomber played by De Leon. In this film, popular action-star, Cesar Montano plays Col. Titus Varona, a bomb squad leader. His team is in pursuit of a certain Remo Doce (Christopher de Leon), a cunning bomber who has been wreaking havoc and fostering terror in the Metro by planting bombs. The film is just one of several films where Montano and De Leon starred in. The two worked together in the 1983 Ishmael Bernal and Vilma Santos-starred film, Broken Marriage, as well as the 1992 Nanette…
There’s something quietly revolutionary happening inside the production facility of Plantation Prime — the kind of revolution that smells like simmering peanut sauce, coconut cream, and home-cooked Filipino comfort sealed inside a can. Tucked within a facility powered by ISO-certified operations and backed by HALAL compliance, Plantation Prime is steadily changing perceptions about what Filipino canned goods can be. More than simply offering convenience, the brand is positioning itself as a gateway to authentic Filipino flavors that can travel across borders without losing their soul. At the center of this growing food brand is Managing Director Brian Noel, who revealed…
When Carlos Mangcupang steps behind the bar, he brings more than cocktails — he brings Mindanao with him. The flamboyant Davao-based bartender is one of the special guest shifts at the week-long first anniversary celebration of Opal Bar MNL, the buzzy cocktail destination tucked in Poblacion, Makati City. Invited by bar owner Wilfredo “Sev” Sevilla, Jr. and his business partners, Carlos is among a distinguished lineup of guests marking the milestone of a bar that has drawn celebrities and popular personalities with its commitment to quality cocktails. It’s a fitting stage for a bartender who has made a name for…
There is something quietly devastating about a love story that never quite gets to be one. It lingers. It resurfaces in the middle of an ordinary Tuesday. And if the early buzz surrounding Almost Us is any indication, that particular ache is exactly what audiences are about to feel all over again. In an exclusive interview with LionhearTV, rising stars JM Ibarra and Fyang Smith sat down to talk about their upcoming film — a story centered on two best friends — and what drew them to a project that is, at its core, about the connections that almost were.…
The halls of the Residencia del Hamor buzzed with regional ambition on March 21 as mayors and their representatives gathered for the Beautiful Sorsogon press conference. The event brought together local government leaders from across the province to discuss their tourism roadmaps — and LionhearTV was there to hear firsthand how each municipality is weaving sustainability and community-based approaches into their plans. Gubat Mayor Ronnel Lim was candid about the challenges his coastal municipality faces. While Gubat boasts beautiful swimming beaches and a surfing spot in Buenavista, safety and regulation remain pressing concerns. He acknowledged drowning incidents in both the…
A fictional café from a children’s storybook has become very much real — and it’s serving tea in the heart of Quezon City. Ato Gaido, a Filipino IP-licensing brand rooted in original characters and storytelling, recently opened its first franchise tea shop at City Walk 2, Eastwood City, bringing with it a menu of artisan, health-forward beverages drawn from the lore of an imaginative world called Gaidopia. Behind this particular outpost are franchise owners Rhonda and Jess Salvani, who sat down for an interview on opening day to share how this unlikely venture came to be. “Ato Gaido came from…
Filipino singer Jace Roque has never been one to take the easy road — and his latest single, Pagbangon, is proof of that. Written from the depths of personal loss and years in the making, the song arrives at a moment when the music industry faces a question Roque has already answered for himself: can artificial intelligence replace the human heart behind great music? His answer is an emphatic no. “It’s something I can never support when it comes to the creation of music,” Roque said in an exclusive interview with LionhearTV. “Nakaka-water down ng AI ng talent ng mga…
Joel Cruz has always been a man of many ventures. The man who built the Philippines’ most ubiquitous fragrance brand from the ground up — with over 500 stores nationwide, distribution in 20 countries, and a loyal following that spans generations — is now setting his sights on a new horizon: Japan. “I really love Japan,” Cruz told LionhearTV, with a warmth that made it clear this isn’t just a business calculation. “It’s a first-world country. I can see the difference between a third-world country and Japan.” The contrast, for Cruz, is visceral. On the morning of his interview, he…
Eleven years is a long time in any business partnership. In the fragrance industry — where trends shift with the seasons, consumer tastes evolve overnight, and global disruptions can ground entire distribution chains — a decade-plus partnership is nothing short of remarkable. For Joel Cruz, the founder, President, and CEO of Aficionado, the country’s Pambansang Pabango, celebrating 11 years with Fil-Asiatico and its head, Maffie Dioquino, isn’t just a business milestone. It’s personal. “I’m so happy and proud to celebrate our 11th year with Fil-Asiatico, our partner in Taiwan, headed by none other than Maffie Dioquino,” Cruz told LionhearTV’s BIZNest.…