Business and Financial Expert Quintin Pastrana Joins ANC

ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) formally welcomed entrepreneur and financial expert Quintin Pastrana as its newest anchor last weekend, when he was introduced as the new co-host of "On The Money" and the resident business expert of "ShopTalk" on the country's premier 24/7 all-English cable news channel.

Quintin joins ANC's trusted and multi-awarded roster of journalists that include international anchors Cathy Yang and Annalisa Burgos and multi-awarded broadcasters Karen Davila, Tony Velasquez, and the returning Tina Monzon-Palma.

A former anchor and producer of Bloomberg TV Philippines, Quintin expressed his excitement to now be a part of ANC.

"I look forward to working with professionals whether they be fellow anchors or the great production and marketing team that make ANC what it is as an institution," he said.

Quintin said his entry to the Philippines' number one local cable news channel was like coming full circle as he was invited by "On The Money" co-anchor Salve Duplito to join the show five years ago, before he ventured into TV work.

He will focus on vital issues for a growing economy, like financial literacy and SME empowerment on ANC. 

"I hope to be able to help viewers learn and apply best practices to reach their aspirations -- whether it be how and where to manage investment, rebound from mistakes, and become entrepreneurs and business leaders themselves," he said. 

The new resident business expert of "ShopTalk" with Lexi Schulze also added that he also wants to share more stories of entrepreneurs who rose from poverty and are making their dreams come true.

"Knowledge empowers, so I'm constantly on the lookout for these true stories - making the anonymous and undervalued more known and cherished as role models," he said. 

ANC chief operating officer Cilette Liboro-Co, meanwhile, said Quintin's experience as a corporate executive and entrepreneur, on top of his education and training here and abroad, can help connect the lessons of the global marketplace with the growing audience of the channel.

"With his addition to our team, we can provide our viewers another perspective of the business landscape, since he has seen how businesses and economies work. Moreover, his advocacy of promoting economic empowerment is aligned with the channel's thrust to be the Filipino's partner in their business and financial journey," Cilette said.

Catch Quintin Pastrana on "On the Money" every Saturday at 4 pm, and on "Shop Talk" every Friday at 7:30 pm with replays throughout the week.  Only on ANC, your partner, your channel and ANC HD. Watch online via iwantv.com.ph orskyondemand.com.ph. For updates, visit news.abs-cbn.com/anc or follow @ANCalerts on Facebook and Twitter.

By: JENG On 2/12/2018 04:10:00 PM

Continue Reading

ABS-CBN Remains the Undisputed TV Network in January 2018

ABS-CBN opened the year strongly as it brought relevant news stories and valuable lessons to more Filipinos in January, hitting an average audience share of 46%, or 12 points higher than GMA's 34%, based on data from Kantar Media.

The Kapamilya network ruled both rural and homes last month, particularly in Metro Manila where it garnered an average audience share of 42% versus GMA's 27%. ABS-CBN also captivated more viewers in Total Luzon where it garnered 43%, compared to GMA's 35%; in Total Visayas where it registered 55% versus GMA's 27%; and in Total Mindanao where it hit 51%, beating GMA's 32%.

Multinational audience measurement provider Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,610 urban and rural homes that represent 100% of the total Philippine TV viewing population.

"FPJ's Ang Probinsyano" (39.9%) still reigned in national TV ratings in January and continued to thrill viewers as Cardo, while "Pilipinas Got Talent" (38.1%) instantly impressed viewers nationwide with its world-class Pinoy talents.

"TV Patrol" (32.6%) remained to be the most watched newscast in the country with its timely news stories and public service. Drama anthology "MMK" (31.2%), on the other hand, captivated and brought inspiration to viewers with the real-life stories of its letter senders.

Meanwhile, "La Luna Sangre" (30.5%) gripped fans with its thrilling revelations led by on-screen tandem Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo.

Loveteam ElNella also brought kilig and valuable lessons last month via "Wansapanataym" (29.6%), while "Wildflower" (23.3%) continued to reign in national TV ratings as it approaches its much-awaited finale.

Also part of the top 10 are comedy program "Home Sweetie Home" (23.2%), and "Rated K" (22.2%) led by Korina Sanchez.

Meanwhile, ABS-CBN also ruled across all timeblocks, particularly in primetime (6 PM to 12MN) where it recorded an average audience share of 50%, or 18-points higher than GMA's 32%. The primetime block is the most important time of the day when most Filipinos watch TV and advertisers put a larger chunk of their investments in to reach more consumers effectively.

The Kapamilya network also led the morning block (6 AM to 12 NN) with 41% versus GMA's 32%; the noontime block (12 NN to 3 PM) as it registered 47%, compared to GMA's 35%; and the afternoon block (3 PM to 6 PM) with 43%, beating GMA's 39%.

In 2017, ABS-CBN reigned in national TV ratings all year round as it scored an average audience share of 46%, or 12-points higher over GMA's 34%.

By: JENG On 2/12/2018 04:06:00 PM

Continue Reading

Unlock the Secret of Wakanda at SM Cinemas

To celebrate the theatrical release of Marvel Studios' Black Panther in cinemas from February 14, SM Cinema gives Marvel fans a sneak peek into the kingdom of the Black Panther, Wakanda. Visitors can check out an immersive experience, "The Secrets of Wakanda" in select SM Malls.

Step into 'The Secrets of Wakanda' and be welcomed by the entrance arch, signaling the crossover into Wakanda.

A few more steps in and fans will get a glimpse of the mystical metal Vibranium in the Vibranium cave. The controversial mineral, which is also contained in Captain America's shield, has allowed Wakanda to take huge steps in technology, making the kingdom a target for enemies who envy its Vibranium resources. Wakanda is fiercely protected by the Black Panther and the Warriors of Wakanda. Visitors can check out a gallery inspired by the soldiers' traditional yet hi-tech outfits.

'The Secrets of Wakanda' arrives at the SM Mall of Asia on January 26 and travels to SM East Ortigas on February 8, SM City Fairview on February 22, and SM City San Lazaro on March 8. There will also be retail areas for fans to purchase Wakanda-inspired apparel.

To make your Marvel movie experience more exciting, SM Cinema gives away a free popcorn treat when you buy your tickets online! Free popcorn can be availed by the first 1000 people per day from February 14 to 16, 2018 and valid in SM Mall of Asia, SM North EDSA and SM Megamall.

Marvel's Black Panther arrives at IMAX and SM Cinema branches nationwide on February 14. Book your tickets now through the new website, www.smcinema.com, or for an even more convenient experience, get the SM Cinema app and win tickets to the advance movie screening! Download the SM Cinema app now through the App store and Google Play. Stay tuned to /SMCinema on Facebook and @SM_Cinema on Instagram for more information.  

By: JENG On 2/12/2018 03:51:00 PM

Continue Reading

An Enthralling Eacape to Fantasy in Oscar Best Picture Nominee “The Shape of Water,” Showing in PH Theaters on February 21

"The Shape of Water" brings its audience into a mysterious government facility in Baltimore where, in the deepest recesses of the lab, an amphibious creature (played by Doug Jones) is being studied for its unusual abilities. As Agent Strickland (Michael Shannon) demands for it to be killed and autopsied, Dr. Hoffstetler (Michael Stuhlbarg) insists that the creature's secrets can only be revealed with a lighter touch. 

But it's the facility's quietest employee who realises the truest connection to the creature. Mute cleaner Elisa (Sally Hawkins) feels a strange affinity with this mysterious visitor from the deep. And as the men in charge prevaricate, she resolves to release the creature from its captors, with the aid of her colleague Zelda (Octavia Spencer) and her next door neighbour Giles (Richard Jenkins). 

The movie is directed by award winning director Guillermo Del Toro who is best renowned for his three inspired Spanish-language films that reinvent and upend the very notion of genre:  the multiple Oscar®-winning "Pan's Labyrinth," "Cronos," and "The Devil's Backbone."  Each is a vivid phantasmagoria navigating the moral and physical dangers of a world of corruption, authoritarianism and war.  His supernatural action epics are equally as inventive – "Blade II," the "Hellboy" series, and "Pacific Rim," as well as his gothic romance "Crimson Peak." 

THE SHAPE OF WATER follows in that tradition, but this time in socially divided 1960s America on the brink of nuclear war and sweeping cultural changes.  Del Toro weaves in the dizzying landscape of falling in love, as a lonely woman with a traumatic past discovers a love so overpowering it defies suspicion, fear and biology.  

Del Toro opens his tale deep underwater. From there the entire film becomes an act of breathless submersion, plunging the audience into a 1960s world full of things we recognize – power, anger, intolerance; as well as loneliness, determination and sudden, electrifying connections – and one extraordinary creature we do not.  An inexplicable biological "asset" of the U.S. government, a mute cleaning woman, her loving best friends, Soviet spies and an audacious theft all flow into a singular romance that surges beyond all boundaries.

Within Del Toro's storytelling, the themes of good and evil, innocence and menace, the historical and the eternal, beauty and monstrosity weave in and out of each other, revealing that no darkness can ever fully defeat the light.  Summarizes Del Toro:  "I like to make movies that are liberating, that say it's okay to be whoever you are, and it seems that at this time, this is very pertinent."  It was also paramount that there be an extraordinary collection of actors. 

Exploring the idea of love and its barriers, internal and external, was paramount to Del Toro.  "I wanted to create a beautiful, elegant story about hope and redemption as an antidote to the cynicism of our times.  I wanted this story to take the form of a fairytale in that you have a humble human being who stumbles into something grander and more transcendental than anything else in her life.  And then I thought it would be a great idea to juxtapose that love against something as banal and evil as the hatred between nations, which is the Cold War, and the hatred between people due to race, color, ability and gender."

The fact that the film's two leads don't speak, not conventionally anyway, only heightens the love story by stripping away the miscommunications that often stand between humans. "One thing about love is that it is so incredibly powerful, it doesn't require words," says Del Toro.  

"The Shape of Water" opens February 21 in cinemas nationwide from 20^th Century Fox. 

By: JENG On 2/12/2018 03:47:00 PM

Continue Reading

Chadwick Boseman and Lupita Nyong'o Lead the Phenomenal Cast of Marvel’s “Black Panther”

The filmmakers of Marvel's Black Panther gathered an enviable ensemble of pedigreed cast, led by Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa/Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger and Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia.

Producer Kevin Feige comments, "It's great to be able to delve into the world of Wakanda, see Black Panther's lineage and heritage and meet these amazing, rich characters that surround him. To bring them to life, we put together a phenomenal cast. They are among the best that we've ever assembled."

Chadwick Boseman: Prince T'Challa is primed to become the new King of Wakanda. Mourning the loss of his father, T'Challa's claim to the throne is waylaid when villains outside the country pull him out of Wakanda and lead him on an adventure that spans the globe. Pushed to the limit and burdened with the fate of a nation, T'Challa must prevail by any means necessary or risk the lives of millions of Wakandans.

Boseman offers what he finds compelling about his character. "T'Challa is smart. He's a strategist and that has always been something that stood out to me, even in the comic books," the actor says. "He's a world leader and with that comes the responsibility for an entire nation and considering its place in the world. That's something that other Super Heroes don't commonly have, but he must also uphold his legacy. It's an interesting combination."

For Boseman, a committed actor always looking for a substantive role, the opportunity to explore the duality of a conflicted ruler and Super Hero was an irresistible combination in a role. He offers, "There's a lot of real world conflict that you can bring to it. So you don't feel like you're just playing a guy in a suit. You're playing a conflicted, well-rounded character. If you're going to do a Super Hero, you want to do one where you can really act and where you can do something that's going to make you a better artist as well. And I think, culturally speaking, that there are not a lot of opportunities to play a black Super Hero. It's breaking new ground, and to be a part of that is a special thing."

Michael B. Jordan: Erik Killmonger is a new foe to Wakanda with designs on the throne. Equipped with deadly tactical skills and knowledge of Wakanda, he is a formidable enemy for our heroes.

Jordan had already been mentally in the game from the second he heard Marvel Studios was developing the "Black Panther" project. "I was very familiar with Black Panther. As a kid I always wanted to be the Black Panther. He was a character that I always looked up to and admired my whole life, so it's pretty amazing to get to be part of the story for the big screen."

Director Ryan Coogler and the filmmakers knew that Jordan would prove to be a strong foil to Boseman. As a new foe to Wakanda, Killmonger's designs on the throne would set an immediate and inherent tension in motion between the two men which sets the stage for the emotional crux ofBlack Panther.

Lupita Nyong'o: Nakia is a War Dog, a Wakandan spy often imbedded in countries outside of Wakanda to observe and report back. She must decide whether she should be guided by her duty to her nation or her feelings for T'Challa.

Describing Nakia, Nyong'o says, "Nakia is a bit of a rebel but also a loyalist to her country. She is in conflict with some of the ideals of her nation and wants to go her own way, but she is also really eager to serve the country she loves so much. She and T'Challa, now that he is King, are at odds as to what way forward is best for the nation. But they also have some history together, so they have to come to terms with that and figure out how to forge ahead."

Nyong'o states that she could identify with Nakia's free spirit and her independence. "I love a woman who goes her own way and is independent, and I am also really someone who depends on my family and friends and feels a connection to my people, and maybe has a sense of responsibility to 'make them proud.' So I really related to that balancing act within oneself," concludes the actor.

In Philippine cinemas February 14, Marvel Studio's Black Panther is distributed in the Philippines by The Walt Disney Company. Follow Marvel on Twitter: ‪https://twitter.com/marvel. Like Marvel on FaceBook: ‪https://www.facebook.com/Marvel

By: JENG On 2/12/2018 03:43:00 PM

Continue Reading