GLOBAL MUSIC CHARTS: DECEMBER 31, 2016

For the 5th straight week, we have a new number one as James Arthur takes the top spot from Hailee Steinfeld with his love song "Say You Won't Let Go". Camila Cabello re-enters the charts with "Bad Things" while John Legend's "Love Me Now" debuts.

OPM MUSIC CHARTS: DECEMBER 31, 2016

Janella Salvador remains on top of the charts fending off Sarah G., Kyle Echarri, Michael Pangilinan and even the big move into the Top 10 by Inigo Pascual. Charice and Ronnie Alonte debuts their way into the charts at No. 13 amd No. 27 respectively.

MALE HOTTIE: TYLER MATA

When PBB introduced its new housemates, much buzz went into one of the hot guys Tanner and people have loved him ever since. And while he is still in the house, fans would be delighted of the fact that he has a twin brother in Tyler. And this time around it is Tyler's turn to make heads turn and keep people marveling at the sight of his pretty face and gorgeous body.

Tyler much like his twin is very good looking and he is frequenting the fashion world as well. After his short stint at the PBB house he was ell received by fans as well. Truly the Mata twins are destined to make it big in the biz.

DAVID GUETTA UNITY TOUR 2017

David Guetta is in Manila this January 5 as part of his Unity Tour and fans of this wonderful DJ would be treated with his beloved beats and some new tunes that will definitely keep everyone's dancing juices flowing.

2016 METRO MANILA FILM FESTIVAL IN A NUTSHELL

The 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival was littered with controversy on the get go and with perennial box-office draw movies from Vic Sotto and Vice Ganda failed to make it, there were lot of buzz around the new set of films selected. And in the absence of old franchises - Shake Rattle & Roll, Enteng series and Mano Po series the public was left with predominantly indie movies to take a stab on watching. While I could say that it was a daring move on the committee, it was a great move in terms of improving the over-all value of the MMFF films. Here are the 8 films according to my rank of preference and citing the some good points on each one of them.

Sunday Beauty Queen - 9 out of 10

This film is one of the surprises for me. I did not actually think this documentary drama that gives a new take on foreign domestic workers would really be that good. The storytelling was fluid and the simplistic approach was something worth noting. Despite relative unknowns in the cast, the film stood on its own showing character and giving justice to their every portrayal. There is a high degree of simplistic humanity portrayed in the film. It deals with real life experiences not too much dwelling on power lines or overly dramatic dialogues. In an often complicated world we have right now, the film reminds us that even simple people can become queens in their own right.

Die Beautiful - 8.5 out of 10

This simply brings out the best in two of its characters - Paolo Ballesteros and Christian Bables who both have provided exemplary performance in the film. The ensemble cast have done a wonderful job in a film that is beautifully acted and touches the innermost senses of one's heart. Queer as it may seem, Die Beautiful is very human and veers away with the usual conflicts of living as gay. Witty and timely, this movie shows to us that comedy can be well thought of. With a tagline that speaks and shouts out loud, Die Beautiful clearly says that being gay is not just normal but is extremely wonderful and beautiful.

Seklusyon - 8 out of 10

Erik Matti has been one of the few directors who often experiment in his film choices. Some missed by a bit but this has somehow made its mark. Technical wise, this film was a marvel to watch with nice cinematography, lighting and effects. This film boils and is quite intriguing. It is blunt and very vocal. It carelessly weaves into the ideas of fanaticism entangling it with faith, morality and virtues. This is not a regular film. It goes beyond that. It shows the true horror in today's world where religion does not show any more miracles.

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: #ForeverIsNotEnough - 7.5 out of 10

I loved the first film so I did made I an effort to watch this new one. Not as much as I'd love it to be, Septic Tank still did impress. Eugene Domingo is still a wonder to watch in comedies. While Domingo did a great job as usual, the other cast members failed a bit in matching her comedic timings. The film was an overall pleaser as it will definitely make you burst into some laugh or two along the way. But for me it is a bit simple and safe that it failed to go beyond what it could have actually gone. Good but not excellent.

Vince & Kath & James - 7.5 out of 10

Simple yet refreshing. Seeing new faces on screen makes it a whole lot of experience in movies. While this is not the best rom-com ever, it can be applauded with its conscious effort of not trying to be a different. This movie did not deviate from the usual and there's nothing too wrong about that. It goes back to the usual formula and it still works. Light, simple and still very relatable, one would feel the simplicity in love and how it can shine by just being simple. Feel good movie out of the 8.

Oro - 7.5 out of 10

Oro has all the makings of a great film with a powerhouse acting cast of Irma Adlawan, Joem Bascon and Mercedes Cabral and a budding director in Alvin Yapan. And with a relatively intriguing script that grips on injustice and the dire reality of human perspective, it was supposed to be a runaway hit. The movie lets audience rethink their priorities and see on what is more important. Equity, equality and justice are some of the points the film constantly reiterates. While it successfully does address those issues, the film is somewhat a cliffhanger as it ends with questions and no definite answers.

Kabisera - 7 out 10

Nora Aunor is still Nora Aunor and she has always spelled greatness. Backed with a great ensemble of actors, Kabisera was poised to be an acting frenzy and it did deliver on that piece. And though the film relies on being extremely relevant and timely, it somehow failed to go beyond just being good. The other side of a normal family that includes the pains and struggles against the society is highly emphasized in this film but it somehow lacked coherence and consistency. The story telling piece becomes a bit dragging at times. The film was way too simple to address main issues and concerns. A little more imagination could have made it worked better.

Saving Sally - 7 out of 10

A film 12 years in the making, Saving Sally did deliver the goods but is far from perfection. It provides a different tune and entertainment to viewers. It deviates from the usual but remains steadfast on the ideas of loving together with all the joys and pains associated with it. This film is highly imaginative and oftentimes boisterous and it is high time to have more films of this genre. I guess one downside I see is the level of acting on this film. I was expecting the actors to play more and be in tune with their characters but from time to time I felt some things are missing. Still good enough.


Overall, this year's edition is noteworthy. Feel free to indulge in the movies and have a great time. It is but high time to have these kind of films and hope it is gonna be on a regular basis.

THANK YOU CHARLES KENNETH ANITO... YOU WILL BE MISSED

Sometimes things must meet their inevitable end. And for one great designer the time has certainly come. One of the rising fashion designers of this time, Charles Kenneth Anito has surely made his mark in the biz. From his humble beginnings doing modeling and photoshoots up to the times of him starting in smaller fashion shows as a designer, he has certainly grown up to be a great one. His star is just starting to shine so bright.

With numerous appearances in different shows more notably the Philippine Fashion Week, the once budding designer has shown the entire nation that he is something special. Most of his close friends believe in his great potential and that he can truly succeed not just because of sheer talent but also of a great attitude and personality. He has heart and passion for his craft making it a great masterpiece on his every creation.

But sadly, his journey ends this year as one of the best young designers today has bid his farewell to all of us. He is not just going for a trip or a vacation but he is going for good. A lot of people were shocked that such a young talent bite the dust too early and that a lot of hearts were crushed with his early death. But sometime even the brightest stars face some dimmer days. And for Kenneth, it is not till we meet again but instead it is a goodbye.

We will surely miss such a great guy - one  who is not just beautiful outside but more so beautiful inside. His purest of hearts and greatest of emotions will be one that people will miss a lot. Sad but true, Kenneth is amongst the angels watching us already. To where you may be, thanks for the great times you have given us... We will miss you...

MORE HOLIDAY FEELS AT BAGUIO COUNTRY CLUB CHRISTMAS VILLAGE

Another Christmas tradition which is on its 6th year going is the Annual Christmas Village at the Baguio Country Club. For this year, they focused on the theme Pokémon Christmas to put more updated feel on the village. Together with the cold atmosphere in Baguio, the Christmas Village makes it seem like real holiday as the sounds, lights and the makeshift snow makes its presence felt to all its guests.

With an entrance fee of Php 100, The Christmas Village aims to make Filipinos feel the White Christmas most families are looking to experience. Eighty percent of the materials used in the Christmas Village were recycled, ranging from old sewer pipes, golf balls, used room key cards, and plastic spoons and forks, to water and wine bottles. They were all used to make the designs all over the village from the trees, lights, structures and others.

The musical show by the kids makes it more heartwarming as together with the great sounds and the nice voices of the children, the makeshift snow comes out and sprinkles the whole area much to the delight of kids and also the kids at heart like me. For the 2nd straight year, I have made my visit here to enjoy the Christmas feels and at least bring out the inner child in me. Truly a great experience.

GLOBAL MUSIC CHARTS: DECEMBER 24, 2016

For the 4th straight week, a new number one took the charts as "Starving" fled past everyone else to take the top spot. 2 New entries from Lady Gaga "Million Reasons" and the Zayn/Taylor Swift duet "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" makes their debut at No. 29 and No. 19 respectively.

OPM MUSIC CHARTS: DECEMBER 24, 2016

Janella Salvador repeats as Number 1 for this week as majority of the songs were steady with no new entries on the Top 10. The only new entry for this week comes from BoyBandPh which debuts at No. 19 with their debut single "We Made It".

HAPPY AYALA FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS 2016

Yearly, The Ayala Triangle Gardens is lit with great lights and filled with wonderful sounds that spells Christmas. Children and adults alike flock in groups just to watch the spectacle and feel the wonders of the Holiday season. It has been a yearly tradition already and this time around I am with my sister and two lovely niece. We enjoyed the show as if it brought out the inner children in all of us. As usual the Triangle is filled with quite a lot of people who are just enjoying Christmas at its finest. Truly a wonder to watch!

This year's Festival of Lights is actually the 6th edition of this well loved annual event. This is set to run until January 8 from 6 PM to 10 PM on 30 minutes interval. Children, friends, family and just everyone else are surely enjoying this wonderful night.

With every smile comes a great message of how wonderful this time of the year is. But for us we need to always remember that the feeling of joy and togetherness should not only be felt during Christmas but all throughout the year. Love and smiles can vibrantly send great vibes to everyone. And what a great way to spend this season but of course with our loved ones.

2017 WILL SURELY BE BIGGER!

2016 was a year for my recovery - a year when I have slowly but surely recuperated from almost everything. And after a great year where I saw myself re-established, I am surely eager to get 2017 on going.

Starting things up is the relaunch of this well loved blog - Bluecloud's Confessions. Since November it has provided my platform to actually get back on track and see the whole world with a brand new gusto and excitement. The new year will surely be more things to write, to share and more great thoughts to ponder. Bluecloud's Confessions would only be the beginning of more things to come. As from here will span my child blogs on travel, food and a whole lot more.

Jericho Alay/ Photographer is back and this time it will be for more. As I scout the nation and even the world for great models to shoot, I will be reimagining some old shoots and will be republishing previous shots from different models. With more than 400+ models already a part of my photography folio, all I can wish for is for more in the coming 2017.

Sweet Cravings will be going full throttle as well as I will continue to learn and experiment more recipes for everyone. 2016 saw my staple Chocolate Cupcakes and Cherry Cheesecake Brownie take centerstage as a it has served quite a number of people already. 2017 seems poised for more.

Travel Best Brothers is a re-injected and rejuvenated drive for my love of travel. This time I will try to roam the nation in search for great locations, sites and discovering a lot of new culture along the way. In 2017, I will pursue my desire to finish all destinations inside Philippines and also rekindling my desire of travelling abroad. Places, Faces, Food and Love for Travel.

MOVIE REVIEW: MOANA

In recent years, Disney has somehow departed from the traditional Disney princesses with gowns, balls and prince charmings on the side. The recent flux of Disney films have paved way to new generation princesses that have shown free-will, strong personality and a diversity in personality and culture. Disney's Moana is one of those.

Moana is a Polynesian island's chief daughter who embarks on a mission to save her people. The very powerful storyline takes us into an adventure of different proportions diving into a new culture we rarely have an idea upon. And like in more recent years, Disney is slowly putting emphasis on female leads with strong personality and a great determination. Unlike traditional Disney films that often visits from time to time the love aspects of ones story, Moana solely focus on its deep story which makes it different. Some may find it less amusing but it certainly catches a fresh breath of air.

Besides the rich storyline, Moana excels in bringing energy into the fray. One would be immersed ina a journey that many would like to experience. As the plot thickens on the way, we are treated with great music and harmony that makes it more appealing. Heartfelt in many ways, Moana shows the value of family and self discovery and advancement. One would certainly have a great time with this film. Great but not excellent.

8 out of 10 popcorns!