ALEX EALA WINS AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2020

Filipina teen sensation Alex Eala wins her first Grand Slam title at this year's Australian Open. She and Indonesian partner Priska Nugroho, seeded 4th, grabbed the Junior Girls Doubles crown at this year's first Grand Slam event. The pair swept aside the European duo of Slovenia's Ziva Falkner and Britain's Matilda Mutavdzic, 6-1, 6-2, to win the championship.

Just a few days back both Eala and her partner bowed out in the 3rd round of the Junior Girls Singles competitions. With the victory, Eala is the first Filipina to win any Grand Slam title (Juniors or Seniors). The young 14 year old is slowly working her way up on her Junior Singles rankings eyeing for the Top 5 that will guarantee her a wildcard to the Ladies Senior tournaments. 

Filipino-Ecuadorian Leylah Annie Fernandez ruled the French Open Junior Girls Championship in 2019 but represented Canada in the tournament. On the other hand, Francis Casey Alcantara was the first-ever Filipino to win a grand slam title when he won the Australian Open Junior doubles title in 2009 with Hsieh Chen-peng.

WINNER AMAZES WHILE DANCING TALA

Kpop superstars Winner amazed the Filipino fans in their Cross Tour stop here in Manila. The quarter of Jinwoo, Seunghoon, Mino and Seungyoon showed their "Inner Circle" fanbase how well they dance with their own showcase of the super trending dance tune "Tala".

The fans went into an uproar with cheers and applauses all over as the 4 guys danced their hearts out much to the amazement of all the audiences. Winner has been in the Kpop industry since 2014 and has spawned hit albums and singles like "Really Really", "Everyday" and "Millions".

Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xXtcvvU66I

2 MOONS 2 CAST WOWS IN FAN MEET

2 Moons 2 became a success among Filipino BL fans in the past year and it was of great joy that the cast of the series has visited the country for their fan meet: 6 Moons in Manila: Ascent of the New Moons. Ben, Earth, Joong, Earth, Pavel and Dome showed their Pinoy fans a great time. 

It was a day of great and fun activities as the guys performed in song and dance numbers much to the delight of everyone in the audience. The 6 moons also participated in fun games that made fans shout as they cheer their favorite guys.

The day was also included autograph signings, photo sessions with the boys, fan interaction and a day full of other activities. It is a great start for 2020 for BL fans all over the country and thanks to Thai Entertainment Portal for making this event possible. The 2 Moons 2 cast has certainly become closer to all its Pinoy fans.

Photo credits to owners from FB and Thai Entertainment Portal.

BTS GIVES FIRST BLACK SWAN PERFORMANCE

BTS is off to a great start for their new year and the super hot K-pop and International superstars graced the stage of The Late Late Show with James Corden for their first ever performance of their newest single "Black Swan". And it was truly amazing. The vocals were on point and most importantly the choreography was jaw-dropping. The group showed how well each of their members can dance and dance really well. Dancing barefoot all throughout the set, the boys showed a masterful performance of contemporary driven dance moves that could make any other's jaw drop.

This is the boys first live performance for this song and it has already generated so much hype. Just mere minutes of the upload in youtube and the performance has already amassed a staggering 500 thousand views, this just goes to show how well 2020 is gonna be for BTS and we can't wait for more.

Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSNd02kVv8o

DEMI LOVATO SHINES WITH "ANYONE"

Demi Lovato grabbed media attention at the recent Grammy awards with her comeback performance after her months of struggle with drug use and depression. Wearing a white gown, she obviously was emotional as her voice cracked at the beginning of the song that she had to restart her performance.

And she went ahead, tears began flowing down her eyes making it one of the most emotional moments during the night. She performed her newest single "Anyone" which somehow mirrors her personal struggles and hardships. It was truly a heart-felt number for Demi and all I could say is I'm glad that she is indeed back. The song was said to have been written days before she was hospitalized for possible drug overdose in 2018.

MALE HOTTIE: GRIGOR DIMITROV

This time around we move our focus to the world of sports and arguably the hottest male tennis star of this generation is Grigor Dimitrov. After making headlines with his outlandish whole sports suit in this year's Australian Open, he makes headlines yet anew and we sure are stanning him more and more.

The 28 year-old Bulgarian hit his career high of No. 3 in November 2017 after winning the ATP Finals. He is a 3-time Grand Slam semifinalist only missing out in the French Open. He is currently ranked No. 20 in the ATP tour but remains to be one of the dangerous tennis players there is.

On a personal note, he used to date tennis superstar Maria Sharapova and is currently seeing former Pussycat Dolls frontwoman Nicole Scherzinger. Occasionally, Dimitrov does modeling and ad campaigns as well and we his fans are truly delighted with it. These pics of him are further proof of how handsome, gorgeous and hot this talented tennis player is.

FOOD FOCUS: POPEYES

US fried chicken chain Popeyes has joined the Philippine chicken war of fast food chains since 2019 and they are already spreading for more branches in the metro. From mid of 2019, they have already branched out and has 10 stores here in the Philippines. (Arcovia Pasig, Alabang Town Center, Kroma Makati, Alimall, SM Southmall, Robinsons Galleria, Eastwood, NU MOA, SM Manila and SM San Lazaro).

The famous chicken store is slowly gaining popularity with the Filipinos. For me personally I love their Chicken French Quarter meal which is their combo that includes chicken sandwich, tasty fries and drinks. Also a bestseller among many are their Chicken Tenders and their Biscuits which comes in 3 flavors (Honey, White Chocolate, Hazelnut).

GOODBYE KOBE

Sunday evening in the US and Monday morning in the Philippines took into a somber mood as news broke out over the internet over Kobe Bryant's death over a helicopter crash. His private Sikorsky S-76 helicopter crashed in Calabasas and Bryant was confirmed dead including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria.

41 year old Kobe is a global superstar in sports, entertainment and fashion and has been one of the few greatest in basketball history. Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, and the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). 

It is indeed a sad time for sports fans and followers of  Kobe as it was an untimely and shocking end to a life of such a wonderful and great individual. RIP Kobe! You will be sorely missed. You are a legend and will live on our heart's forever.

SB19'S GO UP HITS 5 MILLION VIEWS

And the boys just keep on rising. Only 6 months from its video release, SB19's MV of "Go Up" has already amassed a stagerring 5 million views in Youtube. The catchy 2nd single from the boys are turning out to be a breath of fresh air in the alternative and rap dominated Philippine music scene.

The boys who made their debut on October 26, 2018 under ShowBT, a Korean entertainment company that branched out to the Philippines have already started to dominate local music charts and streaming services in the country. The group composed of Sejun, Josh, Justin, Ken and Stell have shown the Filipino fans great singing chops and exquisite dance moves and choreography. Here's to more wonderful days ahead to our boys.

Let us keep streaming and visit their youtube post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRfhzWaiQvk

6 MOONS IN MANILA

The first BL fan meeting in the country is happening this Sunday, January 26, 2020. The cast of 2 Moons 2 The Series will be here in Manila at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City. The 6 moons will make Filipino fans kilig as they will visit for a day of great activities and fan meetings. 

Ben Benjamin Brasier (Phana) and Earth Teerapat Ruangritkul (Wayo) will join the other moons in a fun filled day for Pinoy fans. Also coming with them will be Joong Archen Aydin (Ming), Nine Kornchid Boonsathitpakdee (Kit), Pavel Naret Promphaopun (Forth) and Dome Woranart Ratthanaphast (Beam). This is shaping to be a great day for BL fans of the country. And it is starting to shape as a great success already as the tickets have been officially sold out already. Thanks to Thai Entertainment Portal for giving this wonderful event to the country.

Thanks a bunch to https://www.facebook.com/thaientertainmentportal/! Looking forward for more fan meets this year.

BTS RELEASES MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR DATES

2020 is gearing up to be another banner year for BTS and the announcement of their upcoming Map of The Soul tour has been finally unveiled. The confirmed dates which starts on April 11 of this year in Seoul includes tour stops in the US, Europe and Japan.

It was however a sad thing as no Southeast Asian leg is present as of the moment with no Philippines, Singapore or Thailand leg present. Also notably absent is any stop in Hongkong which historically loves the boys through the years. Out of all the dates which finishes on September 1-2 in the Tokyo Dome, there are two unconfirmed dates (June 13 and 14) and the Filipino Armys are hoping this would be in the Philippines. Here's crossing our fingers.

BAD BOYS FOR LIFE WINS BOX-OFFICE

Bad Boys for Life takes flight with a hefty $68.1 million debut over the Martin Luther King weekend at the US delivered the second largest MLK four-day performance ever as well as the studio's largest R-rated opening ever for Sony. The film is the third in the trilogy of the "Bad Boys" franchise which reunites Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the lead roles.

It took 17 long years before this 3rd installment was done and it was all worth the wait. The original "Bad Boys" film was released also a long 25 years ago back in 1995. While the strong box-office showing of the film is a great news, what is more compelling is how well it is being received by audiences with an "A" CinemaScore and 97% audience rating on RottenTomatoes.

SB19'S ALAB (BURNING) MAKES BIG WAVES

Only 9 days after releasing their 3rd single and music video - Alab (Burning), the boys of SB19 are continuing their ramp up the music industry. Their newest music video has already reached 2 million views in You Tube.

Earlier from more than a week ago on its release date, it immediately hit the top spot in Twitter world trends and just 2 days after on January 11, 2020, the music video reached 1 million views. To all A'TINs, let us keep on streaming and viewing the boys' newest video:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tWuVqZnoL4

BTS RELEASES BLACK SWAN SINGLE AND ART FILM

All I could say is wow. The hottest boy band of this era has dropped their new single "Black Swan"  the first single from its new album — Map of the Soul: 7. Aside from releasing this single, Armys and all the rest of the world was treated into an artistic spectacle with the accompanying art film release. The song's artistic intricacies are impressive on its own, but with the accompanying art film, it was a masterful piece for the ages. Compelling and masterful are just a few words to describe the emotionally driven video in which the MN Dance Company from Slovenia interprets the song through lavish choreography with what appears to be an old shopping mall as backdrop location.

The video also opened with a quote from Martha Graham about a dancer's mortality - "A dancer dies twice - once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful. BTS's "Black Swan" film nicely reflects the narrative of the song — about how one's artist relationship with their work is and how such is sustained. 

BLACK WIDOW DROPS SECOND TRAILER

The MCU is off to a great start for the year 2020 and they started this year with a second trailer for their upcoming Black Widow movie starring Scarlett Johansson. Set after the events of "Captain America: Civil War" and before "Avengers: Infinity War", this standalone movie will explore the background story of Natasha Romanova (aka Black Widow) and will showcase what happened in Budapest.

The newest and longer trailer made the netizens notice and are eagerly awaiting for what will unfold in this newest entry to the Marvel franchise. There are more scenes to this trailer including a better picture of the film's antagonist "Taskmaster" and the other Black Widow in the comics Yelena Blova played by Florence Pugh. Judging by this trailer, I think this film is gonna be big this 2020.

ABS-CBN'S NEW SHOWS IN 2020

The new decade is up on a great start as ABS-CBN teases us with their upcoming TV shows for 2020. We see familiar loveteams making their return in the screen like Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano for "Make It With You", Xian Lim and Kim Chiu for "Love Thy Woman" and the upcoming Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla serye "Tanging Mahal" to name a few.

Iwant is also on a roll with season 2 of their well received shows "Call Me Tita" and "Batang Poz" plus a slew of other new and original movies starting with the Jodi Sta. Maria starrer "My Single Lady".

The movies will also be jam-packed with "Block Z", "Love or Money", "Motel Acacia" and "Fangirl" to name a few. Also shown are some potential critical hits like "Kun Maupay Man It Panahon" with Daniel Padilla and the John Lloyd drama "Servando Magdamag".

We also get a glimpse of "The Soulmate Project" with James Reid Nancy of the Kpop group Momoland plus "He's Into Her" with the likes of Donny Pangilinan in the cast. The rest of the new shows can be viewed on the special youtube teaser from the Kapamilya network.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5VpU7teiiA

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2020 WOMEN'S SINGLES PREDICTIONS

For the past few years, the Women's side of the Grand Slam has always been super unpredictable and this year may not be that different. Several players could potentially take home the Australian Open title for this year but quite a few are starting to rise as potential favorites.

1st Quarter

Top seeded Ash Barty is on the top of the draw and is one of the few favorites in this quarter of the draw. On paper, this might seem like the easiest draw to move forward to with Barty expecting challenge in the 3rd round with No. 13 seed Petra Martic. The other ones favored to do well in this group would be No. 10 seed Madison Keys and the last year's runner-up and No. 7 seed Petra Kvitova.

QF prediction: Kvitova def. Barty (2-1)

2nd Quarter

This is potentially the quarter of "death" as there are several players who could potentially go deep into the second week. Defending champion Naomi Osaka is in this part of the draw and will face stern competition from a lot of players. A 3rd round encounter with young American Coco Gauff looms provided she wins the mouth-watering 1st round encounter with Venus Williams which is a repeat of 2019 Wimbledon 1st round. If she wins that I see her going deep. 24th seed and 14th seed Sloane Stephens and Sofia Kenin are potential 3rd round encounters as well but Stephens' form is a bit in question. A blockbuster 2nd round encounter is on the horizon for 2018 winner Caroline Wozniacki and another youngster 23rd seed Dayana Yastremska. No. 8 seed Serena Williams which won her first title after giving birth a few days back looms as one of the favorites in this group with Wozniacki or Yastremska an early 3rd round challenge for her.

QF prediction: Serena Williams def. Coco Gauff (2-0)

3rd Quarter

Another tricky quarter indeed for this AO 2020. No. 4 seed Simona Halep is considered the favorite in here with potential early collision with hot American Danielle Collins, seeded 26th. A potential 4th round also looms with No. 11 seed Aryna Sabalenka. No. 6 seed Belinda Bencic is also in this draw but faces tricky opponents with Jelena Ostapenko on the 2nd round. 3rd round encounter with 19th seed Donna Vekic is also possible if the Croat hurdles wildcard and former champion Maria Sharapova in a hotly anticipated first round encounter.

QF prediction: Halep def. Bencic (2-1)

4th Quarter

No. 2 Karolina Pliskova is on this side of the draw and promises to show some great seeded potential opponents. No. 5 Elina Svitolina looks as her biggest threat, a potential quarterfinal opponent but she is on a potential tussle in the 3rd round with Garbine Muguruza, a two-time major champion who is unseeded but remains to be a threat.  No. 9 seed Kiki Bertens is a potential 3rd round encounter for Svitolina as well and could cause problems for her. No. 21 Amanda Anisimova and 17th seeded Angelique Kerber are also looming which is the dark horse of this draw.

QF prediction: Bertens def. Kerber (2-1)

SF prediction:

Serena Williams def Kvitova (2-1)

Bertens def Halep (2-1)

Finals prediction:

Serena Williams def. Bertens (2-1)

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2020 MEN'S SINGLES PREDICTIONS

The first Grand Slam tournament of 2020 is soon to get underway and it's interesting to see if the same dominance of the Top 3 men's players will continue this year. And as the draws have been announced, it seemed a likely proposition that any of them will hoist the trophy in Melbourne. But for me I think the Final 4 picture might be a surprise to all of us. (Just my Gut Feeling)

1st Quarter

Rafael Nadal seeded No. 1 is on the top bracket for this year. On paper it seemed a favorable thing for Nadal as he avoids any early encounter with Federer or Djokovic but seeing the list of the players in this quarter, this seemed like the most dangerous of them all. Potential 3rd round encounter with 23rd seed Nick Kyrgios looms or the 16th seed Karen Khachanov of Russia. If he successfully hurdles them potential 4th round opponents would be Gael Monfils or unseeded by dangerous Kevin Anderson and Qualifier Ernest Gulbis. The biggest challenge would have to come from 4th seeded Austrian Dominic Thiem.

QF prediction: Nadal def. Thiem (3-1)

2nd Quarter

This bracket is the one without the Top 3 players and with that absence this is an open quarter to capture by any player. The strongest on paper may come with No.4 Daniil Medvedev provided he hurdles his first round encounter with the dangerous American Frances Tiafoe. Looming further ahead would be 15th seed Stan Wawrinka and No. 7 seed Alexander Zverev.

QF prediction: Wawrinka def. Medvedev (3-2)

3rd Quarter

Roger Federer is the man to beat in this quarter and he is presented with also a tricky draw with the likes of Grigor Dimitrov, the No. 18 seed who he can meet on the 3rd round provided the Bulgarian is able to take out a potential dark horse in unseeded but rising Italian star Jannik Sinner. Also looming as potential quarterfinalists are 8th seed Matteo Berrettini and 13th seed Denis Shapovalov.

QF prediction: Berrettini def. Federer (3-1)

4th Quarter

World No. 2 and defending champion Novak Djokovic is on the 4th quarter and on paper this may be easiest draw to maneuver up to the fourth round. It gets tricky from there as Djokovic could potentially meet 14th seed Diego Schwartzman. Further ahead he might find strong opposition in the quarterfinals with either Greek No. 6 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or the evre dangerous Milos Raonic who is starting to get back at the top of his game and currently seeded 32nd.

QF prediction: Tsitsipas def. Djokovic (3-2)

SF prediction:

Nadal def. Wawrinka (3-0)

Tsitsipas def. Berrettini (3-1)

Finals Prediction:

Nadal def. Tsitsipas (3-1)

MIRACLE IN CELL NO. 7 TOPS MMFF 2019

And we finally get the numbers confirmation for the box-office gross of "Miracle on Cell No.7" and we are pleasantly happy with it. The Metro Manila Film Festival entry has grossed P475 million as of January 15, producer Viva Films announced on its social media channels. This is almost 50% of the total MMFF gross of P955 million. 

The news was a great achievement for this Aga Muhlach film which finally ends the festival box-office reign of Vice Ganda after many editions. Although the rest of the total gross for the Top 4 are not expressly announced, several news and entertainment sources peg “The Mall, the Merrier" of Vice Ganda to be on 2nd with Coco Martin's “3pol Trobol: Huli Ka Balbon!” at 3rd and “Mission Unstapabol: The Don Identity" of Vic Sotto at 4th.

The news was also a vindication for this Nuel Naval helmed masterpiece that is an adaptation of a Korean film of same name as it was surprisingly shut out in the MMFF awards late last year with Aga failing to nab the Best Actor and Xia Vigor failing to land the Best Child Performance. Even director Nuel Naval was shockingly missed out as he was not even nominated. With this, a big congratulations to the entire cast and crew that worked their hearts out in giving such a wonderful tearjerker and heartfelt movie.