He has proven his mettle as writer-director in such noteworthy films as “Magkakabaung,” “Babagwa,” “Mercury Is Mine,” and even in his rom-com projects “Love Is Blind” and “The Third Party.” Now, Jason Paul Laxamana tries the horror genre in Regal Entertainment’s “Pwera Usog,” which opens in cinemas nationwide tomorrow.
Laxamana feels very lucky and grateful to have been trusted by the mother-daughter tandem of Mother Lily and Roselle Monteverde for the project. After all, Regal has mastered the horror genre, coming out every now and then with blockbuster horror flicks like the most recent, “Haunted Mansion.”
“Pwera Usog” which centers on the Filipino superstition usog, promises to be another big box-office hit. According to the director, “Iba siya. Never pa akong gumawa ng horror. Ang challenge pag horror, mas precise dapat ang direction mo, ang shots, ang timing. Kasi dapat proper ang build-up bago mo ma-execute ang moment of horror. Paano mo gugulatin o tatakutin ang mga taong marami nang nakitang horror movies at videos sa internet?”
The movie, truly fit for today’s millennial audience, stars Sofia Andres, Devon Seron, Cherise Castro, Eula Valdez, Joseph Marco, Albie Casiño, Kiko Estrada, Aiko Melendez and Rommel Padilla.
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Mobbed at Musikahan fest
After their very successful Panagbenga Festival participation, Barbie Forteza, Addy Raj, Ivan Dorschner, Jak Roberto, and Ken Chan of “Meant To Be” went to Tagum City, Davao del Norte last Feb. 28.
The social media posts showed the big crowd that joined the Kapuso Fiesta, It was actually a double treat for the Tagum fans because the stars of the upcoming Kapuso series “Impostora” Kris Bernal and Rafael Rosell were also there.
Meanwhile, Barbie, Jaclyn Jose and Therese Malvar were honored at the recent 9th Ani na Dangal awards of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
Jaclyn was honored for having been chosen Best Actress at Cannes Film Festival for “Ma’Rosa.” Barbie was awarded for her remarkable performance in “Laut” where she was named Best Actress at the Fantasporto International Film Festival, Portugal. Therese won the “Rising Star Asia Award” at 15th New York Asian Film Festival.
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ABS-CBN, GMA claim TV ratings lead in Feb.
The country’s top two broadcast networks again claimed dominance in television ratings for February, citing two different surveys they commissioned separately.
ABS-CBN Corp. on Thursday said it kept its lead last month citing data from Kantar Media. On the other hand GMA Network, Inc. said it maintained nationwide TV ratings dominance based on data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.
In a statement, the Lopez-led media and entertainment firm said it had an average audience share of 44% in February among urban and rural homes as compared to GMA’s audience share of 35% in February, according to recent data from Kantar Media.
For its part, GMA Network said based on Nielsen data, it remained as the country’s leading free TV channel with a people audience share of 41.2% in National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM), leading by 6.3 points against ABS-CBN’s 34.9%.
ABS-CBN based its claim on Kantar Media’s data, which uses a nationwide panel size of 2,610 urban and rural homes that represent 100% of the total Philippine TV viewing population.
ABS-CBN ruled household viewership especially in prime time (6 p.m.-12 midnight) where it scored 47%, a 13-point lead compared to GMA’s 34%, the TV station said.
The prime time block, it noted, is the most important part of the day when most Filipinos watch TV and advertisers make placements to reach consumers effectively.
It added that viewers nationwide also tuned in to ABS-CBN in the morning block (6 a.m-12 noon) with 38% versus GMA’s 35%; the noontime block (12 noon-3 p.m) with 45% versus GMA’s 35%; and afternoon block (3 p.m-6p.m) with 44% versus GMA’s 36%.
ABS-CBN said it produced 14 out of the 20 most-watched programs in the country last month, led by FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano with a national TV rating of 37.9%.
Aside from “Ang Probinsyano,” the other top-rating Kapamilya shows include “Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids”, “Wansapanataym”, “MMK”, “TV Patrol”, “My Dear Heart”, “A Love to Last”, “Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky Season 7”, “Tonight with Boy Abunda,” “Bandila,” “Home Sweetie Home,” “Goin’ Bulilit,” “Wildflower,” “Rated K,” “Ipaglaban Mo,” “Langit Lupa,” “Doble Kara,” “The Better Half,” “The Greatest Love,” “It’s Showtime - Saturday” and “TV Patrol Weekend”.
“ABS-CBN also beat GMA in February in other areas. More viewers tune in to the Kapamilya network in Total Balance Luzon with an average national audience share of 45% versus GMA’s 38%; in Total Luzon with 40% vs GMA’s 37%, in Total Visayas with 52% versus GMA’s 30%; and in Total Mindanao with 53% versus GMA’s 31%,” it said.
Meanwhile, GMA said it led across all dayparts in NUTAM, with prime time fantasy series “Encantadia” in the top spot.
Leading primetime news program “24 Oras alongside weekend top-raters “Pepito Manaloto,” “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” and “Magpakailanman” also kept their winning streaks in the NUTAM figures.
The romantic-comedy “Meant To Be” landing a spot in the Top 10.
Other shows in the list of top programs in the survey period were “Hay Bahay,” “Tsuperhero,” “24 Oras Weekend,” “Wowowin,” “Eat Bulaga” and “Imbestigador.”
Other shows with significant ratings included “Full House Tonight,” “Sunday Pinasaya,” “Bubble Gang,” “Saksi,” “Ika-6 na Utos,” “Legally Blind,” and “Pinulot Ka Lang sa Lupa.”
In Urban Luzon, which accounts for 77% of the total urban TV household population in the country, “GMA reigned supreme with an average people audience share of 47.3%, outranking ABS-CBN’s 29.1%.”
GMA argued that Nielsen data is gathered through a greater number of sampled homes nationwide in comparison to Kantar Media. With approximately 900 more homes surveyed in Total Urban and Rural Philippines compared to Kantar, the network said Nielsen data is statistically considered more representative of the total TV population.
On Thursday, shares in ABS-CBN closed at P47 each, lower by 0.21%, while GMA shares inched up by 0.66% to P6.12 apiece.
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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today,
March 7, go to Gerald Anderson, Ms. Carmen Patena, Tom Apacible. Leo Martinez, Rica Peralejo, Nora Robles, Francis Choy, Dr. Johnny Labodahon, Karylle Abigail Adao, Tomas B. Medina, Engr. Jay Paul Galino, Charlotte Quiambao-Pascual, Perpetua C. Plastina, Carmen Bautista, Veronica R. Samio, Victor Oida Solomo of Hong Kong, Lalaine Paguirigan, Jojo Gonzales de Guzman, Andy Miranda, Ella Mae Saison, MB’s Eloisa Bernabe, Nelson Elises and Tong Payumo, former SMBA chair…
March 8: former Senators Ramon Revilla Sr. and Robert “Sonny” Jaworski, Ms. Lenny Parto, Sarah Balabagan, Chiquita Atienza, Ed dela Luna, Col. Apolonio Reyes, Billy C. Ramirez, Juanico J. Dizon, Carmelita J. Fernandez, Onix Ador, Mary Joy Rodriguez, Maricar Rizza Nueno, Barbs Atienza-Soliven, Cheleann Abejo Sy Piecco, Baw Bernardo, Jackie Serrano, Ernel Acosta, Aida Fernandez, Renato “Boy” Samson and Bryan Termulo... Happy wedding anniversary to Danny and Lilia Cruz; Joey and Maylene Olabre… Pakikiramay po ang aiming ipinaabot sa pamilya Gonzales at Bendico sa pagpanaw ni Reymund Bendico... siya po ay nakaburol sa Barangay Sandoval, Roxas Palawan. Siya po ay ihahatid sa Sandoval cemetery sa March 9,2017 sa ganap na ika 1 ng hapon.
