26th Gawad Pasado Bares Nominees

Annually, the PASADO (Pampelikulang Samahan ng mga Dalubguro) recognizes exemplary works from the entertainment industry which have great educational value.

Here are the nominees for the awarding ceremony happening on October 12:

AMERICAN OPM SINGER SAHARA RELEASES LATEST SINGLE “DAHIL IKAW”

 Filipinos will again be amazed and inspired by American OPM singer Sahara through her new song, “Dahil Ikaw.” Sahara, an international recording artist based in the United States, launched her professional career as an OPM singer with her impressive version of “Dahil Ba Sa Kanya” as her debut single, which was originally recorded by “Philippine Queen of Soul” Jaya. When our kababayans hear her sing an OPM for the first time, they are amazed that Sahara is a foreigner who can croon Filipino lyrics with perfect enunciation, and they’re also inspired by the fact that she has such immense passion for Original Pilipino Music.    

In an interview, Sahara shared how she came to work with esteemed composer Freddie Saturno for her latest single. “I first met Freddie when I asked for permission to release my very first OPM, a cover of his song ‘Dahil Ba Sa Kanya’ originally sang by Jaya. We worked together again on my first original Tagalog song ‘Kabiyak.’ And then last year he said he wrote a song for me, and I thought he just meant it was good for my voice.” 

“When I first heard ‘Dahil Ikaw,’ I was touched at how sentimental it was, so loving with a hint of sadness. And then he told me, he wrote it for me and my husband, knowing that we share similar experiences with him and his wife. Being the spouse of an artist can be hard, but love conquers all,” she added.

Regarding the song’s message, Sahara explained, “Love always has its ups and downs, but even if there’s a quarrel or a disagreement, love is forever if you don’t give up. It’s important to remind ourselves of the power of forgiveness, and know that we’re not perfect. I think anyone in a close relationship, whether it’s romantic, family or friends, can relate to the lyrics of ‘Dahil Ikaw.’” 

“When I sing ‘Dahil Ikaw,’ I imagine I’m singing it to my husband, with all the trials and tribulations we experienced. I can equally imagine him saying the same words to me, and totally singing it out of tune,” she said, with a smile.

Sahara also shared the other projects she is currently doing. “I have a new Christmas rock song coming soon in time for the ‘Ber months, and several new singles for the new year, including a collab with Bassilyo. And I’ve been spending a lot of time learning about cinematography and video editing, so I directed and edited the music video for my new song ‘Dahil Ikaw.’ I hope to keep getting better and make videos for my future singles.” 

The talented singer who can also sing remarkably in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German concluded the interview with a heartfelt message to Filipinos. “Thank you for accepting my passion for OPM into your hearts and supporting my dream of being an OPM artist. I hope you enjoy listening to my new song ‘Dahil Ikaw’ as much as I enjoyed recording it for you. And as always, mahal kayo ni Sahara.”

For more information on Sahara and her new song “Dahil Ikaw” as well as her other OPM singles, follow her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/voiceofsahara), on Instagram (www.instagram.com/voiceofsahara) and on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Sahara-TheAmericanOPMSinger

Korina Sanchez, Pinky Webb, and other Seasoned Journalists Join Bilyonaryo News Channel

Korina Sanchez and Pinky Webb both embody in-your-face but responsible journalism. They are just some of the bug names to join Bilyonaryo News Channel (BNC). True to the Bilyonaryo.com brand, they will deliver cutting-edge business reporting alongside in-depth coverage of national issues, politics, lifestyle, and sports.

The former lead news anchors of TV Patrol and CNN Philippines will be joined by former ABS-CBN News Channel personalities Marie Lozano and Maiki Oreta, bringing their extensive experience and credibility to the team.

Additionally, BNC has recruited lawyer Karen Jimeno, who served as undersecretary for disaster resilience under President Rodrigo Duterte. She will contribute her expertise to the network’s public affairs programming. Also featured in the station’s new lineup is ‘Newsfeed’ anchor Mai Rodriguez.

Adding to the channel’s diverse roster is sports commentator and anchor Paolo del Rosario, who will continue his work with One Sports/Sports5 while enhancing BNC’s sports coverage.

With this formidable team, Bilyonaryo News Channel is set to make waves in the Philippine media landscape, offering viewers a fresh and comprehensive approach to news reporting.

THE 40th LUNA AWARDS WINNERS

Photos by Pilar Mateo

 The winners of the 40^th Luna Awards have been proclaimed on August 3, 2024 at the IBG-KAL Theater, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City. Organized by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) and hosted by Miss Earth 2008 Karla Henry, the momentous event celebrated unification as its theme and saw a reprise of the beloved traditional FAP production number, “Handog” at the final stretch of the show. Performed by actress-singer Hazel Faith donned in a Luna statuette-inspired outfit, she sang with the winners, nominees, and guests led by Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon who joined her onstage – conveying a touching image of one family of movie workers that supported each other. Earlier in the show, actor-singer John Arcenas rendered soulful music during the In Memoriam segment that paid tribute to departed showbiz colleagues.

 

Among the highlights of the show were the keynote speech of Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairman and CEO Joey Reyes, who sounded the alarm about the state of Philippine cinema what needed to be done. FPJ Lifetime Achievement Awardee Liza Dino-Seguerra, former FDCP Chair, also emphasized the importance of movie workers that belong to the fringes of the industry. National Artist Ricky Lee, on the other hand, presented the Lamberto Avellana Memorial Award to his former workshop student, the late Armando “Bing” Lao. The Manuel de Leon Award for Exemplary Achievements and Golden Reel Award were bestowed to Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Sen. Bong Revilla, respectively.

 

GomBurZa bagged the Best Picture title, while Pepe Diokno won the Best Director trophy for the same film. In His Mother’s Eyes, on the other hand, won Best Actress for Maricel Soriano, Best Actor for Roderick Paulate, and Best Supporting Actor for LA Santos. Ana Abad Santos meanwhile snatched the Best Supporting Actress for Third World Romance.

 

The following are the rest of the winners: Jun Lana, Best Screenplay for About Us But Not About Us; Carlo Mendoza, Best Cinematography for GomBurZa; Ericson Navarro, Best Production Design for GomBurZa; Marya Ignacio, Best Editing for Third World Romance; Jessie Lasaten, Best Musical Scoring for When I Met You in Tokyo; and Albert Idioma, Janina Minglanilla, and Emilio Sparks, Best Sound Design for GomBurZa.

 

The presidents of the different film guilds that comprise FAP acted as presenters of the twelve competitive categories.

 

The 40^th Luna Awards had been supported by the Office of the President, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), and Movie Workers Welfare Foundation, Inc. (MOWELFUND); and produced by RR Entertainment. Sponsors include Sen. Robin Padilla, CETV Philippines, Xstatic Event System, Inc., Stage One Events and Services, Rafy Gellang Masterpiece, ELPI Veg Haus, and Mireya Blends.