30th Conferment Anniversary of Celia Diaz Laurel’s “Woman for Peace” Award

November 29, 2021 marks the pearl anniversary of Mrs. Celia Diaz Laurel’s conferment of the highly prestigious international peace and humanitarian award “Woman for Peace” given by the Insieme Per La Pace (Together for Peace) Foundation.

Like its founder and president Madame Mariapia Fanfani who herself had devoted all her life to cater to the sick, poor, and victims of war, the honor is bestowed upon remarkable women who have helped promote, advance, and partake in global peacebuilding processes through meaningful social, educational, and cultural means.

Mrs. Laurel’s vast humanitarian work began in 1986 when she volunteered to head our country’s national bid for the United Nations’ Million Minutes of Peace —a worldwide campaign asking people (even with differing religions) to pledge and devote “minutes of meditation, positive thinking or prayer for peace.” Under her leadership, she launched a series of peaceful undertakings that triumphantly landed the Philippines at the fourth slot (out of the 88 participating nations) with an overwhelming 94,000,000 minutes collected and dedicated to peace!

Following this success, UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar flew to the Philippines in 1987 to honor Mrs. Laurel with the “United Nations for Peace Award” and to personally invite her to speak at the Million Minutes for Peace international conference that same year. She then attended the Universal Peace Conference in Mt. Abu in India and the World Media Association in Seoul, South Korea. She also stood before the International Security Council to discuss, among others, the impact of insurgency in the Philippines on the general security of the nations in the Southeast Asian region.

 

Alongside these many international engagements, she likewise organized and established several key socio – civic organizations like Causa Philippines, Inc., (a humanitarian movement against international communism), DAYTOP Philippines (Drug Addicts Yield to Persuasion), Handog Lingap sa May Kapansanan (HALIKA), Philippine Tuberculosis Society, Kidney Transplant Association, Gifted Children and Youth Foundation, Memorial to the Peaceful Revolution, Save the Children (Community Development), People’s Welfare Foundation, Philippine International Friendship Organization, Philippine General Hospital Foundation, Philippine National Red Cross Overseas and Diplomatic Divisions, and Peace Development Foundation, Inc. She also worked in the countryside where she focused on health and education developments like providing sustainable potable water in depressed areas and building public school libraries. Months before the big awarding ceremony in Madrid, Spain for the Woman for Peace, Mrs. Laurel, tirelessly had already been providing relief to fellow Filipinos devastated by natural calamities (i.e. earthquakes, the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, and the killer cyclone in Ormoc City) that hit our country in the early 90s.

The grand awarding ceremony was held at Pabellon De Cecilio Rodriguez in Madrid, Spain on November 29, 1991. Besides Mrs. Laurel, other honorees that year were Queen Noor of Jordan, Madame Chirac of France, and Madame Silva of Portugal. The occasion had 400 guests in attendance –– comprising mostly of prominent international personalities like Senator Gianni Agnelli of Italy and royalties like Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan, King Simeon of Bulgary, and Baron and Baroness con Thiessen Bormenisza. With her conferment, she joined the revered roster of past awardees like Queen Sophia of Spain, Raissa Gorbachev, Former US First Ladies Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush, Marcella Perez de Cuellar, Diana Vreeland, President Violeta Chamurro of Nicaragua, and Queen Sirikit of Thailand.

Almost thirty years later, that fervent wish, sadly, remains unachieved. With Celia Diaz Laurel, our country’s very own Woman for Peace, now at peace with her Creator, it becomes therefore incumbent upon us who were left behind to continue the crusade she tirelessly but silently began decades ago. The nearing pearl anniversary of her conferment, therefore, is meant to evoke and challenge us to continually work towards achieving peace and creating a harmonious social balance in the next thirty years or so… especially here in this part of the world –our beloved Philippines – where we, STILL need them the most.

The family of Ms Celia Diaz-Laurel has adopted the Pearl as the gemstone in the 30th anniversary. As a Woman for Peace, she and her family wishes and prays for peace for all humanity.

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VENOM: Let There Be Carnage opens in theaters December 8

The relationship of Eddie Brock and the symbiote Venom nears to an end in the Venom: Let There Be Carnage that will be released in Philippine theaters on December 8.

Tom Hardy, playing both characters agrees that it's an unlikely relationship and Venom and Eddie learned to live with each other. Venom is up to munch heads off evildoers and Eddie's career is firmly on the upswing, getting the career-defining last interview with serial killer Cletus Kasady.

Director Andy Serkis describes the two in a marriage that have ups and downs, with one causing the problems but definitely they have a need for each other even without the harmonious relationship. He thinks Tom Hardy gives an extraordinary performance and working with Serkis reveals professional pride and admiration together.

Tom Hardy also contributed his writing creativity in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. His first writing gig for the feature film was "a fun and exciting experience and where anything felt possible for these characters that we have grown so fond of,” says Kelly Marcel, who also wrote the screenplay.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage also casts Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris and Woody Harrelson, in the role of the villain Cletus Kasady/Carnage.

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DUNE Surpasses $300M at the Worldwide Box Office

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ “Dune,” from visionary filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, crosses the $300 million mark at the global box office today, with Monday’s numbers in North America topping more than $71 million and more than $228 million from overseas, and counting.

A succession of impressive #1 openings, coupled with strong word of mouth, had anticipation for the film increasing exponentially as the film rolled out around the globe. The epic action adventure, based on the seminal Frank Herbert novel, kicked off the fall season to great fanfare at the Venice and Toronto film festivals before beginning its theatrical play mid-September.

Jeff Goldstein, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Domestic Distribution, said, “We are so thrilled that this one-of-a-kind cinematic experience has movie lovers, as well as lifelong fans of the book like Denis Villeneuve himself, eager to see ‘Dune’ as he envisioned it: on the biggest possible screen. These terrific numbers, coupled with A- CinemaScore and a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, show the film delivers and that audiences are going back for multiple viewings.”

Andrew Cripps, President, Warner Bros. Pictures International Distribution, stated, “From our first international opening in September, we could see that ‘Dune’ was both a critical and crowd pleaser. The numbers have continued to bear that out as each market has opened and we look forward to a healthy theatrical play, with Australia and New Zealand yet to come as we head into the holidays.”

Dune opens in Metro Manila theaters today.

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Cinemas are back today!

After a long 19 months of staying indoors, the new cases of COVID-19 are getting lower and lower and the government already allowed a few businesses to operate under Alert Level 2. This still includes a reduced capacity inside establishments and cinemas is one of the industries that we're trying to save.

With minimum health protocols being observed, the CEAP (Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines) will adhere to IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) guidelines to maintain that these indoor venues will be safe and entertaining for everyone. One of the main guideline is to have 30 percent capacity and only fully-vaccinated persons are allowed to enter theaters.

A study conducted by a German entity concluded that cinemas are generally safe spaces giving the following reasons:

• People spend an average of only two hours at a cinema
• People inside the cinema simply sit down and face the same direction which is known to reduce transmission risks
• People are not talking to each other during a movie, which minimizes possibility of infection

The CEAP and international organizations agree on implementing these guidelines for the security and welfare of everyone who wish to go to the theaters. CinemaSafe - a campaign video released lists safety protocols that should be followed. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/B-4feoqrLlM

• Monitoring of moviegoers’ body temperature as they enter the cinema
• Moviegoers to present authentic vaccination card
• Implement regulations set by the IATF and LGUs on facial coverings
• No eating inside the cinema
• Enforce socially-distanced seating
• Encourage contact-less transaction in ticket-purchasing
• Improved air ventilation
• Availability of hand sanitizers at the cinema entrance
• Mandatory hand-washing every 30 minutes for cinema employees
• Deep cleaning between screenings

It is also highly encouraged for you to STAY AT HOME should you feel uneasy or a little sick.

Aside from that, reopening of cinemas will also revive jobs that were shut down during the pandemic which includes the following:

• Creative & Production: Directors, screenwriters, talents, editors, crew, bit players, caterers and runners
• Distribution: Logistics team, production checkers, monitoring team, back office support
• Exhibition: Cinema ticket-sellers, usher-porters, projectionists, snack bar personnel, janitors, branch management team
• Others: Cinema suppliers, event organizers, employees of stores and restaurants around cinema premises

It is a sign of relief for these personnel as they happily go back to their pre-pandemic routines while providing us entertaining films.

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Money Heist 5 - Part 2 first look in the series finale

Check out the first look images of the series finale of La Casa de Papel which premieres on Netflix, December 3.

Tokyo (Úrsula Corberó) is dead. The enemy still lurks in the Bank of Spain, wounded but as dangerous as ever. Facing their darkest hour and greatest challenge yet, the gang hatch a bold plan to get the gold out without anyone noticing. To make matters worse, the Professor makes the biggest mistake of his life. Watch the trailer below.

Cast includes: Álvaro Morte, Itziar Ituño, Pedro Alonso, Miguel Herrán, Jaime Lorente, Esther Acebo, Enrique Arce, Darko Peric, Hovik Keuchkerian, Luka Peros, Belén Cuesta, Rodrigo de la Serna and Najwa Nimri, among others.

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Spider-Man: No Way Home poster reveals returning villains

Sony Pictures and Columbia Pictures reveals Spider-Man's foes in the first teaser poster of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie is set to premier on December 17, 2021 worldwide and January 8, 2022 in the Philippines.

And it's not just Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) who Peter Parker (Tom Holland) will be encountering in the movie, but also Sandman and the Green Goblin which are also visible in the background. As we know that he reached out to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to unleash the multiverse, a strike of lightning is also seen in the poster. In the words of Doctor Helen Cho in Age of Ultron, "Will Thor be there?"

The excitement increases in this epic movie experience of Spider-Man and the squad in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Also casting Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei and more, directed by Jon Watts.

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A unique new world view in Netflix's Hellbound

Anticipation just continues to build up as Netflix series Hellbound slowly unveils itself. Director Yeon Sang-ho’s next-level imagination and penetrating message are packed in the newly-released main trailer. Netflix series Hellbound explores a world swept by a supernatural phenomenon where executors from Hell suddenly start to condemn people to Hell, and a new religious group called the New Truth emerges amidst this chaos, while others try to uncover the truth behind the series of events.

The main trailer starts off on an appalling note, laying bare what a hellbound decree actually is. While joyfully celebrating her birthday with her beloved kids, Park Jungja (played by Kim Shin-rok) out of the blue receives a hellbound decree from an angel. The sudden encounter with an angel leaves not only Park Jungja but also the viewers aghast. The composed voice of Jung Jinsu (played by Yoo Ah-in) then plays over the scene of the world that turned into utter chaos, further heightening tensions. Jung Jinsu claims that the supernatural phenomenon is God’s warning to sinners, and that the accompanying fear will set people free of their sins. However, in the run-up to the live streaming of Park Jungja’s execution, the world spirals into an apocalypse. People become suspicious and hateful of each other, turning the world into a living hell. Jung Jin-su’s words, “I’d like to welcome you all to the new world,” hint at the unforeseen stories to unfold in the anarchistic society. Watch it below:

 

Hellbound, providing utmost suspense with hellbound prophecies which are just beyond anyone’s imagination, is based on a webtoon of the same title. Director Yeon, who has acutely penetrated the uncertainties and injustice in current society through his works like The King of Pigs, The Fake, Train to Busan, Peninsula, and The Cursed: Dead Man’s Prey, once again consolidates his worldview by creating the story for the webtoon and directing and co-writing the script for the live-action adaptation. Director Yeon’s compelling story Hellbound, the epitome of his worldview, swept the cast off their feet too. The cast commented that: “Hellbound simply depicted the hell we now live in,” (Yoo Ah-in) “You can enjoy the suspense and then it suddenly strikes with a deep message,” (Park Jeong-min) and “The script was just so immersive. People who repeat irreversible mistakes, people who stick to their convictions, people who sacrifice themselves… The circumstances, stories and attitude of each of these people stand in stark contrast with one another, which can convey a number of different messages depending on the perspective” (Won Jin-a). Director Yeon’s shrewd portrayal of the chaotic society and different aspects of people is keeping fans on the edge of their seats.

The exceptionally immersive main trailer of Hellbound alludes to the birth of yet another legendary Netflix series. Hellbound will premiere globally on Netflix on November 19th.

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