lifestyle and culture

February 28, 2023

Pinoy classical singer talks about his training and winning WCOPA Grand Championship

From a shy boy to a frequent singing contestant in various barangays, citywide competitions to province-wide, and finally, on the world stage, Cristiani Rebada has proven that he is “called to sing” for life.
According to Rebada, “I started singing even before I went to Kindergarten. According to my parents, I mimicked songs, and to their surprise, I was in tune.

“I started singing in our local church (in my elementary years), but I was too shy to sing in any competitions. My dad enrolled me in the Bel Canto School Of Music for voice lessons.”
He even mentioned that [at first], his dad’s decision was against his will.

“My dad still pushed me to do it because he believed in me. After a few months of training, I finally gained the self-confidence to join some competitions.”

Music as his mission.

The confidence he got from his singing lessons, he joined his first singing competition.

“I was still in sixth grade. I was shy but still managed to do it and got first place. I think that validates that I have a talent for singing.”

Rebada is the epitome of what Ralph Waldo Emerson described as an excellent artist, “Every artist was first an amateur.”

For him, his first mentor was his father.

“He discovered that I have the gift of singing. He encouraged me to sing and even bought cassette tapes for my music. He then enrolled me in voice lessons at Bel Canto School of Music in our place.

He engaged in different competitions and learned a lot from experience. The seeds planted in him have flourished as he opted to pursue Music at Silliman University in Dumaguete City.

“It was where I got my degree in Music and majored in Voice.”

Classically trained, but open to exploring more about music.

“I’m usually into mellow love songs, but since I am a classically trained singer, I prefer crossover, where my voice fits, but I’m open to different genres.”

He pursued his passion for classical music by joining the Philippine Opera Company as one of the artists for Ang Bagong Harana. He also taught voice lessons at the music company.

As a singer, he doesn’t limit himself to one genre, thus he wants to embrace more.

He joined the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) Team Philippines in 2017, and he went home with six medals as an industrial awardee (two gold medals as a Grand Finalist and for Opera, three silvers for Broadway, Gospel, and Open, and a bronze for Pop). He also earned the Industry award, a glass globe, and a plaque as the division winner for Opera, and two major awards–the glass star trophy as the Senior Grand Champion Vocalist of the World, and the diamond glass trophy as the Senior Grand Champion Performer of the World.

Like Jed Madela, the first Filipino to win the WCOPA title, the competition has opened doors for him.

His dream of getting validation for all the hard work he has put into his singing–the award gave him more reason to thrive and excel in his chosen craft.

“First of all, God gave me this talent to glorify Him, to praise and worship His name.”

What Fuels His Passion for Music?

Apart from God, he considers his family as his inspiration.

“I would like to bring joy and happiness to them, who sacrificed a lot to give me a brighter future.”

Lou Holtz‘s words hold true to who Rebada is–that talent determines what one can do.

It is his motivation that determined how much he is willing to do. His attitude determined how well he did with the gift entrusted to him by God.

The awards or recognitions he earned the ones at the 29th Asia-Pacific Excellence 2017 Awards, Asian Achiever Awardee 2017 as an Outstanding Asian Young Performer, and the 2017 Asian Entertainer Awardee as an Outstanding Young Performing Artist–are some of those that pushed him to do better and excel.

His recent awards were the 2022 Gawad Amerika Awardee as a Classical Crossover Artist of the Year and the 2022 Spotlight Awardee as Best Classical Artist.

Today, he is part of Fil-Trio with LA Master Balladeer Kenneth Laurente and Broadway star Lyndon Apostol.

On September 29 of last year, Rebada’s debut single, Ikaw pa rin got released and streamed on Spotify and other online streaming platforms.
He’s proud Negrense from Cadiz City, Negros Occidental. His musical influences are the multi-national classical crossover vocal group Il Divo, the World’s Most Beloved Tenor Andrea Bocelli, the Italian operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator Plácido Domingo. Among the Filipino singer-performers, he appreciates Gary Valenciano, Jaya, Lani Misalucha, and Jed Madela.

“I want them to remember me as an inspiration,” was his prompt response when asked what he envisioned himself as a singer-performer.

“That talent is just secondary, and good character will come first. Respect our differences. Spread love, peace, and hope by creating music. Music is the language of the soul. Whatever status in life we are in, the color of our skin, and our beliefs in life–we speak the same language through music.”
Share:

February 27, 2023

ZTE unveils more efficient, eco-friendly and cutting-edge products and solutions at MWC 2023, shaping digital innovation

  • ZTE unveils an extensive lineup of more efficient, eco-friendly and cutting-edge products and solutions at MWC 2023
  • ZTE showcases the recent advances it has achieved in the areas of Ultra-Efficient Network, Digital Expansion, Boundless Future and Smart Life 
ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a global leading provider of information and communication technology solutions will be participating at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona from February 27 to March 2, 2023. At MWC 2023, the company, with the theme of "Shaping Digital Innovation", unveils an extensive lineup of more efficient, eco-friendly and cutting-edge products and solutions.

ZTE displays information and communications technologies (ICTs), showcasing the recent advances it has achieved in the areas of Ultra-Efficient Network, Digital Expansion, Boundless Future and Smart Life at 3F30, Hall 3, Fira Gran Via.

For the infrastructure network construction, ZTE launches an end-to-end efficient network deployment solution for ultra-efficient networks, helping operators achieve ultra-efficient green connectivity in all scenarios. The latest full-scenario UniSite solution for wireless access will help operators efficiently deploy full-band and multi-RAT networks with optimal TCO and ready for 5G-advanced evolution; Turbo Core solution to integrate software flexibility and hardware efficiency with professional function acceleration cards to maximize the value of each bit; the high-performance 400G transport solutions for all scenarios with doubled capacity and the longest backbone transmission distance in the industry; the industry's highest integrated 16-port 10G PON as well as the the industry's first 50G PON Combo card that supports the coexistence and smooth evolution of three technology generations.

In terms of assisting operators in digital business expansion, ZTE displays one-stop digital services through cloud-network-service integration, helping operators explore new blue ocean markets.

In the ToB sector, ZTE will showcase the industry's smallest Mini5GC, the industry's unique wireless base station with built-in computing power NodeEngine solution, industrial gateways with various forms such as video gateway & Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) gateway, and optical access product for campuses; ZTE will present a "private network as a service" solution with on-demand deployment, cloud-network-service integration, precise performance, and easy O&M.

ZTE will widely use cloud-based PLCs, digital twin, machine vision, robots, and AGVs to realize 5G full-connection factories, which is the best practice in intelligent manufacturing. In the ToH sector, the company will also deliver the ultimate whole-home gigabit-plus experiences based on the Wi-Fi 7 and the fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) home networking solution, supporting operators in delivering innovative and value-added services by expanding their digital ecosystem.

In terms of the energy saving, ZTE showcases PowerPilot Pro Solution that intelligently reduces the power consumption of networks by up to 35% and conserves energy throughout the process by including solutions for full-scenario solar on site, a next-generation data center and new intelligent energy storage, creating the ultimate green and energy-efficient telecommunication network.

Facing the boundless future, ZTE plans to focus on innovative practices in 5G-Advanced evolution, and the future optical networks by displaying a number of cutting-edge innovations at MWC 2023.

ZTE showcases dynamic RIS, the industry's first sub-band full-duplex prototype, a solution that integrates communication, sensing and computing. Meanwhile, ZTE will present the future optical network, and the company will adopt technologies such as hollow-core fiber and 32-dimensional OXC optical backplane to achieve lower latency, higher transmission performance and lower energy consumption.

For the digital and intelligent life, ZTE exhibits a lineup of products that can be applied across multiple scenarios including sports & health, audio & video entertainment, business & travel and home & education. They include ZTE Axon, ZTE Blade, the full Nubia series of consumer electronics products as well as a complete set of mobile broadband (MBB), fixed wireless access (FWA), and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Also on display will be several new impressive innovations, among them the world's first AI-powered eyewear-free 3D tablet, and AR glasses providing super audio-visual experiences. As one of the world's leading suppliers of 5G mobile broadband terminals, ZTE will also release the 5th Generation of 5G FWA and GIS version products at MWC 2023.
As the MWC partner program, a global industry innovation forum themed "Shaping Digital Innovation" will be held by ZTE at MWC 2023. Leaders from the global ICT industry, pioneers from related vertical sectors, experts from consulting and advisory firms and other eco-partners will be invited to discuss several hot topics at the forum, including development trends of future networks and how to further increase the productivity of digital intelligence. MWC 2023 will also include events organized by ZTE Mobile Devices to showcase 5G FWA products and a new lineup of innovative terminals.
During MWC 2023, ZTE is hosting a series of launch events alongside China Telecom, China Unicom and a number of global telecom operators. ZTE will also participate in five theme forums organized by GSMA at which ZTE will share insights and practical cases with global operators, industry partners and opinion leaders around several topics of importance to the industry, including intelligent manufacturing, sustainability and the metaverse, with the goal of helping customers create new values for the industry.

ZTE streams the goings on at MWC 2023 live on a featured website to provide customers worldwide a glimpse into highlights of the exhibition without leaving home. The website will also be where ZTE CEO Xu Ziyang and various members of the executive team will share the latest insights into the digital intelligence era, including the company's plan to jointly deliver new values and drive new growth in digital intelligence amid accelerated digital transformation by deepening its partnerships with global customers and partners as well as by advancing digital intelligence and low-carbonization.
Share:

February 26, 2023

David Haldane's "A Tooth in my Popsicle" launches this March 7

What started as a story of desperation turned into a beautiful transformation.

Mindanao Gold Star Daily columnist David Haldane shares his adventures as he uproots himself and his wife, Ivy, to the magical Philippine Island of Siargao in a new book entitled A Tooth in My Popsicle. The book will be launched on Tuesday March 7, 2023, 3PM at the Ortigas Foundation Library, 2F, McKinley Building (on top of Unimart), Greenhills Shopping Center.
The story recalls Haldane’s journey leaving his life in Los Angeles, California, to move to his wife’s hometown on the famous but oh-so-foreign island paradise.

The book is a compilation of essays about his experience from first inviting his now-wife to America for a new life to the beauty of hope with two young children.

David Haldane is a former Los Angeles Times staff writer with over twenty years of experience at that publication. His two previous books are the award-winning memoir, Nazis & Nudists, and a short-story collection called Jenny on the Street.

“I wrote this book to tell the story of a transformative adventure, sometimes frightening, often frustrating, occasionally hilarious, but always, I hope, entertaining,” Haldane explained.

“I hope A Tooth in My Popsicle motivates other dreamers to pursue what their hearts truly desire.”

When David’s not writing books, he produces a weekly newspaper column called Expat Eye, for one of Mindanao’s premiere news outlets, the Mindanao Gold Star Daily.


Share:

"Zsazsa Zaturnnah the Musical… 'Yun Lang!" is All Set for March 17 - April 2 Performances

Are you ready to watch the latest musical theater treat from Ateneo Blue Repertory (blueREP)?
Presented by Rizal Library, and Co-Presented by Areté, Zsazsa Zaturnnah the Musical... 'Yun Lang! is a cult classic comedy based on the graphic novel by Carlo Vergara, with Music and Lyrics by Vincent A. DeJesus, and Stage Adaptation by Chris Martinez.

The show deals with otherworldly proportions about what it means to be queer in the Philippines. Sometimes, in the end, it takes something out of this world to bring you the truth of who you are, the range of what you can do, and the love that's been right beside you this whole time.

The cast includes award-winning performer, singer, actress, entrepreneur, and social media influencer Kim Molina as Zsazsa; Phi Palmos, Adrian Lindayag, and Shaun Ocrisma as Ada; Joshua Cabiladas, Almond Bolante and Robert Bradley Hao as Didi; Juan Carlos Galiano, Jude Matthew Sevilla and Elian Dominguez as Dodong; Kakki Teodoro, Anyah de Guzman as Queen Femina Suarestellar Baroux; Carlin Maximo, Jelena Evangelista, Dani Tan, and Heart Romeo as Amazonistas; Kyla Rivera as Aling Britney, and other members of the Ateneo Blue Repertory as ensemble.
Zsazsa Zaturnnah the Musical… ‘Yun Lang! is also composed of a talented pool of artistic team members with the direction of Philippine Theater Actors Guild (TAG) President Missy Maramara; musical direction of music composer and writer Vincent A. DeJesus; production and costumes design of Tata Tuviera; choreography of Franco Ramos; technical direction of Adriane Ungriano; lights design of D Cortezano; graphic design of Ralf Borja; and illustrations of Rio Reyes.

The show will run from March 17, 2023, to April 2, 2023, at the Doreen Fernandez Black Box Theater, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University.
For ticket inquiries, please contact Dani Villa (09171394640), or send an email to bluerep.house@gmail.com
Share:

Russel Crowe takes on the actual exorcism files from the Vatican

Soon on Philippine cinemas, Russell Crowe plays the titular role in Columbia Pictures’ supernatural horror thriller The Pope’s Exorcist, inspired by the true story of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican.
Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican (Academy Award®-winner Russell Crowe), The Pope’s Exorcist follows Amorth as he investigates a young boy’s terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden. Watch the trailer below.
The film is directed by Julius Avery, screenplay by Michael Petroni and Evan Spiliotopoulos, screen story by Michael Petroni and R. Dean McCreary & Chester Hastings, based on the books “An Exorcist Tells His Story” and “An Exorcist: More Stories” by Fr. Gabriele Amorth.

The cast is led by Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe and Franco Nero

The Pope’s Exorcist is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.
Share:

Marching this March on Netflix

Down to our first quarter with Netflix new offerings for the month of March. Our watchlist includes Murder Mystery 2, sequel to Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston's hit heist comedy; You: Season 4 Part 2; Riverdale: Season 7; Luther: The Fallen Sun, starring Idris Elba and Andy Serkis; Copycat Killer; comedy specials by Chris Rock and Mae Martin; Filipino titles Partners in Crime and Labyu With an Accent; and reality series Outlast, Dance 100, and the returning Next in Fashion, hosted by Tan France and Gigi Hadid.

Dance 100

Labyu with an Accent

Celebrate Women's Month on Netflix! Don't forget to watch The Glory Part 2, Kill Boksoon, season 2 of fan favorite Shadow and Bone, and Filipino title Leonor Will Never Die.
The Glory Part 2

Leonor will Never Die

See below schedule for reference:

Mar 1 Cheat
Mar 4 Chris Rock: Selective Outrage
Mar 4 Divorce Attorney Shin
Mar 10 Rana Naidu
Mar 17 Sky High: The Series
Mar 20 Gabby's Dollhouse: Season 7
Mar 24, 31 Love Is Blind: Season 4
Mar 25 Partners In Crime
Mar 25 Labyu With An Accent
Mar 30 Unstable
Mar 30 Riverdale: Season 7
Mar 30 From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke
Coming Soon Agent Elvis

Check out full schedule here. Releases are subject to change without prior notice.
Share:

February 23, 2023

ZTE Excites with the Latest Blade Series; Formally Introduces RedMagic 8PRO

(L-R) Mr. Perry Ji, Deputy Director of Mobile Device Marketing Department, ZTE Corporation; Justin Li, CEO of Devices, South and East Asia, ZTE Corporation; Eric “Eruption” Tai, ZTE PH Mobile Phones Ambassador, Mr. Frank Chen, ZTE Regional Chief Marketing Officer, ZTE Corporation and Mr. Gavin Lian, General Manager for Devices, ZTE Philippines

A new year always signals new beginnings and limitless possibilities. It’s the perfect time to take stock of where you are and focus on seizing new opportunities for growth. It can be something as simple as pursuing greener initiatives to big, complex goals such as taking on an entire industry.

ZTE, a global leader in technology innovation, is poised to do exactly the latter as they are diving headfirst into the competitive smartphone industry in the Philippines. In a recent event graced by members of the media, ZTE Philippines unveiled two game-changing lines of mobile devices for the Filipinos– the Blade Series, which promises premium quality and high performance at an attractive price point, and the RedMagic 8PRO–the latest addition to the power gaming series.

ZTE Corporation Regional Chief Marketing Officer Mr. Frank Chen is confident that the new Blade smartphone series will be able to find a home in the local market. “The Philippine smartphone market is as competitive as it gets. Plenty of brands are all vying for a bigger piece of the market share. We at ZTE are ready to dive in because we are confident that we have something amazing to offer for all segments.”

Mr. Frank Chen, Regional Chief Marketing Officer, ZTE Corporation

Mr. Justin Li, ZTE Corporation’s CEO of Mobile Devices in South and East Asia shared ZTE’s initiatives in the Philippines. ZTE Mobile Devices is adhering to strengthen "InnovAction" and is continuing to promote the application and commercialization of cutting-edge technologies, persist in creating features in fields of display and imaging recently.

In the future, he mentioned that ZTE will continue to give full play to our advantages in R&D accumulation and innovation, and continue to drive consumer services based on user requirements, bringing full-scenario seamless digital life to the customers.

Mr. Justin Li, CEO for Mobile Devices, South and East Asia, ZTE Corporation
Mr. Gavin Lian, General Manager for Devices of ZTE Philippines excites everyone with the latest technology of the products unveiled - the ZTE Blade V40 Design, Blade V40S, Blade V41 Vita 5G and RedMagic 8Pro.

Mr. Gavin Lian, General Manager for Mobile Devices, ZTE Philippines

ZTE’s Hero Series: The Blade Series
The ZTE Blade series comes in three different variants, the Blade V41 Vita, the Blade V40 Design, and the Blade V40S.

The Blade V41 Vita is the marquee product of the lineup, boasting of exquisite design and unlimited vitality. It has a powerful 50MP triple camera that provides crystal clear high definition images. The heart of the Blade V41 Vita is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G Processor. It provides high performance with its blazing fast with its Octa-core 2.4GHz processor but still offers low power consumption to help with long lasting battery life.

ZTE Blade V41 Vita 5G

The next model, the Blade V40 Design, is premium, elegant, and stylish. It offers the same 50 MP triple camera like the V41 Vita, which gives the model access to amazing photography with its high definition output. You also get the full suite of key photography tools such as the bokeh camera and the macro camera. Whether you’re shooting food, landscapes, stunning night photos, or beautiful portraits, you’ll always get crystal clear shots. Performance wise, the Blade V40 Design uses 4GB+3GB Dynamic RAM for a smoother operation experience. It supports memory fusion technology which can expand the RAM by up to 7GB using the built-in storage.

ZTE Blade V40 Design

The third model and the most affordable option is the Blade V40S. The Blade series is all about impeccable picture quality and the V40S is no different. The main camera boasts of 50MP resolution with a large f/1.8 aperture for low light photography. The bokeh depth camera is at 2MP at a 2.4 aperture, while the macro camera is 5MP with the same wide open 2.4 opening. It also has an anti-shake feature to help you get sharp photos even during low light situations.

Blade V40 S

ZTE’s mobile devices Key Opinion Leaders Isa Rodriguez (Isa Does Tech), Vikka Francisco (The Modern Creatures), and Peter Jan Icogo (GizGuide) shared their experiences highlighting the Blade Series’ features on camera, display and powerful processing.

Peter Jan Icogo (GizGuide), Vikka Francisco (The Modern Creatures), and Isa Rodriguez (Isa Does Tech)

The ZTE Blade V40 Design, Blade V40S and V41 Vita 5G are available online via Kimstore (https://bit.ly/ZTEKimstore) or through Cirebon and Qstar distributors nationwide.

REDMAGIC 8PRO: Up Your Game

RedMagic 8Pro

Together with the Blade series, ZTE proudly unveiled the RedMagic 8PRO, the latest line of the exciting RedMagic series from Nubia which thrives to create the best gaming experience. The phone is packed with futuristic designs and features to amazing performances. REDMAGIC delivers what every gamer needs to be the best they can be.

Professional host, athlete and gamer and a RedMagic user for years now, Eric “Eruption” Tai, was named the ZTE RedMagic 8PRO Ambassador and shared his amazing experience using the device. His first and foremost consideration as a gamer is unrivaled gaming experience enabling him to play without limits. RedMagic 8PRO is loaded with the fastest chipset ever–the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and paired with Red Core 2, REDMAGIC’s dedicated gaming chip LPDDR5X + UFS 4.0. It features True Full AMOLED Display + 2nd Generation Under-Display Camera for a bezel-less true full screen. Eruption also emphasized that it is packed with ICE 11-layer cooling system by nubia technology, made better by the eleventh layer of graphene under the screen, comfortable for continued day-to-day use.

A master of endurance, RedMagic 8PRO includes fast 65W charging to go the long haul with two 3000mAh batteries for a total of 6000 mAh battery life and more than a full day of juice. Gamers can also experience rapid reaction with its 520 Hz Dual Shoulder Triggers for that perfect mobile gaming experience.

RedMagic 8PRO will be available by March at ZTE’s distribution partner Cirebon Trading.

Eric “Eruption” Tai, ZTE RedMagic 8Pro Ambassador

ZTE will continue to leverage their extensive experience with telecommunications and information technology to bolster their smartphone line. The company is one of the trailblazers in offering superfast 5G wireless technology across various industries. ZTE actually ranked first in global mobile broadband and customer premises equipment or CPE markets in 2022, according to marketing research company Techno Systems Research. 

In closing, ZTE Philippine PR Manager Ms. Christine Tria reinforces that ZTE wants to make its presence felt and firmly leave a lasting footprint in the Philippines. She also mentioned the ZTE Privacy logo and Privacy Center that continues to comply with the applicable privacy protection laws and regulations in the countries and regions where we conduct businesses in. Through ZTE’s website www.zte.com.cn, users can understand ZTE's privacy protection philosophy and objectives, check out the privacy protection features of our products, and most importantly, consult regarding privacy protection issues.

In the Philippines, ZTE will continue to be the industry’s solid partner in driving the digital economy through key projects that were instrumental in expanding and providing innovative technology and cost-efficient solutions and products to support our customers. ZTE is excited about 2023 and looks forward to the Filipino’s continuous trust and support.

To know more about ZTE’s 5G innovations, visit and follow their official social media accounts @ztedevicesph on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok.
Share:

Search This Blog

Intellifluence google page rank

Featured Post

Pilgrim Commute Guide: Jubilee 2025 Churches in the Diocese of Antipolo

The Ordinary Jubilee Year of Hope began this January, and the Catholic Church has invited everyone to visit the designated Jubilee churches...

Archives