Denzel Washington takes on the mafia in the gripping trailer for "The Equalizer 3"

Vengeance meets his equal. Denzel Washington is back as Robert McCall in the final chapter of The Equalizer.

Watch the action-thriller’s official trailer below and watch The Equalizer 3 in cinemas across the Philippines this August.

Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he’s done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends’ protector by taking on the mafia.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, and written by Richard Wenk, based on the television series created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim. The film’s cast is led by Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman and Gaia Scodellaro.

The Equalizer 3 is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

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ZTE reports Q1 2023 net profit of RMB 2.64 billion, Securing a 19.2% year-on-year growth with “precise and pragmatic operation”

ZTE Shenzhen

- Adopting the business strategy of "precision and pragmatism for steady growth"
- Harvesting a revenue of RMB 29.14 billion for Q1, an increase of 4.3% year-on-year
- Net cash flows from operating activities in Q1 increased by 95.9% to RMB 2.33 billion

April 2023, Shenzhen, China - ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a global leading provider of information and communication technology solutions, today announced a revenue of RMB 29.14 billion for the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 4.3% year-on-year.

Likewise, ZTE’s Q1 2023 results show that the net profit attributable to holders of ordinary shares of the listed company reached RMB 2.64 billion, an increase of 19.2% year-on-year. The net profit after extraordinary items attributable to holders of ordinary shares of the listed company for the same period was RMB 2.45 billion, representing a year-on-year rise of 25.7%. Its net cash flows from operating activities increased by 95.9% to RMB 2.33 billion, compared to the same period last year.

As the global environment remains complex and volatile in 2023 which poses challenges to corporate business operations, ZTE will continue to adopt the business strategy of "precision and pragmatism for steady growth". ZTE aims to enhance its foresight, resilience and adaptability to uncertainties by positioning its business precisely, allocating resources efficiently, and optimizing processes continuously.

With its long-term expertise in ICT full-stack core capabilities, ZTE delivers a comprehensive and efficient digital foundation across network, cloud network, and computing power to customers worldwide. It also capitalizes on the opportunities arising from China's digital transformation and artificial intelligence applications. The overall performance in the first quarter of 2023 is secured steady growth, as it continues its operational efficiency and resilience.

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Exclusive! Largest Nationwide Job Fair at SMX Manila this May 1!

SM Supermalls, the primary and official partner of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), invites you to join the BIGGEST Job Fair Nationwide!

Since 2008, Supermalls has been holding job fairs across various SM malls in the Philippines, and it’s making a big comeback in time for Labor Day at the SMX Convention Center! And even after May 1, this partnership will continue to keep their malls open as an official venue for job fairs all over the country.

The job fair aims to provide employment opportunities for job seekers as well as support the government's efforts to reduce unemployment in the country.

The job fair is open to all job seekers, including fresh graduates, returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and those who have been displaced from their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. DOLE has invited various companies to participate in the job fairs, offering a wide range of job opportunities in different industries such as retail, hospitality, business process outsourcing (BPO), and the like.

During the job fairs, job seekers can submit their resumes and undergo initial interviews with the participating companies. Some companies even conduct on-the-spot job offers, which means that qualified applicants can receive job offers on the same day.

As the official venue of DOLE for job fairs nationwide, Job Fairs will also take place on May 1 at SM City Grand Central, SM Southmall, SM City BF Paranaque, SM City Sucat, SM City Baguio, SM City Marilao, SM City Pampanga, SM City Olongapo Central, SM City Tuguegarao, SM City Cabanatuan, SM CDO Downtown Premier, SM City Davao, and SM City San Jose del Monte.

In recent years, LGU and PESO have also embraced online job fairs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when physical gatherings were restricted. This year, they strategically selected SM City Marikina and SM City Lipa (May 1) under LGU, and SM City Roxas (April 25 and May 1), SM City Bacolod (May 5 and 6), SM City Puerto Princesa (May 1), SM Cherry Antipolo (May 12), and SM City Novaliches (May 1) under PESO by connecting job seekers with employers and promoting employment opportunities.

Take your career to the next level with new opportunities and #ExperienceTogetherAtSM.

Grab this great opportunity to find your dream job! Visit the SMX Convention Center for the biggest and grandest job fair on May 1!

For more information and updates, check out www.smsupermalls.com or follow @SMSupermalls on social media.

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PETA Summer Workshop is BACK!

The Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) is back to offering its face-to-face summer theater workshops starting May 2023!

The year marks an important milestone for Philippine theater as this is the year stages reopened and live performances returned for Filipino audiences post-pandemic. As PETA celebrates its 56th year in the industry, and wraps up its last month of the successful and highly-anticipated run of its newest original musical, Rody Vera’s Walang Aray (a farcical adaptation of Severino Reyes’ class zarzuela Walang Sugat), we can expect more theater activities in store for everyone in the coming months!

The next big thing everyone can anticipate is the return of PETA’s annual Summer Workshops, which shifted to an online, and eventually, a hybrid set-up during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. From May-July 2023, PETA Summer Workshops will now take place fully in-person at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City, offering five courses:

● Children’s Theater 1 (6 to 8 years old) is a safe space for little kids to get immersed in the art of rhythmic movement, dance, songs, puppetry, storytelling, and many more;

● Children’s Theater 2 (9 to 12 years old) offers kids a journey of artistic discovery through music, visual arts, poetry, story writing, storytelling, and drama improvisation;

● Teen Theater (14 to 17 years old) employs PETA’s one-of-a-kind Integrated Theater Arts approach to create a combination of a fun and challenging workshop course designed for teens looking to nourish their artistic spirit through creative drama, sound and music, and visual arts;

● Musical Theater for Teens (13 to 17 years old) is rooted in experimentation and discovery for musically inclined teens, offering a workshop course that aims to develop the connections between body, music, and storytelling through various theatrical activities;

● Theater Arts (18 years old and up) is a beginner’s course for adults that will teach the fundamentals of theater acting, dramatic improvisation, and theater production;

● Acting 1 (18 years old and up) is an adult’s course that focuses on the specialized skill of acting, to develop and enhance one’s acting tools by exploring different acting styles and principles for experienced performers to level up in their discipline; and

● Creative Musical Theater (18 years old and up) is a course for musically inclined adults which explores the fine art of musical theater by allowing participants to experience the elements of musical performance, composition, and production in order to understand the harmonization of the different fields that make a successful musical show.

The PETA Summer Workshops offer a range of courses for people of all ages, and participants can expect to learn a range of skills, from the fundamentals of theater acting to creative drama, sound and music, and visual arts.

The PETA Summer Workshops have gained immense popularity among children and adults for their long-term impact, aiding participants in their respective fields and disciplines. The courses offer a unique opportunity to learn from experienced PETA Artist-Teachers, who have been part of iconic PETA shows like Walang Aray, Rak of Aegis, and CareDivas.

Registration and enrollment is currently ongoing. Interested applicants can register for PETA Summer Workshops 2023 now at www.bit.ly/petasummerworkshop! For more information, contact Betita Sarmiento at 0926-406-6858, betitasarmiento@petatheater.com, or follow PETA on its social media accounts: @petatheater.

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SUPER MARIO BROS. movie review

It's a total nostalgia for 80s and 90s kids who grew up with the best video game franchise. The Super Mario Bros. Movie takes us to all the worlds where the Italian plumbers Mario and Luigi have taken their adventure to.

The animation from Universal Pictures and Illumination has lots of elements from the video game that gamers will be spotting throughout the movie. It's an eye candy for the fans actually.

Though the plot is quite simple, Mario saving Luigi from the wrath of Bowser, needing lots of help from Princess Peach, Toad and the King Kongs, it excites the viewers to every scene. You'll be taken to the dark forests, rainbow road for a kart ride while powering up with mushrooms and fire flowers. It's a blockbuster treat that we really did not want to miss.

Super Mario Bros. Movie opens tomorrow, April 19 in theaters nationwide. Featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Keegan Michael Key, Seth Rogen and more.

Don't miss the scene at the end of the credits.

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DICK TALK - a no-nonsense talk about manhood.

The topic of the man's sex organ has been almost a taboo but this day and age slowly makes the people more open on the topic of its size and purpose in a person's life. In V-Roll Productions' theatrical debut, Dick Talk, the phallus is described not just an object of pleasure but also plays a vital factor in the character of 5 different men, who had their own share of stories that will make them treasure the thing between the thighs.

It starts with how men talk about things comfortably -- with drinks. They take the audience on a constant mention of the word titi / tite so everyone will be get used of the word and remove the awkwardness in the topic. The monologues surround men of different age groups, who will be talking about their thing maturely. Beginning with a young man played by Gold Aceron who pleases himself in front of pornographic materials and then caught in power outage that made him wonder about getting his confidence with his unusually-shaped banana. The performance tells us that it's perfectly normal for every guy to play with the dingdong while young and the little secrets are safe even to the closest people in your life.

The next  is interesting and perhaps getting the political insights shaken during the performance of Rob (Nil Nodalo) - a woman who identifies herself as a man to the extent that she is willing to undergo surgery. His statement at the opening is like an alarm that makes you think why did he mention "5 men with 4 dicks." His story raises the interest and deserve an applause for opening an understanding in the trans people.

Third is probably the best material in the series performed by Mikoy Morales. Cecile, a soft man often mistaken as gay firmly emphasizes as straight. His upbringing and vanity maybe the reasons why he is left by his only love. He also regarded the penis and sex (which he stressed as love making) as the very sacred and beautiful things for him - and the audience would definitely fall for his character because we will believe that there is still a person like him.

Mr. Archi Adamos' piece gives us an idea on where we'll be -- senior years. And our manhood is no escape from the sunset of urges. It makes us overthink of what to do when that time comes. We might be very nonchalant in our current state but he warns us that there will be a time that passion regresses.

Lastly, Jake Cuenca's monologue puts the vulnerability of the macho. If I'm not mistaken that he is also a side gigolo somehow chains him in the expectations of his clients or partners. Behind that strong, and friendly face that will take you to pleasure, his deep disappointments in himself makes him to retaliate to the world, I guess.

Dick Talk is not your expected titillating material that would suggest erotic innuendos. It's informative actually and gives an understanding of the male psyche. For me the best material is from Cecile (Mikoy Morales) because it suggests that the environment is a great factor in the personality development of a person. A man is influenced by his surroundings and there will come a point that an individual may suffer from these influences.

Dick Talk is now playing at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium until April 21. For tickets, you may visit https://premier.ticketworld.com.ph/shows/show.aspx?sh=DICKTALK23. 

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Xavier School president named 2023 Outstanding School Leader

The Henry Gaisano Outstanding School Leader award was conferred on Fr. Aristotle Dy, SJ, on April 15 at the Philippine International Convention Center. The award is known in Chinese as the Shi Weipeng (Cebu Anonymous) Model Educator Awards, which also recognizesoutstanding Chinese language teachers.

Fr. Ari Dy has been school president of Xavier School since 2013. His approach to education is to serve the needs of the 21st century learner, where the focus is on developing a growth mindset. This approach emphasizes the development of lifelong learning skills and attitudes rather than just focusing on the specific – and narrower – curriculum of each subject area. Assuring the quality of the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme for Senior High School students has proved to be one way of promoting academic rigor. This focus on growth and quality also involves the expanded integration of technology in education, highlighted by the school’s successful transition to online learning during the last three pandemic school years, and its status as an Apple Distinguished School. Living in a world that is transforming at a faster rate than ever experienced in history, he notes, “School leaders and teachers must constantly renew themselves. We must be bold in trying new things so that we can be better equipped to help young people who must navigate a world of constant change.”

Under Fr Ari Dy’s leadership, the school’s Chinese language program was strengthened and updated to fit the present-day context of the students. This includes a strategic shift to listening and speaking skills as the priority areas in learning the language, setting competence standards and using the HSK exams administered by the Chinese International Testing Center for international benchmarking, and the recruitment and professional development of teachers from China. The Xavier China Experience, a 6-week credited study trip to China for high school students of Xavier School San Juan, became a mandatory program under Fr Dy’s leadership. Through his efforts, the school also provides developmental assistance to other Chinese schools, namely Tiong Se Academy and Northern Rizal Yorklin School.

The award was established in 1984 by the Philippine Chinese Education Research Center at the behest of Mr. Henry Gaisano (Shi Weipeng) who wanted to anonymously promote the teaching of the Chinese language in the country by recognizing outstanding administrators and language teachers. It was only upon his death in 2004 that his son, Benito, revealed his identity to the community and pledged that the family would preserve their father’s legacy in Chinese-Filipino education. The recognition comes with a cash prize which Fr. Ari is donating to the scholarship fund at its Xavier School Nuvali campus to support full scholars, who are recruited from public schools in Laguna.

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