Metroscene Mag - For the young, empowered & creative

Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa got his plot twist a day after his celebratory statement online On Tuesday, May 26, before the online Senate session ends, the Senators are already bidding their goodbyes when dela Rosa was heard telling his colleagues enthusiastically, "Ang sarap ng buhay. Sarap ng buhay. Ganito na lang tayo palagi ha," WATCH: “Ang sarap ng buhay. Sarap ng buhay. Ganito na lang tayo palagi ha,” Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was heard telling his colleagues in jest at the end of the Senate regular session on Tuesday, May 26. | @MRamosINQ pic.twitter.com/ck3fdGbFoQ — Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) May 26, 2020 Many people on social media slammed his insensitive statement knowing that the country is in a difficult time for two months already. What makes this so enraging is that Bato had the audacity to tease us with something we already know-- na ang sarap ng buhay ng mga hintay-sweldo pero nganga sa trabaho. His stressing the shamefu...

Photo source: ABS-CBN In collaboration with ABS CBN’s iWant TV and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the leading exponent of Philippine theater, Tanghalang Pilipino will be streaming six theater productions online starting on May 30 to June 30, 2020. The month-long event will showcase the productions of three native stories from the Philippines and three adaptations of William Shakespeare’s works in Filipino. Lam-Ang Photo source: ABS-CBN 'Lam-ang' is an ethno-epic musical inspired from the original story of Biag ni Lam-ang, an Ilocano folk epic of Luzon by Isabelo delos Reyes and translated in Filipino by Angel Acacio and Ariel Tabag. The production starred JC Santos as Lam-ang and Anna Luna as Kannoyan, Lam-ang’s beloved. Mabining Mandirigma Photo source: ABS-CBN 'Mabining Mandirigma' is about the legal and diplomatic heroism of Apolinario Mabini. The play is written by Dr. Nicanor Tiongson, and earned 12 out of 13 awards at...

From one online exhibit to another, the local art community is definitely doing its share of helping the frontliners and vulnerable communities amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Filipino Portrait Artists Guild (FilPAG), in partnership with the UP Alumni Association, recently launched “HANDOG LINGKOD,” an online fund-raising event curated by award-winning artist Grandier Bella to support our medical frontliners affected by the virus. Also Read:  FEU Visual Comm's MULAT exhibit is a haven of arts and awareness “The online exhibit is FilPAG’s way of expressing gratitude to the sacrifices of our frontliners by giving back, in the only way we know – by creating the best work we can do about our collective experiences with them during this crisis.” FilPAG secretary Grandier Bella expressed in an interview with Metroscene Mag. As of writing, there are twenty-four artworks on display by local artists. The artworks depicts frontliners in various sector...

K-pop girl group TWICE heard you want more? The nine-member girl group, consisting of Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu , is preparing for a comeback later this month with their ninth mini-album. JYP Entertainment has finally released Twice’s teaser image for their ninth mini-album 'More and More' and the girls are rocking their new concept. The “Feel Special” era may be over, but for sure this new album will send us to overdrive! If you remember, we first heard about the comeback when a documentary series entitled ‘Seize the Light’ premiered on Youtube last April 29, 2020 where the leader, Jihyo, announced the album's concept and release date. Twice's 9th mini album will be released on June 1st of 2020 with 7 tracks featuring MORE & MORE, OXYGEN, FIREWORK, MAKE ME GO, SHADOW, DON'T CALL ME AGAIN, and SWEET SUMMER DAY. We can't wait to hear these songs and make us go wild again! Text by: N...

What better way of showcasing art and tackling the nation's struggles in a pandemic than creating an exhibit online? A new Facebook page paves its way to a fresher and more dynamic way of telling a story and discussing the pressing issues of today. MULAT 2.0, is a visual arts page that was turned into life to present the projects and talents of Far Eastern University's (FEU) visual communication students. It is the second installment of a physical exhibit with the same name. Also Read:  This online exhibit is serving as a voice for the marginalized Filipinos In an interview, Herwin Cabasal, MULAT adviser, told the MetrosceneMag: "The theme of MULAT 2.0 - Visual Communication Exhibit for this season is 'Visual Expressions of Quarantine.' The objective of this edition is to express and present visuals that deal with the Enhanced Community Quarantine mandated to us by the government. Since we believe that this pandemic is already part of the Phili...

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Can Darna sing? The Filipino musical with gender-bending superhero is going off the stage to your screens as it streams online on May 30. ZsaZsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal will be streaming free on the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) YouTube page as part of their #CCPOnline initiative. Ze Muzikal, is based on Carlo Vergara’s graphic novel Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah, and was first staged in 2006 to 2011 in various locations like CCP and PETA theater by Tanghalang Pilipino. It was supposed to be a part of the theater company's musical lineup for its 35th theater season but the schedule was changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For those who might be wondering, May 30 is the target date for the streaming of the Zaturnnah musical. Since it's just a target date, best to wait for the official bonggang announcement of CCP. :) I'm as excited as you are. — Carlo Vergara (@vergaracarlo) May 12, 2020 The Filipino superhero...

It's been a long time coming!  I t’s been a while since BLINKS heard new music from Lisa, Jennie, Jisoo, and Rose. It's been a year since our first vibe with their last release in April 2019 with their EP, Kill this Love .  At last! In a May 18 announcement , YG Entertainment said that BLACKPINK has already  completed recording over 10 new tracks and finished working on their first official album! “As we’ve prepared for this album for a long time, we will release contents in three different terms so that the group will get opportunities to visit the fans with more contents and performances.” YG said. Aside from BLACKPINK’s long-awaited comeback, fans are also waiting for the group’s collaboration with Lady Gaga on her song “Sour Candy” from her upcoming album Chromatica , set to be released on May 29 Join the community of Young, Empowered, and Creative! Like, Follow, Subscribe to metroscenemag.com and our socials  Facebook ,...

Quarantine the artists, but never the art. The covid-19 pandemic stirred the world into panic. But above the chaos, artists have found ways to transform their creative energies into a calling. While the administration remains turtle-paced on recovering the nation, art served as a voice for the vulnerable, in volumes loud enough for the world to hear. Earlier this month, artists from Polytechnic University of the Philippines launched the online exhibit entitled: “ ISCOVIS: Iskolarian COVID-19 Visual Online Exhibit ,” with the goal of keeping Filipinos connected, inspired and awake during these stressful times. The online exhibit showcases artworks from twenty-five different artists of Concerned Artists of the Philippines -PUP Chapter and Molave Theatre Guild (MTG). Also Read:   Filipino Artists Are Supporting Frontliners With #addtokARTproject “There had been many artists who had been encouraging people to search and to explore on their creative outlet es...

#AtinAngPinas  It all started when China started to claim the West Philippine Sea. The Government has been quiet about it lately but the Chinese government is now busy establishing its foothold on our islands in the West Philippine Sea. A couple of months ago, President Rodrigo Duterte jokingly suggested to China that it make the Philippines as a province. "Kung gusto 'nyo, gawin 'nyo na lang kaming province, parang Fujian ," He said during the anniversary of the Chinese Business Club. Duterte jokes about PH becoming a province of China pic.twitter.com/iosvFrB2YX — CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) July 12, 2018 Before that, Red tarpaulin banners with the words, "Welcome to the Philippines, Province of China" already mysteriously appeared on footbridges across Manila. LOOK: Social media users, including former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, are reporting seeing banners saying "Welcome to the Philippines, Province of Ch...

music knows no language!  Thai Boys’ Love series “2gether”  has drawn a huge  following in the country and it looks like even our favorite Indie folk band Ben&Ben is into it. Our very own Ben&Ben jammed with Thai band Scrubb in a short video, a day before the airing of the final episode of Tine and Sarawat's story. The bands played Scrubb’s song “Everything” which is part of the series' soundtrack. Watch the performance below: Join the community of Young, Empowered, and Creative! Like, Follow, Subscribe to metroscenemag.com and our socials  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram . 

Who said  artists can't  join the  fight  against  Covid - 19? With the current rise of Covid-19 cases in the country, we’ve already seen celebrities and athletes come up with their own  Covid-19 relief efforts. Now, Filipino young artists are also stepping up to provide assistance through the “add to kART project.” Twenty-five artists from the Polytechnic University of The Philippines (PUP), Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP), International Institute of Human Capital (IIHC) , Technological University of the Philippines (TUP), University of the Philippines (UP), Our Lady Of Fatima University (OLFU) and Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation (MSEUF) decided to accept commissioned artworks in exchange for cash donations to purchase face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontliner attending to COVID-19 patients. Read Also:  Turn Yourself Into a Filipina Heroine Using This App Jerico Garcia , one ...

Do they really think we're that stupid? Apparently, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is now under fire because of a birthday party-- this might sound crazy, but it's true! The NCR Police Chief Debold Sinas was spotted hosting his birthday party with his men, complete with rose giving ceremony and all that. But based on the photos circulating online it looks like social distancing and face masks left the party early. PNP chief Archie Gamboa even defended the event saying that he doesn’t see anything wrong with it. wut?  In a statement, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas explained that he did not intend to disobey any existing protocols related to the enhanced community quarantine, which was implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19. "I apologize for what transpired during my birthday that caused anxiety to the public," he said. He said some of the photos that had been circulating online were ...

Cheers to our frontliners! As challenging as our current situation has been, it’s undeniable that we are kept out of harm’s way—able to work and be with our loved ones—because our frontliners answered the call to fight this pandemic. Some local brands have shown their support for our frontliners through their products. Just look how Ginebra San Miguel Reimagines Its Label to support our frontliner. The original label used the artwork of the National Artist Fernando Amorsolo, which depicts Saint Michael the Archangel slaying a demon. The iconic label has become a symbol of hard work and perseverance recognized by every Filipinos for more than 185 years of inuman. “In this pandemic, brands must become relevant. Now that the world is at a standstill, our frontliners are the ones who keep things moving. Their selfless efforts coupled with their ‘Tunay na Tapang’ serve as inspiration to us here at Ginebra San Miguel and to Filipinos all over the world as we continue to...

Social distancing doesn’t mean social disconnection.  The organisers of the Metro Manila Pride and Festival have made the decision to cancel this summer's event due to the Coronavirus crisis. "Whether on the streets or in our homes, Pride must live on in each of us and in our solidarity within and outside the LGBTQI+ sector." the organization posted on their Facebook page. There’s no concrete plan yet on what will happen on June but the Parade organizers are already doing their best co come up with the best virtual pride parade the Philippines will ever experience. “We may not fill the streets but we will still be as loud and as proud in as many digital channels as possible.” The organization invite everyone to tune in to their social media pages and their website in the next few weeks the announcement of the online events and activities. Join the community of Young, Empowered, and Creative! Like, Follow, Subscribe to metroscenemag.com and our so...

Wow who? What? The government-owned Radyo Pilipinas is now under fire on social media after a video of its segment “Wow China” surfaced on the internet. According to its facebook page, WOW CHINA! is a cultural-feature program that mainly focuses on China’s and Philippines’ tradition, culture and history and its differences and similarities. The government owned AM radio station has been airing the   “collaborative program”  si nce September last year.  Yep! as a government owned station, Taxpayers pay for it too. With the current issues of the country with China, the radio program rubbed Pinoy netizens the wrong way. Here are some of their reactions. "In the service of the Chinese Government." PH state media, Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS) is running a Chinese Show titled "Wow China." Ipinasara ang atin, tinatangkilik ang sa mga dayuhan. (Disappointed but not surprised). pic.twitter.com/TbgMFwznZS — billy (@_lliby) May 11, 20...

The Cast Of RuPaul's Drag All Stars 5 Has Been RuVealed!  For months, rumors & speculation about the cast of All Stars 5 flooded the internet. Now, the queens from the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars are ready to strut the runway. The season will premiere on Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m. ET on VH1 Without further aRu, here are your AS5 queens, along with descriptions courtesy of VH1: Also Read:  Lady Gaga's New Album Chromatica Finally Has A Release Date  Shea Couleé (Season 9) Twitter: @SheaCoulee , Instagram: @SheaCoulee Blair St. Clair (Season 10) Twitter: @BlairStClair , Instagram: @Blairst.Clair Miz Cracker (Season 10) Twitter: @Miz_Cracker , Instagram: @Miz_Cracker Jujubee (Season 2, All Stars 1) Twitter: @Jujuboston , Instagram: @Jujubeeonline Ongina (Season 1) Twitter: @Ongina , Instagram: @Ongina Derrick Barry (Season 8) Twitter: @DerrickBarry , Instagram: @Derrick...