Moymoy Palaboy, New Print Models for a Stomach Acid Product!

On my way to my LRT ride yesterday, I saw this mint new tarpaulin ad of the now famous Moymoy Palaboy!

The brothers behind Moymoy Palaboy are now print models for a new stomach acid product !

For those who do not know Moymoy Palaboy (yet), just key in the name MoyMoy Palaboy via google and you are bound to discover that Moymoy Palaboy is the name of the two lip-synching Filipino siblings: 25-year old James Ronald Obeso(a.k.a. Moymoy) and his younger brother Rofil (22 years old, and the one who dons the unruly wig). Moymoy Palaboy debuted on the Internet in February 2007 and has since had a cult following among netizens, capturing sizeable hits and views for their uploaded videos of lip-synched music.

The most-watched Moymoy video is still the brothers’ versions of the Spice Girls’ song “Wannabe,” now with more than 4 million views and counting.

Since launching their lip-synching careers from their Pasay apartment, the two have gained popularity and are now seen as mainstays in the Iyo Tube portion of Bubble Gang, a popular GMA-7 show. And to think they just did their YouTube gig on a whim!

My hats off to these two guys!


Here is the "Wannabe" video:

Shaira Luna, the PROMIL gifted child

It was one of those blast-from-your-childhood-days moments. Together with my journalist friend Roel Hoang Manipon, I was able to attend the re-activation of the 90-year old milk brand Milkmaid at the fab resto Felix in Greenbelt 5 (Nov. 12, 2008). Imagine that--a brand from way waaay back! There, I was also able to meet anew Chef Florabel Co, who I initially came to know in 2004 at Le Souffle in Top of the Citi when they participated in the lamb food fest challenge organized by the Meat and Livestock Australia. I distinctly remembered eating and writing about the Seared Australian Lamb Loin in fig sauce. The sweetness of the fig sauce was rightfully complemented by the Rose Mount Shiraz that Chef Co personally recommended.

But what highlighted the event for me was seeing Shaira Luna herself carrying a Canon camera. Shaira, for those not familiar to her, was one of the original Promil Gifted Children, age eight, and titled junior anatomist in that 1995 TV commercial where she uttered the now famous lines "Heart. It is a hollow muscular organ located between the lungs..." I think, because of that TV commercial, every Filipino couple had since fancied about having a genius child in the family. And I do remember uttering those same lines as a comic relief around my friends just when everyone had run out of things to talk about. Shaira was a chubby child then, of course. Now she has prettily thinned out (it must be the heavy camera, hehe) but she retained the dimples and her beautiful eyes. She was baffled that I looked so familiar and was trying to remember where we've crossed paths before (I definitely must be getting oh so famous, haha). I told her that the first time I saw her all grown up was during the fiesta in my hometown province in Gumaca, Quezon two or three years ago, and I very much doubt that she had even seen a shadow of my hair at that time. And so there, happy that we've finally met, we exchanged contact numbers, and now, I'm waiting for her approval in facebook (nope, I have not turned hetero people). Googling her later that afternoon, I found out that she nearly became the youngest doctor at age 19 (taking up B.S. Human Biology at the DLSU Manila when she was 13) before she decided to call it quits to pursue a career in photography. Online info shows that she even hosted a segment in ABS-CBN’s Alas Singko Y Media and produced her own segments for Maganda Umaga Bayan until 2003. Well, the brain knows no bounds, but I'm happy for Shaira that she has, at least, found the center of her heart.

Check Shaira's works at www.shairaluna.tk or www.viewcards.com.ph

Meeting Judy Ann Santos in a French Gallery

Oct. 29, 2008 -
She was wearing a red dress and black heels. When she entered through the front door of the Alliance Total Gallery, one would have thought that one was already a part of a shoot for her latest TV endorsement of a slimming supplement. Almost everyone did look her way. It was Judy Ann Santos, the country's most recognizable actress to date who could cry copious tears at the drop of a hat. She arrived to support the exhibit of her fiance: fellow actor, host, and TV model Ryan Agoncillo.

The exhibit, titled "EPSON PRO: Partnership of Art and Technology," showcases EPSON printer-reproduced works of eight of the country's premier photographers and graphic designers such as BenCab, Bien Bautista, George Tapan, Jun de Leon, Quincy Castillo, Drew Europeo, Robert Alejandro, including Agoncillo. Two of Agoncillo's photographs were on exhibit: "Pagsulong," a 7 by 10.5 color photograph and "Tagak," a 9 x 6 color photograph. Agoncillo had previously exhibited the two works at the Meralco theater lobby during the premier of Santos' movie "Ploning," and was shot in Palawan during the filming of the said movie.

Judy Ann Santos had visibly become sexier and had that confidence about her. She initially had Ryan's hands locked in hers but was soon introduced to and engaged in a conversation with the tall National Artist for visual arts Bencab himself. Bencab, later, also was seen being photographed with her in front of his works: "Concealed/Revealed 1" and "Concealed/Revealed II". Seeing that Bencab did a photo-op with "the" Judy Ann Santos, who were we not to follow suit? But, of course, in such a French-y gathering, our group reined in our excitement and decided to wait a little bit longer for her to mingle around, and only made our move when we spotted her next in front of Agoncillo's work.

I personally have respect for Judy Ann Santos now, especially for producing "Ploning" herself, and because it was a noteworthy film. One can forgive her other films, but "Ploning" definitely merits a place in Philippine cinema history. And I was, myself, visibly glad that I finally did meet her in the flesh that night, a night beautifully imprinted on my mind.


*The exhibit, organized by EXTANT PR SYSTEMS, INC and headed by Ms. EVAN CARIAGA (tel. nos. 527-0478 / 536-5720), runs from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4, 2008. Portion of the exhibit sales will be donated to the GMA Kapuso Foundation.