Indie Film ‘Lababo’ Finalist in Zinebi Fest

Lababo is a story of two Filipinas who fall for the same American soldier. Coming at a time when the Philippines is taking a closer look at the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement in the wake of the conviction of US Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith for the rape of a Filipina at the Subic Bay Freeport in November 2005, it is a most timely and poignant short film. And it also a first for the country?the first Filipino finalist in the Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Films (Zinebi) of Spain.

4 RP Schools in the Top 500 World Universities of 2006

Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Institute of Higher Education has released its 2006 Ranking of World’s Top 500 Universities which is quite similar to the other rankings conducted by MIT and Stanford.

The top ten are:

1. Harvard University (USA)
2. Cambridge University (United Kingdom)
3. Stanford University (USA)
4. University of California – Berkeley (USA)
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)
6. CalTech (USA)
7. Columbia University (USA)
8. Princeton (USA)
9. University of Chicago (USA)
10. Oxford University (United Kingdom)

Four Philippine schools made it to the Top 500 this year (based from 2006) and they are:

1. University of the Philippines – ranked no. 299th
2. De La Salle University – ranked no. 392nd
3. Ateneo de Manila University – ranked no. 484th
4. University of Sto. Thomas – ranked no. 500th

To view the complete list, click here.

Pinoy Wins Yahoo Talent Search

Another sweet victory for the Philippines! A Pinoy have just won the Yahoo Talent Show, a nationwide search for the next internet celebrity. He is Zambales born Rex Germogino.

rex germogino

Rex has had a passion for music ever since he was a kid. He grew up with a family of musicians where he learned to appreciate different instruments, styles and music genres from big band to pop, classical to modem.

He was born on October 8, 1975 in Candelaria Zambales, Philippines. He and his family moved to Dededo, Guam when he was just 7. His father and mother continued to teach grade school and his father started the first Drum and Bugle Corps in Guam at Wettengel Elementary School where Rex and his twin brothers attended. Rex played the xylophone while his brothers played the bugle and on certain occasions, his older brother would assist the band of about 30 elementary school students in playing the trumpets or the drums.

Watch this cool music video of Rex called Love on the Internet which won 2nd Place in the 2006 San Diego Songwriters Guild Song Contest and 1st Place in 2006 Yahoo Talent Show. If you watch the 5 finalists, no one comes close. Rex’s video is overwhelmingly terrific. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this music video.

Lea Salonga at the Doha Games Closing Ceremony

Tony and Laurence Olivier award-winning performer Lea Salonga sings the theme of the recently concluded Doha Asian Games. This heartwarming song is called “Triumph of the One.”

Jimmy Marquez Wins Silver in Shanghai Musicfest

Jimmy Marquez, 2nd runner-up in ABS CBN’s Star in a Million season 2 and Viva Records’ latest singing champion, lived up to all expectations when he bagged the Silver Prize at the 2006 Asia New Singer Competition at The 9th Shanghai Asia Music Festival. The competition was held at the studios of the Shanghai Broadcasting Corporation. Jimmy was awarded a glass trophy and US$1000 in cash.

The promising soul balladeer performed two songs composed for him by ace songwriter and music producer Vehnee Saturno. Jimmy sang Today and Minsa’y Naging Bahagi. The latter is one of the cuts in his first CD release, which is also titled Jimmy Marquez.

RP Students Top 2006 World Robot Olympiad

3 High School students from Batangas representing the Philippines emerged as champion in the 2006 World Robot Olympiad. The robotics team of First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities (FAITH)?in Tanauan City, Batangas bested 30 other entries from 20 countries— including the Robotic expert countries like Japan, South Korea, Russia and Singapore. The team is composed of Kim Marco Perez, 14, Dan Joseph Garcia,13 and Francisco Gabriel Nunez, 14.

Hollywood Remake of ‘Sigaw’ to be Directed by Yam Laranas

Vertigo Entertainment, the producer of Hollywood remake of Japanese horror?classics?The Ring 1&2, The Grudge 1&2 and the Oscar frontrunner The Departed will produce the Hollywood version of Richard-Angel film Sigaw. Vertigo has?acquired the rights from Regal films, the?local distributor of Sigaw which have an international title The Echo. The original director Yam Laranas will also direct the Hollywood version of the movie and filming will start on March 2007.