Monday, March 16, 2026
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The film’s arrival coincides with the growing debate in the local music industry about exploitation, unfair treatment, and sexism
Songs For Selina, an independent music-themed drama about two musical soulmates whose friendship was tested by the cutthroat music industry, will officially premiere in select cinemas across Ayala Malls starting March 18, 2026.
The timing of the release proved strikingly timely after a young female artist’s revelation about the exploitative practices and unfair treatment of the record label industry went viral.
Jay R, who serves as the film’s executive producer, describes Songs For Selina as both a love letter and a critique of the industry that he loves, advocating for reforms that ensure artists receive respect, fairness, and rightful compensation for their work.
“We hope Filipino audiences take away the importance of discernment—being mindful of what you wish for and why,” the king of R&B adds. “Not everything that glitters are gold, and every opportunity comes with a cost. At its core, the film is a reminder to stay anchored in your values and moral compass, especially when navigating ambition and success. Knowing what you’re entering a career for—and holding on to who you are—matters deeply in staying whole and intact through the inevitable highs and lows of the journey.”
The film stars Mica Javier and Rachel Coates, as Selina and Maya, alongside a powerhouse ensemble from stage, music, and television: Rachel Alejandro, Audie Gemora, Nicole Laurel, Leanne Mamonong, Gian Magdangal, Gabby Padilla, and Jay R.
Having spent much of her life pursuing music and entertainment, lead star and co-producer Mica Javier notes that the story of Songs For Selina holds a special place for her, as it mirrors aspects of her journey as an artist.
“The film explores the highs and lows artists experience while chasing their dreams, and the sacrifices that often come with that pursuit,” Mica explains. “I joined this venture because I believe these stories deserve to be told with honesty and heart. It was also important to me to help create a platform that showcases Filipino creatives to a global audience.”
Prior to its Philippine release this month, Songs For Selina first made waves in the US, after it got picked up last year by Amazon Prime US and Tubi, two of the biggest streaming platforms for movies and serialized content.
Songs For Selina is brought to you by Homeworkz Entertainment and is distributed in the Philippines by Black Cap Pictures.
MANILA, March 3, 2026 – Acer has officially marked two decades of market leadership in the Philippines, maintaining its position as the country’s No. 1 laptop brand for 20 consecutive years from 2006 to 2025. This historic milestone is supported by the IDC Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker, Q4 2025, the premier global provider of market intelligence for information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. Acer also reached an all-time high in consumer laptop market share of 37.3% in 2025, according to Nielsen-GfK data. Its leadership is evident in the consumer gaming and non-gaming segments, with 40.5% and 36.1% market share, respectively.
“We are incredibly proud to have earned the trust of Filipino consumers for twenty years,” said Sue Ong-Lim, Managing Director of Acer Philippines. “We will continue to serve our consumers in ways we know best to remain the top-of-mind computer brand in the country.”
Sustained growth and market dominance stem from Acer’s accessible premium positioning. This is bolstered by a strong retail footprint, an extensive service center network, leadership in the esports sector, strategic partnerships with brand ambassadors, and effective promotions.
Acer is known for a comprehensive laptop portfolio across every price bracket without compromising on quality or performance. The Aspire series remains the gold standard for students, delivering a perfect balance of reliability, efficiency, and durability. The Nitro series offers an impressive suite of high-end specifications and robust processing power, ensuring premium performance remains accessible to a wide range of gaming enthusiasts.
Acer is also focused on growing the esports industry through events such as the Asia Pacific Predator League. Additionally, strategic partnerships with icons like the “Kings of P-pop,” SB19, have successfully bridged the brand with a new generation of digital natives.
For more information about Acer, follow Acer Philippines on social media: @AcerPH on Facebook or visit www.acer.com.
Low battery doesn’t just happen to phones anymore, it happens to everything you carry - from earbuds, watches, small accessories, and even travel essentials. Instead of scrambling for an outlet or carrying extra chargers when there’s a need to power up those gadgets, the OPPO A6 Pro makes those moments easier with Reverse Wired Charging, letting you share power straight from your phone. Add its large battery and fast refills, and the OPPO A6 Pro becomes the kind of device that keeps your day moving.
Flip the cable, fuel your gear
Reverse charging on the OPPO A6 Pro is built for real-life moments. Using an OTG connector, you can plug in another device and the phone shares power at 5V/1.0A. It’s the kind of feature that quietly saves the day, whether it’s earbuds dying mid-commute, a smartwatch running low while traveling, or even powering small essentials like a portable fan when the heat hits. Across the OPPO A6 Pro lineup, it makes the phone feel less like a single device and more like a hub for everything you rely on.
Long days, no flinching
The OPPO A6 Pro doesn’t just last, it’s built for it. The 4G model tucks in a 7,000mAh pack, and the 5G version runs a 6,500mAh cell, setting clear expectations for stamina before you even look at specs. Endurance feels like a weekend battery on a weekday grind, and OPPO’s cycle testing points to long-term health, with capacity holding above 80% after 1,830 charge cycles. Put plainly, it’s ready to share power because there’s plenty to go around.
Short plug-in, long play
Reverse charging only works if refills are quick and that’s where 80W SUPERVOOC™ comes in. The OPPO A6 Pro can reach a full charge in about an hour, while a five-minute plug-in gives a noticeable boost for those between-meeting dashes. The system also manages heat and protects the battery, so fast charging doesn’t come at the expense of long-term reliability.
Day to day, that means fewer compromises. When your own battery dips, a short pit stop gets you back to sharing power, gaming, or navigating without missing a beat. With Reverse Wired Charging, a 7,000mAh or 6,500mAh battery, and 80W fast charging, the OPPO A6 Pro becomes more than a phone, it becomes the center of a small ecosystem you carry, and sometimes, share.
Get it at OPPO stores nationwide or online via Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop, and the official OPPO Online Store.
OPPO A6 Pro Pricing
● OPPO A6 Pro 4G (Coral Pink and Lunar Titanium)
○ 8GB + 256GB - PHP 15,999
● OPPO A6 Pro 5G (Coral Pink and Stellar Blue)
○ 6GB + 128GB - PHP 13,999
○ 8GB + 256GB - PHP 18,999
Online Exclusive perks on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok
● PHP 500 off OPPO voucher
● 6 months 0% interest installment via SPayLater
● Up to 0% interest installment via LazPayLater
● Up to 12 months installment via TikTok PayLater
OPPO Online Store Benefits
The OPPO Online Store is offering exciting benefits when you purchase the OPPO A6 Pro, with redeemable vouchers using OPPOints via the My OPPO App until February 28, 2026.
● PHP 300 voucher – 500 OPPOints
● PHP 500 voucher – 1,000 OPPOints
● PHP 700 voucher – 2,000 OPPOints
● Free Shipping
● Comes with OPPO Enco Buds3 + 1-Year Extended Warranty
Postpaid Plans
● Globe GPlan1499 with ZERO Cashout - OPPO A6 Pro 5G (8GB + 256GB)
● Smart Signature Plan+999 - OPPO A6 Pro 5G (6GB + 128GB)
Flexible Payment Options
● Home Credit - Pay in 6, 9, 12, 15, or 18 months at 0% interest + PHP 500 discount from November 1 to 30 (only for OPPO A6 Pro 4G and OPPO A6 Pro 5G 8GB + 256GB)
● Credit Cards - 0% interest for 6 or 12 months on select banks
Know more about the OPPO A6 Pro by visiting OPPO Philippines’ official website
GCash team paid a courtesy visit to BARMM chief minister Abdulraof “Sammy Gambar” Macacua
In support of the commitment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to promote inclusive and people-centered progress, GCash, the country’s leading finance app, took part in the 7th Bangsamoro Foundation Day by working alongside the Bangsamoro Government to deliver initiatives focused on digital inclusion, financial literacy, and community empowerment.
Recognizing that limited access to banking infrastructure remains a barrier to economic participation in many Bangsamoro communities, GCash partnered with the Ministry of Human Settlements and Development (MHSD) and the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) to bring practical, entry-level digital financial tools closer to citizens. Through these collaborations, the initiative aimed to reach households, beneficiaries, and communities that are often underserved or excluded from the formal financial system.
To help more Bangsamoro residents join the formal financial system, GCash also provided easier access to the GCash Visa Card. This lets users use their digital wallet for everyday purchases, even in places that still require a card. With more ways to pay safely and conveniently, users can participate more actively in the local economy and the shift toward digital payments.
Complementing access, GCash emphasized financial capability and protection through guided demonstrations and financial literacy sessions. Participants were introduced to practical digital wallet use cases relevant to daily life, such as remittances, bill payments, and essential purchases. Residents also took part in financial literacy sessions that focused on cybersecurity, fraud awareness, and responsible digital behavior. These sessions aimed to ensure that adoption of digital finance is safe, informed, and sustainable, particularly for first-time users, PWDs, children, and senior citizens.
“Financial inclusion is more than about access to tools; it is about enabling people to participate fully in the economy and in society,” said CJ Alegre, Head of Sustainability at Mynt, parent company of GCash.
“By working closely with the Bangsamoro Government and engaging communities on the ground, we help ensure that digital finance becomes a practical, safe, and empowering resource for everyday life. When more people are connected to the formal financial system, entire regions benefit through greater economic activity, resilience, and opportunity,” he added.
The participation of GCash in the Bangsamoro Foundation Day reflects its broader strategy to deepen presence in BARMM by combining access, education, and partnerships. By engaging directly with communities and local government stakeholders, the initiative contributed to building trust in digital financial services and supporting the region’s transition toward a more inclusive and resilient digital economy.
Through sustained on-ground engagement and collaboration with regional partners, GCash continues to advance digital inclusion nationwide, helping ensure that communities in BARMM are not left behind as the country moves toward a cash-lite, digitally empowered future.
For more information, please visit www.gcash.com.
Choreographed by BP Artistic Director Mikhail Martynyuk, with a libretto by Sheree Chua and original score by Ronald Vincenzo Khaw de Leon, PAGLALAKBAY explores movement in its many forms: migration, dance, emotion, and the enduring motion of culture across generations.
“Migration is often framed as displacement, but my mother showed me that movement can also be expansion… a widening of self without losing origin,” Chua reflects. “This ballet becomes both historical and intimate—a narrative of seafaring peoples, and a tribute to the woman who taught me how to move through the world.”
Martynyuk’s choreographic vocabulary echoes the terrain of Batanes: grounded footwork resisting wind; tilting bodies leaning into invisible currents; hands functioning like tools, echoing gestures of sailors. Classical technique forms the skeleton, but the island landscape becomes the language.
“Batanes is wind, rocks, and ocean. As the scenery changes, the quality of movement changes,” Martynyuk explains. “The choreography becomes the narrator.”
Landscape, Wind, and Memory: The Visual World of Paglalakbay
For visual artist and production designer Leeroy New, the artistic process began far from the stage. Before creating any designs, New and his team, including assistant designer Arvie Santos, traveled to Batanes in search of the land’s atmosphere, materials, and elemental forces. Their goal was not to replicate Batanes literally, but to understand how its environment shapes life.
In Batanes, wind never stops moving. Grasslands shift in constant motion. Cliffs fall sharply into restless seas. Horizons extend endlessly. Experiencing these conditions firsthand allowed the design team to observe how land, weather, and daily life intertwine in a place defined by both beauty and exposure.
“We wanted the stage to move like Batanes—waves hitting rocks, wind cutting across grass, landscapes shaped by centuries of elemental force,” says New. “The land itself became our collaborator.”
Costumes also respond to movement rather than imposing form. Natural fibers ripple with the dancers’ motions, becoming metaphors for tall grasses bending in the wind or waves rolling across open water. The result is a stage environment where dancers and landscape breathe together, evoking horizons both vast and humbling.
A Ballet Born From Community
PAGLALAKBAY was shaped by BP’s Ballet Brigade outreach program in Batanes. In May 2024, more than 200 locals (elders, students, community leaders) joined BP dancers at Batanes National Science High School for a day of cultural exchange. Stories were shared, dances performed, and traditions celebrated.
This encounter became the emotional spark of the libretto and affirmed the belief that dance can bridge histories, nurture understanding, and activate cultural memory.
A Season Finale Rooted in Identity
“Ending our 56th Season with ‘PAGLALAKBAY’ was a bold investment,” says BP President Kathleen Liechtenstein. “It reflects our belief that local indigenous stories deserve the grand scale and artistic rigor of the classical stage.”
Liechtenstein hopes audiences leave with a deeper appreciation of the massive Austronesian migration of 3000 BCE—one of humanity’s great movements—and a renewed sense of pride in Filipino identity.
“Our stories are epic,” she says. “Resilient, profoundly human, and universally interconnected.”
Performance Details
“PAGLALAKBAY: The Journey of the Sea People”
April 10–12, 2026
The Theatre at Solaire
Tickets available via: www.ticketworld.com.ph, www.ballet.ph, and Solaire Box Office
About Ballet Philippines
Founded in 1969, Ballet Philippines is the country’s premier professional dance company and the first resident company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. With over 400 works in its repertoire, BP continues to shape contemporary Filipino identity by blending classical technique with distinctly Filipino storytelling.
This season, under the theme Our Stage, The World, BP continues its mission to bring Filipino narratives to global audiences.
Rising P-Pop group VVINK has dropped “Kailan Ka Aamin,” which serves as the first pre-release single from their upcoming full-length debut album under FlipMusic. Written by acclaimed Filipino songwriter Nica del Rosario and produced by Julius James “Bojam” De Belen, the catchy pop ballad introduces a more intimate direction for VVINK in terms of musicality and songwriting.
A tender, coming-of-age confession, “Kailan Ka Aamin” was inspired by the Thai Girls Love (GL) pair “MilkLove,” and the playful dynamic fans have associated with them. It’s a story many listeners will instantly recognize: two people who clearly feel the same way, yet neither has gathered the courage to say it out loud.
Instead of the usual perspective of someone secretly admiring a crush, the song unfolds from the point of view of the one on the receiving end: someone who senses the same feelings but is growing impatient with the silence. Drawing from the Filipino experience of being a “yearner,” the track embraces the emotional language of young love: hallway glances, teasing friends, unsent messages, and the courage slowly building toward confession.
“Kailan Ka Amin was inspired by MilkLove, my favorite Thai GL pair who have starred together in various GL series such as 23.5 and Whale Store XOXO,” Nica del Rosario, the song’s composer, explains. “Their Pinoy fans have playfully equated the question, “kailan ka aamin?” with their dynamic after one interview when they were asked what they would do if they liked someone. Milk said that she doesn’t have the nerve to confess, while Love said she won’t confess either and will just wait for the person to make a move. These remarks led their fans to jokingly say that they’re playing a game of “tagu-taguan ng feelings. (hiding feelings in English).”
Production and collaboration
Sonically, “Kailan Ka Aamin” weaves bubblegum pop influences with ‘80s-inspired production and effervescent melodies. The production balances warmth and restraint, allowing VVINK’s delicate vocal style to take center stage while building a wistful atmosphere that mirrors the song’s emotional anticipation. From its soft opening to its sweeping chorus, the bop carries a dreamlike quality that sets it apart from its previous releases.
“Working with Sir Jumbo De Belen and Ms. Nica del Rosario was such a great experience for us,” shares VVINK in a press statement. “When we first heard the demo, the emotion was already very strong. They really guided us through the meaning of the lyrics, so we understood the story before recording. The demo felt personal, but the final version feels complete. It still has the same heart, but now it sounds more VVINK.”
Beyond the recording itself, the five-member powerhouse maintained a sense of ownership carried throughout the entire production process. With encouragement from the production team, the female pop group contributed ad-libs and interpretive nuances that ultimately define the track’s character. They also stayed closely involved in other aspects of the behind-the-scenes work, including contributing ideas for concepts, styling, and even vocal arrangements during studio sessions.
Music video
“Kailan Ka Aamin” arrives alongside a visually striking music video helmed by Nolan Bernardino with Dondi Narciso. Stripping the concept down to its barest essentials, the visuals highlight both performance and atmosphere, presenting VVINK’s performance against both an urban skyline and a dreamlike forest setting.
According to Bernardino, the concept centers on showcasing the group’s natural charisma and beauty. “The music video is as simple as it gets,” Bernardino reveals. “Here we highlight a different side of the girls. This video is all about beauty: the beautiful vocals and performance, with a very pleasant but dynamic choreography. It is a performance that you just want to watch over and over again.”
For VVINK, filming “Kailan Ka Aamin” was indeed a memorable experience. “Working with Direk Nolan Bernardino and Direk Dondi Narciso has always felt light,” the Filipino femme alphas reveal. “They make collaboration fun and creative, allowing everyone to freely share ideas while still feeling guided and aligned.”
As the group’s first release of the year, “Kailan Ka Aamin” marks a new era for VVINK, ushering in a period of intentional artistic involvement and willingness to explore new sonic and storytelling approaches.
VVINK’s “Kailan Ka Aamin” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Flipmusic.
The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), through e-wallet platform VYBE, continues to make cashless payments faster and more convenient for customers, while offering rewards.
VYBE, with its new partnership with fast-growing brand But First, Coffee, allows its users to enjoy a FREE 16 oz. Iced Vietnamese Style or Ice Caramel Coffee for a minimum ₱150 payment via QR Ph using VYBE.
On top of the free drink, users will also earn 100 BPI Rewards points for every qualified transaction. The offer is available for dine in, take out, and over the counter orders at participating stores until March 31, 2026.
Claiming the free drink is simple: users only need to present the VYBE transaction confirmation to the cashier after payment. The complimentary drink may be redeemed the same day the purchase was made.
The collaboration makes small cashless transactions easier and more rewarding for customers at neighborhood cafés. As But First, Coffee expands nationwide, both brands can reach more customers seeking convenient, value driven experiences.
“We see a strong alignment between VYBE’s promise of a rewarding e-wallet and But First, Coffee’s commitment to providing quality beverages more accessible to everyday consumers,” said Frederick Faustino, Head of Digital Partnerships and Ecosystems at BPI. “As their footprint continues to grow, this partnership allows us to incorporate VYBE into the everyday spending moments of more Filipinos,” he added.
To further bring the partnership to life, VYBE Tambayan pop-up events were held at But First, Coffee branches in LAX Alabang–Zapote Road, Mall of Asia, and BGC last February 14 and 15.
These pop-up events had games and exclusive treats for VYBE users—creating fun, social spaces for customers to hang out and enjoy the perks of paying with the app.
More VYBE Tambayan events are coming soon in partnership with other merchants, so stay tuned to BPI’s official social media channels for updates and announcements.
To learn more about the promo, visit https://www.bpi.com.ph/personal/rewards-and-promotions/promos/masaya-sa-but-first-coffee-promo.
VYBE can be downloaded via Google Play or the App Store. Customers may also learn more about the app by visiting www.bpi.com.ph/vybe.
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