SOCIAL MEDIA

Paul Russell reminds us to smile on new track “Say Cheese”

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Paul Russell

New album, ‘Everything I Thought It Was’ to be released on March 15th

Today, rising rapper singer-songwriter Paul Russell is sharing new track “Say Cheese” out now via Arista Records. The official video will make its broadcast premiere on Wednesday, January 31st across MTV Live, mtvU, MTV’s Biggest Pop and the Paramount Times Square billboards. 

Russell’s signature feel good drive is written all over this one. On the inspiration behind it, he shares, “I wrote ‘Say Cheese’ on my birthday, a couple weeks after I quit my job and started traveling the world as a full-time artist. The song is meant to feel like a celebration - of life and of the fact that anything can happen. Take more photos so you can treasure those moments forever. So, ‘Say Cheese!’”

“Say Cheese” follows Russell’s highly acclaimed track “Lil Boo Thang'' which Billboard raved, “it is impossible to sit still when this infectious ditty comes on” and selected it on their 100 Best Songs of 2023: Staff Picks list. The song has been streamed over 250 million times globally, currently sits in the Top Twenty on Billboard’s Hot 100 and has been performed live across the world including appearances on Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, The Today Show, Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, France's NRJ Music Awards and more. On the radio end, the song landed at an impressive No. 5 at Top 40 Radio and was the No. 3 most played song across all radio formats in 2023. In the words of PopDust, “the Ivy League grad now has a hit on the Billboard charts and a career that’s taking off.”

Paul Russell’s “Say Cheese” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment/Columbia Records. Watch the lyric video here.
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Wellness Expo Offering Visitors to 'Go & Get Better' for Free

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Health & Wellness CONFEX 2024


An exhibit showcasing the health & wellness tourism products and services that are available in the market today – including beauty and anti-aging offerings from the country’s leading dermatology clinics and boutiques – is one of the main attractions of the Health & Wellness CONFEX 2024 that will be held on January 26-28, 2024 at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City. 

Co-presented by the Department of Tourism (DOT), in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and the Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corporation. The three-day event will allow visitors to experience a number of health and wellness services of the exhibitors for free. For instance, the DOT booth will have trained hilot who can apply this age-old Filipino healing technique on visitors on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Meanwhile, the DOH, which will have a five-section pavilion on the exhibition floor, will offer various consultation services. Section 1 will focus on dermatology and geriatrics, while Section 2 will provide nutrition and weight counseling. Healthcare professionals will man Section 3 which will offer HIV testing and counseling. Vaccination against flu will be available at Section 4, but this service will be limited to the first 115 visitors only per day. Section 5 will be for general consultations and for the monitoring of vital signs. Free medications may also be given to some visitors who need them.

This global initiative that aims to promote the Philippines as a health and wellness tourism destination will gather under one roof the stakeholders of the multi-trillion dollar health & wellness industry. These include award-winning wellness resorts to globally accredited hospitals that provide medical tourism packages, all the way to organic farms and specialty shops that offer a wide range of innovative, sustainable and eco-friendly health and wellness products and services.

With the theme “Go & Get Better,” this regenerative tourism-focused event will also feature a conference, business matching session, and various experiential activities. It is, in fact, the centerpiece of a global multimedia campaign that is designed to promote the country’s many health & wellness destinations, as well as its extensive array of health and wellness offerings.

As such, it will serve as the platform for launching an innovative television travel show-vlog that will allow viewers to explore the fascinating world of health & wellness amid the breathtaking natural wonders of the Philippines. Called OTW, the acronym for “On Travel & Wellness,” it will take viewers on a virtual trip to the country’s many tourist spots, while highlighting, at the same time, the importance of wellbeing, of keeping healthy and safe while leading an active lifestyle. Made up of 13 30-minute episodes, this show will feature stunning views of the picturesque beaches, magnificent dive sites, towering mountains and verdant woodlands that the Philippines is famous for. In addition, it will provide an in-depth look at the country’s diverse wellness practices – including traditional healing arts – through compelling anecdotes and discussions with regional experts. OTW will be aired on GMA 7’s GTV.

While Health & Wellness CONFEX 2024 is primarily designed to promote the Philippines as a world-class health & wellness tourism destination, it will also put a special focus on catering to visitors who have become more health-conscious because of the pandemic, and who are looking for ways to live healthy and safely, yet still actively, in an environment where COVID-19 has become as common as the flu. 

Another new segment forming part of the event, a wellness festival called Masigabo, is especially dedicated to Filipino migrant workers to be held on the third day of the expo. The Masigabo Wellness Festival consists of programs and activities that pay tribute to the industry and sacrifices of Filipino migrants, both Filipino immigrants and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). More importantly, these activities are designed to make them feel better, relaxed and valued. Experts will also be around to provide them with tips on how to remain healthy and improve their well-being amid issues confronting them.

And in line with this year’s theme, and with so many Filipinos living, residing, or working abroad, Masigabo seeks to encourage our Filipino migrants to become our country's active tourism ambassadors to tell their friends overseas to come to the Philippines where they can “Go & Get Better!”.

The event is likewise supported by the Department of Agriculture, Department of Migrant Workers, Tourism Promotions Board, and Duty Free Philippines.

The Health & Wellness CONFEX 2024 is also made possible by the following:

Major Sponsors: Philippine Retirement Authority, Enjoy Health, Lifecore Bio Integrative Inc., Dean & Deluca Philippines, The Zen Institute, Conrad Manila, The Farm at San Benito, Nurture Wellness Village, Organique, CWC Interiors, Networld Hotel, Lanson Place, Pots for Plants, and Center for Healthy Aging and Regenerative Medicine (CHARM), Lanson Place, Networld Hotel, Lime Hotels & Resorts, 

Minor Sponsors: Food Club, Sonia’s Garden, Annapoorna, Happy Garden Café, Holistic Integrative Care Center Philippines (HICC), Aba Pardes, Annapoorma, King Fu Express, Piggy Papa, The Belle Salon, Speir Modern Residences

Event Partners: IQ Capture Printing Corporation, Ark of Dreams, Market Social, SMX Convention Center, DigitalCircles Marketing Services, and Phildiz Studios;

Media Partners: GMA Network, ABS-CBN Corporation, GMA 7 GTV, Aliw Channel 23, Asian Journal, Balikbayan Magazine, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Business Mirror, Daily Tribune, Digital Out Of Home Media (DOOH), Manila Standard, Rising Tigers, DZRH, Entrepinas TV, and Quezon City Performing Arts Development Foundation Inc.

Telco Partner: Globe 

Organizers and Event Managers: Mblessed Travel & Marketing, Inc. and Concept One Management Services.

From the creative concept of Mblessed Travel and Marketing, Inc., the Health & Wellness CONFEX is spearheaded by a team of seasoned event organizers, wellness advocates, travel and tours agencies, and marketing and communication professionals, and with the country's wellness guru, Cory Quirino, as its Executive Director.

For any inquiries or to participate at Health & Wellness CONFEX 2024, you can reach its Secretariat by email at secretariat@wellnessconfex.com or by phone at 09277227670 (attention: Sarah Timonera).

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Shang welcomes the new year with an art-filled January

Saturday, January 13, 2024



Enjoy acclaimed films, live music, and a Chinese painting workshop at Shangri-La Plaza

Leading lifestyle and shopping destination Shangri-La Plaza is giving cinephiles, music lovers, and art aficionados more reasons to celebrate the brand-new year with an elevated take on entertainment. As a cultural hub in the metro, Shang is showcasing compelling films, live music, and an art workshop to start off 2024.

Head on over to the Red Carpet Cinema and catch Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and The Heron. The Golden Globe award-winning masterpiece from acclaimed Japanese auteur Hayao Miyazaki follows the story of Mahito Maki, a young boy who discovers a hidden world of magic as he looks to overcome a personal tragedy. Enveloped in Miyazaki’s trademark wonder and dreamlike world-building, viewers are poised to emerge with a profound, refreshed perspective on life, ready to embrace the challenges of the upcoming year.

No new year is complete without great music and that’s exactly what mall guests are getting as rising indie band SunKissed Lola returns for LIVE at the Shang! The band, which gained its first hit through 2023’s Spotify Top Track of the Year, Pasilyo, is bringing its own brand of buoyant Pinoy pop as it performs at the Grand Atrium on January 13 at 6:30PM for a night of great vibes and unforgettable tunes. 

Cinephiles rejoice as the Ateneo de Manila University Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies and the Ateneo Celadon, together with the People’s Republic of China and the Film Development Council of the Philippines, present the 18th Spring Film Festival at the Red Carpet Cinema from January 23 to 30. As one of the most celebrated Chinese-Filipino festivals in the country, the Spring Film Festival offers a range of introspective works exploring personal growth, cultural enrichment, and heartfelt relationships. 

The Spring Film Festival is also holding a Chinese painting workshop on January 27, letting mall guests learn more about Chinese culture ahead of the Lunar New Year festivities. 

Finally, 2024 may usher in all the luck and big prizes as Shang continues its Wishes and Wheels Shang Holiday Raffle Promountil January 31. One lucky winner will get to take home the newest off-road champ Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2024 that combines a nostalgic, retro design with modern innovations. Simply shop at any qualified Shang store and earn one digital raffle coupon for every single receipt of P2,500. Redeem it by scanning the QR code at the Concierge or by submitting details at raffle.shangrila-plaza.com/raffle

This 2024, Shangri-La Plaza is making every moment count with a spectacular lineup of arts and cultural offerings that add more fun and zing to a new beginning. 

For updates and inquiries, follow Shangri-La Plaza on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficial and on Instagram @shangrilaplazaofficial.





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Leah Halili releases introspective new track “Change”


The electronic-tinged pop song is produced by prolific musician Nick Lazaro, and penned by Leah herself

The Ransom Collective’s Leah Halili reflects on the difficulties of navigating the recent events in her life on her new single, “Change,” out on all digital music platforms worldwide this Saturday, January 13.

The introspective track serves as a love letter to the changes that one has to go through at some point in their adulthood, regardless of how drastic or trivial it is. As Leah Halili puts it, people need to overcome challenges in order to adapt to certain situations and welcome a sense of renewal. With “Change,” she wants to document her learnings through years of surmounting anxiety and fear, from embracing transformation in life without inhibitions to pushing a lever and switching paths—all in the name of new beginnings.

“The song touches on the brevity of life and the richness of experiences,” the Filipino singer-songwriter said. “It emphasizes the belief in enduring truths despite pain, focusing on the positive and hope that surround us.”

Produced by prolific experimental/indie artist Nick Lazaro, “Change” integrates dreamy, textured guitar lines with electronic elements. Temporarily veering away from the stripped-down and folk vibe of her previous releases, Leah embraces a more eclectic side of pop music while retaining the confessional nature of her songwriting.

She adds, “For this specific track, I wanted to achieve something really different compared to my previous singles: ambient, soft sounds with echoey vocals and a little bit of electric, dancey vibe. But at the center of it all is a pop tune that fits well with my personality. It’s still very me.”

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