Focus on the Philippines: Supercouple AlDub to star in first TV series

Plus: Elha Nympha to appear on Steve Harvey’s Little Big Shots; rock band Journey perform patriotic Filipino anthem at concert; Filipino designers showcase at London Fashion Week; three Filipino films screen in Portugal festival.

Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards. Courtesy GMA Films

Alden Richards and Maine “Yaya Dub” Mendoza, known as the popular on-screen couple AlDub (a portmanteau of their names), will appear in their first romantic-comedy television series.

The programme, titled Destined to be Yours, will air daily on the Filipino network GMA Network beginning February 27. The show will also air worldwide, including in the UAE, on the international network GMA Pinoy TV.

The show marks the duo's first television project since they catapulted into fame on the variety programme Eat Bulaga!, where they have appeared on a fictional rom-com segment since the summer of 2015.

"I am excited to finally see the things we have been working on," said 21-year-old Mendoza, who was discovered by the producers of Eat Bulaga! after her comedic videos on YouTube went viral in the Philippines.

Directed by Irene Villamor, the series Destined to be Yours will also feature the ensemble cast of Janice de Belen, Gardo Versoza, Boots Anson-Roa and Lotlot de Leon.

Elha Nympha to appear on Steve Harvey’s Little Big Shots

Twelve-year-old singing sensation Elha Nympha, who won the reality-television competition The Voice Kids Philippines in 2015, will appear in a forthcoming episode of Little Big Shots, a children's talent show out of the United States broadcast on the US network NBC.

Nympha’s performance is currently being featured in promotional teasers for the show’s upcoming second season, which will premiere on March 5. In one clip, she opens the video by singing, “Welcome to season two of Little Big Shots”.

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Nympha, who used to work as a market vendor with her mother prior to winning The Voice Kids Philippines, has confirmed her appearance on Little Big Shots by sharing a promotional poster of the show on her social media accounts.

Little Big Shots is produced and created by Ellen DeGeneres and presented by Steve Harvey, who was in the Philippines last month to host the Miss Universe pageant.

Rock band Journey perform Filipino anthem at concert

At their concert in Manila last weekend, United States rock band Journey delighted their fans with a cover of the Filipino song Bayan Ko (My Country), one of the most popular patriotic tracks in the country and often considered the unofficial second national anthem of the Philippines.

Led by Filipino vocalist Arnel Pineda, the band performed a three-minute rendition of the song as the audience cheered and sung along.

The band’s sold-out show at the Mall of Asia marked their second concert in the Philippines, after their first visit back in 2009.

Pineda, 49, joined the band in December of 2007 after the members of Journey hunted for a replacement for departed vocalist Steve Perry. The group, comprised of lead guitarist Neal Schon, bassist Ross Valory, drummer Steve Smith and keyboardist Jonathan Cain, discovered Pineda’s YouTube videos and were impressed with his soaring covers of Journey’s songs.

Last October, Pineda performed a much-awaited homecoming concert in Manila along with The X Factor UK's girl group 4th Impact, another Filipino act that has made waves on an international stage.

Filipino designers showcase at London Fashion Week

Two young names in Filipino fashion showcased their designs on the runways of London Fashion Week, which runs until February 26.

Herrera appeared as part of a design competition called Britain’s Top Designer. His collection, which was named Aguila (the Filipino word for eagle) and featured large graphic prints of the animal, won him the competition’s top prize. Herrera previously showcased his work in the English capital after winning the London Emerging Designer award back in 2015.

Meanwhile, Andrada showcased her work as part of a London Fashion Week section called Fashion Scout, an international showcase for up-and-coming designers from around the globe. Her collection was inspired by tribal attire from the Philippines and featured an array of trimmings such as fringe, feathers and crystals.

Filipino films screen in Portugal festival

Three Filipino films have been selected to compete at the Oporto International Film Festival, which is being held in Portugal from tomorrow (February 24) until March 4.

Saving Sally, a live-action animated feature directed by Avid Liongoren, will compete in the festival’s main section. Headlined by actors Rhian Ramos and Enzo Marcos, the film premiered at the recent Metro Manila Film Festival.

Roderick Cabrido's Tuos (The Pact) will also screen in the competition section. Starring Filipino superstar Nora Aunor, the family drama was shot entirely in a village in the central Philippine island of Panay.

Eduardo Roy Jr's crime drama Pamilya Ordinaryo (Ordinary Family) has also been selected for by the festival, appearing in the showcase section Directors' Week.