Just like the other Filipinos who saw the Manny Pacquiao versus Juan Manuel Marquez fight in Las Vegas last December 9, Gerald Anderson said he was shocked and saddened to see the “Pambansang Kamao” get knocked out in the sixth round. “Siyempre nadurog puso ko nun. Naiyak nga ako eh. Naiyak ako nung napanuod ko but at the end of the day, manalo, matalo, you know he’s still our hero and siya pa rin ang Pinoy pride natin,” he told Push.com.

Leads competition in total day ratings across all areas Broadcast giant GMA Network, Inc. (GMA) is set for a strong finish this 2012 as it continues to lead rival networks in nationwide tel- evision ratings, according to par- tial year data from the industry’s widely recognized ratings supplier Nielsen TV Audience Measurement. For the period January to No- vember 2012 (November 25 to 30 based on overnight data), GMA re- corded an average total day (6 AM to 12 MN) household audience share of 34.6 percent in National Urban Philippines or NUTAM; up 3.1 points from ABS-CBN’s 31.5 percent, and up 19.6 points from TV5’s 15 percent.

ABS-CBN Corporation, the country’s largest and leading multimedia conglomerate, con- tinued its lead among urban and rural households in the country for the month of November with a total day average national audi- ence share of 41%, or ten points higher than GMA’s 3 1 %, based on data from Kantar Media. Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,609 urban and rural homes that represent 100% of the total Philippine TV viewing population, while AGB Nielsen only has 1,980 homes based in urban areas and represent only 57% of the Philippine TV viewing population.

Back as Bond is Daniel Craig in the crowd-pleasing Skyfall. Fresh from the mega successful Quantum of Solace MGM Studios re-unites with Columbia Pictures to deliver this 23rd film in the series, now exploding on screen at the Empire Studio 12, Colossus and Cineplex Odeon Theatres across B.C. It’s been 50 odd years since the first Bond adventure, Dr. NO, hit the silver screen and the cinema-going public hasn’t been the same since. Oscar winning director Sam Mendez places Bond in tremendous peril in a top notch thriller that spans the globe.

Montreal, Quebec. – Mon­treal Artist Lani Maestro, born and raised in the Philippines, re­ceived the 2012 Hnatyshyn Foun­dation Visual Arts Award from Gerda Hnatyshyn, C.C., Presi­dent and Chair of the Board of The Hnatyshyn Foundation, last November 19, 2012. The pres­tigious award is a $25,000 prize for outstanding achievement by a Canadian artist. The awards cer­emony, followed by a reception, took place at the Bourgie Hall at the Musee des beaux-arts in Mon­treal.

They came together, they sang, and now they want to share their music with the public. “We’ve formed this choir for two reasons,” says Marius Alparaque, founder of the Choral Group, and a member of the MHHS Board of Directors. “First, to help raise the profile of the Helping House, and secondly, to help in fundraising.” True to their mission, the month-old MHHS Chorale Group  has already started booking caroling appointments all over Van­couver.

MANILA, Philippines – Filipi­no filmmaker Celso Ad. Castillo passed away, at 2 a.m. on Monday in his home in Siniloan, Laguna. He was 69. Wife Ophelia Lopez-Castillo told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that her husband complained of chest pains late Monday night. “He was tired. He just came from the printing press to check on his book,” his wife recalled. Entitled “Celso Ad. Castillo: An Autobiography and His Craft,” the book was set to be released soon, according to the filmmaker’s Facebook account.

Kathara Canada is proud to pres­ent the award-winning film BUSONG (FATE) by critically-acclaimed Filipino filmmaker Auraeus Solito (Director of Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros). The film will be premiered at 6:30 pm (PST) on December 19th at a Vancou­ver Eastside landmark venue, the Rio Theatre. Proceeds from this special screening will go to Kathara’s ten year anniversary production in 2013.