Author: Latest Chika TEAM

BY ELLA MARIE MERCADO After bringing home the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medal, Hidilyn Diaz shared plans of releasing a book with her team to inspire others to learn the “mindset of an Olympic champion.” “Sabi ko, gagawa kami ng libro: Team HD: the Dream Team after kong manalo, to give inspirations sa mga bata, sa mga officials and everyone in the Philippines para malaman nila, ano ba mindset ng mga champion, Olympic champion,” the weightlifting sensation from Zamboanga City said. Apart from the gold medal, she also set new Olympic records for the 55kg division for the Clean and Jerk at…

BY ALEXA BASA Comedienne Herlene “Hipon Girl” Budol admitted she thought her television hosting stint would be the start of having a good life. It was not. In a sit-down interview with Toni Gonzaga, Herlene said she suffered financial loss amid the pandemic, causing her to experience anxiety. “Umiiyak ako araw-araw. Dumating ako sa puntong parang ayoko na, ayoko ng magpakita sa pamilya ko kasi nahihiya ako. Back to zero kami,” she said on Toni Talks, Toni’s YouTube series, on July 25. Herlene first appeared on TV in 2019 when she joined Wowowin’s Willie of Fortune segment, hosted by Willie…

BY ALEXA BASA Actor Ping Medina revealed that he lost his money amid the pandemic and is now publicly begging for cash donations in what he described as a “weird birthday post” on Instagram. Ping revealed that he became a sabong agent, but unfortunately, his master agent and player did not pay him back. “I tried being a sabong agent last month. My master agent asked me for money to keep our account going. I also had a player who would spend 10k a day so when she asked for an advance I thought she was good for it. They…

BY ALEXA BASA Actress Sheena Halili has opened up about her “me time” while being a hands-on mother to her baby girl Martina. On Instagram, Sheena recently shared a photo of hers wearing an orange checkered dress. She said her current “me time” is to wear dresses that make her look presentable. “Nandito pa rin po ako at nag dress ako today. To feel good, to feel pretty, fresh at sexy kahit papaano. Makapag-update naman ng solo picture sa feed ko. Pag-bigyan,” she wrote in the caption. Sheena explained that it is hard to upload a presentable photo on social…

BY ALEXA BASA Julie Anne San Jose is the newest Filipino artist who made it to New York City’s iconic Times Square, appearing on the billboard of the music streaming platform Spotify. The actress-singer is being featured in Spotify’s “EQUAL” campaign, which promotes equity for women by showcasing female artists all over the world. On Twitter, she said she can’t believe it that she landed on the billboard. “TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK BABYYYY!!! Just.. SURREAL. Big thank you Spotify! This is a dream come true,” Julie said. She also thanked people who made her dream possible. “GMA Network, Universal Records…

BY ELLA MARIE MERCADO Last month, Maureen Wroblewitz hinted that a “new chapter” of her life was coming. On Monday, Maureen was named a Miss Universe Philippines 2021 delegate. Asia’s Next Top Model cycle 5 winner apologized for the “white lies” now that her “secret” of joining the pageantry world is now out. “Surprise! I apologize for the white lies. As difficult as it was, I had to keep this a secret,” Maureen said in an Instagram post on Tuesday. “I’ve always considered dipping my toes in pageantry and committing to it when I felt ready,” she added. RELATED:…

BY ALEXA BASA American singer Halsey took to social media to announce that she has given birth to her first child with screenwriter and producer Alev Aydin on July 19. On Instagram, Halsey shared black-and-white photos of herself holding baby Ender Ridley while looking at her partner. “Gratitude. For the most ‘rare’ and euphoric birth. Powered by love,” she captioned. The 26-year-old singer also revealed that her first child was born on July 14. In late January, Halsey surprised fans with her pregnancy by sharing photos of her baby bump on Instagram.  While she did not explicitly state the father…

BY ALEXA BASA These students passed the admission test of not just one but all of the “Big 4” universities in the Philippines. After the University of the Philippines (UP) recently released the results of the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT), twitter users Lia Rufino and Leigh Mamisay shared screen grabs and photos confirming they got accepted not only to UP, but also to Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), De La Salle University (DLSU) and the University of Santo Tomas (UST). Lia and Leigh recalled to STAR’s Latestchika.com how overwhelmed they felt upon knowing the test results. “When I saw that…

BY ELLA MARIE MERCADO Popular YouTuber Basel Manadil, also known as The Hungry Syrian Wanderer, shared why he decided to acquire a Filipino citizenship. “It’s not like I intended, like, ‘I wanted to be a Filipino,’ or ‘I want to be whatever.’ It just came to me naturally,” he said in an interview with Toni Gonzaga. “Unintentionally, I became like a Filipino,” he added, especially even after turning down the opportunity to reunite with his family abroad. Basel arrived in the Philippines nine years ago to escape the civil war in Syria. He revealed that he experienced culture shock primarily…

BY ALEXA BASA Jodi Sta. Maria reminisced about the “simple joys” of her childhood by posting a throwback photo. “This photo brings back so many memories from my childhood. Yung pakikipaglaro sa mga kapitbahay tatakas ako pero kahit mapagalitan sa pag-uwi okay na rin,” the actress began her Instagram post on Saturday. She followed, “Do you remember touch taya? 10-20? Or yung plastic balloon na bawal bumagsak sa lupa ‘pag napalobo mo na?” Aside from the childhood games that she used to play, the 39-year-old actress alsorecounted random things she often noticed when she was younger. “Have you waited for…