Author: Patricia Dela Roca

Mother-and-son tandem Vilma Santos and Luis Manzano have come to the defense of Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, amid growing criticism over the controversial implementation of new tax rates on bank deposit interest. Following the implementation of Republic Act 12214 or the Capital Markets Efficiency Promotion Act (CMEPA), banks across the Philippines began imposing a 20 percent final withholding tax on interest earned from all peso and dollar deposits—including time deposits—starting July 1, regardless of term length. Previously, long-term deposits locked in for more than five years were exempt from tax, while short-term deposits were taxed between 5 to 20 percent,…

The CEO of American tech company Astronomer, Andy Byron has officially stepped down from his post after his viral cozy moments with a colleague triggered an investigation into their alleged illicit relationship. This comes after Byron and his company’s human resources chief Kristin Cabor were caught sharing intimate moments at Coldplay’s concert that resulted to their suspension from the company as part of a formal investigation into their relationship now under public scrutiny. In a statement posted on LinkedIn on Sunday, July 20, Astronomer announced that Byron had tendered his resignation, which the company’s board of directors has since accepted.…

The 8th EDDYS (Entertainment Editors’ Choice) is all set to shine brighter than ever as it honors nine box-office royalties and seven film veterans in Philippine cinema as the organization’s “Box Office Heroes” and “Movie Icons” for this year. Held at the Ceremonial Hall of the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Newport World Resorts on July 20, 2025, the awards night will be hosted by a merge of Kapuso and Kapamilya artists including Kyline Alcantara, Darren Espanto, Alexa Ilacad, and Kaila Estrada, while the Red Carpet segment will be led by DJ Mr. Fu and rising actress Alexa Miro. For the…

Sofronio Vasquez, the first Filipino and Asian to win The Voice USA, will lead the singing of the Philippine national anthem at President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). Malacañang made the announcement through a press release on Tuesday, July 15, describing having Vasquez as a representation of the administration’s intent to “blend tradition and excellence” in this year’s SONA ceremony. “His participation is seen as a tribute to Filipino talent and national pride,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said. The SONA is scheduled for July 28 at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.…

Filipina-Mexican-American singer-songwriter Jessica Sanchez is once again making headlines after delivering a powerful comeback performance on America’s Got Talent two decades after first stepping onto the show’s stage as a child. During her audition on the talent show’s 20th season, Sanchez initially amazed judges as she revealed that she previously joined the competition at the age of 10, back in its very first season. Now at 29, Jessica made her return to the show, successfully captivating judges and audience members with her rendition of Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” The performance earned her a standing ovation and, ultimately, the Golden Buzzer…

A now-viral photo of an ordinary-looking bedroom took a disturbing turn after it was linked to a man who posed as a woman, lured men into doing intimate acts and secretly filmed these encounters. The man behind the viral footage, a 38-year-old from Nanjing, China, has been identified as Jiao, widely known online as “Red Uncle” or “Sister Hong.” He was arrested on July 6 for allegedly filming and profiting from sexual encounters with hundreds of unsuspecting male partners. According to South China Morning Post, Jiao posed as a married woman on dating apps to lure men into his apartment,…

“My body was still fighting, but my brain had already decided to stop.” Seasoned actress Agot Isidro took to social media to explain her unexpected onstage “mental shutdown” during her performance on the stage play “Dagitab”. The incident occurred during the play’s Saturday night run on July 12, when the performance was cut short after Isidro abruptly stopped mid-scene, unable to remember her next line. Dagitab’s supposed show the next day had also been cancelled due to the same reason. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sc. Scene Change (@sc.scenechange) Agot opened up about the experience in…

Fans of Awra Briguela didn’t hold back in calling out an online personality accused of “mocking” the trans actress for using female pronouns in a post celebrating her high school graduation. The controversy stemmed from a Facebook post by ABS-CBN News congratulating Awra on earning her senior high school diploma from the University of the East. The caption read: “Awra Briguela on finally getting her high school degree: ‘Simula pa lang ito,’” and referred to Awra using her preferred pronoun, her. Content creator Jack Argota, also known online as Sir Jack Gaming, reshared the article with the caption: “Anong her?…

Maris Racal appeared to blank out on a game show question that mentioned the name of her ex, OPM icon Rico Blanco. Maris was joined by her “Sunshine” castmates Elijah Canlas and Merryl Soriano, alongside directors Tonet Jadaone and Dan Villegas, in the July 13 episode of the Kapamilya game show Rainbow Rumble hosted by Luis Manzano. During a segment, one of the question, however, seemed to have shocked Racal when it mentioned “Rico blank.” Luis asked, “Kumpletuhin ang hit song ng 80s American pop group na Breakfast Club — Rico blank?” The correct answer was supposed to be the…

BB Gandanghari proudly announced her graduation from the Los Angeles Film School in California, United States, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Entertainment Business with summa cum laude honors. In an Instagram post on Sunday, Gandanghari expressed her pride in the academic milestone, highlighting not only her Latin honors but also her perfect attendance throughout the entire course. “Being Summa Cum Laude is not without hardwork, discipline, perseverance ad determination. As much as I am proud of this achievement, I am also proud as a working student of having a perfect attendance and never late in my classes during…