Author: Patricia Dela Roca

Filipina beauty queen and singer-songwriter Dia Mate was crowned Reina Hispanoamericana 2025 during the grand coronation night in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Dia bested 24 other candidates from around the world, securing the Philippines’ second title in the prestigious pageant. She succeeds Reina Hispanoamericana 2024 Maricielo Gamarra of Peru and follows in the footsteps of Winwyn Marquez, who became the first Filipina to win the crown in 2017. Mate also won the Best in National Costume award. Dia’s boyfriend, OPM singer and actor Juan Karlos took to social media to celebrate her big win. In an Instagram Story, he shared a…

Former Universal Motion Dancers (UMD) member Norman Santos has passed away at the age of 52 after a long battle with kidney disease. Santos’ partner, Chato Maria, confirmed his passing in a Facebook post on Tuesday, February 4. “It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of Norman Santos on February 3, 2025, after a prolonged fight against kidney failure, necessitating dialysis for over 12 years,” Chato wrote. She also shared that a wake for Norman is tentatively scheduled from February 12 to 16, 2025, at St. Peter Memorial Chapels in Tabacuhan, Olongapo City. Norman’s fellow member, Wowie…

Former Pinoy Big Brother Gen 11 housemate Jarren Garcia received criticisms online over the way he reported about late veteran actress Gloria Romero’s wake during a live national TV newscast. The controversy arose from a viral clip of Jarren delivering his segment on the Kapamilya news program TV Patrol where he reported on the celebrities attending the wake of the screen legend, who passed away on January 25 at the age of 91. X user povniganda expressed their dismay over the young singer, writing in a post, “The disrespect to Miss Gloria Romero, sana sa susunod kapag mala-kinder bumasa ang…

Jamela Villanueva, ex-girlfriend of actor Anthony Jennings, is stepping into the limelight as the newest brand ambassador of a dental clinic which unveiled her endorsement with a billboard launch. The brand, Ampong Dental Essentials, officially launched her endorsement with a billboard located in EDSA, marking a fresh start for Jamela following the publicized fallout from her past relationship with Anthony, with the rumored involvement of the latter reel partner Maris Racal in their split. Ampong Dental Essentials posted a photo on its official Facebook page showing Jamela featured in their billboard. “Our billboard is up! Meet our newest ambassador, Jamela…

Veteran South Korean actress Lee Joo Shil has died at the age of 80. On Sunday, February 2, K-entertainment news site Soompi reported that a representative from her agency, 1230culture, confirmed the sad news, stating, “Actress Lee Joo Shil passed away on the morning of this day.” The agency further revealed that her health had deteriorated approximately three months ago, leading to a diagnosis of stomach cancer following a hospital examination. Lee Joo Shil had previously been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993, a battle she fought and won after more than a decade. Born in 1944, Lee Joo Shil…

Aiah, a member of the P-pop girl group BINI, marked her 24th birthday in an unexpected way—by taking a last-minute solo trip to Singapore. The singer shared snippets of her quick getaway on Instagram Stories, posting a series of photos and videos that documented her experience. “I wanted to spend my birthday with family and friends, but this year, I decided at the last minute to book a flight and travel outside the Philippines to celebrate my birthday alone,” she wrote in the caption of a rainy photo featuring the iconic Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Sky Park. “I have…

Atty. Enrique dela Cruz, legal counsel for Vic Sotto, has revealed that filmmaker Darryl Yap admitted in court to splicing the teaser for his controversial movie about the late Pepsi Paloma. According to the lawyer, Yap also acknowledged that the teaser’s implications were misleading, contradicting the narrative suggested in the promotional material that Sotto was involved in an alleged crime against Paloma. The teaser sparked legal action from Sotto, leading the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court to partially grant his writ of habeas data petition in his favor. The ruling mandated Yap to take down any promotional content of his film…

Actress Jane De Leon seemingly addressed allegations that a green screen effect was used in the backdrop of her scene in an episode of the Kapamilya action series “Incognito.” The series, which premiered on Netflix and iWantTFC on January 17 and 18, has sparked mixed reactions online, with both praise and criticism directed at its production. One particular scene featuring Jane’s guest appearance as Sylvia “Heart” Escalera, where she is shown speaking on the phone with another character, drew attention from netizens. While many commended her strong performance as one of the show’s antagonists, others pointed out the quality of…

The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court has partially granted veteran actor-host Vic Sotto’s petition against director Darryl Yap, ordering the removal of the teaser for his film about late actress Pepsi Paloma from all social media platforms. On Monday, Jan. 27, The Philippine STAR shared an updatte from the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 150 regarding the 19 counts of cyberlibel complaints filed by Sotto against Yap following the release of the trailer for The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma where his name was mentioned in connection with a decades-old rape allegation involving Paloma. The court stated that it had “partially granted” Sotto’s Writ…

Actress-vlogger Alex Gonzaga has sadly suffered her third pregnancy loss, as revealed by her husband, politician Mikee Morada in an emotional interview with his sister-in-law Toni Gonzaga. Toni recently invited her brother-in-law to her YouTube talk show, “Toni Talks”, for a heartfelt conversation about Alex’s third pregnancy loss. During the interview, Toni candidly asked Mikee if the most recent miscarriage, which he shared occurred in December, was the most painful loss for them. “Now, itong third one na nangyari nung December, ito ba yung pinakamasakit?” Toni inquired. Mikee recounted the pregnancy, explaining that it came as a surprise to both…