Ben&Ben is PH’s most-streamed OPM Artist of 2021 according to Spotify Wrapped

On top of the streaming recognition, the band also reaped major honors at the 34th Awit Awards and landed top-tier collaborations with National Geographic and Jollibee

Ben&Ben is ending the year right with record-breaking achievements on major fronts: from dominating streaming platforms in the Philippines to landing top-tier multimedia collaborations, from sweeping major categories in every important award show to staging their game-changing headline concert.

For a second consecutive year, the nine-piece collective was named the Philippines’ most-streamed OPM Artist and Group of 2021—thanks to the success of their sophomore album, Pebble House Vol. 1: Kuwaderno. According to Spotify Wrapped, the platform’s annual rundown of 2021’s biggest hits, Ben&Ben has amassed nearly 300 million streams in 170 countries, setting a new record for the folk-pop outfit. The Lunod hitmakers also showed impressive performance in the playlisting category as their songs ended up in 5,809,115 major and curated playlists on the digital platform.

On top of the streaming recognition, the acclaimed band recently bagged the top honors at the 34th Awit Awards—the country’s version of the Grammys. Ben&Ben earned the recognition on four major categories, including the Most Streamed Artist, Record of the Year and Best Inspirational Recording for their chart-topping hit “Di Ka Sayang,” as well as Best Ballad Recording for “Sa Susunod na Habang Buhay.” 

Ben&Ben also made headlines for their advocacy work a few days ago, particularly for lending their song “Kayumanggi” on the music video campaign that supports the coastal communities in La Union. The project, which was spearheaded by Emerging Islands, a coastal-based arts organization and National Geographic, showcased the cultural richness and scenic beauty of Bangar and Bauang, San Juan, as well as its hard-working people. 

To cap off a successful year, their smash single “Pasalubong,” a collaboration with Moira, was used as the main song for the John Lloyd Cruz-Bea Alonzo reunion film, One True Pair, which streamed on Jollibee’s official YouTube last December 1, 2021. 

In an official statement, Ben&Ben expressed that there have been a lot of trade-offs in their personal and collective lives in the past year, but they’re grateful for the success and support of their fandom, Liwanag in every project that they’re part. “With everything happening and all the blessings coming our way, it’s a whole lot to be grateful for indeed,” the band shares. “The hard work is worth it in that sense for sure, but we do go through our fair share of personal struggles as well, especially with this year and even the past year being two of the absolute most challenging years so far, not just for us but for so many in the world too. We want to thank our listeners especially though, because they really were the ones that give us that daily reminder that it is all worth it.”

This weekend, the multi-awarded group is set to perform at the Kuwaderno: A Ben&Ben Online Concert, their biggest headline show to date. Shot live at the Araneta Coliseum, the digital concert is set to redefine the virtual concert-going experience with a fusion of creative disciplines, from theatre to dance, orchestra to technology. The band will also be playing songs off their recently released sophomore album, Pebble House Vol. 1: Kuwaderno, as well as some crowd favorites and hits. Tickets to the show are still available via ktx.ph.

Source: Nyou

Banaue 2021

Our Buscalan Tour was able to make a stopover at Banaue for some photos and stretching. The nine-hour van ride back to Manila was tiring, so seeing nature and stretching our legs in front of the famous rice terraces was a real treat!

I first made the trip to Banaue in 2018, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I learned how to knit there, and it was where I first appreciated delicious coffee from the mountains. I am forever grateful to have left a piece in my heart in these mountains.

Banaue is the final stopover of the Buscalan Tour being offered by Bahaghari Tours. Message them for more info if you also want to book your own mountain vacation! It will be a priceless experience that you will never forget.

Buscalan 2021

Meeting Apo Whang-Od!

I was inked by the Last Mambabatok and the oldest living tattoo artist in the world, Apo Whang-Od! I made the trek to Buscalan, Kalinga to see the tattoo village and meet the But But tribe whose tattoos are now famous around the world. It was a pleasure to see nature first-hand since the pandemic started. Oh yeah, this also marks my first time to travel during Corona times.

I was first inked by Apo’s apprentice Grace in Manila. I was able to see Grace again, and I was able to give her a shawl that I crocheted myself. Seeing her village is the highlight of my pandemic era.

With Grace, Apo Whang-Od’s grandniece and apprentice

My Buscalan experience was made sweeter with unlimited coffee and peace. I left the mountain with a lighter and more grateful heart.

To book your own tour to Buscalan and get inked yourself, visit Bahaghari Tours! I am happy that I trekked to Buscalan. It is one of the best memories of my life.

#AMENMakesHistory

Did you hear about the World’s First-Ever Couture Mask Fashion Show? It was by a Filipina-led couture fashion brand, @amen_ph! ❤️ I was there and let me tell you the deets!


The show itself was so unique and eye-catching, the runway models’ heads were inside glass encasings! Since we could only see the models’ heads wearing the masks, the focus really went to the beautiful designs and the stories being told, it was just pure genius! 


The ÀMEN masks were dazzling and intricately embellished, you could definitely see the high quality craftsmanship. But apart from its beauty, ÀMEN really considered the masks’ usability. The pieces have passed the 4 Crucial Safety Test, and also have premium nude adjustable straps that allow the perfect fit for our face! Guess what? For extra protection, each purchase comes with 10 sheets of PureMASQ filters and a silk ÀMEN dust bag for storage as well. 


Thank you ÀMEN for the masks, the fashion show and inspiring life lessons! By the way, you can catch the replay at @zaloraph’s Z-Live! And you can even shop the new collection there too, just visit: https://www.zalora.com.ph/amen/


#AMENMakesHistory

Source: ÀMEN

Lampara Books hopes to promote spiritual formation and values education through its Guiding Light imprint

The new Philippine imprint offers inspiring stories centered on Christ’s teachings and fun, purpose-driven storytelling

Lampara Books has recently launched Guiding Light, a new Philippine imprint that hopes to encourage parents and families to be a good influence on their children’s journey to life. 

 

The family-oriented and faith-based imprint aims to promote spiritual formation, values education, emotional growth, and community development through highly entertaining but transformative books written and designed by some of the world’s most promising and award-winning writers, illustrators, and personalities.

 

“It has always been our goal to inspire adult readers, most especially parents, to engage with their children on stories of inspiration, joy, and life lessons within a framework of Christ-centered beliefs and teachings,” says Segundo D. Matias Jr., the Chief Publisher of Lampara Books. “Our activity books create bonding moments between mom and dad with their kids through storytelling that put good values at the forefront of its principles, while inspiring everyone to become a better human being.”

 

For its premiere offering, Guiding Light has recently released its ‘Little Life Lessons on’ series—a collection of fun activity books that parents and their children can color, play around with, and use as a medium for purpose-driven instruction. Written in both English and Filipino, the series is made for childhood care providers and parents to help their kids learn important values in life. The ‘Little Life Lessons on’ catalog contains inspirational stories that depict kindness, obedience, respect, and love, among many others.

 

The motivational imprint also takes pride of its Family Bible Illustrated edition, which has 365 pages of bible stories, meditations, and prayers for the whole family to reflect on together, and The Comic Book Bible, which offers a treasury of stories, known and loved by generations of readers.

 

For readers who are looking for a refreshing spin to the familiar narrative, there is Classic Bible Stories, illustrated for pictures-and-words format by talented young artist Tommaso d' Incalei. Bringing stories to life for a new generation of readers, this timeless collection will inspire people discover the meaning behind the teachings of God in an exciting and easy-to-read way. Another significant title under its banner is The Classic Children’s Bible, which is beautifully illustrated and presented to cater to a younger readership.

 

Other titles that are currently available at the Guiding Lightwebsite are Rhona Davies’ The Life Of Christ, strikingly illustrated to chronicle the important life events that Jesus Christ went through from his days in Galilee to joining God in heaven, and Angela M. Burrin’s Welcome To The Mass, a beautifully illustrated book that ‘explains the Mass by linking the liturgy to scenes from the Gospels.’

 

The classic and new titles are available at the Guiding Light official website, https://www.guidinglight.com.ph.

Source: Gabi Na Naman Productions

Your Place Next Year Book Review

Mina V. Esguerra has released another modern romance story that satisfies the pandemic-fatigued reader. Your Place Next Year is a romance novelette that is set in a not so distant future where the world is slowly easing its way into a more “normal” status quo. The book features protagonists who are both in their early forties and are well-established in their careers.

Alia is a female country director who spends one week a year at sunny La Union. She does so to escape the demands of work and city life. She is annually involved with Leandro, an equally successful education tech CEO who chose the surfing destination as his permanent address. When a post-lockdown work encounter in Manila forces Alia and Leandro to face each other outside of their beach trysts, they are led to explore the idea of something beyond their annual hookups.

I enjoyed reading this novelette because of the smart banter between Alia and Leandro. Both of them have their own careers and have made bold lifestyle choices. I could relate to Alia because she bought a townhouse in Antipolo. While I may not live on a mountain at suburbia, I still consider my Quezon City townhouse to be strategically distant from the business districts that I used to work at. The pandemic has forced me to move my freelance career at home, and Alia’s working style of separating “laptop work” from “smartphone work” is something that I also practice. I am also the type who asks hard questions to the men I date, so just like Alia, I expect nothing less from the man I am seeing.

I appreciate how Leandro always asks for Alia’s consent before going further. I like how he shows sensitivity when faced with the possibility of losing Alia. I also like how in the duration of the story, both characters have developed from hookup lovers to a committed couple. The value of compromise is highlighted here. it is especially relevant today. Many people have moved back to the province or away from the city to have better mental health. Relationships will surely take a more dynamic turn once we move to a more “normal” way of life, and it is important for couples to know that compromise is key to making everything work,

I recommend this book for people my age (I am thirty-five) and older! It is refreshing to read a story about people who are done with “adulting” and are transitioning to a more comfortable way of advance careers and lifestyle choices. Your Place Next Year is the novelette that romance readers need this year and in a post-pandemic 2022.

To pre-order your copy, please refer to the following links:

Amazon http://bit.ly/yourplacenextyear

Gumroad http://gum.co/yourplacenextyear

You may also visit Mina’s website to know more about her work as an author and romance writing trainer. She is one of today’s leading writing and publishing teachers, so check out her website today!