Topless Bianca, better than Halle Berry?

Call her one of the last persons you would imagine posing with her top off on the cover of a men’s magazine.

But that’s exactly what the TV host Bianca Gonzalez, 29, has done on the cover of the April 2012 issue of Esquire Philippines.

Flashing her trademark smile, Bianca— whose public persona has always been wholesome, perky and level-headed—is seen in side view, clad only in dark, waist-high bottoms, one hand behind her head, the other bent to cover her breast. 

A few days before it released the cover photo, Esquire Philippines put up an equally risque video on its website, showing Bianca frolicking in the pool and under a shower with droplets trickling in slo-mo across various body parts. It was directed by Jason Tan, who directed Pupil’s award-winning video, “20/20.”

Better than Halle Berry

“Bianca just represents ‘Woman at Her Best’ to us,” said Esquire editor-in-chief Erwin Romulo, riffing on the magazine’s tagline, “Man at his Best.”

“We think she's one of the most gorgeous women on the planet and truly representative of the world class Filipina,” Romulo told Yahoo! Philippines OMG! in an email interview.

Bianca also wrote her own cover story. On the Esquire cover, which calls itself “The FUN! Issue,” the main cover line reads, “Bianca Gonzalez by Bianca Gonzalez.”

“Only one other woman in Esquire history has written her own cover story and that was Halle Berry. We thought Bianca could do better. We were right,” Romulo told Yahoo! Philippines OMG!

“She's smart and witty and that comes out in her writing, especially in her columns for The Philippine Star. She can talk to anyone from Sec. Mon Jimenez, Maria Ressa or Michael V. Not only does she hold her own but she ‘gets’ them as well. That's the character of a passionate and empathetic person.”

As you've never seen her before. An outtake from the magazine shoot of Bianca Gonzalez. Photo provided by Esquire …Reactions

But because Bianca is nowhere near the controversial territory of KC Concepcion (who provocatively posed on the February 2012 cover of Rogue Magazine), her magazine cover has had the desired viral effect.

While there have been detractors, “shocked” by how Bianca has upended their expectations (Esquire posted a “conservative” cover for the iPad edition of the magazine), there has been more positive reactions.

On her Twitter account, @iamsuperbianca, the cover girl said, “Thank you for making #Esquire trend! :) overwhelmed by thousands of tweets. no kidding. thank you. :)” In another tweet, she said she was grateful and humbled for the “tsunami of tweets about the@EsquirePH cover.”

No worries

Splish, splash. An outtake from the magazine shoot of Bianca Gonzalez. Photo provided by Esquire

 Bianca also expressed her gratitude to the people behind the cover and the video: photographer BJ Pascual, makeup artist Lala Flores, hairstylist Ney Guese, among others in the crew.

Added Romulo, “Most especially Esquire's creative team Vince Uy, Ces Olondriz, Raymond Gutierrez and Liz Uy. They made made it all work. They made it classy and elegant but fun.”

Of the video, Romulo said, “Jason Tan directed the video and he's just an amazing filmmaker. (I did Pupil's award winning 20/20 with him.) My contribution would be chiefly be the choice of the music for the video. It's by a band called Goodleaf and I agree with Lourd de Veyra that they are the ‘pinaka-malupit na banda ngayon sa Pilipinas.’”

By Ces Rodriguez | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

Toni Gonzaga Covers Meg Magazine April 2012 Issue

Toni Gonzaga Covers Meg Magazine April 2012 Issue


Toni Gonzaga is on the cover of the full-packed "Getaway Issue" of Meg Magazine this April 2012.

On this issue, Meg features worthwhile topics like "Travel Now! Your Guide to LA, NY, Tokyo, Rome and Hawaii," "Budget Trips: Vietnam and Cambodia," "285+ Fashion & Beauty Picks," "6 Ways to Style Your Hair for the Beach," and many more.

Meg Magazine April 2012 issue is now available at all magazine stands and selected bookstores and supermarkets nationwide.

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KC Concepcion Covers Yes! Magazine April 2012 Issue

KC Concepcion Covers Yes! Magazine April 2012 Issue


KC Concepcion and her stylish yet very Pinoy styled new condominium unit are the featured stories in the April 2012 issue of Yes! Magazine.

Aside from KC, this 12th anniversary issue of Yes! also features interesting stories about "Kris and James: To Have Loves and Lost," "Grace Lee - The Woman Who Charmed the President," and many, many more!

Yes! Magazine April 2012 issue is now available at all magazine stands and selected bookstores and supermarkets nationwide.

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Bianca King to Leave Acting to Pursue Career in TV Ads Directing

Bianca King to Leave Acting to Pursue Career in TV Ads Directing


Bianca King had just finished her degree in Digital Filmmaking yet she's already being tapped by a local production house to be one of their in-house directors.

Bianca has yet to make her decision on the offer, which came this month, as they are still undergoing "initial talks."

"Sinabi nila na interested sila sa akin. Sinabi ko rin sa kanila ang gusto ko. Pero inaantay pa nilang matapos ang [TV series] 'Broken Vow' para makapag-work ako sa kanila," the actress related in an interview which PEP posted on Mar. 19.

In her interview with "Showbiz Central" last Sunday, Bianca said that she was asked by said outfit to direct TV ads. More, she enthused that veteran actress and director Gina Alajar is her "peg."

It seems Bianca is leaning towards accepting the directorial offer, especially since she has no show lined up yet after "Broken Vow."

"At least, parang hindi ako idle, 'di ba? Kaya do'n ko siya matututukan... na lagi akong may ginagawa," she said in the same online interview.

Even when she was still a filmmaking student, Bianca had already helmed music videos for local artists, namely Hale's "Bahay Kubo," Frencheska Farr's "Today I'll See the Sun," and Somedaydream's "Hey Daydreamer."

- Source

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Mila Kunis Naked Photo Hacker Faces 60 Years Imprisonment

Mila Kunis Naked Photo Hacker Faces 60 Years Imprisonment


Christopher Chaney, the man who accused of hacking into the email accounts of Mila Kunis and Scarlett Johansson faces up to 60 years in prison.

Chaney has pleaded guilty to nine felony counts, including unauthorized access to a protected computer in furtherance of wiretapping and wire fraud.

During his hearing, Chaney - a 35-year-old resident of Jacksonville, Fla. - admitted that he had hacked into Johansson and Kunis and approximately 50 other entertainment-industry denizens' email accond Milaunts by clicking on their emails, hitting the "Forgot your password?" feature, and then correctly answering the security questions using information he'd found during an internet search.

Cheney admitted downloading photographs he obtained, many of which were explicit, to a fellow hacker and a pair of gossip websites. Nude photos of Johansson, which she took herself and were intended for her then-husband Ryan Reynolds, subsequently wound up on the internet.

Chaney also said that, after hacking into his victims' accounts, he would send emails to the victims' friends, posing as the friends to ask for more photographs.

“Today's guilty pleas shine a bright light on the dark underworld of computer hacking,” U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr, whose office prosecuted the case, said. “This case demonstrates that everyone, even public figures, should take precautions to shield their personal information from the hackers that inhabit that dark underworld. It also demonstrates that the Department of Justice will take whatever steps are necessary to protect Americans from harm in cyberspace.”

Chaney is scheduled for sentencing on July 23.

- Source

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Oscar-Nominee Scott Hicks Directs “The Lucky One”

Oscar-Nominee Scott Hicks Directs “The Lucky One”


Is there really such a thing as destiny? Is Fate shadowing our movements, stacking the deck, or are all our moments - ordinary and extraordinary - random? The age-old question of whether things happen by accident is at the core of Nicholas Sparks’ “The Lucky One” which is now a Warner Bros. film starring Zac Efron and directed by Academy Award-nominee Scott Hicks (“Shine”).

The director offers, “That premise immediately drew me in: the notion that a chance event - —finding a photo in the middle of nowhere - could change not only one man’s life, but the lives of everyone he comes into contact with, really hooked me at the outset. The idea of destiny is quite central, and I liked that it's treated in a very realistic fashion.”

Sparks reveals that a very real item was the basis for his story. “This is the first book I've ever written that was inspired by a single image: that of a soldier finding a picture half-buried in the sand and pulling it out. I became obsessed with what happens when he begins to view this photo as his lucky charm.”

In “The Lucky One,” the photo becomes more than a good luck charm; it serves as the catalyst for a journey of discovery and healing.

In the film’s central role, Zac Efron stars as Logan, a Marine who has seemingly defied the odds during three tours of duty in Iraq. The actor responded to the story’s interconnecting ideas of luck, love and destiny. “That’s what you hope love is, destiny,” he remarks. “You want it to be meant to be. It often feels like it is. Why can't it be? And that's what's so intriguing about the story.”

Producer Kevin McCormick agrees. “Nick Sparks beautifully entwined the two themes of love and Fate, and Scott Hicks delivered that in a way that creates feelings of both surprise and inevitability.”

Will Fetters, who was responsible for adapting Sparks’ novel for the film, notes, “I can’t say enough about how collaborative Scott was and how much his input helped me.” The screenwriter adds that the author had given him the best possible foundation. “Before I even picked up the book, I was caught by the idea of this soldier trying to piece together why he’s still here, which brings up the question of whether or not things happen for a reason. The question remains unanswered, but it was woven through the subtext of the script.”




Taylor Schilling plays the woman in the photograph, who becomes a talisman for a man she doesn’t even know exists. “I got a feel for the character right off the page. They’re both living with a duality of tremendous loss and potential joy. Whether it’s their destiny or not, it’s incredibly romantic.”

“I think most people have, at some point in their life, a lucky charm and, whether we truly believe in it or not, there's something hopeful about it,” concludes producer Denise Di Novi.



Opening across the Philippines in April, “The Lucky One” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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Young Piolo Pascual Francis Magundayao Topbills MMK

Young Piolo Pascual Francis Magundayao Topbills MMK


After creating a buzz with his performance as the ‘Young Piolo Pascual’ in ABS-CBN’s newest teleserye “Dahil sa Pag-ibig,” young actor Francis Magundayao is set to make TV viewers cry this Saturday (March 31) as he topbills “Maalaala Mo Kaya” alongside former child star John Manalo.

Francis and John are going to give life to the characters of best friends Meynard and Raymund who have always dreamed of riding a ship and exploring the world together. When they finally had the chance to fulfill their ambition, Meynard and Raymund’s dream turned into a nightmare after the ship’s crewmen threw them out in the sea and left them afloat for 17 hours.

Together with Francis and John in the “MMK” episode are Emilio Garcia, Daisy Reyes, Nikka Valencia, Kyle Balili, Raye Barquirin, Hanna Flores, Jerome Ventenilla and Elijah Magundayao. It was researched by Akeem Jordan del Rosario, written by Arah Jell Badayos and directed by Lino Cayetano.



Don’t miss the story of a beautiful and strong friendship in “Maalaala Mo Kaya” (MMK), after “Wansapanataym” on ABS-CBN. For more updates, log on to www.mmk.abs-cbn.com, follow MMKOfficial on Twitter, and “like” www.facebook.com/MMKOfficial.

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NEWS5 Tackles End-of-the-World Scenario in ‘Ang Katapusan’ this Good Friday

NEWS5 Tackles End-of-the-World Scenario in ‘Ang Katapusan’ this Good Friday


For the past 10 years, the world has witnessed some of the most devastating natural and man-made disasters on record.

Some have claimed that the end of the world has started, as major catastrophes happen one after the other – such as the 2011 Japan magnitude-9 earthquake and the 2004 Indian Ocean magnitude-9.1 earthquake, which both caused huge tsunamis that claimed thousands of lives and destroyed billions worth of infrastructure. Wars and conflicts in the Middle East have worsened, and nuclear threats from Iran and Korea have caused great alarm among numerous nations. The Philippines was not spared as well, as strong typhoons ravaged the country, taking hundreds of lives and leaving thousands of Filipinos without homes and livelihood.

With such destructive calamities occurring around the globe, is the world really coming to an end soon?

TV5 News and Information dares to answer this question with a special documentary that will shed light on the spreading speculations about the end of the world via “Ang Katapusan,” hosted by Luchi Cruz-Valdes and airing at 9:00pm simultaneously on TV5 and news channel Aksyon TV this Good Friday (April 6).

“Ang Katapusan” aims to explain the facts behind the Nicene Creed that foretells the so-called “judgement day.” Luchi Cruz-Valdes personally travels to Israel to present the purported location of the second coming and analyze how Israel’s current and future political situation, in relation to its place in the Middle Eastern region, will be pivotal in the much-dreaded doomsday.

The News 5 Chief Correspondent thoroughly investigates the views and theories on the end times as she talks with Joel Rosenberg, a New York Times best-selling author, and discusses his book “Epicenter,” which tackles the Apocalypse based on Biblical research and studies. As a communications advisor, Rosenberg has worked with a number of U.S. and Israeli leaders, including Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh, Natan Sharansky, and Benjamin Netanyahu. He has addressed audiences all over the world, including those in Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Russia, and the Philippines.

Learn the truth about the End Times in this special documentary airing this Good Friday (April 6) 9-10:30 pm on TV5 and Aksyon TV (Channel 41 in Mega Manila, Channel 29 in Metro Cebu and Davao, Channel 1 on Cignal Digital TV and Channel 59 on Sky Cable).

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Titanic: as a Historical Matter of Fact

Titanic: as a Historical Matter of Fact


“The tragedy of Titanic has assumed an almost mythic quality in our collective imagination,” Titanic filmmaker James Cameron says.

“But the passage of time has robbed it of its human face and vitality. I hope that Rose and Jack’s relationship will be a kind of emotional lightning rod, if you will, allowing viewers to invest their minds and their hearts to make history come alive again.”

Traveling on a ship physically designed to prevent them from ever meeting, third-class passenger Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and first-class passenger, Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), have taken the ultimate risk — to defy the oppressive social conventions of their time and fall in love.

In full 3D, “Titanic” sails once again in theaters come April 7 (Saturday) across Philippine cinemas.




Here are important facts gathered to usher audience aboard the R.M.S. Titanic for the timeless, beloved classic love story of all time.

• R.M.S. stands for Royal Mail Steamer.

• Titanic was the second of three superliners constructed by White Star Line to ply the Atlantic .

• Titanic measured 882 feet, longer than the tallest skyscraper in New York at the time.

• The rudder alone, in excess of 101 tons, was heavier than Christopher Columbus’s Santa Maria.

• There were approximately 100,000 pounds of meat on board Titanic.

• There were enough lifeboats to accommodate only half of Titanic’s passengers.

• The top speed of Titanic was 23 knots.

• Titanic’s top first-class ticket price was $3,100 while the cost of a third-class ticket was $32

• To build Titanic in 1912 cost approximately $7.5 million.

• Shortly after she sailed on April 10, 1912, Titanic nearly collided with the liner New York while departing
the docks, sparking concern about the ship’s safety and maneuverability.

• The first-class lounge was designed after the palace at Versailles.

• Titanic received numerous messages from other ships regarding icebergs in the vicinity.

• Titanic had 16 watertight compartments to reduce its risk of sinking. The iceberg ruptured 5 of the 16,
enough to pull the liner into the freezing waters.

• Women and children in first-class and second-class were given priority in the lifeboats.

• The first lifeboat to be lowered had a capacity of 65 yet carried only 28.

• As Titanic sank, the band played on deck in an effort to calm passengers awaiting rescue.

• Crewmen blocked exits from the third-class area to prevent men from accessing the deck.

• Of the lifeboats lowered before Titanic sank, only one returned to pick up more passengers.

• Titanic broke in two shortly before completely sinking into the Atlantic.

• Even as the boat sank, many passengers still refused to believe the superliner could go under.

• After Titanic hit the iceberg, people were out on the decks playing with chunks of ice.

• A mysterious ship was reportedly spotted not far from Titanic, which never responded to her distress
signals and steamed off into the night.

• The ocean liner Carpathia, responding to Titanic’s distress calls, arrived nearly two hours after Titanic had sunk.

• Sixty percent, or 199, of the first-class passengers were saved while only 25%, or 174, of the third- class passengers survived. Only 32% of all on board Titanic survived.




One of the more chilling facts about the actual sinking was that there were only enough lifeboats to handle barely half the passengers aboard – and the crew’s failure to fill the boats to capacity resulted in only a third of the passengers making it to safety. For the film, the production team was able to apply a layer of realism to this technically complex and heart-pounding sequence. The lifeboat davits — the system of pulleys required to launch the vessels — were constructed by the same company that built the davits for the actual Titanic.

“The Wellan Davit Company,” Cameron explained, “built our davits to their old plans. We literally had the very same piece of machinery that was used on Titanic to lower a lifeboat.”

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