Gela Atayde marks milestones in 'Time to Dance'

BY ROBERT REQUINTINA

Jan 17, 2025 02:30 PM

  

---

AT A GLANCE

• Robi Domingo, who also hosts the dance program, praised Gela for her debut as a television host.

---

Gela Atayde

New Generation Dance Champion Gela Atayde showcases her passion for dance by hosting the survival reality show “Time to Dance” on ABS-CBN beginning Saturday, Jan. 18.

During a media conference on Jan. 16, Gela got emotional as she recalled the creation of the dance show.

"This is a passion project of mine. It was pitched to me to have a dance show. It was the idea of Star Magic kay Direk Lauren (Dyogi). It was he who believed in me in the first place. My mom (Sylvia Sanchez) helped me conceptualize these things. It was a collaboration of different productions," said Gela, the daughter of Art Atayde and veteran actress Sylvia Sanchez.

ADVERTISEMENT

Gela added: "But my mom would always say na dahil nakita nila yung puso and passion ko sa dance but also for the community. Being in the community, I see the ins and outs and what happens. I want to help those who wish to dance more, especially those who cannot afford it."

Robi Domingo, who also hosts the dance program, praised Gela for her debut as a television host.

"We can see Gela's passion and all the show's personalities from different walks of life. The show is timely because the last dance show of ABS-CBN is World of Dance. 

"Then we also have Your Moment with singing and dancing. Then the last dance segment was Girl on Fire na sobrang lakas din ng appeal. I'm sure magiging malakas din ang impression nila sa 'Time to Dance.' (Then we also have Your Moment, which includes singing and dancing. Then, the last dance segment was Girl on Fire, which also had a powerful appeal. They will also make a strong impression on 'Time to Dance.)

From left: Robi Domingo, Gela Atayde, Vimi Rivera, and Ken San Jose

"Mapapanood niyo rito ang mga iba't ibang tao na may iba't ibang problema na ang goal talaga nila ay sumayaw at hindi pa huli ang lahat sa programang ito. (You can watch here different people with different problems whose real goal is to dance and it's not too late for everyone in this program)

"Grabe rito ang puso ni Gela. I think umiyak ka rito ng 52 times. Everytime may elimination, iiyak na naman si Gela. It's how she shows her heart and passion. I think it's endearing," said Robi. (Gela's heart is so heavy here. I think you cried 52 times here. Every time there's an elimination, Gela cries again).

Gela, 21, who has also been in a young modeling and acting career, said she was inspired her elder brother Rep. Arjo Atayde of Quezon City to dance when she was 12.  When asked if she’s been in other types of dancing, like ballroom and others, she replied that she's only been in hip-hop and street dance.

“Watching Kuya Arjo dance back when he was a competitive dancer sparked my love for dancing. But today, other talented dancers around the country inspire me to grow in dance continuously,” Gela said. “This is the path I have always wanted to take."

She has been motivated by many people, like her first former coaches, Coach Von and Chinky Asilo, in her former dance team — Poveda Enciende — for raising her to be the dancer she is today. 

“All the values they taught me from when I was 13 to 18 have brought me here. They are the two people that keep me going. Aside from them, my family and friends continuously support me. They are my motivations.”  

Gela isn’t a newbie in the international hip-hop street dance competition scene. She’s a champion in the 2017 Dance Worlds and a bronze medalist in the International Cheer Union in Orlando, Florida. She was also a champion locally in the Beacon Dance Competition and at the Chosen Ground 15 in 2019.

Gela Atayde 

Another milestone for Gela was recording her first song for the theme of Time to Dance with Kyle Echarri.

Members of the Time to Dance council include Ken San Jose, Vimi Rivera, Chips Beltran, Lema Diaz, and Jobel Dayrit.

"I feel honored to be a judge in the show. It's nice to participate in this show, share my input with the contestants, and be part of their journey throughout the show," said Ken.

Vimi said: "I want to thank ABS-CBN and Nathan Studios for providing the dance community with this platform. Yung mga nakapasok na dancers sa show, they are the lifeline of the program. It allows for bridging the show and the dance community. I am so grateful na may respect na talaga sa dance community. Nagkaroon na ng opportunity ma-showcase ang dance groups natin. We are trying our best to showcase the dance community."

In choosing the grand champ, Vimi said: "You must be your best. It is still a competition. There will be one winner. As a dancer, you need to be skilled and creative. But on top of that, you have to be competitive. If your endurance and fighting spirit are shaky, you will not endure. There will be pressure. Pressure is good as long as you embrace that. We will have the best dancer at the end of the first season."

Ken added: "Dance is not just movement. They need to be skilled. As a performer, you must use your skills and emotions to tell a story so everyone can connect."

New era in climate change

BY REY ILAGAN

Jan 17, 2025 00:01 AM

  

---

EDITORS DESK

 

It’s official: In 2024, the world breached the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold for global warming, a limit established by the 2015 Paris Agreement. This alarming development was confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), drawing from analyses by scientists in the US, UK, and EU. Further validation came from the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Service, the UK Met Office, and Japan’s weather agency.

 

Adopted by 196 parties during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris on Dec. 12, 2015, the Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. Its overarching goal, as stated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is to “hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.”  

The recent breach underscores a grim reality: The past decade has been the hottest in recorded history, with 2024 marking the peak. This year is likely to be the first with a global mean temperature exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Samantha Burgess of the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Service noted, “The last 10 years are the 10 hottest on record and are likely the hottest in 125,000 years.” Adding to this, Copernicus identified July 10, 2024, as the hottest day ever recorded.

 

Burgess added: “The primary reason for these record temperatures is the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. As greenhouse gases continue to accumulate in the atmosphere, temperatures continue to increase, including in the ocean, sea levels continue to rise, and glaciers and ice sheets continue to melt."

 

In the Philippines, extreme temperatures mirrored global trends. Metro Manila experienced its hottest day in history on April 27, 2024, with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) recording an air temperature of 38.8 degrees Celsius at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). The heat index soared to 45 degrees Celsius at NAIA and 42 degrees Celsius at the Quezon City Science Garden.

 

The provinces also saw all-time high records. Zambales province recorded 53 degrees Celsius on April 28, 2024. Subic Bay in Olongapo, Munoz in Nueva Ecija, and Dagupan in Pangasinan recorded 47 degrees, according to PAGASA.

 

While individual years exceeding the 1.5-degree limit don’t spell the end of the Paris Agreement’s goals, they signal an urgent need for action. “It means we need to fight even harder to get on track,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement confirming the breach. “There’s still time to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe. But leaders must act—now.”

 

Guterres underscored that the recorded heat of 2024 demands unprecedented climate action in 2025. Governments must deliver updated national climate action plans to curb global temperature rise and prioritize support for vulnerable communities facing the brunt of climate impacts.

 

The question remains: Will leaders heed this warning and act decisively, or will the world continue its trajectory toward irreversible climate catastrophe?

 

(Rey Robes Ilagan is the editor of Manila Bulletin’s Environment and Sustainability section.)

GMA Regional TV and Synergy brings Bea Alonzo, Ruru Madrid, and Miguel Tanfelix to Cebu this weekend

Kapuso primetime shows celebrate Sinulog Festival:

BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT

Jan 16, 2025 10:37 PM

  

---

AT A GLANCE

• GMA Regional TV and Synergy makes the much-anticipated Sinulog Festival extra special on Sunday with its special live coverage of “Sinulog Festival 2025: The GMA Regional TV Special Coverage” beginning 1 p.m.

---

Widows' War stars are celebrating Sinulog festivities with the Cebuanos through back-to-back events on Jan. 17

GMA Regional TV and Synergy kicks off the 75th anniversary celebration of GMA Network in the regions by bringing some of the biggest Kapuso stars, led by Bea Alonzo, Ruru Madrid, and Miguel Tanfelix, to Sinulog Festival this Jan. 17 to 19. 

Joining Bea this Friday (Jan. 17) are her co-actors from “Widows’ War”—Jean Garcia, Royce Cabrera, and Timmy Cruz. The cast of the high-rating mystery murder drama series is celebrating Sinulog festivities with the Cebuanos through back-to-back events, namely a Kapuso Mall Show at 3 p.m. at Parkmall Cebu and a Kapuso Fiesta at 5 p.m. at The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu. Widows’ War is also set to air its finale on Friday. 

Meanwhile, fresh from a powerful pilot week, the newest action-packed series, “Mga Batang Riles,” treats its Cebuano fans to a fun-filled Saturday afternoon on Jan. 18. Miguel and his co-stars Kokoy de Santos, Bruce Roeland, Raheel Bhyria, and Antonio Vinzon are showcasing their charm and bringing in a dose of entertainment in the Kapuso Mall Show, 5 p.m. at Ayala Malls Central Bloc.  

Some of the cast members of Lolong Bayani ng Bayan and Binibining Marikit are spicing up the Sinulog celebration through fun performances on Jan. 19

The surprises for the Kapuso Cebuanos continue on Sunday (Jan. 19) as Ruru banners the Kapuso Mall Show, 3 p.m. at SM City Cebu. Joining him is his co-star Shaira Diaz from the highly-anticipated action-adventure drama series “Lolong: Bayani ng Bayan.” 

Spicing up the day’s celebration are the fun performances of Thea Tolentino and Tony Labrusca from the upcoming series “Binibining Marikit.” “Lolong: Bayani ng Bayan” will have its world premiere this Jan. 20, while “Binibining Marikit,” headlined by Herlene Budol, is set to intrigue viewers soon on GMA Afternoon Prime.

“GMA Regional TV and Synergy is very excited to kick off its year-round activities in Central Visayas via the highly anticipated Sinulog Festival 2025. As always, we are very grateful to the Cebuanos for their unwavering support to the Network’s initiatives and programs, and for their warm welcome every time our artists visit them. 

Fresh from powerful pilot week, the newest action-packed series, Mga Batang Riles, treats its Cebuano fans to a fun-filled Saturday afternoon on Jan. 18

As GMA Network celebrates its diamond year this 2025, we remain committed to bringing our artists and personalities closer to their fans from all over Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,” says Senior Vice President and Head of GMA Integrated News, Regional TV, and Synergy Oliver Victor B. Amoroso.  

GMA Regional TV and Synergy makes the much-anticipated Sinulog Festival extra special on Sunday with its special live coverage of “Sinulog Festival 2025: The GMA Regional TV Special Coverage” beginning 1 p.m. Catch the livestreaming via www.gmaregionaltv.com and on the social media pages of GMA Regional TV, GMA Regional TV News and GMA Integrated News.

The feminine, fluid, otherworldly in debut fashion collections

 

BY PRESS RELEASE

JANUARY 17, 2025

Look by Micah Lao —CONTRIBUTED

Read Next

BSP eyes PH shift to coin-lite society

Thirty-four style innovators explore the depths of their dreams and the subconscious in “Sinulid,” the annual culminating event that showcases the knowledge, craftsmanship, and skills of the graduating Fashion Design and Merchandising students of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

Entitled “Threaded Experience,” the collections find beauty in the unconventional as they present a thought-provoking celebration of creativity and individuality deeply rooted in the personal journeys of the young artists.

With over a hundred looks, this batch promises a striking balance between symbolism and transformation in various ensembles, from ready-to-wear to contemporary and avant-garde.

Mindanao's economy will grow

 The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines-Southern Mindanao Business Council (ECCP-SMBC) has projected that at around six to seven percent in 2025, surpassing the estimated national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast of five percent.

Read more: https://www.sunstar.com.ph/.../european-chamber-sees...

All reactions:

12You and 11 others

Ditta Sandico weaves her legacy

BY MARGE C. ENRIQUEZ

JANUARY 17, 2025

Valeria wrap, Mariposa wrap and Bella Bonita were reimagined along with a new hand-draped Banaca short dress. —ARTHUR TSELISHCHEV

Read Next

New year, better hair

Ditta Sandico, pioneer of modern Filipiniana, is celebrating 40 years in the industry. She traces her roots to the mountains of Bulalacao, Mindoro Oriental, where her passion for sustainable fashion was stirred. As a teen in the ’70s, Sandico spent summers with her father, cattle rancher Fernando Hizon-Sandico, who developed agricultural lands. These trips, filled with immersion into the natural world and encounters with the Mangyan tribe, the Hanunoos, deeply influenced her.

Sandico was mesmerized by the fastidious embroidery and weaving techniques of the Mangyan weavers, who became her first teachers. However, as an established designer returning to Mindoro at the turn of the millennium, she was disheartened to discover that these traditional crafts had nearly vanished.

Determined to revive the art of Mangyan weaving, Sandico provided the weavers with materials, introduced fashion colors, and encouraged them to experiment with new designs. Since 2018, she has been collaborating with the Mangyan community on product development for her eponymous label.