Let's Do The News! (December 30, 2016)

- President Rodrigo Roa Duterte visited Leyte and gave additional cash assistance to victims of the December 28 town plaza explosion.Duterte talked to six blast victims still confined at the the state-run health facility. All the patients already discharged form the hospital also came for a 40-minute meeting with the president.

- December 30, 2016 marks the 120th death anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal and during his commemoration at the Rizal Park in Manila City, President Duterte said the Philippines is still fighting for independence 120 years after Rizal's death.

- The Department of Social Welfare and Development needs 614 million pesos to help victims affected from Typhoon Nina.

- Senator Alan Peter Cayetano will replace Perfecto Yasay Jr. as the new Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary starting in mid-2017. Duterte said he would give the post to his former running mate after Yasay steps down and returns to United States to fulfill his obligations.

- The White House has announced sanctions against Russian entities in response to cyber activity in the United States and harassment of US personnel. Russia, meanwhile. said it is set to respond in the recent sanctions and the expulsion of Russian officials. Then, US President-Elect Donald Trump says the US must move on to bigger things than imposing sanctions against Russia.

- The Syrian government and rebels have agreed to implement a nationwide ceasefire, which began at midnight on Thursday, local time. The government of President Bashar al-Assad, its ally Russia, and opposition supporting Turkey announced the agreement almost at the same time on Thursday. A leading opposition group says it supports the ceasefire.

- Volvo adds Skype to its infotainment systems, allowing drivers to make video calls while on the go.

- Over 170,000 visitors attended Comiket 91 in the first day.

TTFN!!!

Remembering 2016: Best Movies?

From superhero rivalries, love stories, sci-fi stories, real-world stories, any story you've been through, the year 2016 has been a great year for movies, no matter how good or bad they are, as long as they catered to specific kind of audiences, be it fantasy, drama, horror, comedy, kids, or any other genre they know.

So, let's list down the best movies of 2016...

1) Deadpool - Deadpool told me that his dream of having his own movie just like any other superheroes he know has came true, all courtesy of his new best friends, Ryan Reynolds, who played as Deadpool in this film, and director Tim Miller. Life couldn't get even more exciting than this action comedy flick that packs more chimichangas than any other superhero flick Deadpool hates, except his own. 

2) Zootopia - In the world of Zootopia, animals are behaving just like us, doing their hectic lifestyles, and enjoy whatever on their hearts' content. In this mammal metropolis, everything is possible. The film centers on two protagonists; Nick Wilde, your basic city fox (who turns out to be a scam artist, by the way), and Officer Judy Hoops, a female cadet police officer who strives to fit in with her larger colleagues, and together, they can get through all sorts of Zootopia, knowing what is like to be wild in the urban jungle they're stepping on.

3) Batman v. Superman - The Dark Knight clashes against the Man of Steel in one of the most anticipated films of 2016 and with the surprise appearance of Wonder Woman, this epic showdown never felt so alive until the very end.

4) Captain America: CIVIL WAR - Another movie about superhero rivalry, this time from the world of Marvel superheroes. In this film, following the most tragic incident that spiraled the fate of the Marvel Superheroes, the US Congress passed a bill that require all superheroes to unmask their true identities before the public. Iron Man supports the idea but for Captain America, he condemns this ideology. Because of such disagreements, they will decide that they will battle against each other in order to decide the fate of the heroes. However, for each side, they're not alone.

5) Train to Busan - Even South Koreans are not safe in the zombie apocalypse and one of the most frightening films ever made by the Koreans is the latest example of why this kind of genre remained popular among horror fans. It all started as a quiet train ride to the city of Busan until a zombie pandemic turned it into an inescapable death trap and only a handful of survivors trying to get them out of the zombie train alive.

6) Finding Dory - Sequel to 2003's Finding Nemo, it brings the aquatic tale we all love when you and I are young to a new direction and promises the same comic dialogue we all love. Of course, TV presenter Ellen DeGeneres reprises her role as, hers truly, Dory as well as Albert Brooks as Marlin from the first flick. Unknown to her bittersweet past, Dory sets on an adventure to reunite with her parents after a terrible incident separated them years ago, and that meant she ends up on another side of the ocean. With the help of old pals Marlin and Nemo as well as new allies such as the octopus Hank, whale shark Destiny, and beluga whale Bailey, Dory will have to keep swimming to reunite with her long lost family, no matter the odds.

7) Imagine You and Me - Becuase 2016 marks the 1st anniversary of AlDub, the love team that made famous for their Kalyeserye antics, all their hard work from their TV appearances finally got what they deserved; their own movie titled Imagine You and Me. This film is considered to be the perfect present for AlDub's 1st Anniversary. In fact, because this film is so romantic for the AlDub nations too many, this film was shot entirely from Italy.

8) Pokemon The Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel - 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise and to honor such a glorious occasion, the third and final film based on the Pokemon XYZ saga features two brand new Pokemon that can be obtainable on their games. In this 19th Pokemon film, Ash, Pikachu, and friends, made a fateful encounter with Volcanion, a mythical Pokemon who has strong disdain on human beings, and then the unlikely alliance puts them on a quest to save the Artificial Pokemon Magearna from a corrupt minister trying to take advantage of its Soul-Heart for a hostile takeover.

9) your name. - Makoto Shinkai's masterpiece has became the talk of the town and became one of the best movies in Japan. It was named as one of the highest grossing film of 2016 in Japan, earning over 21.3 billion yen and sold 16.4 million tickets. It centers on the theme of miracles and love and it centers on the love story of Mitsuha, a high school girl from a rural village, and Taki, a schoolboy from Tokyo.

10) Star Trek Beyond - The Star Trek franchise reaches its 50th anniversary this year and over the past five decades, Trekkies have been part of the 24th-century space exploration and heroism that dates back from the original, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. From the Federation, Vulcan, KCA, Augments, the infamous Klingons, the Romulans, and many other factions fans encountered, the 50-year timeline of the Star Trek franchise never felt so unique, so unique, fans live up to Spock's "Live Long and Prosper" tagline. As Trekkies live long and prosper to the next five decades, the big 50th anniversary birthday present has arrived and it's none other than the third installment of the Star Trek movie series. Star Trek Beyond features the most dramatic storyline ever told in the history of Star Trek and in this third installment, disaster struck at the USS Enterprise crew on an unknown planet, spiraling them out of control and survival is at stake for the whole crew. This film brings back and introduces a vivid cast of characters from Zachary Quinto as Commander Spock, Karl Urban as Dr. Bones McCoy, Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, including Zoe Saldana as Uhura, John Cho as the fan-favorite Mr. Sulu, Simon Pegg as Scotty, and many others, especially the late Anton Yelchin as Chekov. (Rest in Peace, Yelchin)

11) Moana -  The folks that brought us Thanksgiving hits like Frozen and Zootopia gave us this year's latest Thanksgiving weekend treat called Moana just to delight everyone who has a heart on all things Disney with spectacular visuals, storyline, and the characters that will become highly recognizable for future generations to come. It's about a young girl named Moana (played by Auli'i Cravalho) who sets off to an unforgettable adventure to save her people. From there, she teams up with a once powerful demigod named Maui (played by action star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) and then voyage across the seas right up to the moment where Moana discovers her true self that was carried over by her ancestors. Nothing says its going to be easy but for an odd couple like a young free-spirited girl and a powerful being, anything is possible.

12) Enteng Kabisote 10 and the Abangers - Comedian and TV presenter Vic Sotto reprises his role as the loveable yet wisecracking warrior who comes out from his retirement and save the day once again in this latest installment of the Enteng Kabisote films based from the classic Okay Ka Fairy Ko sitcom. This is the first time this film couldn't make it to the list of film festival entries of this year alongside Mano Po, which sounds sacrilegious by some but no matter what, it still delivers some jokes, some drama, and some family values this latest installment is.

13) Yokai Watch Soratobu Kujira to Double Sekai no Daibouken da Nyan! - The third Yokai Watch film based on the hit TV series sees a mix of anime and live action elements, giving viewers a more intriguing but enjoyable feast for the holiday season while introducing new Yokais on the film, including the brand new Koalanyan, which is playable on the Yokai Watch 3 games. The live action parts of this latest Yokai Watch film stars Ryouka Minamide as Keita (Nate), Kento Yamazaki as King Enma, Takumi Saito as Nurarihyon, Minami Hamabe as Kanami Minami, Yuina Kuroshima as Emi-chan (Amy), Yuu Sawabe as Kuma (Bear), Kenichi Endo as Jinmenken (Manjimutt) and many others.

14) Rogue One - While Star Wars fans got some hangovers from 2015's The Force Awakens and waiting for the sequel to arrive in the end of 2017, this spin-off prequel film, Rogue One, which is the first of the Star Wars anthology films, awakes fans into the hidden truth behind the war between the rebels and the empire. It centers on the unsung band of rebels trying to steal the plans of the Death Star, making it the turning point of the legendary warfare throughout the galaxy far far away.

15) Die Beautiful - Both this film and Eat Bulaga presenter Paolo Ballesteros, who starred on it, won the 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival for best film and best actor. In this film, Paolo plays the role of a transgender who dies in a beauty pageant and her final wish is to "die beautiful" and become a celebrity for every evening of her wake.

16) Sunday Beauty Queen - Shown at this year's Busan International Film Festival, it was the only documentary flick that made it to the top eight of the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival. It highlights the life and times of Filipina OFWs doing everyday jobs and then became free to do whatever they like on Sundays, mostly taking on a beauty pageant or something.

There are so many great films shown this year but let's leave it there and keep going with this yearender before 2016 ends and 2017 begins with more and exciting movies in store for the moviegoers.

Chevrolet Bolt EV

Not to be confused with the Volt with the V (as in Victory) on it which is essentially a plug-in hybrid, the new Chevrolet Bolt EV, B as in Boy, by the way, is a full-fledged zero-emission electric car that envisions General Motors' commitment to reducing carbon emissions for many generations to come. So, what's it all about it, you may ask?

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV interior

First, let's take a look at the Bolt EV's futuristic design and while it looks appealing for a future-ready hatchback, the Bolt EV really fits the city roads of today due to its well-sculpted exterior and its high-tech interior that brings owners' perspectives into action and apart from its high-tech stuff loaded inside, it's generous spacing at the back means that it can accommodate just about your shopping mall hauls in a jiffy. Sure, you can toy the interior all you want but best not to waste its power on some nincompoops because while this is an electric car, it runs solely on electricity, and electricity has become the future for the automotive business. Nothing says business is booming.

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV

As an electric car, the Bolt EV promises an EPA-estimated 238 miles per charge, meaning that with so much mileage, you can go up to three or four days or more without needing to plug it in, Which means, you can drive this car while going to work and then charge it on Sundays, that's incredible but there's more to it than that because the Bolt EV comes with other features that manage its energy very well such as the Regen on Demand, which allows the driver to slow it down without using the actual brake pedal with just a shift of a paddle, and a One-Pedal Driving feature that helps the driver transfer energy to the battery in many ways. Oh, and did you know that despite being an electric car, the Bolt EV has 200HP of power output and 266lb-ft of torque, meaning that it can get from 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds, as fast as what hot hatches do. And like all electric cars, it can get a quick getaway without the wheelspin dilemma. Sneaky, huh? And there are many ways to charge the Bolt EV either at home or at the nearest charging station, as long as you are right on schedule.

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV

Because the Bolt EV is built for the future, it's got numerous safety tech in store for the impressive little electric car such as Lane Departure Warning, Rear Camera Mirror, Surround Vision, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Side Blind Zone Alert, and Forward Collision Alert, among many other features that promise peace of mind for the occupants.

The Bolt EV starts at 37,495 US Dollars but with federal tax credit applied in some states, it can be offered for less than 29,995 US Dollars. However, it's not easy to get the Bolt EV for your own because as of right now, Oregon and California are the only states selling the Bolt EV and by next year, more will be added soon but I'm not sure if those Bolt EVs can worth profitable now that the upcoming American leader is a big fan of coal, gas, and oil, which is the cornerstones of civilization now and forever. Whatever the political condition is, General Motors is on a risky gamble with these electric compacts.

Available colors: Silver Ice Metallic, Arctic Blue Metallic, Kinetic Blue Metallic, Orange Burst Metallic, Cajun Red Tintcoat, Nightfall Gray Metallic, and Mosaic Black Metallic.

Photo: General Motors

Let's Do The News! (December 29, 2016)

- President Rodrigo Duterte admitted that he is indebted to Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos. In his first live interview on Philippine television after assuming the presidency, Duterte said that he has a debt of gratitude to at least three persons, including the Ilocos Norte governor. The president earlier claimed that the eldest child of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos was among the politicians who funded his presidential campaign.

- PNP Director General Roland "Bato" Dela Rosa added two new commandments to the "Decalogue" of the police's campaign against indiscriminate firing especially during the New Year. Dela Rosa appealed to the public and to fellow PNP personnel not use their firearms to welcome the New Year as these threaten life and property.

- Members of the House of Representatives file complaint against Ronnie Dayan, the former driver and lover of Senator Leila de Lima, for failing to appear before the congressional body that summoned him. In a complaint filed at the Department of Justice on Thursday, Dayan violated Article 150 of the Revised Penal Code sanctioning "disobedience to summons."

- US Secretary of State John Kerry warned that Israel's refusal to stop building Jewish settlements on Palestinian territory is undermining any attempt to achieve a lasting peace int he region. In his 70-minute plus speech, Kerry said the two-state solution that President Obama and his predecessors have been pushing for is "now in jeopardy" and the continued settlement building by the Israelis is cementing "a one-state reality that nobody really wants."

- The US government has reportedly decided to take retaliatory measures against Russia for an alleged cyber attack to interfere with the US presidential election. Reports told that the actions to be taken by the Obama administration are expected to include economic sanctions and diplomatic measures. They say the administration will likely announce the measures as early as this week.

- Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada has paid a visit to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine. Thursday visit to the shrine was her first since assuming the defense portfolio. The shrine not just honors Japan's war dead but also those convicted of war crimes after the Second World War. Inada said US President Barack Obama visited Hiroshima earlier this year, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid tribute to the war dead in Hawaii's Pearl Harbor, noted that the two countries, which waged the harshest battles during the war, are now the strongest allies.

- Another criticism has drawn on Amazon's The Grand Tour, this time on last week episode's Conversation Street segment where Richard Hammond thinks that eating ice cream is for homosexuals. That comment drawn flak from the LGBT community as well as the company behind the popular ice cream bar in question.

- According to reports, Takata is preparing a deal with federal prosecutors that could lead to a billion dollar settlement that could be reached sometime in early 2017. Takata would have to plead guilty to criminal misconduct as well.

- A day after the death of Star Wars veteran Carrie Fisher, another veteran actress died, this time it's Debbie Reynolds at the age of 84. Reynolds was well-known for her 1952 musical film Singin' In The Rain alongside Gene Kelly. According to her son Todd, she was rushed to the hospital due to stroke.

TTFN!!!

Remembering 2016: 16 motoring bits

Continuing on this 2016 year in review, focus is now drawn in the world of cars. Throughout the course of this year, the world of motoring continues to change; from new models, concepts, tech, laws, even motoring shows on TV as well. Some have changed, some have left, and some stayed the same.

Time to jot down the 16 motoring-related tidbits that changed the world in 2016...

1) Bugatti unveiled the much-awaited successor of the legendary Veyron hypercar, called the Chiron at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The newest Bugatti comes with an all-new W16 engine producing over 1,500HP of power and 1,180lb-ft of torque. Equipped with the most modern technology made for this new car as well as the improved 7-speed gearbox from the Veyron, the top speed is limited to around 261mph. Apart from that, the Chiron comes with a new bodywork that delivers a drag coefficient of just 0.35 in Top Speed mode.

2) The 2016 Formula 1 season has been one heck of a battle between the two Mercedes-AMG drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. From Melbourne to Abu Dhabi, every moment has been one heck of a battle between them and in the end, Hamilton's title as the world champion has been snagged by Rosberg but following his championship win, Nico Rosberg made a shocking announcement that he will be retiring from Formula 1 racing.

3) Tesla made some headlines with their high-tech Autopilot feature that features autonomous driving tech following strings of accidents involving Tesla drivers engaging this feature. Following the flawed tech, Tesla worked so hard to improve the Autopilot feature until they're ready for primetime on newer Tesla models like the upcoming Model 3 saloon and the facelifted Model S, now with the more powerful P100D variant with 762HP of power and 0-60mph time is two and a half seconds.

4) Lamborghini honors the 100th birthday of its founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini, by launching a special machine called the Centenario. Sold out before its announcement at the Geneva Motor Show, the Centenario is the most powerful Lamborghini ever made with 760HP of power and 349kph of top speed. It got featured in the Forza Horizon 3 game as well.

5) The 2016 Super GT season has faced a new turn in events following the Kumamoto quakes in April that cancelled their third round that supposed to held at the Autopolis. Therefore, the final round, which was held at the Twin Ring Motegi, is a two-parter, but still, the champions of the Autobacs Super GT 2016 Series go to the #39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD RC F, driven by Heikki Kovalainen and Kohei Hirate, for the GT500 class and the #25 VivaC 86 MC, driven by Takeshi Tsuchiya and Takamitsu Matsui, for the GT300 class.

6) It all started as a motoring show run by former Top Gear presenters Tiff Needell and Vicki Butler-Henderson, among many others, that was aired on Channel 5 from 2002 and transferred to Discovery Channel UK from 2012 to 2014, and History Channel UK since last year, but now, according to Tiff's twitter message, Fifth Gear is officially finished after its 14-year run.

7) Top Gear has returned in BBC Two last May 2016...with disastrous results all thanks to radio DJ Chris Evans doing his first and only job as the new presenter of BBC's hit TV series alongside Friends actor Matt LeBlanc, Rory Reid, motoring journalist Chris Harris, racing driver Sabine Schmitz, and Eddie Jordan. After the show's unsuccessful revamp, Evans decided to quit his presenter job and let LeBlanc, Reid, and Harris, among many others to continue this show without him.

8) The 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans has became one of the most desperate motorsport events of 2016 and just as we thought that Toyota's going to win the match, mechanical failures ruined their chances of winning, giving Porsche a chance to win this year's premier endurance match in France.

9) By winning the 2017 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, Jimmie Johnson scored his 7th championship win, joining the ranks of other veterans like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

10) Mitsubishi got embroiled in a fuel consumption scandal when Nissan found out the dirty secret behind the kei cars they made for both of them, therefore forcing them to suspend sales of these affected kei cars. Soon after, Mitsubishi has been hit hard from the scandal and therefore sealed its fate with the Renault-Nissan alliance.

11) The 2016 DTM Championship has been one heck of a ride for German's finest. With Marco Wittman and his BMW won the driver's championship this season, Eduardo Mortara and his Audi propelled their way to manufacturer title win.

12)  The two-part London finale at the 2015-2016 season of the FIA Formula E Championship really ends this season with a major twist unheard of in the world of motorsports as Sebastien Buemi and Lucas di Grassi ended up not finishing the last race but thanks to the "fastest lap" tiebreaker, Buemi wins and he is named as the FIA Formula E 2015-2016 champion. For the 2016-2017 season, big changes have occured.

13) Following the ongoing dieselgate scandal, Volkswagen announced that it will withdraw from its successful World Rally Championship career while Audi, after their long successful career, has ended their Le Mans journey as well as its World Endurance Championship activities.

14) As the countdown to the end of Australian car production looms, Ford Australia ended their Australian car production as the last Ford Falcon rolled off the assembly line. The Falcon in question is a blue XR6 saloon, which rolled off the line at its Broadmeadows plant in Melbourne since early October, three months after the last Falcon Ute rolled off the line, signalling the end of its 9-decade history of Australian production for Ford.

15) The first Ford GT has finally rolled of the production line in the Markham plant in Ontario, signalling the start of its new chapter. Following its historic class win at Le Mans, the production of the new Ford GT is more than just a Christmas miracle for the Blue Oval fans worldwide.

16) Former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May finally returned on the airwaves on Amazon's original car show, The Grand Tour. Although the new show may have the same Top Gear chemistry like the good old days, The Grand Tour puts more emphasis on the hosts themselves aside from driving fast cars, crude humor, and celebrity casualties aside.

There are many motoring-related tidbits that changed the world in 2016 but let's leave it here and move on to the next topic later on.

Suzuki Spacia Custom Z

2017 Suzuki Spacia Custom Z

Let's introduce to the new Suzuki Spacia Custom Z, the latest addition to the Spacia lineup that features a different kind of front face that is even more unique than the regular Spacia Custom model and no matter which customers will be targeted by it, the Spacia Custom Z offers the same features from most of the Spacia range.

While the exterior looks as highly questionable as a youth wearing three noserings on his right side, the interior still retains its class-leading dimensions that fits just about anyone or anything. Apart from that, the Spacial Custom Z still comes with the revolutionary S-ENE-CHARGE system that assists the 660cc R06A engine's acceleration with a motor by adopting the Integrated Starter Generator and a Li-ion battery that specifically made for this system. With that, fuel economy is expected to be around 30.6km/L. 26.8 if you opt for the turbocharged variant, of course.

The Spacia Custom Z also comes with a dual camera brake support system, which detects the vehicle and pedestrians from about 5kph in the speed range of about 100kph and to avoid collisions, the automatic braking feature triggers with the alarm and then it stops. Other features in this new system include a lane departure warning function, and a stagger alarm function, among many others.

The Spacia Custom Z starts at 1,490,400 Japanese Yen, which is somewhat slightly more costly than a normal Spacia Custom, but it still undercuts against rivals like the Daihatsu Tanto Custom or the Mitsubishi eK Space Custom. With this new model, you now have different kinds of Spacia to choose from,

Photo: Suzuki Motor Corporation

Let's Do The News! (December 28, 2016)

- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to visit the Philippines on January 12 and 13, the first head of state to visit the country under the Duterte administration, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. Yasay states that Abe's visit reciprocates Duterte's own successful trip to Japan last October.

- The National Bureau of Investigation has now the custody of high-profile inmate Jaybee Sebastian due to death threats. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II confirmed that Sebastian was transferred to NBI custody from New Bilibid Prison on Tuesday night.

- Former senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. requested anti-graft court Sandiganbayan to grant him furlough to visit his father for the second time this month. His father, former Senator Ramon Revilla Sr., was admitted to St. Luke's Medical Center - Global in Taguig City last December 22 due to kidney inflammation.

- Republican Arizona Senator John McCain said that despite rhetorics from US President-elect Donald Trump, the United States will remain committed to NATO and Baltic security. McCain told reporters that he and Estonian leaders discussed the outcome of the American election.

- House Republicans have proposed punishing representatives who shoot video or take photos on the floor of the chamber following a dramatic sit-in in June by House Democrats demanding a vote on gun control legislation that was streamed live online.

- French police are investigating the possibility that a text message sent from a missing Japanese student was sent by someone else in an attempt to delay the search. A 21-year-old Japanese student went missing after having dinner with another foreign student in his 20s on December 4th in the eastern city of Besancon. The head of her language school says a classmate received a text message from her at about 1130 hours on December 5th after she was absent from class in the morning.

- Veteran actress Carrie Fisher passed away at the age of 60. Fisher was famed for being Princess Leia from the Star Wars franchise and later endured drug addiction and stormy romances with veteran actors, including Harrison Ford. Her last appearance was from 2015's Star Wars The Force Awakens and filming on her next appearance in 2017's Star Wars sequel film has finished.

TTFN!!!