04 JULY 2019

C20 SPOTLIGHT
Thursday, 4 July 2019
Daily Tribune
David
Licauco
says loveteam with
Shaira
Diaz
a blessing
FRESH Kapuso
loveteam
featuring Shaira
Diaz and David
Licauco.
It wasn’t until last year that the rising Filipino-Chinese sensation dubbed as the Chinito Heartthrob
struck gold when he appeared in the drama anthology, Magpakailanman with another emerging star
HOOQ executives with lead stars Christian Bables and Nadine Lustre.
Celebrating
Pinoy pride
HOOQ, Southeast Asia’s leading video-on-demand
service, just announced that it is expanding
its “freemium” offering with the launch
of HOOQ Free, enabling direct access to
high-quality content without needing to register.
As well as continuing to deliver the best
in regional and Hollywood content, HOOQ is
committed to bringing the very best in local
content via HOOQ Free.
As part of the launch, HOOQ is also
introducing the HOOQ Freeplay Festival, an
innovative streaming festival that will bring
a variety of local content from HOOQ’s vast
library onto the “freemium” layer every quarter.
Sheila Paul, HOOQ Philippines country
manager, said, “HOOQ is attuned to the evolving
needs of the social, convenience-driven and
digital-savvy Filipino. We understand local
nuances and most importantly, we get our
audience. So we’re introducing HOOQ Free
and the HOOQ Freeplay Festival in response
to their wants and needs as VoD consumers.”
Freedom to choose
HOOQ Free is a major enhancement to
the user-experience from HOOQ, providing
Filipinos access to a wide array of popular
on-demand local films, programs, live channels
and short-form content without the need to
register. The revamped platform, which can
be accessed via the web, mobile app and on
select TV models and set-top boxes, has been
designed to give viewers immediate access
to some of the nation’s most popular films
and series, so they can browse and access
authentic, unique and locally relevant stories
that they want to watch.
Aside from bringing exciting local stories
at the forefront, HOOQ Free also bolsters the
HOOQ live TV experience, adding two new
channels, CNN Philippines and PTV. With
the addition of these new channels, HOOQ
increases the total number of live and feature
TV channels to 20.
Jennifer Batty, chief content officer, said,
MULTIHYPENATE
actors, Nadine and
Christian.
“We are giving Filipinos the freedom to view over
1,000 titles for free! There will be no sign-ups,
no registration for a trial or paid subscription
needed. Based on our data and insights, and
our deep connection to the local audience, we
know that video entertainment delight is all about
instant enjoyment, consumption that’s mobile
and the power of bite-size and binge-worthy
content with local relevance.”
Celebrating everything Pinoy
For the first ever HOOQ Freeplay Festival,
HOOQ will shift over 1,000 local titles from
HOOQ VIP, HOOQ’s SVOD (subscription
video-on-demand) layer onto HOOQ Free for
the duration of one-month, from 21 June to 20 July.
At the launch, new originals like the recent
smash-hit Ulan, co-produced with Viva Films,
starring Nadine Lustre and Carlo Aquino, were
introduced onto HOOQ Free.
There will also be an all-new HOOQ
Original titled Sex Talks with Dr. Holmes.
The 10-episode series is a helpline for those
who have questions and concerns about sex
and how it figures in their daily lives. There
will be a dramatization of the letter senders’
situations but the approach is light with a
bit of humor.
For those who want complete access
HOOQ’s vast catalogue of the hottest Hollywood
and regional series and movies including
Krypton, John Wick, La La Land and Marvel’s
The Avengers, as well as the latest HOOQ
Originals, plus Korean dramas like Jewel in
the Palace and Winter Sonata, can sign-up to
a HOOQ VIP plan on www.hooq.tv.
HOOQ VIP Plans are available for as low as
P59 per week with multiple payment options
via credit card, debit card and telco partners
such as Globe, Smart and Sun.
HOOQ can now be enjoyed on more
devices like Google Chromecast, Samsung
Smart TVs, Android TV, Apple TV, Globe
Streamwatch powered by Roku and the new
Globe Streamwatch Xtreme Prepaid.
By Ethan Sta. Maria
Three years ago, David Licauco was
launched as one of Mother Lily’s modern-day
Regal Babies. Although he never got to
do a film for Regal, it gave him enough
traction to make an impact on the small
screen.
After ALV Talent Circuit and GMA
Artist Center took over the management
of his career, David was able to deliver
memorable performances in such GMA
hit shows like Karelasyon, Sa Piling
ni Nanay, Pinulot Ka Lang sa Lupa,
Mulawin vs. Ravena, Kapag Nahati
sa Puso and, most recently, TODA One
I Love.
But it wasn’t until last year that the
rising Filipino-Chinese sensation dubbed
as the Chinito Heartthrob struck gold
when he appeared in the drama anthology,
Magpakailanman with another emerging
star.
That episode called Nakawin Natin
ang Bawat Sandali paired David with
Millennial Sweetheart Shaira Diaz in
a compelling story about forbidden
love. That episode captured viewers’
imagination and quickly trended on
social media.
And just like that, a love team was born.
“I was surprised. I’m still new to this
business. At first, I wondered, how will
people like a love team? Then I realized,
it’s a natural process. If people like you as
a love team, it means you’re doing well,
It’s been raining feels recently. Songs
have also been pouring emotions to
listeners, with artists even teaming up
with other artists — making tracks seem
like a double-whammy to most.
Here are the latest collabs you should
listen to ASAP.
“Crazy About” by Jayda
and Renn Miko
Our sweet Jayda Avanzado takes her music
to new heights as she works with up and coming
Indonesian singer-songwriter Renn Miko for
track “Crazy About.” Their duet talks about two
people wondering if the other feels the same
way, sung in the most hopeful yet most youthful
way. Jayda is one of the Kapamilya artists who
is slowly breaking into the international music
scene as ABS-CBN continues to champion
Filipino talent on the world stage.
“Salamat sa…” by Loisa and Kritiko
The catchy track showcases Loisa
Andalio’s newly-forged team up with rising
rapper Kritiko. It talks about how lives of
both changed since they met the other and
being immensely thankful for it. Kritiko first
graced the local music scene through Himig
Handog 2018 where he won Third Best Song.
“Patawad, Paalam”
by Moira and I Belong to the Zoo
Two artists known for heart-aching songs
come together in a new hurting track, “Patawad,
Paalam.” Let Moira dela Torre and I Belong to
the Zoo pluck at your heartstrings as they sing
about the difficult road of loving and letting go.
“Imposible” by KZ Tandinan
and Shanti Dope
Originally off KZ’s sophomore album “Soul
Supreme,” the new version of “Imposible”
features rapper and young hitmaker Shanti
that you have chemistry,” David told this
writer during a recent interview.
“This was not something that Shaira
and I planned for people to like us. We
were just doing our jobs, followed what
was on the script and we feel happy and
blessed that people liked our performance
in that episode.”
Now, both David and Shaira are
headlining their first big screen team-up.
In ALV Films’ Because I Love You, David
plays Rael, a wealthy young man who
finds himself falling in love with Shaira’s
character, Summer, an independent and
fearless young woman whose line of work
involves firefighting.
The trailer alone shows the palpable
chemistry between the two as director
Joel Lamangan ramps up the kilig factor
in this rather unusual romantic-comedy.
What makes their onscreen tandem even
more remarkable is that David and Shaira
are not a couple in real life and are in fact
seeing other people.
Despite her repeated denial, Shaira
remains romantically linked with on-again,
off-again boyfriend Edgar Allan Guzman
while David recently admitted to dating
a non-showbiz Chinese girl that he did
not identify.
David, however, is quick to qualify
that he and Shaira are very good friends
although they don’t get to hang out that
much outside of their work.
“As a friend and an actress, I really like
her a lot. We communicate on social media
Four fresh collabs
UPCOMING singer-songwriter Renn Miko with Jayda Avanzado.
MOIRA and I Belong To The Zoo sing about
letting go in “Patawad, Paalam.”
Dope. He matched KZ’s lyrics about realizing
how much she deserves better than an ex-lover
with a verse of his own that goes, “Kaso parang
pagod ka na kakaunawa / Panahon na
din yata maalalang ‘di na ako bata.” The
collaboration’s music video, which premiered
on YouTube last 14 June, now has over 1.2
million views.
Check out these songs and more in various
digital music platforms and on ABS-CBN
Star Music’s YouTube channel. For updates,
follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram or visit www.abscbnpr.com.
but she has her own personal life,” he said.
Asked if he’s ever worried if their team-up
will make their respective partners jealous,
David is of the opinion that every job
allows people of the opposite sex to work
closely together. That doesn’t necessarily
mean, however, that something is going on
between them.
“It’s up to me and Shaira to assure our
partners that we love them and that this
is just work and we’re just doing what is
needed in order to do our jobs well,” he
quipped.
As for working with Lamangan, David
said he had a great time all throughout the
making of Because I Love You.
In ALV Films’ Because I Love You,
David plays Rael, a wealthy young
man who finds himself falling in love
with Shaira’s character, Summer,
an independent and fearless young
woman whose line of work involves
firefighting.
“As a newbie in this industry, I can
now confidently say that I’ve worked with
Direk Joel and have benefitted from the
hard work and discipline that he inspires
on the set. I believe that from hereon, I
will have an easier time working with other
directors.”
Also starring Martin del Rosario and
Michelle Dee, Because I Love You is now
showing in cinemas nationwide.
LOISA and Kritiko’s newly forged teamup.
KZ Tandingan and Shanti Dope sing a new
version of “Imposible.”