Above (from left), NBA staff Francesco Suarez, Vice President for Business Development & Marketing Partnerships, NBA Asia; Carlo Singson, NBA Asia Country Manager-Philippines; Scott Levy, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, NBA Asia; NBA Legend Muggsy Bogues; Vicente Cheng, Chairman, Hoopla Inc.; Nian Rigor; Chico Sy of SM Engineering Design and Development; and Steven Tan, Vice President for Operations, SM Premier Malls

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Hoopla Inc. today announced that the first-ever NBA Café in Asia will be coming to Manila, Philippines, at the soon-to-open SM AURA Mall in the Bonifacio  Global  City.

Scheduled to open in September 2013, the NBA Café will feature a unique dining and entertainment experience that captures the excitement of the league through memorabilia displays, NBA highlights and programming, an NBA retail area, and will host viewing parties and appearances by NBA talent.

At the NBA Café, fans will enjoy quintessentially American bar and grill favorites and a selection of Asian-Filipino classics, giving it a local twist. It is the first sports bar and restaurant in Manila catering specifically to basketball fanatics and enthusiasts, in a nation where 40 million people play or have played the game.

This is the second league-owned restaurant set to open outside the U.S.; an NBA Café also is planned for Madrid in 2013.  NBA City, the league’s first themed restaurant, opened in 1999 at the Universal Studios Resort in Orlando.

“Basketball fans in the country now have a place dedicated and designed specifically for them,” said Nian Rigor, Assistant Vice President, Hoopla Inc. “NBA Café will provide them a taste of the authentic NBA experience that they can share with family and friends, complete with great food, custom-made NBA Café Manila merchandise and the finest in basketball entertainment. This stays in line with our goal to bring new experiences and concepts to Filipinos.”

“The NBA Café will be a unique destination that will bring NBA basketball closer to our fans in the Philippines,” said Carlo Singson, NBA Country Manager, Philippines. “Given their vast knowledge in the food and entertainment industry, Hoopla is an ideal partner to bring the NBA Café to life and to provide fans another authentic NBA experience.”

NBA Legend Muggsy Bogues, who was in Manila for the finale of the four-month long Jr. NBA program, made a special stop at the site, conducting a hard hat inspection with NBA executives to monitor the progress of the NBA Café (see photo caption).

“This is my first time in the Philippines and I’m overwhelmed by the passion the people have for basketball here,” said NBA Legend Muggsy Bogues, who at 5-3 is the shortest player ever to play in the NBA. “More than a restaurant, the NBA Café will be a destination where fans here can watch games in an entertaining atmosphere that captures the history and excitement of the NBA.”

The NBA recently announced a comprehensive global games schedule that will include a total of eight games in six countries this October, including the first ever preseason game in the Philippines. In addition, each year the NBA conducts local events in the Philippines, including the Jr. NBA youth development program, which has reached more than 60,000 students, parents and coaches over the past five years, and NBA 3X, the league’s global basketball competition and lifestyle event which will be conducted in 14 countries outside the US this summer.

Building on the success of the Jr. NBA Philippines program, Alaska will serve as the presenting partner for the first-ever Jr. WNBA program in the Philippines.  Tipping off in 2014, the Jr. WNBA presented by Alaska will give Filipinas the opportunity to showcase and improve their basketball skills.  Alaska also will continue to serve as presenting partner for the Jr. NBA program, which is currently in its sixth season.

“Alaska is excited to be renewing our relationship with the NBA,” said Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, Jr., President and CEO, Alaska Milk Corporation. “Our partnership with the NBA has helped us reach thousands of Filipino youth each year, encouraging them to lead a healthy lifestyle through sports. More importantly, we help them realize their potential as individuals while instilling positive values. We anticipate even more success through this partnership with the NBA in the many years to come”.

“Expanding our partnership with Alaska to introduce the first-ever Jr. WNBA program in the Philippines is a great step in bringing the game to more of our fans,” said Scott Levy, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, NBA Asia. “Both the NBA and Alaska share a commitment to the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles among Filipino youth through sport, and we look forward to continued collaboration between our two companies to grow the game of basketball.”

The sixth season of Jr. NBA presented by Alaska, which will conclude this weekend, saw record participation numbers with 1,000 kids at the school clinic in Davao and a total 1,374 kids trying out for the Regional Selection Camps. The National Training Camp will be held in Manila this weekend with the top 10 players being named to the Jr. NBA All-Star team and the Jr. NBA Coach of the Year being named.

Over the last three years, in partnership with Alaska, the Jr. NBA program has grown to reach more than 500 schools and 60,000 students, parents, and coaches across the country. Each year a new city benefits from the free grassroots basketball program that involves not just young players but also their parents and coaches.

Hosts Marc Nelson and Sarah Meier welcomed guests to the evening’s festivities, and asked some of Smart’s charismatic celebrity ambassadors, such as the lovely Anne Curtis and the hilarious Ramon Bautista, to share what they love about being with the nation’s top network.

They were later joined by Smart’s Executive Vice President and Head of Wireless Consumer Division Noel Lorenzana, who talked about the origins of the award-winning “Live More” campaign of the company’s dependable, top-notch services powered by the Philippines’ first and only 100% super-charged mobile network.

“When you’re struggling with your wireless services – a missed call, a late message, slow Internet – you’re losing time that you can’t get back. You’re literally losing a part of your life,” Lorenzana explained.“Now when your provider is able to give you the service you need, service that is both timely and dependable, you also get more time to enjoy life. You actually get to Live More.”

A panel of three special guests who made the Smart Move – fashion blogger Ingrid Go of the Bag Hag Diaries, lawyer Rod Nepomuceno of PR firm Big Big Big, and entrepreneur Cristalle Belo-Henares of the Belo Medical Group – all affirmed that with Smart, subscribers do indeed Live More. Each panellist shared their experiences with Smart, talking about how much better life has been with the wireless service provider’s reliable service and high-speed internet connection.

Guests also got to experience Smart’s technology firsthand, with demo stations around the area showcasing the company’s blazing-fast LTE speeds made possible by 4x more fiber power compared to its competitors.

A champagne parade soon followed, leading to a toast to Living More by none other than PLDT Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan with Smart’s Chief Wireless Advisor Doy Vea and PLDT Technology Group Head Olan Peña.  As MVP and a cadre of Smart’s top endorsers raised their glasses, everyone at the affair gave rousing applause for Smart.

The program eventually came to a close, but the party was far from over as DJ Callum David rocked the night away with an uproarious set.

Spotted at the event were celebrity siblings Anne Curtis and Jasmine Curtis and so were Maxene and Elmo Magalona.  Also joining the party were Rico Blanco, Billy Crawford, Vhong Navarro, Champ Lui Pio, Guji Lorenzana, Jinri Park, Bianca King, and more.

Also present were partyphile Veronica Mendez, King of the nightlife Louie Ysmael, entrepreneurs Piku Uttamchandani, Erik Cua and GP Reyes, designers Nicole Whisenhunt and Martin Bautista, and football stars Phil and James Younghusband.

The entire evening was a testament to how subscribing to the country’s number one wireless services provider is, in every sense of the phrase, a Smart Move. The inclination to Live More has never been stronger, especially with Smart’s fantastic services.

After the success that was the Manila leg of the Diamond Eyes tour last 2011, DEFTONES are finally set to return to the Philippines! The show will be part of the band’s tour in support of their recently recorded album “Koi No Yokan”, which was released in November of last year. It will be held on May 26, 2013 at the World Trade Center, the same venue of their epic 2011 concert.

The Grammy Award winning band from Sacramento, California, comprises Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter, Frank Delgado, Abe Cunningham and Quicksand’s Sergio Vega filling in for bassist Chi Cheng. The band has successfully built upon their particular style of heavy music to be one of the most forward-thinking bands of our generation.

They’re also known for being one of the most hardworking bands in the business, always touring extensively behind their albums. “Koi No Yokan” is the seventh album from the band.

The 2011 Deftones concert proved to be a huge success, and it makes perfect sense to return with a new critically acclaimed album under their belt.  “Koi No Yokan” was produced by collaborator Nick Raskulinecz and contains new fan favorites like “Leathers”, “Tempest”, and “Entombed”.

The upcoming show is a chance to experience these new songs played in a live setting, and based on the band’s track record, this show will be another one for the books.

See you all at the World Trade Center on May 26, 2013 as Chino Moreno and company make their triumphant return to Manila!

Tickets on sale now via Ticktworld. Keep your eyes on Splintr.com for more details.

The Manila Regional Selection Camp is the last tryout for this year’s Jr. NBA Program and immediately precedes the high point of the Jr. NBA – the National Training Camp – which will be participated in by 50 players who are the top picks from the regional selection camps in the various regions and the Alaska Power Camp.

Kids 10-14 years old from Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bacolod, Iligan and Palawan joined the Manila tryouts. The Top 40 players with the best scores on the vitals tests, skills stations and fitness challenges were asked to return on Day 2. The Top 19 from the pool of 40 will move on to the National Training Camp.

The 19 kids are : Rodney Manuel and Nikolai Azurin from San Juan, Tyler Tio and Gian Mamuyac from Mandaluyong, Miguel Fortuna and Derrick Caalaman from Parañaque, Vince Ferrer, Marco Sario, Luigi Velasco and Kenneth Maneze from Makati, Bryeo Bunyi and Benedict Cruz from Manila, Paolo Rivero from Pasig, Christian Anterola from Las Piñas, Kyle Ong from Quezon City, Juan Paolo Garcia from Valenzuela, Bryan Lina from Antipolo, Maverick Barles from Bulacan and Samuel Abuhijleh from Laguna.

Manila has 19 finalists because only 6 players were chosen from Dagupan and 5 from Lucena City, while Davao yielded 10 players and the Alaska Power Camp another ten.

The Manila finalists were chosen by the Jr. NBA evaluation committee headed by Jr. NBA head coach Sefu Bernard, Senior Director of Basketball Operations of NBA Asia and PBA Legend Jojo Lastimosa of the Alaska Power Camp. Their all-around basketball skills and how they exhibited the Jr. NBA’s core S.T.A.R. values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, (a positive) Attitude and Respect.

“I had heard so much about the quality and calibre of player in Manila, that it was great to experience it in person after some competitive selection camps in Dagupan, Davao and Lucena.  This is bound to be one of the toughest selections that our committee will have to make in the history of the Jr. NBA program in the Philippines, said Coach Sefu Bernard.

The National Training Camp will be held at the UP Diliman Gym on April 26 and 27 and at the SM Mall of Asia on April 28.  All the best players from each region will pit skills and the ways in which they express the STAR values during the three-day boot camp that will prepare them to be exceptional athletes and total persons on and off the court. The 10 best performers selected in the National Training Camp will be this year’s Jr. NBA Philippines All Star Team who will be rewarded with a trip abroad for an authentic NBA experience and the chance to play with a counterpart youth team abroad.

NBA Legend Muggsy Bogues will arrive in Manila for the National Training Camp and join the coaching staff of the Jr. NBA.  Bogues was drafted by 12th overall in 1997 by the Washington Bullets then played for the Charlotte Hornets for 10 seasons, after which, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors and played for 2 seasons and then signed as a free agent with the Toronto Raptors .  He also had stints with the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks.

“I just want to say thank you so much for all the people that are interviewing me, first off.  It means a lot that you’re interested enough in me to even care.  Thank you so much to all the fans and the Troopers out there that have supported me and please continue to follow me because this is not the end and I have a lot of other things up my sleeve that I want to show and give and share to you all.  Thank you so much.” – Paul Jolley

And just like that we are down to the Top 8 contestants! Who will impress the judges: Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban, Randy Jackson, and Mariah Carey and you at home that they are worthy to be given the title of the next American Idol?

This week, on Thursday, March 28, the Top 8 –Lazaro Arbos, Janelle Arthur, Candice Glover, Kree Harrison, Amber Holcomb, Angie Miller, Burnell Taylor and Devin Velez – return to perform for America’s votes. The performance show’s theme is Detroit: The Music of Motor City.

Then, on Friday, March 29 , American Idol will celebrate its 450th episode and Season 11 Finalist Colton Dixon will return to perform live on the Idol stage!

See American Idol Season 12 every Thursday via satellite at 6PM with a primetime replay at 8PM and 10PM, and Friday via satellite at 6PM with a primetime replay at 9PM and 10PM.

“Levels”, “Fade Into Darkness”, “Silhouettes” and “I Could Be The One”. These are just some of the chart–topping hits created by Grammy Award Winner, Swedish DJ, remixerand record producer, Avicii.

Avicii, who jumpstarted his career as DJ Tim Bergling,has headlined the world’s biggest electronic music festivals such as Ultra in Miami, Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas and Tomorrowland in Belgium. His popular remixes and collaborations with different music icons such as Tiësto, David Guetta and Madonna have made him the most innovative DJ ofhis generation. In 2011, Avicii ranked No. 6 on the Top 100 DJs list by DJ Magazine, and ranked higher the following year coming in at No. 3. Avicii’s hit “Sunshine” won Best Dance Recording in 2011, while “Levels” was nominated as Best Dance Recording this year, both at the Grammys. In 2012, Avicii made history as the first DJ to headline Radio City Music Hall in New York. Currently, Avicii is spreading his music through his world tour;bringing his world-smash hits closer to his massive fan base and making them believe that he truly is the Sound of Now.

On April 4, 2013, Manila will be the one to experience Avicii – LIVE.Manila’shottest partygoers will gather at the SM Mall of Asia Arena as Globe Tattoo, the Country’s Most Reliable Broadband, brings AVICII Live in Manila, with Special Guest Otto Knows. This one night of non-stop partying and dancing will bethe biggestevent of summer.Get ready as Avicii redefines the Manila nightlife and party scene as he brings the Sound of Now.

Tickets to AVICII Live in Manila are now available at www.smtickets.com. For more information and updates, visit Republiq and AVICII Live in Manila on Facebook.

AVICII Live in Manila is presented to you by Globe Tattoo, the Country’s Most Reliable Broadband, in cooperation with Fox and Star World, REPUBLIQ CLUB, World Wide Womb and Driven. This is brought to you by Tanduay Ice, Asahi Beer, Astroplus, Zalora, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, B2B Carshow.com, and ZOO Shop. This is also brought to you by The Philippine Star, Inquirer.net, Manila Bulletin, Circuit, UNO, MYX, Wheninmanila.com, Juice.ph, Iammeg.ph, Boys Night Out on Magic 89.9, Monster Radio RX 93.1, Radio High and U-Radio 107.9.

UPDATE:

We would like to formally advise you that AVICII Live in Manila, slated initially for April 4, 2013 will be rescheduled to May 15, 2013, at the same venue – SM MOA Arena.  Other cancelled shows include two Brisbane shows, Perth, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Tokyo, Kobe, Mumbai and Delhi.

In a statement from AT NIGHT/ASH ALLIANCE, the DJ/producer’s management:

“2x Grammy-nominated DJ/producer AVICII is postponing his Asian tour on advice from his doctors. The 23 year old superstar has required hospitalization several times in the last six months.  His doctors have restricted his travel in order that he may make a complete recovery and return to a full tour schedule later this year.”

All tickets and table reservations will be honored on the new date: MAY 15, Mall of Asia Arena.

But what about videos? Those of us who were more appreciative of moving pictures got a kick out of Cinemagram, Viddy, and Socialcam. But none really stuck.

Then comes Vine.

Vine is basically an Instagram for videos. Launched just in January of this year by social networking giant Twitter, the app has already had a growth spurt in active users, even relegating the three aforementioned video sharing apps to a decreased number of active users according to a report by TechCrunch.

In addition, early adapting brands, celebrities, and companies have already used the app to promote products, cover concerts and events, as well as release creative little advertisements. Vine is in a good position to potentially own a wide open gap in mobile video posting and sharing in social media.

So, how does Vine work? Well, you can record up to 6 seconds of video through the in app camera, audio included. To record, all you have to do is tap the screen for as long as you like. Recording will automatically stop once you lift your finger. This can produce GIF-like videos. For example, you can tap the screen and record a flower pot for 2 seconds. Lift your finger to stop recording, then go on to tap the screen again and record the sky for 4 seconds, picking up where you left off.

Vine’s feed is pretty much like Instagram’s where you can ‘like’ and comment on videos. Videos on your feed also automatically play so you don’t have to tap anything. You can share Vine videos on Twitter and Facebook as well!

Some interesting Vine accounts to follow are Rolling Stone, Sophia Bush, and Vans for some awesome SXSW (South By South West, an annual art, film, and music festival in Texas) coverage!

It’s not safe to say yet where Vine might be headed–if it will stick or be reduced to a fad. Nonetheless, it would be nice to be one of the early adapters and see if this app truly has the potential to be something, right?

Here are some screen caps:

Meanwhile, check out a cool Vine video posted by Jackson Holland (@_jacsun_). I, for one, would love to play a whole lot more with Vine and hopefully come up with something as brilliant as Jackson’s video.

Bigfish together with HTC, Bacardi, and Power Horse bring you the most anticipated and the unbeatable two-day music festival on the island of Boracay, happening on March 28-30, 2013, beachfront of Uptown, Station 2.

Bigfish will be bringing in a world renowed and an award winning DJ, O Jon O’Bir, who has earned the admiration of critics and fans for his trance sets which are captivating mix of striking melody and ruthless energy. He is now going head to head with some of the biggest stars including Paul Van Dyk, Sasha, and Tiesto. Jon also headlined Innovation White 2011 that brought in thousands of white-garbed revelers in Manila.

On the decks will be joining him the DJ Mag top 100, Sied Van Riel, who won the “best new face” award for the 2008 Trance Awards. Beach House, the collection of sun kissed summer grooves by Hed Kandi will also take you on a musical journey. And of course, Bigfish resident DJ who never fails to hype up the crowd, DJ Chris Raeuber. Summer Energy will start off with a chill sunset session on March 28 at the beachfront of Uptown, Station 2, Boracay and will take the energy up in the main party happening on March 30, also at the Uptown beachfront.

This event also made possible with the support of our Official Residence Partners, Sol Marina Boracay, The Palms Boracay, and Diamond Hotel. MTV Asia, our Official Music Channel, and Velvet as the Official Lifestyle Channel.

For early tickets and VIP: 6327762 / 09179318444 / 09218380133 or log in to www.bigfishmanila.com