There is good news here: Bulletin Entertainment's Best of 2011

By JECELYN V. MACAHINDOG
January 1, 2012, 8:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Though typhoon “Sendong” left immeasurable
damage to the country, life goes on in these parts. Like the passing
year, we all move forward and start the New Year right.

Bulletin Entertainment gathered 2011’s treasure chest of good news
worth remembering as jumpstart for 2012. As popular talk show host
Oprah Winfrey puts it: “Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us
to get it right.”

‘Glee’-fuls

Filipino international singer Charice gets her biggest TV break with
her inclusion in the hit US musical series “Glee.” She auditioned and
bagged the role of a Pinay exchange student Sunshine Corazon in the
series’ season two, which wrapped May, 2011.

Fil-Irish Darren Criss, on the other hand, became a regular “Glee”
cast. Criss visited the country for a series of shows in December,
2010.

YouTube sensations

Filipino-Canadian Maria Aragon became a singing sensation overnight
when she covered Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and uploaded it on
YouTube on Feb. 16. The pop singer herself saw the then 10-year-old
Maria’s video, and reposted it on Twitter the following day and called
Maria “the future.” This catapulted Maria to instant stardom. The
young singer visited the country in July to promote her album.

Teen Aeta Arjohn Gilbert impressed YouTube fans with his singing
talent comparable to hat of Justin Bieber and Bruno Mars. A flute
vendor, Arjohn likewise impressed Charice, who invited him to her
Manila concert recently.

Ellen DeGeneres gave a special spot to her Filipina helper simply
known as Mindy. The househelp landed a segment called “Mindy’s Reality
Round Up” on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

PHL visitors

Not missing out the Superstar Nora Aunor’s homecoming in August after
living in the US, the country served as a hotspot for international
acts, who visited (some are returnees) and performed for thousands of
Filipino fans.

Among those big-name acts we welcomed this year were: China Crisis
(Jan. 21, 22), Janet Jackson (Feb. 4), Stephen Bishop, Dan Hill and
Yvonne Elliman (Feb. 11), American rock band Deftones (Feb. 12), Fra
Lippo Lippi (Feb. 14), Taylor Swift (Feb. 19), American pop punk band
Yellowcard (Feb. 20), Korean boy band Super Junior (Feb. 26), Filipino-
Puerto Rican Bruno Mars (April 9), Justin Bieber (May 10), Maroon 5
(May 23), Miley Cyrus (June 17), Kylie Minogue (July 5), “American
Idol Season 7” runner-up David Archuleta (July 18), “American Idol”
Season 10’s Top 10 tour (Sept. 20, 21), Westlife (Sept. 29), Black
Eyed Peas (Oct. 25), Pitbull (Nov. 30), Train (Dec. 7).

International models visited the country, too, to promote local
clothing brands. “Gossip Girl’s” Chuck Bass Ed Westwick arrived June 1
while Thai heartthrob and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” actor Mario
Maurer met his Filipino fans Oct. 26.

Hollywood heiress and socialite Paris Hilton also paid a visit on
August 14. Best-selling author and novelist Nicholas Sparks signed
books and met fans on October 28.

Fil-Ams conquer international scene

Thia Megia finished Top 10 at “American Idol’s” Season 10, which ran
Jan. 19-May 25. The then 15-year-old Fil-American singer sang the US
anthem “Star Spangled Banner” at Manny Pacquiao’s bout with Manuel
Marquez on November 12 in Las Vegas.

Danica Magpantay is the first Filipina to win the 2011 Ford Models
Supermodel of the World title. The 18-year-old Fine Arts student from
the University of the Philippines, Diliman earned a $250,000 modeling
contract with Ford Models from the competition, held Jan. 22 in New
York.

Kapuso child actor Joshua Pineda triumphed in this year’s World
Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA), which ran from July 15 to 24
and held in Hollywood in Los Angeles, California by winning the Junior
Grand Champion Performer of the World and the Junior Grand Vocalist of
the World titles.

“Talentadong Pinoy” winners emerged as WCOPA winners. Sand art artist
Joseph Erwin Valerio, more known as “Joseph The Artist,” was named
Variety World Champion, while Joshua Davis, also known as “The Yoyo
Tricker,” bagged the Junior Variety Grand Champion plum.

Filipino-Americans Marko Germar and Tadd Gadduang finished third and
fourth place, respectively, in “So You Think You Can Dance’s” eighth
season concluded on Aug. 11.

The Philippine All-stars and Fil-Am group The Crew were among the Top
9 dance groups that made it to the finals under the competition’s
adult division of the World Hip-Hop Dance Championship 2011, held July
25-26 in Las Vegas.

Lea Salonga, who provided the singing voice for two Disney characters:
Jasmine in “Aladdin” (1992), and Fa Mulan in “Mulan” (1998) and “Mulan
II” (2004), was honored with a Disney Legends Award, Aug. 19.

Local actors in international film

Jericho Rosales headlined his first international movie “Subject: I
Love You,” where he co-starred with Dean Cain (“Lois & Clark: The New
Adventures of Superman”), Dante Basco (“Hook,” “Avatar: The Last
Airbender”), and Briana Evigan (“Step Up 2: The Streets”). Gary
Valenciano and Joel Torre were also part of the film.

Filipino-American actress Hailee Steinfeld bested 15,000 other
teenagers for the Oscar-nominated film “True Grit” part of Mattie Ross
and also got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Singer-actors Karylle and Christian Bautista headlined “The Kitchen
Musical,” which premiered in October 2011 in 19 countries across Asia
and Europe.

Another half-Filipino actor Reggie Lee (“Tropic Thunder,” “Pirates of
the Caribbean,” “Prison Break”) was also cast in the Hollywood film,
“Here Comes the Boom,” along with Charice, Kevin James and Salma
Hayek. The movie is slated for 2012 release.

Indies go international

Independently-produced (indie) local films earned awards and citations
abroad. Among them were director John Paul Seniel’s “Latus,” which won
Best Short Film at the New York Independent Film and Video Festival in
January. Brillante Mendoza’s “Lola” won Best Film in the international
cinema category of the 29th Fajr International Film Festival in
Tehran, Iran held Feb. 8.

Two independent Filipino films were among entries in this year’s
Torino Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT ) Film Festival in
Turin, Italy (held April 28 to May 4), namely “Pulupot” (by Monti
Parungao) and “Muli” (by Adolf Alix Jr.).

Director Joey Agbayani’s animated short film “Lola” won the Best
Animated Short award at the 2011 Atlanta Horror Film Festival (AHFF),
held from Sept. 15-17 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Three of five nominated Filipino-Americans won an Oscar trophy Feb. 28
during the 83rd Academy Awards in Hollywood. The creative team of
Oscar-winning Best Live Action Short Film “God of Love” involved three
Fil-Americans in producers Stefanie Walmsley and Gigi Dement and
marketing and distribution producer Stephen Dypiangco.

Filipino Matthew Libatique was also nominated as Best Cinematographer
for his work in “Black Swan.”

Big wins

Eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao brought pride to
his countrymen when he defeated American Sugar Shane Mosley on May 8,
followed by his third bout with Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez on
November 12, both in Las Vegas.

Charice sang the Philippine national anthem at the Pacquiao-Mosley
bout, while Maria Aragon and Thia Megia sang the Philippine and US
anthems, respectively, at the pound-for-pound king’s fight with
Marquez.

Shamcey Supsup finished fourth most beautiful in the whole universe as
she won Miss Universe 2011 Third Runner-Up in the pageant held Sept.
13 in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The 25-year-old beauty from General Santos
City is an architect by profession. “Miss Saigon” actress Lea Salonga
was one of the Miss Universe 2011 judges.

Binibining Pilipinas-International titlist Dianne Necio made it to the
Top 15 of Miss International held Nov. 6 in Chengdu, China. Necio, 19,
also won the People’s Choice Award at the beauty pageant.

Gwendoline Ruais, Miss World Philippines, emerged as First Princess or
1st runner-up in the 2011 Miss World Pageant held in London, Britain,
Nov. 7.