Felicitations, Liza Diño

Award-winning actress and former chairman of the Film development Council of the Philippines (FdCP) Liza diño was so overwhelmed and moved to tears when esteemed personalities from the government and film industry, members of the diplomatic corps, and her closest friends and family members all gathered to witness a very special moment in her illustrious career, as the first-ever Filipina to be knighted in the field of cinema by the French republic.

French ambassador to the Philippines Michele Boccoz hosted an exclusive and intimate affair in diño’s honor recently at the ambassador’s residence in Makati City. The highlight was the conferment of diño with one of France’s most distinguished titles, the Chevalier in the French Order of arts and Letters (Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres). This extraordinary award recognizes diño’s exceptional contributions to the Philippine film industry and her unwavering dedication to fostering cultural exchanges between the Philippines, France, and the rest of the world.

The national Order of arts and Letters is considered the highest civilian award given by the French republic for individuals who have distinguished themselves by their creations in the artistic or literary field, or by the contribution they have made to the influence of the arts and letters in France and the world. among those have been awarded the title are Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Michelle Yeoh, george Clooney, Leonardo di Caprio, and Cate Blanchett.

as the first and only Filipina to receive the distinction in the field of cinema, diño’s achievements have elevated and uplifted the Philippine film industry in the last six years in the FdCP, most especially in the empowerment and promotion of Philippine cinema around the world. in her speech, ambassador Boccoz praised diño for her hard work in opening doors for Filipino filmmakers and films and bridging the Philippines and France for cultural exchange, mutual policies, and

“Liza, you are an actress by profession, but being velopment Council of the Philippines seemed like you had a calling in public service to play a role in building government support for the Philippine film industry. Your energy, talent and intensive work have been recognized by French professionals and by all French institutions, and this is why we are here tonight.”

Esteemed guests spotted were Carlitos Siguionaquel Villavicencio, Bela Padilla, Brillante Mendoza, Mark Meily, Bianca Balbuena, Bradley Liew, Jim Baltazar of as diño received the French Knight award, she expressed her profound gratitude to all those who have supported and collaborated with her throughout her career. in her acceptance speech during the ceremony and recounting her early days in the FdCP, she said, “i approached [this new role] the same way i did with every aspect of my life—by creating, nurturing, and honoring relationships. i believed that in forming authentic relationships with colleagues, partners and collaborators, i could get them on board to help me in my vision of an empowered and strong film industry. This was how this fruitful collaboration with France blossomed into impactful cooperation that bridged Philippine and French cinema together.”

CMB Films, Ed Lejano, Manet dayrit. also present to share the momentous evening of diño were ambassadors Luc Veron of the European Union, and Laure Beaufils of the United Kingdom, instituto Cervantes director Javier galvan, Quezon City mayor Joy Belmonte with Quezon City rep Juan Carlos atayde, Pangasinan rep. Toff de Venecia, Public attorney’s Office chief Persida acosta, intellectual Property office of the Philippines director general rowel Barba, and Cebu City vice mayor raymond garcia.

She added, “i d like to thank the French government for honoring me and acknowledging that Philippine cinema, with all the blood, sweat and tears that need to be shed, is worth championing and fighting for,” she said in her speech, which turned emotional many times.

Perhaps proudest of diño is her artist husband, ice Seguerra. “My wife Liza dedicated six years of her life to public service and divested from accepting any work as an actor which she is so passionate about, so she could fully serve the industry she loves. Though i would sometimes catch her silently in tears because she misses acting and had to let go of wonderful projects, she was bent on turning her vision for the industry into reality: for Philippine cinema and its workers to be noticed in the global community. She was their loudest cheerleader for every recognition received and every production deal closed.”

Seguerra added, “Her heart bled when pandemic took away people’s jobs. She made sure that industry workers, specially the freelancers, would be able to receive financial assistance from the government.

Liza worked very hard to bring dignity to all film workers and give our filmmakers a chance to tell their stories for the world to see and watch and listen. i am so thankful for and mighty proud of Madame le Chevalier, my wife Liza.” diño, who is also the newly appointed executive director of the Quezon City Film development Commission, is now at Bucheon international Fantastic Film Festival in Korea as an industry decision-maker meeting with selected filmmakers and their projects featured for this year’s network of asian Fantastic Films project market. “i’m also presenting some projects and finalizing discussions with the festival directors for possible collaboration with QCinema 2023,” she told us.

Continue to champion Filipino cinema, Liza diño.

Felicitations! n

‘Biyahe ni Drew’ turns 10, treats viewers to South Korea special

f thrilling surprises awaits all budgetconscious and adventure-seeking biyaheros as Biyahe , hosted by the award-winning host drew ellano, celebrates its 10th anniversary with back-toback specials in South Korea airing on July 2 and July thwart the imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity. while nick Fury is no stranger to threats in the MCU, it has been a long time since we saw him in action. we first encounter the Skrulls in Captain Marvel, in which Fury and Carol Danvers fend off the Kree. while the Skrulls await Fury and Danver’s promise to give them a new world to call home, the earth is besieged by multiple universeending threats. and who do the Skrulls trust when they’ve lost their home and their planet, and the man they’ve placed their trust in for years—who promised to find them a new homeland—lets them down? with Fury’s promise left unfulfilled, the renegade Skrulls lay their claim on earth, taking over important organizations and governments to set up their plans for complete takeover. it’s up to Fury and his allies to form the last line of defense and save the world once more.

Fury is not seen until Thanos is defeated in Avengers: Endgame, joining other heroes to mourn the loss of Tony Stark. after Endgame, nick Fury continues to work in the shadows, forming S.a B.e r. with Skrull Talos and setting up a space station.

Secret Invasion is now available exclusively on Disney+. The app can be downloaded for free for mobile phones and smart TVs.

The two-part anniversary episode is made more iya Villaniaellano, joins him in exploring and discovering the wonders and hidden gems of South Korea. Viewers should definitely not miss out as the couple tries the most sumptuous Korean dishes, explores Korean beauty, and visits the most talked-about places including a popular BTS bus stop and a film location of the hit K-drama series Goblin

“we want viewers to have the chance to experience South Korea, especially because maraming Pilipino ang K-pop and K-drama fans. we will show them options that will be useful when they travel there,” shared drew.

Since 2013, Biyahe ni Drew has established itself as the definitive travel magazine show on television.

The program has proudly featured all the regions of the Philippines and has visited at least 14 countries— from asian neighbors, like Japan and Singapore, to parts of the Middle East like Jordan and israel, to countries in africa like Kenya, Zimbabwe and Zambia. aside from showcasing must-see places and featuring all sorts of to-do things on a trip, Biyahe ni Drew more importantly advocates for responsible travel, sustainable tourism, respect for local culture, and an appreciation for the locals and hardworking members of the tourism industry. as the host of Biyahe ni Drew for a decade and counting, drew has definitely made a mark as the “ultimate biyahero.” “i feel proud [being regarded as the ‘ultimate biyahero’] because it’s not just me—it’s mostly my team. it’s such an honor to host a travel show for this long, and to experience so many beautiful places, to eat so much good food, and to meet interesting people along the way. if i could do this for another 10 years, that would be awesome,” he said. This 2023, local travel will remain at the forefront of Biyahe ni Drew adventures as it continues to promote Philippine tourism. in addition, the show will also return to traveling abroad this year as it heads to Bali, indonesia, for a budget-friendly and instagramworthy cultural immersion. The team is also set to visit Hanoi, Vietnam, where drew will be joined by another surprise celebrity guest.

Biyahe ni Drew airs every Sunday, 8:15 pm, on gTV. global Pinoys can watch it via gMa international channel, gMa Life TV.

Drew areLLano and wife iya try the most sumptuous Korean dishes, explore Korean beauty, and visits the most talked-about places such as the popular BTS bus