Barely half a year since the launch of the phenomenal bestseller “Stupid is Forever,” Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago and ABS-CBN Publishing release a second “stupid” book. After selling more than 350,000 copies, Santiago is back with a sequel that is packed with more jokes, clever one-liners, silly pick-up lines, stirring speeches and, even, a short story.

Titled “Stupid is Forevermore,” the book promises to give her fans more reasons to love her on her 70th birthday.

The much awaited book is divided into several topics including politics, religion, morality and romance. “Stupid is Forevermore” definitely reflects, once again, the eloquence and wit of the beloved senator.

But aside from the lighthearted quips, the book also takes a serious tone through the moving speeches by the senator during various occasions. In one of the speeches, Santiago points out how the youth can be participative through social media. She urges young people to be critical about the political process and to use the power of social media to be vocal against corrupt politicians.

“Stupid is Forevermore” also features entertaining illustrations from some of the country’s best young illustrators like Adam David, Andrew Drilon, Apol Sta. Maria, Josel Nicolas, Eugene Madayag, Julius Villanueva, and more.

At 70, Santiago remains one of the most feared senators in the country, yet the most admired person across generations because of her cool charisma and intellect.

As a decorated scholar and public servant, Santiago adds another accomplishment in her resume as the author of the fastest best-selling book of 2015, “Stupid is Forever.”

“Stupid is Forevermore” is now available in all National Book Store branches nationwide.

Actress-comedienne Melai Cantiveros was crowned the first-ever grand winner of top-rating celebrity musical competition “Your Face Sounds Familiar” after garnering 51.93% of public votes in the program’s grand showdown Sunday night (June 7).

Melai bested other Final 4 celebrity perfomers Nyoy Volante, Jay-R, and Edgar Allan Guzman with her impersonation of pop star Miley Cyrus. Melai brought the house down on Saturday’s (June 6) show when she came out wearing a white top and underwear while singing “Wrecking Ball,” and then swinging on a wrecking ball.

“To those who voted for me through text, thank you very much. To all Melason fans, thank you for your support and for voting for me,” said Melai, who dedicates her victory to her husband Jason Francisco and their daughter.

Melai won P2 million, half of which will go to her chosen charity, the Alay Kapwa Desk Social Action Center of the Diocese of Marbel.

Nyoy, who belted out “I Will Always Love You” while copying diva Whitney Houston, placed second by getting 24.51% of the votes. Jay-R, who impersonated Frank Sinantra, and EA, who transformed into Chris Brown, came in third and fourth place, respectively.

The three placers all got P200,000 each, half of which will also be given to their chosen charity.

Melai, who admits she is not a singer, consistently gained high scores throughout the season from jurors Gary Valenciano, Jed Madela, and Sharon Cuneta, and was even named a top scorer for impersonating Elizabeth Ramsey on the show’s ninth week.

Meanwhile, on Sunday’s finale show, the bottom celebrity performers also took the “Your Face” stage, with Jolina Magdangal performing as Karen Carpenter, Maxene Magalona as Nicki Minaj, Tutti Caringal as Bryan Adams, and Karla Estrada as Gloria Gaynor.

Teen stars Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano also opened the show with a song number.

Host Billy Crawford, meanwhile, announced a second season of the top-rating program will be airing soon.

Since it started airing in March this year, “Your Face Sounds Familiar” has consistently topped the list of the country’s most watched TV programs, as well as the trending topics on Twitter.

Viewers nationwide also tuned in to the grand showdown as proven by data from Kantar Media. The finale was the most watched program last weekend when it recorded a national TV rating of 37.6% last Saturday (June 6) and 36.7% last Sunday (June 7), according to data from Kantar Media.

For program updates, like www.facebook.com/yourfaceph, follow @YourFacePH on Twitter and Instagram, or visit yourfacesoundsfamiliar.abs-cbn.com. Use the hashtag #YFSFGrandShowdown when posting your comments online while watching the show.

ABS-CBN scored another primetime hit on Philippine TV with its modern retelling of the classic love story between Angelo and Yna in the 2015 remake of the worldwide hit series “Pangako Sa ’Yo” (“The Promise”).

Fifteen years after its original version aired on ABS-CBN, “Pangako Sa’Yo” made a grand comeback last Monday (May 25) and hit a national TV rating of 34%, or more than double that of its rival program, which only got 15%. Data from Kantar Media also showed that it was the most watched program in the country that night.

Even before it started airing, the show’s official hashtag already became the top nationwide and worldwide topic on Twitter, garnering more than half a million tweets from 6 PM to midnight.

Netizens praised the performances of the new Eduardo, Claudia, and Amor played respectively by some the country’s most sought-after actors Ian Veneracion, Angelica Panganiban, and Asian superstar Jodi Sta. Maria, who captivated global viewers with her role as Maya Dela Rosa in “Be Careful with My Heart.” The legions of fans of the show’s lead teen stars Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo also contributed to this uptrend as they went full force in tweeting about the program even if their idols didn’t appear in the pilot episode yet.

Aside from a stellar cast, the new “Pangako Sa’yo” also offers a top caliber production with scenes shot on different grand locations just to give its audience an unforgettable viewing experience the same way the original version did years back.

“Pangako Sa’Yo,” directed by its original directors Rory Quintos, Olivia Lamasan, and original writer Dado Lumibao, revolves around the promise of true and never-ending love from two generations— the love story of Amor (Sta. Maria) and Eduardo (Veneracion), who were separated by Claudia (Panganiban), and the young couple brought together by destiny, Angelo (Padilla) and Yna (Bernardo).

The show’s original version is a landmark series on Philippine television, raising the bars of locally producing soap operas and being the first to give Filipino audiences a cinematic experience right at their very homes. It is also the most successfully distributed Filipino series in the global arena as it was sold in 16 countries and remains the only internationally adapted Filipino drama, with format buys by Asia and Latin America.

“Pangako Sa’Yo” is only one of ABS-CBN International Distribution’s exciting offerings for 2015.
ABS-CBN International Distribution has been recognized in the global arena as a reliable foreign content provider. It has been a premier source of high quality Filipino programming in over 50 territories all over the world and has sold over 30,000 hours of content worldwide. Living up to this recognition, ABS-CBN International Distribution commits to add to its line-up of high-caliber programs and movies with cast and storylines that appeal to various cultures. For more information, visit ABS-CBN International Distribution’s official website at http://internationalsales.abs-cbn.com.