Anne Curtis can't wait to eat "some yummy Middle Eastern food" and is looking forward to discovering Dubai, a city she's never visited before.
But what the Philippines' biggest television celebrity is truly looking forward to is performing for her fellow Filipinos based in the UAE.
"It always gives us a sense of achievement," she says, "to make people happy no matter where we are around the world."
Curtis is arriving in Dubai today, along with her co-hosts in Showtime, the reality talent-search programme that took the south-east Asian nation by storm when it premiered in 2009.
Joining her are fellow Philippine celebrities Vhong Navarro, Vice Ganda, Billy Crawford, Karylle, Kuya Kim Atienza, Jugs Jugueta and Teddy Corpuz.
They will be performing tomorrow at 7pm at the East Hall of the Dubai Airport Expo in a show titled Kabayan, It's Showtime!, produced by ABS-CBN's The Filipino Channel (TFC), an international television network that broadcasts Philippine programmes all over the world.
TFC is particularly popular in the UAE, where there are more than 600,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Showtime, which follows the format of reality searches like America's Got Talent, is the network's most watched show.
"Performing for my countrymen is special. For me, it's like coming to a family reunion," Navarro says. Dubbed as the Philippines' "prince of comedy", he shares main hosting duties with Curtis. "As an artist and performer, it's my little way of reaching out to them, which I consider a big privilege."
Co-host Atienza, who was a news weatherman before the Showtime gig, agrees. "The OFWs are the marvellous, faceless Pinoy heroes who keep our economy afloat. It is inspiring to be a source of joy to them," he says. "I am a big fan of them. I would like to bond with them even after our show."
Jugueta, another Showtime co-host, was in Dubai in 2009, when he played with his band Itchyworms for Rakrakan 2009, a Philippine rock music festival.
"The Pinoys in the UAE are really, really awesome. Last time we were there, more than 10,000 people watched. So this time I'm excited to see how they support the Showtime family," he says. "Sometimes I feel that Showtime is even more popular in other countries than in Manila. And that's because of TFC."
Kabayan, It's Showtime will not only be an entertainment platform for the celebrities, but also for some selected OFWs. Early this month, TFC Middle East launched an online competition open to groups of up to 15 members who can sing, dance, act or do a combination of any of the three. There were no limitations, except that everyone in the group must be of Filipino origin and residing in the UAE.
Groups posted their videos online, the judges made their selections and four finalists will be performing live on Friday's show, where the winners will be awarded a Dh10,000 prize.
"This unprecedented online talent search will showcase many of our kababayans [countrymen] who are talented yet remain undiscovered," says the ABS-CBN Middle East and Europe managing director Edgardo Garcia.
The competition was dominated by amateur hip-hop dance crews that recorded their videos outdoor, usually in empty public parks. There were also singing acts who recorded their entries inside their homes. Other aspirants were established groups such as the ballroom dancing Filipino Dancesport and Social Club and the Organization of Philippine Singers in Abu Dhabi.
All submitted entries can be viewed on YouTube.
The Showtime co-host Karylle believes Filipino talent will shine tomorrow night.
"I'm looking forward to watching their performances. I know they will make me feel proud to be Filipino. I was an OFW myself for months, so I know how it feels to be homesick. I know how it feels to release all that emotion on stage," says the singer, who was based in Singapore early this year to film the Asian musical drama series The Kitchen Musical.
"I'm thankful. It's amazing to do this for OFWs and see their warm smiles," the says co-host Teddy Corpuz, lead vocalist of the band Rocksteddy. "It will be a blast."
jgabrillo@thenational.ae
- VIP tickets for the show are already sold out, but there are still patron and general admission tickets available, priced at Dh100 and Dh75, respectively. A Dh25 discount is offered to TFC subscribers. For ticketing information, visit www.tfc-global.com
Follow us on Twitter and keep up to date with the latest in arts and lifestyle news at twitter.com/LifeNationalUAE
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
WISH
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
THE SPECS – Honda CR-V Touring AWD
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Power: 184hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 244Nm at 3,900rpm
Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds
Top speed: 202kmh
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
Price: From Dh122,900
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How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
