Cover Archives - newswatchplus.ph

Kara and the Long Way Around

Michi Ancheta — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 03:23:21 +0000

Manila-based author and illustrator Kara Bodegon-Hikino is months away from releasing her debut graphic novel, Squalo & Mage vs. the Rage of the Bakunawa. But when we sit down to talk, she’s less interested in milestones than in how the work found its way to her at all. Meeting Her Where She Is I meet

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Unearthing Nellie

Michi Ancheta — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 03:19:14 +0000

“Nothing Ever Happens on My Block” is one of Ellie de Castro’s favorite books. It’s not an academic title or a dense read on anthropology. It’s a simple children’s story about noticing the extraordinary in the everyday. In many ways, it mirrors the way Ellie sees the world: curious, observant, and always looking a little

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How Ariane Astorga Found Her Voice

Michi Ancheta — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 15:20:06 +0000

On paper, Ariane Astorga’s life could be mistaken for an Antoinette Jadaone film about a precocious child who always found herself onstage. She was the bibo kid, the one volunteered to lead prayers, the three-year-old who joined Little Miss Philippines on Eat Bulaga. But beneath the sparkle, her journey was never effortless. Every laugh, every

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Two Journeys, One Stage

Michi Ancheta — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 14:24:24 +0000

In another lifetime, Sheila Francisco and Benedix Ramos might have never crossed paths. She built her career in the bright lights of advertising before stepping into theater at an age when most people are told to settle down. He spent years in Baguio as a nursing student, chasing degrees that didn’t quite fit, before finally

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Buddy Foster Is All Ambition. Vien King Isn’t.

Michi Ancheta — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 15:54:37 +0000

There are actors who love the spotlight, and there are those who love the work. Vien King falls squarely into the second group. It’s easy to spot him in a crowd with his thick hair and his boyish charm but what keeps your attention is how grounded he is. He walks with the quiet confidence

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Martin Sarreal Doesn’t Need the Spotlight

Michi Ancheta — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 14:53:31 +0000

You might miss him at first. Martin Sarreal doesn’t demand attention when he enters a room; he dissolves into it. There’s a quiet certainty to him, the kind that draws you in rather than calls attention to itself. Introspective, observant, and fully present, Martin commands space not through volume, but through intention. In a world

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A Father’s Wisdom: The Filipino Nose’s Perfume Journey

Michi Ancheta — Fri, 30 May 2025 09:43:16 +0000

Fatherhood has a way of reshaping perspectives. For Renato Lopena Jr. (AKA The Filipino Nose), it has reinforced a lesson he learned the hard way that dreams are worth chasing, even when the road is uncertain. His own journey to becoming the Philippines’ leading independent perfumer wasn’t straightforward, and that’s exactly what he wants to

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Sandy Finds Her Voice Through Motherhood

Michi Ancheta — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 09:42:53 +0000

Sandy David never imagined she would become a content creator, let alone a source of comfort and validation for other moms. Before she found her voice online, she was simply an overwhelmed, exhausted, and, by her own admission, an angry mother. Becoming a mom at 36 was a major transition. She had spent years as

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Casting Dreams with Dan Cruz

Michi Ancheta — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 09:45:57 +0000

A Childhood Memory That Sparked a Mission Some memories never leave us. For Dan Cruz, the scent of the sea, the quiet patience of fishing with his father, and the simple joy of reeling in a catch are moments etched in his mind. But as he grew older, those fishing trips changed. The once-clear waters

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Ann-Sophie’s Runway to Reinvention

Michi Ancheta — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 10:30:49 +0000

Ann-Sophie never waits for doors to open—she builds them herself. From styling designer hand-me-downs as a child to launching a fashion-tech brand with her husband, Patrick Müller, she has carved a career defined by grit and bold decisions. Along the way, she’s balanced motherhood, business, and international moves, proving that ambition and family don’t have

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