Latest news with #Vella
New Indian Express
18-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Maoists strangle three villagers, abduct dozen others in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur
RAIPUR: Suspected Maoists have killed three villagers who were relatives of a surrendered commander of the banned outfit at Peddakorma village and abducted around a dozen local inhabitants in Bijapur, about 450 km south of Raipur. The killings by Maoists are seemingly in retaliation for the huge loss of their cadres killed by security forces in the ongoing offensive operations in Bastar. According to local sources, Maoist cadres led by local leader Vella stormed into the village and strangled the relatives of surrendered Naxal commander Dinesh Modium. The deceased victims--identified as Jhingu Modium, Soma Modium and Anil Madwi--were strangled by rope in the presence of other villagers. A former Divisional Committee Member (DVCM), Dinesh Modium relinquished his position in the CPI (Maoist) organisation and surrendered to the police a few months ago in Bijapur.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘This Is Sing-Out' film showcases 30 years of community giving
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — One Rochester non-profit's history is coming to the big screen next week. 'This is Sing-Out' tells the 30-year story of the organization of the same name. Director Frank Vella is one of thousands who have been a member of Sing-Out. 'The whole ethos of why I wanted to make the film is, I was very inspired by these adults,' Vella told News 8. 'It's been this really great, rich piece of like Rochester history for years. The organization was founded in the 1970s by Lisa Romack. She started it after her friend Tim passed away with the concept of putting on a musical revue together to raise money for children's charities. 'It ran for two years in the 70s, and he basically, while in hospice, was telling her that those were really the best memories of my life,' Vella said. So, Romack brought it back. Initially just for one year in Tim's honor. ''We should do it again. We should do it again,'' Vella quoted Romach saying. 'And it kind of grew. They switched it to where, in the beginning, it was all the adults that were in the original show, and it kind of transformed it to, 'Well, let's just make it high school kids and make it all about high school kids.'' Decades of history, decades of giving back to the community — mixed with the history of thousands of Sing-Out members, past and present — including Vella — he showcases it all through film… with a little help. 'The Town of East Rochester had filmed all 30 years,' Vella said. 'So I was able to go in, and they were able to give me all this footage. I really wanted to focus on the adults involved in Sing-Out, because these guys do so much work for the community, and they don't get the credit. They always keep it about the kids.' That theme of giving back: incorporated behind the scenes as well. 'Every penny we make from this film is going to go back to the Sing-Out organization,' Vella said. 'It played into the theme of the film. It's all about giving back. I wanted to make sure we were doing that on our end as well.' 'This is Sing-Out' premieres on Prime Video June 17. For more information on the film, as well as Sing-Out, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Filipino Times
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Filipino Times
Taylor Lautner acknowledges viral Filipino 'What hafen, Vella?' meme
Taylor Lautner is now aware of the viral Filipino meme that parodies his 'Twilight' character, Jacob Black. The line 'What hafen, Vella?' became popular through Cristopher Diwata, a Filipino impersonator, and has trended again years after it first aired. On TikTok, Lautner shared a video with his wife, Taylor Dome. In the comments, one user teased that he had noticed everything except the meme, saying, 'Bro noticing everything except 'What hafen Vela' trend.' Lautner replied, 'Yup, but it's not your fault, it's mine,' a nod that showed he's now aware of the trend. His comment has reached over 55,000 likes as of this writing. Although Lautner didn't recreate the meme himself, this is the first time he's publicly acknowledged it online. Cristopher originally performed the meme line in 2013 on ABS-CBN's 'It's Showtime' under the 'Kalokalike' segment. The video resurfaced in recent months, making the impersonator viral once again. Cristopher has since collaborated with Filipino celebrities and brands like SB19, Ben&Ben, Barbie Forteza, and TikTok star Abi Marquez, thanks to the line's renewed popularity.
GMA Network
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Barbie Forteza joins Cristopher Diwata in 'What hafen, Vella?' trend
What hafen, Barbie Forteza? The Kapuso Primetime Princess is the latest celebrity to hop on to Cristopher Diwata's viral "What hafen, Vella?" lines! On TikTok, Cristopher shared a short clip of himself with the Kapuso actress doing his iconic lines. "Iba ka talaga miss [Barbie Forteza]," he wrote. It looks like Barbie isn't the only one who can't get over this trend. In a separate video, Cristopher shared a clip of Barbie's "Beauty Empire" co-star Kyline Alcantara, joining in—adding a special twist by singing a few lines from Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years," famously featured on the Twilight soundtrack, which originally inspired the iconic lines. This isn't the first time Cristopher doubled-down on the "Twilight" references. He previously sang the song with Ben&Ben, who is just one of the many celebrities riding on his trend, among them Abi Marquez a.k.a Lumpia Queen, Michael Sager, Anjo Petierra, and SB19. He's landed several endorsements as well, which he said helps him to pay off debts and support his family. "Kahit maliit man 'yan, tatanggapin ko 'yan. Iga-grab ko 'yan kahit maliit. Sana sa mga nag-aalala sa akin, huwag n'yong intindihin 'yun at mas maganda 'yung meron kaysa sa wala," Cristopher told GMA News Online in an interview. Cristopher is also going to appear on "Mga Batang Riles."
GMA Network
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
'What hafen, Vella?': Cristopher Diwata grateful for financial relief his virality brings
"What hafen, Vella?" The internet has been buzzing nonstop over a throwback performance that has netizens in stitches, even over a decade after the fact. In 2013, Cristopher Diwata from Orion, Bataan joined the It's Showtime segment 'Kalokalike' as Taylor Lautner's 'Twilight' character, Jacob Black. Recently, his impersonation performance resurfaced and quickly made a spot in Philippine internet's hall of fame for memes. TikTok users and even celebrities have been dubbing and recreating his iconic lines: 'What hafen, Vella? Why you cryin' again? I know, vampire, right? Vampire will feyt to me.' In an interview with GMA News Online, Cristopher said that he was a third-year college student when he joined the segment, and had just made a quick search on the internet to prepare for his performance. He improvised his now-iconic lines. 'Naghanap ako sa YouTube. 'Yung pag-click ko na naghanap ako, lumabas 'yon. 'Yun na agad yung prinactice ko kasi [kailangan] mabilisan, madalian. Kaya nung prinactice ko 'yun, kung ano lang masabi ko, 'yun na 'yun,' he said. Cristopher's initial fame After his performance in 2013, Cristopher landed some guestings and earned some money. 'Napagpalit ko po 'yung pag-aaral ko dahil sa kumikita na ako. Akala ko pang matagalan. Huminto ako at hindi ko na siya natapos,' he admitted. The gigs did not last, and his initial fame faded. Despite having had some recognition then, the reality behind appearing on TV was different from what many might assume. 'Naranasan ko sa Manila, kasi alam naman natin magastos noon nung sumusubok pa lang ako at pinipilit ko na makapasok sa showbiz, tumira ako dito. Halos naranasan ko dito na mawalan ng pera, maging palaboy, nasa basurahan na, kailangan ko pang kainin,' he said. He had to hide the harsh reality from his family because he saw they were happy knowing that he was pursuing his dreams. 'Kasama ko po 'yung best friend ko noon… wala na kaming pera, siyempre nangungupahan kami, wala na kaming pera, wala na kaming pagkain. Nakakita kami ng sinaing…hinanap namin, hinalukay namin ulit 'yung basurahan at ginawa namin ulit 'yun. Ta's 'yun, naka-survive kami nung araw na 'yon,' he said. Cristopher did not imagine that more than a decade later, his TV performance would become a hit again. 'Parang nakakilabot eh no?' he said. 'Hindi ko siya inisip. Hindi ko akalain na 'yung ginawa ko na 'yun, siyang magbu-boom ngayon kaya malaking pasasalamat at malaking pagkagulat ang nangyari.' Life before going TikTok viral The 35-year-old Cristopher is a fish dealer in Bataan, but it's been a year since he had to stop, because his business has been struggling, leading him into debt. In this challenging period, his wife, Ronalyn Diwata, has become the primary provider for their family. They have two kids together, an eight-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl. Cristopher and Ronalyn have been married for nine years. The secret, according to Cristopher, for a long-lasting marriage lies within love, understanding, and care for the children. 'Hangga't nagsasama kayo, ibig sabihin nagmamahalan kayo, nagkakaunawaan kayo. Kahit nagsisigawan kayo araw-araw, part na 'yun ng pagmamahalaan niyo. Kumbaga, nasa inyo na 'yun. Kaya sa mga nagsasama diyan, mga kaunting hirap lang, huwag kayong susuko. Huwag kayong bibitaw. Ang lagi niyong isipin, mga anak ninyo dahil diyan lang kayo kakapit,' he said. It was Ronalyn who informed him that he had gone viral again. But despite the many shoutout requests, Cristopher the extent of his renewed virality hasn't sunk in even now. 'Hanggang ngayon parang hindi ko siya ma-feel. Mas maganda 'yung enjoy lang. Laruin mo lang ang buhay ngayon. Ganun din naman eh. Same lang din dati,' he said. Among those who took on the trend was SB19's Pablo, who stood out to Cristopher because of his delivery. 'Naalala ko talaga na mabangis talaga magsalita, SB19,' he said. 'Maganda. Ang ganda ng pagkaka-deliver tsaka 'yung boses.' Financial relief thanks to partnerships Cristopher's unexpected second wave of fame has provided him substantial financial relief. He has since been tapped by many brands to appear on their social media ads, and the partnership requests continue to arrive, allowing him to pay off debts and support his family. Contrary to many concerns of supporters who worry that he might be underpaid, Cristopher said that the payment he receives from brands is good enough for him. ''Yung sa mga concern, at alam ko sumusuporta kayo sa akin, salamat po. Pero sa bayad, dati nga sanay ako nang wala. Dati nga wala, ta's ngayon, meron. Kaya kahit maliit man 'yan, tatanggapin ko 'yan. Iga-grab ko 'yan kahit maliit. Sana sa mga nag-aalala sa akin, huwag niyong intindihin 'yun at mas maganda 'yung meron kaysa sa wala.' He hopes his experience can be an inspiration to others not to focus solely on high earnings but to appreciate what they receive. 'Goods naman po talaga. Sapat para sa akin. Sa pagkakakilala ko sa sarili ko, sapat siya. Kung anong kakayahan ko, 'yun 'yon,' he said. He also sometimes receives donations from followers who ask for shoutouts. 'Ako, bilang pamilyado, tatanggapin ko po. Aminado po ako at wala po akong itatago at wala po akong kailangan pong itago dahil hindi po nakakahiya ang ginagawa ko. Pinagpapaguran ko po lahat ng nakukuha ko po ngayon sa akin,' Christopher said. Showbiz dreams Cristopher hopes that he may finally continue his dreams of entering showbiz. 'Hangga't kaya, iga-grab ko. Kahit na lagariin ko 'yan nang tatlong beses, tumalon-talon ako, lalagariin ko 'yan,' he said. He dreams of working with his idols, Kapuso Primetime King and Queen Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera. However, Cristopher has no plans of joining 'Kalokalike' again, should there be a new season. 'Pagbibigyan ko naman po 'yung iba. Bibigyan ko ng chance 'yung iba naman na sa kanila naman na magkaroon din ng pangalan,' he said. Above all, Cristopher has nothing but gratitude for the support he is receiving. He assures his followers that he will continue giving out personalized shoutouts through his TikTok. 'Hindi ako magsasawa. Lahat kayo iisa-isahin ko kahit na sa kaliit-liitan. Kaya sana maghintay lang kayo. Magra-random ako lagi. Iisa-isahin ko po 'yun,' he promised. —JCB, GMA Integrated News
