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| kris tiffany janson, IBC 13 boss kat de castro & kevin lapena |
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| kevin lapena |
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| kris tiffany janson |
THE TRAVEL show “Cooltura” (a play of words on cool and culture) on IBC 13 has its loyal followers who have lamented the fact that they’ve been showing nothing but replays lately. Well, we’ve got news for these “Cooltura” loyalists. IBC 13’s new top boss, Kate de Castro, has presented to the press the new “Cooltura”, with all new episodes and also new hosts, Kris Tiffany Janson and Kevin Lapena. The new “Cooltora” starts showing this Tuesday at 7:30 PM, with replays on Saturday at 9 PM and live streaming on ibctv13 Facebook page.
So how will this be different to the former “Cooltura”? “This one will highlight culture and tourism in various places in the age of social media,” says Kat. “At mas high tech na kami ngayon. Before, we only use one camera. Now, we not only use more cameras but also use drones for aerial shots, with better editing and production values. The new hosts will not just do the usual travelogue but will do a lot of exploration and actual immersion in the places that they will feature.”
The pilot episode will focus on the nearby town of Rizal, Tanay. Hosted by Kevin, it will feature various familiar spots like Regina Rica and Daranak Falls, but also campsites in the Sierra Madre mountains and forests of Tanay that offer lots of thrilling adventures for nature lovers. We’ve seen parts of the pilot show and if you’re a lover of the great outdoors, you’d surely appreciate it.
Aside, from Tanay, Kevin has also taped an episode focusing on another Rizal coastal town, Angono, which is famous for its art and for its unique restaurant, Balaw Balaw, where he tried eating a special delicacy, deep fried ‘hantik’ or big ants. Kevin once tried acting as a teener. He was a part of TV5’s youth oriented show, “Lipgloss” where he got to work with Lovi Poe and Louise de los Reyes.
“But I realized I like hosting more,” he says. “I was a VJ for MYX and did travel shows like ‘Tara G’ and ‘Frequent Flier’, which I myself produced and directed. I also co-hosted ‘Trip na Trip’ with Kat de Castro. I’ve been in the travel business for seven years now and I’m also a lifestyle writer for ABS-CBN.”
In turn, Kris Tiffany Janson is Miss Cebu 2009 and a management and accounting graduate from Cebu’s University of San Carlos. She joined the Bb. Pilipinas pageant in 2014 and won as Miss Intercontinental.
“After Bb. Pilipinas, I did TV commercials, and went into modeling and hosting. I hosted ‘Like Pinas’ for the Philippine Information Agency on PTV-4,” she says. “For ‘Cooltura’, I’ve taped two episodes so far, focusing on Calamba in Laguna and Antipolo in Rizal. First time for me to visit the house of Jose Rizal in Calamba and in Antipolo, in the mountains of Boso-Boso, I met the tribe of Dumagats and it’s a learning experience for me to learn more about their culture. They cook their food without pots and pans but only use bamboos. I was really amazed.”
WIth “Cooltura”, they want to encourage domestic tourists to go visit the places which are not so far from Metro-Manila. “We give tips on how to get there by public transport, where they can stay and how much their budget should be,” adds Kevin, who is the grandson of character actress Lollie Mara.
Which other local places would they like to focus on in future episodes? “For me, it’s Palawan,” says Kris. “Because I’ve never been there.”
“For me, it’s Batanes,” says Kevin. “I want to visit all its major islands.”
Right there and then, their boss Kat de Castro declared that their wishes will soon be granted.