MANILA, Philippines — Simple Plan – the band behind hits “Welcome To My Life,” “Untitled” and “Perfect” – is set to rock Manila again as DAYLY Entertainment and Midas Promotions bring “Simple Plan Live in Manila” on Jan. 12 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The group was initially composed of Charles-Andre “Chuck” Comeau, Jean-Francois “Jeff” Stinco and Sebastian Lefebvre. Comeau met former Reset bandmate Pierre Bouvier at a Sugar Ray concert, and soon after Bouvier left, Reset joined Simple Plan. David Desroriers also joined the band and replaced Bouvier on bass, making Bouvier do the vocals.

Their first studio album, “No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls” (which contained “Perfect”) was released in 2002. In Oct. 2006, they released their self-titled album with the carrier single, “When I’m Gone,” peaking at No. 26 on the UK charts.

Simple Plan has also shown their philanthropic side by supporting non-profit and advocacy groups like MTV Asia Aid Benefit, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), RADD (Recording Artists and Athletes against Drunk Driving) and Make-A Wish Foundation. Afterwards they created the Simple Plan Foundation, a foundation that addresses teen problems.

Tickets are available at Ticketnet outlets.

Local theaters to go digital 

DCinema, Asia’s pioneer in digital systems and integration, announced recently the launch of full conversion of all theaters in the Philippines to digital cinemas.

The Virtual Print Fee (VPF) program has allowed theater owners to hasten the digitalization process in the country. VPF is a financing mechanism for funding the first purchase of digital cinema equipment. This subsidy program, initiated by the six major Hollywood studios, is designed to allow theater owners to recoup a portion of equipment costs.

The goal is to have all cinemas in the country running in digital technology by 2013. Shifting to digital reduces the chances of piracy with tighter copy protection and the time-lock function that only allows a movie to be accessed at a pre-set time.

According to Rey del Poso, president and CEO of DCinema, “Sixty thousand digital screens are now up and running worldwide. Around 28,000 of these converted in 2011. The cost of conversion is at its lowest given the high demand so I encourage all theater owners to take advantage of the global trend.”

In the Philippines, SM Cinemas launched the first digital theatre in the country at Cinema 1 of The Block in SM North Edsa, Ayala Digital Cinemas, Robinsons Galleria Digital Cinemas, Star Mall Cinemas and Bohol Quality Cinema followed suit.

Veterans Bank unveils WWII Mural

The Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) unveiled a photo-mural in its Baguio branch detailing historic events and images of the city during World War II. The mural is a tribute to the bank’s shareholders, the almost 400,000 Filipino WWII heroes.

The event was timed with the 70th anniversary of the Japanese Forces’ invasion of the Philippines on Dec. 8, 1941 which saw the bombing of several key locations including Baguio City.

Present were Benguet Gov. Nestor Fongwan, Rep. Bernardo Vergara, Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan, City Vice Mayor Daniel Farinas and City Administrator Carlos Canilao and the surviving war veterans in the city.

The photo-mural captures key events and never-before-seen wartime images of familiar sites such as Camp John Hay, Session Road and the Baguio Cathedral.

“Our intention is to bring these historical events to life, to share to the residents and visitors of Baguio City what our WWII veterans went through,” said Ricardo A. Balbido, Jr., PVB president/CEO.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Jan. 7, go to former Rep. Dante Liban, Manila Councilor Lou Veloso, Apa Ongpin, Rosemary Lopez, Zenas Lozada, Ina Bautista, Tootsie Eduque-Marco, Brussells-based Louise Belle B. Hubert, Rhea Vanessa A. Lorenzo, Rose C. Teodoro, Ditas Rodriguez, Cris Garcia, Ricky Medina, Marichelle B. Recio, Ana Marie Costes Lomboy, Eden Miro, Graziela Belen of Canada, and MB Entertainment’s Jecelyn V. Macahindog…