Apl.de.ap opens his first Jollibee store

MANILA – Black Eyed Peas member apl.de.ap opened his first Jollibee store in Dau, Pampanga last week.

In his official Facebook account, the Filipino-American rapper, who is a Pampanga native, recalled how he always wanted his mom to bring him to Jollibee when he was younger.

“Since I was a young boy, I always pointed at Jollibee and my mom would say, "Anak, we need this money for your siblings also so next time na lang." And then one day, she finally took me into Jollibee and I think I lost my mind! I thought: ‘Oh my God, did this happen?’” he said.

That’s why he considers opening his own Jollibee store a dream come true.



In a separate interview with entertainment site Push, apl.de.ap said he was actually the one who approached Jollibee.

“It's been a dream of mine for years now. I got to meet the chairman and I jokingly asked him that growing up I couldn't afford to get Jollibee and it's a product that I grew up with and I truly cherish. I just asked simply and they kindly granted me with one so it's a dream come reality at this point,” he said.

The “The Voice of the Philippines” coach said he decided to get a franchise of the fast food chain because he wants “to create employment and I thought it would be the most stable thing that could help out others.”

“If hopefully this does well then we can have one there [in Sapang Palay where I was born] too. There's always a future for other places,” said.

Apl.de.ap said he also plans to open a branch in the United States.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Singer Fergie, actor Josh Duhamel welcome first child

LOS ANGELES - Fergie, the singer of pop-rap group the Black Eyed Peas, gave birth to a boy in Los Angeles on Thursday, a representative for her actor-husband Josh Duhamel said.

The baby, named Axl Jack Duhamel, weighed 7 pounds and 10 ounces (3.5 kg), Duhamel spokeswoman Ruth Bernstein said.

It is the first child for both Fergie, who recently changed her first name from Stacy to her stage name, and Duhamel.

Fergie, 38, rose to prominence when her addition to the Black Eyed Peas lineup coincided with a string of breakout hits for the group from their 2003 album "Elephunk."

Her 2006 solo album, "The Dutchess," scored three No. 1 hits in the United States.

Duhamel, 40, is best known for his roles in the "Transformers" film franchise and romantic comedies "Safe Haven" and "New Year's Eve."

The couple married in 2009.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Black Eyed Peas' apl.de.ap named US Embassy adviser

Filipino-American singer-rapper Allan Pineda, a.k.a. apl.de.ap of the American alternative hip hop group "Black Eyed Peas," was named an informal advisor to the US Embassy in Manila.

US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. named Pineda an advisor following the group's concert Tuesday night in Pasay City.

"Ambassador Thomas spoke at the Black Eyed Peas concert last night at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds. He has named Apl.de.ap (who is Filipino-American) an informal advisor to the Embassy," the embassy said in an entry on its Facebook account Wednesday.

Earlier, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III personally thanked Pineda for his efforts to improve the state of education in the Philippines by helping in the building of more classrooms in the country.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Aquino talked to Pineda on Monday at a dinner hosted by Aquino's cousin Rafael Lopa.

Pineda was born in Angeles City, Pampanga to a Filipino mother and an African American father. At age 14, he was adopted by an American family.

Later as an eight-grader, he met William Adams (will.i.am) and the two of them began rapping and performing together around Los Angeles.

The Black Eyed Peas released their first album in 1998. The group has already received several Grammy Awards and has sold around 60 million albums worldwide. - VVP, GMA News

Source: gmanews.tv