Ka-Blog!: Ang Coolest Teen Tambayan

Pilot Episode Summary
August 9, 2008

"Sup? I googled my BFF's e-shop, their just-in stuff's the shiznit! They've got them on Flickr too. Don't tell me you only friended her on Multiply? Get with it, IMHO Facebook's got more oomph. BUZZ! You're NR. I'll be AFK now, SYWISY!"

There's so much tech-speak going on among teens, the oldies might as well have been living under a rock. With new terminology cropping up each day like spambots (another thing there for the haplessly clueless to google) on your average website's comments space, it's like a whole new universe out there—social networking, blogging and e-mailing are the relatively easier parts, but it's a different story when things like phishing, twittering, and thread flaming start to come up. The acronyms, too, are a mouthful: PSP, DoTA, WoW, and MMORPG for gaming, and the likes of IDK, DND, ROFL and LMAO for chatting. Bridging the gen gap hasn't been easy before, but all this adds up to make it even more challenging.

The flurry of gadgets and gizmos in today's high-speed world has upped the tempo of everyday life, and among all, the youth are the ones that have done the best catching up so far. A new breed of teenagers has emerged, one that inhabits a parallel society within the physical: the online world. They create cyber-identities and hook up with e-friends to walk in virtual villages, and they do it all in their seats with a couple of mouse clicks.

So we can go two ways at it. We keep gawking our eyes out in disbelief, clucking our tongues and lamenting at how the good ol' times are gone, or cringing and shaking our heads as the very evolution of youth unfolds right before us. Or we tread on the same path as the rare breed of way-too-groovy moms and cool-as-heck dads: we go right on with the flow.

Riding the wave is just what they're at, the News and Public Affairs gang over at GMA 7. They're rolling out Ka-blog! soon, a first-of-its-kind magazine show that will feature anything and everything about adolescent life. Each week, Ka-blog! will serve as the tambayan for teens to get a load of the latest updates, trends, and information on the many issues relevant to them—from fierce fashion forecasts to mind-blowing tech toys, the hippest hangouts and the hottest heartthrobs, as well as more pressing problems that concern teens, such as relationship and peer issues.

Hosted by the newest and youngest reporters on the GMA block, Ka-blog! will take teen viewers on a weekly ride to discovering and examining the wonderful things about being a Pinoy teen. Smart and chic Andrea Torres, the show's official style sister, will help teens navigate through ever-evolving fashion and lifestyle trends. Total performer and tech enthusiast Mico Aytona is the show's resident IT guy, for the total lowdown on the coolest gaming and gadget stuff. Athletics and recreation are right up the alley of sporty dude Lucky Mark Mercado for maxed-out moves to keep active. For teens with dating dilemmas, BFF problems or questions they dare not ask their family, wise-for-her-age Monica Verallo is the go-to girl on all matters personal.

Together, Andrea, Mico, Lucky and Monica are all set to guide teen viewers as well as their folks, as they deal with the triumphs and challenges of adolescence. Ka-blog! is definitely going to make a change on their Saturday viewing habits, with a barkada they can turn to at all times, be it for a shoulder to cry on or a best friend to laugh with.

To kick things off in the pilot airing, Ka-blog! gets a rare chance to interview the hottest young team-up in showbiz today: KC Concepcion and Richard Gutierrez. Ka-blogs Mico and Andrea visit the shooting location of KC and Richard's upcoming romantic movie and retrace how the onscreen couple's love team came to be. Ka-blog Lucky gets to put his agility to the test as he discovers Parkour, an extreme stunt activity with the goal of getting from one point to another in the fastest, most kick-arse way possible.

Meanwhile, Ka-blog Monica tackles cyberbullying, a potentially more dangerous way that teens attack each other, as she interviews students who have fallen victim to bullies in the virtual world.

Get ready to tune in to the tube as the hippest, coolest and most exciting weekly program for teens starts rocking your world this August! Ka-Blog! airs Saturdays, 10:00-10:30 AM starting August 9 on GMA-7.