Vlogging is a very lucrative business, which saw the rise of new millionaires.

Even commoners have alleviated themselves from the pits of poverty by providing social media content that became hits among netizens.

Undeniably, talent manager Ogie Diaz is one of those successful vloggers.  His YouTube channel has millions of subscribers.

Now that the election campaign has officially started, Diaz was approached by the camp of a senatoriable for a possible feature in his YouTube show.

Astute businessman that he is, Diaz reportedly asked for P3 million in exchange for the senatoriable’s exposure in his vlog. He said that it’s his standard fee for public officials seeking national positions but it is still negotiable.

Surprised, the senatoriable’s camp didn’t buy Diaz’s offer as it was way too high.

Is this true, Mr. Diaz?

After Mark Herras comes Rainier Castillo

There seems to be a twist in the rumored romance between Revival King singer John Mendrez and Bad Boy on the Dance Floor Mark Herras.

This, as three photos uploaded on the iTrend Facebook page showed Mendrez and the former StarStruck avenger Rainier Castillo together. They were snapped while playing in the casino.

This came as a surprise to everyone who first saw Mendrez with Herras at Okada Hotel where the latter was to shoot a reaction video with the former singing “Somewhere in My Past.” 

Then, at the media lunch where Mendrez was singing Jonathan Manalo’s original “Nandito Lang Ako,” Herras came unannounced with an expensive bouquet of flowers. He greeted Mendrez with a kiss and left in a jiffy.

And now Mendrez was snapped with Herras’ co-StarStruck Survivor Rainier Castillo in the same casino, leaving many intrigued if Mendrez’s “Nandito Lang Ako” is now dedicated to Castillo.

Why Valerie West stands out

It’s been a whirlwind journey for Valerie West, a 22-year-old newly-certified EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) from New York, USA who is representing Ifugao region in the Miss Universe Philippines pageant.

She started her pageant journey after being named Miss New York County’s Outstanding Teen in 2017, landing the Top 5 of Miss Pennyslvania’s Outstanding Teen in the same year.  The following year, she was named Miss Luzerne County’s Outstanding Teen and once again became part of the Top 5 Miss Pennyslvania’s Outstanding Teens. In 2019, she was named Miss Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Outstanding Teen and first runner-up for Miss Pennyslvania’s Outstanding Teen.

When the pandemic struck, West completed her Biomedical Engineering degree at the University of Delaware.

West is also into singing, dancing and competitive martial arts. She joined GMA-7’s singing competition, The Clash, when she was 17.

Last January, West was crowned Reina Filipina North America.

“I’m excited to be representing my Ifugao roots and also the Philippine community in New York,” she said. “As a Filipino raised by Filipino mom, of course, it’s been instilled from a young age my love for pageantry.  And as I got older, it’s not just, ‘Oh, it’s so beautiful looking at these queens walking so gracefully.’ They become role models in my life,” she added.

West has her own advocacy in PUSO Foundation, founded by Robert Banez in 2017. 

“Through my partnership with PUSO, I spread the message of ‘paying it forward’ and advocate for the importance of service work especially amongst younger individuals. Through small and large acts of kindness and involvement in one’s community, kindness multiplies and lives can be changed globally,” she said.