It was a week of the highest highs and the lowest lows as NBA player Jeremy Lin galvanized all by being an unlikely sports hero and the sudden death of pop diva Whitney Houston sent shockwaves throughout the world. Theater legend Lea Salonga, Queen of Pop Madonna, and football superstar David Beckham were three other celebs that were among the top trending searches on Yahoo! Philippines from February 6 to 12, 2012.
1. Jeremy Lin. "Linsanity" hit Filipino netizens as Taiwanese-American Jeremy Lin, currently the hottest athlete in the United States, tops this week's list of trending search topics on Yahoo! Philippines. On Feb. 10, the 23-year-old New York Knicks point guard outscored Kobe Bryant with 38 points and led the Knicks to a 92-85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. What makes his triumph even more jaw-dropping was the fact that last December, the Golden State Warriors, Lin's hometown team, passed on the 6-foot 3-inch Harvard graduate. The Houston Rockets then claimed him, only to let him go again before Lin found himself with the Knicks.
2. Whitney Houston. Filipinos woke up on Sunday, Feb.12, to the shocking news that American pop music icon Whitney Houston has died. Houston, 48, was found dead in her hotel bathroom, one day before the Grammy Awards, which had honored her in the past with 26 nominations and six wins. Best-known in the 80s and 90s for power ballads like "I Will Always Love You," in which she held a note without wavering in pitch for nine seconds, and "The Greatest Love of All," the go-to piece of Filipino contestants in singing competitions, Houston was also infamous for her turbulent marriage to singer Bobby Brown and her battle with drug addiction.
3. Lea Salonga. Filipina international singer and theater and Disney legend Lea Salonga trended on Yahoo! Search after she reacted to calls by local singers to prioritize Filipino performers over foreign artists. Salonga was a guest in James Ingram's Feb. 17 and 18 concerts in Manila and Cebu. She said she does not base her choice on whether the performer is a Filipino or a foreigner but on whether she feels she would enjoy the show.
4. Aljur Abrenica. GMA Network heartthrob Aljur Abrenica denied that he is dating Ava Jugueta, lead singer of the all-girl trio, Pretty Young Thing, and Coke Ride To Fame winner. He said they are just friends and even apologized to her for the rumors. Showbiz reports say he has broken up with fellow-Kapuso star Kylie Padilla, but they have never admitted they were ever a couple. Abrenica will appear opposite Rhian Ramos in GMA's new movie, "My Kontrabida Girl."
5. Alodia Gosiengfiao. The Philippines' cosplay queen is back on Yahoo! Search's trending list after she met with Super Junior member Hee Chul in South Korea while shooting her first big screen appearance. She uploaded a video showing her talking on the phone with Hee Chul, which accidentally showed his number. She immediately fixed the oversight and apologized to the K-Pop star and his fans. Gosiengfiao plays a Korean girl in "Kimmy Dora and The Temple of Kiyeme," the sequel of the 2009 dark-horse hit comedy starring Eugene Domingo.
6. Madonna. The Queen of Pop performed at the Super Bowl's half-time show on Feb. 5 with hip-hop artists Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. Madonna said she was overwhelmed by the love and support that she felt from the crowd. She was, however, disappointed when M.I.A. extended her middle finger during their performance. The British hip-hop artist apologized to Madonna after the incident.
7. Bourne Legacy. The trailer of "The Bourne Legacy," parts of which are currently being filmed in the Philippines, was released earlier this month. The video teaser introduces the character played byJeremy Renner as the new protagonist in the movie. Matt Damon, who played Jason Bourne in the first three movies of the series, will not appear in the latest installment.
8. David Beckham. British football superstar David Beckham launched in early February his own bodywear line for the European clothing brand H&M. His underwear ad was also shown during the Super Bowl. While he said he said that he loves wearing underwear, he has also decided that his "naked days are over" to save his children from future embarrassment.
9. Survivor Philippines. GMA Network's "Survivor Philippines: Celebrity Doubles Edition" aired its finale on Feb. 10 with comedian Albert "Betong" Sumaya emerging as the season's sole celebrity survivor and winning the P3 million prize money. Sumaya is his family's breadwinner, making his win more poignant.
10. Nancy Castiglione. Netizens searched for Filipina-Italian singer and actress Nancy Castiglione, who later changed her stage name to Nancy Jane, after celebrity cosmetic surgeon Vicki Belo tweeted that she was giving Castiglione her blessings to openly date Hayden Kho, Belo's boyfriend. Kho explained on Twitter that Belo's outburst was due to a misunderstanding. For her part, Castiglione, who is now married and has two kids, said she does not understand what was happening and refused to comment further.
Check out the previous Yahoo! Search Trends article, "K-stars top Yahoo! Philippines search."
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