Visiting foreign celebrities trend on Yahoo Philippines

Foreign celebrities trooping to Manila got most Filipino Internet users buzzing in the first week of June, according to recent search data collated by Yahoo! Philippines. Ed Westwick, who plays the spoiled, rich lad Chuck Bass in the hit US television show "Gossip Girl," flew to the country on May 31 to shoot promotional advertisements for local clothing brand Penshoppe. The 23-year-old British actor made a lot of Filipinas swoon upon his arrival, sending them in a searching frenzy and landing him a spot on the search trends for the week. During a press conference, Westwick reportedly told local media of his desire to come back to the Philippines to visit the country's beautiful islands, "which I hear is like paradise," he noted. Another visiting celebrity, this time Korean pop sensation Sandara Park of the girl group 2NE1, likewise made headlines in search during the past week. Park, who shot to relative fame a few years back following her stint in a reality talent search on television, was warmly welcomed along with her co-2NE1 members by avid Filipino fans, as they staged a concert entitled "The Party" at the Araneta Coliseum on June 4. "[Park] said performing at the Big Dome was one of her greatest dreams," the report noted. Meanwhile, US teen star Miley Cyrus, who is slated to perform in the country on June 17, is already generating some online buzz two weeks before her Manila concert. Cyrus, star of the Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana" and daughter of country icon Billy Ray Cyrus, has enlisted the Philippines as one of the legs of her "Corazon Gitano" (Gypsy Heart) tour. Her Manila stop will be the only Asian destination for the tour, the Yahoo! Philippines report added. Basketball victories Being a basketball nation, the Philippines' failed bid to clinch the bronze in the 2011 FIBA Asia Champions Cup drew widespread interest online, making it one of the top search trends for the week. The emotionally and physically drained Pilipinas-Smart Gilas team bowed down to Al-Rayyan Qatar in the final-four bout of the tournament as it ended with a 64-71 final score. Despite the loss, sports analyst Joaquin Henson said it is the Philippines' "best finish in 15 years," the report said. The last time the Philippine national team made it to the final four was in 1996, when Hapee Toothpaste represented the country and won the Champions Cup, it added. While not completely defeated, collegiate basketball star Simon Atkins, on the other hand, continues to struggle, but this time in the game of love. The young De La Salle University Green Archers player was reportedly smitten with young actress Kim Chiu, which he revealed through posts in his account on social networking site Twitter. Other top search trends for the first week of June include the Hollywood movie X-Men: First Class; veteran actress Jean Garcia; up-and-coming star Coleen Garcia; Yasmine Espiritu, wife of actor Alfred Vargas; and reality talent show winner Angeline Quinto. — TJD, GMA News