Isabel ready to face Lian

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Freehand

Isabel Oli was launched along with Rhian Ramos as the It Girls of PLDT MyDSL. PLDT PR exec Gary Dujali says they'll be part of PLDT's more aggressive promo for MyDSL Overdrive this year with the Speedster bus that will tour Metro Manila this March and also serve as an application booth. Isabel and Rhian will be on the bus along with the EB Babes. So is Isabel ready to face Lian Paz, the EB Babe who replaced her in Paolo Contis' heart?

"Oo naman," she says. "Wala naman akong galit sa kanya o kay Paolo. I've moved on and there's no bitterness in my heart. "

What if Lian snobs her? "Hindi naman siguro. I don't think she's like that. We have yet to formally meet, pero hindi naman kami magkaaway. "

If she'd have a message for Paolo and Lian, what would it be? "Ano ba? Well, I just hope they're happy and they'll stay in love. Sana nga, sila nang dalawa talaga. "

Is it true she has found new love in cager Wesley Gonzales? "No. We're only friends. Nakakahiya nga sa kanya he's being dragged into this. Iniiwasan na rin naming magkita para hindi na kami matsismis. Also, I'm not ready yet to get into another relationship. Rest muna ako. "

Was she really the one who returned the engagement ring Paolo gave her? "Yes, kasi I felt hindi na kami okay. Teka, I just want to make it clear na you're asking me at sinasagot ko lang, huh. I don't want to be accused later na ginagamit si Paolo to gain mileage. Kung maari nga, ayoko na pag-usapan 'yan dahil it's behind me na, kaya lang, kundi ko sasagutin, magagalit naman kayo. "

So why did she return the ring? "Siyempre. Engagement ring 'yun. Why will I keep it kundi na kami engaged?"

Was it painful? "Siyempre, masakit, pero tanggap ko na. But more than that, nasaktan ako doon sa lumabas later na hiniwalayan ako dahil Bilmoko Girl daw ako. Buti na lang Paolo himself said na hindi ito totoo. Totoong I got gifts from him, but it's because he's really generous, hindi dahil nagpapabili ako. Alam ko naman kung sino ang nagkalat niyon pero hindi ko na lang kinonfront para hindi na lumaki pa ang issue. "

Was the ring she returned recycled by Paolo and given to Lian? "I don't know. I can't answer that, but knowing Paolo, I don't think he'd do that. "

Was she sad on Valentine's Day? "No. Ang saya ko nga, e. Matagal din akong nagba-Valentine na may boyfriend. This time, wala, pero wala naman akong na-miss. I was with my brother and his wife sa Peter Cetera concert so masaya naman ako. I think the key is in letting go. Kung wala na, di wala na. There's no time to be lonely naman kasi I have my family and friends to keep me company. End of this month, I'm going to Boracay with some actress friends at five days kami roon. "

RHIAN ON JC: IT'S UP TO HIM

Rhian Ramos is happy to be a PLDT myDSL IT Girl as she really uses it to email her friends and surf the net. "It's now so fast to write your friends and do research with the internet and this is where myDSL comes in handy," she says.

Rhian admits she and JC de Vera became very close while doing "La Lola". What can she say about his rumored transfer to ABS-CBN? "I just heard about it but I have yet to hear from him mismo. It's up to him. Wala naman akong dapat ika-react diyan. I'm sure his manager, Tita Annabelle, knows what she's doing. Hindi naman ako ang magde-decide where he should stay. "

So what happens to their love team? "Okay lang. I mean, it's up to GMA-7 kung they'll pair us again or not. As of now, sa 'Zorro' muna ako with Richard Gutierrez. I don't think I'd get affected in anyway kung lilipat man nga siya. What we have is just friendship that started with our good working relationship sa taping. 'Yun lang. "

MARIAN TELLS FANS TO BE PATIENT

HOW does Marian Rivera feel that some viewers don't like her character as Proserfina in "Ang Babaeng Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang"? "Well, I understand them," she says. "Kasi ang lakas ng dating ng character ko kaya siguro turned off 'yung iba. May pagkamahadera. Ang request ko lang sa kanila, be patient. This week, papakita na sa flashbacks ang backstory ni Proserfina at doon nila maiintindihan why she's behaving that way. Kapag napanood na nila lahat ng nangyari sa kanya, mamahalin na nila si Proserfina gaya ng pagmamahal nila kay Marimar at Dyesebel. Sa amin ngayon ni Dingdong (Dantes) at Direk Joyce Bernal, ang importante, magawa namin ng tama ang trabaho namin para mapaligaya ang mga sumusubaybay sa show. We all believe in this project dahil, sa totoo lang, acting-wise, ito ang pinakamahirap sa mga ginawa namin. Mas demanding ang roles namin and I'm glad maraming nakaka-appreciate sa aming more mature kind of emoting na pinakikita sa show. "

Last Thursday, they had a live chat with their fans on GMA's New Media from 2 to 4 p. m. and it was record-breaking as Marian got a total of 4,465 questions, proving her popularity hasn't waned like what her detractors say. A lot of the queries are about her and Dingdong and how the story of "Babaeng Hinugot" will go. "Proserfina ang tawag ng marami sa akin, so that means marami namang nakakagusto sa show," adds Marian.

This week, the cops will learn about Proserfina's identity as a suspect and Heleen (Angelu de Leon) will tell Hera (Carmi Martin), the mom of Homer (Dingdong) that he's helping a criminal. Homer will help Proserfina escape the cops and he withdraws a lot of money from the bank that they can use. Heleen says she's willing to give up Homer and set him free, but this is just a ploy of this scheming villain to get Homer back. But Homer undergoes a transformation and becomes a taong graSa. Watch Dingdong as he tackles this very difficult role. Meantime, his brother Aris (Prince Stefan) falls in love with Athena (Lovi Poe) and they kiss, but Hera suddenly arrives to stop them.

WINNING COULD HAVE DONE BETTER FOR JANNA

Pinoy Fear Factor ended last Friday night and all the 12 participantes were invited to view it right inside Bahay ni Kuya of PBB. It's 25-year-old model Jommy Teotico, who nearly got killed when he had an affair with a married woman, who won as El Ultimo Participante, winning P2 million cash and an Avida house and lot. The last three nights were really very exciting. Wednesday night, SuperManuel Chua was shown being eliminated in the stunt where they were buried alive under the sand. The next day, Marion de la Cruz was ousted in the challenge where they had to eat a live tarantula. Janna Bonana ate the big spider at two minutes and 56 seconds while Jommy did it at three minutes. It was Marion who's the slowest at three minutes, 32 seconds so he had to leave. Before he left, he told Janna, his crush, secretly. "Panalo na ako kasi nakilala kita rito," he says as he hugged her. "Proud ako sa iyo. Talunin mo si Jommy. "

But Janna wasn't able to do so. In the final Car Roll Over Stunt, they had to drive a speeding car over a ramp and the one who gets to the farthest distance wins. Jommy registered a distance of 22 meters while Janna, only 17 meters, so Jommy won. But observers say that if Janna won, she'd have better chances of making it in showbiz as she has more star quality than Jommy.

BOULDER BOYS

HAVE you ever heard of the Boulder Boys? These are young teenage boys who dig out rocks and carry them to common piles for sale to greedy traders in the desert landscape of Mt. Pinatubo. This livelihood they call "boulders" is back-breaking work under a scorching sun. But it is just one element that knits together this close group of friends, each of whom has a heart-breaking tale. John Paul, the stoic leader named after a pope, just dropped out of school to work full time to help his large family. His father is a drunk, his older brother a special child. Ariel is the lone Aeta, who has found a barkada that accepts him and will defend him from other teens who look down on natives. Alvin was victimized by polio and can barely lift any rocks, but he weaves his bike daily among the speeding quarrying trucks to collect food from their families and deliver the group's lunch. Raymart is the fighter, made sullen by his father's recent abandonment. They call themselves 3 Stars, after the three barangays from which they hail. See their heartbreaking stories in tonight's "I Witness" of Howie Severino, after "Saksi. "

Source: People's Journal