JC declares crush on Heart

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Freehand

ONE of the most promising new stars on GMA-7 is JC Tiuseco, first winner of "Survivor Philippines. "

His full name is John Carlo, born 23 years ago on April 16. He's graduating this March from San Sebastian College with a degree in management. Standing 5'11" and weighing 145 lbs. , we believe that JC's edge is he's very telegenic and has the unmistakable star quality in him. You can find out for yourself by watching him in "Unang Hirit" where he has his own segment on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

JC bested 17 other castaways in Ko Tarutao Island in Thailand where they lived for 39 days. "It was really tough as 45,000 people took the auditions all over the country. We had to pass several interviews plus psychological tests. May swimming test din so I took swimming lessons just for that. Sa medical test, it was diagnosed that I have heart problem called mitral valve prolapse.

Nothing to worry about but I still had to get certification from a cardiologist that I'm really fit. I lost 20 lbs. during the show dahil wala kaming makain. All in all, we had to hurdle 26 challenges. The most dangerous was at the start when we jumped from a boat in the middle of the sea and had to swim about a kilometer to get to the island. It's really scary, also the immunity challenge where we ate scorpions and tarantulas. "

What did he do with the P3 million prize he won? "I got it intact as GMA-7 paid the taxes. I gave P1. 5 million to my parents and deposited the rest in a bank. "

The youngest of three kids (his elder siblings are Carlo and Vivian), his parents James Tiuseco and Rosemarie Barrera are both in business. He spent grade school at Chiang Kai Sek in Binondo, high school at Sunny Hill, QC, and became a member of San Sebastian basketball team. He's a perfect role model for the youth as he's an athlete who doesn't drink, smoke or do drugs. He doesn't even eat junk food as it's fattening.

It's common knowledge that his crush is Heart Evangelista. Have they met? "Yes. She has a new show on Q 11, 'Fashionista,' and I was her first guest. When she asked me, Sino'ng crush mo? I said, ikaw. And she said, you're just saying that dahil kaharap mo ko. My dream is to appear in a regular drama show with her. "

What does he like in Heart? "Yung pagiging chinita niya. Also, she's so well groomed at ang kinis-kinis niya. After I met her in person, lalo ko siya naging crush. "

But doesn't he have a non-showbiz girlfriend? "Cool off kami ngayon. One month na. We're both so busy halos hindi kami nagkikita. Isa pa, work is my priority now. On February 12, I'm being launched by Penshoppe. On February 17, I'll be introduced by GMA in 'Just U and Me, A Date with JC,' and on February 18, I'll be launched naman sa Fanatext so fans can text me. "

He wants to be prepared when he goes into acting. "I'm now taking up acting workshops in UP. Ayoko namang humarap sa camera without knowing anything. "

Is he ready to face showbiz intrigues? "I think so. Nakayanan ko ngang maging ultimate survivor, so I think I'll also survive showbiz with the help of my manager, Jonas Gaffud of Mercator Model Management with whom I started as a model two years ago. "

FALLING OUT INCIDENTALLY,

Jonas (who discovered such beauty queens as Gionna Cabrera, Teresa Licaros, Zorah Andam, and Jennifer Barrientos - all Bb. Pilipinas Universe winners) said he won't help out in the next Bb. Pilipinas pageant anymore. He admits having a falling out with Stella Marquez-Araneta.

IT'S SAY, NOT RHIAN

Sam Milby says it's not true that Anne Curtis and he have reconciled. "I won't deny that I still have feelings for her kasi hindi naman basta mawawala 'yun, but we're just good friends now and we're a lot better that way. She's perfectly free to accept other suitors which won't be surprising kasi she's very beautiful kaya natural lang maraming manligaw sa kanya. "

Won't he get jealous? "Siguro may konting jealousy pa rin, but I can't tell other guys naman to keep off dahil wala akong karapatan. I'm also not in control of Anne's feelings if ever she'd decide to get into another relationship. "

How about him? Is he dating anyone? "No and I don't have any plans to get into relationship right now. Our relationship ni Anne suffered nga because we're both so busy. I don't want that happening again kasi I'm still so busy and will even doing shows here and abroad. "

How about the rumor linking her to Rhian Ramos? "Also not true. It's Say Alonzo who I visited on the set of 'La Lola'. Say is a friend way back from our PBB days. "

Another PBB colleague, Uma Khouny, is said to be annoyed because he said it was Say who ordered him to go the "La Lola" set. "I never said inutusan ako ni Say to visit her. He misunderstood what was reported. I came there to my own accord as I haven't seen Say for quite a while and I want to say hello to her. I had no inkling it will be such a big issue. "

He's now doing the "Pop Icons" concert series with ASAP colleagues Piolo Pascual, Mark Bautista, Christian Bautista and Erik Santos. "We ourselves are producing the shows with ASAP and we're so happy to do it kasi we're really good friends. We also want to learn the ins and outs of concert producing so we formed our own group that we called Sunday Night Productions, kasi nga lagi kaming magkakasama every Sunday sa Victory Fellowship that helps deepen our spirituality. "

"Pop Icons" will first be held in Dagupan on February 12, Cebu on February 14, Araneta Coliseum on February 21 and Bacolod on February 28.

NIKKI'S PURITY RING

Nikki Gil has really come a long way from being the model of the Coke TVC that opened the doors of showbiz for her. After doing dramas like "Rounin" and "Pangarap na Bituin," she now plays Guia in "Pieta," a secretary who witnesses a crime that Miguel (John Regala) did. Miguel orders Rigor (Ryan Agoncillo) to get rid of her but he has a soft spot for Guia so he ends up hiding her from Miguel.

Guia loves her blind young sister (Sharlene San Pedro) and she is crushed when her sister gets kidnapped. Nikki has been in the series for just a few weeks but viewers are now raving about her performance, saying she has better chemistry with Ryan than Krista Ranillo whose character, Martha, is currently in the States after she got pregnant. What can Nikki say about this?

"Well, I'm glad viewers like my performance in 'Pieta'," she says. "Some of them are telling me nga that they're waiting for Krista's character to come back so we can have a showdown. "

Nikki is also part of the episode in "Your Song" this afternoon where she stars with her rumored beau Billy Crawford, along with her ex-BF Gab Valenciano and Rachelle Ann Go. How is it working with both her current and her ex? "Hindi pa naman kami ni Billy, but writers pressure me na umamin. Kung meron mang dapat aminin, hindi dapat manggaling sa'kin kasi ako'ng babae.

Mahirap ding mag-commit since he's leaving again for abroad. As for Gab, friends naman kami, so no problem. Friend ko rin ang current niyang si Rachelle so maayos naman kaming lahat sa taping. Maganda ang role ko in 'Your Song' as a big star with an attitude problem. Si Billy naman plays a showbiz wannabe. Parang 'Notting Hill' ni Julia Roberts ang story namin. I'm also part of the coming Primetime Bida show, 'Florinda' with Maricel Soriano. I play a yaya, the daughter of Cherry Pie Picache who blindly obeys what my mom tells me. I'm also a regular in ASAP 09 and as a VJ in MYX. "

Despite her busy sked, she continues her studies at the Ateneo majoring in English literature. Her advocacy is to foster reading awareness as spokesperson for National Book Development and World Vision. "Ang dami na kasing hindi nagbabasa ngayon," she adds. Recently, she's also named as one of People Asia's Women of Style and Substance. This is justified since Nikki is rare find in showbiz. She's a devout Christian who wears a purity ring as part of True Love Waits, young people who will give up their virginity only after marriage. "When I get married, I will replace the purity ring with my wedding ring and I will give the purity sa magiging anak ko. "

NO TO LONG DISTANCE LOVE AFFAIR

LJ Moreno was at the victory party of "Status: Single". We told her we admire her guts when she ate 20 live cockroaches in "Pinoy Fear Factor. " She's brave and feisty that we thought she'd be staying in the game until its ending two weeks from now. "Akala ko rin, but I ran out of breath in the challenge where we were locked inside a glass coffin that was submerged in water," she says. "But I did stay in Argentina until the end of the show. Wala na nga lang ako sa El Campo Miedo and I lived in the quarters ng crew. Kaya I know who won as the Ultimo Participante, kaya lang, I cannot reveal who. Bawal. "

So how is the Argentinian guy linked to her named Maxie? "We still communicate. Kaya lang, mahirap ang long distance. He wants to visit me here kaya lang nag-start na ang isang bagong Fear Factor doon so he can't leave. Pero ang guwapo niya talaga. Sabi nga nila, kung magkaka-baby kami, maganda raw tiyak ang lalabas. "

We heard her ex-BF cager Jimmy Alapag has hooked up with Koolchx girl Gemma Fitzgerald? "Yes. Napalitan nga ako agad. Pero wala na rin sila. Friends naman kami ni Jimmy now. Nag-uusap kami. "

VILLAR INTERESTED IN VILMA

WE told Nacionalista Party Prexy Sen. Manny Villar that he looks younger now than when we last saw him before Christmas. "Siguro dahil I have less stress," he says. "Unlike when I was Senate president na stressed out ako sa dami ng trabaho, lalo na when I mediate pag may nag-aaway na mga senador. But I'm still busy with my various advocacies, lalo na yung pagtulong ko sa overseas workers natin na nadehado sa abroad at gusto ng umuwi. "

How come it's rumored that he's really with the administration and not the opposition? "If that's true, bakit ako inalis as Senate president? Right after I admitted that, yes, I'm running for President in 2010, biglang naalis ako and kung anong mga paninira na ang pinalabas against me. But I'm happy that at the last SWS survey for government officials in November-December 2008, I got a very high satisfaction rating of 74 percent, higher compared to the 61 percent of VP Noli De Castro, 22 percent of Speaker Prospero Nograles and 30 percent of Supreme Court Justice Reynato Puno. Maski sa Pulso ng Pilipino Yearend survey for preference for President, ako rin ang topnotcher with 17 percent. "

What can he say that so many other politicians want to run as President, like MMDA's Bayani Fernando, Sen. Mar Roxas, Sen. Dick Gordon, Mayor Jojo Binay, Sen. Ping Lacson, Sen. Chiz Escudero, and Sen. Loren Legarda. "O, di mas masaya. Kaya lang, it's too early pa to say kung sino talaga ang lalaban when 2010 comes. Magkakaroon pa ng mga pagbabago diyan. "

What can he say about Vilma Santos being convinced to run for vice-president? "Vilmanian ako, e. Mabango si Vilma sa tao. She has good chances of winning. "

Since returning OFWs are a primary concern of his, what advice can he give to those who are returning home due to the global meltdown? "I advice them to start their own business and join the ranks of budding enterpreneurs now sprouting in various parts of the country. As such, they will also create employment opportunities for our kababayans. Our party's Pondo sa Sipag, Puhunan sa Tiyaga program is open to all OFWs who want to start their own business.

Last year, we selected 16 entrepreneurs from all over the country and awarded them P100,000 as additional capital, like Pacifico de la Cruz of Bulacan who started his own itikan with only 185 ducks that now have grown to more than 3,000 dahil sa kanyang sipag at tiyaga. "

Sen. Villar introduced us to Mang Pacifico who gave us a big package of baluts and red eggs from his farm. "Only an enterpreneurial revolution will give our country a winning chance in the world's economic arena," adds Sen. Villar.

Source: People's Journal