Kim turns Asian Star in ‘My Girl’

Author: Edgar Cruz
Column: BuzzStation

With the premiere of her next teleserye “My Girl” on May 26, Kim Chiu turns into the Asian Star. Her Oriental features make her ideal as the lead actress in the local remake of the Korean light-drama series. Preparing for her role as Jasmine involved learning to speak in Mandarin. Jasmine is a poor but brave and busy girl. Since she travels with her father, she is street smart, charming and witty. She is also a fighter who uses her favorite catchphrase “Tira-tira!” when provoked. Because of a unique situation, she will meet Julian (Gerald Anderson). In an unexpected event, Jasmine and Julian will be forced to live in a web of lies and deceit. Kim is wrapping up the original soundtrack of My Girl with the special of Sam Milby and Yeng Constantino. My Girl is directed by Erick Salud and Jerome Pobocan.

Gabby goes low profile this month

Gabby Concepcion is seriously thinking of going out of the country during the Caregiver promo period. He wants media focus and the people’s attention on Megastar Sharon Cuneta and her full-length feature to be released by Star Cinema on May 28. Although he’s going to be launched as Lucida-DS Glutathione’s endorser at EDSA Shangri-La on Tuesday, he does not want to hog the limelight besides this scheduled event. He’s using the time the shoot his Iisa Pa Lamang telerserye with Claudine Barretto, which started yesterday. Even if he’s appearing in Faith Cuneta’s birthday concert at Teatrino this coming Friday, he’s not participating in its publicity. He does not the want the tabs to play up Faith’s relationship with Sharon. He decided to join her concert after pleading many times with business manager Mommy Rose Flaminiano. By the way, Gabby is preparing a demo for Warner Music.

ABS-CBN public relations topnotch

In the eight years I’ve been covering ABS-CBN, its Corporate Communications Unit as headed by Bong Osorio has been the most professionally organized and managed. He was able to continue from the excellent results delivered by Pat-P Planas, Maloli Manalastas, Leah Salterio and Peachy Guioguio. As soon as he came in last year, he changed his unit’s name to reflect what it is all about and assigned three managers (Lorie Parasavalamy, Cathy Solis and Kane Choa) to handle the publicity needs of the Kapamilya network’s various business units. Bong successfully managed the communications needs of the Iloilo ratings manipulation issue. He’s one vice president I know who will answer controversial questions about ABS-CBN and its stars. He does not play favorites. He greets even gatecrashers to his press conferences. His greatest talent is a willingness to listen and respond accordingly. At the same time, Lorie, Cathy and Kane are a bunch of smart, friendly and hardworking guys.

Lara out of ‘Wowowee’

Wowowee host Willie Revillame confirmed that regular co-host Lara Precious Quigaman is out of the high-rating noontime show. Lara’s going out of the show is an unexpected development. She blended beautifully with Willie and co-hosts Mariel, Valerie Concepcion and Pokwang. She was also with the group, which staged the hugely successful show at the Aloha Stadium. What happened? The buzz is that she brought her non-showbiz boyfriend to Hawaii as her “plus one” (the person who is supposed to assist the star during a show), which was unauthorized. Something must have taken place that she was eased out. When Wowowee started live broadcasting last Thursday, Lara was a no-show.

Toni by any other tag

Toni Gonzaga, the singer, is now tagged as the Most Certified Platinum Star. During the launching of her third studio album under Star Records, Love Is...Toni Gonzaga CD, managing director Annabelle Regalado-Borja explained Toni is now one of the highest selling recording artists with the platinum performance of her second CD. Her third CD is expected to be another platinum performer with its carrier single “Incapable,” as written by hitmaker Christian Martinez. Feeling a bit naughty, I asked Toni the following questions during the open forum as presided by Eric John Salut. When asked which title she prefers, Toni answered, “Ay! Hindi ko alam. Parang hindi ko alam kung alin ang type ko. Ang hirap namang mamili.” When I told her Most Certified Platinum Star refers to her recording career while The Ultimate Multi-media Star refers to her total career, she insisted, “Hindi ko talaga alam. It’s not for me to decide, dahil hindi ba, ang mga tao naman ang nagbibigay ng mga title sa mga artista. Kung ako ang papipiliin, kahit ano, okey sa akin. Huwag lang Bomba Star! Kahit anong star, huwag lang ‘yon. Huwag ding sexy star, hindi po bagay. Parang comatose na ang ko kapag ganu’n na ang ko.”

Rep. Mitch caused her trouble

“Absurd!” Belo Medical Group publicist Leah Salterio said when asked if the company told Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Mitch Cajayon that she was told to wait for her baby’s delivery to find out if he was deformed. Mitch opened up that there is that possibility that he might be as liposuction was performed on her while she was pregnant. Belo cannot be faulted as she had signed a document stating she was not pregnant prior to the clinical procedure. Leah issued the following statement: “Records will show that prior to her liposuction surgery, Congresswoman Cajayon was asked three times by three different Belo personnel when her last normal menstrual period was. If she had just said she was unsure, it is BMG’s policy to conduct a pregnancy test. Congresswoman Cajayon also signed a consent form wherein she categorically affirmed she was not pregnant.”

Vince’s private family

Buzzstation met the members of the family of Vince Del Rosario, Inah Revilla’s soon-to-be, 23-year-old husband, at the opening of Fely J’s restaurant at Greenbelt 5. He impressed me as a smart and proper young man, quite reserved. I shook his hand twice and they were always cold. He responded but did not linger. This might have been what his dad Jorge del Rosario meant by their being a private family. Vince keeps to himself as much as possible. He does not offer information. He only gives short interviews on-cam or behind it, answering as briefly as possible without explanation. It is stepmom Patricia who seems to be the family’s “spokesperson.” Beautiful and outgoing, it was also she who introduced Jorge, who is a reserved guy. Entertainment journalists who covered the event were lucky that he agreed to be interviewed about the Vince and Inah wedding. When asked if she was going to attend the May 28 wedding, she answered with charm, “I still don’t know.”

Pony ‘does not stink’

What’s the difference of Pony Footwear with other sports shoes? “It does not stink!” blurts bassist Nathan Azarcon of Bamboo, its new endorser. Pony has been supplying Bamboo crew members Nathan, Bamboo Manalac, Ira dela Cruz and Vic Mercado for four years and it only selected the band this year as official endorser. To introduce them as new Pony endorsers, Bamboo will headline the Rock N’ Rumble concert this coming July 5, 7 p.m. at the World Trade Center as presented by Pony Footwear with Fudge Magazine as co-presenter. The Game Girls plus a live URCC match will also be featured. To get in, Pony shoes buyers get two tickets for every single receipt minimum purchase of P2,395. For each eligible purchase from May 15 to June 30, the Pony customer may claim tickets by presenting receipts to Pony representatives at participating SM outlets: Megamall, Makati, North EDSA, Cubao, Sta. Mesa, San Lazaro, Harrison, Mall of Asia, Taytay, Fairview, Pampanga, Clark, Marilao, South Mall, Bacoor and Dasmariñas.

Lino Brocka’s nephew directs ‘Boy Culture’

Boy Culture, the US-made movie raved by critics as “charming, funny and chock-full of sexy surprises” and “deliciously directed and downright sexy” is directed by Allan Brocka, a nephew of the late Filipino film legend. Allan co-wrote the screenplay with Philip Pierce. Released here by Daven Film Productions International, Boy Culture is built around the candid confessions of “X” (Derek Magyar), a wildly successful male escort. After 10 years of sex-for-pay, “X” gets romantically entangled with his two hot roommates Andrew (Darryl Stephens) and Joey (Jonathan Trent) and a reclusive elderly client, Gregory (Patrick Bauchau). But before Gregory agrees to sex, he tells an unsettling love story spanning 50 years and dares “X” to try something he hasn’t felt in years: emotion. The Philippine screening will be on May 21, Wednesday, in selected Metro Manila cinemas. For more information on the film, visit its web site at www.boyculturemovie.com.

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Source: The Daily Tribune

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