Kris Aquino hosts getting-to-know-Noynoy dinner for Star Magic artists

Author: Trisha Alvarez

Bilib si Kris Aquino sa nagawang value formation ng Star Magic heads na sina Johnny Manahan at Mariole Alberto sa bagong henerasyon ng mga artista ngayon sa talent arm ng ABS-CBN. Nakita ito ni Kris sa isinagawa niyang getting-to-know you dinner ng mga artista para sa kapatid niyang si Sen. Noynoy Aquino, na kakandidatong presidente sa 2010 elections.

"It's no longer na you think politics as an exercise in making money for your endorsement. I think, yun ang major change na kusa ang artista na nagdo-donate ng effort and time doon sa, kumbaga, pinaniniwalaan nila. I think yung social consciousness na na-raise, nasimulan ni Oprah [Winfrey, American talk-show host].

"Tapos, di ba, because of Brad [Pitt] and Angelina [Jolie] and, di ba, sina Justine Timberlake and lahat ng mga na-involved doon sa Obama campaign, parang I think nag-trickle down sa atin. Nawala yung trapo mentality talaga na ilang milyones ang kikitain ko dito or ilang ano. It totally changed. I think yun ang ano, if you'll ask me what the difference is," panimula ni Kris nang makausap siya ng PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) last Tuesday, October 20.

THE PURPOSE. Ano ang purpose ng pagse-set niya ng dinner para sa mga artista at kay Noynoy?

Paliwanag ni Kris, "Hindi, kasi parang why will you vote for Noy? The worst thing that you can hear from an artista is, 'Kasi close ko si Ate Kris.' Pangit, di ba? Although it's so touching for me, pero kailangan para sa kapatid ko. You'll vote for him. Yun yun. So, I asked for a date and they said they were all okay. I asked Noy and he said he's okay, and then question and answer na sa open forum.

"And then, doon mo makikita who among the stars ang talagang... You'll have a feeling of those ano, like na-impress ako kay Bea [Alonzo], kasi parang nagtanong siya about taxation. Ang sabi niya, 'Tanggap namin na ang laki-laki ng ibinabayad namin, 32 percent. But dito sa income tax bracket namin, is it too much to ask na malaman namin kung saan napunta?' That makes a lot of sense, di ba?

"And then, like si Coco Martin nagtanong. Ang sabi niya, 'We bring a lot of glory for the country when we compete abroad and yet, there's no funding.' And then, sinagot ni Mr. M [Johnny Manahan]. At si Noy and si Mr M, iisa ang point of view doon: 'Hindi kami. Ang puwede lang namin ibigay sa inyo ay tax break. Once we start funding you, that means we will be dictating upon you should ano, and art and government should never mix.' Sabi ni Mr. M, 'I totally agree with that kasi yun ang tama. Separation talaga ang dapat.'

"And then, nung ano, nagtanong sila about yung ano... maganda yung tanong ni Jake [Cuenca] na nakita raw niya kasi yung difference. Siya and Gerald [Anderson] were saying when they were taping [Tayong Dalawa] in PMA [Philippine Military Academy], they saw kahit paano okay. And yet, nung dinala sila sa Camp Capinpin, eto yung unang sumasabak, they [soldiers] have one uniform a year. Tinatanong nila, 'What are you planning to do in their situation?' Yung mga ganun.

"Tapos, 'Wala pa si Pepeng, fresh na fresh pa si Ondoy, why are we not prepared? And you know naman in our country, we have four major typhoons and yet, bakit ganito? Kailangan ba talaga na ang mabagyo ang Metro Manila ma-affect para ma-awaken tayong lahat na, actually, it happens every year?'

"Si KC [Concepcion] was there," patuloy ni Kris, "but you know she couldn't ano, kasi she's working for the... Merong ano, she has a very good relationship with Senator Kiko [Pangilinan, KC's stepdad]. But she has a really good question about education, about the voucher system. Yun, naintindihan niya kasi sa Amerika, there is such a thing. Na the government, it is more expensive to build schools than to give vouchers to private schools in terms of ano... Voucher is like babayaran mo yung private school for the tuition fee nung kid based sa funds ng gobyerno. Kaya in essence, nataas mo yung kalibre rather than gagastos ka ng millions for the infrastructure.

"So, yun ang tinanong ni KC, 'What do you think of the voucher system?' Na kasi, parang sabi niya, 'I had the chance to meet Butch Abad when he was the Education Secretary.' Yung parang mararamdan mo nga talaga na she did her research, did her homework. Kaya talagang maaano ka, mai-impress ka.

MORE QUESTIONS FROM THE STARS. "Tapos, si Diet [Diether Ocampo] ang nagtanong about... na nagpunta na raw siya sa bandang up ng North, na it takes four hours to get to the school. So, there's such a... yung parang the drive of the child to study is there and yet, ang books nila ang presidente, si Presidente [Fidel] Ramos pa rin! So, parang nakita mo na yung effort nung bata, and yet, hindi mo napopondohan nang tama.

"Tapos yun, in all fairness kay Piolo [Pascual], he knew that. Sabi niya, 'How is it na sa Constitution, the biggest allocation should go to education and bakit ganun?' So, sabi ko, 'Uy, bongga si Papa Piolo!'" sabay palakpak ng kamay ni Kris.

Dagdag niya, "It's a new generation. Yun, mapi-feel mo talaga yung ano, na there's so much more. Siguro malaking bagay talaga all of them are into Facebook, Twitter, and whatever, kasi magbabasa ka kahit papano at madali nang mag-Google ngayon. And you can also tell na siguro ano, kasi kung ang mga manager mo are... Kasi, Mariole's father was assassinated. Parang kung may political background yung mga nagha-handle sa inyo, at least namumulat ka, di ba? I really think na it's a very difficult situation.

"Tapos si Kim [Chiu], nag-text sa akin. Sabi niya, 'Dati, Ate, dine-dedma ko yung pagboto. And then, na-realize ko ngayon na yung pagboto ko, hindi lang mahalaga, but the fact na yung boboto ako, marami akong maeengganyo para bumoto.' So, parang that was what Noy was trying to say na, 'You have a voice and people will listen to that voice na it's up to you if will you use that voice.'

"Tapos, ang pinakamagandang question for me that night came from Anne Curtis. Sabi niya, 'I already told Ate Kris this but I don't want to end. After you take your oath of office, I want to be involved in the next six years because I have faith on you. So, what is it that I can do?'

"Doon ako na-impress, kasi si Anne at si Sam [Milby] during the Ondoy, after we did our Marikina relief [operations], they took it upon themselves that they want to help more. Nagdala sila ng diaper... Sabi ni Anne, 'Ate, kasi sila yung makakalimutan. Everybody was ano, tapos yung ia-allocate sa kanila hindi mapapadala.' She said she sensed that she had to go. And then, I asked her, 'Where did all of these come from?' Galing daw sa Australia. Kasi ano yung pamamalakad kasi doon, di ba, free health care, free education? Meron silang ganun. And then, she's really gotten herself involved sa Red Cross... Yung social awareness talaga had become big, and I also think it was based on the fact that a lot of stars are breadwinners. So, that's why ang questioning: 'Pinaghirapan ko, pero saan ba napunta?' Yung accountability, na lahat sila accountable for so many," tuluy-tuloy na lahad ni Kris.

Lahat daw ng inimibita ni Kris na artista ay dumating sa getting-to-know-Noy dinner nila sa bahay ng kanilang yumaong ina na si former Pres. Cory Aquino sa Times St., West Triangle, Quezon City.

"And then, it's up to you after that, di ba?" sabi ni Kris. "Kasi ang hiningi lang ni Mariole, 'I want to meet him [Noynoy] and after that, it's their decision already."

Magkakaroon ba ng next batch na getting-to-know-Noy dinner for the stars?

Source: Philippine Entertainment Portal

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