Marian: No more intrigues, please

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Freehand

Marian Rivera won three honors at the 38th Box-Office Entertainment Awards of Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Park Foundation: Most Promising Female Star, Phenomenal TV Star (for "MariMar') and Face of the Night. Most of the people present at the awards night believe she's very deserving in winning all three awards.

"I'm really so thankful to the Lord sa dami ng blessings ko," she says. "I'm so happy dahil 'Dyesebel' is now also confirmed as the number 1 show nationwide, hindi lang ito sa Manila. "

What can she say that some commercials originally meant for Angel Locsin are now assigned to her?

"I don't know if that's true. Ako naman, artista lang and it's my manager who arranges my commitments. So hindi ko alam kung kinukuha ako for a commercial to replace anyone. The important thing is that they were offered to me and I'm just happy and thankful na maraming nagtitiwala sa akin. Huwag na lang sana kaming intrigahin ni Angel at baka magaya pa roon sa intriga about Claudine (Barretto) na sinabi ko raw bilasa na at ako'ng sariwa, even if I didn't say anything like that. "

What about the allegation that she's a gambling addict often seen in casinos? "Hindi ko na lang pinapansin. As it is, I hardly have any time for myself because of 'Dyesebel' tapings and my endorsements. Saan pa ko kukuha ng oras para magkasino?"

This week, Dyesebel is hit by the car of Gildo (Luis Alandy) and this leads to Gildo helping her to work as a janitress in The Company of Fredo (Dingdong Dantes. ) Dyesebel is so happy when she learned that she is cleaning Fredo's office. She falls while cleaning something and someone catches her. Who else but Fredo, making her deliriously happy all the more.

Betty (Bianca King) sees the sketches drawn by her boyfriend Fredo. The drawings are portraits of Dyesebel and Betty gets terribly jealous so she orders the sketches burned. In Sirenea, Berbola (Michelle Madrigal) discovers the truth about Reyna Lucia (Jean Garcia), Dyesebel's mother, and this incurs the ire of Dyangga (Mylene Dizon), the new queen.

Vicki Belo'S DAUGHTER REACTS

Sarah Geronimo feels lucky to be chosen as the first teen endorser of Belo Essentials. She was formally launched last Monday night at Dolce Bar. Why did Belo choose Sarah?

"We actually studied several names and we realized it's Sarah who can represent us best," says Crystalle Henares, the 25-year-old daughter of Dr. Vicki Belo who is their chief operating officer . "Belo stands for quality and beauty and Sarah is tops in her generation, especially when it comes to the beauty and quality of her voice.

She's very talented but remains simple and humble despite her success. Belo Essential gained a lot of followers from young adults like her, even students who save their baon so they can buy our whitening body bar, minimizing and whitening face wash and whitening lotion, all of which Sarah herself uses. "

Crystalle is a hands-on COO as she even accompanies their salesmen in delivering their products to the provinces, without introducing herself to owners of supermarts as the daughter of Dr. Vicki Belo. Belo Essentials with its unique Dermlight Skin System won the SM Golden Cart Awards for their breakthrough sales in just 7 months. It's now also available in Qatar, Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. "We're now being tested by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration so we can also market it in the States," adds Crystalle.

In "Showbiz Central" last Sunday, Dr. Hayden Kho, her mom's boyfriend, admitted that he and Crystalle don't get along well due to a "misalignment of thoughts. " What can she say about this? It took sometime before she replied. "Well, we're okay naman. Basta ang importante is whatever makes my mom happy, di ba? I don't like it kasi when my mom is sad. "

REGINE, CESAR COLLABORATE IN MOST AMBITIOUS PINOY ANIMATION

LOCAL animation features have been done before in "Isko" and "Panday" but they weren't that successful. Now, Tony Tuviera's APT Productions presents the most ambitious Pinoy full-length digital and traditional animation, "Urduja," not about the historical character with the same name from Pangasinan but a fictional account of a feisty young woman named Urduja. Pinoy animators who used to work for Disney are happy to be working with Mr. Tuviera on a local material that aims to showcase Pinoy animation talent on the big screen.

Providing the voice for the lead characters, Urduja and her leading man, Lim Hang, are two stars from rival networks: Regine Velasquez who's a Kapuso and Cesar Montano who's a Kapamilya. How is it being a part of a grandiose work like "Urduja"?

"When Mr. Tuviera personally approached me for this project, yes agad ako without knowing it's going to be this big," says Regine. "When I first did voice work for them, there was a group of animators present at yun pala, they were copying my facial expressions as I talk, laugh, cry and make hingal. Even the features of Urduja were based on me, including the tiny waistline. O di ba? When they called me up again after the animation was done, I was amazed at the quality of their work. It's such a wonderful film and I'm so proud to be part of 'Urduja'.

"We can now show to the whole world na world-class din ang animation dito sa atin. Personally, I can relate with the character of Urduja as we're both women with strong personalities. Kaya enjoy ako doing my solo number here, 'Babae Ako,' which is about woman empowerment. All the songs here were music by Ogie Alcasid and lyrics by Joey de Leon. "

"Itong 'Urduja' is the kind of project na panghihinayangan mo kung hindi mo ginawa," says Cesar. "Mr. Tuviera told me then na may big project daw siya. Dream project daw niya yun and I would I like to be a part of it. Hindi ko na pinag-isipan pa, we didn't even talk about my talent fee, basta sabi ko agad, sali ako diyan. Now that the whole thing is complete, I feel so happy to be part of 'Urduja' kasi ground-breaking trend-setter talaga siya. This is a good contribution to local cinema as it shows our old traditions, especially the bravery of the Filipinos then. Balak ko nga, after this, gawin ang life story ni Francisco Dagohoy, the hero of Bohol who fought the Spaniards, kasi I'm really from Bohol. "

Regine is hosting "SOP" and "Songbird" on GMA-7 while Cesar is hosting ABS-CBN's highest rating show now, "The Singing Bee. " Will they invite each other to guest in one another's show to promote 'Urduja'? "Of course!" says Regine. "Cesar is a good singer and I'd love him to guest and do some songs with me in 'Songbird. ' This is the first time we're working together at sana nga, magkapareha rin kami uli in a live action movie at hindi animation lang. "

"I'd also love to have Regine in my show," says Cesar "There's been an attempt to pair us before pero hindi natuloy. At least, here in 'Urduja. ' we get to do a duet in the song 'Paalam'. "

What are their favorite animated films? "Ako, 'Little Mermaid', nakakaiyak kasi," says Regine.

"I like 'Sinbad'," says Cesar. "And all the animated films na laging pinapanood ng three daughters ko like 'Beauty and the Beast', 'Dora The Explorer' and the Barbie films. Proud nga ako to be a part of 'Urduja' and I will take my daughters with me to watch its first screening. "

PBB GUARDIANS WIN BIG PRIZES

DADDY Erning, the dad who brought up PBB teen housemate from Mindoro, Ejay, strikes us as a very sincere and caring man. He raised Ejay by himself even if it's obvious that the tall and very fair young man is not his own son but that of a Frenchman who impregnated his wife.

Last Sunday, his good deeds paid off as he became Pinoy Big Brother's first ever Guardian Big Winner after he got a whopping 65. 16% of the text votes in the Guardian Big Night. Daddy Erning won a cash prize of P500,000 and a business franchise from Whammy Waffles. The fisherman from Mindoro broke down in tears after learning that he bested the three other guardians vying for the title. He tearfully thanked everybody who voted for him. Italian Valentino Alex's Mommy Minda emerged the Guardian 2nd Big Placer and won P250,000 plus a business franchise from Whammy Waffle.

In-Chick Nicole's Mommy Sandy, on the other hand, won 3rd place followed by Junior Kengkoy Nan's Mommy My Love in 4th place. Sandy and My Love got a cash prize of P150,00 and P100,000 each and a business franchise from Potato Cuddler. Now, who among the remaining Teen Housemates (Ejay, Nicole, Nan, Alex, Rona, Beauty, Valerie and Robi) will be the big winner. Watch PBB Teen Uber, 5:30 PM, and PBB Teen Primetime, after on ABS-CBN to find out.

REACTIONS

THIS is a reader's reaction to the reported termination of Precious Lara Quigaman as "Wowowee" host because she brought her boyfriend along in the show's Hawaii sortie. An e-mail from Belle Canto:

"It's only in the Philippines puedeng mag-demand ang host ng isang show para ipatanggal ang co-host niya dahil nagsama ng boyfriend sa overseas show nila. Sa totoo lang, negang-nega si Willie Revillame kung totoong siya ang nagbabawal sa boyfriends ng female co-hosts niya na magpunta sa show nila dahil naiilang siya. Di bale sana kung nagre-rate ang 'Wowowee'. E, hindi naman. Sa totoo lang, it's about time na palitan na ito at ipatanggal na si Willie dahil lahat ng ayaw niya ay pinatatanggal niya. "

This e-mail reacts to Assunta de Rossi's statement in "Showbiz Central" that her "cousin in law, Gabby Lopez" screwed her. From GT Force: "Bakit ba kung sinu-sino ang tinuturo ni Assunta de Rossi kung bakit nalaos ang career niya? She has no one to blame but herself. After pakasal siya sa husband niyang si Jules, doon sumemplang ang career niya.

Sikat siya noong nasa GMA-7 pa siya at kasama sa 'Bubble Gang', pero choice niyang lumipat sa ABS at doon pa nga ipinalabas ang wedding coverage nila ni Jules na ibinenta raw nila ng mataas. After that, puro flops ang show na ginawa niya like 'Buttercup' and 'Maid in Heaven'. Kaya hindi katakataka kung hindi na siya binigyan ng Dos ng iba pang assignment at nawalan siya ng career. The truth is nega ang dating nila ng sister niyang si Alessandra na kilala naman sa pagiging palaaway. "

Source: People's Journal