Mother Lily, family in near sea tragedy

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Freehand

MOTHER Lily Monteverde is back from her three-week Seven-Star Cruise in Europe with her entire family. We told her it's good she was spared the wrath of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. "No, we were also affected," she says. "We were in the middle of the ocean when the waves got higher, halos umabot on the top of our cruise ship. Nagliliparan ang mga gamit sa loob ng ship. Nagsuka ang ibang passengers, parang 'Poseidon Adventure'. Grabe! Three days kaming stranded sa dagat kasi hindi makatakbo ng mabilis ang ship. We just kept on praying kasi in such instances, you cannot turn on anyone else but the Lord, di ba? It's really hard to travel during the -ber months. In London, I lost my Louis Vuitton bag and my Ferragamo jacket. It's good I entrusted my dollars to my daughter Meme and my passport to Grace (wife of her son Dondon), or it'd be a big problem. "

She feels bad that her last release, "Nandito Ako," was badly affected at the tills by the twin typhoons when it's one of the finest romantic films shown this year. "Di bale, babawi na lang ang Regal sa filmfest. We have three entries: 'Shake Rattle & Roll XI,' 'Nieves, Engcanto Slayer' and 'Mano Po 6: My Mother' with Sharon Cuneta. "

Sharon is very happy to do her first movie with Regal that will be a reunion for her and her "Madrasta" co-stars, Christopher de Leon and Zsa Zsa Padilla. She'll play Melinda, a very rich Fil-Chinese taipan with Christopher as her husband, who's pure Chinese. Zsa Zsa plays a villain role as Boyet's scheming sister. Zsa Zsa requested that Direk Joel Lamangan make her character really bad and to give her and Sharon many confrontation and sampalan scenes. Playing Sharon's daughter (this is final and the contract has already been signed) is Heart Evangelista.

Sharon's first shooting day will be on Tuesday. Her other kids are Ciara Sotto, PBB's Nicole Uysiuseng and John Manalo. Heart as Stephanie is the favorite daughter but she rebels against her controlling mom while Ciara is the least favored one. The previous Mano Po flicks are "Mano Po: My Family" with Maricel Soriano in 2002, "Mano Po 2: My Home" with Susan Roces, "Mano Po 3: My Love" with Vilma Santos in 2004, "Mano Po 4: Ako Legal Wife" with Zsa Zsa Padilla and Cherry Pie Picache in 2005, and "Mano Po 5: Gua Ay Di" with Richard Gutierrez in 2006. Except for 2 that's directed by Erik Matti, all the other "Mano Po" movies were megged by Joel Lamangan.

HEART OPEN TO ECHO AGAIN
Heart Evangelista is so happy to be chosen as Sharon's daughter in "Mano Po 6. " "Maraming firsts for me in this film," she says. "First time ko to work with the Megastar, Mother Lily, and Direk Joel Lamangan, kaya excited talaga ako. At pupunta pa raw kami sa Beijing to shoot some scenes there. O bongga talaga, di ba?"

She's just worried that the shooting of "Mano Po 6" coincides with the start of her taping with Richard Gutierrez for GMA7's "Full House". "Naku, ngaragan na namang trabaho ito so I really have to take a lot of vitamins para maging healthy and strong ako once the shooting and the taping start," she sighs.

It's said Jericho Rosales might also be part of the movie's cast. How does she feel about it? "Okay lang. Nagkausap na kami so okay na kami. But this is just work kaya tigilan na ang pang-iintriga uli sa amin. "

GLORIA'S SECRET
WHEN we visited the set of "Sagrada Familia," Gloria Diaz, who plays Lovi Poe's grandma, said goodbye hurriedly. She was wearing a simple duster then. An hour later, when we went to the presscon of "Nagsimula sa Puso," Gloria showed up garbed in a more glamorous black outfit. It turns out she's playing the role of Jason Abalos' mom in the show and she just asked the permission of Direk Joel Lamangan to allow her to leave the set of "Sagrada Familia" and attend the ABS presscon. At 58, Gloria still exudes that earthy Miss Universe aura that helped her bag the beauty title in 1969. Since she debuted in the movies in 1974 in "Pinakamagandang Hayop sa Balat ng Lupa", she says she has already 178 films. Which of them would she recommend for a remake? "None," she says. "I made some good films like the ones with Danny Zialcita, with Erap Estrada, and the Andres de Saya series, but I believe we should try to make original materials than just rely on old ones. " Most of her contemporaries have retired but she's still active. What's her secret? "I guess I'm masuwerte that's why I survive. Also, I'm hardworking. I try to be punctual, I come to the set prepared at kahit ngarag na ako sa trabaho, I don't complain. I'm still excited in every work I do. It also pays to have friends in the business na tutulong sa'yo para mabigyan ka ng trabaho. "

What does she think of Maja Salvador? "She may not be drop dead gorgeous but she grows on you. She carries herself well and, more importantly, she's smart and talented. "

What about Lovi Poe in "Sagrada Familia"? "She's good. She plays a difficult role as a daughter raped by her own dad, Emilio Garcia, who happens to be my son. She delivers. "

Will she allow her own daughter Isabelle to join showbiz? "It's really up to her. She's still busy with school, taking up Early Education but wants to be a doctor also. Paiba-iba isip niya as of now. But she has a lot of showbiz friends, like Anne Curtis and Raymond Gutierrez, so I don't know with her. "

WHAT'S UP ON 'PBB'
AFTER only two days inside Kuya's house, housemate JP Lagumbay took a voluntary exit from "PBB Double Up" after he was told that his application for leave was disapproved by the airline where he's a flight attendant. He's ordered to report for work pronto or he'd be punished. JP wanted to stay for his brother JM but he can't risk losing his regular job that supports his family. He left without even being able to say a formal goodbye to his twin brother.

Meantime, the girls in House B continue to suspect that there's switching in the two guys who stay with them, JM and Toffi, but they don't suspect that Kuya has two houses. In the male-dominated House A, they don't have any suspicion about the switching of twins, but they do suspect that Kuya has another house on the other side of the wall aside from theirs. But last Friday, Toffi and Kenny were finally caught by inmates in both houses and they were evicted along with JM. Carol cried as she has a crush on Kenny.

New inmates were introduced last Saturday night in "Spooktacular Reveal," including the Transgender Math Goddess, La Senora de Espana (who has a relationship with a PBB housemate), the Bibong Probinsiyana and the Charming Banker. You can see the latest happenings in Kuya's house in "Uber" with Mariel Rodriguez in the afternoon after "Maria de Jesus," in the primetime edition with Toni Gonzaga after "Dahil May Isang Ikaw," or in "PPB Double Uplate" at midnight with Bianca Gonzalez.

FASHION SHOW FOR A CAUSE
KAPAMILYA stars will do a show tonight for the benefit of flood victims at ABS-CBN Studio 10. Star Magic in cooperation with Keren Pascual is all set for a "Magic for a Cause"- a fashion show which will showcase creations of A-list designers. The Young Designers Guild (YDG), Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines (FDAP) are also involved in this event. Stylists Noel Manapat and Patrick Rosas with his team are also part of the show, to be directed by Ariel Lozada. Headed by Piolo Pascual, Bea Alonzo, Sam Milby, Pokwang, Diether Ocampo, Angelica Panganiban, Zanjoe Marudo, Erich Gonzales, Gerald Anderson, Kim Chiu, Jake Cuenca and Shaina Magdayao, Star Magic artists will be wearing the designers' collection in this charity event. This is their way of sharing their blessings to fellow "kababayans" who support their respective careers. All proceeds of "Magic for a Cause" will be given to typhoon Ondoy victims.

WHAT GRETCHEN WANTS, GRETCHEN GETS
FOR her very first teleserye, Gretchen Barretto requested that she be given the chance to work with younger sister Claudine Barretto. This was granted. She also requested that their leading man be the hunky Derek Ramsay. This was granted, too. We won't be surprised if Angelica Panganiban, girlfriend of Derek, would feel threatened. We heard that Gretchen expects to be billed ahead of her sister as the senior actress between them. As for Claudine, she signed a contract with Viva Films but clarifies that this doesn't mean she's leaving ABS. Her contract with Viva is only for two movies, since Star Cinema has no new project for her after she did "Sukob" with them four years ago.

Source: People's Journal