Mega to adopt baby boys
BY MARIO BAUTISTA
Mega to adopt baby boys
By Mario Bautista
‘Pinapaayos na namin ang mga papeles ngayon pa lang with Hospicio de San Jose. – Sharon Cuneta’
AFTER winning her filmfest best actress award for "Mano Po 6, A Mother’s Love," Sharon Cuneta said that she and husband Sen. Kiko Pangilinan are planning to adopt baby boys but she’s not aping Angelina Jolie who’s noted for adopting kids.
"Kasi I have three girls na and our youngest, Miel, is already 6, so we want to experience naman caring for baby boys," she says. "Pinapaayos na namin ang mga papeles ngayon pa lang with Hospicio de San Jose, a home of orphaned and abandoned kids, as we want it all to be legal and official."
Did she expect to win as best actress?
"No, although a lot of people were telling me that I’d win. I didn’t want to expect kasi, paano kung matatalo, di iiyak lang ako? Basta nagpunta ako to show that I’m one with the people in the industry in wanting to make the entire filmfest a big success. I didn’t even prepare a thank-you speech. Pero siempre, when I won, I was so happy about it kasi first time ko to win sa Metro Manila Filmfest."
She considers it as an advanced birthday gift as she celebrates her natal day on January 6. On Saturday, she’ll also be the special guest contestant of Vic Sotto in TV5’s "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" a question that is rhetorical as far as Shawie is concerned as everyone knows she’s already a multi-millionaire. Did she win big?
"Abangan nyo na lang," she says. "Basta kinabahan ako nang husto when I joined that game show."
One reason you shouldn’t miss the final week of "Sana Ngayong Pasko" is Susan Roces’ tour de force and heartrending portrayal of a wronged woman who is slowly losing her memory due to senile dementia just as she gets reconciled with her kids who were earlier alienated from her. Susan gives the performance of her career in a role of a lifetime and she deserves to be nominated here as best actress for her portrayal of the lead character, Remedios.
In its final week, "Sana Ngayong Pasko" becomes more explosive as various conflicting parties clash head on. Rigo (JC De Vera) and his sister Irene’s (Maxene Magalona) husband Bernie (JC Tiuseco), who works with a crime syndicate, just can’t live harmoniously under one roof. Rigo accuses Bernie of stealing his wallet when, actually, it was Stephen (TJ Trinidad) who took it. Fely (Gina Alajar) gets robbed in her condo so Remedios asks her to stay with them in their ancestral home, for which Gordon (Christopher de Leon) has already found a buyer. Remedios’ memory loss get worse and she can’t find her way home with Jopet (Joseph Rica).
Pablo (Dante Rivero), Remedios’ husband who earlier tormented her, now suddenly returns to their home. Through a letter that Ernesto (Eddie Gutierrez) left for him, he realizes that he has done Remedios a great wrong and is now remorseful about it. Will it be a merry Christmas for this dysfunctional family? Find out in the very poignant conclusion of this emotional "Christmaserye."
Lotlot de Leon is back from the US and she was the special guest on "Showbiz Central" last Sunday, interviewed live by host Pia Guanio. She disproved the rumor that the reason she left was because she’s pregnant. She showed the foto of her reunion with her biological dad, whom she refused to name. She says she now has two sets of moms and dads. "I love them unconditionally," she said.
One of them is her adoptive mom, Nora Aunor, whom she saw for the last time in 2003. She’s glad she finally saw her again in the States. "When I called her sa phone, she said, ‘Anak,’ and I said, ‘Ma,’ at okay na kami. Hindi na namin pinag-usapan what happened in the past. I’m glad I did go to her, she’s okay, she’s happy, she lives a simple and healthy life but she wants to come home soon. Our communication lines are now open. There’s more trust now. Ako naman, I can also be stubborn. Wala namang perpektong tao, but my mom loves me regardless. We spent Christmas together and there were lots of kuwento. I’m very grateful also that I met my biological dad. I wish him a long life. He’s a good man, he makes me laugh. He apologized several times, but ganun lang talaga. Things happen for a reason."
Sen. Bong Revilla and wife Lani Mercado were in the "Intriga Crossfire" portion. Pia started the interview by announcing the latest box office take of the filmfest entries as of January 2. Bong’s "Ang Panday" is the real top grosser with P80 million while Pia’s boyfriend Vic Sotto’s "Darling Kong Aswang" has grossed P75 million. Obviously, winning so many awards helped "Panday" attract more viewers.
Bong announced that they’re now preparing the concept for a sequel which he wants to surpass the achievements of the current movie. How does it feel to be best actor?
"I’m on Cloud 9," he says, then corrected those who said it’s his first best actor award. "I’ve also won in the Famas (for his movie with Vilma Santos, "Relaks Ka Lang, Sagot Kita") and in the Star Awards for TV (for ‘Idol Ko si Kap’)."
What can they say about Rosanna Roces’ continuous tirades against them?
"Sa kanila naman nagpasko ang apo naming si Gab," said Lani. "Then sa amin nagbagong taon."
"Bagong taon na, dapat kalimutan na ang nakaraan," said Bong. "Wala namang dapat pagtalunan dahil iisa ang hangad namin, ang mabigyan ng magandang kinabukasan ang bata. At saka hindi naman kami ang magde-decide para rito kundi sina Jolo at Grace dahil sila ang magulang, grandparents lang kami."
"Showbiz Central" has a new segment called "Buhket List" and their first guests were Aljur Abrenica and Kris Bernal who’re promoting their new primetime show, "The Last Prince." Aljur is chided for being close to Kris’ family. "Dati na akong close sa family niya kasi ‘di sila mahirap pakisamahan, just like Kris," he said.
The questions to them all stress the possibility of their fallling in love with each other, but GMA would have a hard time contradicting all the stories about Aljur and Kris being close only on cam as Aljur’s real girlfriend is Rich Asuncion. What’s sad is that such stories all come from writers who do PR work with GMA.
Zoren Legaspi took the lie detector test and when asked by John Lapus if he courted Ruffa Gutierrez, Carmina Villaroel and Aiko Melendez simultaneously during their younger days at Regal, he said no and it’s a lie. Zoren admitted he courted them all. "Pero hindi sabay-sabay," he stresses. "You can’t do that kasi puro matatapang sila. Si Ruffa lang ang naka-on ko kasi she’s the eldest sa kanilang tatlo."
Is he ready to see BB Gandanghari a.k.a. Rustom Padilla, Carmina’s first husband?
He said yes and it’s true. "What happened is water under the bridge," he adds. "Malay nyo, baka sa ‘Shake, Rattle & Roll 12,’ kami na ang magkapareha."
Aside from the lie detector test, a body language expert was also present then to interpret the actions of Zoren but, honestly, we feel it was a complete waste of time, just like the manghuhula present in that episode. One of them said Judy Ann Santos would deliver her first baby on November 2 or 3. That means Juday has got to conceive and be pregnant by next month, February. Let’s see if this will really happen. If not, it’d be very embarrassing for the manghuhula who made this prediction.
Erich Gonzales is thankful that she finally achieved stardom in 2009 with "Katorse."
"I won in ‘Star Circle Quest’ when I was only 14," she says. "I’m now 19. Matagal din ako nag-wait, with me doing only supporting roles but I never complained. I’m so thankful that viewers supported ‘Katorse’ and now that it’s ending, ABS-CBN has given me another starring role as Fina in ‘Tanging Yaman.’ It will replace ‘Katorse’ this new year."
This is not a remake of the award-winning movie with the same title. This time, the story revolves on the story of the First Family in Malacanang. How different is Fina from Nene of "Katorse"?
"Very different. Si Nene is iyakin and the story is about a young unwed mom. As Fina, I’m kikay, jologs, palaban. I was born poor but I didn’t know na ang father ko pala is the president of our country so I become a First Daughter. I’m so blessed kasi ‘di pa tapos ang ‘Katorse,’ we already started taping ‘Tanging Yaman.’ Lagari ako sa taping ng dalawang sets and I have to be careful na walang trace ni Nene na makikita kay Fina. Nakakapagod kasi wala akong pahinga and I was taping even during the Christmas holidays."
Playing her parents in ‘Tanging Yaman’ are Rowell Santiago and Agot Isidro. They’re supported by Jodie Sta. Maria, Mylene Dizon, Noni Buencamino and Leo Martinez, directed by Lino Cayetano and Manny Palo. Her leading men are Ejay Falcon and Enchong Dee, also her partners in "Katorse." "I’m glad the three of us are together again kasi comfortable na ako with them."
Bossa Nova singer Sofia is tagged as an accidental recording star. Born on Dec. 7, 1984, she took up pre-med at UST and also worked as a session musician for Ivory Records where the top honcho is her grandpa, Tony Ocampo. She is the eldest of four kids of MG Ocampo-Mozo, an executive at Viva Records. "Ivory was doing a compilation album and they were getting singers for a bossa song that I happen to know," she recounts. "Ide-demo ko lang ‘yun then I’d coach ‘yung makukuha nilang singer, but they liked it well enough that I ended up recording an entire album, which surprised even me as I’m not really a professional singer. Even my playing the guitar and the piano are self-taught. Ouido lang. Mambusho scholar sana ako sa Japan, pero ‘di ko na tinuloy to be a singer."
Her album was heard by the executives of S2S, the Singaporean company that released Aiza Seguerra’s "Open Arms" album in Asia that became a gold record in Singapore. Producer Jun Kagami is impressed by Sofia’s talent. "She can easily conquer the Asian market as she sings from the heart," he says.
Sofia’s first album, "Blue Moon," was first released in Japan in October, with 13 revivals (including "Moon River’), "How Deep Is Your Love," "Human Nature") and one original song Sofia herself composed, "Broke My Heart." She quickly gained a lot of following, especially with the two Japanese songs included in the album.
The album was subsequently released in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Hongkong and South Korea last December, with "I Believe" as the carrier single. Again, it’s doing very well.
Sofia will release the Philippine edition under Vicor Music this January.
How does she feel now that’s she’s an international star?
"It overwhelms me. Ako mismo, ‘di makapaniwala kasi I really wanted to be a doctor. I had to learn Chinese and Japanese to penetrate the Asian market. I’m just praying that my album will really click internationally para masundan, God willing. I really want to thank S2S for all their support, kaya naman I really work hard para ‘di sila ma-disappoint sa’kin."
Is she a threat to Sitti, who’s a big hit?
"I don’t think we should be competing. Although we’re in the same music genre, unfair for us to be compared with each other. Ako, I’ll just focus on my own craft. Sana, huwag na lang kaming intrigahin."