Family first for Gov. Vi

They will be back on Monday.

This Dubai trip is her second. She accompanied husband Aga Muhlach for the premiere showing of the movie, "Dubai," there three years ago. They were a big group at that time. With them were Aga’s co-stars in the movie, Claudine Barretto, who had Raymart Santiago, now her husband, with her; John Lloyd Cruz and his Mommy Aida, and some Star Cinema (producer of "Dubai") bosses, headed by its managing director, Malou Santos.

"We had a pleasant stay in Dubai," Charlene recalled. "We were there for almost a week. Nag-premiere din kasi ang ‘Dubai’ sa Abu Dhabi, where a lot of OFWs also live."

From there, the group proceeded to London, where the movie had three screenings.

"That was one of our memorable trips. Talagang nakakatuwang makita mo ang mga kababayan nating nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa na nasisiyahan dahil nagkita-kita kayo," she further stated.

***

Before leaving, Charlene had to interview three Filipina achievers for her show, "Proudly Filipina," aired Fridays on QTV. One of them was Batangas Governor Vilma Santos, no less.

"It was a most engaging interview. And because Governor Vi was in her element, we were able to discuss quite a number of things, foremost of which is her role as mom to two boys, whose age gap is medyo malayo (Lucky or Luis is 26, while Ryan Christian is not yet in his teens). She is also a wife – ‘di ba? – bukod sa governing one of the biggest and most progressive provinces in the country."

As the governor of Batangas, Vi is hands on, said Charlene. The star for all seasons knows her obligations from A to Z. She fulfills them all, but never at the expense of her family.

Governor Vi is particularly proud of her children. They are not only bright, but also good boys. They both make Vi and husband Ralph Recto proud.

Ryan is always on the honor roll. Luis is one of the most promising talents in ABS-CBN. And before going into showbiz full-time, he made sure that he finished his studies at the De la Salle University.

"Iyon naman kasi ang usapan namin," said Governor Vi. "Magtapos muna siya ng pag-aaral at kung anuman ang gusto niya afterwards, bahala siya. Ang importante lang sa akin, may fallback siya."

Back to Charlene, we asked her how her twins, Atasha and Andres, are doing.

"They are just amazing. They now both go to a regular school. Both are in Grade 1. When they come home, ang dami nilang kuwento. Mga ordinary kuwento. But for Aga and I, they are music to our ears," she replied.

***

Guess what! Before Carlo Aquino and Maja Salvador even admitted publicly that they are more than friends, comes this startling news that they have broken up.

What gives? We asked Carlo, who is playing a major role in Viva Films’ Metro Manila Film Festival entry, "Baler."

"I don’t think there’s anything I should deny since wala naman kaming ina-admit na relasyon."

He did admit, though, that he is excited about "Baler," since the film will allow him to pit talents with some of the best in the industry. The cast, after all, are made up of Phillip Salvador, Jericho Rosales, Anne Curtis and Joel Torre, among others.

"I play Tito Phillip’s son and the younger brother of Anne. My dream is to become a priest, na ayaw ng father ko dahil isa nga siyang rebelde," related Carlo.

Phillip, as Nanding, aches for freedom and independence not just for himself but for the entire Filipino people. He lost his faith in the Catholic Church, believing that the priests are just using their religion to keep the Filipinos ignorant and submissive to the Spanish Government.

"Baler is sort of my father’s parish," said Carlo. "Kaya I want to do a research sa ating history, particularly the time when we were under the Spaniards. Ganunpaman, sinabihan na kami ni Direk Mark (Meiley) na ang istorya ng ‘Baler’ will only speak of that fateful time in history, about the drama that happened 110 years ago in the historic San Luis Obispo Church which, to date, is still an attraction.