Erik was the last to know

Said he: "Don’t make your problem a problem. Kasi kaya may problema, may solusyon."

Ryan is the youngest of the Yllana brothers. His kuyas, Anjo and Jomari, are in showbiz. Ryan is a Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) graduate from the St. Benilde College (an affiliate of the De La Salle University).

"I’m a food lover," Ryan volunteered. "Kita naman ang ebidensiya (thumping his tummy)."

Doesn’t he plan to lose weight?

"I cannot do workouts," Ryan answered. "May scoliosis ako. Besides, I’m afraid that if I become thin (he is more than 200 pounds), baka mawalan ako ng trabaho. Ako lang ang kabataang actor na ganito sa showbiz."

Roly-poly Ryan (he describes himself as such) was all set to work in a restaurant after graduation when show business beckoned even before he received his diploma. Now, he’s the busiest among his brothers. He is a mainstay of three TV shows, "Joke Only," "Lastikman" and "Mga Mata ni Anghelita," all on GMA 7.

He has just finished shooting his first movie, "Tiyanaks," co-starring him with Rica Peralejo, Jennylyn Mercado, Mark Herras, JC de Vera, Ryan Yllana, Jill Yulo, Alwyn Uytingco, Karel Marquez, Andrei Felix, TJ Trinidad, Nash Aguas, Mike de la Cruz and Lotlot de Leon.

Is he one of the tiyanak in the movie?

"Naku, hind," he quickly replied. "Sa akin natatakot ang mga tiyanak. And you would know why when you watch the movie."

* * *

A fan of horror movies, Mother Lily Monteverde, producer of "Tiyanaks," said she spent more than necessary for the movie as she really wants it to be ultra scary. She boasts of the high-tech special effects used to make the super spectacular monsters, something that has not yet been done in any local horror and suspense movies.

"I commissioned the best effects artists in the country," said Mother Lily. "Unless you are willing to spend, you cannot hire Noel Flores and Adrian Bactotoy to work for you. But I tell you, it’s all worth it."

Months were spent in perfecting the land, water and air tiyanak. Each one cost about P1 million, meaning a total of P3 million. The computer-generated effects cost another P3 million.

"Talagang magastos ang pelikulang ito," she remarked. "I really want to scare everybody who watches ‘Tiyanaks’."

On "Tiyanaks," director Mark Reyes declared: "I was amazed with how the tiyanaks turned out. They are actually scarier than I imagined in my head.

* * *

When a dear, dear friend of Rufa Mae Quinto asked the comedienne-actress why she called it quits with Erik Santos, she said Rufa Mae told her she was no longer happy with the relationship.

The same source added that Erik could also be mean. Rufa Mae, she related, allowed her to read some of Erik’s text messages and they were hurtful.

"Pero, naiintindihan siya ni Rufa Mae," the informant stated. "Masakit nga naman ang nangyari since bago pa man nasabi sa kanya ni Rufa Mae that it’s all over between them, the entire town was already talking about it. It turned out kasi that Rufa Mae had been telling friends about her plan to break up with Erik, and these friends of hers whispered it to other friends. Hanggang lumabas pa nga sa news sa computer.