|
For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
|
|
|
|
This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
|
|
To tell us what you think about Filipino Express Online or to comment on the stories published here, E-mail us at Filexpress@aol.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MANILA --- It’s a pity that Viva Films is no longer producing the first movie of Aga Muhlach, Regine Velasquez, and Judy Ann Santos together. Arguably a casting coup, it would have surely been a huge winner at the box office.
Vic de Rosario, Viva Films’ big boss, frankly admitted that the film outfit cannot afford the movie’s production budget. The lead stars understand this because their talent fees are a huge part of the film’s budget.
Joyce Bernal, who conceptualized the project and who would have directed it, is still keeping her fingers crossed that she would stumble on a producer who could afford to produce the movie. She believes that the project will be a landmark movie.
Aga will be busy in front of the camera even if the project with Bernal is not pushing through. He stars in the top-rating sitcom, “Ok, Fine! Whatever,” on ABS-CBN. He also has a new project for Star Cinema. In March, he will start work on a movie which will co-star him with comedian Vhong Navarro. It will be shot mostly in Dubai. Rory Quintos will direct.
Right now, Direk Rory, Star Cinema managing director Malou Santos, and line producer Niss Fuentes are in Dubai to get a feel of the place.
This will be Aga’s fourth movie with Direk Rory. They worked together in “Basta’t Kasama Kita” with Miss Universe Dayanara Torres, “Sa Aking Mga Kamay” with Christopher de Leon and Chin Chin Gutierrez, and “Kailangan Kita” with Claudine Barretto.
Aga, by his choice, has done only one movie last year, the blockbuster “All My Life,” which paired him with Kristine Hermosa.
Regine and Judy Ann will also be very busy.
Regine is currently preparing for her Valentine concert with Pops Fernandez. She will also embark on a concert tour in the US in May.
Judy Ann has a project with Mother Lily’s Regal Entertainment, which gave her one of her most memorable movies, “Aishite Imasu.” Likewise, we heard that Star Cinema is preparing a project for her and Piolo Pascual. (MNS)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MANILA --- Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and his wife, Lani Mercado, are now grandparents.
Grace, Rosanna Roces’ daughter, has given birth to a seven-pound baby boy at the Cardinal Santos Hospital last Jan. 13. Like Bong and Lani, the baby is Rosanna’s first grandchild.
The baby’s father is Jolo, the second of Bong and Lani’s six kids. He’s 16 years old and Grace is 15.
According to Bong, his first apo will be called Jose Gabriel. The baby is Jolo’s spitting image. “He has his makakapal na kilay,” Bong added.
As of now, the two teenage parents have no plans to get married. They agreed that they should not commit another mistake as they both admitted that it was wrong to have engaged in pre-marital sex at their age.
“Siguro, dapat mag-aral muna sila pareho,” said Lani. “We can spend for both their schooling. Ngayon, kung dumating ang araw na they are both at the right age and they still feel they should get married, then we will not stop them. (MNS)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MANILA --- There’s no truth to the rumor that Jomari Yllana’s new girl is Kris Aquino. Because the girl Jomari is courting now is a non-showbiz personality. This is according to Jom’s manager, Douglas Quijano. And Kris knows the identity of the girl.
Kris and Jomari had dinner recently in a Greenbelt restaurant and naturally people saw them together. That sent the grapevine a-churning the rumor that the two have something romantic going on between them.
"That (dinner) was nothing but an innocent and meaningless meeting of friends who’re reconnecting," Douglas said. He reminded us that Kris is the ninang of Jomari and Aiko Melendez’s son Andre. If Kris and Jomari have a relationship as rumored, why should they fuel this by going to a public place where people can see them? Douglas asked.
At the moment, Jomari is enjoying his respite from showbiz work. He did two movies last year, "Minsan Pa" and the Metro Manila Film Festival official entry "Sigaw" where played a policeman who physically abuses his wife (played equally well by Iza Calzado) and later on kills her and their daughter (played by Ella Guevarra). He was also in the soap opera "Te Amo (Maging Sino Ka Man)."
Jomari was offered a sitcom after "Te Amo..." but he’d rather rest for a while because he’s been working really hard the past years. What Jomari is also enjoying these days, is taking care of his flourishing car business in Clark.
Is a reconciliation with Ara Mina still possible? Not a chance, is Douglas’ reply. (MB)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MANILA --- Diether Ocampo and Kristine Hermosa will soon have their own teleserye, to be produced by ABS-CBN.
The two fell in love while they were doing their first teleserye together, "Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas." In the said teleserye, it was not Diether's character whom Kristine chose to marry but Jericho Rosales' character, her other leading man.
Between Diether and Kristine, it is Kristine who is a veteran of soap operas. She starred in at least three drama series, mostly with Jericho as her leading man.
Diether and Kristine appeared together in one movie, "Bcuz of U."
Diether and Kristine have yet to admit or deny the report that they had a civil wedding in Jaen, Nueva Ecija. If they really tied the knot, Kristine will find herself in trouble because some of the product endorsement contracts she signed specified that she should not get married up to a certain time.
Her endorsements cost millions of pesos.
What Diether and Kristine don't deny, however, is their mutual feelings for each other. They claimed that they are truly and sincerely in love. (MNS)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
