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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.
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THE Philippine political situation nowadays can be easily compared with recurring daytime soap operas like “The Young and the Restless”, “The Bold and the Beautiful”, and “As The World Turns”, not only because all of the above continue to give unsolicited, and poorly acted, diversions to an otherwise, uneventful existence of a jobless home buddy, but all of them rely on the power of conservation: the power to conserve and reuse resources to refuel their causes.
In the Philippine political situation, politicians, conserve as much issues as they could to be able to stay in the public eye. More often than not, they, dig sins and bones from decades past to bolster their images and attract more publicity and, later on, votes, much like daytime soaps, which leans on conserved plotlines to stay on air; the three soaps I mentioned has been around the American television world since, well, man invented soap bars and shampoo.
Now, there is one element that, not only Frank Drilon and Susan Lucci are guilty of reusing , conserving, rehashing and recycling to maintain ethical foundations: Hypocrisy.
Let me call this phenomenon as the L.C.H, or the Law of Conservation of Hypocrisy. And yes, we are all recycle bins of hypocrisy.
Last week, there has been a lot, if not, too much fuzz on the new reality show, “Pinoy Big Brother”, which airs on ABS-CBN. It has generated a lot of controversy that almost every Pinoy talk show in the last two weeks discussed the merits and demerits of the show, which featured a lot of French kissing, necking, and hot action among the show’s contestants, who are relatively strangers to one another.
The show is actually a franchise of the ABC 7 summertime hit reality show, Big Brother, which involves a number of unrelated people, stuffed in a remote house surrounded by cameras, while they flirt and eliminate each other using obstacle games and just plain, betrayal to advance and be the last contestant standing and win a half million dollars.
The show is basically a “sexy-game show” and nothing more. Imagine Jeopardy with Tara Reed, Paris Hilton, Traci Lords, and Peter North as the contestants, and they would have to deceive one another by any non-violent means necessary, repeat, “any means’ to be able to play Final Jeopardy.
But neither of this shows televise the fullness of the ‘means’ the contestants use to gain points, but most of the foreplay are very much broadcast throughout the archipelago. And that’s when the moral know-it-alls got into the mix.
From priests, nuns to former bold stars, the moral equilibrium in the country tipped -- again. Condemnations flew, public rallies sprung, and homilies were delivered to stop the airing of the reality show, which according to the ‘moral defenders’, influence the young to engage in impure thoughts, which, again according to them, lead to impure acts.
Maria Isabel Lopez, herself a former light porn star, issued a statement discrediting the show’s motives and how it presents itself as a bad influence to the young. According to her, the advent of the Internet and reality TV has ushered in a culture of lust among the youth.
Well, Ms. Lopez, if you remember well, you have made a big name for yourself for exhibiting your bare anatomy and incite lust among the Pinoys, young and old during your heyday. What a Hypocrite!
Pinoy Big Brother is nothing but a tool for all these pretenders to project their own agenda. There is nothing wrong with the show, really. The show is just a bunch of kids playing a game, while during the process; engage in some torrid escapades aired over national TV. What’s so scandalous about that?
I grew up in a time when ST was the biggest money-making machine in Philippine cinema. The likes of Gretchen Barretto, Maita Soriano, Christina Gonzales, Lala Montelibano, Rina Reyes and Rita Avila ushered me into maturity as much as my books and my lessons did. So, nobody can tell me that Pinoy Big Brother is the reality show from hell. I have seen the show, and compared to the “action–packed” ST and PENE movies I grew up seeing, Pinoy Big Brother is a melodrama.
This reality show is not as scary as these hypocrites like the public to think. Believe me, there is nothing in the show that your kids, doesn’t know or heard about. It is not like Hustler in a playpen.
What’s really scary though, is not sex on TV, but the prevailing culture of hypocrisy in our country. I agree, the Philippines is the only bastion of Christianity in all of Asia, and must stand up against moral questions. But then again, there’s nothing immoral with a show like Pinoy Big Brother, in this day and age of free unlimited information.
Today’s kids are information superhighway babies and are very exposed to “reality” in the real sense of the word. A reality where, a kid types the word video over Google, and gets 3 million hits of the word video, 2 million of which, are pornographic. The Philippines have come to a time when kids are more informed than most of their parents, since, most parents between 35-50 years of age, has no knowledge about Internet access and thus stuck with the idea that the Typewriter and the calculator are he greatest gifts of 20th century science. Most kids have seen far worse than any parent could ever dream of- thanks to the Internet.
The point is, kids know better now, that in any other time in human history.
And wagging a finger at them for watching a reality show likes Pinoy Big brother, is downright laughable. That’s why parents, elders, ex-bold stars and other hypocrisy conservationist should never cover their ignorance by steeping up their moral vigilance.
It is so passé. Log on for heaven’s sake!
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Ted Reyes is a musician, composer, record producer and journalist based in NYC. If you have any comments you can visit his website at www.tedreyes.com or email him at tedreyes@mac.com
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MANILA --- Award-winning actor Dennis Trillo’s frustration with the so-called drama kings has vanished finally as he gets to work with Christopher de Leon and Eddie Garcia in his latest TV and movie projects Regal Films’ “Blue Moon” and GMA-7’s “Now and Forever.”
“I’m very lucky. Kasi ang tindi ng frustration ko before because I was with them in ‘Mano Po 3’ but I never acted in a single scene with them. Now I’m fulfilling my dream of working with the country’s premiere actors. I know this will be a very good experience for me at siguradong maraming matututunan ako dito ,” Dennis expressed.
Dennis will play the son of Christopher de Leon and the grandson of Eddie Garcia in “Blue Moon” which is a Joel Lamangan film. According to Dennis, this movie tackles their family’s lives his dad and grandfather, particularly those relating to their love problems. A career-oriented character in the said film, Dennis’ wife left him. While Christopher, who’s a widow, lost interest in raising Dennis after his wife’s death.
“We all went to a road trip because we were searching for my grandfather’s soul mate or true love,” he said. “ Medyo serious at may angst ang role ko kasi may tampo ako sa tatay ko .”
Dennis Trillo, who’s now being tagged as the “Drama Prince,” added that working with the likes of Christopher de Leon and Eddie Garcia does not put any pressure on him.
“Ever since, I never thought of working with people as pressure. Hindi naman ako pressured kasi iniisip ko na lang na challenge para pagbutihan ko na lang at makasabay kahit papaano especially with Christopher de Leon and Eddie Garcia because they are institutions in the industry. Basta galingan ko na lang, “ Dennis said.
Dennis is highly qualified and worthy to be called “Drama Prince.” Consider the following which he has received in so short a time: Best Supporting Actor Award from the Metro Manila Film Festival; Best Performer from the Young Critics Circle; Breakthrough Performance by an Actor from the Golden Screen Awards; Best New Movie Actor from Star Awards; Best Actor from Star Awards; Best Supporting Actor from Gawad Tanglaw; Best Actor from Pasado Awards; Most Promising Male Star from the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Foundation; Best Actor from Luna Awards; Best Supporting Actor from FAMAS, and the German Moreno Youth Achievement Award, also from FAMAS.
Very impressive indeed!
So what are the things he admires in Christopher and Eddie?
“I like Tito Eddie’s dedication to his work and his professionalism. He comes on time or even earlier sa mga tapings and shootings namin . He is very punctual. While I like Bro. Boyet’s range of acting and at the same time yung pagka -maintain niya ng intensity ng bawat character niya !”
In “Now and Forever: Agos,” Dennis plays Danilo and Christopher is his father Armando. This time around, he plays a “bad boy” role.
“Now and Forever: Agos” centers on the life of Armando who’s a former soldier. He was axed from the military because he was a user of prohibited drugs. Because of his frustrations, he beats and abuses his wife Olivia (Lani Mercado), and children Erika (Sunshine Dizon), Danillo and Sofia (Tanya Garcia). Olivia and her daughter Sofia fled, leaving Erika and Danilo behind.
Left with his father, Danilo suffered more. In his bid to look for his mother, he also left his family’s home. But he ended up becoming a criminal.
“Maraming twists and very challenging ito ,” he proudly described.
Also with him in “Now and Forever: Agos” are Polo Ravales, JC de Vera and Pauleen Luna.
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Former actress Liberty Ilagan has broken her silence and defended her daughter Happy Ongpauco against a barrage of nasty issues where the latter has been heavily figuring lately involving actress and Quezon City Councilor Aiko Melendez.
In an interview during the press conference held last Monday at the Barrio Fiesta Restaurant (owned by the Ongpauco’s) on Makati Ave. in Makati City, the still beautiful Liberty admitted that she is hurt by all this trouble her daughter is currently going through since she knows not of any fight that Happy had ever been into.
“I don’t want my daughter to be a pushover. I’m an actress myself so hindi siya mambabastos ng kapwa kong artista. My daughter doesn’t look down on them because our family is made up of actors and actresses,” stressed Liberty whose father is one of the country’s national artists Jerry de Leon.
At the same time, her son-in-law Wowie Rivera also rose to the occasion and defended Happy describing his wife of five years as a very peaceful person. “Happy is a good-hearted person and she would never start a fight. She is just not that type of person,” Wowie told Manila Bulletin.
In the said press conference of Happy, both her mother and husband were present to lend her support. The press conference was presided over by lawyer Frank Chavez who stands as counsel for Happy Ongpauco. Her other lawyer is Noel Malaya, also representing her in the four cases that they have filed against Aiko in Makati courts.
Happy and her lawyer Frank Chavez presented to the media last Monday the cases which she and her friends, Alana Montelibano and Ronald Serrano have already filed against Aiko. “We are charging Ms. Melendez for physical injuries and slander; Martin Jickaine is indicted for slander or oral defamation while Ms. Melendez’s bodyguard PO3 Jun Rivera Alvarez is charged for other light threats. Next week we are filing five more criminal cases against them,” cleared Atty. Chavez.
Happy’s mother was relaxed when she arrived at the press conference with good friend actress Amalia Fuentes. In defense of her daughter, she said that she’s proud to be the mother of three industrious children. “I have three industrious daughters and Happy happens to be my second. As kids they were trained by their dad (restaurateur Rod Ongpauco) to work already. When they were still in high school, Happy would wake up at 5 a.m. and prepare for school then after her classes at 4 p.m., she would go directly to our restaurant and work there until 10 p.m. My children are not spoiled,” shared Liberty.
For his part, Happy’s husband Wowie said he may not have been with Happy during that fateful night but he knows his wife well enough to know she was telling the truth.
“We are just private citizens, we are not celebrities. Neither are we politicians. We were not supposed to talk anymore but this thing went out of proportion,” explained Wowie, who, as everybody knows by now, is Aiko’s ex-boyfriend.
However, Wowie refused to link his involvement with Aiko eight years ago to this ongoing issue that even required his wife to hold a press conference for the very first time in her life.
“Aiko and I went out for a year and half and she was very young at the time. I don’t believe that there is any connection to that at all,” was Wowie’s short reply to questions about Aiko.
Happy, for her part, decided to air her side since Aiko “won’t stop fabricating lies. I have physical evidence that she really hurt me and my friends,” she said.
The controversial “violent” incident happened at Nuvo Bar in Greenbelt 2 in Makati City last Oct. 2 at 3 a.m. (MBE)
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MANILA --- Lorna Tolentino, Gina Alajar, Amy Austria and Sandy Andolong are real-life best friends. They have now pooled their resources together to form a production company, Vera Multimedia, to produce their own show for the reinvigorated Channel 11 (to be known as QTV 11) entitled ‘ Mare Ko.’
This is a drama-comedy that will tackle relevant women’s issues. It will be recalled that Lorna, Gina, and Sandy have co-starred in the classic ‘Moral’ by Marilou Abaya while Amy and Gina co-starred in Marilou’s ‘Brutal.’
LT and Amy, in turn, worked together in Ishmael Bernal’s ‘Aliw, Sir.’ Through the years, they’ve maintained their friendship while cultivating their own talents as fine actresses.
“We’re glad that our show was chosen by QTV executives to be their flagship program for women,” says LT. “My friends and I have long wanted to do a show like this and I know it will appeal to all women viewers as it will mirror their own lives.”
What can she say about the plight of her other friend, Deborah Sun, who’s now in jail for an estafa case she filed 15 years ago? This stemmed from LT’s several pieces of jewelry that Deborah got to sell to other people but the payment was never remitted to her.
“Honestly, I’ve forgiven her a long time ago and I’ve put it all behind me,” she says. “But I won the case and it has to be promulgated by the court since there’s already a decision.”
Deborah earlier avoided the punishment by fleeing to the States. She returned to Manila some months ago when she found out she had liver cancer. Some people think it’s so heartless of LT to continue to hound her despite her ill health when she has nothing to do with the court’s decision to pursue the case that has remained pending.
“Daboy (husband Rudy Fernandez) and I have already talked to Sen. Bong Revilla to help find her a lawyer para mapalaya na siya,” she says. (MNS)
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The Department of Justice (DoJ) dismissed the libel case filed against Melanie Marquez and GMA Network by Sen. Lito Lapid’s wife Marissa Lapid last year.
The case, which stemmed from allegations made by the supermodel-actress concerning her son Manuelito by Sen. Lito Lapid, was filed in July of 2004 by Marissa, also the mother of Pampanga Governor Mark Lapid.
“I’m just happy that it’s over,” the actress-TV host told the Bulletin in an exclusive interview last Monday. “Actually, I only learned that we, along with GMA, won the case after somebody called me up. It’s a blessing which I knew would happen in time because I didn’t mean to step on anyone else’s toes,” she said.
It will be recalled that Mrs. Marissa Lapid had filed the libel case against Melanie saying that the actress had uttered “malicious, offensive and derogatory comments directed against her and her family.” At that time, Melanie came out publicly demanding for child support from the senator for their son Manuelito, who is based in the US.
“It happened in ‘Startalk,’” Melanie recalled, “you know naman how I am when being chased for interviews, I tend to be very transparent and I make statements, I really speak my mind. Besides, the reporters were after me and I didn’t mind telling them what I actually felt even in live interviews more importantly if my being a mother is involved. Dun sila nagalit.”
The DoJ resolution said, Melanie “is not likely liable for libel particularly because the element of malice is wanting in her statements. [Her statements] were made in response to an interview pertaining to the true but unfortunate experiences which her son had when he lived in his father’s house.”
The DoJ ruled “that Melanie’s statements were not malicious, citing her comments to have been borne out of a normal reaction for a mother like her who just happened to be protective of her children.”
Also acquitted from the libel case aside from Melanie, are GMA Network Chairman President and CEO Felipe L. Gozon, GMA Senior Vice President for Entertainment Wilma Galvante, Startalk Executive Producer Reylie Manalo and Director Floy Quintos. The ruling stated, GMA cannot be held liable “because they had no immediate control on what and how (Marquez) would and should respond to the extemporaneous interview.”
Melanie said that case has long been “water under the bridge.” She continued, “I feel for Marissa. I still care for her and respect her because she’s just a mother like me who will defend her children no matter what. I’ve learned my lessons, though.”
She remembers how much respect she had for the senatorial wife. “I didn’t know that Lito was married when I had a relationship with him. But as soon as I knew, I ended our relationship. That’s to show how much respect I had for her. If there’s a message I want to tell Marissa now it’s that I will continue praying for her, for her happiness and for her family as I always have.”
When asked to comment about her relationship now with the Senator, Melanie said, “That I don’t want to comment on. Let’s just put it this way—he is not my enemy but we are not friends.”
Melanie says she is taking everything in stride and putting her energy where it is most needed at this point. She is mounting a cause–worthy fashion show on Oct. 22. “Right now, I’m into this fund drive so much, now that I’m back in school at the International Academy of Management and Economics. This show, ‘Fashion Velocity,’ will be mounted along with Warnborough University Batch 2005 at the Rockwell Tent in Makati for the benefit of Mabuhay Deseret Foundation.”
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MANILA --- For the first time, comedienne Rufa Mae Quinto portrays a dramatic role in a movie. This is in Regal Films’ Metro Manila Film Festival entry, ‘Ako, Legal Wife,’ which also stars Zsa Zsa Padilla, Jay Manalo and Cherrie Pie Picache.
“I play a mistress in the movie,” Rufa Mae says, “Kaya maraming eksena ako sa pelikulang kailangan kong umiyak. But I would consider my confrontation scene with Zsa Zsa (who plays the legal wife) as my highlight, kung baga. Between me and Zsa Zsa, she is definitely, the better actress. She already has several acting awards to her name.
“But our director (Joel Lamangan) assured me that I delivered, too,” she adds.
Rufa Mae admits she’s basically a happy person. But she also loves to cry. She cries even when just watching sad movies.
What made her cry in her dramatic scenes in “Ako, Legal Wife?”
“Aba, inisip ko na lang na babalik din si Rudy (Hatfield, her boyfriend of six years). Ayan, tuloy tuloy na ang pagluha ko,” she reveals.
Rudy, according to Rufa Mae, left for the US a week ago. He didn’t tell her when he is coming back. (MNS)
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MANILA --- Sharon Cuneta proudly reveals she has lost at least 22 pounds. All thanks to the South Beach diet which she religiously and painstakingly follows. She is taking her time before she goes to the gym for a workout.
Sharon admitted that she did gain unwanted pounds when she was pregnant with her third daughter, Mariel, now one year old. Her eldest, KC (father is Gabby Concepcion) is 20. Frankie, the middle girl, will turn five in December.
Sharon predicts she will go back to her old form in January, in time for her 40th birthday. January is also when she plans to start work on a new movie and a new TV program. She revealed that she herself conceptualized the story of the movie she will be doing. The TV show, which she will be hosting, will have Joey Reyes, who directed her and Aga Muhlach in “Kung Ako Na Lang Sana,” at the helm.
Sharon will go on a tour this coming month. She will be performing with Christian Bautista in Guam, Martin Nievera in Hawaii and Erik Santos in Canada.
On November 23, Sharon will be holding a fans day at the Robinsons Galleria at 4 in the afternoon.
Sharon met recently with members of the movie press in connection with the full-blast promotion of her new album for BMG and Sony Records, “Sharon Sings Alcasid.”
A 14-track collection, the album showcases Sharon’s interpretations of Ogie’s love songs, including “Ikaw ang Pag-ibig,” which Ogie wrote for the Megastar
Two of the songs in the album were popularized by Ogie but written by different songwriters: “Sa Kanya,” by Ito Rapadas and “Nandito Ako,” by Aaron Paul del Rosario.
The album, which took two years to complete, also carries the following songs: “Sana,” “Hanggang Ngayon,” “Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang,” “Ikaw Sana,” “Pangarap Kong Ibigin Ka,” “Kung Mawawala Ka,” “Dito sa Puso Ko,” “Mahal Kita Walang Iba,” “Tanging Ikaw Lamang” and “Pangako.”
Do you know what keeps Sharon busy these days?
Answer: Baking her favorite cookies and cakes, which she sends out to friends.
She was seven when her talent for cooking emerged. Sharon took up cooking lessons under Sylvia Reynoso, who has a cooking school.
The mega actress and singer plans to put up her own bakery someday. (MNS)
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