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Sen. Jinggoy takes up OFW cause in MMFF entry

BUZZSTATION

Edgar Cruz

10/23/2007

“I intend to screen Katas ng Saudi to OFWs for free,” Sen. Jinggoy Estrada answered when Buzzstation asked if he was promoting the OFW cause during the media launch of his 2007 Metro Manila Film Festival entry. He said that if it were not for OFW remittances, the country would have gone bankrupt.

Produced by Maverick Films and directed by Jose Javier Reyes, Katas ng Saudi tells the story of a returning OFW after 10 years of uninterrupted work in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Throughout the story, the viewer will almost hyperventilate with constant laughter, but the ending will pierce the heart. Sen. Jinggoy has taken up the cause of OFWs and he’s promoting it by pitching for the dignity of being an expatriate worker. In fact, he left for Geneva, Switzerland, to deliver a speech on the topic.

Eleven-year-old son Julian Estrada co-stars with Sen. Jinggoy. Entertainment journalists had a glimpse of how Sen. Jinggoy treats his son during the press conference. The shy but personable type, Julian is a showbiz newbie. His dad was attentive to him. He presented him to the television crew after his own interview. When he noticed that they continued to interview him after having entered the presscon area, he went out to be with his son. During the open forum, he coached him on what to say. This made me think that he probably received the same attention from his own dad, then San Juan Mayor Joseph Estrada, when he broke out in showbiz.

No retraction and public apology from Lolit

Lolit Solis said in Showbiz Central that she’s willing to reconcile with Piolo Pascual and Sam Milby. This, for some, is a clear admission of guilt for the malicious suggestion made in her column. Sam appeared in The Buzz that same afternoon, demanding a retraction and a public apology from Lolit. If not, he said he’s going to sue for libel. In her tab column yesterday, Lolit stated that no retraction and public apology are forthcoming specially since Sam is an American citizen, reasoning that it’s her freedom to do so. What she conveniently forgot, which she’s in the habit of doing, is that freedom has responsibility and she must be ready to face the consequences of the exercise of such freedom.

Breaking buzz: ABS-CBN Corporate PR’s Bong Osorio and Star Magic’s Rikka Dylim have denied issuing an official statement about the reported Piolo and Sam sighting in Hotel Sofitel.

Joey fails to demolish Willie and ‘Wowowee’

After appearing to clone the Wowowee format, Eat...Bulaga’s Joey de Leon undertook what appeared to be a demolition job by making a scam out of a non-issue. His tirades effected Wowowee host Willie Revillame, making him absent in some shows and affecting Wilyonaryo’s credibility. This forced ABS-CBN management to scrap it altogether based on Willie’s recommendation. Quite naturally, this affected ratings as it’s a proven fact that Wowowee’s ratings slip whenever he is not hosting. Even as John Lloyd Cruz put up a herculean effort to sub, viewers expect nobody else but Willie. This worsened when no big-prize game replaced Wilyonaryo.

But since the introduction of Merry-galo and the show getting higher energy with fresh features (which Eat...Bulaga! shamelessly copies after the first hit), Wowowee is number one once more. This is the reason Willie opted to be an out-patient in connection with his ulcer and heart trouble. That’s why the buzz that Wowowee’s rating has nose-dived is stale news! In the last surveys, Wowowee registered higher. Wowowee, reveals Willie, intends to stay ahead by introducing new games with bigger prizes.

Two highs for Angel Locsin

For some reason, Angel Locsin’s first solo press conference as an ABS-CBN exclusive talent coincided with the airing of “Pilat” in Charo Santos-Concio’s drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya, her first appearance in a drama, at the Kapamilya network. In both activities, she excelled.

Dealing with friendly and antagonistic questions is no walk in the park. But Angel knows to smell the flowers and trample on the grass. One by one, she tackled the pointed questions of columnists associated with GMA. And she answered them directly, admitting utang na loob to the Kapuso network and setting the record straight about intrigues they have sown about her. She is clearly an intelligent person, comparable to KC Concepcion. At one point she cried, perhaps the physical manifestation of her real feelings. KC had it easy. Let’s admit it, mom Sharon Cuneta is well-loved by local entertainment media. Not the same in the case of Angel. Vested interests have made it hard for her, but she showed she’s tough to crack.

With her special appearance in “Pilat,” Angel showed she’s no longer limited to female action superstardom. She did this by coming up with a credible performance as an actor with an infinite range of emotions delivered with an honesty not seen in local television for the longest time. With minimalist movements, she fleshed out the character of a marginalized person and how she dealt with odds of her life, by being a woman: hard-working, nurturing, ready to sacrifice. This enhanced the dramatic possibilities of the slashing scene, which will go down in television history as a defining moment. With her non-acting, the viewer finds himself shedding a tear without being pushed by histrionics.

No doubt Angel’s self-determination pays off!

Breaking buzz: Angel Active, Angel’s sportswear line, will be launched on Nov. 15 and will sell initially in four SM Department stores.

Synchronicity for Anna and Toti

Anna Fegi, fatigued from almost daily singing of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” at Disney Hong Kong, wanted to be a “free” singer again so she decided not to renew her contract after three years. Toti Fuentes wanted to play music again after his abdominal trouble eased off. He believes music cures him and not medicine. Finding themselves in the country at the same time, star and discoverer decided to make music. You see, Toti introduced Anna to talent manager Bibsy Carballo, so there’s this relationship between them.

Anna and Toti mount the Perfect Pair concert series on Oct. 27, Nov. 8, 10 and 15 at Merk’s Bar and Bistro and The Scent of Home special show at Mandarin’s Captain’s Bar on Nov. 22. Anna will share for the first time a song she composed as arranged by Toti in these homecoming shpws. Doc’s Candles gives the dramatic ambiance for these performances. For inquiries, call Merks (757-4720 to 21) or Bibsy (531-5707, 571-1568 to 69 or 09178991835).

3rd Cinema One Originals in advance

Will the 3rd Cinema One Originals produce another winner like last year’s Rome and Juliet as directed by Connie Macatuno? From the looks of it, the possibility is big. Here are the five competing entries: Altar, a horror drama featuring Zanjoe Marudo, as directed by Rico Ilarde; Maling Akala, a romantic drama, as directed by Veronica Velasco and Pablo Biglang-awa with Victor Basa and Jodi Sta. Maria as stars; Confessional, a political drama thriller, from director Jerold Tarog; Princesa, an OFW family drama by Lawrence Fajardo; and Tambolista, a raw violent drama about two brothers, from director Adolf Alix with Jiro Manio, Sid Lucero, Coco Martin and Ricky Davao in the cast. The digital filmfest runs from Nov. 31 to Dec. 2 at Trinoma and Glorietta 4. Awards night will be at the Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.

Payback time for Cherry Ordonez

Cherry Ordonez, born and raised in Cavite, goes by the tag “Makeup Artist of the Stars” in the US West Coast! Whenever Pinoy stars like Lea Salonga, Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, Charo Santos-Concio, Nora Aunor, Claudine Barretto, Judy Ann Santos, Kristine Hermosa, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Eula Valdes, Vina Morales, Rufa Mae Quinto and Kim Chui have a show in Los Angeles, they get her services. Cherry heads the US-registered corporation that owns her two Cherry’s Salon [landline number (626) 935.0353/www.cherrysalon.com] in West Covina, Los Angeles. They are staffed by a multi-cultural crew trained by her. She went to the US with her US Navy husband. After giving birth to three boys, she expressed her creative side by pursuing her interest in the art and science of making people beautiful such as advance courses in makeup, hairstyling and salon management.

This allowed Cherry to come up with her much-admired line of beauty products called Cherry’s Cosmetics. Always on the lookout for new ways of doing things from trade shows, she formulated Cherry’s Cosmetics for the Asian skin and simplified it by combining utilities. She’s into permanent makeup such as permanent eyebrow with hair effect and permanent blush-on. As Cherry wants to give back what her country has given her, she has brought Cherry’s Cosmetics to the country. She has appointed Corazon Collantes Jose as her local distributor. Cherry and business partner Theresa Fernandez leave for the US today after a successful business trip. Cherry will be back next month for more business transactions.

Shorties

Congrats to Rodjun Cruz for winning U Can Dance Version 2 competition!...A source in the know of Kristine Hermosa and Diether Ocampo opines the frequent sightings with Oyo Sotto is her ploy to make Diether jealous...Janelle Jamer appears in a dramatic role for the first time in Charo Santos-Concio’s Maalaala Mo Kaya with Mark Bautista as her gay lover...The screening of Leonardo Di Caprio’s Eleventh Hour documentary as sponsored by Vicky Belo’s company Friday night was cancelled due to the Glorietta 2 bombing. Vicky has taken up the environmental cause as her company’s advocacy...Philippine Idol’s two Ryans, Cayabyab and Agoncillo, are not joining GMA’s version of the Fremantle franchise!...Ex-ABS-CBN Publishing general manager Thelma Sioson-San Juan is returning to the Inquirer by Jan 1, 2008...Becky Aguilahad planned a birthday concert for Jennylyn Mercado at Zirkoh Timog Ave. on Nov. 24 with a top-heavy cast, but cancelled it, texting Buzzstation: “Don’t have any good reason I should push through”...Many happy returns to Bulletin’s Crispina Belen on Oct. 24 and Malaya’s Mario Hernando on Oct. 25!

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