Rounin is "worth the wait"

After more than a year of waiting, the biggest and most ambitious telefantasya from ABS-CBN, "Rounin" is finally hitting the television screens. And Luis Manzano, one of the lead stars of this new TV series, is very excited with the show''s forthcoming release.

"The show is really different. Most people who''ve seen the teaser thought this is a film done in Hollywood," says Luis. "It''s very tiring to do it and as an artist, for a while, we also felt nakakapagod na rin to do it since we''ve been working on it for more than a year yet we haven''t seen the finished product. But when we were shown the rushes of Rounin and saw how impressive it looked, everyone was so inspired to get back to work."

Unfortunately, their set that was constructed inside an abandoned cement factory was damaged by a typhoon and need to be rebuilt. According to Luis, their fabulous set alone is more than worth all the hardships they went through to make "Rounin" worth the wait and the staggering budget spent for it.

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Ms. Loren Legarda shed tears while being interviewed by the members of the crew of various TV stations who went to the press conference hosted for her by Regal Films producer Mother Lily Monteverde on Tuesday night at the Imperial Palace owned by the producer. Loren is seeking a senatorial post anew and just like when she ran for senator in 1998, Mother Lily is throwing support to her candidacy.

"I was so touched by Mother Lily''s gesture that even if I was out of the limelight for the last three years (after her failed vice-presidential bid), she never lost her concern for me," says Loren who is consistently topping the surveys. During the time she was down and out, Mother Lily continued to keep in touch and never forgot her.

"It''s easy to find friends when you are number one. But if you are out of the limelight, when you are down, your real true friends would be there to cheer you up. Mother Lily was there to hold my hand at the time I was at my lowest," recalled Loren.

"Believe it or not, Loren Legarda also cries. I also know how to feel pain and to be lonely. And Mother Lily has been there for me in the last three years, the most difficult, the most critical, maybe the saddest times of my life. But then also, when I look back, it''s also the most blessed year because I had more time for my children, a time for friends and it was also a time for me to nurture my relationships, like my friendship with my dear Mother Lily.

The topnotcher of the 1998 senatorial race also thanked Roselle Monteverde, daughter of the film producer, who produced the political ad of the comebacking senator. "A lot of people have said that, among all the political ads, this was so positive, so enriching and so inspiring." While she continues to top the surveys and this has certainly warmed her heart, the former senator says this gives her so much inspiration and pressure as well.

"If you are number one, the people would expect so much from you. Our country has so many problems. Four million families live on a budget of P32 a day. We lack hospitals and ample medical supplies for the sick. We need more school buildings and textbooks. There''s so much more that we need to do," she says.

"All I can say is that I won''t promise but I just vow to try my best, to the best of my ability. One thing is sure. I will fight for the dying movie industry. I''m happy that we have Mother Lily who is very patriotic and who continues to produce Filipino movies even if most of the time she doesn''t make money but she continues to do so because it''s her passion. The government shouldn''t burden the movie industry with heavy taxes. We need to inject life to the movie industry by giving it subsidy and free it from burdensome taxes."

Loren, who many believed won the vice-presidential race in 2004, admits she''s afraid that she might be cheated again just like what happened three years ago. According to her, it''s impossible to monitor all more than 3,000 precincts nationwide to guard her votes but if cheating happens again, she will once again fight for truth.

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The various comedy programs of GMA 7 will be undergoing reformatting in the days to come so we wonder if Bubble Gang would also be affected by the changes. But we believe that Bubble Gang needs no refurbishing or reformatting as the show continues to be a top-rater and is one of the most-watched shows in Kapuso network. Why touch a program that is widely followed for the past 11 years and continues to be number one on its time slot?

The cast of Bubble Gang namely Ogie Alcasid, Michael V, Ara Mina, Rufa Mae Quinto, Wendell Ramos, Antonio Aquitania, Diana Zubiri, Boy 2 Quizon and Francine Prieto need not worry. Their show has constantly evolved through the years and continues to be an excellent viewing fare even with the passage of time.