The transition of Gladys Reyes

Kapuso actress Gladys Reyes celebrated her 37th birthday on Monday (June 23) via a surprise party that was given to her by her family, led by her sister Janice who is also the executive producer of her talk show MOMents which airs every Saturday, 7 to 8 p.m. on Net 25.

At the presscon of MOMents held Tuesday at Liberty Steakhouse located at the UP Town Center, she said she was deeply touched and overwhelmed with the love shown by her friends in showbiz who attended her party. “I was really surprised because my sister told me I am doing a hosting job on my birthday. Working on my birthday is nothing new for me. I’ve always worked on my birthday, but when I arrived at the venue and saw my friends as well as the members of my family, I was reduced to tears,” said the actress who is considered one of the finest young kontrabidas in showbiz, a tag that she proudly displays.

Gladys – who started out in showbiz as a child actress – being managed by Lolit Solis who told her that since she doesn’t look sweet, it would be best for her to take a career path as a kontrabida. True enough, heeding that advice proved rewarding for her. For a time, Gladys was the only kontrabida in her batch and this allowed her to collar almost all kontrabida roles up for grabs. That also enabled her to showcase her acting talent which drew praise and admiration. At 37, aspiring kontrabidas look up her as an idol.

But she has successfully made a transition from being a topnotch kontrabida to a TV host. Aside from playing villainess in the GMA-7 soap “Kambal Sirena,” Gladys is thankful to TV station Net 25 for giving her the opportunity to be a TV host via MOMents which is now on its 25th season. She had been the co-producer of the show since season 22 and Gladys wears many hats on the show – host , scriptwriter, talent coordinator and even editor.

“I am really very much involved in the show and I consider myself truly blessed because of the trust that was given to me by Net 25 first to be the host and then eventually be the executive producer as well,” said Gladys who also makes it a point to invite her guests personally.

As the initial offering for the show’s 25th season, Gladys is featuring Lipa City Governor Vilma Santos-Recto in tomorrow’s episode. According to her, she had a very pleasant experience interviewing Gov. Vi for her show.

“We talked about her life as a mother, as a future mother-in-law and about the marriage of her son Luis Manzano to Angel Locsin in the future. Of course, we also talked about her job as the mother of Lipa. Gov. Vi was very accommodating and we surely had  good time talking to her.”

With regards to her personal life, Gladys said she is very thankful for having a very supportive and loving husband in the person of Christopher Roxas, and the love of their children Christophe, Aquisha and Grant who join her in the Kiddie MOMents of her show. There is nothing more that she wishes except for good health for her family.

Gladys is likewise proud of MOMents which highlights parenting styles, family bonding that aims to give quality entertainment and gives valuable information that caters to all family members.

“The show promotes family values and strengthening of the foundation of the family which is my advocacy,” added Gladys.

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Brace yourself for the repeat of the much-talked about concert of Gary Valenciano dubbed “Arise Gary V 3.0” which will happen at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on August 2.

The concert was first held at the Araneta Coliseum last April and served as the celebration of Gary V’s 30th year in showbiz. It was acclaimed for its innovative technology and outstanding musical numbers which inspired the audience. It was deemed as the best concert ever of Mr. Pure Energy.

Joining Gary are his special guests Rico Blanco, Sam Concepcion, Iya Villania, Kiana Valenciano, The Manouevres and Gab Valenciano.

For ticket inquiries, visit www.mallofasia-arena.com and www.smtickets.com or email [email protected]

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Gabby Eigenmann faces the biggest challenge of his career when he portrays a gay man in the newest GMA afternoon series “Dading.” He had played similar roles in the past but the 36-year-old actor said this is something different for him as the show will run for several months as a regular series.

Gabby said he was in Japan on a vacation with his family when his manager, Perry Lansigan, told him of a brand new project. It just dawned on him how important the project is when he was congratulated by his peers.

“I didn’t know this was a big deal until I started getting tweets from friends, saying it is a good role and added they are glad that it was given to me,” said Gabby.

In the light drama, he will play the role of an adult gay man who decided to raise the daughter of his best friend, played by Glaiza de Castro, and her lover, portrayed by Benjamin Alves.

He did his own research for the project but in playing the role, his focus is in how to translate the genuine feeling of a father’s unconditional love to a child.

“As much as possible, I want it to be real. I am not gay to begin with but since I have gay friends, I can learn things from them that could help me in portraying my role,” said Gabby.

And he has been getting good reviews since the show started airing just this Monday.