‘Strawberry Lane’ is tribute to Sharon Cuneta

The new GMA series “Strawberry Lane” which starts airing on Monday, September 15, is a tribute of sorts to Megastar Sharon Cuneta. We wonder then why GMA didn’t offer Sharon a contract after she severed her ties with TV5.

All the characters in the new series were named not only after the names of Sharon’s movie roles, but also to people close to her life. There is a character named Gabo, the father of KC Concepcion; Dorina and Lavinia, the famed characters in “Bituing Walang Ningning” where the unforgettable line “You’re nothing but a second rate, trying hard copycat” was uttered; Lupe in “Pasan Ko ang Daigdig” where she carried her mom on her back; Richard, one of her past beaus; to Elaine (Sharon’s mom) and many more. Writer RJ Nuevas said they meant to make “Strawberry Lane” a tribute to Sharon but didn’t reckon the media would immediately get wind of it.

Cast in “Strawberry Lane” are Kapuso young stars Kim Rodriguez, Bea Binene, Joyce Ching, and Joana Marie Tan. They play the role of four teeners who had brushes with the law and were committed to a reformation center for girls headed by Chanda Romero. In a particular spot in the center which they call Strawberry Lane, they weave their dreams to start a new life.

Under the direction of Don Michael Perez, also in the cast are Rita De Guzman (who plays kontrabida to the four female leads), Jake Vargas (love interest of Bea), comebacking GMA artist Kiko Estrada, and Jeric Gonzales.

Playing important roles are Sheryl Cruz, Sunshine Dizon, Christian Bautista, TJ Trinidad, and Boots Anson Roa.

The series reunites real-life couple Bea and Jake who have not done a teleserye since last year. They are happy and delighted to be working together again.

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Speaking of Sharon, we received an email from the Viva Entertainment Group regarding her contract with TV5. In the spirit of fair play, we are running the statement here in our column and we hope that it ends all the speculations and innuendoes regarding Sharon’s decision to pre-terminate her contract with TV 5.  Here’s the statement:

“Sharon Cuneta’s contractual relationship with TV5 Network, Inc. officially ended on August 18, 2014, more than two years ahead of the original contract period that was supposed to expire in 2016. Ms. Cuneta graciously announced the end of her relationship with TV5 in social media, and TV5 later came out with an official statement thanking Ms. Cuneta for being part of the Kapatid Network for almost three years and wishing her well in all her future endeavors.”

“Underneath these cordial expressions, however, lie a host of unresolved issues pertaining to the pre-termination of the contract, including the causes thereof and the consequential injuries suffered by the aggrieved party. These matters are left for resolution privately between the parties themselves or, if necessary, through an appropriate formal proceeding. In the meantime, Ms. Cuneta intends to enjoy the restful company of people who have always loved and believed in her, in good times and in bad times, and at the same time re-create herself for even bigger opportunities in her phenomenal career. Thank you very much.”

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MTV EMA season is underway! MTV has revealed the first five nominees for the Best Southeast Asia Act: NOAH (Indonesia), Yuna (Malaysia), Sarah Geronimo (Philippines), Stefanie Sun (Singapore), and Slot Machine (Thailand).

We are urging the fans of Sarah to vote for her and make her win. A victory for Sarah will be a source of pride and joy for the Philippines.

And for the first time ever, MTV is putting an EMA nomination in the hands of the fans via social media – music lovers everywhere will have the power to help select the “wild card” nominee for Best Southeast Asia Act.

Fans can now tweet and vote from the following list of artists to earn the “wild card” nominee spot: Afgan (Indonesia), Agnez Mo (Indonesia), Joe Flizzow (Malaysia), Up Dharma Down (Philippines), The Sam Willows (Singapore), Stamp Apiwat (Thailand). The wild card Twitter vote is open until Monday, September 15, at 5:59 a.m. SGT.

The “2014 MTV EMA” will broadcast on MTV channels around the world from The Hydro in Glasgow. In Asia, the show premieres on Monday, November 10 (telecast timings will be announced later). The MTV EMA – MTV’s global celebration of the hottest stars in music – recognizes artists from around the world and across genres, and brings together music fans everywhere for a one-of-a-kind experience in the weeks leading up to the show.

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Jake Vargas has no intention of joining underwear fashion shows like the one being done by Bench and Cosmopolitan. He believes he is not yet ready for it since his physique is not yet that well-developed. He has to make more trips to the gym to have a body that he can flaunt in an underwear fashion show.

He said he will probably do it when he is 23, which is two years from now. Besides, he knows that most of his fans are young kids who regularly watch him in his wholesome shows namely “Pepito Manaloto,” “Sunday All Stars,” and “Walang Tulugan with the Master Showman.”

Jake is happy to be working again on TV with real-life girlfriend Bea Binene. It’s been a year since they last worked together in a TV show and for sure their fans are jumping with joy for their return team-up.

In “Strawberry Lane,” Jake plays the role of Gabo, a bad guy who will fall in love with Clarissa (played by Bea). But because of his love, he will change his ways. “I say it can be a challenge to play a bad guy because each one of us has a mean side which we don’t show. At least, I am given a different kind of role here, not the usual goody-goody guy,” said Jake.