This is a very delicate story, as delicate as the condition of a young (very young!) actress who has been diagnosed to have ectopic pregnancy.
Now, does that piece of news sound as good as it should to an expectant mother? It does, if -- and that's the big if -- the mother-to-be involved is married.
In this case, the (very young!) actress is very much single, a bit misguided if I may say so, obviously not brought up the proper way. Or is it in her genes?
Funfare's DPA is not even sure if the (very young!) actress knows who the, well, "usual culprit" is because she's noted (notorious!) for being, at her age, incredibly promiscuous.
Does the actress-mother know about the (very young!) actress' delicate condition?
As of this writing, the (very young!) actress is still confined at a suburban hospital because she can't pay the bill. By this time, if she has pinpointed who the "usual culprit" is, she should have called him and make him foot the hospital bill.
I wonder what the (very young!) actress will say in her next presscon (for her forthcoming movie), that she was hospitalized for, uh, "intestinal" flu?
If you had only three hours in Manila, what would you do, where would you go?
Me? I guess I'll stay indoors and watch old Filipino films on TV -- one good Filipino film, that is -- what with the heavy traffic caused by both sudden downpour and all those diggings
that make the situation all the worse.
Asked that question, Buzzer Boy Abunda said he'd go to the Baclaran Church (how religious!). Boy is featured in the 3 Hours in... Manila section of a recent issue of The Asian Wall Street Journal (Weekly Edition), a clipping of which was passed on to Funfare by STAR People columnist Joanne Rae Ramirez (fresh from a two-week vacation in the States).
Titled Miracle Tour (subtitled "Making the most of your spare time on the road"), the feature says that "guest guide Boy Abunda likes to escape to the serene atmosphere of the Baclaran Church in Manila." He's the week's "Your Guide," host of the television talk shows The Buzz and Private Conversation (on ABS-CBN and Channel 21 respectively).
More excerpts:
Where He'd Go: Baclaran Church, along Roxas Boulevard.
What He'd Do There: "Baclaran, one of the country's biggest churches, has a reputation among Filipinos for performing miracles. People come to pray for a job, for a right partner in life, to overcome illness. Many of them say their wishes have been granted, and so they return again and again. Wednesdays are the big day for devotionals, with tens of thousands flocking to the church. To avoid the crowds, the celebrities -- basketball players, movie stars, fashion designers and others -- come to pray on Tuesday evenings. That church is open 24 hours on both those days. There's an interesting morning flea market by the church and lots of famous seafood restaurants in the area. You pick your meal while it's still swimming and the restaurant will cook it for you."
Why You Should Go There: "Churches are an expression of the Filipino psyche and culture, and Baclaran is a great refuge."
There you are. Follow "your guide."
And finally, Pilita Corrales poured her heart -- and her hurt -- out regarding her prodigal "daughter" Jaya during an interview with Lyn Ching on S-Files last Sunday.
I could understand why Pilita would be so hurt, because she treated Jaya like her own daughter (and Jaya's mother, Elizabeth Ramsey, like her own sister), giving her shelter and nice clothes and building her up from nobody into the somebody that Jaya is now.
So when Jaya flew the coop, so to speak, without duly informing Pilita about her plan (to leave Pilita's house and move to a place of her own with her mom), Pilita got hurt, more so when Jaya dropped Pilita as her manager and reduced her to a mere "booking agent."
Anyway, after Pilita's S-Files appearance, Jaya's mom has been trying to talk to her but everytime Jaya's mom called, Pilita refused to talk to her. Why should she? After what mother and daughter did to her, why should Pilita continue to be nice to them? She should write them off and erase them from her life. Period.
Which makes me wonder: How far can the likes of Jaya go? Even if she's now enjoying popularity (thanks to Pilita's efforts and connections), Jaya should know how to look back -- unless, of course, she's suffering from chronic stiff neck.
* Thank you, Butch Jimenez, for the very touching letter you sent me. It's a pity I can't print it, not even excerpts, in my column. Instead, I'm having it framed for posterity.
* Thank you, too, Rina Jimenez-David for the copy of the book I Know This Much Is True. How very thoughtful of you! I know this much is true: I'll cherish that book as much as I do your kind gesture.
* Meanwhile, fans of Gloria Romero and Lolita Rodriguez shouldn't miss Lupa sa Lupa, their starrer back in their Sampaguita days, which will be shown this morning at 10 o'clock on Viva Cinema 23 (Home Cable). I'll watch it; I hope you do, too!