Ai Ai: Her ‘Majesty’

Everything is coming up roses as far as Ai Ai delas Alas’ career is concerned. Her first title role movie, Ang Tanging Ina, grossed P200 million, making it the year’s biggest hit so far. She’s doing two new films plus the sequel of Ang Tanging Ina that will be Star Cinema’s Mother’s Day presentation next year.

Her concerts here and abroad have been successful. She has put up with good friend Allan K the Klownz Comedy Bar at the Araneta Coliseum and it’s always jampacked. She is a regular in the TV shows MTB and Whattamen on ABS-CBN and Sing Galing with Allan K on ABC-5. Now, her blockbuster movie is also on TV. Ang Tanging Ina will be shown starting today and every Sunday thereafter at 8:30 p.m.

"After Arriba, Arriba was terminated, they have given me my first TV show where I play the lead role," says Ai Ai. "It’s a new challenge for me and I just pray that the reception of the public for the TV show will be as warm as that of the movie."

Even if her career is on a roll, Ai Ai reveals that she is also scared. "So many good things are happening in my life and I’m afraid na baka may balik ito o kapalit that is not so good," she says. "I cannot thank the Lord enough for all the graces He is giving me, so what I want to do is share my blessings by putting up my own charitable organization, to be called Ina Foundation, since Ina is my name in Ang Tanging Ina. It aims to help the poor but in such a way that I will not give them mere dole-outs. Right now, so many people come to me asking for a TV set or for money. Ayoko nang ganoong nanlilimos. I want to help by giving them opportunities to improve their livelihood. They would have to exert their own effort."

We’ve known Ai Ai since she was a struggling sing-along master 14 years ago named Martina Eileen delas Alas at Music Box on Timog Avenue. Each time she’d sing off-key, she’d quip that it was her second voice. Even then, she was a livewire on stage who could send the audience rolling down the aisles with her hilarious antics. She was also active with charity work, regularly visiting the orphanage and hospital put up by Mother Teresa on Tayuman St. in Tondo. We were not surprised when she eventually hit it big since she is loaded with talent. Her brazenness in doing the most outrageous things just to tickle the funnybones of her viewers can be truly riotous. We were there when she got into relationships that eventually failed, producing three kids who are now her inspiration. Despite the disppointments in her life, she never lost her contagious sense of humor.

"Sometimes, I think that my success in my career is the compensation for all the heartaches men have given me," she sighs. "Sabi siguro ni Lord, ‘I gave you three kids so I’ll give you naman the opportunity to give them a good future. Pabobonggahin ko ang career mo.’ O, ayan na nga."

But being so in demand can also have its drawbacks. "I became sickly because I work everyday. Sleep is now a luxury for me. E, ang takaw ko pa naman sa tulog. Kung puede lang, I want to sleep 12 hours a day. Kaya nga sa MTB, I already requested them that I’d just appear every other day: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I can’t report daily anymore because I’m also doing a film, Pinay Pie, and will start another one, Volta. I have also decided not to go on with my scheduled big concert at the Araneta Coliseum in December because I’m also doing a series of shows in four cities in the US this October. I also want to concentrate on Ang Tanging Ina until it becomes a toprater on TV."

Ang Tanging Ina retains the same cast. Marvin Agustin is Juan, the eldest son who acts a surrogate father for his younger siblings. Nikki Valdez is Tudis, her mom’s sidekick who’s a frustrated painter. Carlo Aquino is Tri (for Dimitri), the boy genius in the family paired with Angelica Panganiban. Heart Evangelista is Por (for Portia), the fashionista paired with John Prats. Marc Acueza is Six (for Sixto), the adolescent with raging hormones. Shaina Magdayao is Seven (for Severina), the most conservative and religious member of the family. Serena Dalrymple is Kate, the tomboyish and mischievous girl. Jiro Manio is Shammy, the precocious child mature beyond his years. Yuki Kadooka is Tenten, the hearing impaired boy who is a Mr. Fix It around the house.

Only Alwyn Uytingco as the gay Pip was replaced by Ketchup Eusebio of Berks. Alwyn’s love team with Shaina is being developed in Bida si Mister and it would be bad for him to be identified in a gay role. But there’s another gay character in the show, Goliath, Ai Ai’s long lost brother played by Roderick Paulate who even does a Rick Astley musical number in the first episode.

"Each episode has the word ‘Tanging’ in the title," explains Ai Ai. "The pilot episode is Ang Tanging Secret because it will be revealed that I’m just an ampon of Connie Chua, my mother in the movie, that’s why she’s maltreating me in the peryahan. Roderick will inform me about this just as I am about to be married to Dennis Padilla, who’s being discouraged by my kids because he might also end up dead like my three previous husbands. It turns out my real mother is Elizabeth Ramsey. The writer and the director of the TV show are the same as that of the movie, direk Wenn Deramas and Keiko Aquino. They are using the same formula that made the movie so endearing to viewers, so expect us to spoof more films, TV shows and TV commercials."