The truth about Korina & Sen. Mar

Is it true that Korina Sanchez and Sen. Mar Roxas have broken up?

That’s the intriguing question going the rounds.

Somebody close to the couple told Funfare that, of course, it’s not true. "Korina and Mar’s romance is as strong as ever," said the Funfare DPA who’s close to the Aranetas and the Roxases.

What I know is that Korina is breaking up not with Mar but with... Oops! Sorry but I’m not supposed to, well, "spill the beans" yet. Stay tuned.

In a brief phone chat yesterday, Korina ignored the split-up rumor ("Spread by those envious of Mar and me, I’m sure," said Korina) but kept mum on her pending break-up with...Oops! As I was saying...

Another Funfare DPA said that on March 20, Korina is flying to Las Vegas to do an exclusive interview with Manny Pacquiao after his bout with Mexico’s Erik Morales. "And then," said the DPA, "she and Mar will go on a Holy Week holiday somewhere cool and cozy."

There. The Korina-Mar tandem is, ehem, unbreakable, destined to last beyond 2010 when Sen. Mar will run for President. He’s "winnable," isn’t he?

Cheers to Erik Santos

How did Vina Morales and Erik Santos’ recent US show go?

Here’s a brief report by Funfare reader Maria Daya of Seattle, USA:

I’d like to congratulate Erik on his successful concert with Vina in Seattle. It was an Erik Santos I’ve never seen before. Galing na niya sa spills and adlibs. He was very witty and very funny. At first, I was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to match Vina’s energy in their fast numbers but he proved me wrong. Nakipagsabayan talaga si Erik! He was very comfortable and very natural. Ginawa niyang playground ‘yung stage. We could see that he was having fun in what he was doing. A friend told me that Erik had never performed that way in the Philippines yet. Sana magawa din niya diyan sa atin. I hope that he and Vina will restage the same concert in the Philippines so our kababayan will see what I mean.

Incidentally, Vina and Erik guested on CBS’ Morning Show (aired on KFMB-TV Channel 8 in San Diego) where they were interviewed by hosts Dan Shadwell, Nichelle Medina and Aloha Taylor. Vina and Erik even sang a few lines from their songs a capella.

Now having shows in other US cities with Vina, Erik will join his fellow "champions" in Showdown of the Champions in Dubai on March 17. In April, he will be with Pops Fernandez and Regine Velasquez in the Queens on Fire US concert tour (San Diego on April 1, L.A. on April 2, Las Vegas on April 8, San Francisco on April 9, Chicago on April 15, Atlantic City on April 17 and Washington D.C. on April 23).

Victor back from US bakasyon grande

Like the way he left last year, Victor Neri breezed back into town from an extended US bakasyon grande with hardly any ripple.

Now that Victor is here, I suggest that those curious about Victor’s US holiday ask him directly, such as 1) who was with him throughout that holiday, 2) where did he stay longer and why, and 3) what made him prolong his vacation?

What I know is that Victor was based in New York where my friend Raoul Tidalgo saw him and some friends joining the featured singer onstage at the Perlas ng Silangan Restaurant in Manhattan. Victor also flew to L.A. to audition for the abortive made-in-Hollywood Fil-Am movie Wrinkles (postponed indefinitely), with the cast made up of mostly Pinoy actors and from which Lou Diamond Philips backed out due to other pressing commitments (or personal problems?).

Anyway, Victor is appearing tonight on Maalaala Mo Kaya? (ABS-CBN, before Insider), playing the title role as basketball icon Danny Ildefonso on the episode entitled Primetime Bida. Check out how Victor has changed (only a bit, though) during his US bakasyon grande.

More on Vin Diesel’s Pinay sis-in-law

Here’s a rejoinder to Funfare’s recent item on Vin Diesel and his meeting with local sex siren Andrea del Rosario in L.A. in December last year. Diesel is currently starring in Walt Disney Pictures’ The Pacifier which opened in North America at No. 1 with a weekend gross of more than $30.2 million.

Dear Ricky,

This has reference to your interview with Vin Diesel, aired August 11 on The Buzz and written in an article printed in the Aug. 18, 2002 issue of The Philippine STAR.

I was actually pleasantly surprised to hear Vin mention "Grace Blanca" as the wonderful and beautiful Filipina married to his twin brother.

I have a first cousin named Grace Blanco who is married to a Paul Vincent and residing in New York City. Yes, our cousin Grace Manago-Blanco not Grace Blanca is the sister-in-law of Vin Diesel. (Please take note that Manago is pronounced as Maniago. The "n" should be the Spanish letter "ñ".)

This was confirmed by my sister from San Marcos, California, Selene Manago-Caputo, a county dietitian, who e-mailed to me pictures of the Vincents (Grace, husband Paul and their kids Kaitlyn, 6 and Tyler, 4) who stayed with them for the duration of their visit to SeaWorld in nearby San Diego, California.

My nephew, Alnair Manago Reyes, who is Grace’s age, likewise confirmed in our IM chat that he met Vin Diesel (when he was not yet a big star) during the bachelor’s party Vin Diesel and their New York City friends gave to Paul before his marriage to Grace in the mid ’90s. This is what my nephew wrote:

"...I met him before he became famous. So I don’t know what he is now. But back then, he had a magnetic pull of all the kids whom he grew up with in the neighborhood.

He was gregarious and full of energy. He made people feel comfortable. He led the bachelor party all over New York. We had a great time!

I didn’t know that he was in the movies until I saw Pitch Black and his character made a gesture that brought me back to the bachelor party. I didn’t know it was Mark (Vin Diesel) until that moment.

Paul is a film editor. He produces theatrical trailers of movies. He made all of the xXx movie trailers. They grew up in a building reserved for artists’ families in an artsy neighborhood in the Soho area, New York City. They have a sister..."

Grace Blanco-Vincent is the fourth daughter of my aunt, Sylvia Manago-Blanco.

Tia Sylvia is the youngest among seven siblings, the eldest of whom was my father, the late Engr. Augusto C. Manago. They grew up in Imus, Cavite (next door to the Bautistas, Sen. Ramon Revilla and siblings).

Most of the 27 Manago cousins including three of my sisters are now based in the US and are doing the Filipinos proud.

The Manago cousins have fair complexion with Spanish or Chinese features but two of them stood out in beauty, great charm and sex appeal... Grace Blanco and my sister, the late Pleione Manago-Soto.

Grace made waves somewhat when she came to Manila for a short visit more than 10 years ago while working for a travel agency. Her room at the Mandarin Oriential Hotel was filled with flowers sent by hotel guests who saw her there and were captivated by her beauty.

My beautiful sister and idol, Pleione who married Triptolino Ferry Soto Jr., migrated to the US in 1969, lived in Palm Springs, California until she succumbed to cancer in 1979, leaving behind two very young sons. She was an epitome of beauty and grace. When she died, it was like our family’s world collapsed. After the emotional trauma of seeing her daughter’s suffering, my mother also succumbed to cancer.

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