• Rikka Dylim, public relations manager of ABS-CBN Star Magic, didn’t just write a simple letter but quoted a stanza from a poem in the note attached to the Christmas gift she sent to members of the movie press. Here it is: Somehow, not only for Christmas/But all the long year through/The joy that you give to others/Is the joy that comes back to you/And the more you spend in blessing/The poor and lonely and sad/The more of your heart’s possessing/Returns to you glad. – John Greenleaf Whittier
•Here are the Most Well-Liked Personalities of the Year according to the survey conducted by Anak TV Seal Foundation (in no particular order): Gary Valenciano, Piolo Pascual, Julius Babao, Arnold Clavio, Aga Muhlach, Sam Milby, Richard Gutierrez, Mike Enriquez, Jericho Rosales and Dennis Trillo; and Mel Tiangco, Sharon Cuneta, Christine Bersola, Bernadette Sembrano, Angel Locsin, Korina Sanchez, Kristine Hermosa, Sarah Geronimo, Bea Alonzo and Judy Ann Santos.
•Dish (at the ground floor of The Loop, ABS-CBN Complex) greets you with a new look and two hip-hop DJs providing the music during weekends – DJ Norman on Dec. 22 and 29, and DJ Kimosave on Dec. 23 and 30. Entrance fee is P150, with local beers at only P55 per bottle. For only P200, it’s all-you-can-drink on local beers and select cocktails on Fridays and Saturdays, from 10 p.m. to 12 midnight. (For reservations, call 413-0614.)
The Funfare informer said that, although it hasn’t so far received any formal complaint against Mo, the KBP is "bothered" by the controversies generated by the Forbidden Questions portion (only on Wednesdays) of Mo’s Magic 89.9 radio proragm Good Time with Mo Twister (Mondays through Thursdays, 6 to 9 a.m.).
"Mo has turned local showbiz into a cockpit by pitting the stars against one another," said the Funfare informer.
I’m not a fan of Mo nor an avid (but only on occasional) follower of his program, but I should say that stars who agree to guest on Mo’s program are just as liable because they are the ones giving the usually controversial answers that hit the targets bull’s-eye.
Mo insisted that he’s simply asking the questions and is not the one giving the answers. I understand that guests are not forced to answer the "forbidden quesions" (about sexual position, size of organs, etc.) and they can give a "no comment" if they don’t want to be "incriminated."
The program has already caused fights, verbal and otherwise, among the stars, with one violent incident recorded so far (when Vina Morales slapped Borgy Manotoc whom Vina accused of wrongly saying that she was among the famous women he had gone to bed with).
Is Mo violating any KBP rule? Is he, well, "abusing" freedom of expression? Does he have any "license" to let his guests, uh, "kill" their colleagues?
Can the KBP "silence" Mo?
Here’s a brief report from Funfare’s "beauty experts" Felix Manuel, Joey Cezeare, Gery Yumping and Francis Calubaquib:
It’s interesting to note that two Filipinas have won the title, Sheryl Capili Santarin in 1995 and Racquel Tentoco Uy in 1999.
The pageant’s objective is to promote tourism around the world, friendship and world peace, and to honor exceptional women of today.
April Love, who stands 5’8.5" and measures 34-25-35, has a string of beauty titles to her name – Miss Sophomore, Miss Quezon National High School and Miss Calabarzon 2005. She was a semi-finalist in this year’s Miss Philippines-Earth pageant held last May (she won the Miss Crowne Plaza Galleria and Gandang Ricky Reyes special awards) and, last June, was named Mutya ng Pilipinas second runner-up.
April Love is the eldest child of Eugene Jordan and Imelda Antolo. Her siblings are Mary June, 16; Zosimo II, eight; and Earli David, three. She finished elementary school at the King and Savior International School and high school at the Quezon National High School as a scholar of the Department of Science and Technology.
She’s competing with 50 other beauties for the Miss Tourism Queen International title.
Among her sponsors are Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, Lucena Mayor Ramon Talaga, Quezon Gov. Wilfrido Enverga, Dr. Albert and Joan Carbonel and Sergio Valencia (chairman of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, PCSO).
Edith wrote Funfare that she and Max recently held at their San Diego home a fund-raising event for the Virgin of Peñafrancia Basilica in Naga City, highlighted with a garden Mass officiated by Fr. Chito Valenciano, followed by an indoor soiree featuring sopranos Dianne Cawood and Edith herself, along with tenor Luigi Luevano, with Audrey Tolley on the piano.
After a gourmet dinner served by Maria Di Giovanni of Gaetano’s Italian restaurant, there was dancing, with Anthony Ciaramitaro and his Sicilian Band providing the music.