How Migz beat other senatoriables to Boom Tarat

If Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, 37 (April 13, 1969, an Aries) wins in his bid for the Senate, he has, among other "secret weapons," the chant (not quite a song) Boom Tarat-Tarat to thank for.

"My awareness rating has shot up to 90 percent since my Boom Tarat-Tarat commercial has started airing," Migz told a gathering of movie writers Monday night at the newly-renovated function room of the Imperial Palace Suites (Timog-Morato Rotonda, Quezon City). "Everywhere I go, people would start singing Boom Tarat-Tarat as soon as they saw me and I’d sing along with them."

Funfare readers, most of them scout masters, said that the chant has been used by scouts to taunt one another during fun games, especially directed to the losing team. The Boom Tarat-Tarat song was written by Lito Camo and used as one of the theme songs of the ABS-CBN noontime show Wowowee. Another Camo hit song, Otso-Otso (sung by Bayani Agbayani), was derived from a chant by children at play.

Asked if it’s true that he bought the rights to Boom Tarat-Tarat for "not less than P3-M," Migz said, "I got it for free, for a song. I’ve known Lito for a few years and I was the one who negotiated with him for the use of Otso-Otso as the administration campaign song during the 2004 presidential election. Then, one day, our mutual friends told me that Lito needed an amount for the hospitalization of his mother-in-law and I helped him with it. When Lito learned that I was running for senator in January after I filed my certificate of candidacy, he offered me Boom Tarat-Tarat as a campaign song, for free. He got juicy offers from other senatoriables, one of them, who’s super-rich, offering as much as P4-M, but Lito politely turned them all down."

The commercial (one of a series, actually) was directed by Joel Lamangan who coyly refused to divulge (and neither did Migz) how much he was paid. (Direk Joel owed Migz no debt of gratitude so he had to be paid.)

"I did get lots of other offers but I said no," said direk Joel (who, thank heavens, backed out of his plan to run for mayor of a Cavite town). "I choose the candidates I want to help so I didn’t have any second thoughts when Migz’s manager, Arnold Vegafria, talked to me."

The result is a dynamic and eye/ear-catching commercial made easier and more "cinematic" by Migz’s experience as a TV host (of Team Explorer, with JC Gonzales and Jeffrey Hidalgo).

Migz was right at home and at ease with the movie press corps because he used to meet up with the group for lunch or dinner (organized by murdered PRO Mama Elay) to update them on his TV show.

"I am not alien to showbiz," said Migz who authored the anti-piracy bill. "I’m quite familiar with inner workings of the industry. I have a lot of friends from the industry," stressed Migz who was once romantically linked to Vina Morales.

Neither is Migz’s wife, Audrey Kaye Tan, a stranger to showbiz. Also dubbed as Migz’s "secret weapon," Audrey used to be a VJ (and is now into concert-producing; her maiden project was a recent Valentine concert starring Pops Fernandez and the APO).

"I’m used to the campaign trail," said Audrey, somewhat sunburned from their provincial sorties. "In 2004, I campaigned with Migz when he ran for reelection as congressman in Bukidnoon. Now, of course, we’re covering the whole country."

Okay, altogether now: Boom tarat-tarat, boom tarat-tarat; Zubiri, Zubiri, boom-boom-boom!

Meldita missing Meldy

After more than 100 performances since 1987, Tessie Tomas has yet to see her fellow famous Waray — the Imelda Marcos — watch her do her now legendary impersonation as Meldita, the spoof character patterned after the former First Lady that has become like second skin to Tessie (who recently marked her 25th year in showbiz with a series of stand-up shows).

"I have a standing invitation for Madam Marcos to any of my shows," said Tessie. "I want to personally thank her for being my inspiration. If she drops by, I might even invite her to join me onstage."

Madam Marcos might take time out to honor Tessie’s standing invitation when Tessie appears (with Chokoleit) as special guest in the 2007 edition of Rock da Vote, an ASAP Live production slated for April 13 and 14 (Friday and Saturday, with Tessie, guest, again as Meldita and Mel Sikat Tiyanko) and then on April 20 and 21 (also Friday and Saturday, with Chokoleit, guest, as Sherap Espada and Bro. Mike) at the Music Museum. The topbillers are Jon Santos (as Ate Vi, Kuringning Sanchez and Madam Melding), Candy Pangilinan (as Presidentita Gloring and Miriam Defensive Santiagot), John Lapus (as Kris, Madame Auring and Tita Cory) and Pooh (another Waray, as Manny Pacman). For ticket inquiries, call the Ticketworld hotline 891-9999.

But in the digital movie 2,999 she’s shooting, Tessie is playing not Imelda (whom he also portrayed in the international telemovie A Dangerous Life, with Ruben Rustia as Ferdinand Marcos) but the grieving wife of one of the carpenters who died in the tragic accident during the construction of the Film Center (now abandoned) in 1981.

Written by James Arnold Ladioray and directed by Raul Jorolan, 2,999 is the story of the dead carpenter’s son (played by Marvin Agustin) who steals one of Imelda’s infamous shoe collection (original number: 3,000) because his mother doesn’t have a pair. The movie is intended for the Cinemalaya.

But what Tessie is proudest of these days is her and husband Roger Pullin’s one-year-old twin granddaughters, Isabel and Hope, children of Alice Pullin (Roger’s daughter from his first marriage) and husband Dan Squires who have another child, Tom, four years old.

No, Tessie hasn’t bitten the bait for her to run in the election (one of them for governor in her native Western Samar).

"Wala akong hilig sa pulitika," said Tessie. "Besides, Roger is threatening to go back to England if ever I decide to run."

Briefly noted

• A report from Funfare’s "beauty experts" Felix Manuel, Joey Cezeare, Gery Yumping and Francis Calubaquib: Emmanuel "Bhobby" Mago, our bet in the 2007 Mr. World contest now going on in China, spent his birthday last March 15 at the Nan Chan temple during a visit with other contestants. The Shaolin monks gave their best wishes to Bhobby who joined a special Kung Fu demonstration. In a special fun challenge at the Holiday Inn Resort Yalong Bay, Bhobby won in a contest among the boys in creating their own favorite drink, beating finalists Mr. Malta and Mr. Belgium. The three were given the same ingredients and Bhobby emerged as the best. The Mr. World finals will be held in Sanya, China, on March 31.

• In tonight’s edition of The Ricky Lo Exclusives (8:30 to 9:30 on QTV 11), entitled Bitter Partners, Better Friends, ex-couples Joey Marquez and Alma Moreno, Janice de Belen and John Estrada, Paolo Paraiso and Mylene Dizon, and Mo Twister and Bunny Paras will talk about how they survived the initial period of bitterness and ended up as good friends. Also guesting is Eat, Bulaga! executive producer Malou Choa-Fagar who will reveal the show’s plans for "prodigal" host Gladys Guevarra and the Sex Bombs. Stay tuned.

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