Vilma feeling at home in Big Apple

It’s as if Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos has never left home. While in the New York tri-state area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) shooting the Star Cinema movie In My Life, Vilma is with husband, former Senator and now NEDA head Ralph Recto, and children Ryan Christian and Luis Manzano who is also in the cast of the movie directed by Olive Lamasan. Luis plays Vilma’s son having a discreet affair with another man (played by John Lloyd Cruz). Vilma’s character will face a lot of problems after a tragedy happens. Also in the entourage is Vilma’s Girl Friday/accountant Aida Fandialan.

Vilma feels right at home in New York where she has many friends and loyal Vilmanians led by Alan Trambulo who works as assistant manager of the Radisson Hotel located in Manhattan.

“She won’t feel homesick here,” Alan texted Funfare.

Slated for a September release, In My Life is Vilma’s first movie after Regal Films’ Mano Po 3: My Love in 2004 and also her first with Luis and John Lloyd. Asked in an earlier interview if Luis and John Lloyd would have a kissing scene, Vilma said in jest that she would “save” Luis and do the scene herself with John Lloyd. The movie also stars Rafael Rosell, Vice Ganda, Nikki Valdez (based in Canada with her husband) and Tirso Cruz III (who replaced Edu Manzano as Vilma’s husband, a “guest” role).

Shooting in the tri-state will take only three weeks, that’s why the entourage is doing things almost non-stop. Last week in Connecticut, it rained but the shoot at a clothing shop went on. So far, they have shot scenes at the Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey; and at the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island, New York.

“Ryan Christian is also a hit with the Pinoy fans here,” reported Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre (of The Filipino Reporter). “Mukha daw ‘chickboy’ ang bata, like his dad. And he is matinee-idol material daw.”

A ‘surprise’ bash for Ricky Reyes

Thursday night last week, Marikina City Mayor Marides Fernando and her husband, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando, hosted a belated “surprise” party for Ricky Reyes at their residence. Ricky’s birthday is April 12 (which fell on Easter Sunday this year). He came with partner Cris Aquino (who manages TravelPros, his own travel agency).

Among the very few invited guests were Jullie Yap-Daza, Louie Cruz and GMA executives Reggie Magno, Darling de Jesus and Marivin Arayata.

Leny de Jesus (on guitar and vocals) led the original members of the Electromaniacs (but minus Jose Mari) in playing retro songs (Beatles, etc.) and, of course, the band’s classic instrumentals like I Miss You So and Lover’s Guitar.

Mayor Marides sang a few songs and so did Chairman Bayani who was in his Celebrity Duets element.

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