The beauties of Iriga City

Curtain-raisers:

• Wowowee host Willie Revillame denies a Funfare item that a controversial couple uses his yacht as rendezvous. But he admitted that his daughter Meryll Soriano used the yacht as venue for the cast party of a TV soap which has just ended. The couple was there. Willie added that he has “surprise” leading lady in the music video of his song Ikaw Na Nga (composed by Vehnee Saturno), whose identity will be revealed this Saturday on Wowowee when the video will be aired for the first time. Clue? The pretty girl is the daughter of a beauty queen. “My dream girl” is how Willie describes her.

• Token happily reports that her fund-raising concert (for Bantay Bata) last June 13 (with Jose Mari Chan as guest performer) was a success. “We passed the hat around and we were able to raise P14,000,” said Token. German “Kuya Germs” Moreno, who was among those in the audience, was so impressed with Token’s 11 kiddie co-stars (aged seven to 14, from Negros Oriental) that he not only gave each kid P1,000 but also promised Token to feature them in a show at Teatrino (Greenhills, San Juan City). Some of the kids will compete in a singing competition in L.A. on July 28. Meanwhile, Token is preparing for another show in Bacolod on Oct. 10, still with the 11 kids and Jun Polistico as co-performers.

• Fr. Fernando Suarez will have a healing Mass at 2 o’clock this afternoon at the St. Jude Church (near Malacanang Palace). Everybody is invited.

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Asked what it was about the Philippines that she wanted to change, a pretty candidate answered with a straight face and a wide smile, “I would change the President!”

She got a big applause but not the crown.

She was one of the 22 beauties who competed Thursday (June 11) last week in the 2009 search for Miss Iriga City, Miss Rinconada and Miss Tourism held open-to-the-public at the city’s open-air coliseum.

At the pre-judging held in the afternoon a few hours before the show, the five judges — including Bulletin’s Cris Belen, BDO exec Gerry Diaz (a “beauty expert” in his own right), Jeffrey Hidalgo, Raymond Fortun and your columnist — were impressed by the girls’ intelligence. They were all so articulate, speaking in fluent English with a lot of sense, that I gave all of them nine points (highest score was 10). Those girls could put to shame most contestants in national beauty pageants who could hardly express themselves during the crucial Q&A portion.

It was well-organized, even far better than most national pageants. 

The pacing was fast and there were no unnecessary numbers. In one portion, the mothers (all dressed in white) of the 22 unsuspecting girls were called onstage and offered gifts, while the song Ugoy ng Duyan was being played. Very touching. “I remember my mom,” remarked host Drew Arellano who did a very good job.

And the winners were: Diane Necio (from Iriga City), Miss Iriga City; Joan Tampoco (Baao town), Miss Rinconada; and Rachelle Vargas (Iriga City), Miss Tourism. First runner-up was Donna Ann Onate (Nabua town) and second runner-up was Jessica Silva (Iriga City).

Cris Belen and I realized why Iriga City Mayor Madelaine Alfelor-Gazmen is described as a “hands-on mayor.” A UP graduate, Mayor Madelaine is “cowboy na cowboy.” We saw her during the rehearsal dressed very casually in black shirt and white pants, so petite that she looked more like a student than a city executive. Very approachable. During the pageant, we saw Mayor Madelaine still “hands-on,” seeing to it that everything was going on smoothly.

Said Jeffrey Hidalgo, “Would you believe that siya pala ang director ng pageant?”

So Mayor Madelaine was there below the stage, “directing” when she would have sat pretty on the front row dressed to the nines.

Now we know why Iriga is such a bustling city, made up of 36 barangays and occupying a total land area of 17,400 hectares, the center of commerce in Camarines Sur situated in the heart of the Bicol Economic Growth Corridor.

And the winner is...Mayor Madelaine Alfelor-Gazmen. Take a bow, Mayor Madelaine!

Boyz II Men at the Big Dome July 21

Boyz II Men captured the hearts and minds of millions of music fans throughout the globe with a string of memorable hits, such as It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday, Uhh Ahh, End Of The Road, I’ll Make Love To You and On Bended Knee, among many others.

With its clean-cut “retro nouveau” image, synchronized dance routines and polished stage act, the group rapidly rose to stardom with the awesome feat of recording between 1992 and 1997 five No. 1 pop hits and 12 Top Ten R&B singles, selling over 60 million records worldwide and earning an array of awards, including four Grammy Awards.

Its exceptionally distinctive sound has been critically acclaimed as just as influential and as pervasive as that of its various 1960s predecessors, such as The Temptations and The Miracles.

Although its impact on pop music was quite evident in the music of later competing groups, such as BLACKStreet, All 4 One and Jodeci, none of them have achieved the degree of crossover success enjoyed by Boyz II Men.

The last time Boyz II Men came out with an album was about two years ago with Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA, but it was enough to rekindle wide interest in the music of the talented group recognized individually as extraordinary singers distinguished by their trademark smooth harmonies.

The group was here a few years ago, and the good news is that Boyz II Men, hailed as the most successful R&B male vocal group of all time, is scheduled to return next month (July) for a two-night performance on July 21 at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City and on July 22 at the Cebu Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City.

Titled Boyz II Men Live!, the musical presentation from Ovation Productions will showcase the exceptional talent and style of the popular act as it performs a remarkable collection of its greatest R&B hits of two generations featuring its latest Motown remakes and its million-selling hits of the 1990s.

(Note: Boyz II Men Live! is sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines, Edsa Shangri-la, Chrysler and Philippine STAR. Tickets to the Araneta Coliseum show are priced at P4,500, P4,200, P3,500, P2,500, P1,000 and P500 and are available at Ticketnet outlets at SM Department Stores. For reservations and inquiries, call Ticketnet at 911-5555 or Ovation Productions at 532-8883.)

Letter from Romy

I got the following letter from election lawyer Romulo “Romy” Macalintal:

Dear Ricky,

As the nation celebrates its Independence Day on June 12, I happily recall that it was the date I lost my “independence” when I married my wife, Mila, last June 12, 1982. Yes, we’ve just celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary; but I never had any regrets surrending my ‘independence’ to her. We took the opportunity of celebrating it in Vancouver, Canada where we stood as wedding sponsors of Hannah, the daughter of our dear friends, Danny and Gloria Custodio, who are now residents of Vancouver. Hannah was married to Dave Ballantyne on June 13 at historic Hatley Castle of scenic Victoria City, Canada. Hannah is practically a look-alike of international singer Lea Salonga (see attached foto). We also took the opportunity to use some of the wedding props to further celebrate our 27th wedding day.

Every year, I never failed to “remarry” my wife. Hence, on June 12 my wife and I renewed our marriage commitments at the St. Andrews Cathedral in Vancouver City officiated by Fr. Benoit Laplante. 

After that we made a trip to the Butchart Gardens in Victoria City.  It is a 50-acre garden of colorful and lovely plants and flowers which is considered as one of the national historic sites of Canada for the past 100 years.

 Best regards and thank you very much.

 Sincerely yours,

— ATTY. ROMY MACALINTAL

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