Zsa Zsa as villainess to her BFF Sharon

Several days after she and her co-stars came back from Beijing where they had a pictorial (at the Great Wall, etc.) and shot some scenes for Mano Po 6: My Mother’s Love, again directed by Joel Lamangan, Regal Films’ entry in the 2009 Metro Filmfest, Zsa Zsa Padilla continues to do the treadmill 30 minutes every afternoon right at her and her beloved Dolphy’s home at Marina Bay, East Tambo, Parañaque City.

“It was very cold in Beijing and I gained a few pounds,” says Zsa Zsa, still panting a bit in her jogging outfit. “I cannot jog on hard concrete because it’s bad for my back (She underwent surgery on her scoliosis a few years ago — RFL). But I can swim,” she adds, pointing to the family pool in which the water has just been changed. “Swimming is the best exercise for people with a bad back.”

From Beijing, she rested for two days and flew to the States to join Sharon Cuneta in her US Concert Tour and then rushed back home.

“I brought home a pair of Nike Air for Dolphy and it’s what he wears when he takes a brisk walk for his regular exercise,” Zsa Zsa volunteers. “Ang dami na n’yang rubber shoes because everytime I go abroad without him, rubber shoes ang pasalubong ko sa kanya.”

She takes us on a quick tour of the 18-year-old house which is up for renovation.

“This garage used to be our playroom and now we’re building a big library on it. Our kitchen is medyo bulok na so we are renovating it and building a bigger one. Ang daming aayusin, pati ‘yung mga gilid-gilid ng wall at floor.

“You know what happened n’ung Typhoon Ondoy? We got flooded, but only by a few inches on the ground floor. Still, the carpet was totally damaged. The pool overflowed. We’re thinking of applying for a bank loan for the complete renovation.”

But that will come next year when she’s done with the dozen things on her holiday to-do list, including a medical check-up and the promo for Mano Po 6 which is pitted against Dolphy’s own entry, Nobody, Nobody But...Juan, jointly produced by his own RVQ Productions and Kaizz Ventures, the company of his son Eric Quizon who’s directing and also starring in the movie as the manager of a caregiver home in Chicago where Dolphy’s character is one of the residents.

“It’s my third time to be in a Mano Po movie,” Zsa Zsa says, counting on her fingers. “I was in Mano Po 2 and Mano Po 4. And now, I’m in Mano Po 6. I was telling Mother (Lily, the Regal Matriarch), ‘Dapat kasama uli ako sa Mano Po 8, para 2-4-6-8. It was in one of the Mano Po movies where I delivered the one-liner, ‘Ako legal wife!’ to Lorna (Tolentino, her cousin who is also scoliotic, a disorder that runs among the Padilla women; Lorna belongs to the Padilla Clan — RFL). That line became the title of another Mano Po sequel, a comedy where I co-star with Cherry Pie Picache and Rufa Mae Quinto.”

In Mano Po 6: My Mother’s Love, Zsa Zsa plays the kontrabida to Sharon, her BFF (Best Friend Forever) in real life.

“How did it happen? It’s a long story,” smiles Zsa Zsa. “I won’t spoil the suspense by telling the whole story. Basta, naghigante ang character ko.”

Aside from Zsa Zsa and Sharon, other actresses who have played matriarch in the smash-hit franchise were Boots Anson-Roa and Susan Roces.

“Sabi ng press, dapat daw ang title Mano Po 6: A Mother’s Wrath kasi maghihiganti ang isang wife,” jokes Zsa Zsa who is reunited with Sharon with whom she first worked years ago in the Star Cinema drama Madrasta.

“It’s nice to be working with Sharon again. Would you believe that we’ve been close for more than two decades? We were closest in the ‘80s. Our friendship started during Gary V.’s first major concert. She was there. Sharon was nice to me, she gave me pa a cabbage-patch doll at kinakausap niya ako. And I was new in the business then at sikat na sikat na siya — you know, mayaman, anak ni Mayor Cuneta at nakatira sa Dasma. Sabi ko, ‘My God, si Sharon Cuneta ang bait-bait! Napaka-down-to-earth niya.’ Since then, naging close na close na kami. She’s a ninang pa of one of my kids.”

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