Venus (finally, finally!) starts Binibini training

Curtain-raiser:

• Congrats to Karylle who finished second in a three-kilometer race (women division) in the recent three-leg marathon dubbed as Earth Day Run organized by the National Geographic and co-sponsored by the Climate Change Commission (CCC). Karylle charmed the participants who patiently waited for their turn for an opportunity to have their photo taken with her. She won P1,000 and gift bags from co-sponsors of the event, proceeds from which will go to the Design Against the Elements of Global Challenge (DAtE).

• Is Mo Twister bidding GMA goodbye and moving to TV5 to join Ruffa Gutierrez, Dolly Anne Carvajal and Cristy Fermin as co-host of the network’s new Sunday show Paparazzi? As of Sunday, April 18, Mo, fresh from his Paris vacation, said he was still “undecided.” Incidentally, like Jojo Gabinete, I have become addicted to Face-to-Face, the TV5 “Barangay Hall on-the-air” show inspired by The Jerry Springer Show, hosted by Amy Perez and airing at 11 a.m. Monday thru Friday with replays late nights on same days. You have to watch it to enjoy it. In yesterday’s episode, Amy was almost knocked off her chair when the protagonists (the abandoned wife and the mistress) engaged in hair-pulling.

• Now, whoever thought of digging up the case of a maid who accused Korina Sanchez of “maltreatment,” already dismissed by the prosecutor’s office, must be desperate that he/she would try to hit Vice Presidentiable Mar Roxas (the real target, but of course!) below the belt. Why drag Mar’s wife Korina into the campaign muck when she’s not even running? What they say is true: desperate people resort to desperate acts.

* * *

A light at the end of the tunnel, at last?

Keep your fingers crossed.

After the brouhaha over her dethronement and eventual reinstatement, 2010 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Maria Venus Raj started training yesterday preparatory to the Miss Universe pageant scheduled for August perhaps in Las Vegas (tentative venue).

Said “beauty-contest specialist” Gerry Diaz, “Venus and her supporters who genuinely have her welfare at heart should appreciate the fact that the Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) for the first time in 46 years has reconsidered a dethronement and has agreed to a reinstatement. While the BPCI may have missed a step or two in dethroning Venus, I still credit it for this move, and it should no longer matter whether this was for humanitarian reason or not. Let’s not forget as well that from the very start, BPCI has said, and I heard it on GMA News when it broke the story of Venus’ dethronement, that it wished to emphasize that Venus did not have malicious intent.” (Again, I agree.)

Gerry added (and I also agree) that first runner-up Nicolette “Nikette” Henson, tapped to replace Venus if and when Venus won’t be able to leave if she can’t get a passport, acted “queenly” through it all. Nikette visited Venus after her dethronement and assured her that whatever the outcome would be, they would remain friends.

“When Nikette visited her folks in Pampanga,” Gerry said, “they asked her why she didn’t look happy. Nikette said, ‘Why should I be happy over somebody’s misfortune?’ She accepted best wishes from her friends but she never proclaimed herself as the new Bb. Pilipinas-Universe in her Facebook account. Tahimik lang siya.”

In a brief phone chat with Funfare yesterday, BPCI head Stella Marquez-Araneta confirmed that Venus has indeed reported yesterday to start training.

“She and her court will take up crash courses at the school run by Vivienne Tan (the judge who asked Janina San Miguel the ‘controversial’ question at last year’s Binibini pageant),” said Madame Stella. “The 2009 winners (Bianca Manalo, Universe; Melody Gersbach, International; and Marie Anne Umali, World) will also help train Venus and her co-winners.”

Meanwhile, Venus should rush the application for a passport, or else...

(Note: Photos of Venus Raj and Nicolette Henson on this page and those in yesterday’s Funfare are taken by Raymond Saldana.)

Marco, Precious ‘tripping’ happily

They have been dating for more than a year but they started going steady only two months ago.

“We just clicked,” said Marco Alcaraz of her romance with 2005 Miss International Precious Lara Quigaman. “Everything happened spontaneously; nothing was planned. Basta, we enjoy each other’s company. We have lots of fun together. Pareho kaming makulit, cowboy at sporty.”

Precious is Marco’s second showbiz girlfriend; the first was Isabel Oli who is also from Cebu like Marco.

The sweethearts recently spent 20 days abroad, 10 days in Vancouver with Precious’ mother (a nurse working in the UK) and siblings (a younger brother and sister studying in the UK). It’s their third trip together. The first was to Hong Kong in November last year and the second, to Dubai early this year.

“It was my first time to meet Precious’ family,” said Marco. “Bonding time.”

From Vancouver, they proceeded to California where they visited Marco’s cousins. Marco acted as “guide” to Precious (a first-timer in the US West Coast) on their visits to Disneyland and Universal Studio.

Back home, Precious is busy with the ABS-CBN soap Impostora and Marco is set to do Endless Love for GMA. They will be seen together at the Urian Awards at the UP Film Center on April 29.

Marco is now managed by Noel Ferrer. He was previously under the wings of Arnold Vegafria.

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