Curtain-raisers:
• Meryll Soriano publicly admitted that she’s bipolar (which is a “glamorous” term for split personality). In Hollywood, several stars suffer from the same condition and so do some local stars including a popular TV host and a beauty queen-actress who is under medication. Is that why she is sometimes seen and heard talking to herself (rather, her two personalities talking to each other)?
• Could it be true that the widow of a singer-actor has found a new love? I could only guess that she must have gotten the blessing of her husband before he bade her goodbye. She has the love of her children but she also needs the love of a man. Do I see her late husband smiling down at her from heaven?
• Now I know why a dashing TV host was unceremoniously “retrenched” by a top network. According to a Funfare DPA, the guy led a raid on a prostitution den and he let some of his men “touch” the arrested women. Oh my, wasn’t that mixing business with pleasure (rather, monkey business with guilty pleasure)?
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Not many people know that Andrew E. (real name: Andrew Espiritu) has been an active member (since 2006) of Ang Kasangga, the party list he’s rooting for in next Monday’s polls?
Ang Kasangga represents the marginalized sector of formal and informal entrepreneurs in Congress, and Andrew E. happens to be one of them.
“Ang Kasangga has always been there for me in many of my projects not only in the music industry but also in my other business endeavors,” said Andrew E.
It was Ramon “RJ” Jacinto who discovered Andrew E. at Euphoria singing Humanap Ka ng Panget. He has matured into some sort of guru to aspiring rappers, teaching them the ropes of the music business and providing them with much-needed exposure through his shows and recordings.
Andrew E. put up his clothing line called DonGalo which he himself manages, together with Dongalo Wreckords which operates an all-music Dongalo power radio, said to be the country’s first and only Internet radio station feeding live music using Europe’s 3.5 TeraBytes streaming technology.
“I am a micro-entrepreneur,” said Andrew E., “that’s why I support Ang Kasangga.”
Led by its founding chairman Teodorico Tumbocon Jr., Ang Kasangga is composed mostly of sari-sari store/food stall owners, market vendors, balut and fishball vendors, jeepney/tricycle/bus drivers and operators, blind masseurs, etc.
Why Imelda cried at her own rally
While singing one of her hit songs, Imelda noticed a boy without arms and legs gyrating enthusiastically.
He had to sit on top of a speaker to be able to see the action on stage.
“I approached him and he told me that his name is Jeffrey Trajano, 16 years old daw siya,” said Imelda. “He was accompanied by his younger brother. I saw that his arms and legs were missing and that’s when I cried.”
Bangon Pilipinas standard-bearer Bro. Eddie Villanueva was himself so touched by the enthusiasm of the boy that he assured him, “I will welcome you to Malacañang.” The crowd responded with a resounding applause.
Imelda’s heart beats for the youth. When she was the vice governor of Camarines Sur, she sponsored many programs for out-of-school youths.
A boy next time
Said Andeng, “We were very happy when Via arrived. She came at the height of the campaign period but it didn’t matter because despite Junjun’s hectic schedule, he really sees to it that he spends quality time with us.”
The couple’s first child, Cassandra, is two years and five months old.
Because she had mumps, Andeng was advised by her doctors to stay away from Via and Cassandra for two weeks.
“Junjun will try again so we could have naman a son,” said Andeng.
Incidentally, Andeng’s brother, Sen. Bong Revilla, is a consistent topnotcher in surveys; while her sister-in-law Lani Mercado, who’s running for congresswoman in Cavite, is also rating well.
A medal for Tito de Venecia
Tito, who led the business delegation to the recent First Combined Business Delegation of the Business Council & PCCI to Russia, was given a medal of citation and certificate for his contribution to the development and the strengthening of the cooperation between the Russian Federation, the Philippines and the Asia Pacific.
The medal was awarded to Tito by H.E. Mikhail Nikolayev, deputy chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and president of Eastern Dimension, last April 12 at the Federal Assembly in Moscow.
The Eastern Dimension is an International Public Movement initiated by the Federal Assembly (the Upper Chamber of the Parliament of Russia, equivalent to the Senate of the Philippines) that organizes activities under the Government of Russia in close cooperation with Russia’s Commission on ASEAN Affairs & Business Councils, all intended to form favorable conditions for expansion of commerce and investments.
Presented by the council led by Tito to the Federal Assembly were concerns related to tourism promotions both inbound and outbound to increase tourism traffic, promoting bilateral trade, oil exploration and development, Visa restrictions, direct flights to the Philippines, and periodic dialogue for medium-to-long-term cooperation.
Tito is concurrently the vice chairman of the Philippines-Cambodia Business Council.
UST Commerce grad is 2010 Mr. Phils-Earth
John Reyes, 20, a Commerce graduate from UST, recently won 2010 Mr. Philippines Earth. He won other special awards: Best in Formal Wear (a tuxedo by Arielle Agasang House of Couture), with P35,000 cash prize; Mr. Muebles Italiano, P50,000; Mr. Blackwater (by Ever Bilena); Cosmetics Inc.’s Mr. Body Physique; Face of the Night (with P20,000 worth of contract from RCBC); and P800,000 worth of insurance from Malayan Insurance Bank.
A ramp and print-ad model, John is part of the coffee-table book A-List 100 Filipino Luminaries, wearing attires by Arielle, which will be launched in June at the NBC Tent; and soon in Sydney, Singapore, Geneva, L.A., New York, Chicago and Washington DC. John will also join the Philippine Fashion Week.
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)