Mother Lily as OMB head? . Grace Poe as MTRCB chief? . Charlene: No to sex ed?

As in the case of Boy Abunda who just might be named Tourism secretary by the incoming Noynoy Aquino administration, there are no formal offers yet but only “feelers” (as in haka-haka) that Regal Matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde is being “eyed” as head of the Optical Media Board (OMB), a position currently held by Ronnie Ricketts (who, I must say, is doing a fairly good job even without publicity). Ronnie took over from Edu Manzano only late last year when Edu filed his certificate of candidacy for vice president.

It’s also being whispered around that Grace Poe-Llamanzares might be tapped to replace Consoliza Laguardia as chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

Mother Lily fits the OMB post to a T because she knows the problems of the producers, one of which being rampant piracy, and she must have an idea where those pirated tapes are coming from.

On the other hand, Grace can handle the MTRCB job very well because, even if she’s quiet and low-key, she has the credentials. A Political Science graduate from Boston College (USA), Grace is a lover of films with a liberal outlook. Like Mother Lily, she also knows the problems of the producers and the (reasonable) demands/concerns of moviegoers.

But before “bashers” out there gang up on Mother Lily and Grace like they are doing to Boy, I must hasten to add that there are no formal/official offers (yet) but only feelers/haka-haka (speculation).

In fact, when asked about it, the two ladies’ reaction is one of surprise, saying, “Ganoon ba? My God, we are the last to know!”

* * *

When Charlene Gonzalez met the press the other day as endorser of Cenovis (Fish Oil), she was confronted with two issues currently hogging the headline: Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral’s take against herbal supplements and the DepEd proposal to include sex education in the kindergarten and grade-school levels.

“When I endorse a product, including an herbal supplement,” said Charlene, “I make sure that I use it. I won’t endorse anything that I don’t believe in.”

Sec. Cabral will be glad to know that the Cenovis distributors have included this “warning” on its flyer: Mahalagang paalaala: Ang Cenovis Fish Oil ay hindi gamot at hindi dapat gamiting panggamot sa anumang uri ng sakit, even as they insist that “it helps promote healthy circulation and lower blood cholesterol for a healthier heart.”

Charlene and her husband Aga Muhlach (who celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary with a quiet family dinner last May 28) have eight-year-old twins, Andres and Atasha, who are in grade school.

“Am I in favor of sex education in the lower levels?” asked Charlene. “Huwag naman sa kindergarten kasi masyado pa naman silang mga bata. But for me, it’s important that teenagers should be aware of (the birds and the bees). With regards to our twins, we see to it that we monitor even what they’re watching on TV.”

“On leave” by choice from showbiz, Charlene conceded that her priority is her family even as she admitted that she’s missing hosting a dance show. But doing a teleserye is a no-no because, she said, “it’s time-consuming; it would take me away from home for longer periods.”

But she qualified. “Everything naman has a trade-off. I may not be doing TV but I have naman a happy family.”

Igi Boy, Aga’s love son with Janice de Belen, has just sired a child with his wife, making Charlene also a grandmother.

“The baby was in the house the other day. I was joking, ‘Hoy, ha, ang aga-aga ko naging...” she laughed, “ayoko na sabihin. Kasali pala ako d’yan, ha.”

No, she doesn’t want to be called lola yet.

Okay, Mamita na lang, puwede?

Good idea, why not?

The proposal (wishful thinking?) of my US-based friends that the forever “warring” Kapuso and Kapamilya networks practise what they preach about peace and unity by “cross-guesting” their stars for a week (or even just for a day) as a nod to the call of incoming Pres. Noynoy Aquino for a similar move drew all sorts of reactions from all over, all of them saying, “Yes, why not?”

Here are some of them:

• From Lito Balquiedra (former head of dzMM, sister station of ABS-CBN): Your idea of cross-guesting of talents between ABS-CBN and GMA is fanciful to say the least. But it’s worth trying. To jumpstart it, maybe Kris Aquino could be the first to guest over GMA’s celebrity talk show. That could start the ball rolling, so to say.

Your proposal brought back memories of my efforts to organize a Christmas party for ALL broadcast personalities some 16 years ago. A lot of kibitzers said it could not be done considering the “fierce” on-the-air competition of broadcasters trying to out-scoop one another for news. But try I did. Most everybody showed up from dzBB, dzMM, dzRH, DWIZ and dzXL. It has been a yearly tradition since then and is one occasion all broadcasters look forward to.

It would be quite a great show to see talents of both ABS-CBN, GMA and maybe TV5 onstage for the Noynoy inaugural show at the Quirino Grandstand. What sayeth thou?

• From reader Rommel R. Tabutabo, DELMON CO LTD-Hofuf Plant: I have been dreaming of it for a long time magmula noong high schbool pa lang ako. That kind of show would be perfect. I even sent e-mails to the two networks. If that ever happened, it would be like the times kapag may laban si Manny Pacquiao. Lahat nakatutok sa iisang show sa TV.

• From reader Christine (who is “gigling with excitement” from Singapore): I read your column about your “dream” of having a week of “ceasefire” among our networks. It got me so excited just thinking about it. Can I suggest that instead of stars guesting on the other network’s shows, why not just do a station ID showing all stars from Kapuso, Kapamilya and Kapatid stations? Theme could be like bonding together for a nation or something to that effect. They can carry their networks’ logos on their shirts or even colors symbolizing their stations so that it will be easier to identify them with their stations. This would be a good “united” station ID for the coming Independence Day celebration.

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