The Masculados are 'not for sale'

When Maryo J. delos Reyes presented the Masculados, the all-male group he’s managing, to some movie writers at a presscon a few days ago, he took the opportunity to clear certain issues involving them.

Issue No. 1: The Masculados are not for sale.

“They’re not into that business,” said Maryo, meaning the “flesh trade.” “They may be sexy on stage while they sing, but off stage, they are actually very conservative.”

Maryo revealed that the guys, and even he himself, have been receiving indecent proposals mostly from rich gays and matrons, offering from P30,000 to P50,000 for “a bout,” but no, thank you, insisted Maryo, “hindi sila ganoon.”

The members now number only six — Lexter Lazaro, Enrico Mofar, Robin Robel, Rico Cordova, Orlando Sol and Ozu Ong. The seventh member, Dart Kamboozia, has gone on leave while, according to Maryo, “enjoying being a father” to his love child.

Each of the remaining six members has invested in business, bought own cars and bought houses (by installment) without, according to Maryo, “resorting to monkey business.”

Issue No. 2: Masculado Lexter’s sex video.

“I don’t deny that such a video exists,” said Maryo, letting Lexter do the explanation how it circulated in the Internet.

“It was my girlfriend who took the video with her celfone,” said Lexter, suspecting that it was his girlfriend who uploaded it in the Internet. Lesson: Keep celfones at a safe distance while doing “it.”

Issue No. 3: How to look for Dart’s replacement.

“It’s not that easy,” admitted Maryo. “Applicants have to toe some guidelines. They must know how to dance and sing, they should have nice bodies, and they must be good-looking, of course.”

Asked if some applicants could be “masculadas,” Maryo said, “Yes, it’s possible. But they are easy to detect during their unguarded moments. You simply follow their eyes. If a beautiful girl passes by at hindi tumingin, he could be a masculada. But if a pretty boy passes by at tingin siya nang tingin, then sigurado kang masculada siya,” adding that all six Masculados are “certified straight” (meaning neither bisexual nor gays).

Because their act borders on the sexually provocative, the guys sometimes can’t help being touched in their private parts by over-eager fans. They have learned to shrug it off as part of the hazards of the trade.

It happens all the time, like in their current show Hawakan Mo Na Tour inspired by their new single now getting wide radio airplay. The tour kicked off last Aug. 27 at the Bulalo Fiesta in Fairview, Quezon City, and will have repeats tonight in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan; Sept. 27 at PAGCOR, Tagaytay; Hawakan Mo Na Repeat on Sept. 29 at Library, Malate, Manila; Hawakan Mo Na Ulet on Oct. 29 again at Bulalo Fiesta; Hawakan Mo Na Naman on Nov. 19 also at Bulalo Fiesta; and Hawakan Mo Na Bago Pumutok…ang 2012 on Dec. 29 still at Bulalo Fiesta. Also scheduled is a series of regional and provincial shows.

Guests performers include Ynez Veneracion, Ampli5 (with 1 Problem, 6 Solutions, the newest Bagets band), Leandro Baldemor, Ward Mendiola (Sexiest Man in the City Champion), and Tintin and Migs Cuaderno (of Munting Heredera).

Aside from Hawakan Mo Na (composed by RJ Jimenez of Pinoy Dream Academy), also in the Masculados repertoire are Sana Mama; Lagot Ka! Lagot Ka!; Nakaka; Jumbo Hotdog; and Ganda, Ganda, Seksi, Seksi.

Ynez Veneracion: Not the marrying type

At the Dulcinea presscon, the Masculados gave the movie press a preview by doing Hawakan Mo Na with Ynez, complete with sexy gyrations that seemed to say, “Come and get it!”

But as Maryo and the Masculados gently remind the audience, “Look only, no touch!” even if the title of the song dares you to do it.

(Note: For inquiries, call Productions56 at 372-4505, 0917-9725746 or 0916-2723414.)

Ynez: no marriage, just going steady

Without batting an eyelash, Ynez Veneracion confirmed that she’s going steady with a controversial politician (always in the news) from Mindanao whom she met during the 2007 campaign.

The guy is married and entitled to three more wives, but Ynez said that she’s happy just going steady with him and has no plans of marrying him.

Slim as ever but looking new (read: “re-invented”), Ynez said that she doesn’t visit the guy in Mindanao and contents herself with just seeing him when he’s in Manila.

Obviously, Ynez has found happiness at last in her love life after a tumultuous on-and-off romance with Mon Confiado that led her to a few suicide attempts.

She should stay in showbiz, after all she has a Best Supporting Actress trophy that documents her acting ability.

Pinoy short-film director in Tony Blair competition

The work of Filipino short-film director Paulo Reyes, titled Debts, is shortlisted in Tony Blair Faith Foundation’s global film competition.

Debts, a short film directed by Paulo Reyes (left) is shortlisted in a competition spearheaded by Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair (right)

This good news was relayed to Funfare by Conrad Reyes, Paulo’s father, who sent me a news item datelined Singapore, in which Paulo was identified as one of two Singaporean students in competition. The story mentioned that Paulo is a film student at La Salle College of the Arts; the other is Broderick Elisha, a digital visual-effects student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Both 18 and representing Singapore, they were two out of the 14 final filmmakers selected for the competition.

Although studying in Singapore, Paulo is originally from Manila. According to the news item, his short film Debts, entered in the family category of the competition, revolves around his brother’s experience of gambling and the way in which his Christian faith gives him strength to overcome his addiction.

Paulo’s other film, First Steps to Recovery, is also entered in the family category. It explores illness and death, and how faith can be a great source of strength and solace to those facing these issues.

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation was founded by Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair and launched in 2008, “to promote respect and understanding between people of faith and those of none.”

Entries to the competition came from five continents including Australia, Canada, India, Lebanon, Philippines, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and the USA.

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