Kapuso stars add glam & glitter to Araw ng Dabaw

DAVAO CITY, Philippines  — For years now, GMA Network has been participating in the annual festivals of different provinces in the country to truly make the celebration more glittery and fun.    

Here in the Durian capital, the presence of Kapuso stars never fails to bring excitement and cheers to the crowd either during mall shows or street parades. For several times, The STAR has witnessed how Davaoeños shriek and scream in delight while others click their cameras away every time they get to see up close and personal their favorite stars. 

That same scenario happened once more when GMA flew in its bida and kontrabida stars here recently for a series of events in connection with the diamond celebration of Araw ng Dabaw. Among them were My Beloved lead stars Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera; Legacy’s Heart Evangelista, Lovi Poe, Geoff Eigenmann, Sid Lucero, Mike Tan, Ryza Cenon and Chariz Solomon; Biritera’s Dennis Trillo, Rich Asuncion, Glaiza de Castro, Roseann Magan and Barbara Miguel; and Hiram na Puso’s Kris Bernal and Mark Herras.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte with 2012 Mutya ng Dabaw Marianne Mae ‘Yanni’ Te

This year, the local government of Davao partnered with GMA in the province’s search for Mutya ng Dabaw, making the beauty and brains search the grandest and most entertaining, to date.

In a press release, AVP for sales and marketing of GMA Regional TV Oliver Amoroso stated, “The Kapuso Network is elated to take the challenge of leveling up the prestigious search in time for the 75th founding anniversary of Davao City. This is our way of showing that we are truly committed to serve our regional audience by becoming a medium to showcase the beauty and positive spirit of Dabawenyos to the world.”

The coronation night was held last March 14 at the Almendras Gym with Dingdong, Isabelle Daza, Resci Rizada and Ana Maris Igpit as hosts. Miss World first princess Gwendolyn Ruais sat as one of the judges. It will be aired via a special telecast in all GMA regional stations today.

Twenty-one-year-old print model/chef Marianne Mae Te or Yanni, as she is fondly called, was crowned Mutya ng Dabaw 2012. She bested four other finalists when she impressed the judges and the crowd in the question and answer portion. The question was something like this: If she will be a tourist guide for a day what would make one’s stay in Davao special and why? Part of Yanni’s answer was: Living in Davao is close to perfection as it is the only place that offers the beauty and bounty of the highlands and the islands.

Yanni, an AB Hotel and Restaurant graduate of Philippine Women’s College, made Dingdong blush during the casual interview when she said that she can cook and serve “a maasim na maasim at malinamnam na sinigang” for him. Dingdong then asked her how she would end a dinner with the one person she wants to cook for. Yanni said that a dinner with a special person can be ended with a quick kiss on the cheek, and Dingdong gave her one, filling the air with deafening screams.

Coming from a family of culinary experts, Yanni’s advocacy is in line with cooking. She aims to use her culinary know-how in teaching culinary entrepreneurship to unemployed women. She plans to organize a livelihood project where she can teach stay-at-home moms to come up with dishes that they can sell and generate income within the comfort of their homes.

“I call it Attainable Culinary Entrepreneurship where I could teach or facilitate other groups to teach culinary skills,” says Yanni, who also took up Culinary Arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies.

Asked what if she gets an offer to join showbiz, Yanni replies, “If given the chance, why not?”

Equally feeling victorious are Heart and Kris who both play challenging roles in their respective drama shows. Heart says playing Diana in Legacy is far different from the characters she did before.

“The story seems so real that I never want it to end. People will see the realities of life that no one is perfect. We commit mistakes but at the end of the day, we realize the consequences of our actions,” Heart says.

Just like Diana, Heart says, she’s also in a stage where she knows how to put her foot down regarding certain things.

“Now that I’ve become mature, I have learned to say no. I like who I am now because I’ve become stronger. Before, when something’s wrong, I would freak out. I would see the whole world against me and then I don’t want to work anymore. Now, if you don’t like me, then it’s just fine with me. I’ll just do what I need to do.”

Kris, on the other hand, feels Hiram Na Puso is another acting test for her. She has to make her sickly character Lira as convincing as possible. She did some research by visiting and talking to cardiologists. She even went to hospitals to observe how a person with a heart condition moves.

“After a four-month break, I’m thankful to be working again. The show totally challenges my ability to act appropriately with the role. Imagine, kasabayan ko pang umarte si Miss Gina Alajar, ay abot-abot talaga ang nerbyos ko.”

The cast of Hiram na Puso and Biritera performed at the NCCC Mall while Legacy stars joined the early morning parade dubbed Parada Dabawenyo and entertained the crowd at Gaisano Mall the afternoon of March 16. Marian and Dingdong with other My Beloved co-stars graced the Kapuso Barangayan at the Doña Salud Covered Court last March 17.

(Highlights of Araw ng Dabaw can be seen in Let’s Fiesta TV Special airing on GMA TV Davao, CDO and GenSan on April 1.)