Echo, Kim engaged!

Best wishes to Jericho “Echo” Rosales and Kim Jones who are now engaged. Kim is a Fil-Brit model based in Australia.

A Born-Again Christian, Echo fittingly made the proposal at the New Life Christian Center yesterday morning.

“Kakaiyak,” Echo’s manager Angeli Pangilinan quoted Maricel Arenas (CEO of Kidzania, a Lopez-owned company), as saying, “so simple, so joyful! The message theme was ‘Jesus is…Unli-Love’ and Echo’s proposal was the closing. Pastor Jeric said someone just requested if he could come onstage to express his message of love. It was Echo who said that he could never explain how being a sinner, he was chosen by Jesus, ‘Why me?’, saying Jesus gave His life for him. Turning to Kim, who was celebrating her birthday, he proposed by asking, ‘Why me?”, following it up with, ‘Will you marry me?’ It was so touching!”

It has been a good year for Echo who has won three Best Actor awards for Alagwa — from the PMPC Star Awards, Urian Awards and the Newport Beach Filmfest (his second from it). To be released by Star Cinema nationwide on Oct. 9, Alagwa also won Best Film Narrative at the 3rd Indie Filmfest in California (awarding is next month).

Of course, Echo’s biggest award is Kim, his beautiful living trophy.

Echo on his Twitter: I love you, Miss Jones. You are the love of my life. Thank you for saying YES (to forever) to me. Happy birthday! God is amazing! Yeeeeeehaaaa! We are #engaged!!!

Kim on her Twitter: I love you @jericho_rosales!!! Thank you for making me the happiest lady in the world!! Now I can say “I’m engaaaaagggeeeddddd!!!!!!!!”

The couple plans to have a beach wedding but no date was announced.

Can’t have enough of Mario Maurer?

Thai actor Mario Maurer is on his third visit here, this time for further promo for Penshoppe which he is endorsing and to the drum up for  his Thai starrer Pee Mak (with Davika Hoorne, said to be “the all-time highest-grossing movie in Thailand”) which will be released Aug. 28 by Star Cinema as part of its 20th-anniversary offerings.

Two weeks ago, somebody formerly connected with Penshoppe told me that Mario (through his Thai manager) wanted to call me to clarify the “romance” issue involving Mario and comedienne Cacai Bautista who, in fairness, never claimed that she and Mario were an item but were only friends. Cacai worked with Mario and Erich Gonzales in the Stare Cinema movie Suddenly It’s Magic. Mario reportedly found Cacai “fun” and “funny.” That was all.

Star Cinema publicist Mico then asked me to submit 10 questions for an e-mail interview with Mario who had a change of mind and didn’t want anymore to talk about Cacai, and answered only the remaining five questions. Here they are:

Tell us about what you remember most about your first two visits to Manila (first for Penshoppe and then to help promote Suddenly It’s Magic and to attend the movie’s premiere).

“The first time I was in Manila, I got the impression that  Filipinos and Thais were alike in a way. Filipinos are very friendly and very warm, and they gave me a warm welcome. I felt all the cast and crew were very professional. And the second time I was very grateful and surprised to receive such big support and love from my fans here. I cannot thank enough for the opportunity I have gotten.” 

Any places in the Philippines that you missed during your visits and that you would like to visit this time (if you have the time…which may be impossible because he’s going back to Bangkok today)?

“If I have more time I want to visit the countryside. But I usually never have enough time because of my tight schedule.” 

Tell us about your latest movie, what the story is and what role you’re playing in it.

“My latest movie is Pee Mak. It’s about an urban-legend ghost story. I play a character named Pee Mak. I really hope that all the fans here will enjoy this movie.” 

Aside from that movie, what have you been doing after your visit to the Philippines? What’s new about you?

“I will be back in Thailand to shoot a TV drama.”   

Would you like to do another movie project in the Philippines again?

“Definitely!”