Niño on bringing up Alonzo

Curtain-raisers:

• With Hermano Pule, directed by Gil Portes with Aljur Abrenica as titular star, out of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) as official entry due to lack of funding, will its vacated slot go to Reality Entertainment’s Honor Thy Father which premiered at the Toronto International Filmfest last September? There are seven more weeks until the Metro Filmfest opens on Dec. 25 so we’ll never know what will plague the other entries (Star Cinema’s All You Need Is Pag-ibig topbilled by Kris Aquino has undergone some changes in the cast under pains of being fined by the MMFF committee.)

• From a Funfare DPA: A sexy starlet, one of a magazine’s 100 sexiest, met a guy at a bar. After a few drinks, they agreed to cap the night by going to a very private place. “It was only when they were done and the spirit of wine was gone did the starlet realize that the guy was a popular basketball player,” said the DPA.

• I will never forget the number 617. You see, that was the room number of a Quezon City hotel where I found by accident a couple who were young then. I was there to deliver a painting to the actress’ manager. When I knocked on the door, it was the actress who opened it in her negligee, with her actor-boyfriend peeping from behind her. She got pregnant, got married and then separated.

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Five-year-old Alonzo Muhlach is the carbon copy of his dad Niño not just in looks but in talent. At the press launch for Frabelle Foods for which he’s endorsing the hotdogs (Aprub ni Bossing, according to the Frabelle campaign), Alonzo entertained the movie writers by singing and dancing, and during the open forum, cleverly fielding the questions.

“He’s first honor during the first semester,” Dad Niño proudly revealed. “He’s in kindergarten at La Salle Greenhills.”

Niño said that he’s trying to bring up Alonzo the same way he was brought up by his dad, Alex Muhlach.

“If I can equal only half of how my dad raised me, masaya na ako,” admitted Niño. “During my time, I was doing one movie after another and my dad never made me stop schooling. Ngayon kasi, maraming child actors ang tumitigil sa pag-aaral. And also, my dad invested my earnings very wisely. Nakapag-pagawa siya ng building and put up an ensaymada business.”

The only difference between Niño and Alonzo is dealing with toys.

“My toys are intact,” said Niño. “Naka-display sa aparador. I never played with them, I just wanted to look at them. With Alonzo, he plays with his toys until they are broken, which is okay lang. Gusto niya ‘yung nilalaro hanggang sa masira.”

To avoid showbiz going to the boy’s head, Niño makes it a point to accompany Alonzo to charity events where he plays with ordinary kids. “I want him to grow up like any normal kid,” said Niño.

The Frabelle Hotdog is Alonzo’s fourth endorsement. He has done four movies, with Viva Films’ Wang Fam as the latest (starring Andre Paras and Yassi Pressman).

“I’m a hands-on dad,” added Niño. “I have to be with him all the time. Nakita mo naman siguro kung gaano kalikot ang anak ko.”

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