Gabby-Sharon movie: Go or no go?

On the heels of her McDonald’s commercial with Gabby Concepcion, which attracted more than four million views on YouTube, Sharon Cuneta posthaste posted on social media her and Gabby’s throwback pictures taken from their starrers way back when, hinting that their much-awaited comeback re-team-up would be pushed through. Sharon showed the same enthusiasm when Unexpectedly Yours, which reunited her with Robin Padilla, set the tills merrily ringing, likewise enlivening the social media with her and Robin’s (remember-when?) pictures, complete with confessions of love and devotion.

Just as quickly, Sharon deleted her throwback photos with Gabby, making people wonder whatever is happening to her and Gabby’s long-delayed movie that has been the subject of speculation since last year, prompting hangers-on to guess what’s causing the project’s delay (disagreement on talent fee, etc.?).

Nalu Concepcion with her Tito Gabby

So what is the real score? Is it a go or a no-go?

Funfare asked the most reliable and most credible sources no less.

• Gabby Concepcion: “Tuloy for me. I don’t know where that news came from.” (That is, that the project has been shelved. In a recent Funfare interview, Gabby said that the TF [Talent Fee] was not an issue and that he was even willing to do the movie for free.)

Ika-6 Na Utos, Gabby’s hit GMA serial drama, is ending this week (March 12 to 17) and there’s a rumor that GMA is offering Gabby another project which is far more attractive (in more senses than one) than Ika-6 Na Utos.

• Angel Javier (GMA vice president for corporate communications): “Wala pa po but there are some proposals being set for him. Will let you know pag mayroon na.”

• Olive Lamasan (managing director of Star Cinema, the company behind the Gabby-Sharon project): “We have expressed our desire to do a movie for them (but) it’s still in the negotiation stage. Meanwhile, we are preparing several concepts to pitch to them.” (Note: Olive has replaced Malou Santos who retired recently when she turned 60.)

Incidentally, during an exchange of text messages with Funfare, Gabby mentioned how proud he is of his niece Nalu, daughter of Gabby’s older brother, Dr. Luis Concepcion — “My brother is an oncologist in Kentucky, USA. When he graduated, out of the 1,500 medical students, dalawa lang ang pumasok; he was one of them,” said Gabby.

Nalu is arriving with her dad tomorrow. Here’s what she said about herself and what the purpose of her visit is, in a letter to Funfare:

I am currently a high school Junior (11th grade), but left home at age 14 as a freshman because I was fortunate enough to be offered a spot at the number one high school in America, Phillips Academy (PA), also known as Phillips Andover or Andover, a boarding co-educational college preparatory school founded in 1778 (nearly a century before the American civil war). It has approximately 1,150 students from 48 states and 45 countries, half of whom avail of financial aid bestowed by the school’s billion dollar endowment. Notable alumni include the 41st President of the United States George H.W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States George W. Bush, John Kennedy Jr., Humphrey Bogart, and Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes.

Gabby is proud of his niece Nalu Concepcion (above, with her dad Dr. Luis Concepcion, a Kentucky-based oncologist

Prior to taking my first formal computer programming course at PA, I had no experience with computer programming at all. I realized that many of my classmates and fellow students from other parts of the country and abroad had been exposed to programming since they were young kids. It occurred to me that a large part of my initial difficulty learning how to code stemmed from a lack of access to formal programming classes while I was in middle school.

Andover has since done an excellent and admirable job of filling in that significant void. Upon returning home for break last summer, I reflected upon my past year away at school. I decided to give back and pass it forward to the kids of my small hometown who, like me, previously have no access to this wonderful gateway to many great possibilities.

Thus, I founded techNALUgie (see my website: technalugie.com) back in the summer of 2017. After cobbling together 10 refurbished computers and getting permission to host the event at the McCracken County Public Library, I spent that summer conducting a two-week programming seminar for my peers that I offered for free.

I will be launching the program on a larger scale and a more hardwired venue beginning this coming Monday, March 12, through the 16th, where I hope to kindle interest in a larger number of bright eyed kids. However, this foray will be special because this time I hope to enlighten Filipino youngsters.

Following this “Asian Tour” I intend to meet further similar commitments since I will again be offering this class in my small hometown of Paducah Kentucky from July 9 to 20.

As previously noted, the course I offer is completely free and is open to students proficient in Algebra and with a zeal to explore something complex and the spirit to wade into a brave new adventure that at the end of the day is not only great fun but is also brilliantly satisfying.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected].and [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)