Derek: Marriage is about full commitment to each other

Been there, done that. Talk about falling in and out of love and Derek Ramsay has a lot to say, having experienced (read: survived) the peaks and valleys, the ins and outs, and the highs and lows of that four-letter word.

It’s no secret that Derek has had a failed marriage (that produced a son that he loves so much; he has remained friends with the boy’s non-showbiz mom) and colorful romances duly monitored by the movie press and he has nothing but good words about his ex-girlfriends, two of them Solenn Heussaff (with whom Derek even starred in a movie, Regal Films’ Love is Blind) and Angelica Panganiban (with whom Derek is not in pleasant terms).

No wonder Derek seems to act naturally in the love-triangle movies that he has been associated with, such as Star Cinema’s Kasal which also stars Paulo Avelino and Bea Alonzo, directed by Ruel Bayani.

“It’s wonderful to be working with Bea again,” Derek said. “I worked with her in And I Love You So. Same with Paulo and direk Ruel. They are all so talented people.”

But first, a clarification. Five years ago, he didn’t renew his contract with ABS-CBN, sister company of Star Cinema, and instead joined the starry exodus to Kapatid network TV5 with name stars from both the Kapuso (GMA) and Kapamilya (ABS-CBN), lured by reportedly astronomical TFs (Talent Fees), only for many of them to go back where they came from like prodigal sons and daughters.

Asked if, now that he’s back at Star Cinema, he’s just a step away from ABS-CBN, Derek minced words and simply said, “I’m just happy that I’ve spoken to all the people that I’ve worked with and who played important roles in building my career.”

As the third wheel between Paulo Avelino and Bea Alonzo in Star Cinema’s Kasal in which Derek plays a character that is, he says, ‘very complicated just like me’

Enough said (read between the lines).

As the third wheel in Kasal, Derek’s character creates complications when he comes back just when the characters of Paulo and Bea are about to get married.

“It’s a story of love and commitment,” said Derek, “and it shows how love can bring out the best and the worst version of yourself.”

That’s the voice of experience.

“My character Wado is very complicated just like me. He made many mistakes in his past but he worked very hard to change his entire being. Because of love, he is forced to make more mistakes.”

Does he think that marriage guarantees that a couple will stick to each other for better or for worse, ‘till death do them part?

“Having a wedding or a piece of paper saying that you are married doesn’t define what a real marriage is all about. Marriage is about full commitment to each other.”

So what makes a marriage work?

“A perfect balance of love, commitment, trust and sacrifice.”

With enviably rich experience mirrored in his movies, it’s a bit hard to believe that Derek has never been involved in a real-life love triangle.

“In all honesty,” he confessed, “in real life, I’ve never been in a situation that I find myself in my movies,” meaning that he’s not a two-timer, just a one-woman-at-a-time man. “I hope,” he added, knocking on wood, “that I would never find myself in in that sticky situation.”

Pia as busy as ever

Pia Wurtzbach and Marlon Stockinger: No wedding plans yet even if they are very much in love

Just when people think that Pia Wurtzbach would slow down after her reign as 2015 Miss Universe, her good friend and mentor Gerry Diaz (a BDO executive who is a bona fide member of Aces & Queens, the group that grooms beauties for pageants abroad) pleasantly realized that Pia is as busy as ever.

Said Gerry (Funfare’s “beauty specialist”),“I asked Pia if she already has a follow-up to her hit movie with Gerald Anderson, My Perfect You, or if she is doing a teleserye and she said she would love to but her very busy schedule would not allow her. She will be doing a lot of traveling for her travel show Pia’s Postcards which will air on Metro Channel (formerly Lifestyle). She has been doing a lot of appearances abroad for IMG and the Miss Universe Organization (MUO).” Now on her second year as BDO endorser, Pia has been getting a stream of endorsement offers, both here and abroad.

“The day after our meeting,” added Gerry, “she flew to Bangkok to shoot a commercial for a beauty product.”

As a “happy trip” gift, Gerry gave Pia a Bidi Bidi bag from Baao, Camarines Sur, which is made of bangkuan grass and adorned with crocheted ornaments. The stylized and stylish bag is made by a community of women in Baao who earn good money for their families.

“The project is a brainchild of painter/artist Bernadette de los Santos whose bags caught the attention of Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau during the last APEC summit in Manila,” shared Gerry.

And, yes, contrary to rumors, Pia and Marlon Stockinger are still very much on.

“It was Marlon who picked up Pia after our dinner,” revealed Gerry. “He was his usual cheerful self, always exuding that humble and positive aura. I learned that they would soon shoot a product endorsement together.”

Didn’t Gerry ask the sweethearts if they had any wedding plans?

“I did not,” Gerry smiled. “But all I noticed is that they are so very much in love.”

Obviously, Marlon was not affected by the rumor linking Pia and Gerald during the shoot of their movie. Some quarters dismissed it as a gimmick to promote the movie.

Wilma Galvante serves school where she studied

Wilma Galvante leading the Pledge of Loyalty with the PLM graduates of 2018.

It is said that the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) is among the schools where you find the brightest students. One of them is former GMA executive Wilma Galvante who graduated with honors.

The good news is that Wilma is now serving her dear alma mater.

“In December 2017, I got a phone call from PLM Lenny de Jesus, casually asking if I would be willing to be nominated as a member of the PLM Board Of Regents (BOR),” Wilma told Funfare. “My first question was, ‘How much time would it require from me? When she said at least two board meetings a month, I told her to go ahead. That was my only concern. I thought, if I should get appointed, I certainly could fit in that time in my calendar no matter how busy I may be. After all, this is PLM and I owe a lot to this university.”

Republic Act 4196 mandates that one member of the Board of Regents must come from the alumni of the University.

“I graduated from PLM in 1973 with an Associate in Arts degree and a Bachelor of Communication Arts degree major in Public Relations and Advertising,” continued Wilma.

Hon. Salvador Medialdea, Executive Secretary of the Philippines being conferred the Honorary Degree of Government Management Honoris Causa by Dr. Benjamin Espiritu (PLM chairman of the Board Of Regents) and PLM president Dr. Lenny de Jesus.

“So, it goes without saying that on top of the decisions that the BOR has to oversee in providing for the interest of the university, I should look into the concerns and interests of the alumni and how best to establish a symbiotic relationship with the university.”

On April 20, during the PLM Commencement Exercises, Wilma had the privilege of leading the Pledge of Loyalty with the graduates of Batch 2018. On that occasion, the university, through its BOR, also conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Government Management to Hon. Salvador Medialdea, Executive Secretary of the Philippines, and the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Entrepreneurship to Tony Tan Caktiong, chairman of Jollibee Foods Corporation.

“My entire PLM experience taught me that there really is no such thing as ‘free’ despite the fact that as scholars, we were not charged a single centavo for tuition and all,” summed up Wilma. “It still came with a demanding price — diligence, hard work, a strong will to excel, the drive to succeed and pass the grade, and on top of it all ­— a code of ethics that PLM students had to imbibe to uphold our moral principles. These were powerful seeds that took roots and molded me through the years. I haven’t had the chance of immersing myself in the current batch of PLM students yet but I hope to get that opportunity as Regent. I am sure I will see the same fire in them that I had many years ago.”

Chairman of Jollibee Food Corporation Tony Tan Caktiong being conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Entrepreneurship, Honoris Causa, by Dr. Espiritu and Dr. De Jesus.

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