Yeng’s advice to Write About Love co-star Joem

At the recent presscon for Write About Love, TBA Studios’ official entry in the 2019 (45th) Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), Yeng Constantino was asked what pointers about relationships she would give Joem Bascon, her leading man.

Quoting what parents have been reminding their children, “Totoo ang sinasabi ng mga magulang na ang pag-aasawa ay hindi parang pagkain na iluluwa mo kapag napaso ka. Once you are married, lalabas ang ugali that at first ay hindi ipinapakita. You and your husband will reveal your dark sides. Dadaan kayo sa pagsubok.”

Food for thought for Joem who is rumored to be having problems with his live-in model/vlogger girlfriend, especially since it came from Yeng who is happily married to Victor Asuncion, worship leader at Victory Christian Fellowship where they belong.

In the rom-com movie-within-a-movie directed by Crisanto B. Aquino (who co-wrote the script with Janyx Regalo), Yeng (as Joyce) and Joem (as Marco) play characters in a screenplay rewritten to suit the producer’s taste by writers with contrasting views on love and relationships played by Rocco Nacino (the experienced one) and Miles Ocampo (the greenhorn one). Marco is a construction engineer and Joyce is a talented singer for an upcoming band. On their “200-day anniversary,” cracks begin to show in their relationship.

Asked further how she dealt with what she called “dark side,” Yeng explained, “You are two flawed people perhaps with unresolved family issues or a traumatic childhood…all these emerging during the early stages of the marriage. Dapat ihiwalay mo ‘yung tao in his past from the person who is with you now. You should learn how to adjust to each other, make sacrifices. Kapag mahal n’yo ang isa’t-isa, you can cope and make each other happy.”

Yeng (second from left) with (from left) Write About Love director Crisanto B. Aquino, and co-stars Miles Ocampo and Rocco Nacino

During the presscon, Yeng entertained the movie writers by rendering two songs from the movie’s soundtrack by Jerrold Tarog (now out via Star Music Philippines), Kapag Ako ay Nagmahal (Jolina Magdangal’s remake which debuted at No. 2 on Spotify’s New Music) and Ikaw Ang Akin, an original composition by direk Crisanto himself.

“The songs are very touching,” shared Yeng. “I was internalizing during the recording; feel na feel ko ‘yung lyrics.”

That is, especially the stanza that goes: Kapag ako ay nagmahal/umiyak man ako/hindi ko ito ikahihiya/handa akong magtiis.

Graded B by CEB (Cinema Evaluation Board) and rated G (for all audiences) by the MTRCB, Write About Love opens nationwide on Dec. 25.

Pacquiao featured soon in HK Madame Tussauds

Pinoy Pride Manny Pacquiao is all set to reveal his wax figure at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong in 2020.

After 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, the next FiIipino icon to be immortalized in Hong Kong’s Madame Tussauds is…you guessed it…Manny Pacquiao.

“I’m very honored that they chose me,” said Pacquiao whose 41st birthday also happens to fall on the same day as the announcement of the exciting news. “Masaya ako na maitataas ko muli ang bandera ng Pilipinas sa ganitong paraan. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong has many personalities including my fellow athletes and excited ako na makatabi ko sila doon.”

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong senior marketing manager BoBo Yu shared her excitement to have Pacquiao as another Filipino wax figure in their roster of icons.

 “The Philippines continues to be one of our strongest markets and having Pacquaio who is known globally for his achievements in sports is an honor for us. He is one personality that the attraction has been wanting to have and we cannot wait the Filipino fans to see the figure in 2020,” said Yu.

According to the report, it took six hours to measure Pacquiao for his wax figure. However, Pacquiao stayed in good spirits throughout the afternoon, patiently cooperating with the team from UK to make sure they got every detail right while having fun with the staff on site.

“It was a new experience for me,” shared Pacquiao. “Ganito pala ka-detalye gumawa ng wax figure kaya mas na-appreciate ko yung mga staff.”

Pacquiao was also equally thrilled to share this news with his family.

“Mas naging proud ako na maging dad nila. I can’t wait to bring them to Madame Tussauds Hong Kong to see my wax figure. Excited rin ako to see how it will look like and i-share ito sa mga Filipino fans.”

Funfare learned that a survey was held which Filipino icon should be featured in Madame Tussauds. Pia topped the survey. Manny was second and Lea Salonga was third. Does that mean that soon Lea will be the next to be “waxed?”

Isko: Being Manila Yorme is a 24/7 job

Manila Yorme Isko Moreno happily receives a framed copy of a STAR carrying a story about his taking a short executive program at the John F. Kennedy School in Harvard

Doesn’t Manila Yorme Isko Moreno ever sleep?

That’s the impression that you get if you monitor the news reports. Vivian Sarabia, a.k.a. “Eye Stylist of the Stars,” and Your Funfarer saw it for ourselves when we dropped by Yorme Isko’s City Hall office last Friday to discuss Vivian’s plan to donate 7,000 (or more?) pairs of glasses to the city’s residents, just like the project she did with Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto.

The receiving area was crowded with visitors who have to patiently wait for their time with the Yorme. After waiting for one hour, we were ushered into the main office but it took several minutes before Yorme emerged, obviously deprived of sleep.

In the TV news that morning, Yorme was reported to have personally led a raid on a drug den (or something) and before and between such raids, inaugurated this and that project, and continued to make the city bright by day and brighter by night, safer now than it used to be.

We didn’t take much time with Yorme since the queue of other visitors was getting longer.

After selfies and groufies, we bade Yorme goodbye and thanked him for the precious time he had spared us…and reminded him to, well, “get some sleep.”

Yes, we gave him a copy of The STAR that carried a two-page story about his taking up a short executive program at the  John F. Kennedy School in Harvard.

(For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)