ALIW si Ruru Madrid, tila na miss nito ang girlfriend na si Bianca Umali na hindi na umabot sa presscon.

Kaya kahit standee man lang ng Kapuso actress, binitbit niya at itinabi sa kanya habang kumakanta silang lahat na Sparkle artists ambassadors ng Beautéderm kasama ang C.E.O. na si Ms. Rhea Anicoche-Tan.

Nang makausap namin si Ruru, tinanong namin ito kung ramdam na ramdam niya ang pagmamahal ni Bianca na nagpa-convert talaga sa kanyang relihiyon, ang Iglesia Ni Cristo.

Sabi naman ni Ruru, “Siguro marami rin na misconceptions na mga tao na parang pakiramdam na ‘yung pag-convert ni Bianca sa INC just because of me, pero siguro, naging instrumento ako for her. Pero siyempre, hindi ko naman siya tinutukan ng baril na, ‘mag-convert ka para sa akin!’

“Walang gano’n, siya po ang nagsabi sa akin na na-open siya sa aral ng Iglesia Ni Cristo. At no’ng sinabi niya po sa akin na gusto niyang magpa-doctrina, birthday niya po ‘yon. Kaya sobrang na-touch ako.”

At binigyang-diin din ni Ruru na hindi basta-basta nagiging kaanib ng INC.

“Hindi naman po overnight lang parang maging parte ng Iglesia, it will take months bago ka ma-convert. So, inaral niya po ‘yon. I don’t think it’s because of me kaya po niya ginawa.”

Natakot daw sila ni Bianca noong magpaalam silang dalawa sa Lola Vicky nito na magpapa-convert na nga si Bianca. Natakot daw sila na baka hindi ito pumayag, kaya nagulat pa sila na napaka-open din nito.

Pag-amin pa ni Ruru, “Pinag-panata ko ‘yon. Every night, pinagpi-pray ko ‘yon.”

Sa isang banda, kumpara dati na nakilala siyang babaero, nagka-crush man daw siya sa ibang babae, pero hanggang doon na lang.

“Siyempre, may mga paghanga pa rin, pero hindi ko masasabi na romantically na gusto kong maging girlfriend ang babaeng ‘yon, wala na pong gano’n siyempre,” sey niya.

Inamin ni Ruru na selosa si Bianca, pero may dahilan naman daw. At inamin din niya na may dahilan dati kaya ito nagselos.

“Kaya sabi ko nga sa kanya, lalo na no’ng binigyan niya ‘ko ng isa pang pagkakataon na hindi ko na hahayaang masayang ang tiwalang binigay niya sa akin. Ayoko ng makita siyang masaktan. Ayoko ng makita siyang umiiyak.”

Magkasama rin sina Bianca at Ruru sa unang pagkakataon sa bagong teleserye ng GMA in collaboration sa VIU, ang “The Write One.”

***

TEENAGER na ang panganay na anak nina Lian Paz at Paolo Contis na si Xonia.

Ang ikalawang anak naman nila na si Xalene ay 12 years old na. Magkasabay ang birthday nilang dalawa na March 7, with only one year apart.

Nag-post si Lian ng emotional message sa kanyang dalawang dalaginding na parehong beauty and brains. Pero mas tumatak sa amin ang sweetness at thoughtfulness ni John Cabahug.

Si John ang partner ni Lian kunsaan, sa Cebu na sila naka-base. Kahit na hindi tunay na anak ni John sina Xonia at Xalene, hindi mo ito mararamdaman dahil mas mararamdaman kung gaano niya kamahal ang dalawa na literally, lumaki na sa kanya at siya na rin talaga ang nag-provide ng mga pangangailangan.

Nag-post si Lian sa kanyang IG stories sa pagsu-surprise ni John kina Xonia at Xalene. Sinalubong ni John si Xalene sa paglabas ng school at binigyan ng malaking stuffed toy. Si Xonia, as 13 na, sinurpresa niya ng bouquet of roses.

May caption si Lian na, “first flowers ever bago may ibang makapagbigay.”

Si John naman, may Instagram post at greetings sa dalawa na, “Happy Birthday mga anak! Thank you for loving daddy! I will forever try my very best to take care both of you. Always kayo good girls ha. Love you!”

Pinupuri naman ng mga netizens si John sa pagmamahal at pag-aalaga nito at pagiging “ama” nga ng dalawang bata.

(ROSE GARCIA)

PINAG-UUSAPAN ngayon ang ni-reveal ng Korean-American businessman na Jeffrey Oh tungkol sa controversial actress na si Liza Soberano.

Ibinulgar nga ng business partner ni James Reid sa ginanap na 2nd Philippine Creative Industries Summit na mayroon daw offer noon kay Liza na mag-audition para sa character ni Mary Jane sa Marvel blockbuster movie na “Spiderman: Homecoming.”

Pero hindi raw siya pinayagan ang aktres dahil may kontrata ito sa ABS-CBN.

“They reached out for her to audition to be Mary Jane, one of the most iconic characters. And she was not allowed because she had to do the same thing she was always doing,” pahayag ng CEO ng Careless.

Pag-amin pa ni Jeffrey, “I really shouldn’t have said that. But it’s the truth.”

“This wasn’t, like, as if she was being marketed – they reached out. There are people looking for Filipino talent. People are looking for that.”

Dagdag pa niya na may panghihinayang, “Imagine, a Filipina actress was a star of one of the biggest Marvel movies in history. Imagine she was Mary Jane, what that would do for Philippine entertainment.

“She could’ve been representing our country all over the world. There are other stars in the same situation.

“But then she was in a 10-year contract, which is also unheard of anywhere else in the world.”

Nagbigay din siya ng “big reason” kung bakit may mga talented stars naman pero ‘di nakaka-penetrate internationally.

Kuwento ni Jeffrey, “I’ve sat down with executives, they were like: ‘Holy crap, did Liza just come from a 10-year contract that she signed at 12? Isn’t that illegal? Would the option to renew exclusively the manager’s discretion? Which is a standard practice of any major management company.

“That’s why, you know, people were like: ‘Oh my God, how did you guys get to sign some big actress when you’re a start-up?’ It’s because our contracts are normal. We’re like, ‘Hey, it’s four years but if you don’t like us you could leave after a year.’ ‘We only take 20 percent and at that 20 percent, if we messed up we’ll give it back to you…That’s the standard talent entertainment contract.”

“But then after 10, 11 years, she (Liza) wanted to try something and the whole country flipped out,” dagdag pa niya.

“She’s the most talked-about person on social media for the last six, seven days. And not even one percent of the conversation, that’s holy crap. She was in 11 years contract since she was a child? Is that okay? And the answer is no.”

Sa pagpapatuloy niya, “You know, my partner, James Reid, he started Careless because he was like: ‘This is ridiculous… We need to represent the country but we can’t.’

“I think, if you look at any major (industry), whether sports, or entertainment, we always talk about, like, gratefulness – that was the word of the week. For us, Careless, ingrata – I learned that word this week. Utang na loob – I learned that word this week too.

“But should we wait until our biggest stars — that has the best chance at representing us — Should we wait until they’re 35, until they’re 40? Until their prime has passed?

“It’s like, you know, if we think of our stars and our creatives as national athletes that are supposed to compete in the Olympics of culture, why wouldn’t we want to send our best? Why would we lock them up all here? Why would we shame them for trying to take risks, right?”

Nag-react naman ang mga netizens sa statement ng Careless CEO dahil tila taliwas ito sa naging pahayag ni Liza sa naturang isyu.

‘Noong 2016, nakuhang linawin na ‘fake news’ lang at hindi nga totoo na may offer sa kanya ang Marvel Studio. Mga supporters lang niya ang gustong mag-audition siya sa role ni Mary Jane.

“It’s not really an invitation. I think it was what the fans wanted lang, fans of Marvel.

“I think one of them is Pinay and parang she tweeted that, parang kung merong magiging Mary Jane Watson, she would want it to be me.

“All my fans started retweeting it and everything but wala naman po talagang invitation,” pahayag noon ni Liza.

(ROHN ROMULO)

TULOY ang showbiz career nina Jan Marini at mister niyang si Gerard Pizarras sa pamamagitan ng manager nilang si Rams David ng Artist Circle Management.

Pareho silang freelancer, hindi sila nakatali sa kahit na anong TV Network, ang pinakahuling serye ni Jan ay sa Kapamilya Network, ang ‘A Soldier’s Heart’.

“Pero inabutan yun ng pandemic so na-cut short, hindi ko na natapos. Ang huli ko naman show sa GMA, I’m not sure pero baka yung ‘Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga’ with Andrea Torres, I’m talking about full-length regular, ha?

“Nag-Wish Ko Lang na rin ako, yung Wish Ko Lang yung talagang balik ko, talagang full taping nitong pandemic, after the lockdown. Nag-number one daw yung episode na yun, natuwa naman ako kasi first appearance ko yun for so long.”

Si Gerard naman ang pinakahuli niyang show sa GMA ay ‘Magpakailanman’.

Napasok sila sa talent management ni Rams noon ng may magbalita sa kanila, ang Production Manager na kaibigan nila, si Redgyn Alba ng GMA, na magre-resign na si Rams sa production ng GMA at magtatayo ng sarili nitong artist management.

“That was 2013, kasi kami after Mr. M hindi na kami nagpa-manage sa kahit sino so naisip lang din namin, sige nga, para may representation and kaibigan din naman namin si Rams, naka-work namin several times so iyon, thankfully okay naman sa kanya.

“So nagkaroon kami ng a few years of working together and then nagpaalam kami for a while kasi nag-full time ako as a home-schooling mom.”

By homeschooling mom, ang ibig sabihin ni Jan ay siya ang naging guro ng kanilang mga anak dahil nga nagsara ang mga eskuwelahan dahil sa pandemya.

“Parent educator is what it’s called, so seven years ko na yung ginagawa so naka-enroll kami as a family sa provider, meaning para ma-credit yung mga itinuturo ko.

“Kailangan yun, otherwise ako ang didirekta sa DepEd to present my kids’ grades so ngayon para mapadali yung sistema I enrolled in a homeschool provider kung saan doon ko na sina-submit yung grades.

“And we decided to enroll in the US so technically US graduate sila. Ginagamit namin yung curriculum ng American school, accredited doon.

“Para i-honor din yung mga units na itinuro mo sa anak mo. That’s why yung daughter namin after ko siyang mag-homeschool hanggang  senior high, she’s now enrolled at the Ateneo.”

Dalawa ang anak nila; si Rian ay twenty-one year old girl at si Rain naman ay fifteen-year old boy.

***

WALA na sa ere ang ‘Maria Clara at Ibarra’ pero umaarangkada pa rin ang career ni David Licauco.

Ano ang reaksyon ng kanyang pamilya sa kanyang tinatamasang popularidad ngayon.

“Wala naman,” at natawa si David na binansagang ‘Pambansang Ginoo’ dahil sa pagganap niya bilang Fidel sa MCAI.

“Ano ba… siyempre natutuwa sila for me, I mean kumbaga kasi nung bata ako never kong inisip na maging artista ako.

“So naging artista ako kumbaga big deal yun for them. Tapos ngayon na mas nakikilala ako and kung nasa labas kami parang medyo kumbaga mas napapansin ako tsaka maraming nagse-send ng message sa mom ko, sa dad ko, kumbaga may nagpapapiktyur na rin sa kanya so for sure matutuwa naman siya, hindi naman siguro siya naba-bad trip or anything.”

Ano ang hobbies o pampa-relax ng isang David Licauco?

“Naku! Basketball. Nagdyi-gym pa rin ako everyday.”

Mahilig ring magpamasahe at magpa-spa si David, sakto nga na endorser siya ng Blue Water & Day Spa.

Samantala, muling mapapanood ang tambalan nina David at Barbie Forteza sa ‘Daig Kayo Ng Lola Ko: Lady and Luke’, tuwing Linggo, mula March 12 hanggang April 2  alas sais ng gabi.

(ROMMEL L. GONZALES)