Sey mo, Coco? ARJO AT JULIA, ACTION KING AND QUEEN

ni Mercy Lejarde @Showbiz Talkies | Dec. 9, 2024

Photo: Arjo Atayde at Julia Montes sa TOPAKK - Movie banner

Matitinding action scenes ang bumulaga sa mga nakapanood ng trailer ng Topakk, ang action-thriller na magbabalik sa kanyang Filipino roots at kasali sa 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), matapos magtagumpay sa mga internasyonal na film festival sa Cannes, Locarno, at Austin.

At ibinida nga ng producer nitong si Sylvia Sanchez ng Nathan Studios na ang Topakk ang magbabalik sa init at hilig ng mga tao sa action films na bihira nang mapanood ngayon sa mga sinehan. 

Grabeee naman kasi ang mga eksena rito nina Arjo Atayde at Julia Montes, action na action! Kaya naman, sa mediacon, may vlogger na nagbansag sa kanila bilang “Action King and Queen”. 

Huwoooow!!! Did you hear that, Coco Martin na ‘Action King’ din sa puso ni Julia, in pernes?! 

Well, mula sa direksiyon ni Richard Somes, tiyak na sulit na sulit ang mga action scenes sa Topakk kaya abangan at watch natin ‘to on Dec. 25 para pak na pak!!! 

Bukod sa mga powerhouse performances nina Atayde at Montes, tampok din sa pelikula ang ensemble cast na kinabibilangan nina Sid Lucero, Kokoy de Santos, Bernard Palanca, Paolo Paraiso, Vin Abrenica, at marami pang iba. 

Boom! ‘Yun na!!! 

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PAO Chief, atras mag-senador…

“‘DI AKO TALUNAN” — ATTY. PERSIDA

S get-together sing and dance party ng Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) with matching caroling kay Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta ay natanong itey ni yours truly kung ano ang kanyang masasabi sa iginawad sa kanyang Gawad Amerika Award just recently sa California, USA

Sagot niya, “Bale pang-walo na po itong natanggap kong Gawad Amerika Award at malugod kong tinanggap nang personal sa Amerika at umaasa ako na tayo po ay kasama nila sa krusada sa katarungan para sa mga kamag-anakan dito sa Pilipinas.”

Ano po ang naging pakiramdam n’yo nang tinanggap n’yo ang award?

Sey niya, “Siyempre po, masaya at nakita ko uli sila.”

Tatakbo po ba kayo ngayong 2025 elections for Senate?

Aniya, “Hindi po ako kakandidato ngayong 2025. At never pa po akong kumandidato bilang senador taliwas sa mga isinusulat nu’ng ibang mga media na ako raw ay talunan.

“Ako raw ay panganib. ‘Di po ako panganib. Ang PAO ay tagapagligtas sa mga api at hindi pa

po ako tumakbo bilang senador.”

Sagot naman ni yours truly ay, “Gusto ko po, maging presidente kayo ng bayan someday,” pero umiling lang siya at nagsabing, “Masamang mangarap nang napakataas.”

Proven naman na talagang mabuting tao at mapagmalasakit si Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta at ‘yan ang aking naranasan sa kanya, sa true lang and in pernes, wa etchs, boom ganern!

Pinaasa raw siya, pero never ipinaglaban… MARIS, TODO-SORRY NA NABULGAR ANG LANDIAN NILA NI ANTHONY

ni Mercy Lejarde @Showbiz Talkies | Dec. 7, 2024

Photo: Anthony Jennings at Maris Racal - Interview, ABS CBN, YT

Nagsalita na ang aktres na si Maris Racal sa pagkakasangkot niya sa kontrobersiya na siya ang dahilan kung bakit niloko o nag-cheat ang aktor na si Anthony Jennings sa nobya nitong si Jam Villanueva. 

Ito ang makabagbag-damdaming pahayag ni Maris:

“Today, I will be speaking from my heart. Lahat ng sasabihin ko maraming galing sa puso ko. Today, I will take accountability for everything. Nagkamali ako and I want to say sorry for everything that I have done.

“It all started last June of 2024. I was in a very dark place. I was lonely. And I was getting attention for my thing. The kind of attention that I needed.

“When I sensed that there was this brewing attraction between Anthony and I, nadala ko sa emotions ko. And I knew that was wrong. I came clean right away. I told my ex everything. And I admitted things to him. And then we broke up. 

“It wasn’t easy. It was… It was very hard for me too. I announced the breakup. The reason why I became so emotional during the interview was because I was holding back the truth. ‘Yan ‘yung totoo. I wasn’t really able to simmer down, I wasn’t able to reflect on what had happened. 

“I was working every day for days… straight weeks, straight months. Bago nagsimula ‘yung mga dami ng trabaho namin, I told Anthony that I broke up with my ex. And he also said the same thing.

“Mind you, I was in a very lonely place. I was so lonely. And I was so vulnerable at that time. Like everybody na kaka-break lang, you would be so vulnerable. I was working every day. At sa lahat ng trabaho na ‘yun, kasama ko si Anthony. Aaminin ko, sa araw-araw na punta (sa) trabaho namin, nahulog din ‘yung loob ko.          

“He would be very sweet to me. He would be such a gentleman to me, he would say things to me. He would tease me on the set in front of other people. He would tell all the people who were close to me that he was single. So, I was confident to act a certain way around him on the set. Because in the eyes of the people there, we were both single. Araw-araw kami nagtatrabaho and... September came. We went to Italy for our shoot sa teleserye namin na Incognito.

“And that, doon nag-start na naging deep ‘yung pagkakilala namin sa isa't isa, I really fell. Noong pauwi na kami ng Italy, it was my birthday. And we were stuck at the airport. The whole day. He would say things to me that are sweet. He would say promises. We would tell promises to each other. And then nu’ng pauwi na ng Italy, I felt so happy that I had to post something on my IG (Instagram) story just to appreciate him during that day. And then pagkauwi ko, I think the next two days, I saw a post or reposts ni Jam on nangamusta ako. I said, ‘Kamusta si Jam?’ NangamustaTikTok.

“Nakita ko lahat ‘yun. And, at that time, ‘yung time frame na ‘yun, nasa screenshots din na ako kay Jam, it wasn’t because dahil alam ko na sila pa. Dahil alam ko na she was going through something and Anthony had to take care of her. But at that time, nagtatrabaho pa rin kami and he would still be the same way to me. I would ask him, God knows I asked him. ‘Nagkabalikan ba kayo?’ He said ‘No’, ‘Did you still love her?’ He said ‘No’. He would say things na ako ‘yung gusto niya and all, I really asked him so many times.

“And then the first wave of bashing on TikTok, masakit ‘yun para sa ‘kin. I asked him, ‘When are you gonna release a statement na wala na kayo? When? Because in the eyes of the public, you were taken. But I know that you’re not’, and he would be very sweet to me. ‘When are you gonna release a statement?’ He would tell me, he was waiting for the right moment. I didn’t want to be pushy, I didn’t want to aggravate things. So I waited and kept quiet because it wasn’t my story to tell anyway, I kept quiet. 

“October has passed, we were still working every day and then Halloween. It was the very first night we went out na medyo sweet kami sa isa’t isa. The next day, Jam posted on her IG story, there were no names mentioned. There were no names, but people were insinuating that it was Anthony and I. So the waves of bashing came again. I asked him again, when are you going to release a statement? God knows how many times I begged for a statement. I begged him to fix this because I was so tired of getting bashed. He said ‘Wait’ that he was waiting for the right moment. I waited, I still kept quiet, I really wanted to speak up but it wasn't my story and I would look really pathetic.

“Days went by. The presscon of Incognito happened. He released the statement. To me, it was too late because at that time, I was slowly distancing myself from him romantically. The infatuation and the attraction died. But thank you for the statement. I thought everything was in the clear. I thought everything was gonna be okay. Ilang days ang lumabas, lumipas. 

“‘Yung screenshots. When I saw it, it was 10 PM on a Tuesday night. When I read it, I was gutted, I was shocked. I’m truly… truly embarrassed. Dahil nakita ng tao lahat ‘yun without my consent. Against my will. I read the screenshots over and over and over again. Ang pinaka-nashock ako doon, I read it, it was the perfect narrative. That there was this other woman, that there was this apologetic boyfriend and the avoidant boyfriend towards the other woman and the scorned woman, that’s the narrative. That’s her side of the story and there’s nothing wrong with that but this is my side, this is my side. 

“Doon ko napagtagpi-tagpi lahat na kaya pala ‘di siya makapag-release ng statement, dahil sila pa pala this whole entire time. I didn’t know, I was in the dark. I didn't know, I had no idea. God knows ilang beses akong nagtanong. Ilang beses ako nanghingi ng statement. I was… 

“Doon ko rin na-realize na bakit ganu’n ‘yung reactions ni Jam. Now I get her, I get her pain, I get her wrath, I get her anger, kaya pala ganu’n. Because she was clueless about everything, I was clueless about everything, we both believe kung anong mga nasabi sa ‘kin. Maybe iba ‘yung sinabi sa kanya and I can attest that iba ‘yung sinasabi sa ‘kin. That’s my side of the story. I have so many things to say. Hindi ka ako makapaniwala na mapapahiya pala ako nang ganito sa buhay ko. 

“So to the public, I'm sorry that you got to see that very intimate side of me, ganu’n talaga ako ‘pag nagbigay ng pagmamahal. It was supposed to be private. It was supposed to be private, intimate thing. I’m sad, I’m sad na nakita ‘yun ng tao. And yes, I’m not, I don’t want to play the victim here, nagkamali din talaga ako. And I want to say sorry to those people I have hurt. 

“I reached out to Jam last November, I did not get a reply. I think that was last November because I wanted to know what's up. So, I’m sorry. Most especially, I’m very sorry and truly sorry to those people who supported me for 10 years, alam nila lahat na ginapang ko ‘yung career ko. Mapunta lang sa kung saan ko gusto, ginawa ko lahat, pinaghirapan ko lahat sa tulong nila. Nagagawa ko ‘yung mga gusto ko. I don’t know where I’m gonna go. I don’t know saan ako papunta, ‘yung dignidad ko, hindi ko mahanap. Whenever I go out, whenever I walk, I feel like I’m a naked woman walking, hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko, I’m so embarrassed. And I’m sorry that you get to see that. 

“But I can assure you, tuloy pa rin ako, tuloy pa rin ang laban. Magtatrabaho pa rin ako kahit mahirap. Hindi pa rin namamatay ‘yung apoy sa puso ko. I’m still looking for that little girl inside of me. It's hard to look for her now. But someday, I will find her and I will be able to hold my shadows. What you saw was not a perfect human. I’m far, far from being perfect. 

“What you saw was a human being. I’m just a human being.”

Well, sa naging confession na ito ni Maris Racal, mapapakanta ka na lang ng awiting:

“Mahirap talagang magmahal ng syota ng iba, O sakit ng ulo, maniwala ka....”

Boom, ganern!

SAM, PAKAKASALAN NA SI RHIAN ‘PAG NANALONG MAYOR

ni Mercy Lejarde @Showbiz Talkies | Dec. 5, 2024

Photo: Sam Verzosa at Rhian Ramos - Instagram

Sa early Christmas party na bigay ni Cong. Sam Verzosa at business partner na si RS Francisco to some members of the press pipol ay natanong ni yours truly si Cong. Sam  a.k.a. Dear SV of Kapuso Network na kung sakaling siya ang manalo bilang Manila mayor this coming 2025 election, pakakasalan na ba niya ang kanyang labs na si Rhian Ramos?

“Opo, gagawin namin ‘yun kasi kasama ko s’ya sa hirap, kasama ko siya sa tagumpay,” ang ngiting-ngiti niyang sagot.

Okay, ngayon pa lang, congratulations na sa inyong dalawa ni Rhian at kung kayo ang talagang itinakda ng tadhana sa isa’t isa, well and good.

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Du’n naman sa story conference ng Unconditional movie ay isa si Rhian Ramos sa mga lead stars nitey kasama ang award-winning actor na si Allen Dizon na gaganap as transman.

Plus co-stars din nila sina Elizabeth Oropesa, Lotlot de Leon, Paolo Gumabao, Rico Barrera, Joel Lamangan at iba pa, written by Jerry Gracio and directed by award-winning filmmaker Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr. at si Dennis Evangelista ang line producer. 

They will start filming sa Siargao this coming December 8 produced by BR Film Productions.

On Rhian Ramos’ side naman, natanong itey kung what if malaman niya na isang transman pala ang pinatulan niya?

“Kung sa tunay na buhay, I don’t think na ‘yun ang uunahin ko. Pag-iisipan ko muna, kasi when you fall in love, it will always takes you by surprise. Hindi naman malayo na posibleng ma-in love ako either sa babae o sa transman. Since it is not something pre-planned, so possible to fall in love with a transman or a lesbian,” katwiran ni Rhian. 

Sey mo, Michelle Dee?

O, kayo mga Marites at tribo ni Mosang, may condition ba kayo or wala sa mga magiging loves n’yo? 

Think and think BIG, ha! ‘Yun na!

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Si Daniel Padilla naman ang natanong kung ano ang pakiramdam niya habang ongoing ang taping nila ng Incognito?

“Wala naman akong naramdaman na kaba, kasi wala naman silang ibinibigay na pressure

sa ‘kin while doing this Incognito. I am just doing my best at kung ano ang kalalabasan. Well, that’s it! Basta I am doing my best and I am proud sa lahat ng mga nagagawa namin dito as a group.

“And I am excited na ipakita ko ito sa erpat ko. Sa trailer pa lang ng Incognito ay excited na ako,” lahad ni Daniel.

Another tanong, maikukumpara ba siya sa kanyang mahusay na tiyuhin na si Robin Padilla when it comes to being an action star?

“Iba-iba naman kami ng timpla. Magaling si Tito Robin, mahusay. Tignan naman natin kung ano ang maio-offer ko bilang action star dito sa Incognito,” aniya.

Sa tingin ni yours truly that night sa Incognito Q & A portion ay tipong pumayat at nabago ang hairdo ni Daniel. May kinalaman kaya ito sa one year anniversary ng paghihiwalay nila ng ex-girlfriend niyang si Kathryn Bernardo last November 29, 2023?

O, ‘di ba, may kasabihan sa Chinese na kapag nasawi ka raw sa isang pag-ibig ay magpaputol ka ng buhok or ibahin ang style na ‘di tulad nu’ng dati nu’ng sila pa ni Kathryn Bernardo.

Well, that's for you to find out, mga Marites at tribo ni Osang d’yan, okidoki? Boom, ganerrnnn!

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Sa preskon ni Mr. Cecilio Pedro na owner ng Happee toothpaste na ang unang naging endorsers ay sina Ruffa Gutierrez at BB Gandanghari ay napabilib naman kami kay Dr. Cecilio na presidente rin ng FFCCCII sa kanyang pagiging vocal at proud sa pagsasabing, “Ako po ay Christian at naniniwala ako na Christians should celebrate Christmas but at the same time it's all about Christ. It’s all about Jesus Christ. Ang sabi sa Bibliya, whatever and whoever accept the Lord Jesus Christ will be happy in eternal life. Sa John 3:16, for God so love the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." 

Ang Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) ay taos-pusong nagpapasalamat kay Jose Mari L. Chan, kilalang mang-aawit, manunulat ng kanta, at respetadong negosyante, sa kanyang hindi matitinag na suporta sa mga iba't ibang sosyo-kalakal na inisyatiba ng federation.

Pinuri ni Dr. Pedro ang mga kontribusyon ni Chan sa isang kamakailang pagtitipon at binigyang-diin ang malawak na network ng 170 Filipino Chinese chambers at iba't ibang organisasyong pang-industriya sa buong bansa mula Aparri hanggang Tawi-Tawi.

Ang FFCCCII ay may mahalagang papel sa pagtataguyod ng ekonomiya, pagtulong sa mga biktima ng kalamidad, mga libreng misyon medikal, at pagsuporta sa mga pampublikong paaralan sa mga liblib na lugar, pati na rin ang pagbibigay ng tulong sa mga volunteer fire brigades ng Filipino Chinese na tumutulong sa mga biktima ng sunog at kalamidad, anuman ang lahi o katayuang panlipunan.

Bilang tugon sa anim na malalaking bagyo, pinangunahan ng FFCCCII, sa pamamagitan ng Filipino at Tsino Magkaibigan Foundation, ang mabilis na paghahatid ng mga pagkain at ayuda sa mga lugar na tinamaan ng matinding pagbaha sa Bicol, Metro Manila, at iba pang mga lalawigan.

Muling inihayag nina Jose Mari Chan at Dr. Cecilio Pedro ang matagal nang pangako ng komunidad ng negosyanteng Filipino Chinese na tumulong sa mga kababayang Filipino na naapektuhan ng mga kalamidad at itaas ang kalagayan ng mga kapus-palad sa buong bansa.