Hi, PEPsters! Last Wednesday—April 25—Pia, Raymond, and I had a workshop and some kind of a brainstorming session with Direk Floy Quintos. Floy is the creative consultant and director of the longest-running showbiz-oriented talk show, Startalk.

Ang talino at creative ng Ate natin. Bongga! He gave us tips on becoming effective hosts of the newest center of showbiz entertainment news SHOWBIZ CENTRAL.

He even gave pointers to our writers on standing out in the sea of competition. Nawala tuloy ang kaba ko at ang pumalit ay excitement. A few hours after our workshop kasi, e, presscon na namin.Floy advised Raymond to get himself more acquainted with anything showbiz. Yes mga darling, our bunso—considering he was a

Pia was very attentive. Naloloka siya siguro sa lakas ng boses namin ni Floy at sa energy namin. May mga ideas ako na surprisingly, naisip din ni Floy. Sabi ko nga sa kanya noon, we have the same wave length.

Floy was a cast member of Temptation Island Live!. I produced and co-starred in that stage play a few years ago, and incidentally, it will have a repeat on July. It’s my way of paying my personal tribute to the late Direk Joey Gosiengfiao.At around 9:00 P.M., we started the show’s presscon held at Annabel’s, restaurant in Tomas Morato. Medyo late since we had to wait for Pia, who would be coming from GMA for her daily “Chika Minute.” Pero mas late pa ang mga reporters since kasabay pala namin ang presscon ni Regine at Piolo for their movie in Star Cinema.As expected, I was asked by some reporters kung kumusta na raw ba kami ni Jobert Sucaldito.

Well, here’s the story.

Two days after I texted Tita Cristy Fermin (check my blog entry posted last April 11, it’s entitled “A Sweet Holy Week”) about praying for the recovery of her dad, she replied with her thanks.

My friend Roxy, who’s currently the supervising producer of The Buzz, approached me after that text exchange with Tita Cristy. Roxy is my nanay-nanayan since my college days in UST, and we’re both members of Teatro Tomasino. He said he is very proud of me for making the first move to make peace with Tita Cristy. He jested that Jobert wants to make peace as well.

I remember answering with, “Pag-iisipan ko muna. At bakit ang bait niya lately? Siguro totoong pinagsabihan ng management ‘no?”

And then I told him, “Tell Jobert, may taped akong guesting sa “Balakubak” sa Nuts Entertainment at nilait ko sya doon. Ganti ko ‘yon since wala akong radio program. ‘Pag ‘di siya sumagot doon, malamang batiin ko na siya.”

I was sure nakarating kay Jobert ang aking mensahe. ‘Di nag-comment ang bakla sa radio program niya at sa mga tabloids nya after my Nuts guesting that rated very well. (Read more… )

Sad. It was the last episode of “S-Files” yesterday. I came early for our usual 2:00 p.m. voice over (VO).

Nagkasabay kami ni Pia sa lobby. Alam nyo ba that Pia has no driver or personal assistant with her? She drives her own BMW na walang tint ang windows. Cool! Lahat ng gamit nya ay sya ang may hawak—a make-up kit and a giant banig bag na kahit ang mga outfit nya sa “S-Files” ay kasya. Pinauna ko na syang mag-VO since mas matagal syang ayusan keysa sa akin.

While waiting for Pia to finish, Manong Joey arrived with his super tangkad at gwapo son Yeoj. Nakikipag-live chat si Manong sa mga friends nya in Chicago with his laptop, which he always brings every Sunday. In-interview ko naman si Yeoj, and I found out na may non-showbiz gf na pala and he will enter college in San Beda. Wow!

Si Paolo, he arrived before the show started. Siya lagi ang last na nagvo-voice over since he doesn’t usually wear make-up, and yet, ang gwapo pa rin. Powder lang ni Manang Nyorms, ayos na. Paolo was hyper. Ang feeling ko kino-conceal ang emotions niya since “S-Files” is his pet show in GMA at sya lang ang original host sa amin. He has been with the show for nine years. Imagine that? Kahit ako siguro will be very emotional.

Panandaliang nawala ang last show syndrome when Bossing Vic Sotto arrived at the studio. Ang gwapo! He watched the VTR (video tape recording) of “S-Files” about Lian of EB Babes, who denied receiving a Hello Kitty gift from Janno Gibbs. I even heard Bossing, Vic’s famous nickname, say, “Alam ko yan!” And my comment to Lian’s denial about the Hello Kitty gift: “HELLO!” (Read more… )

Thank God! Sa ratings game last Sunday, 11.7 ang “S-Files” at 9.3 naman ang “The Buzz.” Salamat sa lahat ng nag-watch.

At around 4:30 pm yesterday, April 15, I got this text from my ‘Lo Janno (‘coz I call Bing Loyzaga, Lola Bing)—HI SWEET. LO JANNO MO TO. NUOD MUNA KO NG INTERVIEW NI GLADYS. TEXT KO REACTION KO HA. DI KO ALAM ANG SINASABI NYA.

After the interview of Gladys was aired at around 5:30 pm, Janno texted me this, “DI KO ALAM KUNG ANO SINASABI NYA NA GALIT NA GALIT AKO! TANONG MO KAHIT KANINO, WALA AKONG SINASABING MASAMA ABOUT HER! OBVIOUSLY, SA VIDEO [pertaining to Gladys’s “S-Files” exclusive interview before her one-month vacation in the US], SYA ANG GALIT NA GALIT! NANANAHIMIK NA AKO. PERO NGAYON GALIT NA AKO! NAGPAPUNCHLINE LANG AKO PAG NAIIPIT AKO! AND IM VERY RESPONSIBLE and SENSITIVE WITH MY JOKES. I MAKE SURE HINDI OFFENSIVE. ALAM NG VIEWERS YAN!”

I read the whole message on air. I even joked about the possibility that Gladys would bring her cell phone to the “S-Files” studio to prove that it was really Janno who texted her.

Janno called me after the show. He said he texted Gladys something like, “TAMA NA, TAPUSIN NA NATIN ITO.”

And Gladys replied something like, “IKAW TAPOS NA, AKO HINDI PA.”

Kagigising ko lang. I checked my cell phone, I had a missed call from Gladys at around 6:30 am, Monday, Manila time. Di pa nga yata talaga siya tapos. Abangan sa huling hirit ng “S-Files” ngayong Linggo!!!

(Read more… )

Psst…Ikaw ba ay nalolongkot at walang makaosap? Sawa ka na ba sa boring weekend mo? Napanood mo na ang “Ang Cute ng Ina Mo” sa sinehan, pero gusto mo pang matawa? Your wish is my command! Mag-”Rock da Vote” ka na!

Matagal na ang series ng Rock da Vote na tuwing eleksyon nabibigyang-buhay sa entablado. I remember si Tessie Tomas, Nannete Inventor, Fe delos Reyes at Willie Nep ang mga original cast. Eventually, Jon Santos joined them, and most recent additions were Candy Pangilinan, Giselle Sanchez, and Philip Lazaro.

I have never watched it, kahit nakailang series na ito. Admittedly, wala akong pambili ng ticket noon. Nung mga panahon naman na meron na akong pera, wala naman akong time. And that is why I am excited on the newest Rock da Vote dahil kasama na ako.

Tonight is our opening night at the Music Museum. Joining me are Candy, Pooh, and Jon. For the first weekend, si Chokoleit ang guest namin at si Ms. Teysi naman ang sa next. I am sooooo happy to be working with my friends.

Grabe, college pa lang ako sa UST nakikita ko na sa TV si Jon Santos! Ginagaya niya si Ate Vi sa Vilma. Nakakatawa. That time, sa mga gay beauty contest lang ako nakikita. Si Sheryl Cruz naman ang ginagaya ko. Sa talent portion, boses naman ni Ate Luds ang ginagawa ko. Ms. Talent ang beauty ko.

It was year 1993 when I met Candy Pangilinan at Sam’s Diner, through my fellow Teatro Tomasino member Direk Andoy Ranay. After Andoy transferred to UP from UST, naging friends sila ni Candy. Hindi ko kinaya ang energy ng babaeng iyan. Typical babaeng bakla. Aliw! Nag-jibe ang energy namin. Pareho kaming hyper! Nagsisimula na akong umekstra sa TV noon. Si Candy naman, sa pelikula ni FPJ at ng Regal Films umeekstra. (Read more… )

Ang taray ng mga contributors ng PEP—updated! Well guys, I want you to know na okay na sina Direk Wenn at Anne Curtis. Last Tuesday, before the special screening ng Ang Cute ng Ina Mo sa ABS-CBN Studio 1, kitang-kita kong lumapit si Anne kay Direk Wenn, at sinamahan pa siya ng soul mate niyang si Luis Manzano.

Anne gave Direk Wenn the sweetest “hello po” that I ever heard. This took place sa backstage, bago tawagin ang cast isa-isa. Sa backstage ko rin nasaksihan ang paglapit ni Direk Wenn kay Anne at sinabing “sige na nga bati na tayo.” Anne hugged Direk Wenn so tight and cried. Puro tawanan na lang ang narinig ko after that. Sinundan pa ito ng tawanan ng lahat ng tao na nag-watch that night.

Ang Cute Ng Ina Mo is still showing kaya manood na rin kayo at tumawa. Di raw bumababa ang box office returns ng 10 million a day sa mga sinehan. Salamat sa mga nag-watch na. Salamat at nagkaayos na si Direk Wenn at Anne. (Read more… )

Mabuhay PEPsters! Thanks to all who visited this blog, most especially to those who commented. Those who posted the most interesting comments, I will answer you guys later.

I was a bit sad going here sa Puerto Galera for a break that I truly deserved. My friend Paolo Ballesteros kasi snubbed me (or he didn’t say hi to me as he normally would). He frequents Sencillo, owned by Bambbi Fuentes, in esQuinita (a gimmick hub on Timog Avenue, where I also have a bar, GRAFFiTi).

Nauubusan na ako ng ingles. Kagabi ang last day na open ang GRAFFiTi in time for the Holy Week break. Monday na ulit ang inuman. So as usual bumisita ako. Doon din kasi kami magkikita ng mga friends ko who will also be going to the Baklaan Island of Puerto Galera.

My waiters told me na nandon nga raw si Paolo sa Sencillo, so dumaan ako sa table nila ng mga friends nya, knowing he would say hi to me, pero deadma sya.

Prangka akong tao so maski ang sarili ko, tinanong ko kung bakit kaya nya ako di pinansin? Baka may nagawa akong kagagahan na di ko alam? Then I thought, kailan kami huling nag-chikahan ni Paolo? (Read more… )