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For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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MANILA --- Director Joel Lamangan is gloating. And why not?
In this year’s awards derby, his films have harvested a total of 18 awards so far, including the best film-best director awards for “Aishite Imasu” at the Filam Academy of the Philippines (FAP).
Stars who have won awards for his films include Vilma Santos (two best actress awards for “Mano Po 3”), Jay Manalo (three for “Aishite Imasu” and “MP3”), Dennis Trillo (seven for “Aishite Imasu”), Maricel Soriano, Wendell Ramos and Eric Quizon (one each for “I Will Survive,” “Sabel,” and “So Happy
Together,” respectively), and Judy Ann Santos (two for “Sabel”).
He’s happiest for Juday. “My goal was really to give her a best actress award,” he says. “Kasi, I was impressed when we worked together in “Magkapatid.” Ang husay-husay na artista, wala pang award. I felt she should have won there for best supporting actress but she got nominated as best actress along with Sharon Cuneta. So I did ‘Sabel’ with the intention of giving her a best actress award and my mission is now accomplished after she won the Golden Screen and Urian best actress trophies. I really feel so fulfilled when I see my actors going on stage to claim their awards.”
Joel is truly an actor’s director. Nora Aunor won her international best actress plums in Cairo and Penang for his films, “Flor Contemplacion Story” and “Bakit May Kahapon Pa.” He gave Beth Oropesa a grand slam as best actress for “Bulaklak ng Maynila” and Glydel Mercado a grand slam as best supporting actress for “Sidhi.” Eddie Garcia won in the Urian for the first time in his “Deathrow.” He gave sisters Assunta and Alessandra de Rossi acting awards for “Hubog.” Ara Mina won several best actress awards for “Huling Birhen sa Lupa.” The list is really endless.
Joel is now busy directing the comedy about a man with three wives, “Ako Legal Wife,” for Regal, an entry in the Metro-Manila film festival this coming December, and the teleserye with magic realism, “Vietnam Rose,” for ABS-CBN.
He’s leaving for Saigon on June 17 to shoot several scenes of “Vietnam Rose” with Maricel Soriano, Jay Manalo and other cast members. He intends to have two entries in the Metro filmfest. Aside from “Ako Legal Wife” starring Jay Manalo, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Cherry Pie Picache and Rufa Mae Quinto, he’ll do “Chinoy,” a drama about taipans starring Eddie Garcia, Christopher de Leon, Rudy Fernandez and Bong Revilla. (MNS)
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MANILA --- The handsome actor, who is regularly seen in the ABS-CBN sitcom “OK Fine, To Ang Gusto Nyo!” revealed that although there have been offers for him to star in a soap opera, “I say no all the time. Nakakapagod yun. Mahirap kasi para kang walang buhay. Iyon na ang magiging buhay mo kapag tinanggap mo yon. Okay na ako. Once a week sitcom, taping every Monday, masaya na ako dun. I have movies naman,” he said.
Aga spends practically half a day only, taping for his weekly “OK Fine, To Ang Gusto Nyo” which airs Monday nights on ABS-CBN. His show, which originally airs within the network’s primetime block, now normally comes in at around 10:30-11 p.m. (This week, Aga will be introducing his brand-new leading lady, MTV VJ Mariel Rodriguez, also formerly a co-host with GMA-7’s “Extra Challenge.” The young lady will play the role of a fruit vendor who catches Aga’s interest.)
Aga laments this fact and said, “it’s kinda frustrating in a way but there’s really nothing we can do about it. This is already the way things are. Nakakapanghinayang lang kasi minsan we have really prepared something really good for the audience, but it ends up being watched by a minority of audience only because of the time slot. But then again, this is the way it is now.”
He, however, stressed that with this kind of programming strategy, “they can’t really come down to us and ask us to fill overwhelming expectations when it comes to ratings. It just doesn’t follow. We were practically hitting a smaller market share, siyempre hindi naman puwede magpuyat ang mga bata, and that’s where the bulk of my audience lies. So, for as long as they don’t make unfair expectations on us, in this situation, we are okay,” he said.
Aga also disclosed that he does not concern himself anymore with ratings. “Bawal na ibaba yang ratings na yan sa set. I don’t require and I don’t want to know. To me kasi, for as long as your show is loaded with advertisers, there is some success to it already. I don’t need the ratings to cheer or disapppoint me,” he said strongly.
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MANILA --- Gretchen Barretto really made her presence felt at the wedding of Willie Revillame and Liz Almoro at the Sanctuario de San Antonio.
She was a secondary sponsor with Richard Gomez. She was expected to follow the motif and come in a fuschia gown, just like the rest of the women in the entourage. But what do you know, Gretchen came in a yellow gown instead. She actually had two gowns prepared for the occasion. One made by Inno Sotto and another one made by Paul Cabral. She came in Inno’s gown. She was simply made up and coiffed by Patrick de la Rosa.
A society writer told us: “From what I heard, Gretchen really prepared for the event. Alam niyang dahil sa dami ng mga sponsors, na kilala naming mayayaman, nagpapatalbugan ang mga ito. Kaya, ang instruction niya kay
Patrick was to make her look as simple as possible. And no jewelry, please. Just a pair of earrings.”
Equally beautiful in her simplicity was Charlene Gonzales, who wore a strapless gown by Fanny Serrano. She also had very minimal jewelry.
Charlene was there to accompany her husband, Aga Muhlach, who looked dapper in a Ben Farrales barong. Aga was a best man, with Cesar Montano, Randy Santiago (who was a no-show, as he is in a concert tour in Europe with
Rachelle Alejandro), John Estrada, Bobet Vidanes (Willie’s director in the game program, “Wowowee,” on ABS-CBN), Edu Manzano (another no-show), Edgar Mortiz and Richard Gomez.
Richard Chan, a news photographer, asked Gretchen and Charlene to pose for a photograph. He commented: “Walang itulak-kabigin sa ganda ang dalawang ito.”
Come to think of it, didn’t Aga and Gretchen, at one time, sing beautiful music together?
Gretchen is now happy with her partner, business tycoon Tony Boy Cojuangco, the father of her nine-year-old daughter, Dominique. They reside in Dasmariñas Village, Makati. (MNS)
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