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 showbiz
 
Sa totoong daigdig ng krimen
Hindi na ito pelikula. Nakataya ang buhay ni Bong Revilla sa laban sa mga pirata.
 
    Marami ang mga humahanga at pumupuna sa mga nagawa ng lider ng Videogram Regulatory Board (VRB) na si Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. laban sa talamak na pamimirata ng mga CD at VCD na ikinalugmok ng industriya ng musika at pelikula.
    Sa loob lamang ng ilang buwan mula nang mahirang na chairman ng VRB ay nagampanan niya ang layunin na bawasan ang bilang ng insidente ng pamimirata ng CD

  at VCD ng 50% bago magtapos ang taong kasalukuyan.
    
“Bago ako pumasok dito sa VRB, talagang bagsak ang movie industry eh, at least now, the industry is slowly picking up. Nalagpasan ko ang goal ko. Mga 60% din ang na-reduce (na bilang ng insidente ng pamimirata ng CD at VCD).”
    Dating simple at tahimik ang pamumuhay ng mag-asawang Bong at Lanie at ang kanilang anim na anak. Kahit noong pasukin ni Bong ang pulitika sa Cavite bilang gobernador ay tahimik ang kanilang buhay. Pagkatapos ng shooting niya sa TV sitcom niyang “Idol ko si Kap,” ay marami pa siyang oras para sa pamilya
Pinakikita ni VRB chairman Bong Revilla Jr. ang mga pekeng CD, VCD and VCR sa isang raid.
 
at sa mga nasasakupan niya. Bihira din siyang gumawa ng pelikula.
    Subalit sa pagkakaluklok niya sa VRB ay dumami na ang mga banta sa kanyang buhay. Ayon kay Bong, hindi maiwasang magreklamo paminsan-minsan ang kanyang butihing maybahay sa mga sunod-sunod na pagsubok at paghamon sa kanya.
    “A lot of death threats pero we’re used to it na eh. Naiintindihan na niya ngayon. Mas mahirap ang ginagampanan ko ngayon kaysa noong gobernador pa lang ako,” ani Bong. Sabi niya, mas mabigat at mahigpit daw ngayon ang nire-require na oras ng bago niyang sinumpaang tungkulin.
    Tuloy ang kampanya ni Bong laban sa mga nagsasabotahe ng ekonomiya. Ang bagong leading man ng pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo laban sa pagnanakaw ng intellectual property rights ay hindi titigil sa pagtugis sa mga walang konsensiya, walang pakialam, makasarili at walang pusong sindikato.
    Kasama sa mga nais niyang supilin ay ang mga gumawa ng pekeng CD ng tinigil na pelikula nina Sunshine Cruz at Jay Manalo. Nauna nang bilhin ni Cesar Montano ang rights ng pelikula upang huwag ng maipalabas subalit ang mga walanghiyang sindikato ay nakagawa pa rin paraan.
    “Masakit iyun. Hindi pa kami nagkikita ni Cesar pero itong mga namimirata, walang iniisip kundi kumita ng pera. Wala silang pakialam kung sino masasagasaan nila, wala silang pakialam kung magkahiwalay iyung mag-asawa.
    “We will work hard to solve this menace. Challenge sa akin ito at tulong na rin ito sa kaibigan ko,” pangako ni Bong.
Isang hamon din sa kanya na iwasang mapirata ang sariling pelikula.
Kalahok ang bago niyang pelikulang Agimat sa Metro Manila Film Festival ngayong buwan. Kasama niya dito ang kanyang anak na si Jolo.
    “It’s a story about an amulet. Three generation ito from my father tapos sa akin tapos si Jolo. Pambata ito at ginamitan ito ng iba’t-ibang effects katulad sa Matrix. Parang Lord of the Rings din. May 3D, robotic camera, CGI. Kaya makikita nila sa Agimat, ibang klaseng pelikula talaga ito. First time in the history of Philippine movie,” kwento pa ni Bong.
    “Baka mapirata din nila yan eh that’s one way para makaganti sila sa akin. Insulto iyun. Pero hindi naman ako titigil eh hangga’t hindi ko sila nalilinis.”
    Dadag pa ni Bong, “Pag lalo nilang inatake ang pelikulang Pilipino, eh the more the re-raid-in ko sila. Me cause itong pinaglalaban ko dito sa VRB eh. I’m trying to save the dying movie and music industry. We cannot totally eradicate it now but at least na minimize natin ang black market.”
    Walang sinasantong pirata at nagbebenta ng pirata si Bong.
“Once na nag-start ka mag-compromise, kahit sa isa lang yan eh sunod-sunod na iyan eh. Kaya pasensiyahan na lang. Pikit mata tayo. Magalit na kung sino magagalit,” sabi niya.
    Napapakinabangan ni Bong sa bago niyang trabaho ang mga natutunang stunts sa pagiging action star lalo na tuwing may raid sila. Inamin niya na ang kanyang kaalaman sa self-defense ay nagpapalakas-loob sa kanya. Ngunit maingat siya dahil baka armado ang mga sinasawata nila. Alam niyang hindi uubra ang agimat sa bala.
“Pero iba iyun bala, talagang pwede kang tamaan niyan eh. If it’s your time, it’s your time,” sabi niya.
    Totoong hindi dapat isawalang-bahala ang seguridad. May dalawang malapit na kaibigan ni Bong, sina Vincent at Albert Bautista, ang nabaril mula nang manungkulan siya sa VRB. Pero hindi malaman ng pulisya kung may kinalaman ang pamamaslang sa kampanya ni Bong laban sa mga pirata.
    “Up to this point in time we don’t know why eh, we don’t know why they get killed,” sabi niya.
Lalong maingat si Bong dahil nais niyang umabot pa sa 2004 upang sumali sa eleksyon.
    “That’s what my father wants me to do. He wants me to run for senator kase he’s retiring eh. Siyempre, kahit sinong tatay gugustuhin na iyung anak niya eh susundin ang mga yapak niya,” ayon kay Bong.
Sa ngayon ay pinag-aaralan niyang mabuti ang pagtakbo.
    “Ayoko ring pumasok sa isang bagay na hindi ko muna napag-aaralan at hindi rin ako sigurado kaya pinag-aaralan kong mabuti. Siguro ang pinaka-test case niyan eh, pagbutihan ko muna ang trabaho ko dito sa VRB.”
    Hindi inaasahan na magiging VRB chair si Bong. Noong una ay ayaw ng kanyang ama, si Senador Ramon “Pepeng Agimat” Revilla Sr., na tanggapin ni Bong ang posisyon dahil sa dami ng makakalaban niya dito. Subalit ngayon ay suportado na niya ito. “Mga kalaban ko dito is not only a small time syndicate. Mga big time syndicate iyan. Mga drug-related pa nga iyan eh. Me mga information pa tayong nakuha na meron pang investor diyan na ginagamit ito (pamimirata) para sa money laundering,” sabi ni Kap.
    “Basta ako, habang nakaupo ako dito at nakasagabal sila sa industriya eh babanggain ko sila. Wala akong pakialam kahit sino pa sila. I don’t care!”
 
Maui Taylor is next singing sensation  

    Like many other sexy stars, who shifted from doing bold movies to singing, new sex symbol Maui Taylor revealed that she also wanted to try recording.
    “Yeah, I also want to sing,” said the half-Briton, whose name is Maureen in real life.
    Viva big boss Vic del Rosario promised to make her a single under Viva Records in the near future. “I really would love to do it so hopefully matuloy,” she said.
    The 19-year-old petite and gorgeous Maui intends to show her 35-25-33 figure in the silver screen for just a short time.
“Basically, umangat yung career ko because of what I did. I’m just using it as a stepping stone for a better genre, maybe drama or comedy. Eventually, mawawala din ako sa pagpapa-sexy ko,” she said.
    For her male fans, don’t be alarmed. You can still collect her pictures and watch her movies. She still has 13 films to do with Viva Films.
    Maui enjoys what she’s doing now and she has no regrets.
Her second movie, “Hibla” with Rica Peralejo and Antonio Aquitania was said to be more successful than her first movie, “Gamitan.”
    Meanwhile, among the three leading men that she has worked with (Jordan Herrera, Wendell Ramos and Aquitania), she describes Wendell as the best kisser.

 
Maricar de Mesa stars in Nympha
      After the success of her recent movie “Bedtime Stories” — a trilogy about sodomy, necrophilia and ecstasy — Regal films is set to release the Maricar de Mesa-starrer “Nympha” this month.
    Of course, the second of her 10-movie project with Regal Films would surely delight Maricar’ fans again and continue to shock her friends and relatives, who are not used to seeing her bare. But she has no qualms about showing her skin and 34-24-34 body on the screen. In fact, Maricar enjoys what she’s doing.
    “It’s purely professional work and there’s no malice at all,” she said.
    Born to a half-German half-Filipino father and a half-Spanish half-Filipino mother, Maricar also takes criticism constructively in the intriguing world of show business.
    Her dad would always tell her not to get affected with the negative publicities but instead, try to put it inside her mind so she would learn how to deal with it. So now, she’s used to it.
    Maricar was discovered by German “Kuya Germs” Moreno, a friend of her dad, in 1993.
Maricar de Mesa
 
   
She guested in Kuya Germs’ show That’s Entertainment and eventually found herself enjoying showbiz. She was on and off from TV shows then because of her studies.
    She joined Arnel Ignacio in the game show “Go Bingo” from 1996-1998 but stopped again to finish her advertising degree studies at the International Correspondence School.
    Maricar is very thankful to her present manager, Douglas Quijano, for making her what she is now.
 
Men can’t live without girls like Cherry Lou
    To all the guys out there, would you agree that men can’t live without girls? This is what sexy singer-actress Cherry Lou claimed when asked by Balikbayan on what she thinks of men. (Well, all we can say is, it is likewise sister, hehe!)
    Well, boys can’t really help it especially if they meet someone sexy like Cherry Lou, a talent of ABS-CBN.
    While many actresses work out to look sexy, Cherry Lou believes that boys make a woman sexy. She added, “Just think you are beautiful and you’ll look beautiful. It’s all in your mind.”
    Cherry Lou, who usually opens a dance number in ABS-CBN’s noontime show, MTB (Magandang Tanghali Bayan), said she maintains her 34-24-34 figure and keeps fit through her hard work plus taebo and dance lessons.
    Cherry, who hails from Misamis Occidental, also sings and writes songs. At 16, she recorded two albums under Viva Records namely Cherries and Taste Of Love.
 
Cherry Lou
 
   
    She has appeared in several movies and TV dramas such as My Pledge Of Love, I’m Sorry My Love, Got 2 Believe and Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka.
    She’s also a model, who endorses San Miguel Beer and Porsche Car, and a photography enthusiast. At 22, Cherry Lou is setting up her own business. She is preparing papers to get a FedEx (Federal Express) franchise. She hopes the courier business would materialize soon.
    At 22, Cherry Lou is setting up her own business. She is preparing papers to get a FedEx (Federal Express) franchise. She hopes the courier business would materialize soon
 
Angelene Aguilar: From G-mik fan to TV star
    Angelene was part of the crowd who watched the cast of the afternoon teenybopper TV show, G-mik performed in Los Baños, Laguna in September 30, 2000. Now, she is part of the same TV show and a full-pledge star.
    “Sobrang gusto ko talaga lahat ng cast ng G-mik and now I’m happy kasama na nila ako,” said the 16-year-old Angelene. It was truly a dream-come-true for her.
    A certain David Fablos asked her if she wants to join showbiz after she won the on-the-spot modeling contest of G-mik. After receiving a reply from ABS-CBN last January 21, 2001, she was asked to do a VTR. She passed the audition and was sent to a personality workshop last May 27 to become a member of the Star Circle Batch 9.
    At the workshop, she developed her personality, her acting, singing and dancing skills. Angelene is at present a mainstay in the afternoon drama teleseries “Recuerdo de Amor” playing the new love interest role of Paolo (Diether Ocampo) after being dumped by Rebecca (Carmina Villaroel).
 
Angelen Aguilar
 
 
    She is also a regular cast of K2BU. The Joyce Jimenez look-alike does an opening number in the noontime variety show ‘Magandang Tanghali Bayan’ every Wednesday. She has done a movie with Regal Films entitled Cool Dudes.
    At 15, she has endorsed products like Street Jeans, Oseur Cosmetics, Sketchers and Illustrazios bags. In college, she wants to take up fashion designing and Hotel and Restaurant Management.
    Her parents, friends and relatives are very happy with the way her career is blooming from the time she started.
    Angeline advised the youth of today to just follow their dreams and refrain from doing unpleasant things. “Have no fear of the challenges ahead. If you want it, go get it!”
 
Roel Cortez longs for family reunion
    Do you still remember the song “Napakasakit, Kuya Eddie?” The song from Universal Records was recorded by former singer Roel Cortez and it became a hit in 1984.
    Roel (Roel Corpuz in real life) no longer sings but //he still feels “pain” in that song, which made him famous for a time in the past. Not because he was already forgotten by his fans.
    “Talagang napasakit when even your parents doesn’t care about you anymore,” said Roel, referring to his parents, who have forgotten him.
    He ran away from home at 16 because his parents won’t allow him to sing.
    “Tignan ko kung kaya kang buhayin ng gitara mo,” Roel quoted his father as telling him. He is the youngest of six siblings of Seferino and Felicisima Corpuz.
    Now, at 42 and with seven kids to Corazon, Roel is still yearning to be reunited with his parents. He wants forgiveness. He wants to tell them that he has never gone wrong with his chosen career; that he survived.
    His song that touched the hearts of OFWs inspired a lot of people including Roel to excel. Through his music, he was able to finance the Civil Engineering course of his wife at the Technological Institute of the Philippines. Now they own the CPC Builders, a construction firm based in Marilao, Bulacan.
    In his heart, he wants to meet “lahat ng umapak at humamak sa kanya.” He seems to be successful in his new life but not without his parents. Maybe he knows that no amount of success can compensate for failure in the home.
 
 
 
 
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