Archive for April, 2009
“Andre Tiangco: Up Close and Personal with Father George”
In real life, Andre Tiangco admitted that he is an OC (obsessive compulsive). That is exactly the character of Father George that he is portraying in “May Bukas Pa”! To project that character, Andre has a trademark: he is the priest who wears a small towel on his shoulder. Have you noticed it?
Andre had to check me on the spelling of his name when I first mentioned about him in an earlier article about the priests of “May Bukas Pa”. I followed the spelling of his name as I read it in the promotional materials from ABS-CBN on the show: it was spelled as Andrei!
Going back to his admission that he is an OC, when I asked him what are the manifestations of him being an OC, he said that when he was still staying in a boarding house in Katipunan, he worried a lot on so many things including the problems of his board mates and land lord! I asked him if he is still an OC, he smiled and answered that he was able to outgrow it!
Read More..>>“Robin Tolentino: Up CLose and Personal with Father Chris”
He is the monastery’s official carpenter. As Father Chris, he was the one who acted as the foreman in the completion of the road in front of the church which was excavated but left behind by the contractor. But, in real life Robin Tolentino is a nurse by profession. He graduated nursing from Our Lady of Fatima and in the earlier months of our taping for May Bukas Pa, in between takes, he spent his idle time reviewing for the NCLEX. Robin finds acting as a passion aside from of course a good source of income aside from a fitness gym that he owns in Malabon.
One time, I was so touched to see his mother joined us on the set during the taping. She accompanied Robin during the taping. In another instance, Robin gave each one of us a can of “patis” made in Malabon.
Read More..>>“Badji Mortiz: Up Close and Personal with Father Paul”
The son of Edgar Mortiz. For now, it may suffice as a tag to this young artist. However, I strongly believe that soon, it would the other way around: Edgar Mortiz would be tagged as: Badji Mortiz’ father!
Badji as Father Paul – the monastery’s gate keeper is preparing himself for bigger challenges in the field of showbiz. At present, Badji is very busy with other showbiz activities. Aside from taping for “May Bukas Pa”, he is with the production team of “Banana Split” a sexy-comedy featuring ABS-CBN’s sexy talents led by Valerie Concepcion. Tapings for “Banana Split” is done once a week in addition to three times a week tapings for “May Bukas Pa”. On top of these shows, Badji is a member of an elite group of ABS-CBN talents that are undergoing advanced movie directing class under Director Marilou Diaz-Abaya. His classmates include our director Jerome Chavez-Pobocan and Darnell Villaflor whom I had the chance to work in the past particularly in the Judy Ann Santos Special several years ago. With these skills upgrading that Badji is currently engaged in, I am confident that he will soon be carving his own name in this industry.
Read More..>>“Ruben Gonzaga:Up CLose and Personal with Father Patrick”
Ruben Gonzaga – the natural. That is how I could briefly describe this friend who despite the fact that he was a big winner of Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition has remained unaffected and is as I said a very natural person.
I was watching the big night of that Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition and was very touched when Ruben emerged as the Big Winner. You see, I could easily identify with him the fact that he is a fellow Mindanaoan, he is from Davao and I am from Agusan del Norte. I next saw Ruben co- hosting TinTin Bersola-Babao a nutrition-related show “Busog-Lusog”.
Last December however, I was delighted to meet Ruben in person on the set of Dragonna. I was contacted by Beegee Soldao to play the role of the Police Chief in Dragonna which was the featured story in “KOMIKS” – an early Saturday evening show. It turned out, Ruben was playing the role of a Policeman and I was his Chief.
Read More..>>“Victor Basa: Up Close and Personal with Brother John”
Perhaps, the best way to describe Victor Basa is to simply say Victor Basa – the Penshoppe model. Billboards with Penshoppe advertisements are all over Metro Manila. It shows Victor Basa with a female model being made to appear with tanned skin, wearing white hair and donning penshoppe wears that are intended for summer! But, this description puts limit to the person who is definitely beyond being simply a product endorser.
Victor Basa was a former housemate of our fellow May Bukas Pa actor and Pinoy Big Brother winner Ruben Gonzaga. Inside the bahay ni kuya, Ruben confided that Victor was teased as “hindi nag huhugas ng paa”. Which is of course, simply not true. Having worked with Victor since January, I observed how prim and proper Victor is. Aside from that, he manifests an aura of good breeding. He should, having been raised by a well to do family, Victor is an alumnus of Brent School, an exclusive school where most of their students are children of diplomats and foreign technocrats assigned in the Philippines.
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