TOP  TV  HOST  PILING  UP  HIS  LUXURIES

MANILA, MARCH 26, 2008 (MALAYA) STUDIO WHISPERS by ETHEL RAMOS ('Already the owner of five imported luxury cars, his next purchase, he tells friends, will be a two-seater plane.')

ONE of the advantages of doing the Visita Iglesia during the Holy Week is that you get to discover new churches and their patron saints as well.

One of the parishes we visited in Mandaluyong City whose patron saint is not familiar to us was the Parish of St. Felipe Neri. St. Felipe Neri is known as the "Saint of Joy."

In the book given to us by the lady manning the church's bookstore, we learned that he was called "Saint of Joy" because of his good humor every time he propagated the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

He died at age 80 in 1595 and was proclaimed a saint in 1622. To this day, his body has not decayed. It can be found lying at the side altar of Santa Maria de Vallicelia in Rome, Italy.

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Have your ever wondered what happened to Joey Benin, who was the youngest and considered the most charming member of the still very popular band, Side A? He resigned from the group not so long ago.

Well, we learned from the book "Negosyo" that Joey is now a gentleman farmer - and enjoying it.

Having grown up in Dagupan, Pangasinan, where some of his siblings worked in a farm, Joey had always wanted to go back to his roots.

Joey recalled: "It all started from a casual conversation with my in-laws, who own a farm in Negros Occidental. My brother-in-law, who used to manage it, passed away.

"Sabi ko sa mga biyenan ko, jokingly, of course, I would love to work in their farm.

"Their reaction jolted me. They said: why don't my family and I manage the farm?

"E, ang tagal na naming napag-u-usapan ng asawa ko ang isang tahimik na buhay at isang hanapbuhay na puwede naming pagtulungang umunlad."

With only about 10 farmhands to help them, they buckled down to work. And after a few months, the results were encouraging.

"Imagine, from a mere seed lang nakakapag-produce ka ng something na maraming nakikinabang," he said, visibly overwhelmed.

There are immediate buyers for their produce, which includes watermelon, lettuce, tomatoes and corn. Joey wants to build a fish pond to be stocked with bangus fry. There is already an existing one but it needs to be fixed.

Joey knows he still has a lot to learn about farming. He wants to make his current preoccupation into a profession, the kind that is fulfilling, a feeling which, right now, he still nurtures for his band and bandmates.

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A top TV host-comedian reportedly bought a four-bedroom house at the Corinthian Village for P24 million.

He also owns a palatial home in Tagaytay Highlands. This is aside from another house which a subdivision developer gave him two years ago.

His other acquisition in only a year's time, we are told, is a plush yacht with three cabins. This is reportedly where he spent the Holy Week with some friends. They explored some nearby beaches in Puerto Galera, where he is also considering buying a property.

Already the owner of five imported luxury cars, his next purchase, he tells friends, will be a two-seater plane.