RUNNING  FOR  PAMPANGA  GOV:  ARE  YOU  SURE,  SEN.  LITO?

MANILA, SEPTEMBER 19, 2009 (STAR) FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo - Sen. Lito Lapid was on national television a few days ago, announcing his intention to run for Governor of Pampanga (the same position he held before he ran for the Senate) in the 2010 elections. In 2004, he ran for mayor of Makati but he lost to incumbent Mayor Jojo Binay.

In the same newscast, Lapid also announced that he was set to shoot Ang Probinsyano, the smash-hit FPJ starrer, presumably to be released toward the end of the year before the start of the ban on star-politicians guesting on TV shows outside of the designated COMELEC hours and having their movies shown in the same period.

Lapid didn’t say if Ang Probinsyano is a remake of the FPJ starrer but his use of that title is a subliminal reference to the Da King which will in effect help boost his stock in the campaign. A clever way of riding on the name of Da King, isn’t it?

But first, did Lapid, as he mentioned, really ask the permission of Da King’s widow Susan Roces to use that title?

I asked Susan about it last Monday night during the despedida for Mother Lily who’s now on a three-week European cruise (that includes South Africa) with some family members, and McDo big boss George Young and his wife Kristine.

“No,” said Susan. “I’m not sure if the movie is a remake, same story and all, but I’m sure that (Sen. Lito) didn’t talk to me about it.”

Asked in jest if she would file a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) before the movie is shown, Susan simply smiled.

I think Sen. Lito has some “sorting out” to do. You know, magpakita kahit konting courtesy man lang.

Sarah’s love life as ho-hum as ever

No doubt Sarah Geronimo is, as the title of her Nov. 7 Big Dome concert says, a “Record Breaker.” But she has started to sound like a broken record everytime she’s asked about her love life, like what happened at yesterday’s lunch presscon. “Love can wait” has become her standard answer. Not that it’s a “must,” but would you believe that at 21 she said that she has never had a boyfriend? John Lloyd Cruz could have been “it” until he was linked to a few other actresses, two of them, Cristine Reyes and Ruffa Gutierrez. Sarah’s mom Divina was then quoted as saying, “Nanliligaw pero may iba pa palang nililigawan.”

Anyway, it’s good that Sarah is striking while the iron is hot, so to speak. Men can wait even if, said Sarah, “I also need to love aside from that which I get from my family.” In the meantime, her “boring” routine is from home to work and from work to home, no “extra-curricular” activities in-between.

Even if she has become sophisticated sartorially and looks-wise, Sarah has remained a “manang” at heart.

Would she dare do a Lady Gaga in her Big Dome concert?

“Hindi ko kaya,” admitted Sarah. “Ang gusto kong packaging parang si Beyoncé.”

Asked if, in private life, she’d be like Rihanna, the battered girlfriend of Chris Brown (now doing community service as ordered by the court), Sarah said, “Ayoko sa boyfriend na nambubugbog.”

To kick off the presscon, Sarah sang two songs from her Christmas Girl CD which will be launched next month. To avoid spoiling the surprise, she begged off from disclosing details about her concert.

Incidentally, Sarah justified her participation in the TESDA TV plugs, one of those lambasted by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

“I accepted the job because I believe in the advocacy of TESDA (Technical and Educational Skills Development) in providing technical-vocational training for new graduates and job-seekers.”

(Note: Record Breaker is a production of Viva Concerts & Events. For ticket inquiries, call SM Ticketnet outlets at 911-5555 or Viva Concerts & Events at 687-5853 locals 620 and 627.)

A family that stays together

As in past years, Sen./Presidentiable Manny Villar and his wife, Rep. Cynthia Villar, celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary last Sept. 13 with their children Paolo, Mark and Camille.

They dropped by Showbiz Central with Nacionalista Party spokesman Adel Tamano (who’s running for senator in 2010) and Rep. Justin Chipeco to promote NP’s Akala Mo campaign and its Rockatropa free concert set for Sept. 26 at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds, featuring Itchyworms, Sandwich, Kamikazee, Parokya ni Edgar and Bamboo, and hosted by Cristine Reyes, Valerie Concepcion and Moymoy Palaboy.

“Cynthia and I believe that our strong family ties help our children nurture the right values as they grow up together,” said Manny. “That’s our wish for every Filipino family — togetherness.”

And what was his wedding-anniversary gift to Cynthia?

“Secret!” Manny smiled.

Cynthia was seen carrying a bouquet of 34 red roses and a cake trimmed with 34 flowers, the number representing you-know-what.

A closer look at Shalani Soledad

Beauty-contest connoisseur Gerry Diaz (not Garcia as wrongly identified in a recent Funfare item) had a close-up look at Valenzuela City Councilor Shalani Soledad, Sen./Presidentiable Noynoy Aquino’s girlfriend, during the recent 2009 Miss Bicolandia contest in Naga City where they sat as judges. Here are Gerry’s impressions:

She impressed me with her simplicity, natural beauty and youthful looks. I couldn’t believe that she’s 29. Asked by a candidate during the pre-judging if she thought Noynoy would win, Shalani replied, “It’s not for me to say; it’s the Filipino who will answer that come election time.”

A native Bicolana (from Baras, Catanduanes), she speaks fluent Bicolano. She readily accepted interview requests even when she was in the middle of her breakfast. And I admired the way she declined to answer questions about her relationship with Noynoy Aquino aside from saying that he has a good sense of humor behind that serious image.

She was very nice and well-bred. Whenever people approached her for a photo op, she readily obliged, flashing that bright, warm and sincere smile. When introduced to a group of joggers having breakfast in a Naga hotel, she approached each and everyone of the 40 or so people to shake their hands.

During the finals, Shalani looked even lovelier in a silver and gray one-shoulder gown. That night, I saw that she has a good fashion sense — simple, yet classy and elegant. I asked her who made her gown and she said that she just bought it off the rack in a mall in Quezon City.

While waiting for the pageant to start, I turned to Shalani and told her she looked like she could be a beauty queen herself. And when I asked if she ever joined a personality or beauty contest, I was surprised to know she participated in the Miss Philippine Centennial pageant. She did not represent Bulacan or Catanduanes but the Filipino community of Kuwait because at that time, she was in Kuwait where her mom was working.

One quality I liked about about Shalani was her humility and unassuming ways. When I asked her to autograph her business card, it took her some time to do so and signed it only after asking, “Gerry, seryoso ba ‘to?” Only when I said yes did she sign her card with a personal dedication.

I told her about my dedication to Ina, Our Lady of Peñafrancia, and invited her to the Naga Basilica. I told her that we could go up to the back of the altar where she could touch Ina and offer her prayers. So the following morning she went there, accompanied by lawyer Leni Robredo and Nene de Asis. She made her offering to Ina in a private altar where the original image of Ina was kept.

When Monsignor Vergara told her she could write her petition to Ina and leave it at the altar, she got a small piece of paper and wrote her petition. I could only guess what the petition was!