GLORIA  DIAZ  STILL  EXUDES  EARTHY  APPEAL

MANILA, OCTOBER 13, 2009 (MALAYA) DREAM FACTORY by MARIO BAUTISTA (‘At 58, Gloria still exudes that earthy Miss Universe aura that helped her bag the beauty title in 1969.’ )

WHEN we visited the set of "Sagrada Familia," Gloria Diaz, who plays Lovi Poe’s grandma, said goodbye hurriedly. She was wearing a simple duster then. An hour later, when we went to the presscon of "Nagsimula sa Puso," Gloria showed up garbed in a more glamorous black outfit. It turns out she’s playing the role of Jason Abalos’ mom in the show and she just asked the permission of Direk Joel Lamangan to allow her to leave the set of "Sagrada Familia" and attend the ABS-CBN presscon.

At 58, Gloria still exudes that earthy Miss Universe aura that helped her bag the beauty title in 1969. Since she debuted in the movies in 1974 in "Pinakamagandang Hayop sa Balat ng Lupa," she says she has already 178 films. Which of them would she recommend for a remake?

"None," she says. "I made some good films like the ones with Danny Zialcita, with Erap Estrada, and the ‘Andres de Saya’ series, but I believe we should try to make original materials than just rely on old ones."

Most of her contemporaries have retired but she’s still active. What’s her secret?

"I guess I’m masuwerte that’s why I survive. Also, I’m hardworking. I try to be punctual, I come to the set prepared at kahit ngarag na ako sa trabaho, I don’t complain. I’m still excited in every work I do. It also pays to have friends in the business na tutulong sa’yo para mabigyan ka ng trabaho."

What does she think of Maja Salvador?

"She may not be drop dead gorgeous but she grows on you. She carries herself well and, more importantly, she’s smart and talented."

What about Lovi Poe in "Sagrada Familia"?

"She’s good. She plays a difficult role as a daughter raped by her own dad, Emilio Garcia, who happens to be my son. She delivers."

Will she allow her own daughter Isabelle to join showbiz?

"It’s really up to her. She’s still busy with school, taking up Early Education but wants to be a doctor also. Paiba-iba isip niya as of now. But she has a lot of showbiz friends, like Anne Curtis and Raymond Gutierrez, so I don’t know with her."

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Mother Lily Monteverde is back from her three-week Seven-Star Cruise in Europe with her entire family. We told her it’s good she was spared from the wrath of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

"No, we were also affected," she says. "We were in the middle of the ocean when the waves got higher, halos umabot on the top of our cruise ship. Nagliliparan ang mga gamit sa loob ng ship. Nagsuka ang ibang passengers, parang ‘Poseidon Adventure.’ Grabe! Three days kaming stranded sa dagat kasi hindi makatakbo ng mabilis ang ship. We just kept on praying kasi in such instance, you cannot turn on anyone else but the Lord, di ba? It’s really hard to travel during the -ber months. In London, I lost my Louis Vuitton bag and my Ferragamo jacket. It’s good I entrusted my dollars to my daughter Meme and my passport to Grace (wife of her son Dondon), or it’d be a big problem."

She feels bad that her last release, "Nandito Ako," was badly affected at the tills by the twin typhoons when it’s one of the finest romantic films shown this year. "’Di bale, babawin na lang ang Regal sa filmfest. We have three entries; ‘Shake Rattle & Roll XI,’ ‘Nieves, Engcanto Slayer’ and ‘Mano Po 6: My Mother’ with Sharon Cuneta."

Sharon is very happy to do her first movie with Regal that will be a reunion for her and her "Madrasta" co-stars, Christopher de Leon and Zsa Zsa Padilla. She’ll play Melinda, a very rich Fil-Chinese taipan with Christopher as her husband, who’s pure Chinese. Zsa Zsa plays a villain role as Boyet’s scheming sister. Zsa Zsa requested that Direk Joel Lamangan make her character really bad and to give her and Sharon many confrontation and sampalan scenes. Playing Sharon’s daughter (this is final and the contract has already been signed) is Heart Evangelista.

Sharon’s first shooting day will be on Tuesday. Her other kids are Ciara Sotto, PBB’s Nicole Uysiuseng and John Manalo. Heart as Stephanie is the favorite daughter but she rebels against her controlling mom while Ciara is the least favored one. The previous "Mano Po" flicks are "Mano Po: My Family" with Maricel Soriano in 2002, "Mano Po 2: My Home" with Susan Roces, "Mano Po 3: My Love" with Vilma Santos in 2004, "Mano Po 4: Ako Legal Wife" with Zsa Zsa Padilla and Cherry Pie Picache in 2005, and "Mano Po 5: Gua Ay Di" with Richard Gutierrez in 2006. Except for two that’s directed by Erik Matti, all the other "Mano Po" movies were directed by Joel Lamangan.

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Heart Evangelista is so happy to be chosen as Sharon’s daughter in "Mano Po 6." "Maraming firsts for me in this film," she says. "First time ko to work with the Megastar, Mother Lily, and Direk Joel Lamangan, kaya excited talaga ako. At pupunta pa raw kami sa Beijing to shoot some scenes there. O bongga talaga, di ba?"

She’s just worried that the shooting of "Mano Po 6" coincides with the start of her taping with Richard Gutierrez for GMA-7’s "Full House."

"Naku, ngaragan na namang trabaho ito so I really have to take a lot of vitamins para maging healthy and strong ako once the shooting and the taping start," she sighs.

It’s said Jericho Rosales might also be part of the movie’s cast. How does she feel about it?

"Okay lang. Nagkausap na kami so okay na kami. But this is just work kaya tigilan na ang pang-iintriga uli sa amin."

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After only two days inside Kuya’s house, housemate JP Lagumbay took a voluntary exit from "PBB Double Up" after he was told that his application for leave was disapproved by the airline where he’s a flight attendant. He’s ordered to report for work pronto or he’d be punished. JP wanted to stay for his brother JM but he can’t risk losing his regular job that supports his family. He left without even being able to say a formal goodbye to his twin brother.

Meantime, the girls in House B continue to suspect that there’s switching in the two guys who stay with them, JM and Toffi, but they don’t suspect that Kuya has two houses. In the male-dominated House A, they don’t have any suspicion about the switching of twins, but they do suspect that Kuya has another house on the other side of the wall aside from theirs. But last Friday, Toffi and Kenny were finally caught by inmates in both houses and they were evicted along with JM. Carol cried as she has a crush on Kenny.

New inmates were introduced last Saturday night in "Spooktacular Reveal," including the Rica, "Transgender Math Goddess from Bacolod"; Kathleen, "La Senora de Espana" who joined with her husband Jimson; Patria, the "Bibang Probinsiyana from Siquijor"; Tibo, the "Dad of Steel from Cagayan de Oro"; Hermes, the "Reluctant Amboy from Pampanga"; Rob, the "Ladies Man from Austria"; and Patrick; the "Charming Banker from Baguio."

You can see the latest happenings in Kuya’s house in "Uber" with Mariel Rodriguez in the afternoon after "Maria de Jesus," in the primetime edition with Toni Gonzaga after "Dahil May Isang Ikaw," or in "PPB Double Uplate" at midnight with Bianca Gonzalez.

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After she resigned from "Celebrity Duets," beauty maven Mikaela Bilbao is now embroiled in a conflict with Gretchen Barretto and Pops Fernandez who’re accusing her of sending text messages to their friend, former actress Ana Abiera, that threaten them. She was interviewed by John Lapus in "Showbiz Central" and she denied this. "Masama ang loob ko dahil pinaratangan ako nang walang basehan," she says. She denies she announced that Pops and Gretchen ask for commissions from government projects connected with Dodie Puno, brother of DILG Secretary Rene Puno. "’Di ko alam kung bakit ako ang pinupuntriya nila, di naman ako taga-showbiz."

Her alleged text message also claims she shot her own father and didn’t spare her own son. "Hindi ko po binaril ang tatay ko. Buhay pa siya. Kung totoo yan, di sana, nasa kulungan na ako. And my son is not an abused child. Wala akong nilapitang sinuman sa kanila at di ako pinanganak para matakot sa isang Gretchen Barretto. Sana, ituloy niya ang bantang demanda sa akin para lumabas na ang totoo."

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Boxing champ Nonito Donaire and his taekwondo player wife Rachel took the twin hot seats in the "Don’t Lie to Me Portion" of "Showbiz Central." They were asked if it’s true that Rachel is jealous of Regine Velasquez who’s so sweet to Nonito in "Celebrity Duets"?

They both answered no but it turns only Nonito is telling the truth and Rachel’s answer is a lie.

Rachel earlier appeared in a sexy pictorial for a men’s mag. Is it true that Nonito is now against this?

They both said yes and it’s true. But Nonito quickly adds that for the previous pictorial, he was even the one who encouraged Rachel to do it as he wanted people to see how sexy his wife is.