Grace: I’m not ready

The numbers are working in her favor but Sen. Grace Poe insists that she’s not ready to run for a higher position (vice president or, brace yourselves, president) in 2016.

“Hindi pa talaga ako ready,” Grace told friends Saturday night, July 19, at the intimate pre-birthday dinner for her mom, Susan Roces, at Milky Way in Makati City. Actually, Susan’s birthday is July 28, which happens to be The STAR’s 28th anniversary.

Congratulated for her “amazing” showing in surveys for presidentiables, Grace simply shrugged. But wasn’t that also her reaction when she was reported being groomed by Pres. Noynoy Aquino to be a senator? Grace couldn’t say no to P-Noy, quit her post as chairman of MTRCB (Movies and Television Review and Classification Board) with a sterling record, ran for senator in 2012 and finished No. 1, crediting the “Poe Magic” for it.

There’s more than enough time between now and 2016, so will Grace change her mind about running (not for re-election)? As the showbiz malapropism goes, you can never can tell.

At the dinner, everybody was happy to see Armida “Tita Midz” Siguion-Reyna again. Tita Midz has been absent during the group’s regular salu-salo (with Sen. Chiz Escudero and Vice Pres. Jojo Binay among the other “absentee” members).

Happily, Tita Midz recognized everybody. Her daughter-in-law Bibeth Orteza reminded me to introduce myself when I sat beside Tita Midz. She smiled, “Ang payat mo!” and, pointing to a dabarkad who is on the heavy side, added, “Ang taba-taba niya!” With that, I knew that Tita Midz was in her (usual) element.

Also happily welcomed back was Helen Gamboa who has been begging off from the group’s get-togethers to get much-needed rest. Helen is in the pink of health.

Besides Grace, the only other family members present were Jeff and Joseph.

“They are my nephews-cousins,” explained Grace. “ It’s a bit nakakalito but that’s how we are related.”

Jeff and Joseph are the sons of Susan’s brother Joey Sonora and his wife Penny, daughter of Grace’s dad FPJ’s sister Elizabeth Poe and husband Bob Soler. That makes them Grace’s pamangkin sa pinsan on her paternal side, and her cousins on her maternal side. Well, it’s up to you to figure it out.

If you watch the Kapamilya soap Sana Bukas Pa ang Kahapon, you will know why, up to now, Susan has remained “The Face That Refreshes,” the title (as if you didn’t know) given to her by Sampaguita boss/starmaker Dr. Jose R. Perez.

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Director Jun Robles Lana won the Best Director for a Foreign Language Film for Mga Kuwentong Barbero (Barber’s Tales) held at the ballroom of the Hotel Convencion in Madrid, Spain Saturday night.

It’s the third international award for Barbero. Last April, it won the Mulberry award at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, and the Tokyo International Film Festival Best Actress Award for Eugene Domingo.

Lana was in Madrid to personally accept the award. With him were Eugene and his producers Perci Intalan and Ferdinand “Ferdy” Lapuz (Funfare’s “international correspondent”). Jun shared his award with Eugene who was nominated as Best Actress. “Eugene is the heart and soul of the film,” said Jun. Eugene’s departure from the Philippines was delayed by Typhoon Glenda. She made it to the awards night but not to the movie’s well-applauded screening the day before, which was already going on when her plane landed at the Madrid airport.

Jun also thanked Perci, Ferdy and Tony Tuviera of APT Entertainment. Ferdy and Tony were nominated Best Producer for a Feature Film. Barbero was also nominated Best Film in a Foreign Language.

Barbero was shot on location last year in the provinces of Rizal and Quezon. Aside from Eugene, the film boasts a stellar cast including Iza Calzado, Gladys Reyes, Shamaine Buencamino, Nonie Buencamino, Daniel Fernando, Sue Prado, Nicco Manalo, Jess Mendoza and with the special participation of Mr. Eddie Garcia (who was the lead actor in Lana’s first indie film Bwakaw which won for him Best Actor Awards from the Asian Film Awards and Asian Pacific Film Festival).

According to Ferdy, Jun and his team are now doing pre-production work on their third film, Ama Namin, which is about rural Philippines. Ama Namin (Our Father)   follows the plight of a boy who enters the seminary to be with the only remaining member of the family that he has left, his father who is a priest. They are hoping to get the services of a popular and acclaimed actor for the lead role.

Just like Barbero, which won four awards at last year’s Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum, Ama Namin is a HAF project. Barbero will open in select cinemas on Aug. 13.

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