Season of proposals

Unless somebody (a deep-sea diver, perhaps?) proposes to his ladylove underwater, surrounded by sharks, I would say that the most imaginative in this season of proposals are the activist-sweethearts who stole the thunder by doing it amid the mass of protesters that filled up the busy commercial districts of Hong Kong.

The scene-stealing “stunt” came in the wake of the proposal “fever” among local stars, kicked off by Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera and followed by Heart Evangelista and Sen. Chiz Escudero, with John Prats and Isabel Oli jumping onto the bandwagon, doing it flash-mob style (already done by Zoren Legaspi and Carmina Villarroel).

Actually, they were preceded by other couples who didn’t attract as much media attention. There was Parokya ni Edgar vocalist Chito Miranda who proposed to Neri Naig via a music video several months after their controversial you-know-what went viral. Earlier, PBA player JC Intal proposed to Bianca Gonzalez at the airport a few minutes before Bianca boarded a plane. It wasn’t original, though, and could have been “inspired” by the ending of the Star Cinema movie It Takes A Man and A Woman starring John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo.

The proposals that stick to mind as most memorable were those between Julius Babao and Tintin Bersola, Jolina Magdangal and Mark Escueta, and flight attendants.

In a moonlit night, Julius proposed to Tintin by singing The Way You Look Tonight as they danced cheek-to-cheek, while Mark did it also outdoors, at a dark park which he soon lit up with a portable generator as he read his pledge of love to a teary-eyed Jolina.

Very unique was how the flight attendant did it 37,000 feet up in the sky, falling on his knees while offering a bunch of roses to his fellow flight attendant as Jose Mari Chan (who happened to be a passenger) regaled them with a love song.

Let’s wait for a showbiz couple who can come up with a radically-innovative idea and run away with the “Mother of All Proposals” award, anyone?

How Maricar did it

Featured in a heart-warming story in the latest issue of PeopleAsia (get your copy at a newsstand near you, with CamSur Gov. Miguel Luis Villafuerte, one of the magazine’s  Men Who Matter 2014 awardees, on the cover) is Maricar Reyes (Mrs. Richard Poon) who has beautifully moved on from whatever it was she was moving on/away from.

Women who have found themselves in the same predicament as Maricar can learn a tip or two on how to stand chin-up after a fall.

In the article titled Steel Butterfly by Grace C. Diez, Maricar said, “Learn from your mistake. Don’t condemn yourself. Ask around how you can get out of it and make sure you ask for help from the right people. Spirituality is important — it keeps me centered.”

Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Maricar moved on and saw her career progress even more, thanks to her acting talent (check out her kontrabida turn in the Kapamilya soap Sana Bukas Pa Ang Kahapon which is on its last few days) that has over-shadowed her past.

Quote-unquote (from the same article): “There was a phase in my life when my only choice was to move forward. I don’t think there was another option. There was self-pity, but at the end of the day, where else are you going to go? But if you stay in the pit, no one’s really going to get you out. I guess I’m fortunate that I’m surrounded by people who supported me.” 

Isn’t Richard Poon lucky to have a Steel Butterfly for a wife?

Rita’s lovable angels

Was Star Cinema’s Maria Leonora Teresa inspired by Rita Avila’s angels? In the movie, the main characters (played by Iza Calzado, Jodi Sta. Maria and Zanjoe Marudo) find consolation for their departed children by taking care of dolls. Rita and husband, director FM Reyes, lost their three-week-old son a few years ago and Rita preserves his memory in the three dolls (named Mimay, Popoy and Pony) that she has been taking care of as her children.

According to Wenn Deramas, director of MLT, it’s only coincidence that the story is about dolls, and neither was it based on the Maria Teresa Doll that was the “daughter” of Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III during their Guy-Pip days. The doll is nowhere to be found.

If you haven’t heard yet, Rita has been writing children’s books with playful illustrations featuring her dolls. In the new book, The Invisible Wings (playfully illustrated by Jean Carla Molina), Rita tells the story of three dolls who dream of having wings, a wish fulfilled as reward for being good kids.

Quoted on the back cover is Efren Peñaflorida (the first Filipino to win CNN’s Hero of the Year in 2009): I know how difficult it is to accept our own weakness and face rejections and criticisms. But this book, The Invisible Wings, has taught a great principle — deal with your weaknesses and dwell in your inner strengths.

I just read the book and I agree with Efren’s comment. I’m recommending the book to mothers out there.

Rita has written two other books, 8 Ways to Comfort with Grace and Si Erik Tutpik at si Ana Taba (which were nominated at the Jaime Cardinal Sin Catholic Book Awards in 2009 and 2013, respectively, both also published by St. Paul’s Philippines, telephone numbers 895-9701 to 04 and 896-6771).

Other must-read books

Did you know that another Star Cinema movie, Once A Princess (starring Enchong Dee and Erich Gonzales), was also based on a book published by Precious Pages Corporation (PPC)?

PPC started in 1992 when most businesses were closing down due to the crippling energy crisis. At that time, Tagalog romance pocketbooks were gaining popularity among Filipino romantics, especially the women. Segundo D. Matias Jr. and Richard Reynante, two creative think tanks from advertising, film and television, knew very well the Filipino taste in entertainment, so they decided to pool their resources and came up with the romance novel book imprint Precious Hearts Romances (PHR).

Starting with one book every month, PHR became an instant hit, and in such a short time the company came up with several other romance novel book imprints.

The company flourished. Within the next five years since its birth, the PPC was able to pool its own stable of romance novelists, acquire printing machines, employ a core staff of mostly production workers and rent a venue for both its business offices and production requirements. Book releases reached a high of 25 titles per month, with its banner book imprint PHR becoming the bestselling Tagalog romance pocketbook in the country, and created household names of PPC romance writers Martha Cecilia, Rose Tan, Amanda, Maureen Apilado, Cora Clemente, among others.

In time, foreign distributors started seeking out the company for the distribution of its pocketbooks abroad, in particular Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, some parts of the US, the Middle East and Europe. Likewise, the company started its series of book launchings (Manila, Cebu, Davao, Hong Kong), began participating in book fairs and exhibits both on the local front and abroad, embarked on a program of promotional campaigns by way of giving away prizes and house-and-lot packages to lucky readers, and held its first annual PPC summer romance writing workshop.

Watch for more movies based on PPC books.

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