Piolo Balik-Regal

Through Funfare, may I thank Mother Lily and Manny Valera of Regal Films for casting me as Richard Yap’s mother in Mano Po 7: Tsinoy, an intended 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry. This would have been my fifth Mano Po and I am a fan of Richard’s, and I love Mother Lily dearly.

Sayang, I had to decline the invitation to avoid possible conflict of interest — and even just the perception of it — in view of my membership in the present MMFF Execom. Aah, the costly price of “delicadeza.” I also consulted with MMFF chairman Emerson Carlos and executive director Atty. Rochelle Ona and they were of the same opinion.

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Fourteen years after he starred in a movie (I Think I’m In Love with Joyce Jimenez who is semi-retired in California with her own family), Piolo Pascual returns to Regal Films not just as an actor but also as co-producer (with Star Cinema) of Once In A Lifetime, a romance-drama which will be shot in New Zealand, with Yen Santos (of the ABS-CBN soap All Of Me) as leading lady and Dondon Santos as director.

“It feels so surreal,” admitted Piolo last Sunday when he signed the contract with Regal Matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde.

“Welcome home,” Mother Lily told Piolo. “I’ve been praying that you come back to Regal.”

Actually, Piolo has starred in OTJ (On The Job), a dark crime thriller produced by Reality Entertainment, Regal’s sister company owned and managed by Mother Lily’s son Dondon Monteverde and director Erik Matti (who helmed OTJ, followed by Honor Thy Father).

Piolo plays a lovelorn man in Alaska where he meets Yen who is looking for her mother. When they meet, they see the light (helped by the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis) and, as the title suggests, find a once-in-a-lifetime hope.

The story is set in winter, thus the choice of New Zealand as alternative setting for Alaska. It’s a practice followed by Hollywood filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola who shot Apocalypse Now, which is about the Vietnam War, in Laguna and Quezon.

The first team, composed of five, will leave on Aug. 13, including Piolo who wants to get the feel of the freezing-cold place as part of his internalization for his character. The next team will follow a week later for the shoot scheduled to last until Aug. 23.

Once In A Lifetime also stars Tirso Cruz III as Piolo’s father, Joel Torre as Yen’s father, Jerald Napoles as Piolo’s Alaska-based friend, Raikko Mateo as Piolo’s son (harboring a bitterness after Piolo left him), Maricar Reyes (as mother of Raikko) and Sandy Andolong.

Once In A Lifetime is in the bunch of Regal Films set for release before end of the year, with three of them intended for the 2016 Metro Filnmfest: Mano Po 7: Tsinoy, Our Mighty Yaya (with Ai-Ai delas Alas in the titular role) and Puwera Usog. The others: The Escort (with Christopher de Leon, Derek Ramsay and Lovi Poe), My Rebound Girl (Alex Gonzaga and Joseph Marco), Never Been Touched Never Been Kissed (Angeline Quinto and Jake Cuenca) and That Thing Called Tanga Na (a gay-themed spoof with an all-star cast) which opens nationwide on Aug. 10.

Ryan Agoncillo with wife Judy Ann Santos

(Meanwhile, Piolo is looking forward to his reunion starrer with Judy Ann Santos with whom he’s endorsing Sun Life Philippines with Matteo Guidicelli and Charo Santos. Inadvertently left out in the roster of Eat, Bulaga! hosts in yesterday’s story, Judy Ann’s husband Ryan Agoncillo, through his manager Noel Ferrer, said that he has no objection if and when. “If it will happen, it will just happen, with the right project at the right time.”)

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A few days earlier, Mother Lily also signed up what she called “The Millennial Regal Babies,” namely:

• David Licauco – 2014 Mr. Chinatown first runner-up, towering at 6’1” who played basketball with the College of St. Benilde team that led to his discovery during the Laboracay 2013. He comes from a family from Tabaco City, Albay (his grandmother, surnamed Abrahan, studied at the Tabaco Pei Ching School). A fan of Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Padilla, David also models. He will be seen soon in Kapuso shows.
• Danielle Lee — A cross between Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai, former Miss Universe and Miss World from India, Danielle is the sister of Divine Lee, touted to be a potential beauty queen. She was discovered by Arnold Vegafria (of ALV Talent Agency) who now acts as her manager (and of the three other new Regal Babies). But first, Danielle wants to prove her mettle as an actress.
• Chanel Morales — Discovered by the TV5 talent search  Artista Academy (where she brought the house down with her a cappella rendition of Adele’s Rolling In The Deep), Chanel often appears in the network’s Wattpad Presents anthology. She’s a UST graduate whose favorite pastimes are boxing, reading books, watching TV and movies, and traveling.
• Jerico Estregan — The son of former Laguna Gov. ER Ejercito (a.k.a. Jorge Estregan), he is a Political Science graduate from La Salle where he excelled in track-and-field. He has appeared in Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story and El Presidente with his father. He’s deadset on following in his father’s footsteps as an action star.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.) - Text from Boots Anson-Roa