Why Robin can’t be with Mariel when she gives birth in the US

Curtain-raiser:

• Sad to hear from a Funfare DPA that the marriage of a celebrity couple has hit the rocks. So soon? They got married barely three years ago. The split-up came as a shock to the DPA because he knew how religious the young husband’s family is. “I never thought it could happen to that kind of family,” rued the DPA. Could it be true that the young wife was a victim of verbal abuse?

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Even if he wanted to, Robin Padilla has resigned to the sad reality that he couldn’t be with wife Mariel Rodriguez when she gives birth to their first child sometime in November. Reason: Robin couldn’t get a US visa due to a legal impediment (although he was able to obtain a UK visa).

The couple’s child is a girl whose name they didn’t reveal during the triple event sponsored by Aprica Japanese Stroller ­— Robin and Mariel’s sixth wedding anniversary, Mariel’s birthday and the revelation of the baby’s gender. A baby shower is set for next week before Mariel flies to the US for her date with the stork.

Along with brother Rommel, Robin was recently introduced as endorser of Bravo, a dietary supplement for men seen to enhance virility. Because of their macho image, Robin and Rommel are the perfect endorsers of the product.

Asked if he has tried it, Rommel said yes, but he didn’t reveal with whom he did it.

And Robin?

“I believe in the product but I haven’t tried it yet,” he said, insinuating that he is observing a “no touch” policy until weeks after Mariel has given birth.  

Jessa and Dingdong: 2nd child coming soon?

Reunion dinner at the Japanese restaurant Octopus (in Glendale, California), from left: Jessa Zaragoza with daughter Jayda and husband Dingdong Avanzado, your Funfarer, immigration lawyer Jemela Nettles and Tim Evans (of the US Immigration)

During a recent working visit to California, I met up with Jessa Zaragoza and husband Dingdong Avanzado. The couple hosted a dinner at Octopus, a classy Japanese restaurant in Glendale, for immigration lawyer Jemela Nettles, Tim Evans (of the US Immigration) and me.

Jemela is helping the couple process some documents and finalize negotiations for a concert with their daughter Jayda who turned 13 last June and is proving to be worthy as heiress to her mom’s “Phenomenal Diva” title. Listen to Jayda’s version of her mom’s hit song Bakit and you will know what I mean.

Dingdong served as vice governor of Siquijor but decided not to run for reelection in last May’s elections.

We learned that since Dingdong wouldn’t be mixing politics with showbiz, he and Jessa would have more time to give Jayda a little brother or sister.

“Actually,” confirmed Dingdong, “that’s what we are planning to do.” 

BSP revives the art of poetry

Election lawyer Romy Macalintal reading poems at the BSP’s (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) poetry-reading event

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) became a virtual depository of prose and poetry when its Human Resource Development (HRD) officials held for the first time a poetry reading among its officials and personnel with election lawyer Romy Macalintal as special guest poem reader.

The event was conceived by the bank’s HRD as part of its personnel’s wellness program dubbed as “Nourish and Flourish” last week of July.

Romy was invited by organizers of the event because he seems to be the only one who has been reviving, if not resurrecting, the dying art of poetry reading and poem writing through his weekend program, The Law of the Heart is Love over DWBR 104.3FM every Saturday, 8 to 9 p.m. (with replay the following day, Sunday, 7 to 8 p.m.) where he plays love songs and reads poems with celebrities as guest poem readers.

“I accepted the invitation to read poems at the BSP event as I consider it a very worthy project for the sake of my fellow lovers of prose and poetry,” said Romy who, in a 2003 article in the Newsweek magazine titled Poetry is Dead: Does Anybody Care?, he lamented there that “It is difficult to imagine a world without movies, plays, novels and music, but a world without poems doesn’t have to be imagined.”

I guess lovers of poetry are one with Romy in hoping that the BSP event could ignite whatever light is left in the talent and skill of poem readers and writers to rekindle and awaken their interest in reviving this age-old tradition of reading and writing poems.

“Indeed,” added Romy, “it is hard to imagine a world without people appreciating the beauty and splendor of poetry.”

In that affair, Romy read four poems: Beyond Forgetting by Rolando Carbonnel; Pag-ibig by Jose Corazon (Huseng Batute) de Jesus; He Walks Beside Me, a prayerful poem by James J. Metcalfe; and the immortal narrative, The Deck of Cards by Texas Tyler.

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