Heart-broken Annabelle

Curtain-raisers:

♦ Like the iconic drama actress who was linked to a number of great Filipinos (including politicians), a sexy TV-movie actress is said to be the “ideal mistress” (if there is such an animal) because she doesn’t compete with the wife of her man and, even if pushed against the wall by the media, doesn’t admit anything. “And also,” said somebody close to her, “she sees to it that she reminds her man to be home early with the wife.” Very thoughtful and very considerate, isn’t she?

♦ A macho singer recalled that he was once seduced, unsuccessfully, by an “ecstatic” talent manager who invited the singer to his (the manager’s) condo unit for a possible business deal. The singer wanted the TM to manage him. The TM offered the singer one drink too many and when he thought that the singer was drunk, the TM started his advances. When the singer stopped him, the TM was so embarrassed that he tried to bribe the singer into keeping mum with a wad of cash. No thank you, said the singer. The business deal wasn’t pushed through.

♦ And those-in-the-know couldn’t help but laugh and laugh at the vain attempt of an ex-matinee idol who also tried to seduce an actress “lost in herself” (read: nawawala sa sarili) when she sought shelter (refuge?) at his condo unit after she broke up with her actor-husband. No please, the actress begged off and laughed, “But we both like the same putahe, don’t we?” Suspected to be, well, “like that,” the actor was once linked to the actress’ former leading man.

* * *

Annabelle with husband Eddie Gutierrez and her favorite alaga JC de Vera (right) .

By this time, Annabelle Rama must be cooling off preparatory to her big advance birthday (Oct. 31) celebration tomorrow night at Crowne Plaza Hotel highlighted by a fashion show featuring her talents that include Miriam Quiambao, Bubbles Paraiso, Michelle Madrigal, Danita Paner, Ehra Madrigal, Paolo Paraiso, JC de Vera, Jon Hall and her children Ruffa Gutierrez and twins Richard and Raymond Gutierrez (plus, presumably the other Gutierrez siblings Rocky, Elvis and Ritchie Paul), and maybe Annabelle’s husband Eddie Gutierrez. The affair is called Spotlight Birthday Fashion/Musical Party (directed by Robby Carmona), calculated to be, to use Annabelle’s favorite expression, “Bongga, ’Day!”

At last week’s lunch-presscon at City’s Best (Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City) where she announced the demise of the family-owned Royale ERA Productions (ERA stood for Eddie, Ruffa and Annabelle) and the birth of Royale Artists, Inc. which has so far more than two dozen talents, all single-handedly managed by Annabelle, the feisty Bisaya (gid!) lashed out at Heart Evangelista for being “ungrateful” for not renewing her contract with Annabelle, which is expiring in 2011 yet, after, according to Annabelle, she had just closed a fat contract-renewal with GMA for Heart who, she described as “laos na” (has-been) when she brought her to GMA three years ago.

Well, the whole world must have seen on national TV how Annabelle has fumed at Heart and her mom who reacted with the following statement: We have always been Heart’s main manager and have always been behind all the major decisions, projects and career moves of Heart even when we HIRED Anabel (sic) Rama to co-manage Heart. We do not wish to dignify her wrongful statements towards Heart. And we stand by our decision and it is our prerogative not to renew the co-management contract that we gave Anabel (sic) when it expires in 2011. In a separate statement, Heart said that she was “thankful to everybody who has helped me in my career.”

Other talents (below, from left) Bubbles Paraiso, Ehra Madrigal, Danita Paner and Michelle Madrigal; and (bottom, from left) Paolo Paraiso and Jon Hall.

Asked at the presscon who her favorite alaga is, Annabelle said it’s JC de Vera.

“He has never given me any problem,” said Annabelle. “He never complains. He waited for his break. He started getting only P5,000 per project and now he’s getting (seven figures). May bahay na siya at may savings na. Marami na siyang naipundar. He’s a good boy; mabait sa pamilya kaya good karma.”

All ears at the presidential table with Annabelle (and Eddie) were her other talents Bubbles and brother Paolo, Ehra and sister Michelle (with boyfriend Jon) and Danita (who used to be managed by her mom, Daisy Romualdez).

“From way back,” said Annabelle, acknowledging the presence of Ethel Ramos, dean of movie journalists, who discovered Annabelle and helped build her up way back in the early ‘70s even before Annabelle started courting (as she herself would admit) Eddie, “I have been friends with the media and I will always be.”

With Annabelle holding the latigo, so to speak, her talents have no choice but to toe the line, or else they’ll suffer the venomous lash of Annabelle’s tongue like the heartless one whom Annabelle has consigned to the dustbin.

More than a Stage Mother and a Mother Hen to her boys and girls, Annabelle is like a second mother to them.

As Ruffa would say, “Kaya behave. Grabe!!!”

A song also fit for Willie

I got the following letter from reader Jose Jardin who said that he’s “a retired department manager III” of Landbank of the Philippines:

Good day, sir:

I was really flattered to know that you were the one who suggested that the new program of Willie Revillame would be titled Willing Willie. Flattered because I thought I did share a bit of your line of thinking as in 2002 I composed a song titled W3 or Welcome Willing Willie. We the officers of Landbank, Caraga Region in Mindanao, sang this composition to welcome then vice president (now executive vice president) Wilfredo Maldia in his first assignment in Mindanao as Landbank Mindanao Head.

Here’s the song:

welcome willing willie

we welcome you sir willing willie

we welcome you deep in our hearts

as we shake your hands, as we watch you smile

we feel love peace and joy in our hearts

we welcome you sir willing willie

we welcome you deep in our minds

just to let you know, we will be behind you

when united we can be ahead

chorus

we share our dreams

and strive together

nothing can break us apart

and when the storm

strikes us in the night

there’s sir willy to give us the light

there’s sir willie to give us the light 2x

If you want to listen to my original composition, please open my video in my facebook jose jardin.

(Incidentally, several people noticed that the director’s chair on the Willing Willie set is deliberately left vacant. Is Willie waiting for somebody “sa kabilang ibayo” to make up his mind? Who could “he” be? I have an idea but I can’t, I won’t, tell you just yet.)

Sumpaico-Ignacio nuptials on Nov. 13

Best wishes to my friend Amabelle ‘Amy’ Ignacio (of Napoli Pizzeria Ristorante) who’s exchanging vows with Carlo Emmanuel ‘Dalo’ Sumpaico on Nov. 13, a Saturday, at the Nuestra Señora de Gracia Parish in Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City. The reception will be at Banyan Pavilion of The Blue Leaf in McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. The bride is the daughter of Francisco E. Ignacio and Ambrosia C. Ignacio and the groom is the son of Walfrido W. Sumpaico, MD, and Melisande J. Sumpaico. The sweethearts were photographed in Tagaytay when Dalo proposed to Amy.

Thanksgiving-cum-birthday party

Veteran movie reporter Vir Gonzales (second from left) hosted a thanksgiving party to celebrate his birthday last Sept. 30 at his residence in Baliuag, Bulacan. Among his well-wishers were (from left) Baliuag Vice Mayor Tony Patawaran (screen name: Abel Acosta), Baliuag Councilor Carol Santiago and husband Kim Fokoda, ex-Councilor Barbara Milano of Talavera (Nueva Ecija) and Marivic Salvador Foronda.

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