Sarah Geronimo: A Star On The Rise

ABS-CBN's new soap, "Bituing Walang Ningning," will test Sarah Geronimo's mettle as a rising star. If you ask Vic del Rosario, Sarah will surpass all expectations.

"I saw the first few episodes and Sarah does justice to her role as Dorina," says Boss Vic, who had produced the movie on which the teleserye was based. The movie starred the young Sharon Cuneta and Cherie Gil.

After "Bituin" gets going, Boss Vic plans to star his prodigy in a remake of another movie. He's keeping the project under wraps, but he says this early he's searching for a leading man for Sarah.

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"Pinoy Big Brother" Celebrity Edition winner Keanna Reeves has just had her buttocks enhanced by Dr. Vicki Belo. Keanna felt that they were too flat.

She plans to have a boob job next. I overheard her telling Lolit Solis her boobs feel kinda heavy.

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It was her birthday, yet Tita Aster Amoyo was fuming rather than celebrating.

It turns out that she texted her invitation to her friends for her bash at Wok N' Stik. Somehow the text messages never got through. "Many of my friends were sore because they thought I didn't invite them," Tita Aster laments.

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"Is it true (name ng TV host) had an abortion? My friend saw her at (name of the hospital)" my friend texted me.

Miss TV Host has lost a lot of weight and the rumor was that she had an abortion courtesy of her boyfriend, an aspiring model.

I'll be getting more details so stay tuned.

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The guidelines for the P25 million fund that will be loaned to film producers are already with the Office of the Solicitor General, awaiting approval.

According to Cinema Evaluation Board Chairman Cristine Dayrit, the selection committee that will determine how the fund will be disbursed will be headed by Eddie Romero and monitoring head Digna Santiago.

Ms. Dayrit also said that the Film Development Council of the Philippines has commissioned the Social Weather Stations to do a survey of the demographics of Filipino moviegoers to find out what genre and stars they prefer.

"My new IFFCOM directors are Jun Juban, Bien Lumbera, Vincent del Rosario and Edu Jarque to represent Tourism Sec. Ace Durano. CorporateSecretary is Lali Suzara. I wanna add one lady member. We met Manay Ichu Maceda, she is so supportive and helpful. I admire her so much," Ms. Dayrit told me. "This is good news to film producers who need financial support."

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Fast cars and fast women go together in this year's Mossimo Bikini Grand Prix. Mossimo has teamed up with the Asian Formula 3 organizers to make the contest sizzle.

More than 500 applicants between the ages of 18 and 25 signed up. Last week the 19 finalists were presented to the entertainment press.

After the presentation, the organizers showed clips from "The Fast and The Furious" and "Torque," two films about men, women and mean machines.

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"Regine Tolentino's areola is so dark," was the comment of my officemate Beth. She had watched the Friday episode of "Unang Hirit," where Regine had a wardrobe malfunction. Her top slipped in the middle of a dance number, revealing her breast.

"I don't think she was aware that her boob was showing," Beth says.

The most celebrated wardrobe malfunction was that of Janet Jackson during the halftime show of Superbowl XXXVIII, the championship of American football, in January 2004. The incident prompted TV networks to institute time delays of as much as five minutes for live broadcasts such as sporting events and awards shows like the Academy Awards night.

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It looks like the film "The Da Vinci Code" is assured of being a blockbuster here. That's because of the controversy the movie is whipping up even before it is shown.

The film is an adaptation of Dan Brown's novel which has become a phenomenal bestseller. The book says Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and started a sacred bloodline that still exists in secret. The Catholic Church has condemned the book as blasphemous, and is equally critical of the movie version.

Last week Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita added fuel to the fire by saying that the film should not be shown here. He was immediately rebuked by several congressmen who said banning "The Da Vinci Code" would be like banning the Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo." They also said his comment will unduly influence the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board which still has to review the film.

MTRCB chairman Consoliza Laguardia, however, has said the board will not bend to outside pressure. With days to go before it opens in local theaters, the film's producer, Sony Pictures, has not submitted a print to the board, thereby heightening the suspense.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines has said it will not block the showing of "The Da Vinci Code" movie in the Philippines.

But it warned its flock of the possible negative effects of reading the best-selling novel that inspired the film.

Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzalez, meanwhile, says that Malacañang, and not the board, has the last say on whether to ban the movie.