Ruffa is ‘grounded’ for one year

Curtain-raisers:

• When last heard from in L.A. where he watched a concert featuring his brother Robin Padilla and Pops Fernandez, Rustom Padilla was planning to enroll in a film-directing course at the New York University (NYU) where Eric Quizon, Richard Gomez and Michael de Mesa took the same course. I talked to Rustom on the phone and he sounded fully recovered from a recent "trauma."

• Congratulations to new boldie Aubrey Miles whose first starrer, Regal Films’ Prosti, grossed more than P4.5 million when it opened last Wednesday. Aubrey is now shooting her second movie, Una at Huli (with Richard Gomez), also by Regal and again directed by Erik Matti.

• Cris Villonco is slowly but surely adjusting to campus life at Sarah Lawrence in New York, with her mom, Monique Villonco keeping house for her (doing the grocery and the dishes – you know, the works! – by herself because they have no maid).

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Two weeks ago after taping as guest for the ABS-CBN sitcom Arriba, Arriba!, Ruffa Gutierrez slipped out of the country for a week-long "R&R" in Paris. Yes, of course, she met up with boyfriend Yilmaz Bektas who sent her the round-trip ticket and – how did you know? – shopping money.

That Paris trip might be the last for Ruffa for the time being because she is "grounded" at home for one year, tied down to a contract with GMA for the new soap Habang Kapiling Ka (former boyfriend and now "Mr. Carmina Villarroel" Zoren Legaspi might be Ruffa’s leading man) which will premiere early next month.

"I’m tired of just doing nothing," said Ruffa who, these past three years, has been traipsing around the world with Yilmaz, with South of France and their favorite spot in the world (besides Istanbul where Yilmaz hails from and has his businesses). "Henceforth, Yilmaz should be the one coming over more often, instead of the other way around. In fact, he’ spending Christmas with my family."

Now managed by Genesis (headed by Angeli Pangilinan-Valenciano) like her good friend Donita Rose, Ruffa said that she and Yilmaz haven’t planned any wedding yet, not in the next two years anyway.

"There have been offers for me to stay here from different TV stations and even for endorsements and movies," added Ruffa. "But then, I’ve never been around for long. Bigla na lang ako nawawala. So they couldn’t make any definite and substantial offer because they never knew when I was gonna be here."

Because her role in Habang Kapiling Ka is that of a rich woman, Ruffa might fly to Paris to buy her wardrobe before she starts taping.

Also, what’s keeping Ruffa (and mom Annabelle Rama) busy these days is their Royale ERA Entertainment which is mounting two concerts at the newly-opened Country Waffles outlet in Quezon City (Scout Esguerra corner West Triangle, owned and operated by Bert and Carol Nievera). The first is A Very Wholesome Show, starring Rico J. Puno and Rosanna Roces (special guest) for the benefit of the Asilo Medalla Milagrosa of Cebu, slated for Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. (dinner is at 7 p.m.); and the second, One Night Stand, featuring Ara Mina and Hajji Alejandro (same beneficiary), on Oct. 26 (dinner at 7 p.m. and show at 9 p.m.)

(For inquiries, call Royale ERA at 727-2534 to 36 or Country Waffles at 925-3980/421-3331.)

Pilgrims’ progress

Ronald Constantino of Tempo just returned from a six-nation (Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands and Belgium) Marian pilgrimage billed Flame of Love. The trip was led by Baby Nebrida, award-winning scriptwriter and TV host-director. Ronald would like to thank his co-pilgrims with whom he spent nearly a month of visiting Marian and other religious shrines. Such a wonderful group, prayerful but at the same time fun to be with.

Ronald’s companions were Sister Baby; Dr. Mita Yap and sister Nena; architect Ben Soriano and wife Elsa; Susan Khambatta; Tita Tanchangco; lawyer Mercy Pine; auditor Flery Jimenez; Cora Manahan; Jess Alejandrino and wife Bina and their daughter Trixie; Dr. Joseph Villanueva; couturier Peter Estocado; Doy Gervacio, cameraman Obet Miguel; Jojo Eusebio of Oltremare Tours and Travel Agency; and Columban priest Fr. Dave Clay who said Mass in every destination.

Also with the group but only staying up to Rome were Tony Montinola and wife Chona and cameraman Armin Luna.

Sister Baby is coming up with TV specials on the Flame of Love pilgrimage for RPN 9, starting with the Marian conference and prayer-rally held at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, where the theme was world peace and proclamation of the fifth dogma, naming the Blessed Mother Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate.

The pilgrims would like to thank the people who were of great help during the six-nation tour: Labor Attaché to Rome Cora Alfonso and her driver Dondon; Bishop Camilo Gregorio of Cebu; Marian author Dr. Courtenay Bartholemew; Fr. Danny Flores; Fr. Albert Guevarra; Vilma Ocampo and her Vatican embassy staff; Ambassador to Spain Lani Bernardo; Virginia "Amor" Gorospe, and the many Filipinos they met along the way.

Ronald highly recommends the Marian tour to his friends in media, saying it was physically tiring but spiritually fulfilling.