Jolina: Hair for cancer patients

Curtain-raisers:

• Could it really be true that Edu Manzano, currently head of the Optical Media Board (OMB), will run for governor of Iloilo (against incumbent Niel Tupas)? If and when, it will be Edu’s second foray into politics. He was once vice mayor of Makati where he later ran for mayor but lost.

• Could it be true that Ara Mina is running for congressman in Quezon City? Asked about it by Ogie Diaz, Tia Pusit and Fernan de Guzman on DZXL’s Wow, Ang Showbiz!, Ara said, "There are offers but I have not made any decision. If God wills, then that’s it!" Oh no, my God, please don’t!

• And could it be true that Alma Moreno will be the running mate of Pablo Olivarez in the mayoralty race in Parañaque City (once ruled by Alma’s ex-husband Joey Marquez, Olivarez’s arch rival)? In politics as in showbiz, there are no permanent enemies or friends, only permanent interests. If and when, it will be Alma’s second time to run. She once ran for mayor of the same city but lost.

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Several issues ago when Funfare reported that Jolina Magdangal had her long locks trimmed by 14 inches (after 17 years!), readers e-mailed suggestions what to do with Jolina’s cut hair.

Belinda Santos-Senar, M.D., associate medical director (Region II) of the National Health Services, Inc., wrote: I like Jolina’s hairstyle but she could have donated her hair to cancer patients. All you need is at least 10 inches to do that.

Bing Hintay of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, wrote: Jolina should donate her hair to an organization which manufactures wigs for cancer patients who lose their hair during chemotherapy. Although parting with her hair made Jolina sad, at least she can make cancer patients happy in some way.

To Belinda, Bing and other Jolina-watchers, I’m happy to tell you that yes, indeed, Jolina has decided to organize a project that will gather hair, starting with her own, for donation to the appropriate organization that makes wigs for cancer patients.

"No," Jolina told Funfare two weeks ago before she embarked on yet another concert tour in Europe. "I didn’t throw away my cut hair. Neither did I donate it, as some people must have suspected, to the group clearing the Guimaras Island of oil spill. I’m keeping my cut hair and it will serve as the starting point of my project."

Jolina will discuss details of the project as soon as she comes home. Stay tuned.

Mutya beauty vying in int’l contest

Now in Anhui Province in China competing with more than 50 other delegates from the same number of countries for the 2006 Miss Tourism International crown (currently held by Isabelle Lamont of France) is 2006 Mutya ng Pilipinas-Tourism International Vera Eumee Reiter. The contest started last Oct. 25, with finals slated for Nov. 10 in the city of Ma’anshan (near Guangzhou).

It’s the first time since 1994 for the annual beauty pageant to be held outside Malaysia.

Vera, 19, is a Filipino-German stunner born in Baguio City where she’s a Hotel & Restaurant Management student (at the University of Baguio). She is 5’7" tall and measures 34-25-35. Her parents are Hans Volker Reiter, a German national, and Eufemia delos Santos, an ophthalmologist from Laoag City.

Aside from bagging the Mutya crown, Vera won the Miss Photogenic award. Earlier this year, she was named Reyna ng Aliwan and Miss Agoo (La Union). Last year, Vera has won four local titles, namely Miss University of Baguio-HRM, Miss Hotel & Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB), Miss University of Baguio and Miss Baguio X-Treme.

Hunky Fil-Am in NYC Bravest Calendar

Here’s another interesting news from Funfare’s New York correspondent Edmund Silvestre (news editor of The Filipino Reporter) about a Fil-Am firefighter Wilfredo Olitan who has made it to the 2006 Bravest Calendar. (Edmund promised to send photos of Olitan as soon as he gets the first copy of the calendar.)

New York City Fil-Am firefighter Wilfredo Olitan is Mr. February in the Bravest 2007 calendar that captures the charisma, heroism and pride of the New York’s "Bravest."

As one of America’s most anticipated calendars, it features stunning photographs of actual NYC firefighters, with famous NYC landmarks and attractions. Wilfredo appears shirtless in the calendar, with the Empire State Building in the backdrop.

Wilfredo, who was chosen from among numerous contenders for the 12 calendar slots, was featured in The Filipino Reporter in October 2001, one month after the Sept. 11 attacks, wherein he talked about the unspeakable destruction he saw first-hand at Ground Zero. His heart sank when he learned that 343 of his colleagues (12 of them his classmates in the FDNY training) perished. His childhood best friend and Stuyvesant High School classmate, Fil-Am financial analyst Arnold Lim, was among 18 Filipinos killed in the World Trade Center (WTC) collapse.

From this tragedy, Wilfredo’s mom, Amelia, who is originally from Irosin, Sorsogon, said she saw her son’s real strength emerge. "All his good qualities came out and he’s more loving," she said. "For him, life has become more precious."

A finance graduate of Queens College, Wilfredo, who is now in his early 30s, joined the FDNY as an emergency medical technician. After rigid training, he rose to become a full-fledged firefighter on Dec. 7, 2000.

Wilfredo and 11 other hunky models of the 2007 Bravest calendar will be featured in a special calendar signing event on Nov. 16 at the NYC Shop FIRESTORE on Greenwich Ave., 8th St. and 6th Ave. in Manhattan. The calendar costs $14.95 and will benefit the Children’s Storefront, a tuition-free school in Harlem, NY.

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