Andeng almost lost her baby

On Nov. 18, a day before their first wedding anniversary, Rizal Gov. Jun Ynares III and his wife, Andrea “Andeng” Bautista, welcomed their first baby, a 6.13-pound girl named Cassandra Danielle delivered by Caesarian section at 11:30 p.m.

The baby almost didn’t make it because, while inside her mom’s tummy, her umbilical cord was detected to be coiled around her neck.

“I was crying and crying while I was at the delivery room (of The Medical City in Pasig City),” Andeng told a group of movie writers invited for lunch at the Ynares house in Valle Verde. “I thought that we were going to lose our child.”

Jun and Andeng could have delayed the delivery by one day to coincide with their wedding anniversary.

But no, said Andeng, “We want her to have her own birthday celebration separate from our anniversary celebration.”

Cassandra Danielle will be baptized on Feb. 8 next year. Already, Andeng is drawing up her own list (Jun has his own) of godparents, initially including Claudine Barretto, Precy Vitug-Ejercito, Sharon Cuneta, her sisters-in-law Mia Ynares-Villalon and Nene Ynares, Andeng’s Ate Rowena, Marissa Andaya (wife of Budget Commissioner Rolando Andaya), Jackie Ejercito-Lopez, Alma Ming, Gigi Bautista, Paul Cabral, Philip Cuazon, Jun Ng, Wilfred Chua (of Xando), Rizal Rep. Jack Duavit and Andeng’s Kuya (Sen.) Bong Revilla.

“Like the Chinese, I believe in numerology,” said Andeng. “2-8-08. Ganda, di ba?”

Like other expectant mothers, Andeng has been reading books on mothering, one of them What To Expect When You Are Expecting.

“The baby looks so soft,” volunteered Jun who, like most dads, is hesitant to carry the baby. “She looks so fragile.”

Over lunch of native food prepared by their own chef, Jun revealed that the Philippine Hospital Association (PHA) has awarded him the organization’s highest citation for keeping the health agenda on top of their work priorities.

According to PHA president Tiburcio Macias, from among the 79 provinces that he visited, the Rizal Provincial Government under the leadership of Jun has been unanimously chosen by the PHA Committee on Awards.

Jason, Ina in Nantes, 

France for Endo

Jade Castro’s film Endo is now competing in the 29th Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, France. It’s a festival of innovative works from Africa, Latin America and Asia, and Endo is one of the 15 films invited to compete in the fiction and documentary category. The likes of Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal have already shown their films in Nantes. 

This is Endo’s first competition since winning this year’s Special Jury Prize, Best Editing and Best Actress honors at the Cinemalaya Film Festival. Raymond Lee, the film’s producer, is now in Nantes with the director Jade who also wrote the film, and the two stars, Jason Abalos and Ina Feleo. There were three screenings of the film. The first screening, Raymond reports via text, was sold out. “We were surprised. We thought nobody would show up because the screening was at 10:15 a.m. on a Monday. The first screening was a success. They loved it. Pinalakpakan sina Jason and Ina sa kalye.”

What excites the Endo team apart from being in the prestigious competition is that it is Jason and Ina’s first trip abroad together. They are excited about the possibility of the two sort of rekindling the budding romance that began on the set. Insiders say the two really hit it off during filming and even after, but Jason’s schedule eventually got in the way. Ina and Jason were on the same flight to Paris. They took the train to Nantes together. Put the chance of being together again, and being in the most romantic place on earth, and something beautiful could be rekindled. While the two were so tired from the trip, the kuwentuhan in Jade’s hotel room over a simple lunch got the two stars excited.  

Endo, short for “end of contract,” is a film about short-term jobs and fleeting relationships. It’s the story of young breadwinner Leo (Jason) forced to take care of his weakling father and happy-go-lucky brother by jumping from one temporary job to the next. His “temporary” life is shaken when he meets and falls in love with a driven young woman (Ina) whose ambition goes beyond getting the next paycheck and a non-committal relationship.

The festival program has this short writeup about Endo which perhaps explains why they invited the film:

Endo links the question of love to that of work with apparent candour. The film’s strength lies in the way that it catches us off guard, asserting through separation, a power of love that encourages the loved woman to fulfill herself completely. Through the magic of the screenplay, the film releases its characters and unravels situations in song and dance. And shows the love of life at work.

Endo will have its commercial run in the Philippines in Jan. 2008.

Fr. Corsie’s healing sked

Here’s Fr. Corsie Legaspi’s healing schedule for December:

.Dec. 1, Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m., at the Carmelite Convent, Angeles City, Pampanga;

.Dec. 4, Tuesday, 1 to 6 p.m., at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish, Barangay Balabag, Boracay;

.Dec. 7, Friday, 1 to 5 p.m., at the Coming Home Retreat and Meditation Center, Binakayan, Cavite;

.Dec. 8, Saturday, 2 to 5 p.m., enthronement of the Holy Child of Miracles, a new novena, at the Coming Home Retreat and Meditation Center, Binakayan, Cavite;

.Dec. 10, Monday, 1 to 5 p.m., at the Coming Home Retreat and Meditation Center, Binakayan, Cavite.

(Note: For inquiries, call 046-4348759 or 046-8780069, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.)

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