Binibini bets sit pretty for the UP artists

Curtain-raisers:

•  Does the getting-too-obvious closeness of a popular actor and a singer-actor indicate that there’s something more than friendship between them? They seem to be physically affectionate on TV. When the singer-actor bumped a tricycle driver, guess who was with him in the car — the popular actor. Were they on the way to a prayer meeting (they belong to the same Christian group)?

• Did you know that years ago, a now-popular comedienne tried to seduce a comebacking actor while they were performing abroad? She didn’t succeed, though. As a souvenir of that failed encounter, she “stole” the actor’s underwear.

• Is it true that an indie actor is the newest apple of the eye of a TV executive who doesn’t know that his “love text” messages are forwarded by the guy to the director who is his original, hmmm, “caretaker?” It shows where the actor’s loyalty lies.

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Madame Stella Marquez-Araneta, head of the Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc., invited Funfare to watch 24 of the 27 candidates (a batch far better than those of previous years) of the 2009 Bb. Pilipinas pageant sit pretty in a painting session with UP artists at the Mandarin Suite of Gateway Mall in Cubao, Quezon City.

“The artists, all UP graduates, have been holding this session for several months now,” volunteered Madame Stella who is keeping her fingers crossed that this year’s batch will produce a winner in any of the three international contests (Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss World). The country’s last winner was Precious Lara Quigaman in the Miss International contest in 2005.

Joining the session was Spanish artist Betsy Westendorp, close friend of the Aranetas, who could have been a beauty queen when she was younger (like Madame Stella who was, as you know, the first Miss International, in 1960).

The girls were “game” during the session that lasted for three hours. The UP artists usually hire nude models (P1,000 per hour, so I heard) but the Binibini bets were beautifully “wrapped” complete with sashes.

However, lest it be accused of being partial, Funfare is not going to identify the candidates who will compete in the grand finals on March 7 at the Araneta Coliseum.

What’s up?

•  From reader Nonot Arespacochaga: This is in reference to Mr. Mark Gil’s comment that using the word Spaniard is like calling a Black person a Negro. I lived in Spain for many years. In fact, that’s where I finished my Master’s Degree. For the past 15 years, I’ve been working for Agencia EFE which is the official news agency of the Spanish government. Their regional bureau for Southeast Asia and the Pacific is based in Manila. I showed Mr. Gil’s comment to my Spanish co-workers (eight in all) and they all disagreed. So did I. A native of Spain is called a Spaniard. Spanish is used to refer to the language or as an adjective to describe one’s citizenship, for example.

• Condolence to the bereaved family of Robustiano “Bob” del Rosario, former marketing director of the New York-based The Filipino Reporter. Bob passed away last week. He is survived by his wife Aurora, daughter Rose D. Ignacio, and grandchildren Aldrew, Alyssa and Rianne. He was buried in Colonia, New Jersey. Bob was the brother of Philippine Ambassador to Hungary Andy del Rosario.