Martin & Gary: Hating-kapatid

Curtain-raisers:

• A PR lady is hurting. Her alaga, an “imported” aspiring actor who is a dead ringer for Taylor Lautner, has left her after more than three years. As always happens when a partnership breaks up, the offended party opens a can of worms — in this case, the PR lady. She said that she rented a well-appointed condo unit for the guy, put him on Business Class during trips abroad and gave him all the comforts in life. She said that she has spent more than P3 million on and for him. The guy said that she had been a “nagging girlfriend” that’s why he broke free from her...stranglehold? Now, the PR lady is planning to sue the guy for “damages.”

• Could it be true that another “imported” hunk broke the heart of a Thai photographer (male, yes) when he packed his things and flew to the Philippines in search of the proverbial greener pasture? He’s the same guy who was caught unaware when a pretty TV-actress (whose first and last names have the same initials) broke into his room during an out-of-town shoot and planted a wet kiss on his lips.

He’s lovable, fantasized by both men and women. Banzai, Brazil?

•  In defense of her good friend Jinkee Pacquiao (top), “Darling Rose” said that there’s absolutely no truth to the rumor linking Jinkee to Derek Ramsay, boyfriend of Angelica Panganiban. But it’s true that the paths of Jinkee and Derek did meet when Derek was in GenSan for a show. He went to Jinkee’s store at a mall to buy a “Manny Pacquiao T-shirt” because, he told Jinkee, “I’m a Pacquiao fan.” Said Darling Rose, “They never saw each other after that.” Darling Rose is clearing Jinkee’s name because, she said, Jinkee’s husband Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (center, now training in L.A. for his March 13 fight with Joshua Clottey) is “bothered” by the rumor. According to Darling Rose, despite the persistent rumor linking Manny to Krista Ranillo (bottom, now also in L.A.), “Jinkee trusts Manny who is hers and hers alone. As she said, “Hindi niya ipinamimigay ang asawa niya.” Jinkee is flying to L.A. any day now to join Manny.

* * *

Equal billing, equal exposure and equal pay. Everything equal as in hating-kapatid. How much between them? Confidential.

No scene-stealing nor putting one over the other, please!

That’s the rule of thumb for Martin Nievera and Gary Valenciano in their successful AS1 concert which premiered in Manila in September last year and took North America by storm during its nine-city tour also last year, making it “the most successful tour in the USA of any Filipino artist” last year.

The SM Mall of Asia (MOA) concert was held one week before Typhoon Ondoy unleashed its fury on Metro Manila, so Martin and Gary decided to turn AS1 into an impromptu fund-raising for the Ondoy (and Typhoon Pepeng victims), with Martin “selling” hugs and kisses for precious dollars. They raised over $50,000 which they turned over to Sagip Kapamilya of the ABS-CBN Foundation.

“The title of our concert is prophetic,” said Gary. “AS1 has come to mean not only Martin and I finally getting together in a show but for everybody the world over to work “as one” in helping victims of disasters not only in the Philippines but in other parts of the world.”

The concert was such a hit that its spin-off CD, also titled AS1, shot to No. 1 immediately after its release (by Universal Records in cooperation with Polyeast Records), with As One, a song composed by Gina Tabuena-Godinez and Albert Chang (and arranged by Gary himself) as carrier single. Now a Platinum, the CD features Martin and Gary’s rendition of each other’s hit songs as well as their duets.

How different is AS1 from other back-to-back concerts?

“Usually in a back-to-back concert,” said Gary, “you have the two artists come out together and then one of them stays onstage for a couple of numbers and then the other will do the same. In our case, you can count the numbers where we are not together. We’re together from beginning to end.”

“Kaya nga ‘as one,’ eh,” said Martin.

As Funfare reported a few issues ago, AS1 is having a return engagement abroad: in Washington DC on Feb. 27; Connecticut on Feb. 28; Tampa Bay, Florida on March 6; Reno, Nevada on March 12; Dallas, Texas on March 19; Pasadena, California on March 21; Dubai on April 8; and Qatar on April 9.

(Note: AS1 is produced by Manila Genesis Entertainment & Management for Starmedia Entertainment, Inc. The Filipino Channel and ASAP XV are major sponsors. For inquiries, those in the US may call 818-549-9005 or 818-547-1456.)

Will Franz Pumaren  ‘make it happen?’

Now that he’s about to finish his third term as councilor of the Third District of Quezon City, Franz Pumaren is running for congressman in the May elections under NPC (Nationalist People’s Coalition).

Being a basketball star (he’s the immediate former coach of La Salle’s Green Archers), Franz will surely attract fans, young and old, once he starts campaigning in the same areas which he knows too well, having combed them during his sorties when he ran for councilor.

“There’s nothing like knowing your constituents first-hand,” said Franz who is a Hall of Fame awardee, having been named three-time Most Outstanding Quezon City Councilor (he also served as Second Assistant Minority Floor Leader). “I’m familiar with every nook and cranny of my district.”

Born on Feb. 5, 1962, Franz graduated with a B.S. Commerce degree (major in Marketing Management) from De La Salle University (1987) and took up a masteral course in UP Diliman (2005). He’s married to Ma. Odette de Guzman.

His campaign pitch is “Make It Happen” and his subtitle is, appropriately enough, “Coach ng Bayan!!! Champion Ka, Q.C.!!!

Like Joy Belmonte who’s running for vice mayor (as incumbent Mayor Herbert Bautista’s running mate) in the same city, Franz stresses the positive in his campaign, meaning he doesn’t resort to back-biting his opponents or dirtying the campaign trail with mudslinging.

“Q.C. residents are intelligent,” he said. “They cannot be swayed by black propaganda.”

And what are the 10 changes that Franz promises will work for us residents of Quezon City’s third district?

These:

 1. Empowering communities/providing safe communities,

 2. Lowering heavy taxes,

 3. Creating fulfilling jobs,

 4. Protecting health care,

 5. Nurturing the environment,

 6. Developing the family,

 7. Eliminating bureaucracy,

 8. Promoting quality education,

 9. Creating support infrastructure, and

10. Housing the people.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected] or at [email protected])