Beauties and the boxers

Curtain-raisers:

• It’s true: A popular TV-movie actor did give his ladylove an expensive watch and a Hermes bag with a check for, hold your breath, P2M inside which the lady returned to the sender. “Gaga,” the girl’s manager (let’s call her Lovely Sweet) tweeted her. “Sana ibinigay mo na lang sa akin, ano!”

• But Lovely Sweet failed to convince her other ward, an actor recently separated from his dancer-wife, to take back a million-peso ring he gave to an ex-girlfriend (who has been holding on to it for dear life). “He didn’t want to be called an Indian giver,” sighed Lovely Sweet.

• Speaking of eye-popping, breath-taking love offerings, a jeweler was once invited by a company executive to display her goods. Imagine how surprised the jeweler was when she learned who the executive was buying the “goodies” for — yes, a controversial actress said to be the executive’s secret girlfriend. Of course, she picked this and she picked that from the blinding array before her, as if she was just picking peanuts from a tray.

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Juicy briefs

• Beauties and the “beasts” (of the ring): The Philippines’ Janine Mari Tugonon and Mexico’s Karina Gonzales showed up at the final press conference of Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez the other day, Dec. 5, at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas where they will meet at another return bout on Saturday night, Dec. 8 (Sunday morning, Dec. 9, Manila Time). The beauties were giving their respective kababayan moral support. The day before, Janine did her swimwear photo shoot at the poolside of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Hotel, with Miss Nicaragua Farah Eslaquit and Poland’s Marcelina Zawadska.

Janine seems to be standing out among the 88 girls competing for the Miss Universe title on Dec. 19 (Dec. 20, Manila Time). By then, we will know who between Pacquiao and Marquez is the winner. Will the Philippines score a double victory? Let’s keep our collective fingers crossed.

—Reported by CELSO de GUZMAN CAPARAS

• Bonding in Bangkok: The gang has just come back from a four-day uplifting “bonding” in Bangkok, courtesy of Tony Tuviera who happened to be there with his wife Madeline for a sales meet. The group was the same one that spent a holiday in Hong Kong a few weeks ago, including Susan Roces and her Senatoriable daughter Grace Poe-Llamanzares; June Torrejon-Rufino and daughter Rebecca; Shirley Kuan; Dolor Guevarra and daughters JP and Anes; Pat-P Daza; Lawrence Tan; Marichu “Manay Ichu” Maceda; Malou Choa-Fagar; and Balikbayan (from Toronto) Baby K. Jimenez.

The barkada stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel. Tony and Madeline twice hosted a dinner for them, first at Mandarin Oriental and then at the Baan Khanitha Thai Restaurant to celebrate Dolor’s birthday on Dec. 2. If the bakasyonistas came home several pounds heavier, it’s because they spent most of the time eating. Yes, travel is broadening!

• Maggie Grace, Victoria Justice in Oliver Tolentino: Hollywood-based Filipino designer Oliver Tolentino has just added Maggie Grace and Victoria Justice to his growing roster of celebrity clients. Grace (who plays Liam Neeson’s daughter in the two Taken movies and is in the cast of Breaking Dawn) wore a Tolentino eco-dress to the Global Green USA’s 13th Annual Sustainable Design Awards in New York last Dec. 3; while Justice wore a Tolentino red silk brocade cocktail dress with peplum to the TeenNick 2012 HALO Awards.

• Success and Happiness of Being Rich: That’s the theme of a motivational and empowering seminar to be conducted by Carl Balita (photo) on Dec. 12 at Crossroads 77, Quezon City. The seminar is offered to students from different schools and universities in the country. Balita is a multi-awarded media and business personality who is recognized as a motivational speaker and trainer. For details, call Arvin Beleno at +63918-5947647.

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