Why Ai-Ai cried at Yaya victory party

Did you know that Ai-Ai delas Alas planned to quit showbiz three years ago?

Choked with emotion and holding back tears at the victory party for her new hit starrer, Regal Films’ Mother’s Day offering Our Mighty Yaya (directed by Joey Javier Reyes, still showing nationwide), Ai-Ai revealed that in 2014 she decided to buy a house in California where she planned to retire with her children. The party was hosted the other day by Regal Matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde and daughter Roselle at the family-owned Valencia Events Place, Quezon City.

“It was a bad year,” admitted Ai-Ai. “My mother died, my movie flopped and my marriage failed. I was asking God, ‘Where did I go wrong? Ano ba ang kasalanang nagawa ko?’ I felt that I was down and out. Lord, please help me?”

But her manager/confidante/friend/mentor Boy Abunda convinced her to stay.

“I believe that you still have more to give,” Boy told Ai-Ai. “Marami ka pang mailalabas.” She didn’t know that, after her contract with ABS-CBN had expired, Boy was negotiating with the GMA bosses. “So I decided to give showbiz one more try. In God’s good time, He answered my prayer.”

Today, Ai-Ai can hardly count her blessings. She has two shows on GMA (Sunday Pinasaya and Hay Bahay), a Papal Award, two Best Actress awards (for Area), a hit movie (yes, Yaya), and a boyfriend (Gerald Sibayan) whom she’s definitely marrying in L.A. on Nov. 11 this year.

“The wedding is sponsored by one of our ninangs,” Ai-Ai said. “It will be a simple affair. I won’t even wear a gown, just a simple dress. Gerald and I will have another wedding, a big one, next year in Manila and that’s where I will wear a gown.”

The ninang wanted the Nov. 11 wedding to be held in Las Vegas but Ai-Ai begged off.

“But I didn’t like it kasi na-trauma ako sa Las Vegas,” Ai-Ai reminded her media friends. Yes, Las Vegas was where she and Jed Salang got married, broke up barely two months later and filed for a divorce a year later. As in that failed marriage, Ai-Ai has a pre-nup with Gerald. “It’s a mutual decision,” said Ai-Ai.

Between now and next year, Ai-Ai will be very busy. Three movies are lined up for her: For Regal, another Mother’s Day movie (set for next year); for Cineko Films’ Ginalingan Mo Bes (with Zsa Zsa Padilla and Carmi Martin, directed by Joel Lamangan from screenplay by Ricky Lee); and one for Star Cinema.

Since her contract with GMA is expiring in July, reports have spread that she’s returning to ABS-CBN.

“I’m only doing one movie for Star Cinema but I’m not going back to ABS-CBN,” clarified Ai-Ai who may renew her contract with GMA (she should, after all it was GMA who “saved” her).

Good karma is how friends describe Ai-Ai’s good fortune.

“She doesn’t bash anybody on social media, hindi siya emote nang emote, she doesn’t wash dirty linen on social media, she respects her family (even her ex-husband), she’s very positive,” said her friend. “To quote a song, she must have done something good because everything good is happening to her.”

Isn’t that a food for thought for some celebrities who are wallowing in negativity and self-pity?

Charo looks good as cowgirl 

And did you know that being a cowgirl was one of Charo Santos-Concio’s dreams?

Don’t look now but she realized it when she was invited as guest speaker by the Rodeo Masbateño, Inc. (RMI) to the recent Masbate Rodeo Festival which is now on its 24th year.

“My dream is for Filipinos to include watching the Masbate Rodeo Festival on their bucket list,” Charo in a cowgirl outfit told the audience. “This is a unique experience for me,” added Charo who recalled that she once featured a cowgirl from Masbate on her drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya (MMK).

Judge Manuel “Bebot” Sese, RMI president, led the Masbateños in giving Charo a warm welcome.

The main attraction of the festival was the National Rodeo Finals where students and professionals competed in their respective categories for cattle lassoing, wrestling on foot, steer lassoing on horseback, steer wrestling from horseback, casting down, two-person carambola, four-person carambola, bull riding, and load carrying. All these events were inspired by the day-to-day ranch practices, making them authentic and truly anchored on animal welfare and safety.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo. Yaya photos by RICKY LO