Vincent Anthony Garcia brings you all the gossip from the Philippines.
The other Barretto
Gretchen Barretto isn't the only one making the headlines these days. The controversial celeb's sis, Claudine, is back in the limelight via a new soap lisa Pa Lamang in which she co-stars with Gabby Concepcion, who used to be paired with her older sis Gretchen.
Claudine's last programme, Maligno, didn't do very well but hopes are high that her pairing with the controversial Gabby will create a buzz around the series. Both are award-winning actors so there should be no doubt they will give superb performances. The only question is, will this tandem have enough charisma to pull in the viewers.
Funny bones
When Regine Velasquez's new programme, Ako si Kim Sam Soon (My Name is Kim Sam Soon) premiered last week, many viewers were curious whether Asia's Songbird could pull off a comic stint in a TV series.
Regine proved detractors wrong as her programme came out as one of the top shows on primetime TV, proving the multi-platinum singer also has a funny bone.
Kim Sam Soon is an adaptation of a Korean telenovela about a heartbroken baker in a small family-owned bread shop. Kim, the lead character, is devastated and suicidal after her beau Harvey, played by Wendell Ramos, stands her up on her wedding day. Then comes Cyrus, played by Mark Anthony Fernandez, the man who would change her life forever.
Aside from Regine's funny antics, what makes the comic series click is the return to stellar billing of Fernandez, who is looks even better now than when he was a matinee idol. Mark has slowly regained his popularity after a long break from showbiz.
Many Regine fans in the UAE will be happy to know that they can watch Kim Sam Soon soon on PinoyTV.
Angelic tantrums
Teen star Angelica Panganiban has denied reports she's being a prima donna on the set of soap opera lisa Pa Lamang.
Stories have circulated that Angelica Panganiban has been complaining to her mother studio about not giving her enough assignments and focusing instead on the network's new talents KC Concepcion and Angel Locsi.
At the launch of her new commercial endorsement, Angelica told our Manila mole she is friends with both KC and Angel. "I am happy where I am right now, although I would of course like to be more active." She made a big splash last year when she did A Love Story with award-winning actor Aga Muhlach (the movie was also shown in Dubai last year), earning praises for her acting.
Unfortunately, there hasn't been a follow-up to that movie, allegedly because it didn't do quite so well at the box office. But the pretty-young-thing isn't worried saying, "I'm just waiting for another good project that's all. In the meantime, I am busy with commercial endorsements anyway and am focusing on my relationship with Derek."
