Did you know that in the current list of BIR as top tax payers among movie celebrities, Derek Ramsay beat Coco Martin? Derek placed 12th with P16.7 M while Coco was 13th with P15.6 M. On the top ten were Willie Revillame (P63.9 M), Kris Aquino (P44.933 M), John Lloyd Cruz (P42.791 M), Sharon Cuneta (P42.04 M).
Followed by Judy Ann Santos (P24.09 M), Piolo Pascual (P23.36 M), Manny Pacquiao (P22.38 M)), Bea Alonzo (PP20.74 M), Anne Curtis (P19.117 M), Sarah Geronimo (P18.3 M), and in 11th was Robin Padilla (P18.2 M).
Curiously, in 2011, it was Kris Aquino who was the top tax payer and second to her was Willie Revillame.
Megan, Mikael , Lovers No More?
Before Megan Young joined the Bb. Pilipinas tilt, talks soared high that Kapuso actor-TV host Mikael Daez was closest to her heart. Some even opined the two were lovers. Looks like it’s a different scenario of late when Megan won the Miss World title.
During the presscon where Mikael was included as one of the ambassadors of Eat Brown Rice campaign launched by two non- profit organizations, my source reported that the actor refused to confirm or deny that Megan’s his girlfriend. Mikael evaded the topic, excusing himself to reply to other queries.
A few press people surmised that possibly if before a more than friendly existed, this time Megan’s duty as Miss World could have urged her to break up with Mikael. Though as of this writing, Megan never touches on her love life when queried by the media men.
Trivia:
.With the old fashioned atmosphere and naïve attitude of moviegoers during the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, local filmgoers and producers did stick to conservative movies. However, the emergence of daring stars surfaced. They defied the no kissing scenes, sexy get-ups in their starrers. Top actress then Rosa del Rosario started it.
Rosa stunned many due to her underwater kissing sequences with Fernando Poe Sr. in the controversial pic Zamboanga. Thus, Rosa was dubbed a sex symbol as she displayed her voluptuous body as the super Heroine Darna.
Not to be outdone, LVN stars Lilia Dizon, Rosa Rosal and Delia Razon tackled sex-oriented roles. Lilia got famous for her goddess characters Venus, Bathaluman. A noted villainess then, Rosa excelled in wearing swimsuits, flimsy attires and torrid kissing sequences. So with Delia who posed for sexy pictorials in tabloids, covers of pin up mags then.
The ‘60s earmarked the rivalry of top sex symbols Divina Valencia and Stella Suarez heightened by their starrer together Labanang Babae. The duo tried to outdo each other in boldness. So much so that the local version of the Beatles ‘Hard Day’s Night was a household, street ditty of youngsters. Its intro had this line, Divina Valencia, Stella Suarez nagbu-burlesk.
From dramatic actress, the deceased Charito Solis doubled her fame as sex symbol too in the movies 3 Mukha ni Pandora, Claudia and Igorota where she romped off with another best actress trophy.
Before the martial Law years, all the sex symbols were no match to the so-called bomba stars. Though prohibited, theater owners inserted actual footages of frontal nudity and actual sex acts, the porno movies, so to speak. The sex tandems were Scarlet Revilla-Ricky Rogers, Yvonne-Bobby Benitez and Myrna Castillo-Freddie Robles, to name some.
Upon the declaration of Martial Law, the porno flicks were banned and the Movie, TV Review & Classification Board (MTRCB) was founded to scrutinize all local films, TV shows. At that, in the ‘70s a milder version of skinned flicks came in, topped by the movies of new sex symbol Merle Fernandez (Rudy Fernandez’ sis), notably titled Uhaw.
A prestigious director Celso As Castillo initiated a bold trend called the wet look. He transformed Ms. Universe Gloria Diaz into an overnight star in Pinakamagandang Hayop sa Balat ng Lupa. So controversial manager the late Rey dela Cruz discovered the group named soft drinks beauties, composed of Sarsi Emmanuelle, Pepsi Paloma and Coca Nicolas. They went all wet and wild in their sexy stuffs.
Curiously that time, direk Celso Ad Castillo changed the image of Vilma Santos from sweet to a sex symbol via the blockbuster Burlesk Queen. Her daring romantic starrers with Christopher de Leon were all smashers at the tills. It was at this aspect when Vilma clobbered her arch rival in fame Nora Aunor.
Through First Lady Imelda Marcos, in the ‘80s the Film Center of the Philippines was founded which allowed uncensored foreign and local movies to be shown. Thus, direk Celso once again catapulted a beauty queen Maria Isabel Lopez to a sex symbol tag in Isla. She made several movies later, showing her whistle-bait figure.
That decade marked the presence of the Gerald Peter’s models; Tetchie Agbayani, Anna Marie Gutierrez, Carmi Martin and Liz Alindogan, all sexpots who graduated to accomplished actresses. Regal Films’ Lily Monteverde created the magic kamison (magic chemise). New stars who wore it in the movies would emerge box office sexy stars.
They were Dina Bonnevie (Katorse), Gretchen Barretto and even Cherrie Gil (Bubut na Bayabas).
Ogie, Regine Not on Good Terms?
With the unheralded trip abroad of Ogie Alcasid, a virulent talk came out that he’s not on good terms with Regine Velasquez. Allegedly, Ogie didn’t favor the recent signing of a 2-year-contract of Regine with the GMA-7 in contrast to his choice of TV5.
But my source related that Regine retaliated with laughter, saying everything run smooth in their domicile. That Ogie left for Australia to grace the birthday of his son Nate by his ex-wife. Regine couldn’t accompany Ogie for she can’t leave her dad who’s still bed-ridden, hasn’t recovered yet.
“We’ve always a freehand pagdating sa career namin. There’s no conflict for we trust each other’s decision.” Regine was quoted as saying.
Luis, Jennylyn Call it Quits
After mutual pals confirmed that Luis Manzano and Jennylyn Mercado broke off , Luis himself didn’t deny yet kept mum on the real issue of their split. Last Oct. 18 was the duo’s second anniversary as lovers. Meanwhile, Jennylyn vows she’ll concentrate on her showbiz career, what with a new TV series.
Not a few, however, blame Jennylyn’s ex Dennis Trillo for allegedly Luis got furious to hear she dated Dennis anew. Same thing occured when Derek Ramsay did split with CristineReyes who’s also Dennis’ ex. An upstanding Dennis replied. “Pati nga kay Tom (Rodriguez) na tsi-tsismis which means sikat ako.”
Spicy Tidbits: Despite his denial, those in the know insist that the brand new car of Aljur Abrenica Dodge Challenge was a gift from his gay suitor. Allegedly, that nearly ushered in his break up with gf Kylie Padilla. In any case both dismissed the allegations as hare-brained.
With the success of her first movie Transit worldwide, Jasmine Curtis Smith turns in demand ad endorser just her sis Anne Curtis. With it goes, however, intrigues linking her with her megger in Transit Paul Soriano who’s Toni Gonzaga’s bf. Allegedly, Toni’s jealous of Jasmine.
“That’s not true. I do respect direk Paul and Toni. We don’t have that love triangle issue.” Says Jasmine who’s now a freshman college student at the Ateneo de Manila University.
As reported by Variety, the Pinoy film On the Job will have a U.S. version under the meg of Battasar Kormakur. He megged 2 Guns(Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg) and possibly Mark who top bills Contraband, the new Transformers will banner On the Job. It’s co-produced by Scott Stuber, to be released by Universal Pictures.
On the Job won kudos in U.S,, Europe, Asia and south America which gained recognition for its stars PIolo Pascual, Gerard Anderson and Joel Torre.
There’s exchange of barbs at their Instagram between Mo Twister and Kapuso actor Ervic Vijandre over the insult Mo threw to Arriela Arida who’s said to be the love of Ervic. After Mo lambasted Ervic, the latter put Mo’s crying photo with comments of those celebs mad at Mo, including his exes.
Arriela apologized for igniting that rift. She’ll be the country’s bet in the Miss Universe tilt this Nov. in Russia.
Fans of Jessy Mendiola of the current TV series Maria Mercedes fame felt disappointed to learn Angel Locsin’s the final choice for the Darna movie, not Jessy. She’s younger, prettier and sexier than Angel, so they say. But Jessy herself admits Angel would be better, having enacted Darna before on TV.
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