AI-AI delas Alas
Ai-Ai delas Alas was in high spirits at the renewal of her contract as the endorser of Hobe Bihon.
Every time I see Ai, I can’t help remembering her struggling days when my mom Inday Badiday’s floor director, Alex Marcelino, used to bring her along everywhere since she was on the lookout for gigs.
The Comedy Concert Queen has come a long, hard way. Now she’s laughing all the way to the bank.
Here’s my chat with Ai:
At this point in your career, what else do you want to achieve?
To win an Urian and an international award for acting. That will complete my collection.
What’s the latest on your “anak-anakan” Jiro Manio?
I put him back in rehab, even if he’s already drug-free. He’s safer there. I don’t want him to hang out with the wrong people and go back to his old ways.
It’s my lifetime mission to take care of him. He’s a lost soul who needs affection and attention.
Will you stay put in GMA 7 or go back to ABS-CBN?
I owe a lot to ABS-CBN. I just got back to my former home studio. I have one more year in my contract with GMA 7. So far, so good .
I’m grateful to the Kapuso network for giving me shows like “Sunday PinaSaya” and “Hay Bahay.”
I never burn bridges. I just keep praying for God to take me to a place that will be good for me. I leave it to His will.
What’s your biggest love lesson?
Love teaches me how to rise and fall—and rise again.
What makes your relationship with your boyfriend, Gerald Sibayan, work?
Perhaps because we’re destined for each other.
Do you and Gerald have plans to get married?
In 2018 or 2019. He’s still saving up for our wedding.
If your life story would be made into a movie, what would the title be?
“Ai Survived.”
Chance encounter
Since I am privy to my BFF Cesar Montano’s personal life, I’m more than happy that, after one year and eight months, he bumped into his three daughters at Resorts World, when they were having dinner with their mom, Sunshine Cruz, in a nearby restaurant.
Buboy (Cesar’s nickname) told me that prior to the chance encounter, he dreamed that he was hugging his daughter Angelina. And when they saw each other, Angelina said that she had the same dream.
“It was an answered prayer,” he related. “I tried to hold back my tears. It was like a scene from a teleserye.”
According to reports, Sunshine was the one who told the “Tres Marias” to approach Buboy.
The girls are old enough. They hardly need prodding from their mom. I’ve seen how Buboy dotes on his daughters. Needless to say, they miss him.
Too bad the three girls were not around when Buboy was grieving over the death of his mom last May. If the “Tres Marias” had their way, I’m sure they would have wanted to pay their last respects to their lola.
Oh well…
Fighting spirit
A Gilas Pilipinas insider (who requested to remain anonymous) let me in on one of the reasons why the national basketball team lost in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
According to my source, the players were not allowed to make their own moves or as he put it: “Bawal magsariling diskarte ang players. ’Di tulad sa PBA na minsan puwede.”
They were required to stick to the game plan. Too bad, because Gilas had a fighting chance.
Sad that “Laban, Pilipinas” turned into “Labas, Pilipinas.”
Musical fusion
What happens when you bring together Up Dharma Down, Nathan Sykes, Aegis, Ely Buendia, Crwn and Autotelic?
A musical fusion dubbed “Smart Music Live” (SML), which was held at the Big Dome last July 14, and witnessed by 7,000 Smart subscribers.
The telco launched SML to fuel its subscribers’ passion for music.