Pops Fernandez and I have been friends for over three decades—and counting. That is why I never miss her birthday parties. Aside from her natal day, I also celebrate our friendship every 12th of December.
This year, Pipay (her nickname) had an advance celebration because she is leaving for Las Vegas to spend the holidays with her two Vegas-based sons, Robin and Ram. It was held at CDG Garden in Antipolo and catered by Florabel.
Spotted at the fete were Derek Ramsay, Ellen Adarna and her son Elias, the parents of Derek, Chavit Singson, Joy Ortega, Toni Abad, Vina Morales and other close friends of Pipay. The birthday girl recently made a big reveal in her vlog about her past romance with Piolo Pascual and Aga Muhlach. At the moment, Pipay is “loverless,” but she will never be “loveless” because her friends and family make her heart runneth over.
Ellen Adarna (left) and Derek Ramsay
Happiness was written all over Derek’s face, so I told him, “You look younger now. Marriage suits you.” He shot back, “Maybe because I grew my hair (laughs). Well, there’s no stress kasi at all with Ellen. She and Elias are my world now. But I told John Lloyd that I know my place in his son’s life, and I promised him that I will love Elias like my own.”
So I asked him, “When will Ellen and you have a baby?”
“Hopefully, next year,” he quipped. “She wants a girl, but I want a boy. I am wary of having a daughter because once she becomes a teen and starts posting her pictures in swimsuit on social media, baka marami akong maaway na guys (laughs). I will be extraprotective of my baby girl. With a son, I can let him explore, and I will just guide him.”
As for work, Derek said that he would rather do movies than a teleserye. “The long taping hours of a teleserye make actors age,” he noted. “Even if it pays more than movies, since you get paid per taping day, it’s more draining.”
Derek also said that he has ventured into the construction business because he enjoyed building his houses in Alabang and Palawan. I then asked him. “What’s your advice to couples in a whirlwind romance—like what happened to him and Ellen—who are wary of taking the plunge?”
“It’s not about having a whirlwind romance. It’s more of being aware of your emotions and not being scared to act on them,” he explained. Whether it be “to marry or to break up,” from the looks of it, the Ramsays’ whirlwind romance won’t be gone with the wind.
Diego Loyzaga (left) and Barbie Imperial
Crucial road trip for Barbie and Diego
Real-life couple Barbie Imperial and Diego Loyzaga are teaming up onscreen for the first time in “Dulo” (now streaming on Vivamax). The romance film is directed by Fifth Solomon with an “emo” soundtrack by The Juans.
Barbs and Diegs portray live-in lovers who met on a dating app. After a year of marriage, they are on the brink of breaking up. So they decide to take a road trip to rekindle their relationship. Let your hearts hitchhike on their journey. At some point, all couples have to find out if they are holding on too long or giving up too soon.
Here are quotes from Barbie (B), Diego (D) and Fifth (F):
B: Couples will be able to relate to our movie. The way Direk Fifth wrote our lines is so true-to-life. It’s not for cinematic purposes. Our dialogue is what real couples would say.
D: Our movie coincides with our first anniversary as a couple. What I love most about Barbie is her being maternal yet so childlike—that’s why I baby her. She helped me move on from a dark chapter of my life.
F: I call our movie “maindie” because its mainstream with an indie feel. It will make you realize that you don’t have to be in a relationship to be happy. It also shows that cheaters always justify their mistakes.
B: After our heavy confrontation scene, Diego and I apologized to each other. We were so in character that we got carried away.
D: Just like the character I portray, I am open to the idea of becoming a dad at an early age. I don’t want to be too old to have fun with my kids. I come from a broken family, so I want to have my own as soon as possible.
Cara Gonzales (left) and Luis Hontiveros
‘Palitan’s’ daring foursome
Internationally acclaimed director Brillante Ma Mendoza tells the story of four lost souls who connected through love, friendship and lust in “Palitan” (now streaming on Vivamax). The GL (girls’ love) sexy thriller movie is topbilled by Cara Gonzales, Luis Hontiveros, Jela Cuenca and Rash Flores.
More than the sexy scenes, it is about embracing one’s identity, asking for help while battling your demons, confronting your oppressors, and standing firm with your life choices.
Jela Cuenca (front) and Rash Flores
Here are quotes fromn Cara (C), Luis (L), Jela (J) and Rash (R):
C: Direk Dante gave us the freedom to improvise. He let us think about how to approach our roles. No script. We were just given lines and the situation.
L: Unlike our movie, where someone has sex with an ex, that’s against my moral compass in real life … out of respect for my current girlfriend.
J: I am more daring in this movie than in “Taya.” Cara and I have breast and butt exposure. We have lesbian scenes, which were tough because they’re something alien to us.
R: I don’t wear plaster during sexy scenes. I have no qualms about going all out. I used to be a batang kalye, so palaban talaga ako.
C: I come from a religious family, so I stepped out of my comfort zone to do our movie.
L: The virginity of a girl does not matter to me. It’s not the measure of someone’s self-worth and integrity.
R: Our movie shows that we must not make decisions half-heartedly.
3 PH actors in sequel of K-drama series
Three Filipino actors have been tapped to be part of the sequel of a popular Korean series. But I am not yet at liberty to divulge the details. I will keep you posted in my next columns. The K-drama fan in me can hardly wait to spill the beans.