Pops revisits ‘Penthouse Live’ heyday with Martin

Pops Fernandez

After watching the 40th show biz anniversary celebration of Pops Fernandez on “ASAP,” I congratulated her. Pipay’s (nickname of Pops) long reply hit my heart’s bull’s-eye. In a nutshell, she thanked me for being her first friend in the biz who made her feel welcome and greeted me, “Happy 40 years of friendship, girl!”

As I teared up while reading her message, my mind went into flashback mode. Believe it or not, Pipay was a shy girl back in the day. I’m mighty proud of how she has evolved not just onstage, but also offstage.

It was my mom (Inday Badiday) who coined Pipay’s moniker “Concert Queen” (and “Concert King” for Martin Nievera). Pops and Martin have more than lived up to those titles. Even if they did not live “happily ever after” as a couple, it does not mean that what Martin and Pops had was not a love story.

To mark her 40th year as a chanteuse, Pops has released a new song, “Always Loved.” And to celebrate our four decades of friendship (and counting), allow me to pay tribute to Pipay in this column today.

Thank you, girl, for not letting fame change you a bit and for keeping our ‘80s bond intact. I can’t decide if you are better as an entertainer or as a friend because you excel at being both.

Here’s my chat with Pops:

If you could relive a moment in your career, what would it be?

My very first concert at Rizal Stadium, which didn’t push through initially because it was stormy. The second time, it was unfinished. We had to stop due to many fans who fainted because of the heat. If I could relive that, I will take all the necessary precautions to avoid any glitches.

Please share any funny anecdote about Martin and you during your “Penthouse Live” days.

It was always fun because Mart and I started as “barkada.” We loved to swap stories about our rendezvous with other people. Back then, he had a love life. Ako “pa-cute” lang with my pseudo-boyfriend. I was not allowed to be seen with my bf, so Mart helped me to make takas.

Tell us about your new song.

I have not recorded a song in years, so I came up with “Always Loved.” It’s a reassuring song that sums up what I’ve learned through the years. I have sung songs about heartbreak, hopeful love, etc. This time, it’s about a different kind of love.

Through my new song, I want to remind people who feel alone that there is always someone out there and up there who loves them. God loves us no matter what.

What’s your advice to women who can’t move on from their past the way you did after your separation from Martin?

Just as the lines in my new song goes, “Sometimes, there’s no need to walk the path we walked. Don’t chase destiny. What’s meant for us will be.”

When we’re young, we picture a life we dream of. But when life takes you in a different direction, don’t feel bad. Maybe it’s the right path for you, so you have to embrace it.

How is it possible that you and Mart remain friends even if you lead separate lives?

It’s for the love of our sons, Robin and Ram. Mart and I figured that mas kalmado if friends kami. There are many colorful and dramatic stories about us in between, but in the end, our friendship prevails—and the rest is history (laughs).

Duel of the duos in ‘Ship Show’

Heaven Peralejo and Marco Gallo set the new standard for “kilig” in their Viva One series, “The Rain in España.” Now, they’re ready to make the audience swoon even more in their movie, “The Ship Show” (opens in cinemas on Aug. 9).

Directed by Jason Paul Laxamana, the film is about six pairs who compete in a reality show to be the next big love team. Let the duel of the duos begin.

Here are quotes from Heaven (H) and Marco (M):

H: Since it’s the first movie of our love team, Marven, we feel pressured, but in a good way. Marco and I made sure that there’s something different for our fans.

M: Doing our movie about a reality show made Heaven and me reminisce about our PBB (“Pinoy Big Brother”) days. It was déjà vu, especially the dancing, because our dance performance in PBB was our fave part.

H: Whatever status that Marco and I are in, we would rather keep it to ourselves. In our social media, what you see is what you get.

M: When I was still in Italy, I learned about “kilig” the Pinoy way by watching the movies of KathNiel, LizQuen and JaDine.

H: If you want to join a reality show, you have to be emotionally stable, goal-oriented and extremely patient.

M: When you join a reality show, you just have to be yourself. Enjoy the journey of self-discovery. Don’t let bashers get in the way.

Christine Bermas (left) and Nico Locco

A ‘different route’ for Christine and Nico

While most celebrity couples announce their relationship by becoming “Instagram official,” Christine Bermas and Nico Locco have taken a different route. Both admitted that they are a couple while promoting their first team-up in “Manyak” (streaming on Vivamax).

Megged by Carlo Alvarez, the film also stars Sheree Bautista and Joko Diaz. The erotic thriller centers on a desirable woman and a man with unbridled desire. Watch how attraction turns into destruction.

Here are quotes from Christine (C), Nicco (N) and Carlo (CA):

C: Our film serves as a reminder to be wary of strangers, and to be even more wary of people we already know.

CA: The original title of our movie was “Housesitter.” Even if its new title sounds quite sleazy, the audience will be surprised that it’s a cerebral film.

C: It’s an indescribable feeling when Nicco introduced me to his parents and family in Canada. We’ve been together for a year and a half, but we kept it under wraps.

N: It felt good to see a different side of Christine as a coactor. I’m proud to see how she takes her work as seriously as I do.

CA: After Nicco bagged a best actor award for our film “Sabado,” he impressed me even more in this new movie.

C: In “Nightbird,” my defense was using weapons. In this film, I defended myself by exercising woman power.