(From left) Happy Dos Santos, Tippy Dos Santos, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Sharon Cuneta. Images: FILE PHOTOS
The loss of Tippy Dos Santos’ mother Happy was the talk of entertainment circles in the final week of 2023, as fellow celebrities and other sympathizers mourned with the singer-actress for her unexpected loss.
Sharon Cuneta’s rocky relationship with her husband, former senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, was also a trending topic after the Megastar revealed that they had briefly separated over a misunderstanding but eventually got back into each other’s arms.
In other news, Vice Ganda earned the admiration of showbiz watchers after giving his mother a brand-new car as a Christmas gift, as she needed a vehicle for her day-to-day activities. Others also caught wind of Janno Gibbs’ decision to move forward with the New Year following the death of his father, screen veteran Ronaldo Valdez.
Meanwhile, Jiro Manio became the subject of conversation in the first week of the New Year after he decided to sell his Gawad Urian trophy to support his financial needs.
All these and more, as we welcome the New Year with open arms by reading the hottest news on INQUIRER.net’s entertainment section covering the period Dec. 29, 2023, to Jan. 4, 2024.
Tippy Dos Santos’ mom dies after car accident
(From left) Happy Dos Santos, Tippy Dos Santos. Image: Instagram/@tippydossantos8
Happy Dos Santos, the mother of singer-actress Tippy Dos Santos, died after figuring in a vehicular accident with her husband, John, during a vacation in Seoul, South Korea. She was 58 years old.
Happy’s death was confirmed by her family on Facebook last Dec. 30, which said that she “fought for her life” but that the Lord ultimately “decided to bring [their] beloved Happy home.”
“Dear family and friends, on Dec. 30th, 2023, our beloved Happy passed away after suffering injuries from a traffic accident in Seoul, Korea. The hurt of this loss to our family is indescribable and we will miss her every single day,” the post read.
Tippy’s mother was said to be the “light” of her husband’s “life and world” and is said to be the “most caring and loving mother any child could ask for.”
“We will never forget the love and happiness that she brought into our lives, and we know that she has touched many others the same way. Please continue to keep all the wonderful memories she shared with each one of you in your hearts. We love you forever dearest bride, mama, and Loli Haps,” the post said.
The death announcement came a day after Tippy asked for prayers from her followers on Instagram, after her parents were involved in a car accident duringwhat seemed to be a short getaway in the South Korean capital.
Sharon Cuneta’s brief separation from Kiko Pangilinan
Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Sharon Cuneta. Image: Instagram/@reallysharoncuneta
Sharon Cuneta disclosed that she and her husband, former senator Kiko Pangilinan, indeed separated briefly over a misunderstanding but have since gotten back together.
Cuneta spoke about their marriage as she, Kiko and their three children—Frankie, Miel and Miguel—went live via her Instagram page last Dec. 31, amid speculations the longtime couple had parted ways.
“Happy New Year, everybody. I’m with my family. We’re fine and we love you,” Cuneta said, also making mention of her eldest daughter KC Concepcion, who is currently in the United States.
Frankie and Kiko, whom KC unfollowed on Instagram, also greeted the younger actress and said, “We love you, ate!”
The Megastar then addressed the speculations that arose from her previous social media posts, and lamented why “some people have to be so mean” over it.
“I’m sorry to anyone I may have hurt, and every post I made was just to show you when I was sad,” she said. “After sadness, we fix some things and then we become happy. For the record, ain’t nothing wrong with any of our brains. We good. We normal. We just got some emotions because we’re real people.”
In support of his wife, Kiko stressed, “Sabi ko nga, lahat ng pamilya, lahat ng mag-asawa, nangyayari ang tampuhan.”
Before the politician could finish his statement, Cuneta admitted: “Nag-away kami, naghiwalay kami tapos nagbati na kami so okay na kami.”
“That’s the meaning of all the messages I put. All the other posts were for people close to me that I think needed those posts,” she explained. “You always assume; please don’t assume.”
Speculations of Sharon and Kiko’s marriage being on the rocks surfaced earlier after the Megastar made cryptic posts on social media, including a family photo of them that was cropped to remove Kiko’s face and quotes about loyalty and “sidechicks.”
Vice Ganda’s Christmas gift for his mom
Vice Ganda with his mother, Rosario. Images: Screengrab from YouTube/Vice Ganda
Vice Ganda made sure his mother Rosario Viceral had a Christmas to remember as he surprised her with a brand-new car as a gift.
In a video uploaded on his YouTube channel last Dec. 28, Vice Ganda seemingly took on the role of Santa Claus as he hosted a holiday party for his loved ones complete with a gift-giving ceremony.
By the video’s 20-minute mark, Vice Ganda asked his mother to meet someone outside as that person wanted to greet the latter a Merry Christmas. This turned out to be an alibi as the “It’s Showtime” mainstay host was leading Rosario to see her gift.
“Kailangan daw niya ng pang-simba. Gusto niya mababa lang kasi nahihirapan sumakay. Ayan, sakto-sakto na. May bago ka nang sasakyan,” Vice said while leading his visibly emotional mother to the new vehicle.
Rosario said she had always wanted to have a car of her own, as she admitted feeling embarrassed tagging along with her child in his vehicle whenever she needed to go to church.
“Makakalayas na akong mag-isa. Lagi akong naiiwan. Makakagala na akong mag-isa,” she added.
Janno Gibbs criticized for New Year trip after Ronaldo Valdez’s death
(From left) Janno Gibbs, Ronaldo Valdez. Image: Instagram/@jannolategibbs
Janno Gibbs slammed a netizen who questioned him for supposedly not showing “sadness” on New Year’s Day despite his dad Ronaldo Valdez’s recent death.
Gibbs had greeted his followers with a photo of his family from their Japan trip via his Instagram page last Dec. 31. In the comments section, one @miagison pointed out to the actor that his father “just passed away.”
“I know. And?” Gibbs replied, to which the netizen responded, “Sadness does not seem to exist. Not judging; maybe behind each post you’re all still crying inside.”
The remark did not sit well with Gibbs as he hit back and said, “You are judging. Shame on you.”
Other users came to Gibbs’ defense and underscored that people have different ways of grieving. The netizen then apologized to the actor and admitted that her comment was insensitive.
In an earlier post, Gibbs expressed his longing for Valdez while showing a video of himself in a snowy landscape.
“As the sun sets, the son rises. Caught in the middle of holding on and letting go. Miss you Papa,” the actor wrote in the caption.
Valdez, known for portraying numerous notable roles in his over five-decade career, was found dead in his bedroom in the afternoon of Dec. 17.
Jiro Manio sells Gawad Urian trophy for P75,000
Jiro Manio and his Gawad Urian award. Image: screengrab from YouTube/Boss Toyo Production
Jiro Manio reached out to social media personality Boss Toyo, to whom he was able to sell his Gawad Urian best actor trophy for P75,000.
The former child star went to the shop of Boss Toyo, whose real name is Jayson Luzadas and who collects items of local artists and documents it through the YouTube series “Pinoy Pawnstars,” as seen in a vlog uploaded last Jan. 2.
“Dala ko ‘yung napalanunan kong award noon,” Manio said while unboxing his Gawad Urian trophy which he bagged for his performance in the 2003 film “Magnifico.”
“Ang plano ko talaga nung napanood kita—sabi ng utol ko [ay] magtatayo ka raw ng museum,” Manio told Luzadas. “Naisip ko, sana mapabilang ako do’n [bilang] dating artista na nakatanggap ng mga award.”
Luzadas then stressed that he still looks up to Manio and that his admiration for the award-winning actor remains despite the latter’s inactive showbiz career.
When asked if he still wanted to return to show business, Manio said he preferred sticking to his job as a volunteer in a treatment and rehabilitation center for the moment.
Manio initially priced his trophy at P500,000 but admitted he had no idea how to determine the asking price. Luzadas and his wife then offered to buy the item at P50,000, but Manio haggled at P100,000. The two parties then agreed on P75,000.
“Happy po ako na tinanggap ni Boss Toyo ‘yung [award] ko na pinapatago ko sa kanya para sana mailagay niya sa museum,” the former actor said.
Aside from the Gawad Urian Best Actor award, Manio’s “Magnifico” performance also won the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Award for Best Child Actor, and the Luna or Film Academy of the Philippines Best Actor Award in 2004.
In a TV Patrol interview, Manio said that aside from his desire to be included in Boss Toyo’s museum of Filipino celebrities’ memorabilia, his financial situation prompted him to sell his trophy.