REGINE Velasquez
We like how Regine Velasquez has become her own person, aside from turning out to be a kooky and even idiosyncratic performer. “Just being herself” has worked out well for her, adding to her natural appeal, uniqueness and empathy.
Sometimes, however, it can be carried too far, as is the case with her new cooking show, “Sarap Diva,” telecast Saturday mornings on GMA 7.
On the show’s first telecast, Regine cooked a simple fish dish and had guests who whipped up a pork loin dish and pinakbet—and that was about it.
Was this a cooking show, just a chatfest, or what?
We watch all sorts of cooking programs, but this was the simplest and most laid-back by far. Initially, its simplicity could be a virtue, but it soon became too simplistic by half, and even occasionally a bore.
It didn’t help that one of Regine’s guests is GMA 7’s resident Kusina Master Boy Logro himself. The guy’s gimmicks have already been all too frequently showcased on his own TV cooking programs, so he added little new to Regine’s latest show—“business as usual” and “more of the same-old, same-old” were more like it.
It was a good thing that Regine’s second guest was newscaster Jessica Soho, who turned out to be a good cook of traditional Filipino dishes.
Well, that at least was something we didn’t know before, so we appreciated her contribution.
But, what about Regine herself as a cook? We should see more of that in coming telecasts, or else the existence of the show itself will be begging the question. Let’s hope that she can unveil fresh views of her culinary persona, other than her ability to fry fish.
There is something to be said for cooking shows hosted by celebrities, like Janice de Belen’s “Spoon,” which combines cooking and shooting the breeze with guest stars who cook (a little).
But Janice certainly does more on her show than Regine on her new program, and the difference in interest value is correspondingly quite telling.
Sure, some viewers just want an easy-breezy way to pass the time, but there are quite a lot of cooking aficionados who want to pick up culinary tips and learn to whip up interesting dishes, aside from being entertained.
Surely, they shouldn’t be left holding the bag? Yes, Regine has become quite the diverting diva, but the “sarap” part of her show’s title shouldn’t just be there as a dangling modifier.
Ideally, Regine can retain her two cooking celebrity guests or culinary mentors per week, but she herself should become more of a hands-on cook, so “Sarap Diva” can make a distinct impression and have its own “flavor,” different from the many other TV shows she’s hosted.
Should her hubby, Ogie Alcasid, figure more strongly in her new show from here on in? Given his flair for comedy, that would help. Should there be more singing on the show? That would also be right up its host’s alley. More industry and career anecdotes and reminiscences? By all means.
Given the new program’s underwhelming start, all options are open, as long as the show doesn’t continue to feel like an exceedingly easy-breezy afterthought.