Cory Quirino eyes Senate seat

Count Ms. Cory Quirino as one of the personalities who’d be joining the fray as the country votes for its new set of leaders in the May 2010 elections. According to Cory, her name is in the shortlist of senatorial candidates of the Liberal Party, which will have Senator Mar Roxas as standard bearer.

According to Cory, whom we got to talk to at the blessing cum launching of her new wellness spa in SM Fairview, health and wellness will surely be in her agenda if she makes it to the Senate. The beauty and fitness expert said that whenever women ask her about her beauty secret, she tells them that having good health and a healthy lifestyle is the key.

“It should start from within. We could change our lifestyle. Eat more fruits and vegetables. If you must, eat fruits and vegetables five times a day. Also try to avoid eating meat products,” she said.

Cory also added that the practice of some women to skip meals during the day but pig out at night is also wrong. “It’s better if you’d eat five small meals a day than starve yourself the whole day then pig out at night. You will wreck havoc on your hormones that way. Our body needs regular food every three to four hours,” she said.

Another one of Cory’s advocacies if she makes it to the Senate is to propagate Buy Filipino movement. “We have to patronize our own products. We won’t succeed if we won’t help ourselves. It is also important that we believe that we can succeed as a people,” she added.

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“Boy,” the controversial film of Aureaus Solito that was banned for showing in Singapore, will have its Philippine premiere in Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival on July 24, Friday, 6:15 p.m. at the CCP Little Theater. It will be part of the NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian cinema) Jury Award. Aureaus have won the NETPAC Prize twice before – for “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” in Rotterdom Film Festival, the Netherlands and for “Tuli” in the Berlin Film Festival in Germany.

“Boy” stars two newcomers. The Boy who plays the unnamed poet is Adam “Aeious” Asin and the Boy who plays the Macho Dancer is Aries Pena. Both of them are first time actors. According to Aureaus, the film is his ode to Lino Brocka’s “Macho Dancer.”

The film also stars Madeleine Nicolas (who happened to be at San Francisco during the time of screening and was thrilled with the applause given to her and the film) and Nonie Buencamino who plays the father of the macho dancer.

In an email, the award-winning director shares some of the reviews received by “Boy.”

Seattle International Film Festival: “Acclaimed Filipino director Aureaus Solito adds to a string of critically successful features that began with his debut, The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (SIFF 2006)... Recently banned prior to its intended world premiere in Singapore, BOY demonstrates its director’s growing poise and talent.”

Los Angeles, Outfest: “Recently banned by Singapore censors for ‘romanticizing’ gay sex, BOY is Solito’s contribution to the beloved Filipino macho dancer genre.”

Philadelphia, Q Fest: “Talented director Aureaus Solito is back at QFest with this wonderful story about a boy who goes to one of Manila’s famed Macho Dancer bars and becomes entranced with the beauty of a performer.”

One line translated from Italina says: “We have seen the most beautiful love scene of the festival!” (The festival they are talking about is the Torino GLBT Film Festival).

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Angeli Valenciano, the better half of “Mr. Pure Energy” Gary Valenciano, initially didn’t want to be a part of the commercial of GluControl, a herbal dietary supplement for diabetics that got her and her husband as endorsers. But having been married to Gary for 25 years, Angeli is the right person to be with her husband in the commercial.

She would have wanted for Gary to be the only one doing the endorsements in their family although they’ve done several endorsements in the past. But Angeli is knowledgeable in diabetes as she did research on the subject matter to enable her to understand the disease better and take good care of her husband in the best possible way.

She had been witness to Gary’s mood changes whenever the singer has a diabetes attack. “He has broken chairs and kicked some doors,” Angeli recalled. “When his body lacks insulin, Gary seems to go out of control. He even told me, how come when his sugar level is low I am so attentive to him but when his sugar level is high, I don’t mind him. I told him kasi you’re cranky (masungit) when your sugar is high.”

Gary answered that he can’t control himself when his sugar level is high. But his wife told him that he can do it. “The Lord can make you control it. You can’t make it a reason that you can’t control your high sugar level. Early on in our marriage, the doctors have told me of what could possibly happen if we can’t control Gary’s diabetes. That’s why we’ve been constantly monitoring his sugar level because when it drops, it can cause death,” she related.

That’s why Angeli is always alert in reminding Gary to monitor his sugar level regularly. And GluControl, the dietary supplement that they are endorsing, is certainly a big help in that direction.

Speaking of Gary and of Martin Nievera as well, the fans of the two musical icons should rejoice since their planned concert together is finally pushing through. Titled “Martin and Gary As One,” this concert of the Concert King and Mr. Pure Energy is happening on September 19 at the Mall of Asia concert ground.  

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Cinemabuhay, a program of the PLDT Smart Foundation (PSF) designed to help the Philippine movie industry today, announced the grant of one million Pesos to the movie, “Slow Fade.” The movie tells the story of a filmmaker who is facing his death and who seeks to tell his unborn child about his father and give him lessons about life. “Slow Fade” was selected from over 25 entries submitted to Cinemabuhay. The creative minds behind the project are filmmakers Rommel Sales (story/ direction) and Paul Sta. Ana (screenplay). “Slow Fade” will be produced in association with the production house Brainchild Studios. 

“We had a difficult time choosing among the entries. ‘Slow fade’ was the best of many excellent movie projects submitted to Cinemabuhay. We look forward to the opening of the film later this year,” said PSF President Butch Meily.

“Cinemabuhay is an institutionalized effort to discover future writers, producers, directors and give them the opportunity to showcase their talents using Digital Video and High Definition formats. It seeks to expand the boundaries of film, leave the audience in awe and create a new venue for Filipino filmmakers,” said Cinemabuhay Executive Director Albert Martinez, himself a noted Philippine movie and TV star.

The grant to “Slow Fade” is the third award to a Philippine movie by Cinemabuhay. The first P1 million grant was given to “Numbalikdawa,” a movie released in 2007, directed by Bobby Bonifacio and starring Maricel Soriano and Albert Martinez, who both donated their time to the project. The second 1 million peso award was given to “Cul de Sac,” directed by Juan Miguel Sevilla and starring Sam Milby, Jodi Santamaria, and Chin-Chin Gutierrez. Both films were shown in digital theaters around the country and submitted as entries in local and international film festivals.

Cinemabuhay was founded in August 2005 by a group led by Albert Martinez, who put together a working group of creative and production people who helped screen the initial entries and choose the winner.

The PLDT Smart Foundation is one of the major philanthropic institutions in the Philippines. The Foundation is an undertaking by PLDT and Smart Communications, the leading fixed line, wireless and information and communications technology companies in the Philippines. The Foundation aims to assist in the country’s overall development with particular emphasis on education, livelihood and the community.