Cherry Pie returns to MMFF

Plus:Julia Montes advocates for the elderly Pinoy Master Chef begins

The movie ‘The Strangers’ is the comeback film of Ms. Cherrie Picache to the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) which starts on December 25, Christmas Day. The movie is produced by Quantum Films of Atty. Joji Alonso (who gave us the critically-acclaimed movies Kubrador, Here Comes the Bride and Ang Babae sa Septic Tank) and is released by Star Cinema.

Ms. Pie is excited to join the MMFF after quite an absence. “The filmfest is much awaited because it’s a showcase of the best Filipino films. As a movie lover myself, I see the festival as a wonderful opportunity and venue to show the best local films,” says the actress at the presscon of ‘The Strangers’ last Sunday held at Dolce Latte Restaurant in Quezon City.

Ms. Pie is mighty proud of the movie trailers of the filmfest entries that she saw on the big screen when she recently watched a movie. “The line-up of movies is quite interesting and looks good. That makes even prouder that I am a part of this year’s festival,” she says.

In the movie ‘The Strangers’, Ms. Pie is playing mother to teen stars Enrique Gil and Julia Montes who play twins in this movie directed by Lawrence Fajardo, a winner at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival last July for ‘Posas’. She has no qualms in portraying such role.

“I haven’t done a horror for quite some time that’s why I am excited to work in this movie plus I had wanted to work with Direk Lawrence because of his reputation as a filmmaker,” said the award-winning actress who gained acclaimed in movies like Foster Child and Here Comes the Bride. “I’ve worked with him in his past projects but he was part of the art department. This is my first film with him as my director.”

How did she find working with Direk Law?

“People had been saying na he is very good. Tama nga ang tsismis – mahusay nga siya. He is very good. What is nice about working with him is that he can edit the scene as he shoots because he is also a film editor. He knows what he wants to achieve in his film. While he shoots, he also takes note of how he is going to edit it and gets only the shots he wanted.”

Direk Law says what makes him different from other directors is the way he attacks a scene. How can Ms. Pie relate to this statement from her director?

“At first, you get this feeling na siya lang ang nakakaalam kung ano ang nangyayari sa shooting. Clueless kaming lahat sa set. For a while, mag-iisip ka at magtatanong – what is happening na ba kasi ‘yung style ng storytelling niya ibang klase. You somehow get this feeling na hindi mo alam kung ano ang nangyayari. Pero pag napapanood mo ang movie, doon mo lang mabubuo ang kuwento,” Ms. Pie related.

Ms. Pie describes ‘The Strangers’ as a different kind of horror flick. “This is not the type na you’d scream because of fear but something that will goose bumps all over your body. May acting, ha?,” she says with a laugh.

She is not even putting in her mind that she could win the best actress award for her performance.

“There are more deserving contenders like ‘Thy Womb’. I mean, for the acting categories either lead or support, maraming nagtrabaho. Well, I did my job well but we can’t say what the jurors would pick. I guess the roles of the other artists might be more substantial for them to win an award,” says Ms. Pie.

She is playing the matriarch of a family who went on a vacation and encountered strange happenings that would change their lives forever. “I like the role of the matriarch plus I have not done a horror film for some time and it’s not your usual horror film so I am happy that I am part of this movie,” the actress adds.

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Aside from promoting her shows and a new movie, Julia Montes is also endorsing an advocacy supporting the country’s senior citizens.

“This advocacy for elders is really close to my heart as I was cared for by my lola since I was a kid. When I first learned about the offer, I did not hesitate to support this cause,” Julia says.

“I admire Senator Angara and Congressman Angara for being champions of the Senior Citizens Act. They have truly helped a lot of Filipino elders, including my Lola Flor, to have a better and easier way of life,” the 17-year-old Kapamilya star says.

Senator Angara was the proponent of the Senior Citizens Act of 1992 while his son Rep. Edgardo “Sonny” Angara authored the Expanded Seniors Citizen Act of 2010.

Among the benefits included in the expanded version of the bill is the 20-percent discount and exemption from value added tax on the sales of goods and services, free medical and dental service, diagnostic and laboratory fees in all government facilities, a monthly stipend of P500 for indigents; a five-percent discount on water and electric bills, and educational assistance for those who shall meet school admission requirements.

The law also establishes an Office for Senior Citizens Affairs in all cities and municipalities, and a senior citizen ward in every government hospital.

“My father and I pushed for the Senior Citizens Act and its expanded version as a way to give back to the Filipino elders who have  played a significant role in our society. It is time for us to recognize our duty to provide care and support for them,” the younger Angara says.

The lawmaker also explained why Julia was the perfect fit to endorse their senior citizens’ advocacy. “There is no doubt that she truly cares for the elders because she was raised by her grandmother. We hope that that there are more Filipino youth who respect and love their lolas and lolos as much as Julia does.

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 A nationwide search has brought together the best 14 cooks from different backgrounds and ages who are gearing up for a tougher culinary competition with eyes on the same prize: becoming the first ever Pinoy MasterChef.

The road to the crown and the P1 million grand prize has officially begun for the top 14 cooks of MasterChef Pinoy Edition who, from now on, will be living in a single house. Who among them will get along well? Who will stand out?

Watch the Top 14 cooks fight their way to the top in MasterChef Pinoy Edition, Mondays to Fridays, 10:30 a.m. before Be Careful with My Heart on ABS-CBN’s Umaganda block and on Saturdays, 10 a.m. before Be Careful with My Heart Saturday Rewind. For updates on the program, like www.facebook.com/MasterChefPH, follow @MasterChefPHL on Twitter, and visit www.masterchefph.tv.

Road to Ms. Universe 2012 Janine bent on evading the punch

Filipinos cannot take another Las Vegas heartbreak at this point. And whether we intend to or not, that’s placing even more pressure on our Miss Universe Philippine candidate Janine Mari Tugonon who’s currently striving to be a stand-out in activities leading up to the big pageant night happening in the same US city where our national sports icon just endured a most shocking defeat. Will she give us reason to celebrate? Or will she herself suffer a knock-out of a different sort?

A month after Janine won the Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2012 title and along with it the right to represent the country in the world’s most prestigious pageant, The FREEMAN had the chance to meet the beauty queen up close and chat with her during a Nestle event at the Ayala Activity Centre. First impressions were how beautiful her caramel-colored skin looked, how she has a no-nonsense manner of replying to queries, and how strongly she clings to her spiritual faith.

Asked that time what has been the biggest change in her life since succeeding Shamcey Supsup, Janine answered, “Definitely, ang pinaka-nagbago, nakatutok sa yo palagi ang mata ng publiko. It’s like every move you make, every word, every tweet, every status update, nakabantay sila at nakakalabas agad. I remember after winning the Bb. Pilipinas crown, I tweeted ‘My Savior just fought and won the battle for me.’ The next day, nakita ko siya nasa newspaper na.”

Living in a fishbowl could be taxing, but the 23-year-old native of Bataan chooses to focus on the positive aspect of her fame.

“I don’t really see it as a downside though, because now my sphere of influence has widened, so the more I can do my purpose in life. Although yes, the disadvantage comes in having less privacy at pakikialaman talaga yung buhay mo, but I think we have to look at the better side of everything,” she said.

Janine related that her favorite part of being a Binibini are the frequent trips here and there. “Yung pag-alis-alis namin. Kasi mahilig talaga akong mag-travel, but I didn’t have the time to do so before, and I didn’t have the money. Ang dami naming napuntahan at na-meet na tao of different nationalities, so sobrang saya ko.”

For that, Janine has her mother to thank for convincing her to give Bb. Pilipinas a second shot after her first try in 2011 resulted to a first runner-up finish.

“My decision to join Bb. Pilipinas again this year was paiba-iba. Join-atras, join-atras --- that was the scenario. Initially, I decided not to join but my handler and my mother forced me to submit an application. When they called me for a call-back, I told them I wasn’t going. Natulog ako para hindi makapunta. Pero nagising ako kasi may napanaginipan ako. I received a call from my mom and kinausap niya ako ng masinsinan,” narrated Janine whose handler Jonas Gaffud is the same genius behind the winning transformations of Miss Universe 2010 fourth runner-up Venus Raj and Miss Universe 2011 third runner-up Shamcey Supsup.

“If it wasn’t for my mom, hindi na ako sasali uli. Siya talaga yung nag-trigger. But there was a part of me that wanted the crown. It wasn’t in my personality to just settle for first runner-up. As much as possible, I aim for the highest. At naisip ko, I can do it naman,” she added.

Aiming high is not foreign to Janine. She, after all, graduated Cum Laude from the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) where she took up BS Pharmacy. While at UST, she also won Miss Pharmacy 2009 and Ideal Thomasian Personality (Miss UST) in 2010.

“If you want something, you really have to work on it. There’s no such thing as an easy way up. You have to strive and be determined in everything you do. The first time I joined Binibini, I wasn’t so focused. When I joined again, I told myself I wanted the Bb. Pilipinas-Universe crown, nothing less. You have to claim it. And if I might add, you have to have a genuine relationship with God. That’s very important.”

Had Bb. Pilipinas not sidetracked the 5’9” morena from her initial career path, Janine is most likely in Guam right now managing a pharmacy owned by a relative.

“One of my mom’s aunts has a pharmacy in Guam. Among me and my cousins, no one took up a Medical-related course. Ako na lang mag-isa yung magka-college. Sabi nila I’ll take up Pharmacy na lang para after that, I can handle the pharmacy in Guam. That time, I wanted to take up Culinary but practically speaking, we couldn’t afford it. I ended up enjoying Pharmacy because I like challenging myself,” she explained when asked why she chose the course.

When not poring over textbooks, this academic achiever was also perfecting her pointes and pirouettes. Janine, who said she looks up to prima ballerina Lisa Macuja, attended the Ballet School of Manila. The dance art turned out to be beneficial at beauty pageant boot camps. “Ballet strengthens your upper body, and that really helps a lot in walking. It also helped me in terms of discipline and how to carry myself.”

Speaking of walking, Janine’s Binibini handlers have come up with her own signature stride (on the heels of Supsup’s ‘Tsunami Walk’ hype), that is, the ‘Cobra Walk.’ We’ll have to wait and see if this will make an impact as much as last year’s ‘tsunami’ created waves among judges and spectators. 

The Philippines, now more than ever, is hoping to see its third Miss Universe winner, after Gloria Diaz and Margie Moran. On how she’s handling the massive expectations of duplicating, if not surpassing the back-to-back runner-up placements of Raj and Supsup, Janine was quick with her answer: “Church. And the people around me --- my family, my friends, my boyfriend, my manager, they are all helping me. Most especially my Christian family in church has been helping me a lot. Without them, I would have broken down because the pressure is quite immense. I think some people don’t understand that this is not just a fight for fame, but I see this as my purpose to uplift Him and my country.”

Filipinos can vote for Janine in the online poll at missuniverse.com until 6 p.m. of Dec 18. A person can vote up to 10 times per day per account or valid email address. If she secures the highest number of votes, Janine gets a sure slot in the semi-finals.

Supsup, by the way, is hosting Miss Universe’s YouTube segment called “On the Scene,” which will feature behind-the-scene activities of the delegates and exclusive video clips.

The 61st Miss Universe Pageant will be held at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on December 19 (December 20 in the Philippines), to be hosted by Andy Cohen and E! News co-anchor Giuliana Rancic. It will be aired over ABS-CBN.