Fatherhood has ‘tamed’ Aga

Even if he has a fast-growing love son (teenager Iggy Boy, with Janice de Belen), Aga Muhlach admits that fatherhood is something new to him (and wife Charlene Gonzalez), an experience that is at once exhilarating, fulfilling and, that’s it, "domesticating."

According to Aga, since Charlene gave birth last Nov. 5 to their fraternal twins, Antonio Andres (take note: not Andoy as some papers have been reporting) and Atasha Aaron, he has been homebound, helping Charlene and the yayas change the twins’ diapers and prepare the feeding bottles.

How does Mama Charlene breastfeed the twins? Is she doing it, well, "simultaneously" or one at a time? As in, the lady (Atasha) first?

"There’s a way," smiles Aga who refuses to elaborate. In the next breath, Aga says that he does help pump milk out of Charlene’s breasts (a practice done by other couples, including Cesar Montano and Sunshine Cruz). The milk is then stored up in the ref and heated before it’s transferred to the feeding bottles.

Aga and Charlene have to adjust their waking and sleeping hours to those of the twins who occupy a cozy nursery room (adjacent to Aga and Charlene’s bedroom) equipped with two of everything, in pink (for Atasha) and blue (for Andres). No favoritism here. Even the feeding and the cuddling are done simultaneously, with Aga holding Andres and Charlene holding Atasha (they switch babies after a while).

"Except for once-a-week taping (for his and Joyce Jimenez’s ABS-CBN sitcom Da Pilya and da Pilot)," says Aga, "I’m doing practically no other work. I’m not used to being ‘idle’ but I’m enjoying my time with Charlene and the twins."

Fatherhood feels like a novel experience for Aga because when Iggy Boy was born, he never had a chance to really absorb the essence of the whole thing. In the case of the twins, Aga was with Charlene during her pregnancy (also going through the infanticipating period), when Charlene was having contractions, when Charlene was at the delivery room, etc. The greatest thrill, according to Aga, was seeing the twins as soon as they came out barely 10 minutes apart from each other.

"At that very moment," recalls Aga, "I felt what it is to be a father. I guess the feeling is a hundred times more thrilling than holding five trophies during a grand-slam Best Actor victory. Iba ang feeling talaga," he adds, also speaking for Charlene.

Baptism of the twins hasn’t been scheduled yet. Aga and Charlene are now drawing up the list of the ninongs and ninangs. Will the likes of Pops Fernandez and Troy Montero, or even Melissa Fernandez, make it to the, ehem, "magic circle"?

Direk Joey back with a ‘bold’ one

After the controversial Live Show that rocked not only the movie industry but the government, prompting President GMA to revamp the MTRCB and replace Nic Tiongson as chief with Anding Roces, Live Show director Joey Javier Reyes directed a "harmless" comedy-romance for Star Cinema, Narinig Mo na Ba ang L8est? (the hit Aga Muhlach-Joyce Jimenez starrer).

Don’t look now but direk Joey is steering back to the boldwagon with his forthcoming movie, Seiko Films’ Tikim, which launches Barbara Milano to stardom. Barbara plays an orphan raised to be a prostitute by her greedy and unscrupulous godmother. The movie is calculated to put Barbara in fighting form, on the level with Assunta de Rossi and Rica Peralejo.

"Having direk Joey as scriptwriter and director of the movie is a big honor for me," says Barbara, a native of Nueva Ecija. "Iginagalang si direk Joey, so I did everything that he asked me to do – as in everything – because I’m sure na hindi siya gagawa ng pelikulang ikahihiya niya."

HBO Band of Brothers promo quiz

And here’s the new set of questions (for Episode 6, entitled Bastogne, airing tonight on HBO starting at 10) in the tie-up promo between Funfare and HBO in connection with the showing of the mini-series Band of Brothers:

1. Who is the medic featured on Episode 6?

2. The medic has difficulty looking for an item to help him in his work. What is that item?

3. The nurse gives Medic Roe a_________ (a) bar of chocolate, (b) a pair of scissors, (c) a cup of coffee, or (d) a hand in surgery

4. The first time Medic Roe and the nurse try to save a soldier from bleeding in the stomach, does he survive? (Yes or no?)

5. Winters and Nixon stumble upon two soldiers who started… (a) a fire, (b) a fight, or (c) a dinner?

(Note: Send your answers to: Funfare-Band of Brothers Contest, P.O. Box 512 Greenhills Post Office, San Juan, Metro Manila 1502, indicating the episode. Each of the seven winners for each episode will get a beautiful Band of Brothers T-shirt.)