Did Claudine and Raymart get married in Vancouver?

Curtain-raiser:

• I don’t know how you’ll do it but there are two good shows to watch tonight on the same timeslot, both starting at 9 o’clock: Charo Santos-Concio’s Maalaala Mo Kaya (ABS-CBN) featuring the story of Ai-Ai delas Alas as portrayed by Maricel Soriano and Mel Tiangco’s Magpakailanman (GMA) featuring the story of Dr. Vicki Belo as portrayed by Rosanna Roces. Rather than switch channels and miss crucial portions of both shows, I suggest that you tape one while watching the other. That way, you miss neither.

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Did Claudine Barretto and Raymart Santiago get married in Vancouver during their recent vacation there?

That was the titillating question in the minds of showbiz-watchers when they learned about the lovebirds’ trip to that Canadian city.

Well, I’m letting Raymart himself clear the air, so to speak.

Yes, he and Claudine did spend a two-week vacation in Vancouver.

Yes, he did give Claudine a two-carat ring as a post-Valentine gift but it wasn’t an engagement ring – yet.

Yes, he and Claudine do talk about marriage but it won’t happen in the near future.

Those were among the "confessions" made by Raymart the other night during an exclusive interview with Mar de Guzman Cruz on Showbiz Power with Kuya Mar on dzXL.

But no, Raymart and Claudine were not by themselves but with Claudine’s mom, Inday Barretto.

No, Raymart and Claudine didn’t stay in a hotel but with Claudine’s Vancouver-based sister.

No, Raymart and Claudine didn’t come home (last March 31) with any trace of the SARS virus (Canada being among the countries listed as having SARS cases) but with beautiful memories of their bakasyon grande.

In her own radio interview upon her arrival, Claudine admitted that she decided to take that much-needed and well-deserved vacation to avoid getting caught in another controversy during the first death anniversary of her former boyfriend Rico Yan last March 27. True enough, the day was marked in a solemn, subdued manner; very, very restrained compared to the big to-do surrounding Rico’s untimely death that fateful Good Friday in Dos Palmas resort in Palawan.

Actually, according to Raymart, Claudine and her mom (with another Barretto as companion) left ahead. Raymart didn’t get his visa on time so he followed a few days later. The fact that he stayed with the Barrettos in Claudine’s sister’s house confirmed reports that Raymart is now considered a member of the Barretto family – and, or so I heard, vice-versa.

"From the start," Raymart told Kuya Mar, "especially during Claudine’s trying moments (after Rico’s death), I never left her. I was always there when she needed me at hanggang ngayon nandiyan ako sa tabi at sa likod niya."

Claudine is only 23 and at the peak of her career, so Raymart, 29, is biding his time and doesn’t "nag" Claudine about settling down. Marriage at this point will be detrimental to Claudine’s career and Raymart said that he understood the situation perfectly.

Well and good.

In the same interview with Kuya Mar, Raymart denied that there ever was any formal offer for him from ABS-CBN. "Feelers," yes, but no direct offer.

"Very soon," said Raymart, "I’m going to start na on a new soap on GMA where my loyalty lies."

Meanwhile, Claudine is all set to start her own new soap on ABS-CBN, with Piolo Pascual and Diether Ocampo among her co-stars.

From my e-mail

• From Rico Hizon (of BBC, based in Singapore):

Just wanted to give you an update on the cancellations in concert scene in Singapore given the SARS virus. Despite SARS, the Rolling Stones concert last March 24 and 26 was quite successful. According to the promoters, 70 percent of the tickets were sold. The top-priced ticket was S$500 or about P15,000.

But after the Mick Jagger and company two-night performance, all other foreign acts just started to cancel due to travel advisories to avoid Hong Kong and China and, up to a certain degree, Singapore.

The latest music events to be cancelled due to the SARS scare are R&B popster Craig David, Grammy winner Santana’s one-night concert next Tuesday, dance guru Moby, guitar legend Joe Satriani and Taiwan’s boyband, 5566.

But some concert promoters are still hoping the SARS scare will be over soon.

As of now, soul singer Dionne Warwick is confirmed for May 1 and British balladeer David Gray is coming on April 30.

Two Filipino acts though have been postponed.

The concert of Regine Velasquez at Fort Canning Park has been moved from April 27 to July 6.

Jose Mari Chan’s two-night performance at the Jubilee Hall of the Raffles Hotel on May 1 and 2 has been moved to June 17 and 18 at the same venue.

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• From Virgilio Castillo, Vienna, Austria:

Thank you for publishing Ms. Cuadrado’s e-mail re the demise of her brother, Eddie Arenas (Philippine Star, April 4). Through your column I would like to express my sincere condolences to his family, especially to Ms. Cuadrado for sharing us, fans of Mr. Arenas, the sad news. Mr. Arenas was one of my favorite actors along with Ric Rodrigo, Rita Gomez, Mario Montenegro, Lolita Rodriguez, and Marlene Dauden. I know that Rita Gomez has been dead for a while now but how about the others... where are they now? I remember Mr. Arenas as a brilliant actor but unfortunately his films had been very few. I enjoyed watching the few films he made with Lolita Rodriguez. Wasn’t he married to Lolita Rodriguez? I’m sure a lot of your readers, especially those who used to watch films produced by Sampaguita Pictures (the ’50s and the ’60s) would appreciate it very much if you could do a feature on Eddie Arenas and Lolita Rodriguez, Ric Rodrigo and Rita Gomez. I do read your column regularly but I am sorry to say that I cannot relate to the many actors you feature in your column, so I always consider it a treat every time you write about the actors of the ’50s and the ’60s.

(Note: Lolita Rodriguez broke up with Eddie Arenas way, way back. She has since remarried an American and they’re living happily ever after in Hemet, California. I heard that GMA 7 is interested in enlisting Lolita as one of the lead stars of one of its forthcoming soaps. Ric Rodrigo also separated from his late wife, Rita Gomez, years ago. He remarried – and so did Rita – and died a few years back. Mario Montenegro is also dead. Marlene Dauden is now based in California with her family.)

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