New source of showbiz material

Curtain-raisers:

• Oops! No, it’s not an Erwin Tulfo show that will replace ETC which folded up last April 16 but a soap. Funfare DPAs said that ABS-CBN did plan to enlist Erwin as host of a new show but unfortunately advertisers were lukewarm to the idea.

• Reader "Jen" is asking what will happen to Henry Omaga-Diaz (currently covering developments in Iraq from Kuwait where he’s based) and Aljo Bendijo if and when Julius Babao is taken in as Korina Sanchez’s permanent co-anchor of TV Patrol. "Jen" is based in the US and she said she watches TV Patrol (among other ABS-CBN shows) via the Filipino Channel and she’s a fan of Aljo’s. Honestly, I don’t know if, so to speak, "head(s) will roll" in the planned program changes so I advise "Jen" and other TV-watchers (this one included) to stay tuned.

• Somebody who looked like Andrea del Rosario was spotted with a "white foreigner" in the popular Koh Samui beach resort in Thailand. They were billetted at the Blue Lagoon Hotel. Was it you, Andrea, or just a lookalike?

* * *

Until last year, the Mossimo Bikini Summit was just one of those summer "events" calculated to showcase bodies beautiful, both male and female. Let’s face it: The "summit" has become the bikini event of summer, thanks to Jordan Herrera who, maybe unwittingly, catapulted it to the forefront of the bikini derby.

Jordan finished only first runner-up (to Carlo Maceda) but he got the most media mileage and the resulting although perhaps unwelcome controversies (his having a gay benefactor, etc.) when he became one of the five Rexona (later Power) Boys (who turned out to be, sigh, flashes-in-the-pan) and joined the movies.

The Mossimo Bikini Summit has become a rich source of showbiz material, no doubt about it, that’s why this year more than 500 hopefuls showed up for the screening, with 24 of them (12 males and 12 females) picked as finalists (a dozen of them pictured here), presented last April 14 at the Astoria Plaza which is the official residence of the Summit 2003.

Competing in this year’s Mossimo Bukini Summit are Mico Areglado, Siefried Monserrat, KC Thadani, Adrian Zabala, Rodolfo Solis, Albert Guinto, Spencer Concepcion, Jerome Uy, Angel James Dee, Jonas Jason Baltasar, Ronald Brent Javier and Deone Dasallas for the male division, and Dyan Acuesta, Joyce Andres, Mary Ann Mendoza, Fatima Mbengue, Elaine Gatdula, Chrischelle Magaspi, Angel Mendoza, Liza Camering, Kristine-Mari Arboleda, Bernadeth Mercado, Julia Duncan and Tessa MacDonald for the female division.

All 24 candidates were photograped by Xander Angeles and received a three-month membership at Gold’s Gym just for qualifying in the grand finals.

The finals night will be on May 3, 7 p.m. at the beachfront of Boracay’s Club Panoly Resort. It will be hosted by TJ Manotoc, Angel Jacob and Mossimo Bikini Summit 2002 grand champion Carlo Maceda, now a contract star of Viva Films. Adding spice to the event will be performances by Luke Mejares, Devotion, Viva Records’ new Fil-Am all-male singing group, and Maui Taylor, Katya Santos, Gwen Garci and Jen Rosendhal of Viva Hot Babes with the Whiplash Dancers.

The candidates will be ferried to Boracay by the M/V Florinda, operated by RN Hi-Speed Ferries, Inc. During the finals night, they will be wearing bikinis from the latest swimwear collection of Mossimo, side-by-side with the summer collection of Edwin Uy and Mel Vergel de Dios. Fashion styling is by Chechel Joson and Noel Manapat. Styling is by Paradigm Personal Care Salon.

The Mossimo Bikini Summit (The 2003 Boracay Bikini Championship at Club Panoly Resort) is presented by Cast & Crew, Mossimo, the Club Panoly Resort Boracay and RPN-9. Co-presentors are the Manila Bulletin and Gold’s Gym.

Stage and fashion direction is by Duds Santiago, with TV direction by Calvin Neria. The finals night will be telecast over RPN-9, The Mossimo Bikini Summit 2003’s official network, on May 25 as the featured special on Sunday’s Big Event.

Also supporting the search are Mossimo Sole, Ricola, Mossimo Vision, Summit Natural Drinking Water, Mossimo Underneath, Island Photo Digital, Mossimo AXS and Compass Internet.

The 2003 Mossimo Bikini Summit is the biggest ever in scope and in number of prizes. The winners of this year’s MBS will receive an unprecedented amount of cash and prizes. The 2003 winners stand to receive a windfall that includes P50,000 cash, a trip to Thailand for two, a movie contract with Viva Films, P30,000 worth of gift certificates from Mossimo, and a two-year membership at Gold’s Gym.

The runners-up will also received generous prizes – P30,000 cash and P20,000 worth of gift certificates from Mossimo for the first runners-up, and P20,000 cash and P10,000 worth of gift certificates from Mossimo for the second runners-up.

This is also the first year that all winners will receive a special, custom-made piece of jewelry made of black pearls and black and white diamonds crafted by Vie Nouvelle Bijoux located at the basement of The Peninsula Manila Hotel.

E-mail your reactions at [email protected]