Dina airs her side

The Mano Po 2 behind-the-scenes real-life drama rages on, threatening to steal the thunder from the on-screen drama of Regal’s 2003 Metro Filmfest entry. Roy Iglesias should better come up with a good screenplay. Otherwise, the pre-production brouhaha might be more explosive than the confrontation scenes among the first wife (played by Susan Roces), the second wife (who could she be?) and the hotly-contested third wife which has landed on Lorna Tolentino’s lap even if, Dina Bonnevie (now totally out of the movie),was promised and offered the role at first. (See Kris Aquino’s Krispix on Page 12 for a related story.)

When Funfare came out with the story (that Lorna is "in" and Dina is "out") two days ago, Dina called up to air her side on that and other related issues, to wit:

• "I’m not blaming Mother (Lily). Her hands were tied. If she didn’t gave Lorna the third-wife role, Lolit Solis would pull out her other talent, Christopher de Leon (as the principal Chinese character with three wives). In turn, Kris would bow out because she wouldn’t have anybody else but Christopher as husband (with Kris as the younger Susan) and Susan would also be pulled out by her manager, Dolor Guevarra." Asked why she didn’t settle for the second-wife role, Dina (who wouldn’t be credible as the third wife who has to be Chinese mestiza), said that she wouldn’t fit the role because the character has to be pure Chinese.

• Funfare mentioned in passing the case of Star Cinema’s Noon at Ngayon... Pagsasamang Kayganda , where she got the role (as a balikbayan who comes home from the States to take care of her cancer-stricken mother, played by Laurice Guillen) originally meant for Lorna. Dina said that Lorna (who was in the original cast of Moral, the movie that inspired Noon at Ngayon) named a talent fee too much for direk Marilou Diaz-Abaya and so, to make a long story short, since she (Dina) has an existing contract with Star Cinema, direk Marilou decided to just get her. "Hindi ko sinulot si Lorna," Dina stressed.

• There’s also the case of Golden Lions Films’ Chavit Singson movie, where Dina plays the wife of Chavit (played by Cesar Montano).

Snooky Serna claimed that she was the "original choice" but in fairness to Dina, according to Golden Lions producer Donna Villa, "Dina is perfect for the role and Chavit himself said so."

"I’ve never been a sulutera," insisted Dina. "I don’t have to make sulot to anybody to get a role."

There. Loud and clear... for the time being?

Will Marco Make It?

The Mr. World 2003 will be chosen today at the Brewery International Conference Centre in London, also with Miss World organizer Julia Morley behind the project. The Philippine bet, Marco Antonio "Ocram" Hetalia Tamayo, chosen two weeks ago by the Bb. Pilipinas Charities, Inc., will compete with 49 other equally goodlooking guys from the same number of countries for the title which has yet to be won by a Filipino. The last Mr. World competition was held in Oct. 2000 in Edinburgh, Scotland, won by Uruguay’s Ignacio Kliche, easing out, among other contestants, Mr. Philippines-World Roderick "Erick" Salvador who is now working with ABS-CBN Baguio.

For more on Marco Tamayo and the Mr. World pageant, here are Funfare’s "beauty experts" Joey Cezeare, Gery Yumping, Francis Calubaquib and London-based Felix Manuel:

Marco, 23, is the marketing manager of I. Flex Fitness Center in Davao City. He wants to promote the Filipino race, culture and status to the whole world. Marco is confident that his height (6’1", weighing 168 lbs.) and his dark complexion will make him stand out on the world stage.

Born in Davao on March l9, l978, Marco graduated with a degree in Physical Therapy from the Davao Doctors College.

He is the second of three sons of businessman Benjamin Tamayo and Restituta Hetalia, a medical secretary.

While other (female) beauty queens follow the "beauty with a purpose" line, Marco says he’s an advocate of "looks with a cause," saying, "Hindi lang ako papogi-pogi; I want to make a difference by doing something worthwhile, something that will be good for my fellow Filipinos and the country."

Incidentally, following the success of the Miss World on-line votings procedure, fans can now vote for their favorite Mr. World candidates by visiting the Mr. World pageant’s website at http://www.mrworld.tv. The on-line votes will be added to those of the judges.

Marissa An Asset To Sis

If you haven’t yet, try watching Marissa Sanchez in her stand-up act on GMA 7’s SIS and you’ll find her a much welcome sight and sound in your mid-mornings.

Marissa plays Chenelyn Tarakatak (shades of Nanette Inventor’s Doña Buding?) and from that name, you can tell what interesting tarakatak Marissa does Monday through Friday. The talkative lady’s main concern in life is to meddle in the affairs of other people. Marissa handles her role with such aplomb that she’s an absolute delight. She’s definitely a "plus" factor to SIS hosts Gelli and Janice de Belen.

Incidentally, Marissa is perfect for the role of Dabiana if and when Charo Santos-Concio decides to dramatize Dabiana’s story on Maalaala Mo Kaya. (Right, Ate Charo?). The Dabiana story will surely be as much as top-rater as the Sarsi Emmanuel story telecast the other night (with Aubrey Miles in the title role).

Readers’ Reaction

A few issues ago, I mentioned that "sound travels faster than light" but tsismis travels much faster than both light and sound.

Readers Trish Mariel, Edpo888, Bartell Runeaxe, Ronnie Bernardo, Aaron Maike, Kaye Carlos David, Ron Bird (Roda) and many others wrote to correct me. Yes, light does travel faster than sound (that’s why we see the lightning first before we hear it).

Here’s how Ramon Alfonso Fuentes explains it:

The velocity of sound is 740 miles per hour at zero degrees Celsius. It increases as the temperature increases. The velocity of light is 186,000 miles per second or 300,000 kilometers per second.There’s a great disparity, di ba?

(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)