‘Dao Ming Si’ is Bench model

First, the bad news (as you must have known by now): Jerry Yan, a.k.a. Dao Ming Si (in the smash-hit chinovela Meteor Garden), is not coming for the concert at the old ULTRA on Saturday, Sept. 13...and neither will Vic Zhou (a.k.a. Hua Ze Lei). Only two F4 members, Ken Zhu (a.k.a. Xi Men) and Vanness Wu (a.k.a. Mei Zuo), are performing (along with, among others, Barbi Xu, a.k.a. Shan Cai and/or Big S, and her sister Little S), so it’s not really an F4 but only an "F2" concert. Better than none at all, ’no?

And now, the good news: Jerry Yan/Dao Ming Si has just been signed up as the newest Bench endorser. The pictorial for the Bench posters/billboards will be done in Hong Kong anytime now. Richard Gomez, the original Bench model, will be there to formally welcome Dao Ming Si to the fast-growing Bench Family (also including Jomari Yllana, Wendell Ramos, Richard Gutierrez, Marc Nelson, Assunta de Rossi, Diether Ocampo, Robby Mananquil, etc.).

How did Bench big boss Ben Chan close the deal with Dao Ming Si?

Trade secret, of course. You see, Ben Chan (who has opened several Bench outlets in China) has his own Chinese connections, and so...

Richard will also do a one-on-one with Dao Ming Si to be telecast on GMA’s Sunday-afternoon show S-Files sometime in October.

Dao Ming Si, 26 (born in Taiwan on January 1, 1977, a Capricorn), is the same guy (with his fellow F4 members) in the Pepsi TV commercial emerging from inside a Pepsi delivery truck. That commercial was shot a few years back and its release in the Philippines was timed with the F4 rage.

Dao Ming Si’s real name is Yen Cheng Xu but people call him Xiao Bai Tu which means "small white rabbit" and Bao Long ("Fierce Dragon"). Every F4 fan knows that he’s the leader of F4 and, as Dao Ming Si, he likes to torment students foolish enough to challenge him. When Shan Chai makes the mistake of crossing paths with him, Dao Ming Si swears to make her life a living hell.

Before joining F4, he starred in some commercials, making him the most popular member when the F4 was organized. In his spare time, Dao Ming Si plays basketball and attends parties only every now and then. His hobby is collecting sunglasses.

Now, did you know that Dao Ming Si is nervous when asked to do a kissing scene? It took 20 takes before he could kiss Barbi Xu/San Chai properly!

Guess what the blood type of this hunk is – yes, Type B!

Everybody is going "soap," or haven’t you noticed?

No, I don’t mean the telenovelas dominating local TV but beauty soap – papaya soap, specifically.

Recently, Kris Aquino was enlisted as endorser of the Kissa Papaya Soap. Other (lesser) stars are promoting their own type of papaya soap.

The latest star to join the soap "bandwagon" is Janna Victoria, girlfriend of Dominic Ochoa, who has just come up with her own Jana Victoria Whitening Soap and Jana Victoria Bleaching Soap (yeah, Jana only with one "n"), both made of papaya extracts. Kris and Janna have flawless skin and creamy complexion, so they’re perfect endorsers for such products.

The rest? No comment.

"That’s what Janna is busy with these days – her soap," said Dominic.

Try the "Jana" soaps and Kissa, too, and see if they work with you as much and as well as they do on their endorsers.

Janelle Amanda Loyola Avanzado, Jayda for short, daughter of Dingdong Avanzado and Jessa Zaragoza, will be baptizeed on Sunday, Sept. 14, 3 p.m. at the Christ The King Parish, Greenmeadows Avenue, Quezon City.

The girl has no less than 50 godparents, namely yours truly, Martin Nievera, Sec. Mike Defensor, Mayor Dean Villa, Councilor Bu Mathay, Fernando Gonzales, Alfredo Antolin, Jr., Ogie Alcasid, Manny Valera, Archie Castillo, Dr. Joel Mendez, Arnold Galang, Herbie Arabelo, Masashi Fujiwara, Noel Ferrer, Dr. Alex Tuazon, Henry Arabelo, LJ Sumulong, Reynaldo Loyola, Jr., Renzi Flores, Vincent Chong, Lawyer Eduardo Alejo, Jr., Nathan Badillo, Danny Pascasio and Fredrik Avanzado; and, Nora Aunor, Regine Velasquez, Marissa Sanchez, Dr. Aurea Abella, Chiqui de Guzman, Marichele Gregorio, Ara Mina, Del Espiritu, Dr. Margarita Agdamag, Dr. Abby Pineda, Dr. Leslie Kiu, Carol Banawa, Carmina Villarroel, Lawyer Barbie Acyatan Guerrero, Jinggay Arcilla, Imelda Narciso, Djhoana Madrigal, Helen Ng, Faith Chong, Ma. Emilie Avanzado, Ria Marcial, Michelle Reyes, Camille Aguiluz, Joni Aquino and Maita Muñoz.

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