A sensible view of love

Andrea del Rosario is denying rumors that she and her Bugbog-Sarado co-star Victor Neri are lovingly punching each other as a couple. Although Victor gave Andrea a diamond ring during the last day of shooting, Andrea dismisses the romance-mongers by saying, "It’s just a thank you token. I don’t think there is anything more to it." The ring is so "special that I don’t use it everyday. Pang-special occasion lang."

Andrea says she just came from a failed relationship, so she is not open to a new one… not yet. "You really need a grace period to avoid the mistake of a rebound relationship. Ang ganda ng working relationship namin ni Victor and I don’t want to ruin that. He’s a very nice guy but we haven’t gone out together."

Andrea attests her "sensible" take on love is inspired by her mother’s experiences. "I learned from my mother that one has to be strong when it comes to love. I mean, there’s a reason why the head is higher than the heart. We should really think first before getting into a relationship. Close kami ni Victor. Our foundation as friends has already been laid. If he wants to take it further, he should make a move already pero wala pa talaga."

So why is the conversation going back to Victor? Has she entertained the idea of going out with him? "Well yeah, it crossed my mind once," Andrea sheepishly admits. "But I’m not the type na pipilitin ko ang sarili ko. I don’t want to jump into the pool at once. Tipong I want to test the waters first with my feet before diving into it."

Come to think of it, that slowly-but-surely view is also Andrea’s career strategy. When she was launched early this year in Lupe, many thought a solo movie would follow soon. But it took a number of months after Lupe before she started shooting Bugbog-Sarado, which isn’t even a solo-starrer but a twinbill with Maui Taylor.

But Andrea doesn’t mind. "I don’t care if I waited a number of months and I have to share billing with Maui. This project is a very good one. It’s directed by Joel Lamangan no less and the story is very good. It’s a quality movie and I’m very proud of it."

Bugbog-Sarado is a suspense thriller written by Roy Iglesias. It also stars Jordan Herrera, Carlo Maceda and Marky Lopez and it opens in October.

Business Sense

Showbiz couple Dominic Ochoa and Janna Victoria do not only share a love for movie dates, good food, soothing massages and hanging out with friends, but a keen business sense they’re putting into good use.

Dominic recently launched the Thumbs Up ice-cream chain in different malls. With branches in SM Bicutan, SM Fairview, SM City and SM Centerpoint, Thumbs Up offers a unique kind of ice cream experience: a "palette" of five different ice cream flavors (ranging from Avocado, Vanilla, Cookie Dough, Double Chocolate chip, Chocolate, Coffee, Corn, Strawberry and Cookies & Cream) that can be enjoyed for only P25 in the world’s smallest cones!

"I’m so glad business is doing well," says Dominic. "We’re very aggressive in promoting it kaya sana tumawag na kayo for franchises at 687-3436! Ha ha!"

Meanwhile, his "Bee" (short for "baby") Janna Victoria recently launched a soap line called Janna Victoria Papaya Whitening soap with Vitamin E, Janna says, "I have spent the last three years developing this product. I don’t want to launch it until I’m 110 percent sure of its quality and efficiency. Siyempre, I have to believe in my products to be able to convince my clients to use it."

Dominic was present in the launch of Janna’s beauty products while Janna was present at the opening of all the Thumbs Up ice-cream stalls. "Suportahan lang yan," says Janna. "I’m so glad I have a boyfriend like Dominic who has always believed in me the way I believe in him."

"We owe this all to Rico (Yan)," shares Dominic. "He was the one who inspired us to invest our money and go into business. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have done this. I’m sure he’s up there in heaven smiling and is so proud of us."