Arnold Vegafria blacklisted by GMA 7

You might be wondering, just who is this Arnold Vegafria?

Briefly now: He’s a talent scout/manager who once tried in vain to create a stir when he fought with Regal Matriarch Mother Lily over what he called was his alaga Dina Bonnevie’s "right" to the role of "the other woman" in one of the Mano Po movies. That guy must have reeled from that head-on collision with one of the haligi of the industry.

And now, guess who the guy is "colliding" with – yes, GMA 7, another haligi of the entertainment industry.

Last Sunday, one Bianca King, who claimed to be a talent of the guy, was on The Buzz taking issue against GMA for taking her out of Sugo, a new GMA TV series, for, according to her, "no reason at all," that’s why she’s feeling bad (masama ang loob).

The truth, according to somebody in defense of GMA, is that – okay, okay – GMA didn’t give Bianca the role prepared for her and that because the outcome of her acting workshop was not good.

"Why would we risk putting her in the TV series, only to waste money and footage later on because of her bad acting?" said the GMA defender.

This brings to mind the million-peso worth of wasted footage of the long-delayed ABS-CBN fantaserye Panday when, during a preview of the rushes, it was discovered that Melissa Ricks, cast as the wife of Panday (played by Jericho Rosales), didn’t "fit" the role so well (that’s a euphemism for, well, not-so-satisfactory performance).

"If you were in our place," added the GMA defender, "would you want to gamble with millions especially at a time like this when money is hard?"

Yes, Bianca King’s case is an isolated one, meaning it doesn’t have anything to do at all with the protracted network war (even if some people are desperately trying to draw a connection to it).

"The truth," according to the GMA defender, "is that GMA indeed has an issue of unprofessionalism against Arnold Vegafria, particularly regarding Jay-R who happens to have a contract with GMA even before he got Arnold Vegafria as manager. Arnold Vegafria has bungled up his talent-handling job with GMA several times. We have news for him: GMA is soon filing a case against him with the PAMI (Professional Artists Managers, Inc.)."

Jay-R reportedly complained that he isn’t getting "fair" treatment from GMA.

"Unfortunately," added the GMA defender, "Jay-R has an existing contract with GMA and he better follow it until its expiration, or else... Marami nang sabit si Jay-R dahil sa kanyang manager."

Because of its unpleasant encounter with the guy, GMA has decided to blacklist Arnold Vegafria.

"GMA is not inclined to do business with him," concluded the GMA defender, "and that’s bad for the talents he’s handling. Sorry na lang sila."

How will Gionna fare at Miss U tilt?

In a few hours, the new (2005) Miss Universe will be proclaimed at glittering ceremonies in Bangkok, beamed "live" starting at 9 o’clock this morning by RPN 9 and Star World (Channel 25 on SkyCable).

Here’s a last-minute report from Funfare "beauty expert" Felix Manuel who’s in Bangkok as pageant observer:

Just another update on the biggest and brightest pageant in the world.

I was with my friend at the Impact Arena, a very imposing venue in the suburbs of Bangkok, during the rehearsals the other day and we were fortunate enough to watch the event. Guests of the candidates were allowed in the venue to watch and at the same time be with their loved ones. Gionna’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rod Cabrera, her siblings and relatives were there, too. There were also many Filipinos from the different pageant-related websites based in the Philippines. All of us there were united in supporting Gionna. Mrs. Stella Marquez-Araneta is already here in Bangkok but during that time she was attending the national directors’ meeting.

For a pageant aficionado like myself, it is a dream come true to watch the Miss Universe pageant unfold. I was a researcher for ABS-CBN during the 1994 pageant held here and my experience gave me the impetus to be more active in the field of pageantry.

During the rehearsals, Gionna looked splendid in her light blue ensemble. She was surprised when she saw that there were a lot of Filipinos supporting her. I asked her how she felt about her performance during the preliminaries and she told me that she did her best and, no matter what happens, she’s proudly representing our country. We also took the opportunity to take pictures of her and with the girls and interview some of them during rehearsal lulls.

Aside from Gionna, the girls that who impressed us most were:

• Miss Venezuela Monica Spear Mootz – This girl speaks English perfectly. She has the sweetest face among the girls and has a striking resemblance to Amelia Vega, Miss Universe 2003, from the Dominican Republic. She walks gracefully and acts refined whether on or offstage. She and Miss USA are always together.

• Miss Puerto Rico Cynthia Olavarria – This stunner from the shining star of the Carribean is, in my opinion, the most prepared of all the girls. A warm and friendly person, she confessed to us that she adores Miriam Quiambao; she believes that Miriam is one of the best girls who ever joined the Miss Universe pageant.She also opined that Gionna’s performance during the evening gown competition was flawless and admirable.

• Miss Dominican Republic Renata Sone – Another well-packaged delegate. She is sophisticated and poised. This statuesque girl is the bookies favorite along with Miss Puerto Rico.

• Miss USA Chelsea Cooley – She looks beautiful in person. I told her that she looks like Miss Universe 1996 Alicia Machado of Venezuela. She enthusiastically replied that Miss Venezuela told her the same thing. The candidate from the country with the most number of Miss Universe titleholders is not tall, but her facial beauty and personality are her assets.

• Miss Italy Maria Teresa Francville –Her pictures are not flattering but if you see this girl in person, she is so pretty.

• Miss Japan Yukari Kuyuza – The tallest Asian delegate is one of the favorites among the Thais. Many are impressed with her imposing height and beautiful face.

• Miss Peru Debora Sulca Cravero – Another South American charmer. It is very obvious that she prepared hard for the competition.

• Miss Australia Michelle Guy – This blond model has the looks and height. The odds are against her because no nation has ever had consecutive winners in the pageant. (The current title-holder is from Australia.)

• Miss Canada Natalie Glebova – You could feel her presence the moment she enters the venue. Another well-prepared candidate.

• Miss South Africa-Claudia Henkel – Perhaps the top bet from the continent of Africa, she has an elusive aura but has one of the prettiest faces in the pageant.

• Miss Chile Renata Ruiz – This girl has something in her that would make everyone stare at her. Not flattering in her pictures, but she is lovely in person.

• Ms. Latvia Ieva Kokorevica – I think she’s the best candidate from Europe. She tends to be upstaged by other girls at times.

• Miss Russia Natalia Nikolaeva – She has a vibrant personality and innate beauty.

• Miss Serbia and Montenegro Jelena Mandic – This lovely girl really knows how to work a crowd; people cannot help but notice her. During a lull in rehearsals, she walked the whole length of the venue dressed in a sparkling silver outfit, making heads turn.

• Miss Antigua and Barbuda Shermain Jeremy – She won as Miss Talent in last year’s Miss World contest, automatically securing a place among the semi finalists. This girl has a vibrant personality. She is a stand-out among the rest of the colored girls.

It is interesting to note that Gionna topped an official poll conducted by Thailand’s leading newspaper, The Nation. As of May 27, Gionna has received 2,827 votes. Lagging behind her is Miss Puerto Rico with 1,823. Bulgaria, Canada and Kenya occupied the last three places with 1,499, 1,281 and 1,232 votes respectively.

Correction, please!

In yesterday’s letter from Joanne Zapanta-Andrada (about the death of Richard Tann), Wyngard Tracy was quoted as saying "Richard will miss smoking." The quote should have read, "Richard will miss singing." Joanne apologizes for the oversight.

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