The ‘girl power’ trio of 3R

Curtain-raisers:

• Could it be true that while working as hosto (hospitality boy) in Japan, a new TV discovery had a transsexual for a lover? Did he know the, uh, "difference," or didn’t he?

• Oops! CNN’s Larry King is not an atheist but an agnostic. And also, Rico Ilarde (not Alegre) is the director of Sa Ilalim ng Cogon (not simply Cogon), the digital film which won top prize at the recently-concluded festival of horror films in Argentina. Rico Maria Ilarde is the son of Kuya Eddie (Ilarde) and the brother of magazine editor Liza Ilarde.

• A special request from a Funfare "devotee": Belated happy birthday to Joseph Oliver Enriquez of Holy Angel University, Angeles City, who turned a year wiser last Nov. 5, from "a friend a thousand miles away."

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Just who are Reema Chanco, Bettinna Carlos and Bianca King who dare dissect "daring" issues like pre-marital sex, contraceptives, living-in, surgical enhancement (facelifting, noselifting, etc.), equality between men and women, and girls making the first move in a show called 3R (a "girl power" kind of show)?

You’ll soon find out.

After a short break, 3R is coming back effective this Saturday, Nov. 12, 3 to 4 p.m. on QTV Channel 11, GMA 7’s sister station which will formally start telecast on Friday, Nov. 11 (11/11, see?). It is produced by Prime Media Works, Inc. (headed by Gel Garciano) which got the franchise from Malaysia where a similar show is a top-rater.

Reema (the sporty/outdoor-sy type) came from the first batch of 3R hosts and Bettinna (the sophisticated/classy one) is from the second batch, with Bianca (outgoing/kikay) as the newest member of the 3R family.

A La Salle graduate (Organizational Communications & Marketing Management), Reema, 29, is not new to television. She started on ABC 5’s The Exchange (one season) which assigned her to live for a while in the Czech Republic (with her Czech counterpart living here also for a while) and moved on to other shows like Trabaho Lang (five seasons), Space (on Destiny Cable, Juice Channel, one season), G Force (ANC Channel, one season), Extra Challenge and then 3R (originally on GMA 7). She also joined the MTV Veejay Hunt. Mondays from 8:30 to 9 a.m., she hosts the program K-Girls on RX93.1FM.

A UP High School graduate, Bettinna, 17, is now a Humanities freshman at Ateneo. She did a few commercials before landing the role as Florona, a land fairy, in the hit GMA teleserye Mulawin.

A San Beda (Alabang) High School graduate, Bianca, 19, is a Liberal Arts student (on leave) at the University of Asia and the Pacific. Half-Canadian (father’s side) and half-Filipina (mother’s side), Bianca was introduced in the youth-oriented show Click and was cast as Aviona in Mulawin. After her movie debut in Birhen ng Manaoag, Bianca is now doing four movies: Mulawin The Movie (a 2005 Metro Filmfest entry), Ako Legal Wife (Regal’s 2005 Metro Filmfest entry), Hari ng Sablay (also from Regal, with Bearwin Meiley in the title role, showing soon) and I Will Always Love You (also from Regal, starring Richard Gutierrez and Angel Locsin, slated for an early 2006 release).

Let’s turn the table and pick the three girls’ brains on certain topics they’re going to ask their guests to comment on.

• On pre-marital sex

Reema: I don’t encourage it. But if you go into it, be very careful; protect yourself, use condom (hey, guys!).

Bettinna: It’s inevitable now. For me, being a Catholic, it’s a no-no. But I respect people who engage in it. It’s their decision. Sex is an act only married couples should engage in.

Bianca: It’s okay as long as you are of legal age and you are in love.

• On contraceptives

Reema: These days, contraceptives are important. These are permissive times, you know.

Bettinna: I’m against it. Contraceptives can drive people, especially the young, to do things the consequences of which they might not be ready to face.

Bianca: It’s a "must" especially for couples engaging in pre-marital sex.

• On living-in

Reema: There’s a need for a period like that for you to get to know each other well before you get married.

Bettinna: I’m conservative, so I’m not for it. Family is a sacred institution and I’m against any set-up without the blessing of the church.

Bianca: If you are engaged to be married, financially stable, of legal age and with the approval of your parents, go ahead. If you do it just for, you know, kicks, don’t!

• On surgical enhancement

Reema: I have nothing against women who resort fo bust-lifting or other "lifting" jobs. That’s their choice, their business. I’m not closing my doors on it. But right now, thank heavens, okay pa ako.

Bettinna: It scares me! I’m happy with what Nature has given me. If other people want to have it, okay lang.

Bianca: If a woman feels that it will add to her appeal...will make her more attractive and boost her self-confidence, well and good.

• On equality between men and women

Reema: That’s what 3R is all about – women empowerment. Ngayon, kung ano ang kaya ng lalaki, kaya rin ng babae. 3R is a venue of Girl Power.

Bettinna: Years ago, women were confined to the home. Or so we thought. Now, times have changed. Women have as much space in any field of endeavor as men do.

Bianca: In this day and age, women are on equal footing with men. Look around...There are women in politics, women in business, women all over! Sometimes, more women succeed in some fields than men do.

• On girls making the first move

Reema: If you like the guy, why not? But only up to there – maybe just saying, "Hi, how are you? I am..."

Bettinna: If the girl is old enough, yes. But if she’s as young as I am, I guess it’s better for the guy to make the first move, although there’s nothing wrong for a girl to introduce herself in a friendly manner – without any ulterior motives.

Bianca: Okay as long as she doesn’t make the guy feel that she’s easy to get. If she just wants to make friends, I don’t see anything wrong with it.

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