Black Eyed Peas’ Allan Pineda and Jasmine: Are they or aren’t they?

Jasmine Trias has been coming and going, guesting on TV shows, promoting her Universal Records album and doing concerts. After her commitments, Jasmine flies right back to Hawaii to rejoin her family.

This time, however, Jasmine seems to be staying longer than she should. What gives?

According to Funfare’s "elegant and pleasant" DPA, the reason has something to do with "the heart." Yes, the DPA insists, "Jasmine may be in love."

Does Jasmine’s "object of affection" happen to be L.A.-bred Kris Lawrence, winner of the ABS-CBN talent search Star in a Million?

Guess again.

It’s true that Kris seemed to have been smitten by Jasmine when they had a show in Japan, so "badly smitten," as the DPA puts it, that from L.A. where Kris proceeded after the Japan show, he made a stopover in Hawaii to visit Jasmine on his way back to the Philippines.

"Nothing serious, though," Jasmine was overheard saying, but she was speaking only for herself. But Kris is said to feel "more seriously" for Jasmine than the other way around.

So, who then is the guy making Jasmine’s heart beat faster?

Well, as the title of today’s Funfare bluntly hinted at, he’s none other than Allan Pineda, a.k.a. Apl.de.ap, the Pinoy member of Black Eyed Peas which is coming for a concert at the Araneta Coliseum next Thursday, July 27.

"That’s why Jasmine has decided to stay longer," says the "elegant/pleasant" DPA. "She wants to be here when the Black Eyed Peas arrive. I guess she and Allan Pineda have been communicating regularly."

According to the DPA, Jasmine and Allan met in L.A. during the shooting of the music video for Bebot, a Tagalog song sung by Allan for the Black Eyed Peas album. Jasmine was a guest on that music video. I’m sure their "Filipino-ness" has something to do with their instant closeness.

At the Araneta Coliseum, Jasmine will for sure sit at the front row to give Allan moral support. If Allan sings Bebot, you know who he’ll be dedicating it to.

"Bagay sila, di ba?" says the DPA.

I agree. Don’t you?

James Yap lookalike Chinese actor new star of Captain Barbell

Somebody very familiar to Filipino televiewers is the newest addition to the growing cast of Captain Barbell, GMA’s two-month-old top-rating fantaserye topbilled by Richard Gutierrez in the title role as the guy in tights.

He’s none other than Jason Hsu, 21, who’s such a deadringer for James Yap ("Mr. Kris Aquino") that when I met him for a lunch interview yesterday, that was the first thing I told him. He was wearing a violet jersey with a No. 13 embossed on it (James is Purefood’s No. 18).

Then, I called up Kris Aquino (who was on the taping for an episode of Boy Abunda’s Homeboy as a guest) and told her that I was face-to-face with a Chinese actor who she could mistake for her Dear James and Kris sounded curious. So I asked Jason to autograph a photo of his for Kris (which appears somewhere with this piece).

Jason Hsu is not a stranger to local televiewers who swooned over him in such Chinovelas as My MVP Valentine, Señorita Mei-Mei and Twin Sisters, all aired on GMA. He stands 5’11" (slightly shorter than James Yap), weighs 176 lbs., wears large-sized shirts and size 11 shoes.

Jason flew in from Taipei (where he’s based) and will start shooting for Captain Barbell today, flying back home on Saturday after he wraps his scenes on Friday. He’s cast as the half-human/half robot Cyborg 5566, another terminator-kind of character created by Viel Villian, the business tycoon played by Richard Gomez, to fight Captain Barbell. Cyborg 5566 is only one of the offbeat characters cropping up on the hit fantaserye (including the mad scientist played by guest star Christopher de Leon)

Funfare learned that it was Annette Gozon-Abrogar, president of GMA Worldwide Inc./GMA Films (GMA 7’s sister company), who thought of hiring Jason for Captain Barbell. A brilliant idea, no doubt about it.

Fans/admirers of Jason should know why 5566 is being attached to the name of Jason’s character. Yes, Jason is a member of the four-year-old Taiwanese boy band 5566 with which Jason has come here twice for a promo-visit.

Through an interpreter (because Jason speaks very little English, thus he’ll have very minimal English dialogues in Captain Barbell), Funfare learned that Jason was excited to play Cyborg 5566 because it’s his first time to do a villain-type of role. In Taiwan, Jason’s image is very much like that of Richard Gutierrez whom Jason will meet only on the Captain Barbell set. He hosts two game shows (used to be three) in Taiwan, has done five TV series and cut seven albums (three of them soundtracks) with the 5566 guys. He has just finished shooting a movie.

To prepare for his role in Captain Barbell (offered to him last month; the episodes he’s in are airing next month yet), Jason said he worked out at home, jogged and was "careful with food." He also watched several films, including Superman Returns. He said he would have to talk to the fantaserye’s directors (Dominic Zapata and Mike Tuviera) how they want him to play his role.

A fan of Nicolas Cage and Sean Penn, Jason is an all-around actor in Taiwan, doing both drama, and action and musical roles.

Asked about his love life, Jason blushed and said that he has none.

And what type of girls does he like?

"Sexy and hot," he almost blurted out, adding that in his visits to the Philippines, he has seen "many beautiful girls."

What’s up?

•Seiko Boss Robbie Tan is very happy with the box-office result of his latest film, I Wanna Be Happy, written and directed by Joey Javier Reyes, starring Gloria Romero and Eddie Garcia as a senior couple who decide to separated after 50 years of marriage. It’s a very good movie and I advise you to go watch it, if you haven’t yet.

•Regal Films’ White Lady, opening today in Metro Manila, has been rated B by the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB).

•Correction, please: Jaclyn Jose’s leading man in the 1985 Chito Roño film Private Show is Gino Antonio and not Julio Diaz as Funfare mentioned a few issues back. E-mail reactions at [email protected]