Why April Boy has got that Christian spirit

The last time I saw April Boy Regino and his family (wife Madel de Leon, namesake of Dolphy and Nida Blanca’s co-star in John en Marsha, and their children John Christian and Charmaine) was more than five years ago in California, at their newly-bought well-appointed two-storey house in the Cerritos area, 15 minutes away from Disneyland in Anaheim. They were in the process of furnishing the house located in a quiet subdivision. I did a pictorial of the house for my defunct Q-11 show The Ricky Lo Exclusives and for this column. The Reginos had just migrated (they held “extraordinary-ability” visas and now have greencards) to the States at that time. They were full of great expectations, looking forward to their buhay ‘Tate.

I was surprised when, several months after I came back, I started hearing rumors and reading blind items pointing to the Reginos as being hard-up out there. Having seen how they were living comfortably, I didn’t believe the yarn.

A few days ago when Cristy Fermin invited me to interview April Boy and JC at her Mga Obra ni Nanay gallery (on Scout Reyes St., Quezon City), I was pleasantly shocked when April Boy confirmed that, although they were not reduced to poverty, they did lose that house not because of the recession but due to the maneuvering of a person that they trusted too much. In short, their real-estate investment was money down the drain, most of it into the pocket of the person who hoodwinked them. Well, lose some and, again, win some.

The family moved to Las Vegas and has been living there for almost four years now.

Father and son pose in front of the likeness of their idols at the Ang Obra ni Nanay gallery of Cristy Fermin (in Scout Reyes St., Quezon City).

“Okey naman buhay namin doon,” said April who first came back early this year for a vacation but stayed a while when Willie Revillame recruited him to help campaign for Sen. Manny Villar in last May’s presidential elections. He returned to the States and came back with JC last June to record an album titled IdolStar executive-produced for Viva Records by Vic del Rosario Jr., Tony Ocampo and Vincent del Rosario. Packed full with the father and son’s unflinching Christian spirit, the album contains eight songs ---Di Na Ako Iibig Pang Muli and Hanggang Sa Dulo ng Aking Buhay, both composed by JC and sung by father and son; Ang Buhay Ko’y Para Sa’Yo, Siya Ba o Ako, Daddy Pengeng Pera, and Chinito, all composed and sung by JC; Tanggap Ko Na, composed and sung by April Boy; and Pangarap Ko’y Makapiling Ka, composed by Dr. Espie Claudio and sung by April Boy. The album also carries the songs’ corresponding Minus Ones.

IdolStar is at once like and unlike April Boy’s previous album, but it sounds somehow different because of an added element --- JC’s personal touch.

An IT (Information Technology) graduate, JC, 23, said it has been his childhood dream to follow in his father’s footsteps, never mind if some (apparently envious) people dismiss April Boy as baduy and even if he’s hailed as Idol ng Masa and Jukebox King of the ‘90s.

“So what if my father is baduy?” said JC. “It’s Daddy’s being baduy that he was able to send us to school, feed us, give us a comfortable life and raise us to where we are now.”

April Boy smiled. “They call me baduy because all I sing about is love. But everybody falls in love, kaya lahat ng tao baduy, di ba?”

Said Christian, “I bear in mind what Daddy keeps on reminding me, ‘Lagi kang magpapakababa dahil ang mga nagpapakababa ay itinataas, at ang mapagmataas ay ibinababa ng Diyos’. I’ve always been proud of Daddy since I was a kid. I would shout to my playmates, ‘Kumakanta ang Daddy ko, pakinggan n’yo!’ I was 14 when I showed Daddy my first composition but he told me that it was not good. Instead of being discouraged, I looked at it as a challenge. He didn’t stop me until I got it right. Daddy has a positive attitude.”

Back in the States, April Boy never runs out of shows, with Madel herself as his manager.

“We don’t charge too much,” said Madel, unlike other managers who take advantage of US-based concert producers and “over-charges” them to death, in the process, perhaps without their (managers) knowing it, they are “over-pricing” their artists out of the market. “We know how hard it is to earn money in the States, kaya ang ticket prices namin ay affordable para naman mas maraming kababayan natin ang makapanood.”

“Since we moved to Las Vegas,” added April Boy, “life has been good to us. We decided to put up our own production/promotion company called Idol and it’s doing very well.”

In his shows, whether here or abroad, April Boy continues to throw caps for the audience to catch, several of them.

“It’s April Boy who spends for the caps,” volunteered Cristy. “He doesn’t charge it to the producer.”

As father and son embark on their album’s promo tour, expect more caps to fly around, and be ready to catch one of them.

“Ganoon din ang gagawin ko,” promised JC. “Whatever good thing Daddy does, I will do.”

More FAMAS nominess

Missed out in the list of FAMAS nominees (awards night set for Nov. 13 at the Teatro GSIS) published in this section two issues ago are those for two major categories, namely:

♦ BEST ACTRESS

1. Janice de Belen (Last Viewing)

2. Iza Calzado (Dukot)

3. Sharon Cuneta (Mano Po 3)

4. Eugene Domingo (Kimmy Dora)

5. Sarah Geronimo (You Changed My Life)

6. Angelica Panganiban (I Love You, Goodbye)

7. Lovi Poe (Sagrada Familia)

♦  BEST ACTOR

1. Gabby Concepcion (I Love You, Goodbye)

2. John Lloyd Cruz (In My Life and You Changed My Life)

3. Allen Dizon (Dukot)

4. Coco Martin (Kinatay)

5. Piolo Pascual (Love Me Again)

6. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. (Ang Panday)

(E-mail reactions at [email protected] or at [email protected])

Instant ‘class reunion’ at Ma’am Fidela’s birthday lunch

Graduates (yours truly included) of the bi-lingual (English and Chinese) Tabaco Pei Ching High School, Tabaco (now City), Albay, held an ‘instant class reunion’ recently during a surprise birthday blowout for Ma’am Fidela Fernandez (seated, in red) who has retired as English and Spanish teacher. Those who came belonged to different batches and most of them, and many others, will be going to Tabaco City for a grand reunion as part of their alma mater’s 90th-anniversary celebration on Oct. 29 and 30. For inquiries about the reunion, call Lolita Cu at 052-830-0141, 0917-3750292 or 0927-4805358; and Jane or Willy Ngo at 0917-5580888.

The beautiful attractions of Siquijor

The province of Siquijor, led by Gov. Shane Fua Jr. (center) recently crowned the winners of the recent Miss Siquijor Tourism quest in celebration of the province’s 39th founding anniversary. The youthful beauty and brain winners will act as ambassadors of tourism in promoting Siquijor as one of the emerging travel hotspots in Central Visayas. The island province is known for its white sand beaches, century-old churches and convents, dive sites, enchanting waterfalls, marine sanctuaries, as well as its age-old folk healing tradition. Also in photo with Gov. Fua are (from left) Novvy Roshelle Hortillano,  Niña Louise Asok, Caryl June Alforque, Yvonne Claire Janne Legaspi (Miss Siquijor Tourism 2010), Vanesa Trumata, and Vivigen Viernes.