Roman & Shalani: A baby next year?

Married for more than five years now, former Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo and former Valenzuela City Councilor Shalani Soledad have been trying hard to have a baby and they have been unsuccessful so far.

“That’s why we are consulting an OB-Gyne,” Shalani told Funfare last Thursday during the blessing of The Lost Bread restaurant (at the fourth floor of SM Megamall, near the Fashion Hall) where she and Roman, together with Roman’s mom Lovely Romulo and former Northern Samar Rep. Emil Ong, did the ribbon-cutting honors. “I’m already 37 kasi and maybe that’s why I’m having difficulty getting pregnant.”

Told that, according to a report, Janet Jackson gave birth last January at 51, Shalani’s eyes lit up as if to say, “There’s hope!”

“We want to know what is the best time,” added Roman, and they do hope to finally have their first baby early next year — that is, if Shalani does get pregnant this year. “They say that there’s a good time to do ‘it’.”

Mom Lovely (who lives up to her name) said that, if and when, Roman and Shalani’s baby will be her seventh grandchild. Emil teased Lovely that Shalani must be her favorite in-law and Lovely smiled, “Yes, she is,” making Shalani blush.

The Megamall branch of The Lost Bread specializes in French Toast and Milk Shakes, samples of which the guests were invited to taste, plus light meals (rice toppings). Owned by Emil’s grandson Emil Ong Chuan II (son of incumbent Northern Samar Rep. Edwin Ong) and his friend Patricia Marabut, The Lost Bread has its first two outlets on Maginhawa Street (around Teachers Village, Quezon City) which holds a “food stall festival” on weekends, offering a variety of cuisine which is popular among yuppies and millennials. By the way, the resto’s name comes from the French word pain perdu or French toast which, when directly translated in English, means “lost bread.”

Why will Ai-Ai ‘disappear?’

True to form, Ai-Ai delas Alas said that she will “disappear” for two months as soon as her contract with GMA expires sometime in July. Is she moving back to the Kapamilya Network as hinted at by tab reports? No, according to Ai-Ai, “the tsismis came out after I attended the birthday party for Malou (Santos, COO of Star Creatives).”

“I’ve been thinking of doing it before pa,” Ai-Ai told her writer-friends whom she invited to the renewal (for the third year) of her contract as endorser of Hobe Pansit, manufactured and distributed by Bobby Co’s company (including Hobe Bihon and Hobe Palabok). It has something to do with her Green Card.

Besides her two Kapuso shows (Sunday Pinasaya and Hay Bahay), Ai-Ai has just wrapped the shoot of Mighty Yaya, Regal Films’ Mother’s Day offering in May.

Ai-Ai showed up at the mini-presscon dressed in a yellow-and-green outfit which she described as “3D,” into which she fitted so perfectly that it highlighted her trim figure which she attributed to an organic diet.

Told that she looked rich in the outfit, Ai-Ai said that “playing rich” is one of her goals these days.

“I want to do it with Ate Vilma (Santos),” shared Ai-Ai, a Vilmanian. “I’ve never played a rich woman. In the movie, ako ang mayaman at si Ate Vi ang mahirap. Aapi-apihin ko siya.” But there will be a reversal of fortune. “Magiging mahirap ako at yayaman si Ate Vi at siya naman ang mang-aapi sa akin. In the end, we will become good friends.”

Danita ‘happily single’ for 6 years

Single and happy.

That, said Danita Paner, is her current state of being.

“I am happily single for six years now,” admitted Danita during a brief chat with Funfare Sunday last week at the blessing of Dae Joa Gem, a high-end jewelry store at the ground floor of Conrad Hotel. Her exes are Kean Cipriano, now the husband of Chynna Ortaleza with whom he has a child, and JC de Vera. “I’m friends with my exes,” said Danita, “and also with their partners.”

Danita was accompanied by her mom Daisy Romualdez who is a good friend of Dorothy Fanio, one of the three owners of Dae Joa Gem (the two others are Willy Cua and Carolyn Cua) which has stores in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Seoul. The Conrad Hotel outlet is its first in the Philippines.

Now managed by AAAI (Asian Artists Agency, Inc.), the new talent company put up by Boy Abunda, Danita said that she’s happy to have a new manager, Boy being her godparent.

“I am in good hands,” said Danita. “Ninong Boy will take good care of me.”

Last seen in the Kapamilya soap Magpahanggang Wakas (with Jericho Rosales and Arci Muñoz), Danita would have been in the cast of Wildflower, the new Kapamilya soap starring Maja Salvador. But she begged off when she found the role “too sexy.”

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)