LOLIT SOLIS, manager to Christopher de Leon and Sandy Andolong, herself intimated to us kung paanong ang anak ng naturang showbiz couple na si Mariel—who competed in the recently concluded Binibining Pilipinas Gold—was allegedly being bullied by her fellow candidates.
Hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng 49 other hopefuls na anak si Mariel ng isa sa iilang respetadong showbiz couples, as if naman kasi the de Mesas, the Magalonas and other “showbiz dynasties” have produced beauty queen materials, maliban sa Gutierrez family sa katauhan ni Ruffa.
Sa mga nakapanood ng pageant, Mariel (Binibini 31) was an also-ran (read: talunan), pero pasok naman siya sa 15 semi-finalists. With her looks closest to Boyet’s mom Lilia Dizon, disinuwebe anyos pa lang si Mariel who finished culinary arts in Wellington, New Zealand.
Dati ring nag-audition si Mariel sa artista search ng GMA na Starstruck. Unlike most candidates, kumbaga sa isang bulaklak ay hindi pa in full bloom si Mariel bagama’t namumukadkad na ang ganda nito.
Nang tawagin nga ang pa-ngalan ni Mariel sa Top 15, maagap na nahagip ng camera sina Boyet at Sandy na naglululundag sa tuwa. Personally, Mariel was not among our bets. Pero hindi na ‘yon mahalaga. What we were more concerned about ay ang kuwento ni ‘Nay Lolit about the bullying.
Kesyo huwag daw ipagmalaki ni Mariel na anak siya nina Christopher de Leon at Sandy Andolong, her showbiz connections daw had no bearing at all in the pageant. As if such bullying were not enough, may ilan daw sa mga nakalaban ni Mariel na nagkakalat na anak daw siya ni Boyet sa dati nitong kasintahang si Nora Aunor!
If true, how stupid of the other girls para isiping Mariel came from Nora’s (thy?) womb. Naka-kabilib naman ang kanilang sense of showbiz history. Dekada sitenta pa noong magdyowa sina Guy at Boyet, ‘no! And for those girls who are only above 20, mga nanay kaya nilang sing-edad ni Ate Guy ang nagkakalat ng kasiraan tungkol kay Mariel, o mga lola nila?
THIS SECOND quarter of 2013, ipinakikilala ng Backroom, Inc. ang siyam nitong bagong artists out to carve a niche in the entertainment business.
Officially known as the Backroom 9 or the Not Your Ordinary Boys and Girls (NYOBG), ito’y binubuo nina Ian Batherson, Benj Bolivar, Carlo Sawit, Nikita McElroy, PJ Go, Avery Paraiso, Kayesha Chua, Maui Lumba at Bon Jovi Osorio.
Of them all, Ian is the most experienced having appeared in GMA’s artista search Starstruck Season 5 and Survivor Philippines: Celebrity Showdown.
First runner-up naman sa Mossimo Bikini Summit 2010 si Benj, a former aspiring varsity athlete mula sa UP Diliman.
Twenty four-year old Carlo is a marketing management graduate from the De La Salle University whose recent commercial appearance was for Kremil-S kasama ang King of Talk na si Boy Abunda.
Ang disiotso anyos namang si Nikita ay mula sa Davao. Born to a father who’s part French and part Black American and to a Pinay mother, naging finalist si Nikita sa Star Factor ng ABS-CBN.
Bagama’t hindi naman galing sa showbiz clan ang 22 year-old na si PJ, he feels he’s cut out for the trade. Isinantabi muna niya ang kanyang marketing management studies sa UE to give way to his modelling and acting career.
Eighteen year-old model-turned-actor Avery Paraiso won the Circle of 10 model search in 2009. High school dream niya ang pumasok sa showbiz.
Beauty and brains naman ang tinataglay ni Kayesha who graduated cum laude sa kanyang kursong HRM sa UST. Idol ni Kayesha si Bea Alonzo.
Bon Jovi was named after a famous singer, but the 22 year-old guy believes he can make a name on his own. Sa Amerika siya nagtapos ng pag-aaral only to return armed with confidence sa kanyang propesyong napili.
Classmate naman ni Kayesha sa UST si Maui who, like his father, is a basketball player. As a model, Maui would get frequently invited to a number of events in his alma mater.
Pepperoni
by Ronnie Carrasco III
