Communication goes both ways. Parents and kids need to learn to listen to each other, said the award-winning actress.
LOTLOT de Leon gets to play another lead role in “Ang Ina Mo,” where she plays the title role no less.
Written by Eric Ramos and directed by Joel Lamangan, “Ang Ina Mo” features Lotlot as Bella, a laundrywoman who’s been a widow for 14 years. She raises her only daughter, Donna (Charlie Dizon), as a single mom.
But now, she has gotten herself a younger lover, Xander (Rico Barrera), and Donna resents it that he is a jobless bum who sleeps all day. The story is inspired by Brocka’s “Insiang” but Direk Joel says the new version is also based on the true story of his own relative who had a you-and-me-against-the-world love affair with a younger lover.
Lotlot and Charlie both shine in their confrontation scenes and, if ever “Ang Ina Mo” would qualify as an official entry in the Metro Manila Film Festival, they can both get acting nominations.
In real life, we asked Lotto if she ever had disagreements about affairs of the heart with any of her kids.
“Never,” she quickly replies. “Kasi kami ng mga anak ko, lalo na si Janine (Gutierrrez, her eldest), we keep our communication lines open kaya never kaming umabot sa ganyan.”
Did they object when she married her current husband, Fadi El Soury?
“No. Ang mga anak naman, walang magagawa sa choices ng mga magulang nila, ‘di ba? Respetuhan na lang kasi ‘yan. Kahit sino pa piliin nila sa buhay, magulang pa rin natin sila. Maaring mali for us ang choice nila, but at the end of the day, sa culture natin, anak lang tayo.”
Someone said she must be referring to adoptive mom Nora Aunor and longtime companion John Rendez. And Lotlot continued: “Sa parents naman, we don’t prevent them na magmahal, kaya lang kung minsan, nakikita natin ang mga hindi nila nakikita, like kung totoo ba o tapat ba ‘yung tao sa kanila na iniisip nilang mahal sila. Sana matuto rin ang parents to listen sa feelings ng anak nila at hindi maging sarado ang kanilang puso at isipan, like ng nangyari sa character ko sa movie. Charlie warns her pero walang ibang mahalaga sa kanya kundi ‘yung lalaki lang. So mahalaga talaga na bukas ang communication lines lagi para maipahatid ang nararamdaman natin sa bawat isa.”
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Bugoy Drilon and Daryl Ong are given the chance to topbill their own concert series in the USA, “Bad Boys of R&B.” This will start on October 13 in Las Vegas at the Jefebet Center of Silver Nuggets Casino.
Bugoy was a teenager working as a janitor in a school canteen when he joined the audition for “Pinoy Dream Academy” and won as first runner-up in 2008. How has his life changed since then?
“Naku, malaki po ang ipinagbago, hindi lang ng buhay ko kundi pati buong pamilya ko,” he says at the press con of his USA concert. “I was just 18 then, 33 na ako ngayon. Natulungan ko ang family ko, napag-aral ko ang kapatid ko and she is now working in Dubai. I got to have my own hit songs like ‘Paano na Kaya’ and ‘Kung Pwede Lang Sana’.”
Daryl Ong gained fame in “The Voice Philippines 2014.” He didn’t win but he was made to join “ASAP” and sang a lot of theme songs for hit drama shows, like “Ang Probinsyano,” “Till I Met You” and “On the Wings of Love.”
“I feel so blessed kasi kahit hindi ako nanalo, narito pa rin ako,” he says. “Malayo sa times na nagwe-wedding singer ako sa probinsya tapos P1,500 lang ang TF (talent fee) ko, tinatakbuhan pa. Binalak ko na noong mag-hosto sa Japan, buti na lang at dumating ang ‘The Voice,’ natanggap ako and it gave me new opportunities.”
They are both excited with their “Bad Boys of R&B” concert series. “First big show namin ito sa US,” says Daryl. “Kasi before guests lang kami sa shows ng ibang stars like Angeline Quinto and some comedians. But now, kami ni Bugoy ang frontliners.”
They will also stage it at the Historic BAL Theater in San Leandro, California on October 14; at the Oxnard Performing Art Center on November 3 and at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood on November 4.
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Boy Abunda, as a competent showbiz talk show host and TV interviewer, is non pareil. He does his research, asks the right questions and listens attentively. Now, he focuses his attention on politics as he engages in spirited conversations with the mayors from different towns and cities in the Philippines. This is in his new online program “Political Conversations”.
The mayors who will be featured include Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City; Mayor Arth Bryan Celeste of Alaminos, Pangasinan; Mayor Mark Alcala of Lucena City, Quezon; Mayor Joy Salvame of Ibaan, Batangas; Mayor Jeri Mae Calderon of Angono, Rizal; Mayor Donya Tesoro of San Manuel, Tarlac; Mayor Marcy Teodoro of Marikina City; Mayor Jasmin Maligaya-Bautista of Magallanes, Cavite; Mayor Albee Benitez of Bacolod City; Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan of Agda, Borongan, Samar; and Mayor Lani Cayetano of Taguig City.
This is not something new for Boy as he has done interviews with political figures before in a past show, “The Bottomline with Boy Abunda.” He has also done several incisive interviews before with presidents, vice presidents, presidentiables, and other political figures.
“My goal is to interview the major players in our political arena,” he says. “There are many things to discuss, including the recent pandemic and how they led their constituents during that challenging period in our global history. It is interesting to listen to the stories of each mayor. Their personal experience in serving their constituents is a distinct journey from one another due to the political landscape. Their efficiency as public servants was put to a test during the pandemic.”
All political conversations with the mayors will be uploaded on “The Boy Abunda Talk Channel” on YouTube every Friday at 6 p.m. thereafter.
