‘Alangan naman sabihin kong pangit, ‘di ba? – Gloria Diaz’
Gloria Diaz remains to be very busy despite the pandemic. She did the mini-series “Beauty Queens” on iWant and two seasons of the sitcom “Oh My Dad” on TV5. And now, she’s also in the Regal Entertainment movie currently shown in various streaming channels, “Mommy Issues.”
“I feel blessed na hindi ako nababakante,” she beams.
What’s her role in “Mommy Issues?”
“I play the mother of comedian Pokwang. I’m against her boyfriend, Ryan Bang. She can’t understand why I’m against Ryan, pero siya rin, against sa boyfriend ng daughter niyang si Sue Ramirez, played by Jerome Ponce. Kaya ‘Mommy Issues’ ang title ng movie kasi the mothers here have issues against their daughters’ love lives.”
She has two daughters in real life, Isabelle and Ava, now both married. Did she ever interfere with their love life?
“No, never. They’re both good kids. Si Belle, hindi mahilig lumabas. Si Ava, when I’m shooting or taping, I’d call, ‘Nandyan na ba si Ava?’ Sinusundo ko talaga siya kasi she’s to be home by a certain time. We never had mommy issues kasi mababait naman sila. Now, they’re both happily married because they made good choices.”
Belle is married to French executive Adrien Semblatt and they’re based in Hong Kong with their two kids. Ava got hitched only last year to longtime BF Luch Zanirato.
Since Gloria is the country’s very first Miss Universe winner, it can’t be helped if she’s asked about the chances of current candidate Rabiya Matteo in the 69th Miss Universe that will be held on May 16 at a casino in Florida.
“I think she has a good chance as she’s beautiful,” says Gloria. “Alangan naman sabihin kong pangit, ‘di ba? Ang dami kong nakikitang photos niya at maganda naman siya talaga.
But she doesn’t really have to do much. She just has to have presence of mind and enjoy and savor every second of what’s happening as it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. She’s deserving namang manalo but she must remember that, in the pageant, whether you win or lose, it’s just the beginning.”
How would she differentiate Miss Universe now to the time she won in 1969?
“Oh my gosh, it’s very different – not only by a mile but maybe, 500 miles,” she laughs.
“That time, hindi pa masyadong commercial. We never did any ads of alcohol or deodorant or banks. The girls are getting taller now, more beautiful, but many of them are older also, may mga 26 or 27 na. I was only 18 years old when I represented our country and won the title in 1969, also in Florida.”
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Carmina Villaroel is now one of the most hated contravidas on TV because of her effective portrayal as the villain Dulce Espejo in the hit GMA soap, “Babawiin Ko ang Lahat.” She messes up the lives of John Estrada, Tanya Garcia and their daughter Pauline Mendoza for her own selfish motives.
Some netizens are vocal about their hate for her for being the scheming and “super maldita Dulce.” One follower of the show even wrote: “Sobrang sama ni Carmina as Dulce. Kapag nakita ko ‘yan sa personal, ingungudngod ko ang mukha niyan sa sahig.”
Is Carmina aware that viewers are annoyed with her character?
“Yes, alam ko,” she says. “Nababasa ko ang feedback nila and I’m happy naman kasi it only means na effective ako in doing my work. Buti na lang talaga, may isa pa akong show, ang family and lifestyle show na ‘Sarap, Di Ba?’, where they can see the real me as the loving wife of Zoren Legaspi and caring mother of our twins, Mavy and Cassy. Alam nilang si Dulce is just a role I play sa soap.”
At the recent special Mother’s Day celebration of “Sarap, Di Ba?” Carmina was given a surprise by her family as a thank-you to her for being a good mother. Both Mavy and Cassy say there are a lot of things to appreciate in having a mother like Carmina.
“My mother is very giving,” says Mavy. “She’s always giving out love and joy to us, her family. Kahit siya ang may birthday, siya pa ang nagbibigay ng gifts sa amin. You can feel na genuine ang love niya for us, so I really want to thank her for always giving, not only to us, but also to other family members, to her friends, and even her fans.”
Cassy, in turn, tells her mom that she appreciates what everything that Carmina does for her.
“I know I don’t get to thank you every day,” she tells her mom, “but I am really very thankful to you for always taking good care of us. For being selfless, for always checking up on me every night so that I would go to sleep na and not be puyat. I’m just very thankful for you, because you always look out for us and you always think about us. And now that I’m also into acting, you give me the most valuable advice ever.”
Zoren says that if they have a perfect family, it’s because of his wife. “As long as you are with our family, then our family will always be perfect. Thank you for all your efforts, lalo na for cooking our dinner every night which you do with love kaya naman lahat ng luto mo, masarap. At lahat ng ginagawa mo for us, masarap din.”
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Vice Ganda will have a concert via streaming on KTX on July 17, produced by Viva Concerts, entitled “Gandemic.”
“I really have a concert every two years,” he says on Zoom. “Last ko was with Regine Velasquez. But because of the pandemic, we don’t know how to do it. Then Boss Vic del Rosario offered to give the audience something to look forward to and enjoy amidst all this chakang kaganapan this year so ‘yun na nga, may concert ako this year.”
That was some months ago. “Dapat sana, May 1 itong concert, but since pabago-bago nga ang rules dahil sa ECQ, hindi kami makabuo ng show. ‘Yung May naging June at ngayon, naging July na nga, so sana naman matuloy na.”
How did he come up with the title “Gandemic”? “Kami ng friends ko, nagbe-brainstorming kami, then someone mentioned ‘Gandemic,’ sabi ko, ang ganda ng term so sinabi ko naman kay Boss Vic at nagustuhan naman nila.”
How does he keep his mental health intact during the pandemic and how does he survive the anxiety felt by everyone?
“I always start the day with a prayer. I always ask for guidance, kasi life has been very difficult nga during this pandemic. I keep myself sane by avoiding toxic stuff, especially online. Unlike before, subsob ako lagi sa social media, ngayon, binawasan ko ‘yun. Five percent na lang ang time na dine-devote ko sa social media, kasi nakakadagdag lang siya ng worries and fear.”
What is difference of his concert to those of other celebrities who have also staged digital concerts? “I watched the concerts done by Daniel Padilla, Regine and Sarah Geronimo, kasi i have no idea how they do it, so may conscious effort ako to watch them. The difference is hindi ako real singer or dancer. Although I sing and dance, 90% of my concert is really comedy. Sila, hindi mga nagpapatawa. Ang strength ko is super patawa ako. Kaya kailangang grabeng patawa itong concert ko, kasi ang dami ng magagaling na singers and dancers, so you can see them on a regular basis. Pero ‘yung comedy concert ako lang ang gumagawa noon sa ngayon, so nakikipag-collaborate ako ngayon sa ibang comedians to get good materials. Gusto ko matawa talaga ang audience para makalimutan nila ang mga malulungkot na nangyayari ngayon sa ating buong paligid. Gusto ko ‘yung tawa lang sila nang tawa, and I’ll make sure I will give it to them nonstop for two hours.”
The full title of his show is “Gandemic: Vice Ganda, The VG-Tal Concert”. It will be aired twice. It will stream on July 17 at 9 p.m. and July 18, 11 a.m. for worldwide streaming.
