‘I felt kasi hindi na ako masaya sa ganun. Ang mga tao, ang tingin sa ’kin, more of a sex object. — Kim Domingo’
SUSAN Roces wisely chooses not to go back to work yet, even if her long-running show on ABS-CBN, “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” is reportedly resuming its taping of new episodes and returns online and on cable TV on June 13. The show will adopt the “new normal” way of taping, with everyone involved to be locked down in a closed set. No one will be allowed to go home for five weeks and without entertaining any visitors from the outside world, just to make sure that everyone will be safe.
Lorna Tolentino, who plays the villainous Lily, has already signified her intention to agree to this requirement of lockdown taping, but Susan, who plays the loving Lola Flora of Coco Martin, begged off. The veteran actress is in her late 70s, so it’s not surprising that she wants to protect herself from the dreaded coronavirus. Even her daughter, Sen. Grace Poe, is said to be happy that she opted to just stay home.
She reportedly told Coco to make Lola Flora go on a vacation and she will just return to taping for “Ang Probinsyano” when an antidote is already found to combat the virus.
Wonder how about the other senior citizen in the cast, Jaime Fabregas as Lolo Delfin, will he make himself available to go on taping even without Lola Flora?
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Kim Domingo could have been a bigger star if she allowed herself to be launched in a bold movie. In her YouTube vlog, she said it was not easy for her to decide to junk her sexy image.
“I felt kasi hindi na ako masaya sa ganun,” she revealed. “Ang mga tao, ang tingin sa’kin, more of a sex object. Then when I did ‘Super Ma’am’ na sister ako ni Marian Rivera, doon ko na-realize na may fans naman pala akong mga bata kung wholesome ang role ko. Hindi puro mga lalaki lang na ine-expect na laging sexy ang dating ko.”
But she does not deny the fact that going sexy helped her when she was starting her career. “Hindi sa pagyayabang pero na-feel ko talagang nakilala ako agad ng publiko when they launched me as the new ‘Pantasya ng Bayan.’ Kaya lang, eventually, naisip ko, hindi naman talaga ako ‘yun. So unti-unti, binawasan ko ang pagpapa-sexy. Sa mga damit na sinusuot ko, ayoko na noong masyadong revealing na halos nakaluwa na ang dibdib. Then I did the afternoon horror soap na ‘Hanggang sa Dulo ng Buhay Ko,’ where I played a girl na napo-possess ng kaluluwa ni Kris Bernal. Wala ring pa-sexy dun pero tinanggap naman ng tao. Honestly, I feel na mas maraming nakaka-appreciate sa’kin ngayon, both male and female. Ang sarap pala ng feeling na nirerespeto ka kaysa ‘yung ang comment kapag nakita ka, ‘Ang sexy mo! Ang hot mo!’ Sa ngayon, ang dream ko, mabigyan naman ako ng role na serious drama, sa movie man o sa TV, ‘yung magre-require na magpakita talaga ako ng serious acting at hindi basta pagpapa-sexy lang. It doesn’t mean naman na I frown on those who will join showbiz para magpa-sexy. Galing ako dyan, sa pagiging hubadera, so wala akong karapatang manghusga. Basta ang sa’kin, personal choice ko lang and I’m happy na I’m free na sa dating sexy image ko.”
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Have you heard of the so called Burning Tongue Syndrome? Well, if you haven’t, Heart Evangelista confessed that she got afflicted with it due to anxiety. In an interview with GMA-7’s Jessica Soho, she shared that the lockdown caused her this and it manifested on her body.
“In the beginning, it’s quite normal for you to be a bit antsy and anxious. I mean, I suffer a lot from anxiety,” she says. “But you know I’ve been painting a lot and I’ve been keeping myself busy. Yes, I’m very expressive with my painting. I still dress up. I still put accessories on. Mainly as an artist, I like to wear colors. I like to see colors, and it really helps lighten up my mood.”
Jessica asked her what problems trigger her anxiety attacks?
“When I lost my babies in a miscarriage, I had a slight depression. Nag-manifest siya sa katawan ko. Naging numb ‘yung mga paa ko, pati ‘yung kamay ko na I used sa pag-paint.
It’s called the Burning Tongue Syndrome. Basically, people just live with this condition na parang nasusunog ‘yung bibig mo. Tapos minsan, kumakalat siya sa gums, and it’s very painful.”
The doctors diagnosed that it’s caused by extreme anxiety. “I went to seven doctors. Sabi nila, ‘yung cause is extreme anxiety and it manifests on your body dahil sa sobrang stress. Without me knowing, ‘yung pressure din ng social media, ‘yung pressure ng tao na kailangan lagi kang maganda, kailangan lagi kang nauuna.”
Despite this syndrome, she has managed to help a lot of people with money coming from her own pocket since the lockdown started.
“It’s something I felt I have to do. Kung minsan nga, nakukulangan ako and I feel guilty. A lot of people are hard up at ang dami asking for financial help, pambili ng gamot, pambili ng pagkain, kailangan ng pan-dialysis, o for cancer treatment, o namatayan, kailangan ng pang-cremate. I really wish I could help everyone but let’s face it, during the lockdown, wala akong income kasi wala kaming tapings or shows. But people don’t seem to understand na hindi basta nanggagaling lang sa balon ang pera ko. Galing po ito sa pagtatrabaho ko at hindi siya endless. Wala naman po akong sariling fundraising like other stars do, kasi my husband is a politician and ayokong mabigyan ito ng ibang kulay, so talagang galing sa sarili kong ipon ang lahat ng ipinantutulong ko.”
She’s now giving away 500 tablets to deserving students who can study online during the pandemic. This is with the help of Cherry Mobile.