JILLIAN Ward is truly a good role model for young people. She just graduated from senior high school at Homeschool of Asia Pacific, an affiliate of Sanston Academy based in Texas, USA, with the highest honors at that. She also triumphed in the recent GMA Gala 2023 with two awards no less: the Premier Star of the Night award and The Sparkling Smile of the Night award.
Jillian Ward just graduated with the highest honors from senior high.
“Sobrang symbolic nga po,” she adds. “Nagka-award ako sa GMA Gala na hindi ko ine-expect, tapos graduation ko pa. So I really feel super blessed kasi na-balance ko po ‘yung school and ‘yung work. All my hard work paid off.”
Jillian has a meaningful message to all working students like her. “Basta fight lang ng fight po tayo and lagi n’yo lang ilagay sa isip nyo kung ano ba ‘yung nagbibigay sa inyo ng drive, ng inspiration to go on. Kasi ako, ang nagpapa-inspire sa akin sina mama at papa ko, para naman maabot ko lahat ‘yung mga pangarap ko.”
Incidentally, Jillian’s blockbuster afternoon show, “Abot Kamay na Pangarap,” continues to garner astronomical ratings in GMA’s afternoon slot. There are times when its ratings are higher than those of primetime shows. It’s so successful it’s been extended a lot of times.
It started airing in September last year, so this coming September, it will be celebrating its first anniversary. Viewers cannot get enough of the joys and pain and trials that Jillian as Analyn and her mom, Carmina Villaroel as Lyneth, are experiencing every afternoon.
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Perla Bautista at 83 is one of our oldest living actresses. She has retired during the pandemic. But now, she’s doing two new films in succession. “Lola Magdalena” is already in the can and now she’ll start shooting “Apo Hapon,” both films are directed by Joel Lamangan.
“May offers during the pandemic, but I said no kasi bawal lumabas ang oldies at ayokong lumabas ng bahay for safety,” she says. “But Dennis Evangelista, producer of both films, won’t take no for an answer. Kaya ko pa naman daw. He offered na susunduin at ihahatid daw ako sa bahay for each shoot. Sige, hatid-sundo pala ako.”
She says it’s her non-showbiz partner who told her not to retire. “Kasi siya rin, he doesn’t retire. He remains active as a real estate broker. May friends daw siyang after mag-retire, nag-deteriorate agad, kaya it’s better to remain active.”
In “Lola Magdalena,” she is having dementia but continues to work. “I play the role of an aging ‘pokpok’ (prostitute). Kasama ko sina Gloria Diaz, Liza Lorena, Pia Moran and Sunshine Cruz. In ‘Apo Hapon,’ I play a 96-year-old lola who witnessed the story of Apo Hapon, the Japanese soldier who left their army during World War II and stayed with Igorots in the Cordillera mountains. I’ll narrate his story.”
She says that at her age, many of her colleagues have left her. “My last movie before the pandemic, ‘Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon,’ Menggie Cobarrubias who played my husband, was a victim of Covid and he’s much younger than me at 68 lang. ‘Yung isa pang kasama namin doon, si Dante Rivero, ayaw na rin daw lumabas. Also Robert Arevalo. So let’s pray for them. A contemporary, Gloria Sevilla, left last year. Si Gloria Romero naman, ayaw na rin lumabas dahil sa vertigo. So with another LVN contemporary, Caridad Sanchez. I just pray for all of them and I keep on thanking the Lord that I’m still up and about at wala akong problema sa health ko. Sixty-five years na ako sa showbiz and I thank God for that.”
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After the big success of their first mini-series, “The Rain in España,” which is geared towards Gen Z audiences, Viva One now comes up with a romantic drama about 20 and 30somethings, “Kung Hindi Lang Tayo Sumuko,” based on the best-selling book of poems by Marcelo Dumlao Santos.
It focuses on the loves and lives of three couples who are all connected: Carlo Aquino and Coleen Garcia, Kiko Estrada and Ryza Cenon, and Jerome Ponce and Rhen Escaño. This is under the direction of acclaimed indie film director Carlo E. Catu.
Carlo is happy to be part of the show. “I play a chef, Benedict, while Coleen plays Allie, a dentist. We are so in love with each other that we quickly schedule our wedding. Then we see our friends, Ryza and Kiko, having problems with their marriage and we both get cold feet.”
It’s common knowledge Carlo earlier had a relationship with Trina Candaza. They have a daughter named Mithi who was born in 2020, but their relationship ended the following year.
Now, he has hooked up with actress Charlie Dizon. They met while doing “A Soldier’s Heart,” but it was while they were in the USA doing a tour for Star Magic that they got to know each other better.
