Blog Posts by Gerry Plaza

  • A different Daiana

    By Gerry Plaza | omg! Philippines News Blog – 13 hours ago

    Daiana Menezes (NPPA Images)

    I met and interviewed Daiana Menezes two years ago for a cover story in the Sunday Inquirer Magazine.

    What I liked about her was her bubbly, extroverted self; it made me feel like I wasn’t a stranger during that first meeting. She even asked how I was, as I traveled all the way from Taguig to see her in Quezon City.

    But what really struck me was how quickly she picked up Filipino, from the time she arrived in the Philippines from Brazil for a modeling stint to becoming part of the host “dabarkads” of “Eat Bulaga!”

    A love affair with PH and our people

    She said being fluent so fast in the local language spoke of her love affair with the country and its people, and how she even thought of getting married to a Filipino and settle in the Philippines for good. While she kept mum about her travails and her relationships then, the happiness in her face was all too infectious and wiped out my own concerns for the day.

    Reading her recent posts on
    Read More »

  • What made Vice do it?

    By Gerry Plaza | omg! Philippines News Blog – 14 hours ago

    Vice Ganda (NPPA Images)

    Vice Ganda’s popularity has spawned a culture of ridicule, and not the kind of comedy we love to watch and hear.

    His brand of comedy shows just how low we are willing to go with the cheap punch line that is meant to demean and embarrass.

    He owes his success to us.

    Is cruelty the norm in entertainment?

    We laughed hard and cheered him on when he poked fun at a disability or magnified an imperfection.

    His “victims” even laughed along, too scared (or confused) to show offense lest he or she be labeled pikon, a bad sport.

    Vice Ganda has made cruelty the accepted norm of entertainment nowadays.

    Fat jokes are common. Rape, perhaps less so, but certainly not off limits.

    Firestorm

    And, when the opportunity came to combine the two in his recent sold-out concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Vice was in his element.

    It proved to be combustible. But not in the way Vice meant it to be.

    He didn’t count on the firestorm
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  • Sarah and Bamboo should be together, ASAP!

    By Gerry Plaza | omg! Philippines News Blog – Tue, May 7, 2013 10:31 AM PHT

    It was an ordinary Sunday.

    We thought the noontime TV variety show “ASAP” would be presenting its usual fare of performances last May 5.

    We were wrong.

    As the introduction came heralding “The Voice of the Philippines” judges, we saw on our screens two of the country’s most admired singers—Sarah Geronimo and Bamboo Mañalac—starting their rendition of Pink and Nate Ruess’s “Just Give Me a Reason.” Just a showcase of two talents, we thought, as has been the case week after week.


    Read related story: Sarah on 4th team-up with John Lloyd: Why not?

    But, I was also intrigued: how would the pop princess and a rock icon fare in a duet?

    We were in for an incredible surprise.

    It was not one singer trying to outdo the other with their biritan or kulot vocal calisthenics. It was two singers who, I believe, were made for each other—vocally, that is.

    The mesh of their vocal prowess was impeccable—complementing each other smoothly and engaging in harmonies that were almost magical. And, just like they do in

    Read More »

  • ‘It takes a man and a woman’ to save Pinoy movies

    By Gerry Plaza | omg! Philippines News Blog – Wed, Apr 10, 2013 4:40 PM PHT

    John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo in the 'It Takes a Man and a Woman' movie poster (Courtesy of Star Cinema)

    The success of “It Takes a Man and a Woman,” the third in a rom-com series that follows  the characters Miggy Montenegro and Laida Magtalas, is a grand slam of sorts for John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo, director Cathy Molina and producers Star Cinema and Viva Films.

    It shows how the movie industry can move forward and regain its lost glory.

    It just needs to follow all the good things this film has done. From the captivating story line to the execution of all production elements, including design, cinematography, and editing, the movie hit the sweet spot among Pinoy audiences.

    Nearly a billion pesos in revenues

    With the changing tastes and preferences of audiences, Filipino producers grapple and even struggle in formulating the right mix to come up with a blockbuster film. Yet, this series has remained consistent, raking up a total of nearly a billion pesos in box office receipts.

    This is one
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  • Ara and Cristine: A lesson in humility and forgiveness

    By Gerry Plaza | omg! Philippines News Blog – Sat, Apr 6, 2013 5:10 PM PHT

    Everyone, it seemed, rejoiced last Easter when it was learned that sisters Ara Mina and Cristine Reyes reconciled after a year exchanging bitter words on traditional and social media.

    It was fitting that Cristine took the first step, given that she had all guns a-blazing when the controversy erupted a year ago.

    In media interviews, Ara revealed how Cristine texted her on Maundy Thursday, March 28, asking if they could talk. After Ara said yes the following day, Cristine took the occasion of Good Friday to finally bury the bloody hatchet. She rushed to Ara’s home in Quezon City and met her estranged sister, who was in tears when Cristine arrived.

    Genuine

    Ara was quoted as saying that she described Cristine’s effort as genuine and revealed it was her younger sister who first apologized for her actions. It will be recalled that Cristine lashed out at her sister for the alleged non-payment of a loan that formed part of the purchase of
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Pagination

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