Would a supposed call to boycott the 106-year-old master tattoo artist Whang-Od affect her career and reputation up there in the boondocks of Kalinga?
The supposed call to “cancel” the practically venerated old woman is a result of her touching the genitalia of adored actor Piolo Pascual when he and his brother Potchie travelled to the Buscalan village in Tinglayan, Kalinga in the Cordilleras to be inked by the practically world-famous Filipina “mambabatok” (tattoo artist).
In mid-February in Malacañang, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. honored “Apo” Whang-Od as a national treasure for her gender-breaking skill as a tattooist, a craft traditionally dominated by males. (“Apo” in the Ilocos region and the Cordilleras is a title of respect for old men and women).
Back in 2018, Whang-Od was already honored by the government with the Dangal ng Haraya Award for Intangible Cultural Heritage, which was given by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
The entertainment website PEP.ph recently ran uncredited videos and photos sourced from X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram by Jojo Gabinete (who is male), one of the website’s mainstay reporters.
In one of the videos, Whang-Od is gently and smilingly touching Pascual’s genitalia over his gray jogging pants. The actor seemed to be un-shocked but just amused by the old woman’s act. The report said both merely laughed at what the old woman did, and their laughter could be heard in the video, as well as those around them.
The old woman seems to have not done the same on Pascual’s brother who appeared to be sitting beside the actor when Whang-Od did.
Some netizens labelled the old woman’s act offensive since Pascual is an award-winning actor, an icon in his own right. That’s why those netizens want Whang-Od “cancelled.”
That the globally famous centenarian has been doing her act of touching the most private part of male seekers of her ancient tattoo service has been known for some time now. The old woman was actually practically reticent about touching Pascual as she did it over his pants gently. PEP.ph also showed photos of the old woman groping inside the boxer underwear of some male customers. (Those customers apparently wanted themselves tattooed on their lower limbs so they have to remove their pants).
Pascual, judging from the photo, had himself tattooed on the upper left side of his back. The actor wore his white long-sleeved shirt on the right side of his body and allowed his left nipple to peep out. The old woman could be seen working her primitive ink marker on Pascual’s back.
The report did not show and did not mention what the actor asked Whang-Od to tap with inked nail on his back.
We doubt that the “cancel” call would be heeded by potential customers of Whang-Od, the Cordilleras’ oldest “mambabatok” (tattooist).
###
Dis-engaged actor sweethearts Bea Alonzo and Dominic Roque seem to have informally engaged anew.
That’s just the suspicion of eagle-eyed netizens who found an Alonzo Instagram post recently in which she is wearing again the diamond engagement ring that she has supposedly returned to Roque when they broke up.
The post is a video slideshow showing a series of photos of Bea endorsing a skincare brand.
“OMG! Sino nakapansin dito, ‘yung ring?” one comment read.
A broadsheet report also recently took note that the ex-lovers have posted on their respective Instagrams their interests in tennis.
Alonzo was the first to post photos of herself enjoying tennis with her friends on 8 March. “I picked up a new hobby,” she wrote on Instagram.
On March 12, Dominic shared pictures of a tennis match where he also won an award. Dominic wrote in the caption: “Thanks JL for the invite and Happy Birthday.”
Some comments from netizens:
“Ganda sana magka balikan na kayo ni papa doms. please.”
“Ganyan pala mag move-on.”
“@dominicroque balikan muna sya .. wag nyo na patagalin.”
“Ano na ba ..nag kabalikan daw ba.”
“Sana kayo na talaga ulet ni Bea. Yabyuuu dom.”
###
Kathryn Bernardo’s ex-boyfriend actor Daniel Padilla has returned to Vietnam while Bernardo herself may have come back to the Philippines from Melbourne, Australia, where she flew solo to watch pop superstar Taylor Swift’s concert there.
Padilla posted on his Instagram account photos of his Vietnam vacation. He had himself snapped while browsing on a streetside bookshop, enjoying live music and just hanging out with his friends.
“Tales of Saigon,” Daniel captioned his post.
It was actually his second trip to that Southeast Asian country. He announced to ABS-CBN News his plan to go back there in February yet when he signed his contract renewal with the media company and content supplier.
“Ang dami kong gagawin sa labas ng industriya. I’m very excited… Parang nagkaroon ako ng love sa traveling ngayon. (I have a lot of things to do outside the industry. It’s like I gained love in traveling now.)
“Parang gusto kong bumalik ng Vietnam. Kasi no’ng last akong nandoon, I enjoyed it very much. Nandoon ’yung best friend ko, si Seth,” he confided. (I feel like going back to Vietnam. Because the last time I was there, I enjoyed it very much. My best friend Seth is there.)
It can be recalled that Daniel was linked to a Vietnamese girl who was allegedly one of the reasons behind his breakup with Kathryn Bernardo.
The girl, Minh Phuo, however, denied romance rumors with Padilla.
Minh said she only had small talks with the actor when he visited her brother’s bar in Vietnam.
Padilla also went to Dubai on 7 March for the inauguration of a posh restaurant there in which he is reportedly a co-owner.
The now-single actor delighted his fans in Dubai as he attended the opening event of an Asian fusion restaurant as one of its co-owners.
The actor was seen shaking hands and taking photos with his ecstatic fans during the event, as shown in the video on the restaurant’s Instagram page on Thursday, 7 March.
ABS-CBN seems to be taking too long to trump up a grand project for Padilla to kick off his career after the fertile and profitable romance with Bernardo, so the guy has all the time to pop in and out of the country.
Actually, the same may be said about Bernardo who has likewise been literally going places in and out of the Philippines.
###
Pinoy showbiz idols are not apathetic to what has happened at the Chocolate Hills in Bohol lately. At least, not Anne Curtis.
The It’s Showtime host has joined the conversation on the much-criticized construction of the Chocolate Hills resort, located right within Bohol’s protected area and most popular scenic spot.
On her X account, Curtis reshared a one-minute clip showing the special features of the resort which was sitting smack in the midst of the famous Chocolate Hills, a geological formation of over 1,700 rolling hills that earned it a recognition from UNESCO as its third National Geological Monument.
Curtis is an ambassadress of UNICEF, another United Nations body.
“Is this true kaya? Sad naman if they are allowing this so close to the beautiful natural wonders of our country (crying emoji),” she remarked. (Is this true? It’s sad if they are allowing this so close to the beautiful natural wonders of our country).
Meanwhile, there seems to be a teaser from It’s Showtime host Vice Ganda that their noontime program may air on GMA 7, exactly on the slot of the shuttered Tahanang Pinakamasaya of blocktimer TAPE.
The transgender host blurted out a few days ago that something grand and new is about to happen to It’s Showtime. And some quick-jumping netizens concluded it’s the show’s transfer to GMA 7 as a blocktimer. After all, the noontime fare has been airing on GTV, a network also owned by GMA 7, since ABS-CBN lost its broadcast franchise as a network.
The Kapuso network has been dilly-dallying about a live show replacement on the vacated noontime slot, traditionally an hour or two viewing time for an enormous number of people. One buzz, though, is that Kapuso network might put on that slot a live noontime fare to be hosted mainly by comedian-writer Michael V who has just renewed his contract with the network.
The network has so many Sparkle stars that can shine even on high noon.
###
Suddenly there’s a team up movie between sultry Cristine Reyes and award-winning Baron Geisler: Viva Films’ Dearly Beloved, directed by Marla Ancheta who also helmed Geisler’s Dollhouse which became well-viewed on Netflix after its theatrical run.
Reyes, 35, turned up lovely and serene at the media conference for the movie held at Viva Cafe in Cubao, Quezon City. On the other hand, Geisler, 41, appeared rattled and raving about his leading lady. Though they have been in some movies and TV dramas together, Dearly Beloved is their first time to portray lovers of the elicit kind. In their first team up, the ABS-CBN series Eva Fonda in 2008, Geisler was the villain who ruined Eva’s future by raping her.
In their latest pairing in Dearly Beloved, their characters fell in love while still married to other persons. They, in fact, have children in their respective marriages whom they herded together when they decided to live-in.
At the media huddle, Ancheta revealed that the movie is inspired by the film Relasyon headlined by Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon, and directed by Ishmael Bernal (who was posthumously declared National Artist for Film in 2001).
Ancheta said it was the Viva big boss himself, Vic del Rosario Jr. who asked her to do a film reminiscent of Relasyon. Santos won best actress in 1983 for her performance as a mistress (to De Leon’s domineering macho character) at the FAMAS and the Urian Award of the critics group Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino.
Geisler revealed that it was only during his confinement in a rehab center that he had the opportunity to watch several Reyes movies that stunned him about her being an engrossing intense sultry actress. Among those films he watched with fellow patients at the rehab was their Eva Fonda together.
To be judged a superb actor by Geisler can be considered quite an achievement. Even in his addled years as an alcoholic actor, Geisler earned the feat of winning two best actor trophies at the yearly Cinemalaya festival of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. These were for the entries Jay in 2008 and Donor in 2010. Only the late Eddie Garcia achieved such an honor in that festival but he earned them in his senior years as an actor.
Geisler also confided at the media huddle that he was touched by Reyes’ approaching his nurse-wife on her own on their first shooting day for Dearly Beloved. Reyes, according to Geisler, made his wife feel comfortable and assured the wife that she and Geisler do not have prolonged bed scenes in the movie.
Reyes seems to have mellowed a lot in living-in with actor Marco Gumabao, 28, along with her daughter from an annulled marriage to a foreigner. Their happy relationship seems to have caused them to slow down in their showbiz careers. For both of them, their last project was the series Minsan pa Nating Hagkan ang Nakaraan on TV5, co-produced by their common mother studio, Viva Communications, Inc. middle of last year.
Dearly Beloved also stars Ivan Padilla, Rey PJ Abellana, Marissa Sanchez, Ana Luna, Erica Ladiza, Guji Lorenzana, Nicco Manalo, Phoebe Walker, JC Tiuseco, Althea Ruedas, Robbie Wachtel, Tyro Daylusan and Charles Law. It’s showing in the movie houses starting 30 March.