‘I’m thankful I got to work again with ‘Encantadia’ sisters, Sanya Lopez and Kylie Padilla in ‘Mga Lihim ni Urduja’ and the show is a big success. — Gabbi Garcia’
GABBI Garcia is so blessed. Her new show, “Mga Lihim ni Urduja,” is a big hit, demolishing its rival in the ratings game. And even before it ends, she’s now taping a new show in Switzerland and Italy no less, “Unbreak My Heart,” a co-production between GMA and ABS-CBN.
“I really want to thank GMA for their trust in me,” she says. “I’m thankful I got to work again with ‘Encantadia’ sisters, Sanya Lopez and Kylie Padilla in ‘Mga Lihim ni Urduja’ and the show is a big success. And now, I’m also happy I get the chance to work with Jodi Sta. Maria, Joshua Garcia and Richard Yap in ‘Unbreak My Heart.’ Maganda ang bonding namin sa aming location shoot in Europe no less.”
“Mga Lihim na Urduja” is about the mysterious missing necklace of the legendary Princess Urduja of ancient times in Pangasinan and how it affects the lives of the people who found it in the present. Gabbi plays Crystal, a jewel expert, and Kylie plays Gemma, a female cop. They are searching for the fabled necklace of Urduja, played by Sanya. “It’s really so nice to be able to work again together with them in a show that touches on our country’s rich and colorful history,” adds Gabbi.
“Mga Lihim ni Urduja” is a historical fantasy reminiscent of the big hit that is “Maria Clara at Ibarra.” Viewers are commending GMA for coming up with shows like this, as they surely help orient today’s clueless young Gen Z. How is it being paired with Joshua Garcia for the first time? “Joshua and I know each other dahil nagkakasama kami sa private get-togethers ng mutual friends. So when we learned that we will be working with each other, comfortable na kami agad. When I read the script of ‘Unbreak My Heart,’ ang ganda ng story and very intense ang emotions involved, so I’m sure that viewers will love to watch it.”
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Wilbert Ross is one of the busiest actors today at Vivamax, doing one movie after another and also, mini-series like “Boy Bastos” and “Stalkers.” Now, he is happy that he has a new comedy movie that will finally be shown on the big screen, “Working Boys 2, Choose Your Papa,” showing on theaters nationwide starting March 29.
Contrary to stories that success was given to him on a silver platter by Viva, Wilbert has really paid his dues. He is the second of four kids (and only boy) in his family. He was born and raised in Davao. He was 18 years old when he joined “Pinoy Boy Band” in Manila, but he lost. Now, he has a more successful career than the winners.
“In Manila, nakitira ako sa cousin ako sa Novaliches, construction worker, nakatira sila sa squatter, siksikan kami sa maliit na lugar nila sa pagtulog. Nagko-commute lang po ako going to ABS-CBN para mag-audition sa Hashtags. I was 19 at sinuwerte akong makuha sa Hashtags.”
But he was hardly noticed there. His big break came during the pandemic. Viva was beefing up its stable of new stars for its streaming channel and Wilbert was hired to play the resident dumb and naive leading man.
“Yes, sinuwerte po ako nung pandemic. Sabi nga nila, na-perfect ko na raw ‘yung pagganap ko bilang bidang tatanga-tanga.”
In “Working Boys 2,” he plays Biboy. “As usual, ako po ang bobo sa grupo. Nag-enjoy naman akong doing the movie kasi naging barkada kami ng mga kasama ko.”
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RK Bagatsing has proven his acting prowess in hit TV series as “Wildflower” and “Be My Lady.” He now plays a lead role on the big screen no less in Saranggola Media’s Summer Metro Manila Film Festival entry, “Kahit Maputi Na ang Buhok Ko (The Music of Rey Valera).”
“It’s really an honor to play Mr. Rey Valera in his biopic,” he says. “He’s one of our country’s most popular singer-songwriters, with so many hit songs to his credit, so I’m very proud to play him in this movie. I did my very best to make sure hindi naman ako mapahiya in portraying him on the big screen.”
The movie relives the inspirations, the people, situations, communities and the times that inspired Rey Valera to compose some of his most popular and deeply meaningful Original Pilipino Music hits across the decades of his iconic career.
Rey chooses ten of his OPM blockbusters to weave a tapestry on the human condition and his reflections on the stories of what makes the Filipino a Filipino. The characters in the movie are composites of some of the people he encountered in his life.
Rey immerses into the whys and wherefores of how he was able to create such immortal hit songs as “Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko,” “Malayo Pa ang Umaga,” “Mr. DJ,” “Pangako sa Yo,” “Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo,” “Maging Sino Ka Man,” “Kung Kailangan Mo Ako,” “Tayong Dalawa,” “Ako si Superman,” and some of the greatest hit songs performed by Rico J. Puno, the superstar performer of OPM from the 1970s and 1980s up to the early 2000s.
“Viewers can join in singing the songs na parang sing-along. All those who appreciate the songs of Rey Valera will enjoy in singing them inside the theater. So don’t miss ‘Kahit Maputi Na ang Buhok Ko’ when it starts showing in cinemas nationwide on Black Saturday, April 8.”
