Jan . 22-Feb . 7 , 2015 11
October 22 - November 7 , 2017
Philippine Showbiz Today
Jan . 22-Feb . 7 , 2015 11
Seagal gives DU30 a thumbs up , says the Philippines ‘ not dangerous at all ’
Hollywood actor Steven Seagal , who ’ s in town to take part in the judging panel of the 2017 Miss Earth pageant and do postproduction work for his coming TV series “ General Commander ,” said the country ’ s current peace and order situation did not deter him from coming over .
“ To be honest with you , I ’ m a big fan of the Philippine government . I think ( President Rodrigo ) Duterte is a good president and that he has been instrumental in making this country a safer place . What he has done is very good , in terms of trying to get the control back for the people . I don ’ t feel like this is a dangerous place at all , but a place that ’ s up-andcoming with the new leadership .”
Seagal paid a courtesy call on Duterte in Malacañang on Thursday .
Steven further shared he is thankful his friend , former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson , is always ready to help him . In fact , Gov . Chavit even met him at the airport when he arrived in Manila .
“ We will be going to different places on his plane . He knows a lot of good places here where we can shoot . We need forests and mountains and also the city of Manila ,” Steven said .
In General Commander , Steven plays the role of former CIA agent Jake Alexander who is out to bring to justice the person responsible for the death of a friend and colleague . The fellow CIA agent was a vital member of his Alexander ’ s team but killed during a sling operation in Southeast Asia . After being told he cannot pursue plans to find the person who killed his friend , Alexander and his crew resign from the organization and form a rogue security unit funded
by a rich friend .
Steven says he is very excited to shoot in the Philippines . He and some business partners are even planning to build infrastructure in the country that can be used for their future projects both for movies and TV .
“ Besides General Commander , I am also finishing my movie ‘ Attrition .’ It ’ s in post production now but I ’ m reshooting some of the scenes here in the Philippines ,” the action star continued . “ I know I won ’ t have a hard time working here because the people are very good .”
As such , it was but natural for Steven to say he likes the Filipino people most of all when he comes to visit .
“ I really think the people are this country ’ s biggest asset . They are very good ; they treat us nicely . No wonder the Philippines is called the ‘ Pearl of Asia .”
Further proof that he likes coming here is that Steven can no longer remember how many times he has been to the Philippines . To be sure , the first trip was in the ‘ 80s , and after that , he would come over for vacations , quietly slipping in and out of the country .
Naturally , actor has been to different places in Luzon , Visayas and Mindanao . “ My favorite is Vigan , Ilocos Sur ,” he revealed . “ I like the old town feel . I love staying there . It ’ s a city that was built 200 or 300 years ago !”
Because he is shooting a 12- episode series , Steven is happy he has a longer time to spend here . He , in fact , is ready to experience the famed Philippine Christmas because he plans to work even during the holidays . ● - M . R . Cruz , Inq . / L . Santiago , TMT
Atom Araullo : ‘ Growth is paramount ’
Broadcaster Atom Araullo is a celebrity in his own right . Try as he might to shake off the “ star factor ” his public sees in him — hoping they keep their focus on the news instead of his face and form — there is no doubt he remains one of the most recognizable faces in the field of journalism .
It can be recalled therefore that in mid-September , Araullo ’ s decision to leave his home network of 10 years , ABS-CBN , made it to the news and trending topics on social media .
And like most celebrities , the cause of his resignation spurred endless speculations until it was announced he was joining GMA ’ s News and Public Affairs Division , his first home network .
But before anyone can accuse the 34-year-old of enjoying the attention being lavished on him right now , Araullo revealed that the turnaround is also something strange to him .
“ It feels a little unusual because usually the camera is not directed towards you . I am not used to it ,” Araullo shared during his official press launch as a “ Kapuso .”
He related how he wanted growth and the chance to explore other media , after getting more involved in photography and starring in his first movie “ Citizen Jake ,” among other new discoveries . He declined to reply when asked if his former network prohibited him from doing what he wanted to do . Ever politely , he said he does not want to compare his experience with the two networks .
The son of both doctors and activists , Araullo — whose parental influence led him to being a student activist as well during his tenure in University of the Philippines Diliman — made a name for himself as a co-host of the kidoriented magazine show “ 5 and Up ” during his tween years . Later , he hosted the sports segment of GMA ’ s “ 24 Oras ,” the “ Atomic Sports .”
And while he eventually pursued his love for science by taking up Applied Physics in college , Araullo returned in front of the camera sometime later via Studio 23 ’ s morning show “ Breakfast .”
Not stopping there , he would become a full-pledged reporter via primetime news cast “ TV Patrol ” and a documentarist / host through the station ’ s programs “ Kalye ,” and “ Red Alert .” He also returned to morning show by cohosting “ Umagang Kay Ganda ” beginning 2009 .
Premiering on November 5 is Araullo ’ s “ Philippine Seas ,” a documentary he began studying and filming right after closing the deal with GMA .
“ I really love the outdoors so it ’ s a perfect fit for me to have Philippine Seas as my first documentary ,” he proudly noted .
In the end , Araullo reminded everyone , “ Journalists should do good journalism wherever they are , whatever outlet they maybe affiliated with . That ’ s the most important thing .” ● - C . Alpad , TMT