Kapuso Stars

NAKAUSAP KO si Diana Zubiri at ayon sa aktres, nakatakda siyang pumirma nang panibagong kontrata sa GMA-7. “Ang loyalty ko kasi, nasa Channel 7. At alam nila iyon,” pahayag ng aktres nang makausap namin siya sa Broadway Centrum,a kung saan ay taping ng programang Celebrity Samurai na ang host ay si Joey De Leon para sa TV5.



Ayon kay Diana, no comment daw siya sa ginawang paglipat ni Iza Calzado sa Dos. Sabi ni Diana may dahilan daw siguro si Iza sa ginawa nitong desisyon. “Irespeto na lang natin kung ano ang gusto niya.”


Aminado si Diana na matagal na sila ni Iza sa Siyete pero after Encantadia ay hindi na siya nabigyan ng big project ng kanyang home network. Kung tutuusin ay may mga alok ang dalaga sa ibang network, pero deadma siya dahil mananatili sa kanyang puso ang respeto at pagtanaw nang utang na loob sa Channel 7.

Teka, sa totoo lang, usap-usapan na kaya raw umalis si Iza sa Siyete ay dahil si Marian Rivera lang ang binibigyang-importansiya ng Siyete. Mula nang dumating si Marian sa nasabing network, sina Iza, Karylle at maging si Diana ay hindi na napapansin pa ng nasabing network. “Hay, naku… no comment po ako d’yan. Ayokong magsalita tungkol sa bagay na iyan.” Pero aminado si Diana na, na kay Marian ang atensyon ng Channel 7.

Actress and TV host Iza Calzado is all set to star in GMA-7’s newest primetime series The Beauty Queen with 2007 Binibining Pilipinas-World Maggie Wilson and fellow Kapuso star Katrina Halili, PEP.ph reports. The award-winning actress, who credits her new trimmer figure to a healthy fitness regimen, donned a two-piece swimsuit, baring her curves and toned legs for the show’s teaser. Although Iza was apprehensive about it at first, co-star Maggie soothed her nerves by telling her, “Kaya mo 'yan girl! You're very sexy!”

More than just losing weight, however, Iza is dedicated to keeping her body fit and fab through running, pilates, and pole dancing. “I just don't want to lose weight but I want to be flexible as well. Kaya nakakatulong din yung may mga dance numbers ko sa Party Pilipinas kasi gumagalaw ang lahat ng parte ng katawan ko."

When asked about her inspiration for staying in shape, Iza is quoted as saying, "Many think kasi na porke't I was a fat kid noon, heto na ang pinaka-revenge ko na maging sexy. Yes, I was over 200 pounds noon but I use that as my inspiration. Hindi ako nahihiya sa katawan ko noon. I want to send out a message to other kids who have weight problems as well, na kung kaya ko, kaya rin nila. Determination and concentration lang yan. And of course, lots of support from the people you love and loves you back whatever body type you are in."

Like Iza, do you find yourself wanting to show off your sexy side? Being sexy doesn’t necessarily mean being model thin or baring all your curves—you can be sexy just by being you! Coax out your sensual side with these tips from Female Network.


KEEP FIT

Exercising may not be on top of your list of favorite things to do but a regular routine can help shed off those extra pounds and tone your body. It’s good for your health and it helps improve your mood too (thanks to neurotransmitters and endorphins)! A stress-free you is a happier, more confident you. Exercising also keeps you in touch with your body and your sensuality. Be adventurous and try something a little bit more exotic like strip aerobics or pole dancing lessons. If you find yourself complaining as soon as you hear the word exercise—so not sexy—it’s time to get motivated. Be brave and take that first step!


LEARN TO LOVE YOUR BODY

It’s so easy to find flaws in everything—including your body. Do yourself a favor and ditch all the negative vibes. Nobody’s perfect so aim to embrace your flaws instead. The next time you look in the mirror, tell yourself, “You’re beautiful,” and really believe in it. Make this a little daily ritual to motivate yourself. You may find it silly at first but learning to give yourself compliments is one lesson you shouldn’t miss out on! Find out what you love about yourself, be it the way your hair looks when you flip it over your shoulder or the shape of your hips, and own it.


FIND OUT WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL SEXY

The word ‘sexy’ can mean a lot of things to different people. In the same vein, what makes you feel sexy may not be the same as what your best girlfriend or your mom may think. Put yourself first and take cues from your personal experience—you don’t want yourself to feel uncomfortable trying to be something you aren’t! Once you know what you want, use these to amp up your sexiness: surround yourself with things that make you feel fierce and powerful. Once you feel sexy, others will start noticing it too.


MAKE YOURSELF FEEL GOOD

Anger and stress can be such downers so instead of dwelling on your terror boss and his incompetence, focus on keeping yourself happy. Relax—it seems like such a simple thing but most of us don’t even know how to do it, thanks to the constant hustle and bustle of life. So stop hunching those shoulders and indulge in the things that make you happy, even if it’s just for a short while. Live a little. Get your sexy out.


BE CONFIDENT (IT’S ALL IN THE ATTITUDE!)

Being sexy isn’t just about looking good—it’s in the attitude! A strong, confident woman oozes sex appeal, so believe in yourself first; the rest will come afterward. Now we’re not saying you should suddenly walk with a swagger or adopt an arrogant attitude. Be in control and focus on building up poise and elegance. You can be classy and look confident at the same time! People pick up on cues really quickly so as long as you’re self-assured and show it, others will believe you too.

By Belle Yambao
source

Teaser for Bb. Isla Pilipinas 2010, see more for video

Marie Claire magazine does not only emphasize physical beauty but also beauty from the inside. Even if it sounds like a cliché, fact is, in our world today little acts of kindness can truly make a person feel beautiful.

Iza Calzado, a passionate young actress/commercial model, is once again chosen as this month's cover girl after gracing Marie Claire's maiden issue in November of 2005. This May, the 24-year-old cover girl shares a heartwarming story of her own.

She says that at the height of the popularity of her soap opera, Te Amo, Iza began reaching out to the less fortunate. She even decided to celebrate her 21st birthday at the Philippine Children's Medical Center. The QTV-11 public service show, At Your Service, then got her as its host.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, the self-confessed sunshine-y person started to entertain dark clouds of doubt and confusion.
Typical of girls her age, Iza began to question her purpose and slowly lost her drive. The star of Atlantika felt she was just going through the motions, and was undergoing the so-called quarter-life crisis. According to her, she was always tired and nothing really made any sense.

Iza recalled: "I'm always asking if I'm doing the right thing. Is this my purpose? Am I really happy?" The Gawad Urian Best Supporting Actress winner for the movie Sigaw even had the notion that she had to quit showbiz.

However, fate intervened and made her realize how fortunate she was to be working in an industry that she loved. Luckily for Iza—and multitudes of her fans—she decided to stay in showbiz. "I have no right to get tired. People are counting on me to deliver. I have to—no, I want to—deliver," Iza tells Summitmedia's marie claire this May.

Humigit kumulang na 115 ang mga artistang inaalagaan, sinasanay at inihahanap ng proyekto ng GMA Artist Center (GMAAC). Marami sa mga ito ay mga nanalo sa mga reality shows na itinaguyod ng nasabing network. Tulad ng StarStruck, Pinoy Pop Superstar, etc. Bagaman at maituturing nang sikat ang mga katulad nina Jennylyn Mercado, Mark Herras na Ultimate winners sa SS Batch 1 at maging ang mga Avengers na sina Katrina Halili, Cristine Reyes, Nadine Samonte, atbp, mas marami sa kanila ang hanggang ngayon ay nangangarap pa ring maabot ang naabot ng mga binabanggit na kabataang artista. Kasama na rin ang mga nanalo at natalo sa ikalawa at ikatlong batches ng SS.

Sa bagay na ito nagkakaro’n ng problema ang AVP at Head ng GMAAC na si Ms. Ida R. Henares. Bagaman at ang mga inaalagaan nila sa GMAAC ang binibigyan ng prioridad ng GMA pagdating sa mga proyekto, tulad ng pelikula, telebisyon, recording at commercial, wala na siyang magawa kundi sumunod sa kung ano ang hinihingi kapag ratings na ang pinag-uusapan.

"Gustuhin ko man silang ipasok na lahat, pero may mga artista na hindi masyadong pinanonood at sinusuportahan ng manonood at meron namang napakaraming following. Pagdating na rito, sumusunod na lamang kami sa kung ano ang makapagbibigay ng ratings sa mga programa ng network at kahit na hindi taga-GMAAC ang gagamitin," ani Ms. Henares.

Sa mga GMAAC members, ilan sa talaga namang maituturing na tagumpay sina Iza Calzado, na nagpapamalas ng versatility sa kanyang maraming pagganap. Isa ito sa pinakamaaasahang artist ng GMA.

Magaling ding aktres sina Angel Locsin at Jennylyn Mercado. Maituturing na action fantasy heroine si Angel na isa na ring producer ngayon ng pelikula at si Jennylyn ay ang Ultimate Survivor victim who turned survivor.

Si Mark Herras, bukod sa may sarili nang fantaserye ngayon ay nakapagprodyus na rin ng platinum and gold records.

Wala na ring pwedeng tumawad sa mga naabot at inaabot pa rin nina Iwa Moto, Yasmien Kurdi, Rhian Ramos, Katrina Halili na No., 1 sa Pilipinas at No. 2 sa buong mundo sa pinaka-seksing babae.

Marami ring hit makers ang GMAAC, si Jonalyn Viray, Yasmien Kurdi who bagged the New Artist Award sa MYX Music Awards, Most Promising Female Singer Award sa Guillermo Mendoza Awards at si Mark Herras.

Sa kabila ng mga tagumpay, nakagawa na ang GMAAC ng beneficial alliances with local and International entities, tulad ng Olympics for the World Championships of Performing Arts. Nag-qualify dito sina Jonalyn at Brenan Espartinez, John Joven, Dex de Rosa.

Actively involved din ang GMAAC sa mga charitable activities.

Ang ilan sa mga artists ng GMAAC ay sina Aicelle Santos, Ailyn Luna, Aryana, Brad Turvey, Chuck Allie, Chynna Ortaleza, CJ Muere, Dion Ignacio, Gian Carlos, Jackie Rice, Jana Roxas, Jen Rosendahl, LJ Reyes, Marcus Lagdameo, Marky Cielo, Mike Tan, Neil Ferreira, Pekto, Pinoy Pop Superstar finalists, Regine Tolentino, Felix and Dominic Roco, Ryza Cenon, Sheena Halili, SOP Boys, StarStruck Girls, & Boys, Sugar Pop, Valerie Concepcion, Mang Mike, Belly Florie at maraming comedians.

Things have been fast-forwarding for Rhian Ramos lately she herself is aghast. The GMA Artist Center talent couldn’t believe her eyes. It’s been only one-and-a-half years since she reluctantly entered showbiz as Richard Gutierrez’s leading lady in the defunct Captain Barbell.

And yet, she’s getting roles any actress would give her right arm to play. Rhian blew hot and cold — from someone so in love with Richard to one who would later let him go in The Promise. It was a pleasant surprise for someone so new in the game like Rhian, a critic said.

The positive review gave Rhian another pleasant surprise: a role in Ouija, an upcoming horror film starring Judy Ann Santos and Iza Calzado. While the offer was flattering, Rhian’s first reaction, contrary to expectations, was not that of a crocodile lunging at a piece of meat. "I was hesitant. My co-stars are so good and I was intimidated," she admits. Then Rhian read the script. It required her to play someone who joins a group that gets the shock of their young lives when they try their hand at playing an ouija game. "My character has a twist, a surprise to it, much like the one I played in The Promise," gushes Rhian. "It’s one of the most difficult roles I’ve played so far."

Add to that the fact that horror is uncharted territory for her, and you have someone who can’t wait for shooting to resume, week in and week out. Today, she has no regrets. The much-feared attack of frayed nerves never came. "Shooting is going well. Iza, Judy Ann and I have lots of bonding in-between takes and we hang out as well," states Rhian.

As in all of her roles, Rhian is looking for a reference point — a handle — from which she can base her attack on her character. It may be a movie, or Jackie Lou Blanco’s words of wisdom in The Promise, where Rhian reprised the role the former played in Hihintayin Kita sa Langit, an earlier adaptation of Wuthering Heights, from which both movies took off. Whatever it is, Rhian’s goal stays: to top her performance in previous roles. She’s still her worst critic.

"I’m not happy with my performances. There’s still a lot of room for improvement," the perfectionist in her comments. So she takes a cue from the simplest things. Rhian is an observer of people — their mannerisms, their little gestures, etc. "The important thing is to keep on improving," Rhian states. But she wasn’t that sure of herself before.

Time was when — arresting looks notwithstanding — Rhian doubted she had the makings, even of a starlet. "I wasn’t that confident with my body and my looks. I used to be conscious, especially of my body," she admits. Even after she joined Barbell, Rhian thought she’ll just have one TV series. Then, she’ll make her graceful exit from the scene.

She’ll return to modeling and the normal life as a high school sophomore. "I felt Camille Prats’ character was the favored one, not me," Rhian relates. But her parents, who prodded her to join showbiz, were right. She was cut out for a world of klieg lights and flashing cameras. Now, Rhian is turning out to be a most favored talent in the GMA backyard and even beyond.

Rhian is seldom at home these days, not because she’s out strolling in the mall. She tapes Lupin on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Rhian devotes Tuesdays and Thursdays to Ouija and her product endorsements (one of them, for Head and Shoulders, took a whole day to shoot in Subic lately). Saturdays are reserved for the youth-oriented Love Pow with Yasmien Kurdi, the Roco twins and Valerie Concepcion, among others. Rhian also appears on Nuts Entertainment. Sundays, however, are sacred for the born-again Rhian. "I want to keep Sundays, or at least half of it, free for my family. This way, I can still go to church," she reveals.

The spirituality was there even before she entered showbiz, thanks to her parents, born-again Christians both. And it shows. The words "praise God" come easily to her when you tell her about the good reviews she had for The Promise.

And she looks at everything around her these days as blessings. Even that incident where Ara Mina lashed out at Rhian for not greeting her (Ara) with Polo Ravales around? Rhian says, "I think I’ve grown too much to make a big deal out of things like that." But she does feel sorry Ara "felt disrespected." Rhian would rather keep her eye on the ball, knowing that it is the only thing she can forge ahead of the pack.

THE audience can’t get enough of the sizzling screen partnership of Dingdong Dantes and Iza Calzado. Their team-up gained countless admirers after the showing of last summer’s surprise hit, "Moments of Love." Every one who watched noticed that not only did Dingdong and Iza possess remarkable screen presence and fine acting skills, they also radiated a special magic on screen.

The great news is that the mestizo hunk Dingdong and the classic beauty Iza are back on the big screen in a timeless and inspiring love story: Regal Entertainment’s "Eternity." This film is directed by Mark Reyes and writtenby Gina Marissa Tagasa. Gary Valenciano sings the theme song "In Another Lifetime," a track that is also in his latest album, "Relevance," under Universal Records.

Playing lovers in the 1800s Crisanto and Milagros was easy for Dingdong and Iza. They both liked the story about two people who would do everything for love. They also had fun wearing the fabulous costumes made by the production design team of Chito Somera, especially the formal outfits for the masquerade ball sequence. (Iza’s was a gold ball gown that flaunted her beautiful curves, Dingdong’s was a suit-and-pants ensemble that highlighted his muscular body.) They were also inspired to get into their characters by the beautiful locations in Vigan, Bulacan, and Pampanga, where they shot in.

Although they were never a couple and have other partners in real life, Dingdong and Iza work so well together. Showbiz observers believe that the two have the rare "X-factor" enjoyed by the iconic screen tandem of Christopher de Leon and Vilma Santos and more recently, by Piolo Pascual and Judy Ann Santos. As many put it, "They don’t need to be in love in real life to generate passion on screen