Saturday, March 03, 2007

Untold Pinoy Story No. 7

East and West

The Story of the Muslim Princess


Suppose that there was a Muslim princess from the flood capital of the Philippines, Malabon, who has just finished her degree in Mass Communications from the University of the Philippines with Latin honors (cum laude). Suppose that she decided to work for Discorama. Remember the Saturday afternoon show on GMA Channel 7 with former Senator Tito Sotto, his brother Vic Sotto and comedian Joey de Leon as hosts? The Muslim princess was assigned to host the Tough Hits segment of the show. As Tough Hits girl, she did the weekly countdown of popular songs with bastardized lyrics to elicit cheap laughs.

Soon, a female newscaster of a major TV network introduced the Muslim princess to her brother, a flight steward. After a whirlwind courtship, the Muslim princess married the flight steward who used to be a child actor whose only claim to fame was playing the role of a toddler Bongbong Marcos in a Marcos bio-flick. After a couple of months, the Muslim princess and the flight steward quietly separated.

But career-wise, lady luck smiled at the Muslim princess when she was given a big break by the major TV network. She bagged the plum assignment of delivering the evening news while at the same time hosting a successful TV magazine program which was pitted against a similar program in a rival TV network hosted by her former UP professor. However, the Muslim princess was such a perfectionist that it was reportedly not uncommon to see objects flying whenever she was unsatisfied with her TV staff’s work.

Later, the Muslim princess got married again, this time to a well-known local politician from a province south of Manila. The namesake of her father, her politician husband had grown-up children close to the Muslim princess’ age and it was being talked about that his first wife lived in the same condominium building where the Muslim princess and her new husband occupied the penthouse. The Muslim princess’ husband also reportedly decided to become a Muslim so that he could have more than one wife. They were blessed with two sons.
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The Muslim princess’ husband soon retired from politics and became contented with being a magician and a human toothpaste applier for his Muslim princess' toothbrush. (Incidentally, the Muslim princess once appeared in a Close-Up Toothpaste TV commercial.) Now, the Muslim princess and her magician husband (He could make a big Coke bottle disappear before your eyes.) are happily separated. Later, the Muslim princess’ husband was accused of being responsible for the disappearance of his close friend.

The Story of the Black Nazarene Devotee
Suppose that there was a Black Nazarene devotee from the tamaraw capital of the Philippines who claimed to have graduated with a business degree from the University of the East despite his critics’ contention that he just bought his college diploma from the sidewalk of C. M. Recto Avenue. He worked as a radio reporter for a major radio and TV network. With perseverance, he was given a Sunday morning radio show. Later, he would occasionally pinch-hit for announcers whenever they would not show up for their radio program. He also hosted a daily radio serialization of movies for a program dubbed as Sineradyo.



His biggest TV break came when a TV network hired him for a top-rated showbiz-oriented TV show called See-Tru. The show was hosted by gossip queen, Lourdes Jimenez-Carvajal who was more popularly known as Inday Badiday or Ate Luds to her legions of fans. The Black Nazarene devotee’s appearance was only through voice-over (and he was never really seen by the TV audience) and it was always preceded by his usual line: “Ate Luds, may phone-in question po tayo rito galing kay…”. Yes, his job involved reading TV audience’s phone-in questions to Inday Badiday’s movie star guests. However, despite the TV show’s enormous popularity, it was immediately cancelled after one of the show’s female guests hurled an ashtray at another female guest.

Later, the Black Nazarene devotee married a lady executive of the radio and TV network where he had moved up to become the host of its early morning radio show. They adopted a girl and had a younger son later.

Never The Twain Shall Meet
Suppose that the Muslim princess and the Black Nazarene devotee met in the same office where they both work. Suppose also that the Black Nazarene devotee personally chose the Muslim princess as one of the principal sponsors for his adopted daughter’s wedding to one of the members of the staff of his widely popular TV program.

Suppose further that both the Muslim princess and the Black Nazarene devotee became elected government officials and they both decided to run for the same government office on the same year. They both run for say, the presidency of the Philippines. No, that’s being too ambitious. Okay, suppose that they both run for the position of Vice President under opposing political parties. Who would you vote for? The Muslim princess or the Black Nazarene devotee?

If you would vote for the Muslim princess, you just wasted your vote. If you would vote for the Black Nazarene devotee, you are good at spotting a winner (but it does not mean that you did not also waste your vote).

Because the honorary Muslim princess is former Senator Loren Legarda who lost her bid for the Vice Presidency of the Philippines in the 2002 national elections.

And yes, the Black Nazarene devotee who helps carry the replica of the Black Nazarene image barefoot and wearing only a white undershirt (sans bullet-proof vest) during the annual Quiapo procession as part of his religious devotion (yes, he still does it up to this day) is Noli de Castro, current Vice President of the Philippines.

And you know the rest of their stories.
Images from surfinthespirit.com,yahoo.com

NEXT: One of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World was a Filipina who was the True Love of Comedian and Quezon City Vice Mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista!

32 comments:

exskindiver said...

Nick,
another well told story.
i have to get my dad to read this.
buti nalang kinalabit mo ako.
~chesca

Nick said...

Thanks Chesca.
I've got more interesting stories to tell. Tons of them.
Watch out for them in the coming days.
Hope your Dad enjoys them , too.
Again, thanks.

Nick

wendell said...

your stories amaze me too. hang in there. stay cool.

w.

Nick said...

Thanks Wendell.

Nick

Anonymous said...

galing naman! claps claps

although ang tagal ng kasunod na post hehe

may i ask where do you get these stories? because i think lots of pinoys should know these things like yung vice president pala natin ay dating nagta-trabaho kay ate luds hehe

Anonymous said...

after such a looong time another winner from nick. keep them coming!!

Nick said...

Hey Pao.
Thanks for the encouraging words.
Arriving home from work tonight after a long day at the office and after surviving a 14-degree weather outside(which feels like 2 degrees in NYC), it really warmed my heart to see what you did in your blog. You made my day. (I'm just hoping that people wouldn't think that I paid you to do that!)Thanks, Pao.

Nick said...

Hey Lee.
I know it's been a long time since my last post. I've been insanely busy with work. But I hope to start writing more regularly again.
Thanks for dropping by.

Leah said...

Hi Nick, nice to see you back.
I am so out of it when it comes to Philippine politics. I did not even know that Noli is now the VP . Is he running for office this election time?

another interesting post. thanks.

Nick said...

Hey Leah.
Yes, I'm back.
Thanks for dropping by.

Nick

Unknown said...

hiya nick,

i enjoyed reading your extremely interesting blog items.

they're reminiscent of the Paul Harvey's The Rest of the Story book series and o. henry's stories ...

do u know dorothy/marsha and shirley's links to the boys from far z********?

Nick said...

Do you mean from far Zamboanga? The late Nida Blanca's (Marsha)former husband was a Jalosjos. The father of Maricel Soriano's (Marsha's daughter Shirley) only son, Sebastien, was a Jalosjos, too. I think most people know that.
Thanks for dropping by, Andy.
I'm glad that you enjoyed my stories.

Nick

Anton said...

Just wanted to say, thanks! Galing your stories. And I love the way you unfold the stories to reveal the personalities behind them. Keep it up. Anton

Nick said...

Thanks for the encouraging words, Anton. Watch out for my next story.

Nick

Anonymous said...

UPDATE! UPDATE!

nasaan na ang kasunod?

Nick said...

Hey Pao. Hahaha.
After plodding through streets covered with several inches of snow on my way home from work in Downtown Manhattan tonight, your message really cheered me up. So I had to sit down and write the first story that came to mind. A couple of hours ago, I accidentally bumped into a beautiful woman as we both keep our balance while clinging on the metal pole inside the crowded subway train. The thought of her inspired me to write this story. Who knows I might even bump into Carmen one of these days. She's in town.
Thanks for the reminder, Pao. I needed that.

Nick

Anonymous said...

Hi Nick,

Just stumbled upon your blog and I enjoy reading it!!! Galing I wonder where you get your stories, it's as if you're really privy to these people ha!

More stories please and sana whenever possible, you name names. Nakakacurious kasi kung sino sila. Hehe. :)

Nick said...

Hey Steph.
I'm glad that you enjoyed my stories.
I have more stories. I just wish that I have more time to write on a regular basis.
Watch out for my next story.
Thanks for dropping by.

Anonymous said...

love your blog

Anonymous said...

I love the nostalgia. I love the juicy details. The stories are told so well. More! Bravo!

Nick said...

Hey Anonymous.
I'm glad that you like my blog.
But I wish that you would leave your name next time.
Thank you very much.

-----------------------------------
Hey Fred.
Thanks for the kind words.
Watch out for my next story.
Thanks for dropping by.

Anonymous said...

nice blog you have here....grabe, i'm so hooked! cant wait for ur next blog!

girl named shai said...

Yay! Haha! I guessed this one right too!

Anonymous said...

any new stories?!?! i really love your blogs, I know a bit story of Gary and Angeli, and I was stunned when i found out the real story behind it!!! You really are a genius in unfolding sotries. Keep it up! God Bless!

Anonymous said...

This is jane by the way!!! thanks again!

Lolo Mao said...

Hi Nick!
Great stories. It shows us the human side of famous people. In this story, What did you mean by making a big bottle of "coke" disappear?

Jane said...

hi nick this is jane again.. why is that i cannot view our other blogs (the woman who played haydee).. also, when can we have your new blow? can't wait to have it...thanks and God Bless!

Jane said...

sorry, i mean blog!! hope to have it soon...

Nick said...

Hey Shabby_Chic.
Thanks for your kind words.
I'm glad that you like my blog.
Thanks for dropping by.

-----------------------------------
Hey Shai.
You're really good. At which part of the story were you able to figure out who it was?
I'm really glad that you read even my old posts, just like the others.
Thanks.

-----------------------------------
Hey Jane.
Thanks for the kind words.
I hope that you'll also like my next story. Watch out for it.
Thanks for dropping by.

-----------------------------------
Hey Mao.
He is really a magician. Yes, a real magician performing magic tricks. He is even a member of a group of professional magicians.
I saw him once on TV showing his magic tricks. He showed an empty paper bag just big enough for a big bottle of Coke, dropped the Coke into the bag, crumpled the bag and the Coke was gone.
Thanks for dropping by.

----------------------------------
Hey Jane.
I've been busy lately and could not find the time to write. But don't worry, my next story will come out very soon.

Anonymous said...

can't wait for the next issue! hehehe. ano ba url ng blog ni pao? hehehe - sirjune

Nick said...

Hey sirjune.
Thanks for dropping by.

iRiSH said...

i think the TVC was a Hapee toothpaste -- not close up