Sexy Rufa Mae is looking for Mr. Right

By Isah V. Red

Her life story is very much like the new movie she is starring in and co-producing as well. Rufa Mae Quinto is looking for Mr. Right in Status: Single, the new comedy by writer-director Jose Javier Reyes for Viva Films.

Off screen, Rufa Mae has had a number of relationships, most of them had been part of showbiz trivia, the latest of which was with a Mexican American based in Hong Kong. Now, she is being linked with Filipino-British Jon Avila, her co-star in the movie.

Rufa Mae plays a 30-year-old virgin in a mad race to make it to the altar after all her friends had settled down. The pressure mounts each day, and Rufa Mae has to make a choice quickly, or she?ll end up living a lonely life alone.

The movie opens on Wednesday and Rufa Mae, being one of the executive producers, is crossing her fingers in hope the movie would make it to the P100-million mark. Most analysts say this is bad time for Tagalog movies since there could still be a hangover from the recent Metro Manila Film Festival, the first victim they say was the Piolo Pascual-Angel Locsin?s Love Me Again (Land Down Under) that had just a little over lukewarm box-office reception after opening five days after the filmfest wrapped up.

This is the second co-production of Viva Films and Rufa Mae?s On-Q 28 Productions, the first of which was Apat Dapat, Dapat Apat. It is their first project for 2009, a pre-Valentine release after Rufa Mae?s turn in the MMFF entry Desperadas 2.

Rufa Mae personally handpicked the male stars she will have to choose from in the movie. There?s the brooding Kapamilya star Rafael Rosell, the future Quezon City councilor Alfred Vargas, gay men?s fantasy Mark Bautista and rumored current flame, Jon Avila. Paolo Contis is in it too, not as one of the guys but as a macho gay friend of Rufa Mae.

Angelu de Leon, Mylene Dizon, Desiree del Valle and LJ Moreno play Rufa Mae?s female friends who beat her to the altar and pressure her into finally settling down.

 Ironically, says Rufa Mae, in real life, right now, she wants to remain single. ?Tapos na ako sa stage na gan?on, yung gustong mag-asawa. I just want to be single and happy? for the meantime!,? chuckles the sexy actress.

Kapamilya scores two over Kapuso

Two primetime shows of ABS-CBN, Tayong Dalawa and I Love Betty La Fea, soar high in the recent ratings game.

Nationally, Tayong Dalawa generated a rating of 35 percent while in the metro it earned 36 percent.

I Love Betty La Fea got 36 percent in the nationwide rating.

Tayong Dalawa, top-billed by three of the hottest stars of today namely Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson and Jake Cuenca, has indeed set a good start. Ever since the viewers got a glimpse of the teasers, the waiting turned to anticipation thus making the pilot episode a rater. The other members of the cast, hyped by the network as multi-awarded, could have worked quite well for the show.

I Love Betty La Fea has been reinvigorated by new characters, the latest of which are Jericho Rosales, Pops Fernandez, and Karylle.

Now, I expect the guys over Kapamilya to stop using their claim that their telecast has ?bad signal? as an alibi. Just do your work guys and the audience will respond, favorably or unfavorably.

Pops is Betty?s new tormentor 

After her long break from acting, the concert queen Pops Fernandez comes back through I Love Betty La Fea.

Pops will play a benign antagonist to Betty, who will be separated from John Lloyd Cruz temporarily, as the actor starts shooting for a movie with Vilma Santos and her son Luis Manzano in New York, the US of A. 

She will play Paulina, Aldo?s (Jericho Rosales) aunt who will not be happy her blind nephew falling for the ?ugly duckling? abandoned girlfriend of Armando.

During the press do for Pops, she said that she?d make life miserable for Betty, but not in a Daniela way.

?I?ll be kind, and very little Betty knows she is falling into my scheming ways,? she said.

Will Pops? presence in the show give Betty an even fighting chance against Luna Mystika. The Kapamilya guys are very optimistic, especially after Tayong Dalawa got past over Gagambino even in the Mega Manila ratings race.

More of Pops

It seems it?s not artificial, the busy days for Pops Fernandez. Even with Betty La Fea, she is preoccupied with two Valentine shows, one with ex-husband Martin Nievera that is produced by current squeeze Jomari Yllana, and another in the Royale Era Entertainment pre-Valentine offering at the Crowne Plaza Hotel ballroom on Feb. 7.

The dinner show, apart from Pops, also stars Vernie Varga and comedian Pokwang (who we gathered had a very successful show in Cebu during the Sinulog weekend with John Lloyd Cruz and the Coverboys).

Joining the show as well are Iya Villania and Rochelle Pangilinan (of the Sexbomb Girls) with Annabel?s son Raymond Gutierrez as host.

Annabel announced the show during the thanksgiving party her company, Royale Era, threw for the members of the press last week.

The party was held at the Imperial Palace Suites (the hotel building owned by Lily Y. Monteverde of Regal Entertainment) on T. Morato Ave. in Quezon City.

Also present were Annabel?s husband Eddie Gutierrez, and talents Ruffa Gutierrez, JC de Vera, TJ Trinidad (who will be seen in an upcoming soap on GMA-7), Miriam Quiambao (who is contemplating on switching channels as well), Anna Roces, Michelle Madrigal and sister Ehra, and recent Royale Era talent Arnell Ignacio.

The company gave away 32-inch Samsung LCD TV monitors, IPod Nanos, IPhones, Nokia phones, digital cameras, and cash among others, donated by the stars and sponsors like ACS Marketing (which manufactures Unique toothpaste), Globe, Kisses & Co., Belo Medical Group, Flawless, HBC, and Bench.

The nearly a hundred members of the entertainment media (on all fronts?TV, radio, print) were all gawking and waiting for their names to be drawn in the raffle. Those who didn?t win the door prizes, went home with a thousand bucks courtesy of Ruffa Gutierrez and Annabel Rama.