CHRISTOPHER DE LEON left for Japan last Thursday with wife Sandy Andolong to give support their daughter Mariel as she competes in the Miss International beauty pageant. “I’m both excited and nervous,” he says. “Sa Bb. Pilipinas noon, sa Novotel lang kami nanood ni Sandy, but when she was named as Bb. Pilipinas International, we walked to the Araneta Coliseum na katapat lang. Kaso, ayaw kaming papasukin ng guards kasi wala kaming ticket. So hinawakan ko yung guard sa arm, sabi ko, Nanalo yung anak ko! And he said, Ay, sir, sige ho pumasok na kayo. This time, we’ll watch mismo sa Tokyo Dome where the Miss International pageant will be held on Tuesday. So I’m asking the help of our kababayans to help us pray na sana, maiuwi ni Mariel ang korona.”
He says Mariel is thoroughly enjoying her stay in Japan. “She feels so comfortable there. Gusto na nga raw niyang matira roon kasi mababait ang mga tao.”
He and Sandy now live only with their youngest daughter, Mica. “Our eldest, si Rafael, is in New Zealand. Si Miguel is California and Gabriel is in New York, while Mariel is in Japan. Thanks to the wonder of technology, nagagawa naming magkausap lagi nang sabay-sabay.”
Before they left, Boyet taped some episodes for his new Kapuso show, the yet untitled drama starring Bianca Umali and Miguel Tanfelix. “I play the owner of a hospital, father ako ni Marvin Agustin na maraming gagawing gulo rito at ako ang tagaayos,” he says. “Anak naman ni Marvin si Miguel.”
How about the series he started with ABS-CBN with Robin Padilla and Jodi Santamaria? “Nag-taping ako, then natigil, for five months na. So I told my manager (Lolit Solis) na tanggapin na namin itong offer ng GMA kaysa nakatengga ako roon sa kabila na hindi ko alam kung kailan magre-resume. I think I’m not the only actor who experienced this. The managers should meet sa PAMI para they can specify in the contract with the networks na kapag na-stop ang taping, or natapos mo na ang taping pero hindi pa rin nila pinalalabas, dapat may sort of expiry date para naman makatanggap ka ng ibang trabaho.
Actually, it’s unfair not only for the stars but also the staff working on the shows. Dapat ding iwasan yung ipaba-block off sa’yo ang specific dates, tapos, the day before, sasabihing bigla, hindi tuloy. Hindi ako mukhang pera, kaya lang, lahat kami, nagtatrabaho, we give our best, and you feel helpless kapag natetengga ka while waiting for nothing.”
He and Sandy now live only with their youngest daughter, Mica. “Our eldest, si Rafael, is in New Zealand. Si Miguel is California and Gabriel is in New York, while Mariel is in Japan. Thanks to the wonder of technology, nagagawa naming magkausap lagi nang sabay-sabay.”