I am not bothered.

I was born and grew up in Angeles City where there is a lot of Pinoy-black Americans though they were outnumbered by the half-whites. (Remember, the US Clark Air Base was there for decades). But the colored tisoy and tisay were as stunningly good-looking as the white ones. It really is about time that we crown a black mestiza as our Miss Universe representative. Rabiya Mateo is colored, too. Her biological father is from India.

The amazing, handsome and un-aging pop idol Gary Valenciano is a colored tisoy, too. His mother was a Puerto Rican who became a stage-actress here in the Philippines when Hispanic theater was alive in the country until the 70s. Gary’s dad, Vic Valenciano, however, met her in New York while he was studying there. Gary’s mom was Grimilda Santiago Valenciano who became Mrs. Ortiz after she divorced Gary’s dad and went back to the US. 

Chelsea Manalo, our new Miss Universe representative, is from Bulacan. She must be rare there, though it’s elating that there’s a black mestiza in that province. There could be more but they may have been shunning extensive public exposure because some of our countrymen bluntly refer to them as negro or baluga (derogatory slang for native Pinoys with dark skin).

Colored tisoys and tisays of this country, your cue to mingle and stand out has come. Join the crowd of contestants on TV and elsewhere and be discovered for stardom.

I hope Manalo wins Miss Universe 2024. Or makes it to the top 5.

Paulo Avelino and Kim Chiu were asked by a group of broadsheet entertainment journos recently if they were aware that their fans/supporters have been linking them romantically. Avelino’s reply was: “I get where they’re coming from. If there are people onscreen who I want to see us work in more projects together, I would ‘ship’ (from the word relationship) them as well, pero hinay-hinay lang (but let’s take it slow). Kim just came from a (failed) relationship—not that I’m meddling …”

“Just don’t …,” interjected Chiu.

However, Avelino admitted that he wasn’t comfortable with them being tagged as a love team. He intoned:  “Our producer once told us that the idea of love teams is not known in other countries. The term is used only here in the Philippines. I’d rather we use ‘tandem’ or ‘onscreen partner.’ I don’t like the stigma associated with being part of a love team.”

Chiu followed it up by pointing out that both of them are already of age and certain of which career path in showbiz to take. She elaborated: “We don’t mind working with other actors in projects that will help us grow or enable us to offer our audience a different taste. We accepted this project (the series What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?) because we like the story, not because we want to be identified as a love team.” 

Did Viva Films’ Elevator, which paired Avelino with Kylie Versoza, earned a lot at the tills? Did the film even get talked about? (Well, yes, briefly, and only because Chiu turned up at the premiere night to support Avelino, her screen partner in the TV series Linlang and What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? Avelino must have invited her to the Elevator preem.)

Avelino and Chiu might be ranting too soon about their being a love team.  They better stick together while they’re sizzling. Or turn cold from stardom before they know it. 

Starting 25 May, What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, from Viu and ABS-CBN Studios and produced by Dreamscape Entertainment, will air every Saturday at 7:15 p.m. on Kapamilya Channel and A2Z, and at 8 p.m. on TV5; and every Sunday at 7 p.m. on Kapamilya Channel and A2Z, and at 8:15 p.m. on TV5