There’s magic in 10

Star Magic let loose a storm on Friday, 25 July. The talent development and management division of ABS-CBN signed into a contract a bunch of sons and daughters of some still active actors and other who are in hibernation for one reason or another.

Joaquin Arce, a stepson of the hibernating Angel Locsin, is in the bunch. For the young man’s sake, Locsin broke her three years of ignoring social media and posted about her full support for him. She awakened hope among fans that she might re-join showbiz when she blurted out in her Instagram Story: “Can’t wait to work with you!”

Joaquin’s father is businessman Neil Arce, Locsin’s husband for years now. It was soon after she married him that Locsin practically (effectively!) abandoned showbiz. 

Also in the bunch is Carmella Ford, a half-sister of Daniel Padilla, fresh from a triumphant stardom in ABS-CBN’s and Netflix Philippines’ action series Incognito and an award from the 2025 Seoul International Drama Awards. Her mother, of course, is Karla Estrada, same as Padilla’s. Her father is not known. Estrada has never revealed who Carmella’s dad is. “Ford” is actually Estrada’s maiden name. Estrada has an older daughter, Magui, legally surnamed Ford, though it is known that her father is ex-politician Mike Planas.

Carmella (take note, the name has two l’s) confided to the journos and vloggers at the contract signing that Padilla has been a very strict “kuya” to him, she being the youngest in the brood who have different absentee fathers. Padilla must have taken it upon himself to act like her father since she never knew one.

The new contractee Angelina Cruz is already well-known as the eldest among the three daughters of annulled actor couple Sunshine Cruz and Cesar Montano. Since Cruz has always had custody of their daughters, she decided for them to go by the surname Cruz when she started posting their photos. Their father seems to have never objected. 

Under Philippine laws, children of annulled couples do not lose their legitimacy, so those three daughters can go on using their mother’s family name.

 Hopping on the bandwagon for stardom is Michelle Garcia, eldest child of practically retired actor Patrick Garcia and his non-showbiz wife, Nikka Martinez.

Occasional and underrated actor James Blanco’s son goes by the screen name Iñigo Jose. Star Magic most likely believes that Christof Sommereux will work magic for the son of actor Gladys Reyes and actor-turned-chef Christopher Roxas. The strange-sounding and strangely spelled Sommereux is actually Roxas’ legal surname.

Please welcome the Mitra sisters Tasha, Ezri, and Julia! All nieces of Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez. All daughters of Regine’s sister Cacai, who managed Regine’s career after the death of their father, the well-loved Mang Jerry.

Cacai is married to composer-music arranger and recording studio owner Raul Mitra, who for some years went by the business/professional name Raul Rojas. But, yes, Raul belongs to the prominent Mitra clan of Palawan.

Almost surely, Star Magic’s new “assets” have very interesting stories about the parents who raised them--or abandoned them.

Locsin seems to be friendly with the mother of her stepson, but both seem to have been advised not to mention the mother’s name. Showbiz doesn’t seem to be kind to mothers of love children. There are male producers who have children who have executives of their prestigious companies--but their respective mother’s names. Isn’t that very very sad?