Fyang Smith earns praise from Dina Bonnevie, Michael de Mesa

She may still be a relative neophyte in show business, but Fyang Smith has already earned the respect of veterans Dina Bonnevie and Michael de Mesa.

After the screening of Love Is Never Gone at a Gateway cinema, a mediacon immediately followed, where Bonnevie and De Mesa praised Smith’s acting.

“Fyang is like my baby girl,” Bonnevie declared. She plays the mother of Smith’s character in the series.

“Fyang has a lot to offer. She shows a lot of promise to her audience. She is a multi-faceted performer. Kahit magulo ’yan (even if she’s messy) before the scene, pero ‘pag alam niyang iiyak siya, tinitingnan ko kung makaka-deliver ba ’to (but if she knows she will cry, I watch to see if she can deliver). But I was amazed that she was able to do so. So in my mind, magaling ’tong bulilit na ’to (this little one is really good),” Bonnevie added.

De Mesa was just as generous in praising Smith’s acting ability.

“Best actress si Fyang. Magaling siya, magaling siya (Fyang is a best actress. She’s good, she’s good). She knows her job, she knows her character — basta magaling siya in general. She has the potential to be a really, really great actor,” he said.

Ronnie Liang earns plaudits anew

Singer, pilot and Army reservist Ronnie Liang has earned another award for his valuable contribution to society, as the Nation Builders and Mosliv Awards 2026 recently honored him with the “Nation Builder of Purpose-Driven Excellence across Arts, Aviation and Service.”

The awarding ceremony, held on 22 April at Okada Manila, recognized notable individuals from various government agencies and LGUs nationwide in accordance with their respective fields of expertise.

“For me, the recognition reflects three pillars of my journey, namely: Arts — through music and entertainment, inspiring hope and joy; Aviation — as a licensed pilot, embodying discipline and excellence; and finally Service — as a military reservist and founder of the Ronnie Liang Project Ngiti Foundation, restoring smiles and lives through free cleft lip and palate surgeries,” he said.

Liang believes the award is not only a personal milestone but also a tribute to the countless patients, partners and communities who continue to inspire their mission of service and nation-building.

Project Ngiti began in January 2021. During his birthday celebration on the Sing Galing show on TV5, he helped a young man undergo surgery for his cleft lip and palate.

“That moment inspired us to establish a foundation, named after my hit song ‘Ngiti’ — a symbol of hope and restored smiles,” he said.

Since then, the Ronnie Liang Project Ngiti Foundation has partnered with Smile Train Philippines and hospitals nationwide — from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

“Together, we have provided free cleft lip and palate surgeries to children and adults, including patients as old as 56. To date, more than 500 patients have benefited from this mission — and the number continues to grow,” he explained.

“Our goal is simple yet profound: to restore smiles, rebuild confidence and give hope to Filipino families across the country,” he added, encouraging those who want to avail themselves of free surgery to message their official Facebook page: Ronnie Liang Project Ngiti Foundation.

Liang was also awarded the Asian Pillar of Excellence in OPM and Aviation by the Asian Pillars Awards 2025. That same year, he was honored as Asia’s Distinguished Leader for Humanitarian Response and Community Service at the 2025 Modern Hero Awards.