IZA CALZADO is ecstatic about being Bong Revilla?s leading lady in ?Ang Panday,? an entry to the 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) which opens December 25. Wasn?t she wary of being linked to Bong who?s known to be a ladies? man?

?For some reason I never got scared of that thought,? she says. ?Maybe because I always felt that we would never have anything more than a professional relationship.?

Any funny anecdotes during their shooting? ?Bong was eating vegetarian chicaharon and later on he felt guilty and put the blame on me even if I didn?t get a piece,? she recalls, laughing. ?So he ended up eating the nuts I brought with me.?

How did her encounter with Lani Mercado go after her kissing scene with Bong? ?She kept laughing because I felt so awkward about being around her, knowing that I kissed her husband the night before. She told me, ?Wala yun! Ano ka ba?? Saludo ako sa kaniya.?

The love battles that Lani and Bong have survived beat all the obstacles that ?Panday? endures onscreen. Ideal wife (Lani) wiped out the rest.

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Cristine Reyes is all praise for Vic Sotto, her leading man in ?Ang Darling Kong Aswang,? also an MMFF entry.

?Super maalaga si Bossing,? she beams. ?Starstruck ako when we first had a long talk sa shooting namin in Araneta. Marami siyang advice pero secret na lang (laughs). Ang importante sinusunod ko lahat ng payo niya.?

For seven straight years, Vic?s MMFF entries were the top-grossers, which makes him the undisputed MMFF Box-Office King. With FHM?s Sexiest Woman as his leading lady, looks like Bossing?s winning streak will continue.

While keeping the male population hot, Cristine?s Christmas is cold. ?Ginaw na ginaw na nga ako,? she quips. For sure, legions of men will volunteer to give her a MWAH-rry KISSmas.

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A Born-Again Christian friend told me that she spotted Piolo Pascual and KC Concepcion attending Sunday worship service at the Music Museum. They were wearing matching white T-shirts. Same faith, same outfit. Same feelings?

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I bumped into China Cojuangco and her BF chef Gino Gonzalez in Greenhills Theater Mall. It was such a delight to see her because I always enjoy our texting about girlish joys.

I teased her: So will there be wedding bells soon? China turned to her ?Bun.? ?When daw? Look at him! Umiiwas sumagot (laughs).?

By the looks of it, the fab cooking couple have all the right ingredients and perfect recipe for marriage.

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Mr. Fu, Maui Taylor and I have a running joke when we tape nine episodes of our daily TV show, ?Stop, Talk & Listen? (daily on Cignal TV?s Viva Cinema Channel) all in one long day. We tell each other in jest to don our Darna costumes because it seems having superpowers is in our job description so we must have high energy till the wee hours.

That?s why watching GMA 7?s ?Darna? somehow serves as my adrenaline shot. The Pinay superhero portrayed by Marian Rivera now faces new foes ? Serpina (Katrina Halili), Babaeng Manananggal (Rochelle Pangilinan), Vladimir (Akihiro Sato), Babaeng Demonyita (Jackie Rice) and Electra (Regine Velasquez).

But in Dingdong Dantes? heart, it seems like Marian?s got no formidable opponents at all.

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?Starstruck V?s? Final 14 have been chosen: Steven Silva, Sef Cadayona, Piero Vergara, Ian Batherson, Enzo Pineda, Rye Burgos, Rocco Nacino, Diva Montelaba, Fianca Cruz, Sarah Lahbati, Princess Snell, Rox Montealegre, Nina Kodaka and Zeryl Lim.

They are off and running to put every ounce of their energy and talent to survive 13 weeks of gruelling workshops and challenges. Catch the excitement every Saturday after ?Pinoy Records? and Sundays after ?Kap?s Amazing Stories.?

Starlight, Star bright! Who among them will get their wish on proclamation night?

E-mail mailto:wateringholeshangrila@yahoo.com