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cover story 2 The Asian Jour nal S F M A G A Z I N E - O c t o b e r 1 , 2 0 1 0 Piolo Pascual: Surrendering his life to God by Cynthia De Castro AJPress T here are those who would go the extra mile for a selfless act or purpose. On September 11, heartthrob and multi-awarded actor-singer Piolo Pascual went an extra 7,000 miles to help Charisma Life Church spread the Gospel and raise funds for an outreach center in Pomona. Cherry Ordonez (owner of  Cherry’s Salon in West Covina) and Queenie Paris, who are both good friends of Piolo and his family, produced the concert. Their company, ACTS Production, has been the official event organizer of ABS-CBN in California. Major sponsors of the concert were Carol Yam of Unistar and Total Resources International (TRI). In an exclusive interview AJPress photos by Bert Jaurigue with Asian Journal right before the concert, Piolo shared that it was his first Christian concert. “I am passionate about God. I have surrendered my life to Him and I go wherever He takes me, do whatever He wants.“I have shared my personal testimony before in a church in the Philippines. But this is the first time I will be doing a concert in a church, with almost half of the songs, Christian songs,” Piolo said. Like in all his concerts, women shrieked and screamed and shouted, “I love you Piolo!” Several times, Piolo wanted to go around the auditorium but was prevented from doing so by throngs of ladies who all wanted to hug, kiss and take pictures with him. “Ladies, we are in a church. Please behave!” he said jokingly several times during the show. Indeed, Piolo has an irresistible, indescribable charm— a fact which may be the secret to his continuing success. Yet, the devout born-again believer remains humble in giving due glory to his Maker and to the Lord Jesus Christ. Starting the concert with the Christian song, Indescribable, Piolo shared his testimony which inspired the audience even more. “I was at the top of my career when I surrendered my life to God. So many things were happening to me at that time. I had just finished Dekada 70 where we won 10 awards. At the young age of 25, I was winning awards and earning Vice Ganda: The price of success “He’s been so good to me,” he says. “Honestly, I don’t feel I deserve all these blessings. But I savor each one of them and I treat it as a gift. Now I want to be a living example of God’s goodness.” During the concert, the audience kept asking Piolo about KC, his rumored girlfriend. Piolo laughed as questions like “Asan si KC?,” and Kailan ang kasal?,” kept popping up. “Busy si KC eh. But, we’re good. Our friendship is growing. I like being around her. She’s one person I like sharing my life with.” To questions about marriage, Piolo just said, “Hopefully, before I get to be 40, I will have a family.” Speaking about his son, Iñigo, during the interview, Piolo admitted, “I am protective of my son, Iñigo. I don’t want him to enter showbiz. But, he is musically-inclined. I bring him to my sets during taping so he will see my life—like I have to be in the set at 6 am and work till past midnight. Then I asked him, do you want this kind of life? Yes, daw. But we have a deal—I told him to graduate first, get a college degree. If he wants to be an actor after he graduates, I can’t stop him.” Asked by Asian Journal how he handles his finances, Piolo shared. “When I earn money, I put it straight to the bank. I want to be liquid and I save for rainy days. I also have insurance policies for the future. I invest in real estate—in the Philippines and in the US.” Because he is so busy with showbiz, Piolo said he really doesn’t have time for another full-time business. “If you have a business, you have to be hands on. Because of my career, I can’t be busy doing another business. But I have started producing. My first venture was an independent film entitled Manila, which enabled me to attend Cannes Festival. I have also produced a second film, Kimidora,” revealed the actor/singer. “I got into producing to expand my knowledge in my craft. I am exploring the producing side. I want to find the right concept. I want films that give a lesson,” he stressed. Piolo shared that two major Bible verses influence him in his life: Matthew 6:3 - “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well,” and Proverbs 3:5-7 - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” “Life is not complete without any challenges,” Piolo acknowledged. “With God’s help, I know I can meet all the challenges. The soundtrack of my life is the song, I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin.” The former Hunks idol has been called by God to meet a challenge, and by His grace, Piolo has risen excellently to show the grace and goodness of God. F By Maridol Rañoa-Bismark Philstar.com D etractors say success has gone to his head. Vice Ganda admits that yes, he has always been proud of himself. In fact, the star of Petrang Kabayo crows that he has mellowed. “Mayabang na ako noon pa. Mas mabait na nga ako ngayon. I’m more cautious with how I act and talk these days.” He knows fame has a price. And one of them is living in a fishbowl. “My world has become smaller,” he states. “I was free to do what I wanted to do before. Today, one small mistake is magnified. Many people are looking at you.” So he has learned to be careful. The come-backing host of Showtime has left his crying days behind him. Vice Ganda is now in danger of overexposure. He has Showtime every day. He endorses Globe. Viva Films will release his launching movie, Petrang Kabayo, starting Oct. 13. He has mall shows for Petrang Kabayo on Oct. 3, at Glorietta 5 Atrium. The movie’s premiere night is set on Oct. 10 at SM Megamall Cinema 10. Vice Ganda has no time to rest after this. He leaves for the US for a concert series on Oct 15 to 17. Viva’s recording arm just signed him up for an album. “Yes, I’m afraid of overexposure,” Vice Ganda admits. The pressure of living up to expectations is overwhelming. “It’s the same kind of pressure I felt when I had a concert in Araneta Coliseum,” he relates.  His director Wenn Deramas and manager Ogie Diaz’s faith in him erases all of Vice’s selfdoubts. If they think he’s ready to step into the shoes Roderick Paulate first wore as Petrang Kabayo in the ‘80s, then he can. “When I was confirmed for the role,” recalls Vice Ganda, “ I asked myself if I’m making the right decision.   Mas mauna ang takot. Up to now, the reality of (having a launching movie) has not sunk in.” As far as direk Wenn is concerned, Vice has nothing to fear. After all, the director of Ang Tanging Ina himself came up with the idea of casting Vice as Petrang Kabayo. “I saw him in Showtime. Panay ang bira niya at sobra siyang nakakatawa,” says the director. “Tinatawag siyang kabayo. I texted Boss Vic (del Rosario of Viva Films) and asked him to turn on his TV set and watch Showtime. He agreed that Vice would be great as Petrang Kabayo.” millions already. I was working then with Donita Rose and she gave me a Bible. Donita told me to read the Bible and it will change my life.” “I thought how can a book change my life? I was then, so full of myself. I can act. I can sing. I’m talented. I thought I didn’t need anything. But, I’d go home and look at my trophies and feel there is a big void in my life. I appreciated the recognition from my peers in the industry but there was still something lacking; something missing in my life. I cried out to God-I don’t know what to do.” “He then made me realize that I was living a very worldly life, apart from Him. Yet, God blessed me so much. It was then that I realized my need for God—not when I was at the bottom needing help—but when I was on top and had everything but God. I surrendered my life to God. And my life has never been the same. God has become my reason for living. I live to share my faith. There is an overflowing grace of God in me. I told our pastor I wanted to just be a pastor but he challenged me to remain in the entertainment industry. He said that God put me in the field of entertainment and I can reach more people where I am. My purpose is to be someone in showbiz who can spread the Truth of God’s Word. God has placed me here and I will shine for him,” said Piolo who now holds a bible study in his home every Sunday. Vice Ganda  Philstar.com photo So direk Wenn wasted no time calling Pablo S. Gomez, who holds the rights to the story. Gomez also felt happy about the new movie. Vice Ganda’s version is a complete departure from the original Petrang Kabayo. Direk Wenn asked Mel Mendoza-del Rosario, who wrote the screenplay, to come up with a totally different plot. “ Let’s give Vice a chance to show his talent, his own style,” direk Wenn urges. If that means seeing Vice covering his naked body with a big snake, or carrying the weight of three people astride a calesa, so be it. Vice will do everything—and anything—for this one big shot at stardom. “Let it not be said that I faded out of the scene because I was lazy at work. Kaya kong paghirapan ang trabaho ko kaya alam ko ring alagaan ito.” Vice has no illusions that he will stay in the business forever. That’s why he’s making hay while the sun shines. His US-based mother’s four-door apartment near Visayas Avenue in Quezon City will soon become one big house her dutiful son built just for her. “She’s getting older and I want her to stay here for good,” Vice explains. “I don’t want her to work anymore.” Say what you want to say about him. At the end of the day, Vice will only smile and tell himself it’s all worth it. Especially if he has made the love of his life—his mom—happy along the way.   or the whole month of October, Isla Kulinarya will bring you to a scenic region that is blessed with open highways and cobblestoned roads, old fashioned towns, and grand Spanish style architecture-the Ilocos Region. Region 1 or Ilocos Region, which is wedged between the wild china sea and rugged Cordillera mountain range demonstrates a visually stimulating scene that boasts its splendor and magnificence. It consists of several provinces including: Abra, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Mountain Province, and Pangasinan. In addition, Ilocos is home to hardworking people who have cultivated the land to provide themselves with nourishment for thousands of years. The natives of Ilocos Region are called Ilokanos. They say they’ll know you’re Ilokano if : t
you’re a spendthrift or a frugal person t
you address your fellows as lakay. t
you say “aysos” over 10 times a day t
your family gathering includes an inevitable game of Pepito/Pusoy t
your favorite expression is mangan tayon (let’s eat!) and t
your favorite dish is pinakbet. Pinakbet or pakbet is a popular Ilocano dish, from the northern regions of the Philippines, although it has become popular throughout the archipelago. The word is the contracted form of the Ilocano word pinakebbet, meaning “shrunk” or “shriveled”. The original Ilocano pinakbet uses bagoong, of fermented monamon or other fish, while further south, bagoong alamang is used. The basic vegetables used in this dish include native bitter melon, eggplant, tomato, ginger, okra, string beans, lima beans, chili peppers, parda and winged beans. A Tagalog version usually includes squash or kalabasa. Most of these vegetables are easily accessible, and are grown in backyards and gardens of most Ilocano households. As its name suggests, pinakbet is usually cooked until almost dry and shriveled and the flavors of the vegetables are emphasized and accentuated by bagoong (shrimp paste). In some cases, lechon, chicharon, or other meats (most commonly pork), or shrimp are added. Because pinakbet is a vegetable dish, it is considered a healthy dish. Here for the enjoyment of Filipino Americans is a great recipe for this beloved Ilokano dish- brought to you by Island Pacific’s Isla Kulinarya. Catch us again next week as we feature another Ilocano recipe, you’ll surely love. Don’t miss it! Mangan tayon! Isla Kulinarya lets you explore the islands, taste the food, relive the memories -- all made possible by Island Pacific Supermarket. Go and visit an Island Pacifc near you with branches in Southern California located at Cerritos, Canoga Park, North and South Vermont in Los Angeles, Panorama City and West Covina; Union City and Vallejo in Northern California.Check out our website at www.islandpacificmarket.com. Stay connected with us-- like us on Facebook (island pacific market), follow us on Twitter (islandpacificUS) and Blogger (island pacific market). For your comments, suggestions and request for recipes that you want us to feature, please email [email protected]. Presyong Sulit... sa Island Pacific.” ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT Pinakbet (Filipino Pork/Shrimp Vegetable Stew) Prep Time: 1 hour 49 minutes Cook time: 1 hour 35 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: s 2 tbsp Olive Oil, Extra Virgin s 1 lb Pork, trimmed of fat, diced 1” s 2 cloves Garlic, crushed and chopped s 1 inch Ginger, chopped s 1 pc Onion, julienne (sliced thin) s 2 pcs Tomatoes, chopped s 2 tbsp Shrimp, Salted Paste (Bagoong) s 1 lb Shrimp, 16/20, peeled & deveined, butterflied, save shell to be pounded or liquefied s 2 cups Water s ½ each Kabocha Squash (Calabasa), diced 1 ½ ”, unpeeled s 2 pcs Eggplant, cut 1 ½ ” s 2 cups String beans (Sitao), cut 2”, strung s 8 pcs Okra, stem removed s 2 tbsp Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin s 2 pcs Melon, bitter (Ampalaya), seeded, sliced 1/8” thick, pre-cooked in a microwave oven for 5 minutes. 1. In a mortar and pestle, pound shrimp shell, then add water, Strain. (Blender may be used with the same result). Set aside. 2. In a wok, brown pork. Set aside. 3. Add garlic and ginger. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add onion and sauté another 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and continue sautéing for another 3 minutes. 4. Return pork and add shrimp paste. Cook for 2 minutes and pour the shrimp-peel liquid. Keep stirring to prevent lumping. Simmer for 2 minutes. 5. Add squash, egg plant, string beans and okra. Cook for 15 minutes. 6. Add shrimp. Mix. Cook for 2 minutes. 7. Add coconut oil. Stir. 8. Add bitter melon, do not stir or mix. Cover and simmer in a low heat for 15 minutes. To Serve: Warm platter. Place sauce on a platter. Lay meats and glaze over with a small portion of sauce on one side of the meats. Serve with hot steamed rice. Houcsraetes of So recipe created by asian fusion cuisine SOCRATES ZALDIVAR INONOG, AAC, CCE Dean and Director Emeritus, Culinary Arts College and Development International Students Departments, Johnson & Wales University Providence, R.I. The First Certified Culinary Educator by the American Culinary Federation (ACF)