Sen. Joseph Victor 'JV' Ejercito Advocates The Modernization Of Our Railways And Infrastructure For A Better Mass Transport System

SEN. JV (for Joseph Victor) EJERCITO is personally concerned about the sad plight of the local film industry where most home grown movies flop at the theaters nowadays. “Siempre, dyan nagsimula ang aming ama (current Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada), diyan siya nakilala, kaya handa akong suportahan ang ating local film industry,” he says.

“I’m always willing na suportahan kung anuman ang mga hakbang na gagawin ng legislators nating nasa showbiz din, like Senate Pres. Tito Sotto at ang maraming members of congress na galing sa pag-aartista, led by Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos. Kung kailangang babaan ang buwis sa film producers at ang bayad ng mga tao sa sinehan, dapat, gawin natin yan para mapabalik ang moviegoers sa panonood ng sine. Sana, mabuhay muli ang industriya ng pelikula rito sa atin kasi nakakalungkot naman kung mawala ito gayong part ito ng ating kultura all these years.”

Sen. JV is glad with the recent approval of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law that he supported. “The UHC is one of the reasons I fought for the restoration of almost P16 billion funds for the health facilities enhancement program in the 2019 budget. It makes medical consultation and many basic laboratory tests affordable and accessible. Dito sa atin, bawal magkasakit dahil mahal ang gastos. Under the UHC Law, mas abot-kaya na ang pagpapagamot dahil kahati na ang gobyerno sa mga gastusin. Makakatulong din ito sa movie workers na hindi miembro ng MOWELFUND kaya importanteng magkaroon tayo ng health card.”

Sen. JV is so busy campaigning in various parts of the country and he is happy that people give him warm acceptance wherever he goes. One of his advocacies is to push for a more extensive use of trains in our country as our primary means of mass transportation.

“We need to develop and modernize our infrastructure for the Philippine National Railways,” he adds. “This will foster growth and progress in the provinces. Right now, we are in a crisis situation when it comes to our transportation system at infrastructure development at diyan tayo napag-iwanan nang husto ng mga katabi nating Asian countries with their now modernized railways systems.

"E, tayo, our population is growing steadily. 106 million na tayong mga Pinoy, at ang mga sasakyan, padami nang padami, so lalong nagsisisiksikan lalo rito sa Metro-Manila. Only train systems all over the country can be the best solution for our transport problems and I promise to devote all my attention to the approval of legislation on this once I get re-elected in the senate.”

Sen. JV will be 50 years old on December 26. He is married to Ma. Hyacinth Lotuaco and has two sons, Jose Emilio and Julio Jose. He started his career in public administration as mayor of San Juan in 1991 when he was only 32 years old. He then became a congressman before being elected into the senate, so you can say he’s really a seasoned public servant. He is currently vice chairman of the House Committee on Local Government.

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Sen. Nancy Binay Comes Up With A Book, 'Make Love Not War' With Senyora Angelica Santibanez, Her Number One Basher

Sen. Nancy Binay and her book, MAKE LOVE NOT WAR

SEN. NANCY BINAY has come up with a book, “Make Love, Not War”, published by ABS-CBN Publishing, Inc. She has co-written it with her number one basher who’s known simply as Senyora. “Okay naman yung concept when they presented it to me,” she says. “So heto ngayon, libro na siya. Nagtulong kami ni Senyora Angelica Santibanez.”

Has she finally met Senyora? “No. We wrote our respective parts of the book separately, then ABS-CBN combined them at pinagsama sa isang libro. It was designed in a way na hindi kami kailangang magkita at all. I still have no idea at all kung sino siya.”

So, after this book, has Senyora stopped bashing her? “Hindi. Inookray pa rin niya ako. Pero okay lang.”

Doesn’t she feel hurt when she gets bashed? “No, kasi I know myself naman, so why should I be bothered at all? Ang laging pintas sa akin is my skin color. Maitim daw ako. May nago-offer, papuputiin ako. Ayoko nga, this is me. At kahit paputiin nila ako, iitim din uli ako agad kasi mahilig akong magpaaraw sa beach.”


Even on social media, they keep posting photos of her in unflattering shots while in the Senate. “Wala akong magagawa, prerogative nila yun. I am not conscious kasi na there are many cameras around me who might take candid shots of me in ugly poses. But okay lang, I’m just being myself.”

That shows she’s a good sport and is quite good natured. “Well, I’ve always believed na we cannot control what they say or write about me, but I can control how I will react to them. Yung iba, nade-depress agad kapag na-bash sa social media. Ako, I don’t let them affect me at all. I-stress ko lang ang sarili ko. It’s really how much you love yourself and I love myself enough para hindi ma-stress ang buhay ko.”

She’s writing a new book in time for her 46th birthday on May 12. “Dahil 46 na nga ako, it will have 46 tips on how to deal with bashers. My first rule is: ignore trolls and bots. Don’t even answer them back. Ni hindi mo nga kilala or alam kung sino yung sinasagot mo, e. So why bother at all? The title of my new book will be ‘Charcoal Confessions’ kasi tinatawag nila akong uling or charcoal.”

Will she give a copy of “Make Love Not War” to her warring siblings Jun and Abby who are up against each other as Makati Mayor? “Gusto ko talaga silang bigyan.” So who’ll she be supporting between the two? “Abangan nyo na lang kapag nag-start na ang campaign for local elections. Abangan nyo kung kanino ako sasama.”

Some memes attached a photo of her face to the body of Catriona Gray. How does she feel about it? “Entertaining. Tuwang-tuwa nga ako, e. Pinagkaabalahan pa nila.”

She’s running for re-election in May. In her six-year stay in the Senate, what’s her most memorable experiences so far? “Unang-una, there’s really truth to the saying that there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests. The senate is a collegial body, so kahit anong differences nyo, you still all have to work together. Tapos, for the general populace, I realized ang main concern pa rin nila is about health issues. Araw-araw, ang dami-daming lumalapit asking for help for their various ailments. Dapat kasi, more than medicines, what we need is preventive changes for a healthier lifestyle.”

Her book is written with humor and is very amusing. Do you know she’s the mom of identical twins and she likes doing the laundry simply because “nakaka-relax maghiwalay ng ma de-color sa puti”? She feels sad that there’s so much negativity online when “social media was created to connect us with one another, pero ngayon, paggising mo pa lang sa umaga, ang ibubungad agad sa iyo ay kanegahan na agad.”

And that, folks, is really a very valid and relevant observation. Let’s now be nicer to one another, okay?

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Jinggoy Estrada Celebrates Birthday With The Press, Happy That The Masa Still Loves Him

JINGGOY ESTRADA hosted an advance birthday lunch for the press and his daughter Janella and Edu Manzano joined him. Jinggoy is running the senate in May, while Janella is aiming to be the next San Juan Mayor and Edu Manzano is running as congressman of the lone district of San Juan. He and his good friend Bong Revilla continue to get bashed but he says it’s best to ignore them.

“It’s understandable that they try to pull us down kasi mataas pa rin kami sa surveys ng senatoriables,” he says. “Pero ako, di ko na lang pinapatulan kasi hahaba pa yan. And I want to give them respect, that’s their own opinion. But although I think okay lang na magrespetuhan, sana naman, huwag yung below the belt at pinepersonal na.”

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Bong Revilla Plans To Do A Movie For The Annual Metro Filmfest And Another One With His Three Sons

BONG REVILLA hosted lunch for the movie press in celebration of the Chinese New Year. He’s running for the senate in the next election but he says he will continue to make movies and TV shows. He wants to join the next Metro-Manila Filmfest and he also plans to do a movie along with his three sons he did “Tres” last year.

“Acting ang first love ko and showbiz is really my bread and butter, dahil ito ang bumuhay at bumubuhay sa pamilya ko, not politics,” he says. “Kaya yung mga nambu-bully sa’kin hanggang ngayon, puede kong ipaliwanag sa korte na lahat ng kinita ko, galing sa mga pelikula at TV shows na ginawa ko. Ang public service, pambayad utang sa mga tagahanga ko na all these years, e hindi ako pinababayaan. Hanggang ngayon, nasa top 10 ako sa surveys at sa pag-ikot ko sa bansa, kahit saan ako magpunta, napakainit ng pagtanggap nila sa’kin. Sumisigaw sila ng ‘Bong, tuloy ang laban!’ Naluluha na lang ako sa tuwa.”

He’s been invited to public senatorial debates by different TV stations, but he refuses to join them. “Ang taong bayan na lang ang hahayaan kong humusga sa akin sa darating na halalan.”

Did he feel bad when Robin Padilla didn’t visit him at all while he was in detention for four and a half years? “No. Maaaring he’s too busy. At hindi ko naman siya inoobligang dalawin ako. He’s a friend and we respect him. Wala kaming issue.”

But his manager, Lolit Solis, is more vocal. “Ako, may tampo ako kay Robin. Kasi noong siya ang nakakulong sa Muntinlupa, lagi siyang dinadalaw ni Bong kasama ang nasirang Rudy Fernandez. Kahit puyat sa trabaho yung dalawa, dinadalhan pa siya ng pasalubong. Pero si Bong, kasamahan niya sa industriya, hindi man lang niya nagawang dalawin kahit minsan.”

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Lani Mercado Is The Perfect Example Of The Patient & Sacrificial Wife

LANI MERCADO is the perfect role model as the patient and supportive wife. Even her own husband, Bong Revilla, acknowledges this.

“Habang nasa Camp Crame ako for four years and a half, siya ang tumayong ina at ama ng aming tahanan,” says Bong. “Ibang klase siya. Nakita ko kung gaano niya ako kamahal dahil hindi niya ako iniwan sa lahat ng laban ko. Masasabi ko talagang hindi ako nagkamali na siya ang piliing maging asawa ko.”

 Despite the trials their family has faced, Lani remains so lovely, fresh and young looking. “Hindi biro ang pinagdaanan namin, talagang very stressful, but all throughout, hindi nawala ang pananalig ko sa Diyos na malalampasan namin lahat ng pagsubok,” she says. “Nang makalaya siya, sobra-sobra ang saya ko at pasasalamat sa Diyos. Parang nabunot ang sibat na nakatarak sa dibdib ko. Napulitika lang ang asawa ko after magdeklara siyang balak niyang tumakbo sa presidency.

"But God gives certain events in our lives for certain reasons. Pinatitibay lang siguro talaga kami as a family, kasi mas naging united kami, more than ever. I really told our children, we should give our total surrender sa Panginoon kasi we have no one to turn but God.

"Napakahirap pero nagpapasalamat akong nagawa kong itaguyod ang family namin habang wala si Bong. Now, I realize, more than ever, that the Lord is using to make us instruments in helping people, in touching their lives, especially the poor and the needy.”

This coming election, Lani will be busy campaigning for reelection as mayor of Bacoor. Their son Jolo will also for reelection as Cavite Vice Governor and their brother Strike Revilla as Bacoor representative. How about Bong? “Sana hindi na muna siya tatakbo. But sa surveys, laging number 7 or number 8 siya, so ibig sabihin naroon pa rin ang tiwala sa kanya ng mga tao.”

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Mother Lily Monteverde Hosts Lunch For Bong Revilla To Meet The Entertainment Press

MOTHER LILY MONTEVERDE and Manay Ichu Maceda hosted lunch at Gloria Maris for the first encounter of Sen. Bong Revilla with the entertainment press since he gained his freedom last month. With him is his wife, Bacoor Mayor Lani Mercado. Bong was so touched as Mother Lily played the song “There’s No Place Like Home” on the piano as he entered the function room.

In her welcome speech for Bong, Mother Lily said: “From the bottom of my heart, I am welcoming home a dear friend who we have missed so much. We are all friends in welcoming him again in our arms, someone who was not with us for reasons beyond our control or explanation. Bong Revilla, you are our dear friend and we are happy that you are back. There is no greater treasure than appreciating the blessing of friendship that has been given to us.”

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