Halu-Halong Hula this 2008

Is Dr. Hayden Kho Jr. marrying Dra. Vicky Belo this 2008?

Just like in the previous years, Ricky Lo of The Philippine Star has come up with a list of "samut saring hula" this 2008.


Take time to read Mr. Lo's predictions:

The Blind Items

• A heavyweight newscaster/TV-host will resign from a big network and make an earth-shaking exposé.

• Toward the middle of the year, a young actress will regret having made what people around her called “a good career move.”

• Three showbiz couples will break up, one due to the wife’s infidelity and the two due to, ehem, “third parties.”

• A showbiz-oriented talk show will fold up.

• There will be a big shake-up in the news and public affairs department of a network — as more heads will roll.

• A popular movie-TV actress will make shocking revelations about her actor-boyfriend who is not as santo-santito as he seems to be.

• Another showbiz couple will migrate. (After you, Dingdong Avanzado and Jessa Zaragoza who are now settled in California; and Rodel Velayo and Daniella, now in Australia.)

• A young actress will get pregnant out of wedlock but she won’t marry the “culprit” (her actor-boyfriend) yet.

• More scandals (not as horrible as those that happened in 2007) will rock the game shows. As usual, the senators and the congressmen will try to get media mileage by, ho-hum, threatening to initiate a “probe.”

• A young actress will surprise everybody by announcing that she’s getting married to her non-showbiz boyfriend.

• An actor-politician will continue to be hounded by intrigue but he and his wife and children will, as usual, survive it.

• A showbiz stage mother and her actress-daughter will wage an ugly word war against each other on — where else! — national television.

• A sweet, young singer-actress might rebel against her over-strict parents.

• Unless he changes his wanton ways (with money and, because he has the illusion that he’s guapito, with women), a sports star will find himself enmeshed in more controversies which might be too much for him to handle, thus putting his family life at risk.

• A talent manager and her alaga will part ways under unpleasant circumstances.

• A young actor will be arrested for cracking a bomb joke at an airport.

The Wide-Awake Items

• Having reached the point of no return and no looking back, Ruffa Gutierrez and Yilmaz Bektas will find new loves, she a distinguished non-showbiz gentleman (also a survivor of an unhappy marriage) and he, an international beauty title-holder.

• Sorry, but no wedding bells for: Korina Sanchez and Sen. Mar Roxas, Jolina Magdangal and Bebong Muñoz, Vic Sotto and Pia Guanio, Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo, Troy Montero and Aubrey Miles, Iza Calzado and Jerry Garcia, Pops Fernandez and Jomari Yllana, Martin Nievera and Katrina Ojeda, John Estrada and Priscilla Mereilles, and Dr. Vicki Belo and Dr. Hayden Kho.

• But Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez are seriously planning to march down the aisle (with the legal impediments expected to be ironed out this year).

• Marian Rivera’s star will shine even brighter and bigger. It’s good karma for her because, as she has been saying, “I never forget to thank the people who helped me get to where I am now, starting with Mr. Tony Tuviera who discovered me.”

• Janno Gibbs and Bing Loyzaga will finally let bygones be bygones and start life anew — together! But first, Bing will make Janno promise, hand on the Bible, to stop being a womanizer.

• Gladys Guevarra will have a painful collision with “reality.”

• Old habits will continue to dog Snooky Serna but if she tries hard enough, she will finally shake off her pagong (turtle) tag.

• Aiko Melendez will admit that she’s going steady with Patrick Meneses (the bachelor vice mayor of Bulacan, Bulacan), never mind if the annulment case between her and husband Martin Jickain is pending.

• Daisy Romualdez and prodigal daughter Danita Paner will have a tearful reconciliation in the glare of TV spotlight. All’s well that ends well.

• Toni Gonzaga will start hinting at joining politics (initially by running for mayor of Taytay, Rizal, in 2010?). She and boyfriend, TV director Paul Soriano, (son of Jeric Soriano, the son of Nestor de Villa), might end up being just “good friends.”

• The popularity of game shows will wane; Koreanovelas will not be as popular; and reality-TV like Pinoy Big Brother will have less and less followers because they have nothing new to offer.

• The network war between GMA and ABS-CBN will get worse before it gets better, as talents merrily jump ober da bakod between the two stations.

• Something “big” is in store for ABS-CBN bigwig Charo Santos-Concio.

• Indie/digital films will continue to win awards both here and in international film festivals. Meanwhile, as in 2007, award-giving bodies might not hold the usual grand palabas due to, hu-hu-hu, lack of funds.

• Despite rumors to the contrary, the Dingdong Dantes-Karylle romance will even grow stronger. But marriage is farthest from their minds. But, sorry na lang Jennylyn Mercado and Patrick Garcia will have no choice but to part ways.

• After all the bangayan and singhalan, Dennis Trillo and Carlene Aguilar will kiss and make up for the sake of Calix Andrea, their love son (not daughter as mentioned in last Sunday’s yearender).

But let's take a look back at Ricky Lo's predictions last year and check if they indeed happened.

First, the "blind items":

1. A singer-actor will finally make an earth-shaking confession and put to rest the nasty rumor hounding him these past years. All ears, please!

2. A couple will break up – amicably (read: no charges and counter-charges), let’s hope!

3. A separated couple will bury the hatchet and kiss and make up.

4. A young actress will give birth out of wedlock.

5. A couple will finally migrate to the US with their children.

6. Two shows each in GMA and ABS-CBN will fold up middle of the year – or even earlier.

7. A popular TV host will switch channels – I mean, will jump ober da bakod to a rival station.

8. An actor-politician will get involved in a politically-motivated controversy.

9. Another actor-politician will drastically change his political plans for fear of being mercilessly clobbered by his opponent in this May’s elections.

10. The in-fighting (caused by intrigues and "pride") at a network’s News and Public Affairs department will rage on, to the detriment of the company. A bigwig is after the head of a subordinate. * * *

And now, the "wide-awake" items:

1. Kris Aquino and husband James Yap’s first-born will be a girl.

2. Claudine Barretto and Raymart Santiago’s first-born will be a boy.

3. Vic Sotto and Pia Guanio will not marry this year (not because Vic’s daughter Danica is getting married and "sukob sa taon" is supposed to bring bad luck) or in the near future. They will just continue to enjoy their blissful togetherness. Why rock the boat?

4. Oyo Sotto and Angel Locsin will iron out whatever differences they have and get back together again. Their romance is founded on deep friendship, that’s why, and it’s a strong foundation.

5. More controversies will rock this year’s Metro Filmfest. Otherwise, a "quiet" Metro Filmfest will not be a "usual" Metro Filmfest at all.

6. Film/CD pirates will be around for many, many more years to come. Yes, sadly it’s a question of economics. If you can buy a pirated tape for P80 per and have the whole family (nay, the whole barangay!) watch it, why pay more than P100 to watch a movie at the theater by your lonesome?

7. Only 30 percent (a friendly estimate) of actors/actresses running in this May’s elections will win. Like movie fans, voters are now (hopefully!) more intelligent and more discerning.

8. GMA’s Eat, Bulaga! should watch out. Rival ABS-CBN’s Wowowee might pull the rug from under its feet.

9. Yes, definitely, the Sexbomb will be back on Eat, Bulaga! soon. What will happen to the show’s EB Babes? No, they won’t be relegated as Sexbomb’s back-up dancers.

10. Dolphy and Zsa Zsa Padilla will – finally, finally! – get married, presumably abroad, away from the maddening crowd. (If, and that’s the Big If, the legal block will be cleared.)