A hands-on mom she never was, Maricel Soriano is now making up for lost time with her sons Marion and Tien. The 59-year-old actress admits she regrets not spending quality time during her kids’ growing-up years.
Maricel — who began her career at the age of 6 — points to the demands of her showbiz work as the culprit.
“All this time, I was focused on my family, which included my mother, whom I fondly addressed as ‘Linda Carter,’ as well as my siblings. My world revolved around them,” she said. “So, as my way of making up, I promised my sons they are now my top priority.”
Consider Maricel lucky to have raised such wonderful children, even if she was hardly around to guide them. Even luckier is the fact that both Marion and Tien harbor no ill feelings toward her.
The actress recounts an instance when all three of them went on a date. Maricel saw it as an opportunity to personally apologize to her sons.
“In one of our quiet moments, I told them, ‘I hope that you’ll find in your heart to forgive me for all my shortcomings.’ They said, ‘No, Mama! We perfectly understand you. We love you!'”
Hardly did Maricel cite whether that particular scene could pass for a heart-tugging family drama typical of many of her films.
People within showbiz circles are privy to the fact that Marion and Tien have different fathers, which contributes to their diverse characteristics, not necessarily inherited from their paternal genes.
“Marion is the type who’s firm with his decisions. No amount of prodding can sway him into doing something he doesn’t like. On the other hand, Tien is the clingy type. He’s always the one who reminds me to take care of my health. Tien always tells me, ‘Mama, I’m here for you!’ They’re such a joy!”
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The 49th Metro Manila Film Festival last year was a tremendous success, leaving most film producers and actors eager and enthusiastic to participate in its golden anniversary slated for this December. In fact, Senator Bong Revilla won’t miss it for the world with his hopeful entry that reprises his iconic character, Alyas Pogi.
Just as the actor-solon’s creative energies were channeled into bringing his role back to the big screen, a massive tear in his Achilles tendon (which would take six months to heal) has delayed the film shoot.
Originally, the plan was to produce a festival movie alongside long-time friend Phillip Salvador, fellow lawmaker Robin Padilla, and ABS-CBN Primetime King Coco Martin, under the direction of multi-awarded filmmaker Brillante Mendoza. Bong attributes the filming delay to a lack of sufficient time, financial resources, and their respective work schedules, leading to a switch to “Birador: Alyas Pogi 4,” which is a more feasible yet equally viable project.
It will be remembered that not a single hardcore action film was among the 10 official MMFF entries the previous year. At a showbiz event in May, however, Bong’s wife, Bacoor Representative Lani Mercado, confirmed that the fourth installment has been completely scrapped. “Sayang,” Lani sighed as she shook her head in frustration, blaming her husband’s injury for nipping a potential top-grosser in the bud.Too bad.
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