There are always a thousand and one ways to celebrate life. Life can truly be exciting if we just know which side to look at.

The past few weekends have given us more than a glimpse of wonderful reasons to celebrate. It also brought us to people and places that have reaffirmed our belief that, despite the storms that have passed, we can always find a reason to smile.

Unmasking the smiles of Masskara

As I embarked on my first MassKara Festival after eight-long years, I found myself in the company of GMA resident stars Rhian Ramos, TJ Trinidad and the controversial Katrina Halili in Bacolod. These Kapuso artists took time off from their busy schedules to give joy to the people of Negros during the MassKara weekend.

It has been a tradition of GMA to make the major Philippine festivals a star-studded affair; thus, the network sends its celebrities to all these festivities. While waiting for the special mall show of GMA to start, I learned that Rhian and TJ have already spearheaded an outreach program in a remote town called Sum-Ag in the outskirts of Bacolod City, where the GMA Kapuso Foundation distributed basic goods and food products to poor families.

Although visibly tired, TJ’s eyes lit up when he shared his experience. “To be able to be an instrument in bringing joy to people is already a big thing for me, but to have seen the happiness in children when we handed them their schoolbags and school supplies was something truly priceless.”

Rhian was quick to add, “When the kids tried to touch our hands, the gesture was more than just them wanting to get close to an artista, but it was more like a gesture of appreciation, like saying thanks without spoken words. TJ and I were so touched.”

Both Rhian and TJ are playing important roles in the Philippine TV adaptation of the hit Korean drama Stairway to Heaven. The two were joined by Katrina at the SM Mall in Bacolod, where each rendered songs and participated in games with the starstruck crowd.

Katrina told us that she was surprised by the overwhelming shrieks and support she got from the Ilonggos. “After what I have been through these past months, where I found myself constantly evaluating my life and even questioning my decisions, and then seeing all the fans showing their support, I can’t help but feel secure again. It’s like therapy.”

She added, “I have always thought that I’d be judged wherever I go, because, admittedly, not everyone sympathizes with me.  But these people, who do not even know me, threw their support and clapped wildly after each song number, and they simply reinforced my belief that everyone deserves a second chance. Masaya ako. Masayang-masaya ako na nagpunta ako dito sa Bacolod para sa MassKara Festival.”

GMA continues to give its full support to Katrina, who has warmed up to her Fedra role in the Filipino television adaptation of the Mexican soap opera Rosalinda, which will soon come a heart-stopping conclusion. Katrina is flying to the United States in a few days for a much-deserved rest, and she is wrapping up her remaining scenes for the daily drama program.

Jaya’s Joys

Jaya Ramsey tells us that motherhood has tamed her.  Giving birth a few months ago to her second child Dylan, Jaya says that she is now so focused with the way she runs her life. “Now that I have two kids, I feel like I already have a sense of purpose. While everything was just plain fun for me before, motherhood has enabled me to look at the world in a different, more sensible perspective.”

And even while Jaya just lost a show (All Star K: The P1 Million Videoke Challenge), she did not panic, knowing that the universe has other tasks for her to do. She recounts, “When they told me that GMA will be axing the show, I just took it calmly. All Star K gave me many happy times and the show also gave the chance to many viewers to win wonderful prizes, so it served its purpose. I just prayed hard and, after a few weeks, my manager Maristel [Fernandez] broke the good news that Allan K and I will be given a new show called Bandaoke.”

Another reason to celebrate is the launch of her new cover CD, titled Real Love Stories. Jaya shares with us that she recorded the songs on her sixth and seventh month of pregnancy. “I was already into my last trimester when we finished the album,” she says, adding, “I have to admit that I did not tell my OB-gyn that I was recording, since hindi talaga ako papayagan.  So I just took extra precautions and rested very well before each session so as not to cause any stress to the baby.”

Elizabeth Ramsey’s unica hija says that the songs included on the CD were personally handpicked by her after short-listing more than a hundred titles. “We all know that Filipinos are such suckers for love songs and we have so many classic songs about love that can be given new arrangements. Minsan nga, mas masakit ’yung message ng song, mas type ng Pinoy, ‘di ba?”

Just read through her song list: “I Won’t Last a Day Without You,” “Hiding Inside Myself,” “I Will Survive,” “Finding Out the Hard Way” and “Save the Best for Last,” among others.

Agot’s Promises

Agot Isidro has her feet firmly planted on real ground. Years after marrying advertising executive-turned-businessman Manu Sandejas, Agot continues to engage in things that make her and her husband truly happy.

“Both Manu and I have our individual lives to take care of.  He has his, I have mine, and we have ours.  A marriage, or a relationship for that matter, need not be complicated. I guess most people in our business know that we have not been blessed with kids but that’s perfectly okay.  There are things and situations we cannot force, and I do not think that not having kids should lessen the happiness that we both feel. Every day that Manu and I are together is a reason to celebrate.”

Agot shares that after Manu retired from advertising work, he turned his focus on the bike business. “He is less stressed now, and we both like it. I do biking for exercise and he is now into bike manufacturing and selling. I like acting, and he lets me do it.  Then we go out and head to the beach with our dogs [a Labrador Retriever and a Beagle] during our free days and we have so much fun.”

Agot admits that although the rigorous taping schedules of the highly successful soap opera Tayong Dalawa on ABS-CBN took its toll on the health of most of its cast members, the tradeoff was much worth it. “I was able to explore some facets in my professional career that would have gone unnoticed had I not been in that soap opera.” Agot adds that she has already accepted an offer to act again in another drama program, called Tanging Yaman, also on ABS-CBN.

Meanwhile, Agot is also busy promoting her new thematic CD, White Lace & Promises. Agot muses, “I like to constantly remind people that I am also a singer. With this new album that is targeting the growing ‘weddings-related’ market, we hope to capture the interest of people who are lured by timeless love songs. OF course, we’d like the wedding coordinators to use the songs included on the album because they are simply beautiful compositions.I’m just fortunate to be able to give these songs my own interpretation.”

Agot’s new CD is a mix of both local and foreign classics. There’s “Ngayon at Kailanman” (Basil Valdez), “An Everlasting Love” (Natalie Cole), “Fallen” (Lauren Wood), “From This Moment On” (Shania Twain), “Looking Through the Eyes of Love” (Melissa Manchester), “I Will” (Alisson Krauss), “Runaway” (The Corrs) and a duet with Martin Nievera titled “True Love.”

In photo: Rhian Ramos at the recent Masskara Festival in Bacolod