Another Korean star in ‘My Korean Jagiya’

And you think Alexander Lee is just the Korean star to fire up the hit romcom My Korean Jagiya. You didn’t expect this. We didn’t, too.

Last week, the people behind the very successful series brought in Andy Ryu, also a Korean, to join the cast to muddle the already confusing romance between Gia (Heart Evangelista) and Jun Ho (Lee).

Andy plays Lee Gong Woo, a Korean actor who visits the Philippines to promote his movie and for some endorsements. But during his stay in the country, he needs a translator. Gong Woo then meets Gia in a language school and becomes his temporary interpreter.

Ryu, who appeared in the Korean series Cinderella and Queen Seondok, expressed his excitement to work with the whole cast of My Korean Jagiya since this is his first time to work outside Korea.

 “Marami na siyang nagawang project sa Korea before, but since it’s his first time to do overseas work, he’s very excited na makapag-contribute naman sa magandang takbo ng show ngayon,” the program’s Korean consultant and interpreter Sarang Lim said of Andy.

Lim also added Ryu’s enthusiasm in seeing his Filipino fans welcome him to the country. “He’s very happy to see his fans dito po sa Pilipinas. And as he said it before na sobrang excited siya na makasama ang mga (member ng) cast at sumama sa bagong drama. He’ll do his best para maging maganda ang part niya sa My Korean Jagiya.”

Meanwhile, Cindy (Valeen Montenegro) continues to get in the way of the budding love story between Gia and Jun Ho, pretending to have been diagnosed with cancer. As Gia decided to leave the house of Jun Ho, Cindy thinks she has won and wants to win Pao’s (Khaine de la Cruz) trust to gradually get Jun Ho back. However with the help of Kennedy (Iya Villania), Gia finds out the truth about Cindy’s condition. 

On the other hand, Gia’s Tita Josie (Ricky Davao) and Tita Aida (Janice de Belen) continue to fight over Dodong (Raymart Santiago). They even planned to find out each others’ whereabouts by bribing some of their relatives. But who between them will Dodong choose?

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The recently-concluded Himig ng Panahon, a national guitar competition open to amateur and professional guitar players was a resounding success with 12 finalists from all over the country competing at Las Casas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan on Nov. 18.

Grand prizewinner was LJ Manzano from Davao City with Angelo Leyva of Talisay, Negros Occidental and Reggie Sanggo of Novaliches winning the first and second runner-ups respectively. 

Internationally acclaimed guitarists Ric Mercado, Noel Mendez and professor Lester Demetillo were the members of the board of judges. The grand winner received P100,000 cash while the second and third place winners received P50,000 and P35,000, respectively. A consolation prize of P5,000 was given to the 12 finalists.

According to Jerry Acuzar, chairman of New San Jose Builders, Inc., the property developer of the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, the competition is a cultural expression that trains the spotlight on guitar, not just a fretted musical instrument but also a cultural symbol that transcends generations.