It took a whole half a decade for the Kapamilya network to find the right vehicle for Angel Locsin after her 2014 drama series stint in The Legal Wife that earned for her several awards (4th EdukCircle Best Drama Actress; 4th OFW Gawad Parangal Best Actress;13th Gawad Tanglaw Best Actress for Television; 2nd Paragala Best Actress; Northwest Samar State University Visionary Awards Best Actress) and nominations (Star Award for TV for Best Drama Actress and KBP Golden Dove Awards Best Actress).
Why did it take that long? Angel said during the press conference that she had had to hurdle tumultuous years prior to agreeing to return to primetime TV. “Noong gagawin ko po dapat ‘yung ‘Darna,’ mayroon kaming agreement ng ABS na hindi ako tatanggap ng ibang project hangga’t ginagawa po ‘yung ‘Darna.’ Dahil inabot tayo ng lampas limang taon ata ‘yung preparation ng ‘Darna,’ na-delay nang na-delay,” she said.
In 2017, she and Star Cinema mutually agreed that she be taken out of Darna citing her physical condition that would only require for her less physical demands as her treatment for her spine injury has just started.
Add to that, the issues involving her personal life (boyfriend, family, etc.) that she had to resolve so she’d be able to move on and live a happy normal life.
And when she met the members of the press last week for her new series on ABS-CBN’s primetime The General’s Daughter (not to confuse with the 1999 Hollywood film of the same title starring John Travolta and Madeleine Stowe) that piloted last Monday, she said everything seemed fine with her now. She had overcome her personal problems and her physical condition is good enough for her to perform stunts, although she still avoids those that will put her spine injury to risking relapse.
In the series, she is Rhian Bonifacio, a daughter of a military general who is raised and honed to take down their family’s biggest enemy. The plot gets convoluted because the family she grows up with is asking her to do something that she will later regret as her biggest mistake. She is asked to take down her biological father.
With the story set in a military environment and revolving around the lives of military families, the series requires Angel to perform stunts and be in fight scenes. It will prove her mettle as the country’s premier action-drama actress.
The series also features an ensemble of seasoned actors – Maricel Soriano, Tirso Cruz III, and Albert Martinez, among others.
Before her much-awaited return to primetime, Angel appeared in several Kapamilya shows. She was part of the hit fantaserye La Luna Sangre and appeared in one of the much-talked about episodes of MMK, as a Muslim woman who fought for justice after being mistakenly accused as a kidnapper.
She also sat as one of the judges in the latest two seasons of Pilipinas Got Talent with Vice Ganda, Robin Padilla, and former ABS-CBN executive Freddie M. Garcia as they judged some of the biggest and most impressive talents in the country.
Angel also brought her star power to the big screen as she starred in the movie Everything About Her with Xian Lim and the Star for All Seasons Vilma Santos that won for her the Best Supporting Actress at the first EDDYs (the awards given by members of the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (SPEEd) in 2017 and other recognitions from award-giving bodies –KBP Golden Dove Awards, Asia Pacific Film Festival, and Gawad Tanglaw.
Playing important roles in the series are Eula Valdez, Janice De Belen, Paulo Avelino, JC De Vera, Arjo Atayde, Ryza Cenon, Ronnie Alonte, and Loisa Andalio.
* * *
Green’ architect is young CEO of the year Architect Kaydee M. Velasco was named this year’s Young CEO (chief executive officer) of the Year by the Asia Leaders Awards.
The award honors “people in their 40s and under that play an important role in developing and improving their community, business industry and professional arenas.”
The 29-year-old Velasco, a graduate of Far Eastern University, is the owner/CEO of KMV Asia Development Corporation, a property development firm that operates not just in the Philippines but also in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the United States, among other places.
KMV designed the Philippines’ Wax Museum, which will open in 2019 or 2020. A project of Zoomanity Group CEO Robert Laurel Yupangco, the theme park will house wax statues of international celebrities, Philippine ethnic groups, heroes and presidents, among others.
The Asia Leaders Awards “recognizes and acknowledges leading men and women in various industries that have exhibited exemplary leadership and contributed in promoting the country as a premier business hub in Asia.”
Recipient of the Young CEO awardee must have proven his/her contribution to the business and workforce to increase productivity and/or profitability, bringing new vision, opportunity and innovative ideas to the organization.
He/she also has to demonstrate courage, leadership and moral value to introduce a new perspective in both business and career. He/she should be able to show proof or evidence of notable success and accomplishment in a very short period of time.
The Young CEO awardee has to “demonstrate willingness and initiative to incorporate the latest technology and modern business processes to enhance or improve his/her organization.”
Velasco describes herself as a sustainable architect who designs projects with sustainability in mind. She is one of less than 200 BERDE-certified architects in the country. BERDE is the voluntary green building rating system of the Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC).
The architect says, in her projects, she ensures the quality and proper delivery of work until, developing a synergy with clients and business partners to finish a project. She attributes her success to God’s help and her team, with everybody working together to make the company grow and to innovate continuously.
* * *
Visit www.isah.red for more stories. Follow me on Facebook (@isahvr), Twitter (@isahvred) and Instagram (@isahvred). ΙR
