Indeed, Christmas is the time of giving and returning blessings and Maja Salvador, lead star of the top-rating primetime television series on TV5, "Niña Niño," knows how to return her blessings to the production staff and crew who have been away from their families for several months in locked-in taping here in Dolores, Quezon.
Before our Christmas break, her majesty Queen Maja collaborated with the cast and director of "Niña Niño" Thop Nazareno, CS Studios, Cornerstone, Cignal TV and TV5 so that they can give the production and technical crew a Christmas event they will never forget last Wednesday. It was Maja’s brainchild to have Binibining Sta Ynez, a gay pageant exclusive for the staff members who wished to join. Sta. Ynez is the fictional town setting of "Niña Niño" where all the characters stories revolve in. The winner Belinda Cruz received P30,000 from Maja Salvador. The first runner -up, Kurei Ragay, the crowd favorite, got P25,000. The second runner-up, wardrobe stylist Wimjay Fernando, received P15,000. The third runner-up Hershey Lee went home with P10,000 and the fourth, make-up artist Bernie Andres, bagged P5,000. One of the judges was the handsome beau of Maja, Rambo Nuñez, who upon hearing that each contestant spent around P10,000 each for their national costumes and gowns decided to shell out from his own pocket P10,000 to be given to each and every contestant that participated in the pageant.
Aside from the gay pageant, there was a dance contest where the production, utility and tent boys, drivers and technical crew participated. I was chosen to be one of the judges of this contest and it was so tough to decide on the winner because every team had original and wacky ideas, great choreography and the costumes were really prepared and thought of. It was like everybody wanted to go for the P25,000 first prize. But Maja also had prepared prizes for the second prize winner – P15,000, third prize - P10,000 and consolation prizes of P5,000 each. Aside from Maja’s generosity for the pageant and dance contest prizes, she also gave away cash prizes for the raffle with the help of her cast and director Thop Nazareno who shelled out P50,000 for the raffle. Mutya Orquia, my daughter in the teleserye, gave P42,000, Moi Bien and Rowi gave a Boracay package worth P25,000 and all of us cast members chipped in for the raffle prizes in cash and kind. Food and drinks were overflowing courtesy of CS Studios, Cornerstone Entertainment ,Cignal television and TV5, and every staff and crew went home happy with their pockets full. Maja was teary-eyed when she gave her Christmas message to everyone, with her voice cracking since it was so full of joy and emotion, she said, “Merry Merry Christmas! Ang bait sa atin ng Diyos, ang bait sa akin ng Diyos. For two years, alam kong mahirap sa atin. Di ko alam kung anong kabaitan ang nagagawa natin kaya sobrang blessed tayo. Of course, malaking pasasalamat to Cornerstone, CS Studios, Cignal, TV 5 for giving us this opportunity para makapagbigay tayo ng magandang kwento, magbigay saya tuwing gabi sa ating mga kapatid. Itong pandemic narealize ko kahit saan ka man batsa nagpapasaya ka, yun ang pinaka-importante.”
Maja, you just gave sooo much joy to your staff and crew. I overheard make -up artist Bernie Andres saying that the reason why you are so blessed is that you know how to transfer your blessings to others. And I sooo agree! Aside from "Niña Niño," which is shown every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, on TV5, Maja's movie "Arisaka" has premiered on Netflix last week. Maja is also the newest member of the Dabarkads on "Eat Bulaga."