Ai-Ai Delas Alas says she wants to be a grandma soon and vows to keep wearing tangga' til she turns 60
Briefly, the Comedy Queen Ms. Ai-Ai Delas Alas came back to Manila earlier this week to sign an endorsement deal with the internationally-affiliated Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts (APCA) under the tutelage of Chef Niklesh Sharma.
Located at the Treston International College in Taguig City, APCA was where Ai Ai graduated from a baking course during the height of the pandemic, before she embarked on a baking spree that helped her obtain skills in a professional level enhancing her innate love for baking pastries and cakes. It will be recalled that it was during this time when Ai- Ai’s best ube pandesal was the talk-of-the-town and easily took the country by storm.
Ai-Ai was happy to be back in her alma mater whose professors were singing praises for the actress saying that as a student, she was very hardworking and doesn’t have any qualms about washing dishes just like the rest of classmates.
Chef Sharma says that nothing makes a teacher so proud than seeing his student put her education into practice and being the best in it. He said, “we are truly very proud of Ai-Ai.”
Characteristically Ai-Ai, she revealed exciting news about her life during the contract-signing with Chef Sharma and Treston owner Ms. Sheryl See.
She disclosed that she temporarily put her baking business in the US on hold to give way to her new job as an activity director for a home for the aged in California. This job gives Ai-Ai so much satisfaction and meaning because according to her, “iba ang pakiramdam kapag napapasaya mo ang mga matatanda, lalo na sila na malayo sa pamilya nila at nasa facility. Bago man lang sila lumisan sa mundong ito, at least napapasaya ko sila.”
Ai-Ai said the facility she works for is a sister company of the Good Samaritan, but was not at a liberty to disclose its name.
At the same time, she told us that her return to the Philippines was met with the happy surprise news of the renewal of her contract with GMA-7 for the next 2 and ½ years. She said she will be back in December to fulfill some duties involving that contract.
When we asked her about her life in the US, Ai-Ai told us she is very happy there because she can live like a normal individual, even when most of our kababayans there recognize her. “Enjoy naman ako dun, lalo na pagtawid sa kalye kasi humihinto talaga ang mga kotse para patawirin ka,” she laughed.
She said that her children also make her very happy but she laments the fact that she is unlikely to have a grandchild anytime soon because her children have no plans yet, whatsoever. “Ewan ko nga ba sa mga kabataan ngayon. Gustung-gusto ko na talaga magka-apo kasi siyempre nakakatuwa yung may baby sa bahay di ba? Kaya lang, iba talaga ang priority nila kesa sa panahon natin,” she said.
To end, Ai-Ai glowingly said she will just keep wearing tanga (which you can see in her Tiktok videos) until she becomes a lola. “Kahit maging 60 na ako at wala pa rin akong apo, magsusuot pa rin ako ng tanga,” she promised amusingly.
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How Grace Lee is promoting PH-SoKor collaboration through Glimmer Inc.
It hasn’t been too long ago when Filipino audiences had to wait many months before their much-awaited Korean dramas and movies reached our shores. There weren’t many options back then. It was either waiting for Tagalog-dubbed versions of K-dramas on TV or lining up to watch movies in the cinemas months after their theatrical release in South Korea.
The advent of streaming platforms and the exponential growth of hallyu (Korean wave) in the Philippines has changed this in recent years. Philippine-based South Korean entrepreneur-TV host Grace Lee has been keen on making sure that cultural exchange between her two home countries only grows stronger from here, one project at a time.
Lee’s latest accomplishment with her production company Glimmer Inc. is gaining distribution rights for the local theatrical run of South Korean action blockbuster “Hunt.” The film, which has been recognized by Cannes Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, is set to open in 100 movie houses in the Philippines this August 31.
Topbilling the star-studded movie is Lee Jung-jae (“Squid Game”) who is also marking his directorial debut in this film, alongside fellow veteran actor Jung Woo-sung, dubbed as the Brad Pitt of Korea.
The action-packed espionage film centers on rivals KCIA Foreign Unit chief Park Pyong-ho (Lee Jung-jae) and Domestic Unit chief Kim Jung-do (Jung Woo-sung) as they are tasked with taking down a spy within their agency.
Before “Hunt,” Glimmer Inc. previously brought “The Roundup” to local cinemas last June. The film stars big names Ma Dong-seok (“Train to Busan”) and Son Seok-koo (“My Liberation Notes”).
Lee has this to say about Glimmer Inc.’s unique ability to bring South Korea’s biggest movies to the Philippines so quickly, “We have that rapport with Korea already. I am able to release Korean films here almost in real time.”
Today, Lee seems to be leading the path for showcasing South Korea’s best to the Philippines. “In the beginning, someone from Korea was asking for my help because they wanted to come shoot here in Manila. There were some dubious people dealing with some production companies before. When they approached me, it was more because they could trust me. I didn’t have any experience.”
It is a testament to the professionalism of Lee and Glimmer Inc. that they became a reputable collaborator for Korean directors and producers.
One of their most recent projects is a Php 100-million major production deal that brought Korean stars Lee Dong-hwi (“Reply 1988”) and Kim Joo-ryoung (“Squid Game”) to the Philippines from March to May of this year to shoot parts of K-drama “Casino.”
Prior to “Casino,” Glimmer also brought Jo Bo-ah (“Tale of the Nine Tailed”) and Park Hae-jin (“Cheese in the Trap”) to the Philippines to shoot the 2020 K-drama “Forest.”
“We are able to enjoy Korean entertainment. Movies like ‘Hunt,’ it’s being recognized by international festivals all around the world. These are the films that I’m proud of,” shares Lee. “Eventually, I also want to bring horror films. I want to bring good quality Korean films that Filipinos can watch.”
But she isn’t stopping there. Lee is also hard at work pushing for the recognition of Filipino talent to South Korea through her ventures with Glimmer Inc.
“I believe there is so much room for Filipino content to grow in terms of technique and quality. We have such great writers and a lot of great content. We have to really invest in being able to grow artists who write—not just good-looking people or on-cam talent. That’s different.
“I feel the Philippines still has more room to grow in investing in talents who are behind the camera. That’s what Glimmer wants to do. That’s what we’ve been doing. This year, the reason we accepted this project with a big company in Korea to shoot, although I cannot divulge the details of the project which has yet to show in November.
“At the end of the day, what we’re trying to do: bring in some screen production here, collaborate with a local production and a local crew. So there’s an exchange of culture and behind-cam talent.”
Glimmer Inc. already has yet-to-be-revealed big projects in its current lineup, but as any good entrepreneur, Lee is not resting on her laurels.
She is also working on bringing K-pop acts to the Philippines, especially with their immense popularity today in the country. “I want to make the concerts blend into our business model. We are not just going to bring Korean artists, make them perform, and let them leave—that’s just showcasing talent to the Philippine market.
Lee has interesting ideas for what more she’s hoping to accomplish with Glimmer: “We want to collaborate more. We can do a program together. Concert can be a small part of it. I want it to be a whole project. There are some things we are working on now. Hopefully, by next year, we will be able to implement.”