OMEHOW, we can't help but pity Jennylyn Mercado. It's obvious she's not ready, physically and emotionally, for her unwanted pregnancy. It's good her only regular TV show, “La Vendetta”, is already about to end when she got preggy or she would have suffered more on the set.

As it is, she was feeling so bad on the last taping day, dizzy and wanting to throw up, but she had no choice but to finish all her scenes even if her doctor has told her to rest as it's a delicate pregnancy.

Also, now that she'd have to stop working., she has to worry where to get payments for the monthly amortizations of her house and two cars that are not yet fully paid. This would really be quite a problem so she's hoping she can still work while preggy, but how can she when she's not feeling well most of the time?

Even her fans admit that they were taken by surprise by her infanticipation. Someone told us they just started an email campaign asking GMA to give her the “Dyesebel” or the new “Darna” role but with her being preggy, this is definitely out of the question. “Nanghihinayang nga po kami ng friends kong sumusuporta sa kanya,” she says.

Jen herself feels bad that some quarters won't stop in sowing intrigues her way, what with the insinuation that it's really Mark Herras who sired her child and not Patrick Garcia. “ Sana naman po, tigilan na nila,” she wails. “Inamin na naman namin ni Patrick ang sitwasyon at alam ni Patrick na kanya ito. Patahimikin naman nila kami. Tama na po.”

She was also aghast when some reporters asked where the baby was conceived. “Made in Boracay ba ‘yan nang magbakasyon kayo roon o dito sa Manila ?” asked one reporter.

“Ano ba ‘yun? Respeto naman po. Sa amin na lang po ‘yun,” Jen said, more evasive than ever.

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ISABEL SCARED OF LT ROLE

ISABEL Oli gets the most challenging role in her career as Rosita Monteverde, the anti-heroine in “Maging Akin Ka Lamang” that will replace “Pasan Ko ang Daigdig” in GMA-7's Dramarama sa Hapon starting Monday.

“When Direk Gil Tejada told me I'd play the lead role, pinanood ko ang original movie starring Lorna Tolentino as Rosita and after watching it, I got so scared,” she says. “It's a very demanding role at baka hindi ko makaya. Miss LT won several best actress awards daw for her performance and that's an added pressure. But then, I also welcome the challenge. Sayang naman if I'd bypass such a good role. Direk Gil promised me he'd take good care of me and in fairness to him, talagang hindi niya ako pinabayaan.”

What did her boyfriend, Paolo Contis, say about it? “He's very supportive. Sabi niya, tanggapin ko raw. And during one of the most difficult scenes, when I made Patrick Garcia drunk, then seduced him and practically raped him, he was there to give me moral support.

Tinanong ko pa nga siya kung okay ang trabaho ko kasi take one lang ako kay Direk Gil at hindi na pinaulit. Okay naman with him. But later, we had to repeat the same scene all over again as Patrick was replaced by Polo Ravales after Jennylyn Mercado got pregnant and was also replaced by Nadine Samonte. But by then, alam ko na ang gagawin ko. For this bida-kontrabida role, I have to forget myself kasi very aggressive si Rosita, e I'm not like that. She's also an heiress who's filthy rich, so I have to get my own stylist and make up artist para tulungan akong mag-project na rich socialite ako on screen.”

We heard Paolo is building a house for the two of them. Does this mean we'll hear wedding bells ringing for them soon? “Ay, hindi pa. We have no plans yet. As of now, we're happy with our setup and he even spent New Year in Singapore with my family. We're just supportive of each other's career. I watched his movie, ‘Banal', at pinabilib din niya ako roon kasi he's always playing villain roles at mabait na bida naman siya roon.”

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SARAH TIRED OF BF QUESTION

SARAH Geronimo says she's tired of writers asking her as to when she'll have a boyfriend. “I really don't know why they're rushing me,” she sighs. “I don't want naman to have a boyfriend para masabi ko lang na nagka-boyfriend na ako. Also, 19 pa lang naman ako. Mahaba pa ang tatakbuhin ng buhay ko at hindi naman siguro ako mauubusan.”

How can she sing love songs with feeling when she has never been in love? “It's just like acting. All you have to do is internalize the ly-rics. In love naman ako with my career and with my family.”

Sarah is happy that the construction of her dream house for her family has been completed, somewhere in Tandang Sora in Quezon City . They used to just rent a small apartment in Sta. Cruz, Manila . Now, they have a big house with a separate room for each member of their family and with a swimming pool at that.

“It's the product of all the hard work that I do since I won sa ‘Star for a Night' when I was 14,” she says. “Hindi pa kumpleto lahat ng gamit at appliances, but the important thing is that the house is our own and it was paid on a cash basis. I can proudly say na wala akong utang kahit kanino. Ni hindi ako nag-loan sa bank just to finish it.”

This coming Valentine, Sarah has a show with Erik Santos, Christian Bautista and Rachel Ann Go at the Araneta Coliseum, “All For Love”, February 13. “It's going to be a night of love songs and we'll sing songs about the various phases of love from courtship to breaking up.”

How come she's performing with three other singers when she has proven she can do solo shows at the Big Dome and fill it up? “ Aba , siyempre, masarap din 'yung marami kayong nagpe-perform. We get to bond well with each other and become better friends habang pinapasaya namin ang audience.”

“All 4 Love” is produced by ASAP Live, with Pooh and G-Force Dancers as guests. For tickets, call Araneta or Ticketnet at 911-5555.

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NORA'S TRAIN STATION GONE

IRIGA City in Bicol is best known as the home of superstar Nora Aunor who grew up there selling water in its train station. “The train station is no longer there,” says 37-year-old city Mayor Madelaine Alfelor-Gazmen, who's married to an engineer. “Wala na kasing Bicol Express na nagbibiyahe roon. Nawalan nga kami ng business as the diversion road going to Legaspi no longer passes through Iriga.”

The good mayor, who majored in humanities in UP and biology in FEU, is determined to make domestic tourists more interested in their city, which is 478 kms. south of Manila and located between Naga and Legaspi, with the airport in Pili just 25 minutes away. “Iriga has 30 natural springs so it's known as the City of Crystal Clear Springs. Other places get its supply of mineral water from three of our springs.

We also have majestic Mt. Iriga, an extinct volcano that offers a beautiful view of the entire Bicol River basin area and favorite destination of many climbers and hikers. Right in the city is the Emerald Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, built on top of Calvario Hill at the Ibalon Hotel compound. We also have several waterfalls, like the Tubigan Falls and Sabang Falls. Another tourist attraction is the Gawad Kalinga Character Village located in Barangay Perpetual Help built with Gawad Kalinga Foundation.”

For the past 34 years, Iriga celebrated its Tinagba Festival (Fresh Harvest) from February 1 to 11. “We now want to inform the public more about it. We have put an adventure-theme park with circus, animal show and rockclimbing. The climax of the festival is on the 11th when we have several floats inculcating good values like cleanliness and patience, and dance groups from 36 barangays joining us in the very colorful parade and mardi gras and they can win big cash prizes. Ngayon may publicity na kami, we hope to earn more from tourists who'd visit Iriga for the festival, which is the merriest in Camarines Sur.”

One of her projects is to come up with a museum for famous Bicolanos, notably Ate Guy. “It'll be our tribute to her and other kababayans who brought honor to us. We hope we can gather some memorabilia about her kasi her relatives now live either in Manila or abroad.”

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