Rebecca Lusterio breaks new grounds

Wake-uppers:• Stars Gretchen Barretto, Pops Fernandez and Bebe Gandanghari hurriedly left Bohol to Cebu after spending two days and two nights last week. Kibitzers felt something "fishy" of their sudden “disappearance” when they learned that Greta's rumored "boyfriend" Dodi Puno was with them (the resort's staff and the airport personnel confessed they saw Dodi and paid the resort’s bill to the tune of US$4,000 per nite!). The trio were here in Bohol for a “healing process”— Greta had an LQ with Tony Boy Cuangco and Pepay broke up with Jomari Yllana. On the other hand, Paolo Contis and his girlfriend EB Babe Lian Paz were caught by our lens unaware — enjoying what they thought were ‘stolen moments’ at a beach in Panglao, Bohol (the same resort where Greta, Pepay and Bebe, including other showbiz personalities Kris Aquino and Claudine Barretto were staying). Another star Derek Ramsey and girlfriend Angelica Panganiban were spotted in a romantic overnight stay in Bohol beach last Friday.

• A “Boholana” was crowned in the biggest and most prestigious gay pageant in the country. Boom Reyes (who hails from the northern part of Bohol) outshined other 22 contestants in the 30th year anniversary of the Miss Gay Philippines staged at the Music Museum on March 17. The event was first held in 1980 by its founder-producer Chito Alcid (a showbiz personality who is presently hosting “Chito Alcid Talk Show”). The first batch of judges then were Susan Roces, Gloria Diaz, Joji Felix Velarde, Chona Recto Kasten, Eddie Garcia, Tingting Cojuangco, Criselda Lontok Fernandez, Jessie Ejercito and Josephine Estrada. There were five major titles during the pageant: Miss GP Universe, Miss GP World, Miss GP Earth, Miss GP International and Miss GP Asia Pacific. They received thousands of pesos each, trophies and gifts from sponsors. Reyes will represent the country in the Queen International in Thailand. Famous celebrities and movie stars who graced the celebration were Miss Earth Karla Henry, Miss World Evangeline Pascual and Alma Concepcion.

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Nothing ever ruffles her, not the family background nor the way many people kind of ignored her when Rebecca Lusterio, Bikay for short, graduated from being a child superstar and slipped into a Masscom student at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Manila.

Despite juicy offers from showbiz—and how a “friend” failed to give her a break though she made three films and made her a star—Bikay chose to finish her studies.

She has to graduate March next year, a scholar.

Bikay went back to her native Bohol not for a “short” vacation but to shoot a documentary for Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Manila annual public exhibition of TV documentaries called “Sulyap” as part of her final requirement for their TV Production subject.

As the writer and director the team (the PAGI-Something Fishy Productions) together with Mark Andrew Villanueva (cameraman and creative director), Maureen Garferio (musical scorer and production assistant) and Katherine Talaboc (production manager) they stayed for five days on Alona Beach.

Bikay’s parents, Verano and Helen, became the team’s surrogate parents. Verano has his banca for dolphin watching and Balicasag diving, while Helen is still selling seashells on the famous Alona Beach , a long stretch of white sand subdivided into many resorts. This place also happens to be where Bikay plied her wares of shells and fancy jewelry when she was young.

The team visited Pamilacan Island , the breeding place of the manta rays and stingrays. Stingrays used to flourish in the ocean but now they are becoming an endangered species. They discovered how local folks haunt them for food and most pagis are sold in Baclayon, especially on Wednesdays, the town’s Markey day.

The stingrays are a family of Dasyatidae of rays, cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. They are common in coastal tropical marine waters throughout the world, and several species are known to enter fresh water.

“They look like angels gracefully dancing under the sea. They don’t look harmful,” said Bikay.

Divers often refer to them as "Sea Devils." Stingrays may also be called the "whip-tailed rays" though this usage is much less common. It can be noted that TV personality Steve Irwin was pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while snorkeling in Australia and died shortly after on September 4, 2006.

Bikay and her team went diving in Pamilacan and Balicasag, hailed as one of the best dive spots in the world to look for stingrays and the team failed to find one.

“We could not find a single stingray. We believe they are becoming extinct,” concluded Bikay.

Letran’s “Sulyap” which was held on March 12 at the SC Auditorium with the special screening of Che-che Lazaro, one of the best documentarists in the country had 14 entries. And Bikay’s documentary on pagi was well-applauded by the Letran students and professors.

“Our documentary "Pagi" tackled about the near extinction of stingrays. Stingrays are truly nature’s treasure and because of man’s abusive practices, they are now considered endangered species…do we deal with this problem when it is too late? It’s a pity if the next generation could not see this great treasure alive,” said Bikay.

Bikay who won Best Child Performer in Muro-Ami and important roles in other Cesar Montano films – Panaghoy sa Suba (which she won Best Supporting Actress) and Ligalig won't be home this summer---she will be busy for her on-job training in one of the networks.

Briefly noted:
• From Venus Marichelle Aparicio: The Bol-anon Multi-Purpose Cooperative (formerly Tacecco) will have its 20th general assembly on April 4, 2009 at Barangay Cogon gymnasium at 12N.
• The next time you visit our tourist destinations, please take note of the following fees: Chocolate Hills- Php 50 per adult; Sevilla Hanging Bridge- Php 10 per person; Loboc floating restaurant- Php 300 (Php 250 for the floating resto and Php50 for the LGU); Prony the snake, prepare Php 20 per van for the barangays fee.