Maja Salvador and Kim Bum

Yes, that was the impression of Korean superstar and recent visitor to the country Kim Bum of Maja Salvador, one of ABS-CBN’s prettiest young actresses. Indeed, Maja has a cunning facial similarity to the award-winning Hollywood star.

Kim Bum, more popularly known as Yi Jeong of ABS-CBN’s toprating Asianovela “Boys Over Flowers,” was in town for a few days (since Sept. 30) to do a commercial for RC Cola with Maja. He sympathized with the country’s suffering in the wake of Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng and felt sorry for the victims but he wasn’t scared being here. In fact, he wished he could come back at a more comfortable and opportune time to be able to tour the scenic sights of the Philippines. He is also open to the idea of working with Maja in a teleserye here. So, fans of Kim Bum, watch out for this possibility!

Why made Asiawide Refreshment Corporation choose Kim Bum and Maja Salvador to be the latest endorsers of their soft drink brand?

“Maja and Bum are the perfect image for RC Cola because their personalities and qualities represent well our product,” said Rizza Alfonso, senior marketing services manager for RC Cola.

According to Ms. Alfonso, Maja is young and fun-loving yet she maintains simplicity despite her booming career, while Bum has his feet flat on the ground and is still very approachable even when he has become one of the most popular young stars in the whole of Asia.

“This is exactly what RC Cola is – easy to love because the taste fits the Filipino taste bud at a price very friendly to them. This is what makes RC Cola the RC ng Bayan!” she added.

Both Maja and Bum expressed pride and delight that they were chosen to be the newest endorsers of RC Cola. Maja said, “I really feel so proud and honored and lucky for having been tapped to endorse the brand together with Kim Bum.”

Needless to say, they had fun during the commercial shoot. They shared wonderful and memorable experiences. Kim Bum was overwhelmed by Maja’s charm and beauty, “I really said she looks like Catherine Zeta Jones,” Bum, through an interpreter, told the entertainment press during the press conference at ABS-CBN’s 9501 dining hall. “Maja has a lot of charm and she is beautiful. During the shoot, she kept smiling, she was full of energy. I was really so touched and impressed by her.”

On her part, Maja said Bum was very solicitous during the shoot. “He would always ask me, ‘are you tired?’ and he would hasten to add, ‘but you are still beautiful…’ Nakakatuwa siya. And, this guy is deep, he’s not the ordinary one…”

Kim Bum’s real name is Kim Sang Bum, and he’s only 20 years old. He studies at the Jungang University’s Movie and Theater Department. Kim Bum has appeared in five TV series (“Dream,” “Boys Over Flowers,” “East of Eden,” “Unstoppable High Kick” “Outrageous Women”) and three movies (“Emergency,” “Gosa/The Story” and “I Like It Hot”).

In 2008, Kim Bum received the Netizen Popularity Award during the Korean Drama Festival.

By the way, RC Cola stands for Royal Crown Cola, an international brand that originated from Columbus, Georgia all the way back to the year 1905. It made its debut in the Philippines in the ’70s but it was the RC Cola of the 2000s – the RC Cola that we know today – that created a stir among cola lovers. This is the RC Cola produced by Asiawide Corp., a Filipino company awarded with the exclusive license to manufacture and distribute the global brand here in the Philippines in the early 2000s.

Today, RC Cola is one of the most popular soft drink brands. In its six years of offering a great-tasting cola at a very practical price, RC Cola has become a household refreshment for every Filipino and a brand truly loved and enjoyed by many.

The much talked-about RC Cola commercial of Maja and Bum will be aired soon. Watch out for it!

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Mendoza, Red films to open and end Cinemanila Filmfest

Films by two acclaimed Filipino independent film directors, Dante Mendoza and Raymond Red who have both achieved fame by winning in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, will open and end the forthcoming Cinemanila International Film Festival which is slated at the Market! Market! in Taguig City from Oct. 15 to Oct. 25.

To raise the curtains for the annual filmfest is Mendoza’s “Lola,” while Red’s “Himpapawid” will be Cinemanila’s closing film. Mendoza is this year’s Cannes Best Director (for his film “Kinatay”), and Red was Cannes’ Palme d’Or (short film) winner in 2000.

“Lola” is the surprise entry at the Main Competition of the recent 66th Venice Film Festival where Oscar winner Ang Lee (“Brokeback Mountain”) was chairman of the jury. This year, Mendoza bested Ang Lee and other international heavyweights like Quentin Tarantino and Pedro Almodovar for the Best Director Award.

“Lola,” which stars veteran actresses Anita Linda and Rustica Carpio, is about two elderly women trying to cope with a crime involving their grandsons, one the victim, and the other the suspect. Also in the cast are Ketchup Eusebio, Jhong Hilario and Tanya Gomez.

“Himpapawid” is Red’s latest work. An official entry in the Main Competition of the 2009 Tokyo International Film Festival, “Himpapawid” tells the “astounding story of a lone deranged hijacker pushed to the edge of insanity as he struggles with the oppression of surviving in modern Philippine society.” Inspired by the true story of the May 2000 PAL Flight 812 hijacking en route to Manila from Davao, the film follows the tale of a desperate man from the countryside on a wretched path to destruction that ultimately leads him to the insane hijacking of a plane. The film showcases Raul Arellano in his first lead role together with veteran actors John Arcilla and Ronnie Lazaro.

Red, who won the Cannes Palme d’Or for his short film “Anino” (Shadow), is one of the pioneers of the modern Filipino independent cinema movement. As a source of inspiration for a new generation of independent filmmakers, he has been honing his craft at the outskirts of Philippine cinema while being a regular lecturer to numerous workshops and mentor to a number of well-known indie filmmakers, doing his utmost to promote the independent cinema movement.

The 2009 Cinemanila Film Festival is presented by the City of Taguig and the Cinemanila International Film Festival Foundation, in cooperation with Cinema One, Click the City, Business World, Philippine Star, Pep.ph, Spot.ph, Web Philippines, and the World Cinema Fund.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings on Oct. 7 go to former Parañaque Mayor Joey Marquez, Anna Larrucea of Star Magic, Nelly Campos, Ira Maniquis, DoT’s Ma. Victoria Jasmin, Linda Punzalan, Ramon Victor Roxas, Vanessa Valderama, Shoona Teves, Brenda Villasin, Norihide Joseph Ono, Mrs. Po Suan Velasco, Virgie V. Mariano and Engr. Abraham S. Gumatay.