Sharon Cuneta with Ciara Sotto, Zsa Zsa Padilla, and Heart Evangelista.

A grand welcome is being prepared by some officials of private groups in Beijing for the arrival of megastar Sharon Cuneta and the 80-member entourage of “Mano Po 6: My Mother’s Love.” Sharon, after all, also made a name for herself in various parts of the world. Of course, our kababayans are expected to be present during the team’s arrival in the Chinese capital.

Sharon will be accompanied by Regal Films matriarch Lily Monteverde, producer Roselle Monteverde-Teo, director Joel Lamangan and supervising producer Manny Valera. Also part of the group are “Eat Bulaga” producer Tony Tuviera with wife Madeline and executive producer Malou Choa-Fagar.

The “Mano Po 6” team leaves on Thursday for Beijing, where they will shoot for three days. Some of the locations to be seen in the film are the Temple of Heaven, Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Great Wall of China.

“We’re going to Beijing to shoot some of the important scenes there,” says Roselle Monteverde-Teo. “This will give the movie that authentic Chinese feel to really make watching ‘Mano Po 6’ an unforgettable cinematic experience.”

Aside from Sharon, other members of the cast who are part of the entourage are Divine Diva Zsa Zsa Padilla, Heart Evangelista, Dennis Trillo, Nicole Uysiuseng and Ciara Sotto.

With Joel Lamangan as director, “Mano Po 6: My  Mother’s Love” dramatizes the immense love of a mother for her children.

“Mano Po 6: My Mother’s Love,” the official entry of Regal Films to the 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival, opens on December 25.

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Asian Hospital & Medical Center redefines healthy living

The Asian Hospital and Medical Center launched recently its new Lifestyle Medicine Center. Envisioned to provide a more holistic approach to patient-care, the Center houses various departments that caters to patients’ lifestyle-related concerns.

The Lifestyle Medicine Center offers services in Cosmetic Surgery, Women’s Health, Lasik/Refractive Laser Surgery and Ophthalmology, Dermatology, Pulmonolgy and Sleep Laboratory, Executive Health, Nutrition and Wellness, and the unique Golf Performance and Sports Rehabilitation.

Asian Hospital and Medical Center’s CEO, Theo Seiler headed the launch, with special guests former Pres. Fidel V. Ramos, Secretaries Francisco Duque III and Ace Durano, Rep. Ruffy Biazon, Muntinlupa Mayor Aldrin San Pedro, and other VIPs from the government and private sector.

“Asian Hospital and Medical Center is proud to announce the opening of its new Lifestyle Medicine Center. A comprehensive center to address your emerging lifestyle-related health care needs. It is equipped and professionally-staffed for a meaningful patient-centered care. Our center utilizes an evidenced-bases wellness program – another first in the country,” Seiler proudly claimed.

Prior to the Lifestyle Medicine Center launch, Asian Hospital and Medical Center also held a groundbreaking of its Tower II. A 14-storey building, the new hospital building will house Asian Hospital’s Rehabilitation Medicine Department, Sports Rehabilitation, Hearing Unit, Ophthalmology and additional rooms for increased patient capacity. Tower II is set to open soon.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings Nov. 19 go to former beauty queen Nini R. Licaros, Dr. Mita Pardo de Tavera, Atty. Vicente J. Carlos, US-based composer Gines Tan, singer Tito Minah, Christine Sempio, Robbie Layos, Cecile Aquias, Dr. Belit Vital-Gozon, Manny Torres, Priscilla Almed (Abby Viduya) and Neogin Evangelista, commercial director of Stiefel.