The traditional Parade of Stars that ushers the annual Metro Manila Film Festival will be held Friday and, expectedly, thousands of enthusiastic movie fans will line up the parade route to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars.

Participating in the parade are individual floats carrying the stars of the official entries to the 2009 MMFF that includes “Wapakman,” a film starring Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, sexy actress Krista Ranillo and Bianca King.

Most movie fans have expressed enthusiasm about seeing Pacquiao and the controversial Krista in the “Wapakman” float after the two have been romantically linked, with the issue generating lots of publicity in showbiz-crazy Philippines.

However, Solar Entertainment president and “Wapakman” executive producer Wilson Tieng said Ranillo might not join Pacquiao in the movie’s float to avoid further controversies. Ranillo leaves for the US after the parade to join her family on Christmas Day.

The other film fest entries are “Ang Darling Kong Aswang” starring Vic Sotto and Cristine Reyes; “I Love You, Goodbye” (Angelica Panganiban, Derek Ramsay and Gabby Concepcion); “Nobody, Nobody But Juan” (Dolphy, Eric and Epy Quizon, Heart Evangelista and Pokwang); “Mano Po 6” (Sharon Cuneta, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Heart Evangelista, Dennis Trillo and Christopher de Leon); “Ang Panday” (Bong Revilla, Iza Calzado and Phillip Salvador); and “Shake, Rattle & Roll XI” (Ruffa Gutierrez, Zoren Legaspi, Maja Salvador, and Mark Anthony Fernandez, Jennica Garcia, Mart Escudero).

The Parade of the Stars will roll out from the SMX at the SM Mall of Asia and pass through several major streets of Metro Manila before culminating at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park.

At the Quirino Grandstand, the public will be treated to a star-studded show participated in by the stars of the MMFF ’09 official entries and guests, truly befitting a combined fiesta and Yuletide celebration.

The much-awaited December film festival, wherein only Filipino movies will be exhibited in theaters nationwide for two weeks from December 25, 2009 to January 7, 2010, is a yearly undertaking of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) now under the leadership of former Judge Oscar Inocentes who replaced former Chairman Bayani Fernando.

The 2009 MMFFP Executive Committee is composed of Inocentes as Over-all Chairman, Ms. Maricor Imperial (Executive Chairman), Rolando Josef (Executive Director), AGM Edenison Fainsan (Chairman, Finance), Angelito Vergel de Dios (Executive Director, TOC), Robert Nacianceno (member), Ric Camaligan (SM Cinemas), Manuel Nuqui (PMPPA), Wilson Tieng (MPDAP), Dominic Du (GMTA), Marcus Ng (MMTA), Boots Anson Roa (MOWELFUND) and Leo Martinez (FAP).