MAJA Salvador is so busy and visible these days. We first saw her last Thursday at the presscon of Weddings & Debuts Bridal Fair where she’s the endorser. Last Saturday, she was at the presscon of her romantic comedy with BF Matteo Guidicelli, “My Cactus Heart.”  And then last Tuesday, we saw her again at the launch of her new TV show “PHR (Precious Heart Romances) Presents  Lumayo Ka Man sa Akin” where she’s paired with Jason Abalos and the comebacking Patrick Garcia. This will replace “Reputasyon” at the 5 p.m. slot of ABS-CBN.

“I feel so blessed!” she says. “Ang ganda nga ng pasok ng 2012 for me. Kauumpisa pa lang, ang dami na agad projects.”

Her last PHR soap, “Impostor,”  got nominated for an international award in New York. Does she think “Lumayo Ka Man” will also get that much acclaim? “I think so, kasi ang ganda rin ng story nito. It’s based on Martha Cecilia’s best selling novel, ‘Pangako’. I play Janine del Castillo, an interior designer who’s life is happy and contented. We’re rich and I have a handsome boyfriend, si Patrick. Just as I’m about to marry Patrick, my dad, Ariel Rivera, revealed to me na buhay pa ang mother ko, si Ina Raymundo. I’m the product of their illicit love affair and after giving birth to me, my mom went back to her family at iniwan ako sa dad ko who raised me by himself. This revelation would change my life drastically. Pupuntahan ko ang mom ko sa probinsiya nila and I will meet this handsome farmer, si Jason, at magkakaroon kami ng passionate love affair. Bale yung kasalanan ng mom ko noon, who fell in love with another man, mauulit sa akin ngayon. Kasama rin sa ‘Lumayo Ka Man’ sina Ina Feleo, Kathleen Hermosa, Toby Alejar, Mico Palanca, Bettina Carlos and John Arcilla.”

She has love scenes with both Patrick and Jason. “Yung kay Patrick, smack-smack lang, tapos sa leeg. 'Yung kay Jason, 'yun ang torrid, bigay-todo talaga.”

Won’t her real life BF Matteo Guidicelli get jealous with Jason like what happened when she was paired with Coco Martin in “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin”? “Ay, hindi na siya seloso. Alam na niya ngayon ang mga pasikot-sikot sa industriya. Supportive na siya sa mga ginagawa ko.”

What does she like in Matteo? “He’s very thoughtful and sweet. He never gets tired of telling how much he loves me. One time, pinuno niya 'yung kuwarto ng post-its na nakasulat doon ang reasons why he loves me. Tapos, 'yung floor, pinuno ng petals ng flowers. At siya, unlike other boys, he remembers when our first date was, yung monthsary namin, ako pa nga 'yung nakakalimot, eh. Talo niya ako sa pagiging sweet.”

How is it working together in “My Cactus Heart”? “Mahirap kasi we play characters who are so different from us in real life. Big challenge 'yun. But in the end, masaya rin kasi nga first time namin to do a film together at nagkakatulungan kaming dalawa.”

JC BREAKS UP WITH DANITA 'AMICABLY'

JC De Vera is glad that after "Ang Utol Kong Hoodlum,"  TV5 gave him another hardhitting action-drama on primetime, "Valiente." He's also happy to be reunited in this series with Director Joel Lamangan with whom he has done some of his past hit soaps on GMA7 before.

"Direk Joel brings out the best in me so I always welcome working with him again," he says.

JC has also confirmed that he and Danita Paner have parted ways after going steady for more than one year. Their romance started on the set of TV5’s “Basta Driver Sweet Lover” more than a year ago. They say their split up was a mutual decision and there was no third party involved. “Nagkakaroon lang kami ng mga problema, may mga bagay lang na ang hirap ibalik", says JC. "But definitely, no third party. Partly, sa work. Tapos, mayroon din siyang personal problems. Friends pa rin naman kami.”

Danita herself confirmed this. “We just have very different personalities, we don’t think alike,” she says. “JC is so disciplined, organized, lahat pinaplano niya. He’s not like me na mas free-wheeling and I just take things one day at a time. Ine-enjoy ko lang ang mga bagay-bagay.”

JC is glad that they parted ways amicably, unlike other stars whose relationships ended bitterly like KC and Piolo, DJ Mo and Rhian. JC adds that the break up wasn’t easy as they had some very good moments together during the time that they were on.

“Siyempre, naaalala mo pa rin 'yun. 'Yung first day after ng breakup iyon ang mahirap lang. Pero, after that okay na, eh. Nag-uusap naman kasi kami, eh.”

Danita is his third showbiz girlfriend after Michelle Madrigal and Rhian Ramos. They still get to work together in the TV5 Saturday variety show ‘Hey! It’s Saberday’.  JC says he did not put a permanent period to their relationship.  He even entertains the possibility that their relationship might  have a second chance after they're able deal with their own individual problems.  “Hindi pa naman sarado lahat" adds JC.

When asked if he will consider dating again, he replies:  “Huwag muna siguro. Rest muna ang puso ko. Trabaho na lang muna tayo.”

JILLIAN SCARED OF REAL CROCODILES

TOT superstar Jillian Ward got the scare of her life when she did a scene with a live crocodile on the set of “Daldalita”. “Sa eksena po kasi, 'yung eroplano namin papuntang Palawan, bumagsak,” she says. “Tapos, nawala ako, hindi na po ako makita. Hinahanap ako ng auntie ko (Manilyn Reynes) pero wala ako. Yun pala, napunta ako sa isang island. Wala na po akong malay. Nang magising ako, may malaking buwaya po sa harapan ko. Siempre nagsisigaw po ako sa takot.”

Manilyn is supposed to marry Sam (Marc Abaya) in Palawan that’s why they have to take that fateful plane trip. When rescuers arrive on the island, they try to convince her to go with them but she refuses to leave unless they found Daldalita first. Mateo (Ogie Alcasid) learns from the news that Daldalita’s plane crashed. In Manila, Kirat the rat has already told to Bobby the Pig and the Daisy the Duck the truth that Daldalita is really Ogie Alcasid’s missing daughter.

DIVA PLAYS VILLAIN TO CLOSE FRIEND

DIVA Montelaba doesn’t mind playing contravida to Sarah Lahbati in “Kokak.” It will be recalled that Diva was Sarah’s runnerup in "StarStruck V." “Sarah and I are close friends so I welcome supporting her in her launching show,” Diva says. “Natutuwa nga ako dahil hit ang show namin and it will run for 16 weeks.”

She plays Cheenee in “Kokak,”  the younger sister of Gian Magdangal who is against her brother’s marrying Jessa Zaragoza. “Hindi ko ma-take na pinakasalan ng Kuya ko si Jessa at gagawin ko ang lahat para sirain ang relationship nila. Ang nakakainis pa, dahil anak ni Jessa si Sarah, kukunin niya ito at patitirahin sa bahay namin kaya magkakaroon ako ng chance para laitin at apihin si Sarah. Tapos, pati si Gary Estrada na father ni Sarah, doon na rin sa bahay namin titira as family driver kaya magiging magkasama na sila roong buong mag-anak.”

EUGENE'S MOVIE NOMINATED AT ASIAN FILM AWARDS

ATTY. Joji Alonso, producer of the acclaimed “Babae sa Septic Tank”, announces that the film got two major nominations at the 6th Asian Film Awards to be held in Hong Kong organized by the Hong Kong International Filmfest Society. Eugene Domingo, who plays herself in the movie plus other characters, is nominated as best actress. Chris Martinez, who wrote the film’s script, is nominated as best screenwriter.

The awards presentation ceremony will be held at the Hongkong Convention Center on March 19. Eugene has also been invited as one of the award presenters.

The film earlier won best picture in the Cinemalaya Filmfest last July at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It also won the best actress award for Eugene Domingo. It’s currently the entry of the Philippines in the best foreign language film category of the Oscar Awards.

MOTHER LILY HELPS US CELEBRATE

PERSONAL: Thanks to Mother Lily Monteverde for hosting a birthday party for January celebrants Ian Fariñas of People’s Tonight, Joe Barrameda of Abante and yours truly last night at Century Imperial. Thanks also to Bong Osorio and Kane Choa of ABS-CBN for the gift and cake they presented to us at the “Lumayo Ka Man sa Akin” presscon and to Thess Gubi of Star Magic for the gift. Also celebrating their birthdays this January are colleagues Nitz Miralles and Shirley Pizarro. Our best wishes.