The Philippine Star- FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo
Regine Velasquez: No more symptoms
Now it can be told: Regine Velasquez backed out of Charice’s concert last June 27 at the Mall of Asia’s SMX due not to stress and over-fatigue as initially suspected but to A(H1N1).
“I didn’t know where I got it,” said Regine who was replaced by Kuh Ledesma. (It was Richard Gomez who pinchhit for her as host of the GMA show Are You The Next Big Star?) “I wasn’t hospitalized. The doctor told me only to rest at home. Mild case lang naman ‘yon. I don’t have the symptoms now,” she added.
As reported by Funfare Update a few days ago, Regine will open the Viva Concert Series at the Skydome of SM North EDSA on Aug. 1 (with another show on Aug. Cool with Most Requested which marks her return to the Viva where she started her recording career in the early ’80s after she won in Ang Bagong Kampeon (not Hamon sa Kampeon as Funfare Update earlier reported).
The show will also feature Eva Castillo (not Eva CariƱo as also earlier reported) who was Regine’s constant rival in amateur singing contests in Bulacan three decades ago.
“In all those contests,” recalled Regine, “once ko lang siya natalo. Kaya ‘yung Most Requested ay parang return bout namin.”
Now a mother of several children, Eva has retained her simple ways both in dressing and in attitude.
“That’s what I like about her,” said Regine. “I didn’t know that she was from Tondo and not Bulacan, pero alam ng Tatay ko. She would go to Bulacan only to join singing contests. I saw her again a few months ago after 30 years and I’m so eager and excited to perform with her again.”
Incidentally, Regine confirmed that she and her beloved Ogie Alcasid are indeed attending the wedding of Ogie’s (ex-)wife Michelle van Eimeren and her Australian fiance Mark Murrow in Australia sometime in November. Ogie will be the groomsman while Regine will sing during the reception.
Asked if she has chosen a song (probably one of her own), Regine said not yet.
Somebody suggested, “Why not Please Release Me?”
Regine laughed. “Na-release na, eh!”
But she declined to comment when she and Ogie will also get married, never mind if Michelle has beaten them to it.
vid by kay11butterfly
MANILA - Asia's Songbird, Regine Velasquez, tested positive for influenza A(H1N1) virus but she has already recovered.
Velasquez said she got infected by the virus days before her much-awaited guesting in Charice's first major concert last June 27 at SMX Convention Center.
"Mabilis lang pero buti na lang hindi naman matinding strain. I found out I was already okay kasi sa dami ng nagpa-pa-checkup [na-delay iyong result ng swab test]," she said.
She admitted that she got scared when she was diagnosed with H1N1.
"Understandable naman nga kasi nga naging pandemic nga. It's scary kasi at that time when it came out, we didn't even know how to treat it," she said.
During the quarantine period, she said she wore a mask so as not to infect those who are close to her.
Velasquez was the first local celebrity to publicly admit that she got infected by the disease.
"It felt like that, trangkaso lang. Pero siyempre sa mga dami ng chismis, hindi mo maalis na ma-praning ka, di ba? Pero may katotohanan pala ang pagka-praning ko," she said.
She said she learned that the best thing to do in order to combat any disease is to keep oneself healthy.
"Kasi kung talagang malakas ang immune system mo, hindi ka naman tatamaan ng sakit," she said.
The singer also attributed her speedy recovery to the following: adequate rest, vitamins, and boyfriend Ogie Alcasid.
"Yeah, he took care of me," she said.
The Department of Health has already recorded a total of 1,709 confirmed A (H1N1) cases in the Philippines as of June 27, 2009.
Apology
Meanwhile, Velasquez apologized to Charice because she was not able to perform during the latter’s first major concert.
Charice was reportedly teary eyed when she learned that her idol could not make it in the concert. Velasquez said she also felt the same way.
She said she hopes that the international singer sensation will again invite her to perform in her next concert.
Marie Lozano, ABS-CBN News
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