SHARON BEGINS FILMING DESPITE HER WEIGHT
by Alex Brosas, The Manila Times, September 28, 2001

Sharon Cuneta isnít letting her weight get in the way of the things she loves doing: Movies and the fashion business.

The megastar is now in the thick of filming her reunion movie with Robin Padilla, Pagdating ng Panahon, produced by her original mother studio, Viva Films.

Last weekís filming was done at Liliw, Laguna and Viva Films invited some press people to watch Sharon and Robin work. The scene we caught was a big one, since itís a wedding: That of Sharonís elder sister in the story, played by the comebacking Marissa Delgado. Robin was involved in the scene as he plays brother of the man Marissa was marrying.

When we arrived at the set, we saw a big scene being readied. It was a wedding scene of Marissa Delgado who plays Sharonís elder sister.

In the story, Sharon plays a conservative barrio lass who feels that her family has a curse. All her old maid sistersí boyfriends or would-be husband die before or after marriage. Robin was going to be Sharonís boyfriend eventually, even as Robinís older brother in the story would die during the honeymoon with Marissa (Sharonís other sisters are played by Baby OíBrien, Luz Valdez, and Amy Austria).

The movie marks the reunion of Sharon and Robin after five years of not doing a movie together. Itís slated for a November playdate to cap Vivaís anniversary month. Since the movie already has a playdate, Sharon had no choice but to start filming even if she hasnít lost enough wait to look good on camera.

ìYon lang ang regret ko. Sana I could get back to my ideal weight before we started filming. Pero Iím sure gagandahan naman ni direk ëyan,î she confided during a break in the filming.

ìI really am nahihiya to my audience. Parang this is the first time that Iím shooting this big (referring to her size). I was never this big before. Siyempre, Iím still losing the weight I gained during my pregnancy with Frankie (her baby with husband, Sen. Francis Pangilinan),î she further confided.

The director Sharon referred to earlier is Joyce Bernal, Vivaís box-office hit director.

Last week, too, Sharon formally opened her Sari-Sari Store branch at the third floor of Edsa Shangri-La Mall.

The opening featured a fashion showÖand guess who modeled for the megastar?

Well, they just included Ara Mina, Joyce Jimenez, Angel Aquino, Amy Perez, John Pratts, columnist Jessica Zafra, Wilma Doesnt, Ciara Sotto, Rico Yan, and Randy Santiago.

We heard all of them did it for freeófor the love for a dear friend, the megastar. It was a star-studded fashion event that only Sharon can pull off.

Of course, Sharonís dearest family was there to support her: Mom Elaine Cuneta, daughters KC and Frankie, and senator-husband Kiko Pangilinan