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Charmie Joy Pagulong - The Philippine Star
February 25, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Janine Gutierrez ventured into a nail salon business in 2019 but what she would like to focus on, business-wise, is film production. She is producing a film documentary chronicling the life of her grandmother, Asia’s Queen of Songs, Pilita Corrales, helmed by Baby Ruth Villarama.
“If you’re going to ask me about business, (film production) is what I want to learn next,” she told reporters during the multi-brand store Corso Como 88’s anniversary event at the One Ayala Mall, Makati City. “We started working on the film. Of course, there are a lot of life lessons that we could learn from Mamita and I really want to honor her.”
Her family will make an appearance in the film. “We’ll make it as authentic as possible. Our director is Baby Ruth. She was on board and she was excited to share Mamita’s story. I watched ‘Sunday Beauty Queen’ before and sobrang tumatak sa akin yun.”
Janine with Corso Como 88 CEO and President Imelda Menguito-Sciandra.
“So, for her to be so game in like on board to direct Mamita’s life and her documentary siyempre yung archives niya, from the ‘60s lahat, sana mabuo namin. I’m really excited because grabe yung puso ni Baby Ruth as a director.”
The documentary is at the early stage of the production but they already shot some interviews and footage for it. “We don’t have a deadline (yet) but tuloy-tuloy lang,” continued Janine.
The important life lesson that Janine learned from her grandmother is to put family first. She told The STAR, “Everything she does is for her family. And at the same time, as a woman, she overcame a lot of adversity. She started singing to be a breadwinner because her dad passed away. And she went through a lot.”
Sparkle artists Ashley Ortega, Roxie Smith and Shuvee Etrata.
She is thrilled to share the story of Pilita that the people don’t know about yet. “There’s so much to learn about being a woman and overcoming problems. Whatever happened, patuloy lang siyang bumabangon talaga,” beamed Janine.
Janine went on to express her gratitude to the team behind the recently concluded ABS-CBN drama action series “Lavender Fields.”
She recalled that it was “very challenging” for her to take on the role of Iris at first, but with the aid of the cast and directors, she was able to pull it off.
From left: Dong Ronquillo, Janine, Ruffa Gutierrez, Imelda, Tessa Prieto and Kylie Verzosa during the store’s anniversary event.
“They really, really helped and now na natapos na siya, pero meron pa ring lumalapit sa akin, (commenting), how they enjoyed the show. Sobrang nakakataba ng puso. And I’m grateful.”
She felt lucky to have essayed diverse roles in her past acting projects and would love to do action-comedy genre with women empowerment as a theme in the future. “I have my full trust sa mga Kapamilya and the bosses. Not that I’m picky with (projects), grabe lang talaga yung pagpapasalamat ko rin sa kanila.”
After “Lavender Fields,” Janine and boyfriend Jericho Rosales are going to star in two upcoming series, but she didn’t divulge any details yet on the said projects.
Meanwhile, Ruffa Gutierrez, Annabelle Rama, Kylie Verzosa, Kris Bernal and Sparkle artists Ashley Ortega, Roxie Smith and Shuvee Etrata were spotted at the Corso Como 88 event, hosted by Tessa Prieto.
The brand’s CEO and president Imelda Menguito Sciandra remarked that her store remains committed to bringing Italian craftsmanship to discerning consumers and providing a fashion haven for those who are starting to invest in luxury, long-lasting pieces.
Annabelle Rama (left) is also among the guests.
“As we mark Corso Como 88’s first anniversary in One Ayala, we reflect on a year of bringing the artistry of Italian craftsmanship to the Philippine market,” stated Imelda. “This milestone signifies more than just a successful year of operations, it also shows our unwavering commitment and passion for curating a collection that embodies the rich heritage, timeless elegance and meticulous attention to detail that defines Italian luxury.”
Corso Como 88 is the official and exclusive distributor for several coveted bag and footwear brands, and home for fragrance lines from Europe. The brands include Buti, Gianni Chiarini, Biagini, Roberta Pieri, Gina Monroe, BOIS 1920 and Acqua dell’Elba.
The store has branches at the Level 3 of One Ayala Mall in Makati City and at the ground floor of Ayala 30th in Pasig City.
