GMA LAUNCHES MOST EXPENSIVE TELESERIES
By: Mario E. Bautista

GMA-7 had a grand launching for their new telefantasya, “Kamandag” starring Richard Gutierrez, last Monday night. The whole Studio 3 was designed to look like a forest and when the entire cast entered in various animal costumes, the whole place look like a production of Broadway’s “The Lion King” that has a smaller version in Disneyland. Based on a work of Carlo Caparas, “Kamandag” creates a mythical land called Ambograw. Ambogs are creatures with mixed human and animal qualities, divided into five tribes. The Hasbaya are snake people led by Haring Saban (Gardo Versoza.) The Lobobaya are wolves led by Haring Gulag (Zoren Legaspi.) (We tell producer Redgie Magno that they’re antedating her former ward Angel Locin’s “Lobo” and she says: “O di ba?”) The Goybaya are monkeys led by Haring Dinggol (Benjie Paras.) The Pusbaya are cats led by Reyna Kuran (Francine Prieto.) The Orobaya are “taong toro” or bulls led by Haring Budog (Johnny Delgado). Richard plays Vergel, the son of a mortal, Eula Valdez, and the king of snakes who grows up in the world mortals raised by Melissa Mendez and Emilio Garcia. He becomes a superhero with the powers of a snake. Also in the world of mortals are Maxene Magalona, Ehra Madrigal, Jewel Mische, Ronaldo Valdez, Ariel Rivera and Mark Anthony Fernandez as Richard’s friend who becomes a mortal enemy. “Each new show of Richard becomes more and more difficult to mount as you have to top the previous ones,” says Redgie Magno. “In terms of sets, costumes and special effects, ‘Kamandag’ is our most expensive so far.”FIL-AM UFC CHAMP WANTS TO STAY IN RPRICHARD Gutierrez personally contacted Ultimate Fighting Champion Brandon Vera through the net to be his martial arts instructor for “Kamandag.” “I’m flattered that Richard did his own research at ako ang napili niya,” says Brandon, who has a Pinoy dad and an Italian American mom. He also speaks Tagalog fluently since he grew up with his Pinay stepmom, Amelia. “The first time he got me, hindi ako puwede as I had a fight. Buti, na-postpone ang start ng taping nila to October-November kaya pumuwede rin ako.”So how does he find working in the Philippines? “Masaya. Enjoy ako. Everyone’s nice to work with, puro mababait. Nagulat ako when our directors, Mark Reyes and Topel Lee, told me I have to act in three sequences and play the role of an assassin. Sabi ko, sige. First time ko to act and Richard was my coach. Pero sa fight scenes, akong teacher niya. He’s very good. Madaling maka-pick up. He’ll just watch me do it for three times, then makukuha na niya.”Standing 6’3" and wearing size 14 shoes, 30-year-old Brandon is married to Kelly Kaysik, a muay thai champion. “I leave Manila this Friday to see her fight in London dahil may laban siya doon. Then we go to the U.S. for Thanksgiving and stay there until Christmas as I will host our family reunion in my new house in San Diego. We will only have kids when we don’t compete anymore.”Weren’t they affected by the recent wild fires? “Almost. Sa backyard namin, halos ten feet away na lang ang fire. Buti di natuloy. But we had to follow mandatory evacuation.”Brandon hopes to put up a gym here with Richard as his associate. “We’re already planning it. I really love it here. I saw the beach in Punta Fuego and I love it. Babalik ako rito.”Source: Journal OnlineNovember 15, 2007