SINCE 2022 is an election year and so many showbiz personalities have thrown their hats into the political ring. In contrast, Vilma Santos has chosen to retire after more than two decades in politics. And here are the celebrities who are running.

For President – Isko Moreno and Manny Pacquiao.

For Vice President – Tito Sotto, Kiko Pangilinan and Doc Willie Ong.

For the Senate – Herbert Bautista, Jinggoy Estrada, Monsour del Rosario, Raffy Tulfo, Robin Padilla and Carl Balita.

For Congress – Anjo Yllana in Camarines Sur, Arjo Atayde in QC, Jolo Revilla in Cavite, Angelica Jones in Laguna, Richard Gomez in Leyte, Richard Yap in Cebu, and for Party List: Nora Aunor, Mocha Uson and Karla Estrada. For Mayor – Lucy Torres in Ormoc, Alvin Patrimonio in Cainta, Javi Benitez in Victorias Negros. For Vice Mayor – Yul Servo in Manila, Teri Onor in Abucay, Bataan. For Governor – Mutya ng Pilipinas Sharifa Akeel in Sultan Kudarat. For Vice Governor – Alex Castro in Bulacan, Ejay Falcon in Oriental Mindoro, Imelda Papin in Camarines Sur. Board Member – Jason Abalos in Nueva Ecija. For councilor – Alma Moreno, Vandolph Quizon and Jomari Yllana in Paranaque; Angelu de Leon in Pasig, Aiko Melendez, Nash Aguas, Bobby Andrews, and Ali Forbes in Quezon City; Arci Munoz in Cainta, Claudine Barretto in Olongapo, Dennis Padilla in Caloocan, Lou Veloso and Jhong Hilario in Makati.

OTHER IMPORTANT HAPPENINGS

WE won a record of four medals in the Tokyo Olympics: gold for Hidilyn Diaz for weightlifting, silver for Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam for boxing, and bronze for Eumir Marcial, also for boxing.

Maria Ressa wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

John Arcilla wins the Volpi best actor award in the Venice International Filmfest for “On The Job 2”.

APT Channel teams up with Cignal TV to put up their own 24/7 comedy station called BuKo channel or Buhay Komedya that started its telecast last August.

Lovi Poe lands an important role in the international movie filmed in England, “The Chelsea Cowboy”, opposite actor Alex Pettyfer.

Inigo Pascual gets a supporting role in the Hollywood TV series “Monarch” opposite Susan Sarandon.

Raymond Gutierrez comes out and admits that he’s a member of the LGBTQ community.

Actor Enchong Dee is sued by Party List Rep. Claudine Bautista of cyberlibel to the tune of P1 billion for saying she had a lavish wedding in Balesin Island with husband Jose Lim.

Tony Labrusca was arraigned at the Makati Trial Court for his case of acts of lasviciousness filed against him by an unnamed woman.

Celebrity preacher and Duterte adviser Apollo Quiboloy was sued in the US for alleged sex trafficking charges.

Manny Pacquiao is sued for estafa by his former assistant Jake Joson who claims Pacquiao owes him millions. Joson also sues Annabelle Rama with cyberbullying charges for defending Pacquiao.

Bea Alonzo and Alden Richards formally sign a contract to team up in a movie to be produced by GMA, Viva and APT, but up to now, the movie that is supposed to be based on a Korean romance has yet to start filming.

Brightlight Productions of ex-Cong. Albee Benitez started strong producing several shows for TV5, but after three months, “Sunday Noon Live” and “Sunday Kada” quickly folded up. Their daily noon time show, “Lunch Out Loud,” however, is still ongoing.

Janno Gibbs and comedian Kitkat get into an ugly, bitter fight while hosting a show on Net25. Its executives tried to reconcile them but they failed to patch things up, so they were both fired by the network.

Comedian Kakai Bautista got a demand letter from Mario Maurer’s lawyer asking her to stop using him to generate publicity for herself,

Community pantries became in vogue in April and several of them cropped up in various locations but it stopped when Angel Locsin put up her own pantry and an elderly citizen died while lining up in the huge crowd of people who want to get free donated goodies.

Vivamax succeeds as the country’s top streaming channel with now a total of 2 million subscribers worldwide, showing one or two new movies plus concerts to offer new content every week.

Full male and female frontal movies proliferate on streaming sites like Vivamax and Upstream in movies “Lockdown”, “A Girl + A Boy”, “Silab”, “Anak ng Macho Dancer”, “Palitan”, “Eva”, etc.

The court sides with Viva Films in the case against Nadine Lustre so she reconciles with the company that built her up and is now about to finish a new movie with them, “Greed”.

There’s a hard lockdown in August due to the Delta variant, but things got more lenient in October and theaters are allowed to reopen on November 10, showing Hollywood movies. The Metro Manila Filmfest was held only online in 2020 and ended on January 7, 2021 earning only a total of P31 million. This year it’s held again but in actual moviehouses, with 8 official entries, but theatre attendance as of this writing is not that encouraging. Let’s hope it still picks up.

NETWORK RIGODON OF STARS

THOSE who left ABS-CBN and moved to GMA-7: Bea Alonzo, John Lloyd Cruz (now also managed by Maja Salvador’s talent agency), Albert Martinez, Kuya Kim Atienza, and Pokwang, Beauty Gonzalez and Xian Lim who first did shows with TV5. This includes former Star Magic executives Johnny Manahan and Mariole Alberto who are now with GMA Artist Center.

Those who moved from GMA-7 to ABS-CBN – Lovi Poe, Janine Gutierrez and Sunshine Dizon.

Those who moved from ABS-CBN to TV5 – Billy Crawford, Maja Salvador and Piolo Pascual who later returned to ABS-CBN. Yassi Pressman also left ‘Ang Probinsyano’ to host a game show on TV5.

THOSE WHO LEFT US

THE grim ripper is busy this year. In January, actors Tony Ferrer and Rex Lapid left us for the Great Beyond.

In March, it’s time for singer Claire de la Fuente, former actress-beauty queen Josephine Estrada, and designer Rocky Gathercole to go.

In April, it’s critic-writer-director Nestor Torre Jr., actress/ Mildred Ortega, director Toto Natividad and singer-actor Victor Wood.

In May, it’s Philstar entertainment editor Ricky F. Lo, production designer-director Leo Abaya, comedian-director Arlene Tolibas, and veteran radio-TV-movie actresses Laura Hermosa and Esther Chavez.

In June, comedian Lito Shalala Reyes and former Pres. Noynoy Aquino.

In July, theatre actress-director Celia Diaz Laurel, comedian Hans Mortel, former actors Orestes Ojeda and Mel Francisco / former MTRCB chairman Manuel Morato, TV executive Arlene de Castro, Sharon Cuneta’s impersonator Marvin Martinez aka Ate Shawie and indie filmmaker Joseph Laban.

In August, actor-playwright Domingo Landicho, reporter-TV host Ansel Beluso, producers Kitchie Benedicto and Tess Fuentes, writer Vir Gonzales, comedian Mahal and character actor Richard Manabat.

In September, writer Roel Villacorta, actress Janet Bordon, “Pusong Bato” singer-composer Alon de los Reyes and National Artist for Literature and film critic Bienvenido Lumbera. In October, folk singer Heber Bartolome, director Bert de Leon and musician Mike Shapiro, husband of Suklay Diva Katrina Velarde.

The last to go is broadcaster-director Arlyn de la Cruz this December. Let’s all pray for the repose of their souls.