Filipino stars Angelica, Zanjoe, Enchong visit Dubai

Filipinos of all ages from all over the UAE gathered at the Dubai Festival City on Friday for the Kapamilya Fiesta World Concert. Angelica Panganiban, Zanjoe Marudo and Enchong Dee, who have starred in various soap operas, headlined the event organised by the TV network ABS-CBN. Stand-up comedian and actor Chokoleit and singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino also performed at the event.

Local Filipino talents from Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah also participated in the event. In addition to song and dance numbers, prizes were also given away to the crowd through various competitions.

It was Chokoleit who warmed up the audience with his hilarious punch lines, while model and showbiz hunk Zanjoe Marudo sent the crowd in a frenzy when he came on stage. During a part of a song number, Marudo went down from the stage to greet the crowd. As he mingled, some fans — probably wanting to get a glimpse of a bit more — tried and succeeded in unbuttoning his shirt.

A few minutes later, the breathless actor managed to climb his way up the stag with his shirt half-open. "They tried to undress me," he said sheepishly, turning his back to the crowd as he buttoned up his shirt.

Marudo became a household name when he joined the Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition in 2006 and further rose in popularity when he was cast in a prominent role in the soap opera Precious Hearts Romance Presents: Kristine.

Sultry actress Angelica Panganiban came on stage and performed a few song and dance numbers. She later drew loud cheers and laughs when she portrayed Krissy, a character she popularised in a TV gag show. Krissy is an impersonation of popular TV host Kris Aquino, the daughter of former Philippine president Cory Aquino and sister of current president Noynoy Aquino.

The mere mention of Enchong Dee's name sent the crowd screaming and cheers became louder when he went onstage. Dee, an actor, model and former swimming champion, sang Justin Bieber's hit song Baby. He is one of the newest young stars to emerge in the Philippine soap opera scene. Dee is set to headline the upcoming soap opera Maria la del Barrio, an adaptation of a popular Mexican telenovela.

One of the evening's special guests was award-winning Filipino TV and film director Rory B. Quintos. Quintos was the director of the movie Dubai, which was filmed here and depicted the life of Filipino expatriates in the emirate.