The Way of Ai
The Comedy Queen on big shoes to fill, her movies this year, being open to having a baby through IVF and, oh, the bashers.
The Comedy Queen on big shoes to fill, her movies this year, being open to having a baby through IVF and, oh, the bashers.
When Hitmakers Marco Sison, Hajji Alejandro and Rey Valera announced their Valentine concert this year, they knew where the laughs would come from without their beloved comic member Rico J. Puno, who unfortunately passed away last year.
Indeed, Concert Comedy Queen Ai Ai delas Alas has big shoes to fill except that she has no intention to replace anyone.
“I’m not here to replace Rico, no one can replace him,” she said in an interview. “He’s an icon. I’m just here to make people happy, to make these three singers comfortable with their banter.”
Ai Ai and Rico worked many times before and the former acknowledges how witty he was.
“He’s so funny, such a good companion. The industry would never be the same without him.”
Admitting she’s more of comedian than singer, Ai Ai is trying her best to study the Hitmakers’ repertoire.
“If I will not sound good here, maybe they won’t get me in their next concerts. So I need to be serious as a singer!” she joked. Presented by Starmedia Entertainment, “Hitmakers And Ai” is on Feb. 15 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila.
More projects
Apart from the concert, Ai Ai has three films on the way.
One is with her “babies,” Ex Battalion – the rappers behind the hit song “Hayaan Mo Sila.”
She, who serves as the group’s manager, revealed the shooting of the film “Sons Of Nanay Sabel” is almost done. It is out May 1 in time for Mother’s Day.
Then, she will star in “Feelinials” alongside Bayani Agbayani. Last is in Super Tekla’s debut movie under GMA Films.
Baby soon?
Talking about her personal life, Ai Ai, 54, is open to having a baby with husband Gerald Sibayan through in vitro fertilization, if needed.
Based on The Mayo Clinic website, IVF is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology.
During the procedure, mature eggs are collected (retrieved) from your ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab. Then the fertilized egg (embryo) or eggs are implanted in your uterus. One cycle of IVF takes about two weeks.
Couple Ice Seguerra and Liza Diño
recently underwent the same procedure.
Ai Ai admitted she’s not getting any younger and if this is the only way to have a baby, then she will do it.
“If I can’t have a baby through the normal process, then we will turn to science for help,” she said. “Pero sa ngayon, ’di namin kailangan.”
But if those two still don’t work out, the actress revealed she’ll join the fertility dance ritual in Obando, Bulacan. She also plans to take a year off from showbiz next year in hopes of increasing her chances of conceiving a baby. Going “all-out” to have a child, Ai Ai said she doesn’t want to make her 25-year-old husband “feel like I didn’t try.” She believes “prayers can move mountains.” “Which husband doesn’t want to be a father, right?” said she, who already has three children from previous relationships. Meanwhile, Ai Ai fully supports Gerald’s dream of becoming a pilot. He is currently studying at the Asian Institute of Aviation. “I support him by not stressing him out!” she said, laughing. “He’s enjoying himself, though he’s into difficult task – juggling a lot of things and doing calculations, things like that,” she said. Is she ready to ride a plane with Gerald as pilot, we teased. “If he asks me to go with him, I would just tell him, ‘I love you!’” she laughed.
Positivity, please
Some people have expressed concern over Ai Ai being open to IVF, saying it might affect her image as Papal Awardee.
Recall that in 2016, she was given a Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For the Church and Pope) medal, the highest award given to lay people, for her “distinguished service to the church.”
“I don’t think it will ruin my image (as a Papal Awardee) because I will actually give life to a child,” she explained.
Ai Ai recently drew mixed reactions from netizens, this, after she posted photos of herself flaunting her body in a bikini. While some accused those were heavily “edited,” she denied it.
Some also deemed her “trying hard” for posting such.
For her, wearing bikini is not only for young people.
“You know, those bashers, I don’t mind them. As long as I’m not hurting anyone, I will do what I want to do. Let’s just spread the positivity.”