She’s back doing one of the things she likes best—hosting.
1998 Mutya ng Pilipinas Rochelle Romero Ong has been scarce in her public appearances after she decided to migrate to the US some years back.
But she couldn’t say no to reappear publicly and anchor the special coverage and pre-event online show of “A Tale of Two Book Launches” to usher in the launching of Jonathan Melrod’s “Fighting Times” and this writer’s “SekSinema (Gender Images in Philippine Sex Cinema Enfolding Pandemia).”
Today, January 7, 2023 at 1 pm (Philippine time), Rochelle will be on center stage once more to host a lively and informative discussion about Jonathan’s chronicles of labor movements and their victories in the US in the 60s to the contemporary and my historical survey of the employ of sex in Philippine movies from the silent era to the age of live streaming platforms.
“I feel nervous because I haven’t done hosting for the longest time,” admitted Romero Ong in an online interview.
Rochelle, a Communication Arts graduate of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters was a sought- after emcee of live shows and other special events during her stint as Mutya until the millennium.
During the back-to-back online forum with Rochelle as main facilitator, Melrod will occupy the first half of the show devoted to “Fighting Times” while 1982 Binibining Pilipinas and actress Maria Isabel Lopez, who is incidentally Melrod's wife, will dwell into other half of the exchanges of ideas in “SekSinema."
OpinYon Quezonin Editor Gem Suguitan and this writer will be the co-facilitators to Romero Ong.
Tune in to Rochelle Ong’s Facebook Live to catch the entire interesting symposium on air.
“Fighting Times” will be launched in-person on January 8, 2023 at 3 pm at the Popular Bookstore in Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City while “SekSinema…” will be launched on-site on January 14, 2023 at 2-5 pm at the Philippine Expressions Bookshop at 479 W. 6th Street, San Pedro, California.