CELEBS ON THE WEB - Part 2
by Heinz Bulos, The Web Philippines, July/August 1997

In contrast, a boring site is that of Agot Isidro (www.cnl.net/agot/). The only nice thing about this home page is the main graphic image. Aside from that, it's a dud. About Agot is from Agenda magazine. Her Portfolio has a pathetic three photos. Her Filmography is under construction. And did the author of this page forget that she's an accomplished singer as well?

If Agot's and Donna's sites were fancy but empty, the official fan page of Maricel Laxa (www.philippines1.com/maricel/index.html) is defintely a lot more interesting, even sans the professional look. It's not going to win any design awards, but at least, it has a personal feel to it, as Maricel is pictorially featured in her different roles as housewife, mother, student, model, actress, etc. The site also contains a list of movies and TV appearances, affiliations and awards, personal and educational background, and some baby pics.

One of the first celebrity sites to appear on the Web was The FrancisM Homepage (web.cnl.net/francism/), and the site maintains its appeal. The main graphic image is impressive. The rest of the site is quite personal in nature. Who is FrancisM? is mainly about Francis Magalona's career. The Sounds section has a list of his album. The Visuals page has candid shots instead of the studio or album cover poses. It would be interesting though to have photos of FrancisM in concert and from his films and TV appearances, speaking of which, his career as an actor is largely ignored, despite being often critically-acclaimed. The Insights page is a Q&A on his views on various matters.

Those who go ga-ga over Aga can check out Aga Muhlach's Home Page (www.cnl.net/~aga/). The image map with a classified ads look is really neat, but like some of the Cybernet-created celebrity sites, Aga's Web page is bare. Aside from articles and photos from Agenda magazine (again?) and six photos, both content and design leave much to be desired. And what is a film actor site without a filmography? For a celebrated actor like Aga Muhlach, that's almost criminal.

From another real fan is a site for Ariel Rivera (www.cit.nepean.uws.edu.au/~adayao/arielr/). This looks amateurish. It's not organized well and the history and tour dates have sparse information. Still, it's done in genuine admiration, so all is forgiven. You'll find selected lyrics from Ariel's albums, and a list of movies, awards, and endorsements.

Nothing can be more personal than a celebrity home page created by the celebrity herself. The Web Page of Ruby Rodriguez (www.cris.com/~Mardi/RUBY.HTM) is a single page that Ruby did herself. So now we know that there's at least one local celebrity who knows HTML, though not very well. Her home page is sparse, with a few updates on her TV and movie appearances, and some of her favorite links.

Nothing's cuter than Donita Rose than Donita Rose as a litte girl. The Donita Rose Homepage (www.cnl.net/~donita/) proves this, by way of baby pictures included among the personal photos on the site. There are also some videos of her commercials in the Portraits section. Unfortunately, there is little information about her personal life and career.

The Lea Salonga Web Page (www.xnet.com/~wmeistr/LEA/) has been around for more than a year. It's the official page of Lea, and it shows. The site has a lot of sections, including Lea's Corner, which features some of Lea's personal musings. Her biography focuses more on her career. If you're a Lea Salonga watcher, the Schedule page is informative. Sometime in 1998, for instance, Lea will again be a voice character for a new Walt Disney animated film called "The Legend of Mulan". The Photo Gallery has few pictures and is being constructed. Other sections under construction are the message board and fan page. There's still a lot to see however. There are video captures, album covers, a section for photo requests, and interviews. There are links to the alt.fan.lea-salonga newsgroup, the LEA Newsletter, The Mail List, Lea in Asiaweek, and to other Lea pages. If there's one thing lacking, it's a more organized list of all the plays, movies, and TV programs she appeared in.

The Maricel Soriano Homepage (www.instanet.com/~dseeholzer/maricelhome.html) is a very good fan site. It has the Latest Maricel News, which includes photos and articles; A Maricel History, featuring her appearances on TV (remember her Kaluskos Musmos days) and the movies, Related Links, and a Guestbook.

Ms. Universe in cyberspace? The Dayanara Torres Home Page (www.cnl.net/~dayanara/) is exactly that. And Yari's home page is a great one. There's a number of movie files (.avi) and a lot of photos to download. About Dayanara is a long and detailed essay about the girl from Puerto Rico. There's a complete listing of her TV commercials, print ads, feature films, and other projects. And don't forget to sign her Guestbook.

Another neat site is Dale's Web Page (web.cnl.net/dale/). It seems Dale Villar has a hand in this. Sections include The Real Dale Villar, How to Stop a Workaholic (a detailed listing, more like a resume, of career highlights), and Dale on Camera (a few photos). And what do you know, it includes his parents' business Web pages.

Perhaps one of the most excellent celebrity sites is that of Dawn Zulueta, created by US-based David Seeholzer (who also did Maricel Soriano's home page). The Dawn Zulueta Homepage (www.instanet.com/~dseeholzer/dawnhome.html) is her official site, developed with the support of Dawn and her managers, so it's always updated. It contains a good number of photos (but no gallery) and a lot of info. The Latest News is updated and Career History is a complete and well-presented list of her movies, TV shows, and awards. There are also articles about Dawn, a Guestbook, and a lot of links.