TELEVISION ALBUM

Posted on May 29, 2012 by @ffv Standard

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Vilma Santos long successful television career started with musical variety show, The Sensations with love team, Edgar Mortiz and other teen singing sensations like Perla Adea, Esperanza Fabon, Rommy Mallari and Eddie Perigrina. She followed this up, with a drama anthology in Dalambuhay ni Rosa Vilma. The mid to late 70s, Vilma ventured again into the musical variety genre with a string of shows like, Ayan Eh, Vilma Santos Special Engagements and Vilma In Person until settling down with her top rated long-running show, Vilma! Vilma! became one of the most successful TV show in Philippines television history. Armed with its lavish opening production number, it became the highest rated and advertisement haven from early to late 1990s. Vilma’s decision to settled down with her marriage to Senator Ralph Recto and her pregnancy with her youngest son, Ryan Christian halted the success of Vilma! and eventually resulted to the shows ending.

Here are Vilma’s television recognitions:

1972 – Most Effective TV Actress – EMEE Award
1987 – Best Musical Variety Show Host – Star Awards for TV
1987 – Best Musical Variety Show – ‘Vilma’ – Catholic Mass Media Award (CMMA)
1988 – Best Musical Variety Show Host – Star Awards for TV
1988 – Best Musical Variety Show – ‘Vilma’ – Star Awards for TV
1988 – Best Musical Variety Show – ‘Vilma’ – CMMA Award
1989 – Best Musical Variety Show – ‘Vilma’ – Star Awards for TV
1989 – Best Musical Variety Show – ‘Vilma’ – CMMA Award
1990 – Best Musical Variety Show – ‘Vilma’ – Star Awards for TV
1990 – Hall of Fame in Musical Variety Show – ‘Vilma’ – CMMA
1990 – New York International Awards for TV -‘Vilma’ – Finalist
1991 – Best Musical Variety Show – ‘Vilma’ – Star Awards for TV
1991 – Best Musical Variety Show – ‘Vilma’ – Dove Award
1992 – Best Musical Variety Show – ‘Vilma’ – Star Awards for TV
1994 – Best Musical VAriety Show – ‘Vilma’ – Star Awards for TV
1998 – Ading Fernando Lifetime Achievement Award – Star for TV
2006 – Best Actress in a Single TV Persformance for MMK: ‘Regalo’ episode – Star for TV

Source: Global Vilmanians

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100 days ni Ate Vi As Governor (Repost)

Posted on May 27, 2012 by @ffv Standard

Wow! Naka 100 days na pala bilang gobernador ng lalawigan ng Batangas si Governor Vi ngayong araw na ito, Oktubre 8, 2007, kaya naman sa pamamagitan nina Jean Dolor at Manny Nava (salamat sa inyong dalawa!) ay ise-share ko ang mga nasaksihan nila kaninang umaga sa Batangas City. Hindi nakadalo ang inyong lingkod, pati na rin si El Presidente Jojo Lim, Bise-Presidente Eric Nadurata o maging sina Secretary Clarisse Pilande at Kristine Lomeda, Treasurer Obet Sapin at Asst. Treasurer Nar Santander at ang iba pang opisyales at miyembro ng VSSI, Inc. dahil sa sobrang kabisihan sa kanilang mga trabaho.

Bago ang State of Provincial Address (SOPA) ni Governor Vi ay nagkaroon muna sila ng flag ceremony. Sa Auditorium ginanap ang SOPA na nagsimula ng alas nueve ng umaga. Mga 3,500 ang mga pumuntang panauhin kabilang na ang 31 mayors, vice mayors at mga konsehales ng mga bayan at lungsod ng lalawigan ng Batangas, mga provincial board members at vice-governor. Andun din si Deborah Sun na may kasamang isang artista. Mayroon ding representative ang dalawang higanteng network, ang ABS-CBN 2 at GMA 7. Nakapormal ang mga nagsidalong mga bisita, naka-gown ang mga babae. Sina Jing Seguismundo at Jun Dijan ang naging emcee ng palatuntunan. Umawit yung nanalo sa Lipa’s Voices, Songs and Rhytms noong nakaraang taon. Suot ng isang barong at pantalong itim si Governor Vi. Eto ang nilalaman ng kanyang 45-minute speech.

Magandang umaga sa inyong lahat! Because public office is a public trust; and because my accountability is to our people; it is only right that I be made to account for how I conducted myself in the first 100 days as the governor of Batangas. Mga kababayan ko, I am here today to make an accounting of my first 100 days in office to report to you what I intend to do and to accomplish beyond this period.

Because what matters most to us lies beyond this period; what we do in the next 905 days to accomplish our goals of reducing poverty so that we can uplift the quality of life of our provincemates; and of improving the investment landscape in the entire province, so that we can bring right in the door step of every family the jobs and income opportunities that it generates.

Our population now stands at 1,905,348 and it grows 3.02%. This means that 57,160 babies will be added to our present population by next year. 25% of our population lives below the poverty line. And the poverty incidence in our province is 3 times higher than in Laguna and Cavite. Our province has been left behind. How will our provincial government respond to his situation? Ano ba ang maaasahan ng ating mga kababayan sa ating pamahalaan?

The challenge now is how do we reduce poverty significantly and in a sustained matter; how do we make our province prosperous. And I believe that I am up to this task. Dahil magkakasama at magtutulungan tayo dito, dahil tayong mga Batangueño ay may malasakit sa kapakanan ng ating lalawigan. Dahil taos puso sa atin and maglingkod sa ating kapwa at sa ating lalawigan.

We will provide our provincemates with a stronge response to be hopeful about their future and their children’s future. And to accomplish this, we will govern with deep compassion, clear direction, workable and doable plan and achievable results.

Totoong napakabilis ng paglipas ng panahon. Di ko namamalayan, ako pala ay tatlong buwan at sampung araw ng nakaupo bilang gobernador ng ating lalawigan. At sa loob ng napakaikling panahong ito, sa aking palagay, naging makabuluhan at mabunga ang mga ginawa nating pagsusumikap, pagtutulungan at pagkakaisa. When we first arrived here on July 2, 2007, we were facing a blank wall. Why? Because, there was no transition team; there was no smooth turnover of power. We had to put a lot of thing in order. We really had to do a lot of housekeeping to get a better view of the internal condition of our provincial government; the finances, human resource, operation and structure. And we have to take a look also at the external situation; what’s the state of health of our provincemates, the quality of facilities services that our hospitals offer…..the state of public education and infrastructure services? During the first 100 days, we looked into these things. And because of the cooperation that our department heads fully extended to us, our job became easier. We were able to get a working knowledge of the functions, operations and priority programs of the 18 major offices including our 12 district hospitals. Kaya gusto ko muling pasalamatan ang ating mga department heads. Narito sila ngayon. Palakpakan po natin sila. Habang pinag-aaralan namin ang katayuan ng ating pamahalaan, I had to turn down a lot of speaking engagements, invitations and photo sessions. Sa mga hindi ko napagbigyan- –marahil ang iba sa inyo ay naririto ngayon—ako’ y humihingi sa inyo ng paumanhin. Pwede na po tayong mag-picturan.

To continue, we were able to get a clear and accurate picture of the financial condition of the provincial government. And I would like to thank our budget officer, provincial accountant, provincial assessor, provincial treasurer, and pro bono senior adviser Senator Recto, who guided them patiently and expertly to obtain this picture. Matapos naming mapag-aralan ang katatayuan ng ating pamahalaan, nakita namin na mayroon pa tayong sapat na pondo para mabigyan ng kaukulang pansin ang mga bagay na napakahalaga sa akin. Una, ang mapagbuti ang kalagayan ng ating mga empleyado. Binisita ko ang bawa’t opisina nila. Nakita ko mismo ang kanilang kalagayan. Pinakinggan ko rin ang kanilang mga hinaing at kahilingan. Hindi ko sila pwedeng pabayaan sa kalagayang nadatnan ko dito. Kailangang maging maayos ang kanilang kalagayan sapagka’t sila ang makakasama at makakatulong ko sa pagpapatupad ng mga pangunahing programa ng ating pamahalaan. Kaya ako’y nagpapasalamat ng malaki sa ating Sangguniang Panglalawigan sa pamumuno ni Vice-Governor Mark Leviste, Board Members sa pamamagitan ng inyong suporta.

• Nataas nating ng 10% ang sweldo ng lahat ng kawani ng ating pamahalaan na may kabuuang Php16M.

• Nakapaglaan din tayo ng pondo para sa mga casuals na nagiging katulong nila sa pagsisilbi sa ating kababayan

• Mabibigyan natin ng office equipment, furniture and fixtures ang ating mga tanggapan

On the issue of governance, we made it our policy to involve our department heads in local government management. We welcome their recommendation in the formulation, adoption and implementation of our government programs. Mahalaga din sa amin ang kalusugan ng ating mga empleyado kaya nagbigay ang ating pamahalaan ng libreng check up sa humigit kumulang na 2,000 empleyado natin. Pinag-ukulan din natin ng pansin ng mga inmates sa provincial jail. Pinagbuti natin ang pagpapakain sa kanila para maging maayos din naman ang kanilang kalusugan. After transforming our provincial government into a cohesive, unified and responsive unit, we started looking at the external situation. External condition – And the poverty diagnosis based on 13 core indicators conducted by PSWDO in partnership with the mayors in 14 municipalities became very useful. And let me share with you some of the unflattering findings of this diagnosis. Batay sa isang health indicator, 244 ang bilang ng mga bata na 0-5 years old ang namatay ng hindi nabibigyan ng sapat na attention. We can’t allow this. Batay rin sa isa pang health indicator, 27 women died due to pregnancy-related causes. We even cross-checked their data with the National Statistical and Coordination Board, specifically its poverty statistics and Human Development Index (HDI) because we are serious about our work. And we need to get an accurate and ample picture of the situation in Batangas Province. And what is clear is that big portion of our population has no access to basic health services. It appears that our province has lagged behind in terms of proportion of households with no access to health services. This could mean that they didn’t trust our public health care system. And when I saw our hospitals, I was not surprised by these findings. Kaya naisip ko, our provincial government should intervene heavily to make health services accessible to our impoverished sector. At mayroon na kaming kasalukuyang ginagawang action dito.

First, our provincial government is now improving the delivery health service in 5 district hospitals – Lipa, Tanauan, Rosario, San Juan and San Jose. The rest of the hospitals will follow. We will upgrade the laboratory, medical and room facilities here. We will make them at par with private hospitals, compete with them and thereby bring down the cost of health care.

Second, on the prevention side, we will intervene by subjecting our infants to NBS test so they would not suffer from any harmful or potentially fatal disorder which it could easily detect. We have placed this concern on top of our health’s expenditure program next year.

Third, we will provide health insurance to more than 40,000 indigents or the poorest of the poor so that they will have access to quality health care.

Fourth, we will focus our health care program on the top ten most illnesses in our province.

Fifth, we will transform one district hospital into a center of excellence. Excellence in service, facility and accomodation. And if our revenue will permit us more, we will replicate in other districts and thereby ensure that our constituents will have access to high quality hospital service.

With all these initiatives and innovations, I am hoping our province will be among the top ten leading health service providers nationwide. Three days ago, nasa television news ang Batangas dahil sa dami ng morality dahil sa Dengue. Iisa lamang ang matibay na solusyon sa problemang ito: panatilihin nating malinis ang ating kapaligiran sa bawa’t tahanan sa bawa’t barangay. Kaya sa ating mga mayor, hinihiling ko na magsagawa tayo ng isang massive household-based clean-up campaign. This is our best response to dengue. Sa larangan naman ng edukasyon, batay sa poverty diagnosis, 18,750 bata na nagkakaedad na 6-12 ang hindi napasok sa elementary school; at 24,821 namang bata na nagkakaedad na 13-16 and hindi napasok sa high school. Batay sa NSCB, 76% lang ng ating mga mag-aaral sa mababang paaralan ang nakakatapos ng elementarya. Samantalang 65% lang ng ating mga mag-aaral sa high school ang nakakatapos sa ganitong antas. Anong naghihintay na kinabukasan sa mga ito? Tiyak na mapapabilang ito sa mga taong daranas ng paghihirap pagdating ng araw kung wala tayong gagawing lunas dito. We don’t want any child to be left behid just because he failed to get elementary and secondary education. If our children are deprived of the opportunity to study, it will be our family’s and our community’s loss as well. Isang solusyon sa problemang ito ay ang pagdadagdag ng bilang ng mobile teachers para mapuntahan ang mga batang ito at matulungan silang maipagpatuloy ang kanilang pag-aaral. We will hire more mobile teachers to give these out-of-school children an opportunity to study and thereby save them from a life of misery. We will implement, too, a feeding program to meet the nutritional requirement of our school children so that we can improve their health and, in the process, help them raise their academic accomplishment. We want best public shools to be known for their excellent facilities so that they can produce the best and the brightest students who can compete not only regionally but nationally as well. We will transform initially one school for every district as center of excellence. And if our revenue will allow it in the next three years, we will set up one center of excellence for every municipality. We will employ the benefits and advantages that information and communication technology brings in improving the quality of teaching and learning environment in public schools. Study shows that 98% of our young students who attend pre-schools finish college. We will therefore raise the standards of teaching in our day care center. To do this, we will adopt the program that we implemented successfully in the city of Lipa. We will train our day care teachers to handle their classes the Montessori way. We already know the pervasive effects of poverty. And we have the tools on how to identify and measure them, and locate who suffer from this social disease.

Kaya kami ay bumuo ng isang task force na itutuon and pondo at panahon sa pagtugon sa mga bagay na nagpapahirap sa ating mga kababayan. And this is the Inter-agency Poverty Reduction Team. We will equip this action team with resources to enable our provincial government to augment the efforts and resources our municipal mayors need in reducing poverty in their locality. But first things first, I want an updated data on poverty situation in 31 municipalities based on the 14 indicators of health, nutrition, shelter, water and sanitation, basic education, income employment, peace and order. Every program of action that our government implements must be based on updated, verifiable and accurate data so that we will know what appropriate, effective and responsive program of action we will formulate and carry out to address the poverty situation. I will therefore require our PSWDO to conduct a poverty diagnosis in partnership with our municipal mayors based on these indicators. We can train and tap the services of our students on this undertaking. Sa ating mga mahal na mayor na narito ngayon, kung may malalim na problemang lumabas dito sa poverty diagnosis na gagawin natin, magtulungan tayong sugpuin ito. Do your share and I will do my share, too, to alleviate poverty. Let this be a shared responsibility. Through these, we will be doing our part in uplifting well-being of our nation. And at the same time, we will be honoring our international commitment to meet Millenium Development Goals. If we can accomplish these earlier, we could become a model among our Local Government Units. I would like to appeal to our mayors to attend regularly the Provincial Development Council meeting. Ito’y magandang pagkakataon para magkaroon tayo ng direktang ugnayan o koordinasyon sa pagpapatupad ng mga pangunahing programs ng ating pamahalaan.

My job is not just a service provider. It’s also my job to be economic manager. We have to create an environment that is conducive to economic growth and development so that business and industry in our province can flourish. In this way, we can help create jobs and income opportunities for our constituents, and generate revenue for our municipalities. Malalaki man o malilit na mamumuhunan ay kailangan nating tanggapin ng pantay. Likas na magaling sa negosyo ang mga Batangueño at ipakita natin na maayos ang pagnenegosyo sa Batangas. Our provincial government will take this job seriously. Sisimulan namin ito sa pamamagitan ng pagpapabuti ng katatayuan ng ating mga kalsada. We will build, improve and maintain our provincial roads in support of the invetment potentials of the Province, in support of our enterpreneurs who need to market their products and services and to help lower the cost of doing business. But we will prioritize those roads which could make our agricultural, tourism and other sector more productive, increase the area’s investment potential, help facilitate business and trading activities. Our resources are limited, they must therefore be put to productive use. We will ask the support of our congressmen in the four congressional districts of Batangas in improving the condition of our national roads. Our province is blessed with natural beauty which make it one of the best tourist destinations in our country today. And this explains why tourism industry thrives and continues to thrive here. Our provincial government will provide infrastructure support to this industry so that it can continue to generate jobs and income opportunities to our localities. Ito ang isa sa mga pamamaraang gagawin ng ating pamahalaan upang malunasan ang pangunahing dahilan kung bakit dumadanas ng kahirapan ang ating mga kababayan: ang kawalan ng trabaho. And we will augment these efforts by allocating substantial fund for livelihood activities from our budget next year. Pangangalagaan din natin ang ating likas na yaman katulad ng ating mga karagatan para mapanatili ang kagandahan, kalinisan at kaligtasan nito at ng sa ganoon maipagpatuloy ang paghahanap buhay ng mga taong umaasa dito. We will support investment activities here but we will make sure that the sanctity of our seawater, safety and source of income of our people will not be compromised. I have created a task force and provided it with logistical and legal support so that it can accomplish this job.

Tayong mga Batangueño ay kilalang masisipag at matiyaga sa paghahanapbuhay sapagka’t tayo’y naniniwala na sa ganitong paraan gaganda ang ating buhay at kinabukasan. This explains why I am against all forms of illegal gambling including jueteng. Because they promote wrong values. For as long as I’m the governor of Batangas, I will never sanction jueteng. And I would like to remid our PNP Director and all the police chiefs of my earlier directive… ..Enforce our anti-gambling law; stop the operation of jueteng in the entire province. Uulitin ko po, habang ako ang gobernador ng Batangas, hindi ko papayagan ang jueteng. Pero di ko kayang sugpuing mag-isa ito. Kailangan ko ang tulong ng private sector, non-Government Organizations at ng simbahan sa pangunguna ni Archbishop Arguelles. At ako’y natutuwa naman sa mga kabataan natin sapagka’t naririnig ko sila pag sila’y nag-uusap. Sabi nila “Bakit ako tataya dyan? Magtratrabaho na lang ako.” Ang ibig sabihin, nag-iisip at natututo na ang ating mga kabataan dito sa Batangas. And I predict, jueteng here will die a natural death dahil hindi interesado dyan ang ating mga kabataan. And this augurs well on the future of our youth. And our provincial government will offer an alternative job to hose who have been displaced by the termination of jueteng operation. Since we are talking about law enforcement here, there is one more thing that I would like to address. The crime volume in our province has unfortunately pictured Batangas as a murder capital. I want to erase this image. I will therefore strengthen the law enforcement and crime prevention capability of our PNP by providing them with logistical support, communication and crime fighting equipment. This will allow them to perform effectively their mission of safeguarding the lives of our civilian population. All we are talking about here needs fund. And if we will not be able to improve our revenue collection efficiency and tax administration; and rely only on national subsidy, then we will not be able to finance more our development programs.

Kaya, ako’y nagtayo ng revenue enhancement team. They will study and recommend on how we can raise more revenue for the province so that we can finance more the improvement of the delivery of services to our constituents. And I believe that this team can accomplish this task. The programs, policies and strategies I have discussed here are embodied in our proposed budget for 2008. I will be therefore counting again on the vital support of our Sangguniang Panlalawigan on this expenditure plan. Tayong mga Batangueño ay kilala dahil sa ating talino at tapang, pagmamahal sa ating bayan, pagiging masipag at matibay na pananampalataya sa Panginoon. At ang mga dakilang katangian nating ito ay nakaukit na sa kasaysayan ng ating bansa…..sa pakikipaglaban natin upang magkaroon ng kasarinlan, sa pagkakaroon ng isang bansang mapayapa, maunlad, may kakayahang makapamuno at makatayo sa sariling paa ng may dignidad. Samakatuwid tayong mga Batangueño ay may pagmamalasakit sa ating kapwa. At ito ang dahilan kung bakit tayong lahat ay nagsusumikap na mapagbuti ang katatayuan at kinabukasan ng ating lalawigan. Mga kababayan ko, sa loob ng aking termino, wala akong hinahangad kung hindi maibigay sa inyo ang isang napakahalagang bagay: PAG-ASA…..pag-asang matutupad ang ating mga pangarap na maging marangal, maunlad at matatag ang pamumuhay ng ating mga anak at ng mga susunod pang salinlahi. Sa pamamagitan ng ating pagtutulungan at patnubay ng Panginoong Diyos, ako’y naniniwala na ating mararating ang ating hinahangad at pinapangarap para sa ating mahal na lalawigan. My dream is to see a just, fair, compassionate and prosperous society where each family member can realize his full potential as a human being; and succeed in what he does because he is honest, responsible, hardworking, courageous and God-fearing; and does his share in building a better community for all. Building this kind of society is not the work of tomorrow. We build it today – we build it now. Sama-sama nating inumpisahan ito, sama-sama nating ipagpatuloy ito ngayon! Marami pong salamat, at muli, isang magandang umaga sa inyong lahat! Nagmamahal, Vilma Santos-Recto.

Pagkatapos ng kanyang speech ay nagkaroon ng photo session. Lumabas si Governor Vi ng auditorium at pumunta sa capitol ground kasama ang mga empleyado at umawit ng BUILDING THE FUTURE TOGETHER-ALL FOR ONE. At habang umaawit ay nagpalipad ng 100 white baloons. Matapos ang pag-awit ay pumunta na sila sa Governor’s office para sa isang pananghalian. At dito nagtatapos ang isa na namang kaganapan sa Lungsod ng Batangas sa ika-100 araw na pagiging gobernador ni Governor Vi. Mabuhay ka Governor Vi! – Alfonso Valencia

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Vilma Santos interviews Charo Santos-Concio for MMK 20

Posted on May 25, 2012 by @ffv Standard

In “MMK Dalawang Dekada,” a two-hour documentary special to be aired this Sept.25 in “Sunday’s Best,” a journey of the show’s success will be recollected featuring Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos, actress par excellance, grilling host Charo Santos about the show. It features how loyal viewers are glued to every episode not only because of the lead stars but more importantly, because of the content of the story and the lessons learned by the letter senders. (READ MORE).

the story behind paper clip – One of the highlights of the documentary featured Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto having a chat with the face behind MMK, ABS-CBN President Charo Santos-Concio. Governor Vi asked Ms. Charo: What’s the story behind paper clip? The senior executive narrated with a smile, “My bosses thought wala akong alam sa telebisyon…Sa pelikula, may play date. You can postpone your play date. Pero sa television, the show must go on everyday. Wala kang dead air…Tinanong kita kung anong programang ang pwede mong ipalit bukas, anong ideyang ibibigay mo? Sabi ko, ‘I’ll think about it. Give me a week’ [Sabi nila], ‘Ano? One week, hindi ganyan sa telebisyon. Now na.'” “Nakita ko yung paper clip on top of the table. Sa nerbiyos ko, napahawak ako sa paper clip. Maaring ang silbi nito ay para sa functional use…But sa ibang tao, may kwento, behind this.” “Maaring ginamit niya ito noong nagtanan siya ng kanyang mahal at magbukas ng pinto.We can dramatize true-to-life stories from letter senders. Anong title na ibibigay mo diyan? Among my souvenirs…” (READ MORE)

Daisy Hernandez (Vilma Santos), a mother must divide her time between work and taking care of her daughter April (Maja Salvador) who has cerebral palsy. Daisy’s heart is wrenched every time she sees her eldest child suffer because of her illness. But Daisy never loses hope, and April manages to live a normal life until she is 18. Just when Daisy thought things are doing fine with her daughter’s disability, a tragedy will further test her faith (Wikepedia).

Maalaala Mo Kaya (lit. Would You Remember) is a Philippine drama anthology series broadcast on ABS-CBN every Saturday evening and being hosted by Charo Santos-Concio. Currently, it became the longest-running drama anthology on Philippine television and on Asia. The program features weekly real life stories or anecdotes of common people or even famous celebrities and personalities through letter sending. The series has a counterpart radio program being broadcast on DZMM called “Maalaala Mo Kaya sa DZMM”, a paperback (“pocketbooks”) adaption and a comic book adaptation under Mango Comics & Sterling. The program is named after the song, “Maalaala Mo Kaya” by Constancio de Guzman, which also serves as the program’s main theme song which was performed by Dulce. During 2000’s airing of the program until now, the main theme song was covered by Carol Banawa replacing Dulce’s version. Notable episodes: “Regalo” (Gift) MMK episode topbilled by Vilma Santos, Ricky Davao and Maja Salvador and considered as one of the most critically successful episode (Wikepedia).

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Regalo (TV 2006)

Posted on May 23, 2012 by @ffv Standard

“Kung ang tawag sa mga namamatayan ng asawa ay byudo o biyuda at ang mga anak na nawawalan ng mga magulang ay ulila, ano ang tawag sa mga magulang na namamatayan ng anak?” – Daisy Hernandez

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Basic Info: Directed: Olivia M. Lamasan; Writing credit: Dado C. Lumibao; Cast: Vilma Santos, Maja Salvador, Ricky Davao, Erich Gonzales, Charo Santos-Concio; Producer: Ginny Monteagudo, Malou N. Santos; Cinematography: Neil Daza, Charlie Peralta; Editing: Aries Pascual; Production Design: Nancy Arcega, Malou Dugtong IMDB

Plot Summary: Daisy Hernandez (Vilma Santos), a mother must divide her time between work and taking care of her daughter April (Maja Salvador) who has cerebral palsy. Daisy’s heart is wrenched every time she sees her eldest child suffer because of her illness. But Daisy never loses hope, and April manages to live a normal life until she is 18. Just when Daisy thought things are doing fine with her daughter’s disability, a tragedy will further test her faith (Wikepedia).

Achievement: 20th Star Awards Best Actress by a Single Performance – Vilma Santos Wikepedia

Reviews: “Though the hurt you felt seeing the Star for All Seasons Vilma Santos excruciatingly depicting the harrowing tale of a mother deeply burdened by the travails of her ailing special daughter has been quite deep, the relatability and inspiration overcome you. But what really moves you apart from the inspiring story of Daisy Hernandez is the Vilma’s legendary and exceptional ability to transform into the character herself. You can see the anguish in her eyes and the profound suffering she felt in each second of her appearance. As such, Maalaala Mo Kaya’s classic 2006 episode “Regalo” is her televised dramatic opus beyond compare. Add to that Maja Salvador’s unprecedented breakthrough performance of Daisy’s precious child and cerebral palsy sufferer April, which made critics turn heads and focus intently on what she can offer as an actress. Maja truly matched the kind of thespic excellence an actor needs to show in the same frame as Vilma Santos, and more…The episode had its astonishing thespic highlights, yet with masterful guidance from Direk Olive Lamasan, who brought incredible emotive dimensions to every character in the story. You would feel their every utterance, dramatic expression, and character validation worthy of thought and emulation…Maja Salvador became an actress of note since this episode, and this started an eventful string of extraordinary dramatic performances both in film and TV. Her superb portrayal of a mentally and physically challenged individual became her rite of passage to the acting big leagues, and rightfully so, she has cornered a respectable and prominent place in the industry. Mere words cannot express or measure the immense dramatic reach of Vilma Santos. You just have to witness her to believe and get astonished with every eye movement, line phrasing, raw emotion, expressive gesture she makes on screen. Vilma just satisfies everyone’s insatiable appetite for drama perfection, great thespic talent personified, and MMK “Regalo” further elevates her as a more illuminating Star for All Seasons.” – Gerry Plaza, ABS-CBN, 04 July 2020 (READ MORE)

“…It’s a vintage Vilma Santos performance, packed full with so much emotion that perhaps only the stone-hearted won’t be moved, especially in the succeeding scene where, hesitantly resigning to her daughter’s final farewell, Vilma delivers the clinching dialogue: Bakit kapag ang asawa ay namatayan ng asawa, ang tawag sa kanila balo o kaya ay biyudo o biyuda? Kapag naman namatayan ng ama o ina ang isang anak, ang tawag sa kanya ay ulila. Ano naman ang tawag nila sa inang namatayan ng anak? That scene is absolutely heart-tugging and there’s more of similar scenes in the two-part special for which, according to direk Olive, Daisy Hernandez herself (a native of Lipa City where Vilma is the mayor on her third and last term) wrote some of the dialogues in the story that Vilma herself chose as possible movie material (but, said Vilma, “no regrets that it ended up a Maalaala special”). Regalo (with Ricky Davao as Vilma’s husband) is the 777th episode of Maalaala which has lasted longer than the ABS-CBN executive (now retired) who, 15 years ago when Charo broached the idea of hosting the drama series, told her, “Wala kang alam sa telebisyon; ang alam mo lang ay pelikula…” – Ricky Lo (READ MORE)

“…Vi’s mighty proud of “Regalo,” saying the long wait was worth it. She herself presented the story to Charo and her sister Malou Santos, Daisy being one of her constituents in Lipa City. The mayor describes Daisy as a strong woman, not easily given to tears, despite the plight of her daughter April who had passed away. In memory of her daughter, Daisy works with an NGO which helps sick and needy children in Lipa…Olive requested that Daisy be on the set so that direk could relate the story as accurately as possible. Olive noted that a most moving line said by Vilma, came from Daisy herself. Something like, “Ang babaeng namatayan ng asawa, ang tawag biyuda. Ang anak na namatayan ng magulang, ulila. Subalit ano’ng tawag sa magulang, sa inang nawalan ng anak? Wala…” Vilma said words are not enough to describe the grief of a mother who lost a child. How true. Ask Manay Gina de Venecia, and Ali Sotto. “Regalo” was written by Dado Lumibao with Mel Mendoza-del Rosario as script supervisor. Charlie Peralta is the cameraman…” – Ronald Constantino (READ MORE)

“IT’S obvious that ABS-CBN values Vilma Santos so much. After making a movie that is an unabashed tribute to her from start to finish, “D Lucky Ones,” they now feature her in the 15th anniversary presentation of “Maalaala Mo Kaya.” “We love Vi as she’s not only a nice person but also a true professional, a committed artist who loves her craft,” says Charo Santos, top ABSCBN executive and host of “Maalaala Mo Kaya.” “Fan na niya ako since her Vi and Bobot days and Iove seen her evolution as a person and as an actress. Kahanga-hanga talaga siya at ang kanyang magandang kalooban, it just radiates. You cannot fake that dahil galing talaga ‘yun sa loob. We’ve long been inviting her to guest in “Maalaala” and she was the one who gave us this story of Mrs. Daisy Hernandez, a mother so devoted to her eldest daughter who had cerebral palsy.” “I met Daisy at the SPED, special education school for special children, in Lipa,” says Ate Vi. “I met her daughter, April. Then I didn’t see her for sometime and I found April has died na pala. I told her to write down her story then I gave it to Malou Santos who thought of doing it for “Maalaala.” We started taping this last year, pero magka-conflict ang skeds namin ni Direk Olive Lamasan, so it took 6 and a half days to tape it over a period of one year at natiyempo sa anniversary ng “Maalaala” at pang-Mother’s Day presentation pa.” “This is the show’s 777th episode,” adds Charo. “Maalaala has been made into a film in 1994 that gave awards to its stars, Aiko Melendez and Chin Chin Gutierrez. It has given the break to many directors like Wenn Deramas, Jerry Sineneng, Rory Quintos, Gilbert Perez, Mac Alejandre, Lauren Dyogi, Ricky Davao and Michael de Mesa. We’re proud to have Vi for our anniversary show that will be shown on May 4 and 11.” We’ve seen the preview of the episode, entitled “Regalo,” and its really a tearjerker that aims to wring your tearducts dry. Her fans will surely be proud of their idol anew as she shines in several scenes where she gets to deliver kilometric lines.

It’s a great acting vehicle for any actress worth her salt and Ate Vi truly does justice to the role of a mother who does everything to support her disabled child only to lose her later to a viral infection. All throughout the death and wake of April” (convincingly played by Maja Salvador), Vilma is not shown crying at all. She finally breaks down after the funeral while talking to her husband (Ricky Davao, whos equally great) and delivers some lines that will surely be added to the list of classic dialogues she has uttered in her past films and that were all used in “D Lucky Ones.” If you’re a parent with a special child, you’d be able to identify with her role. But even if you’re not, you’d still be affected by this true story of unconditional love and sacrifice. Incidentally, we finally got to see “D Lucky Ones” and we’d like to congratulate Director Wenn Deramas for succeeding to make us laugh. There are many hilarious scenes in the movie that even non-Vilmanians will appreciate, thanks to the fine performances of Eugene Domingo, Sandara Park and Pokwang. Eugene is the best among them as she doesn’t exert too much effort in tickling us. Sandy is also a natural comedienne, but Pokwang can go over the top at the times she should have been restrained a bit. The film has two highlights. First is the dance showdown between Eugene and Pokwang at the Phi Bar where they get to re-create the intricate production numbers Ate Vi used to do in her TV show. The second one is the film’s climax where Ate Vi makes a special guest appearance to reconcile the warring Eugene and Pokwang and then does a dance number with the entire cast. Most local comedies fail to make us laugh, but this one really works. – Charlie Gomez (READ MORE)

“VILMA Santos had a meeting with her Vilmanians the other Friday at Max’s Libis. She reported that she had finally finished shooting her Maalaala Mo Kaya episode with Ricky Davao and Maja Salvador, directed by Olive Lamasan. “One year in the making ito, bale two episodes, but it’s really worth it and I’m impressed with the work of Direk Olive,” she says. “It’s based on the true story of a woman from Lipa.” She said she got an offer to do a stage play at the CCP. She’s willing to try the theatre but when she was told she has to rehearse for two months, she had to turn it down as she still has her duties as Lipa City mayor to attend to. She revealed she has new movie offers, but most of them are heavy drama. She wants to do something lighter that will be more appealing to the masa. Last March 8, Vilma was given the First Diwata Award in celebration of International Women’s Day. That coincided with the 16th International Women’s Film Festival by the UP Film Institute, the longest-running women’s filmfest in the country. She was cited for her roles in films like Sister Stella L, Relasyon, The Dolzura Cortez Story, Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa? and Dekada ’70, which are about women empowerment. She was honored with Lily Monteverde, Charo Santos-Concio and writer Lualhati Bautista. Vilma was warmly applauded by an adulating crowd and she delivered a very inspirational message, saying: “I strongly believe in these films with strong messages. It’s about time men believe in women empowerment. Don’t underestimate us, women and artists!” Ate Vi left Thursday with husband Sen. Ralph Recto to attend the investiture rites of our new cardinal in Rome (she was personally invited). After that, she will take a cruise with Ralph and meet with her family in Los Angeles.” – Mario Bautista, People’s Journal March 26 2006 (READ MORE)

“Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos, a multi-awarded dramatic actress, an exemplary wife and mother and a model public official, is so work-oriented that she can only make a few television appearances every year…Mayor Vi gives a bravura performance, which has become her trademark. She gives up her acting mannerisms for a fresh attack of a mother’s role that makes it an outstanding interpretation. Regalo relives the tale of Daisy Hernandez, a devoted wife and dedicated mother whose child suffers from cerebral palsy…Although screened in black and white, Regalos exceptional quality was immediately evident during the media preview. Everything about this episode is non-artsy as director Olive opted for a straightforward presentation to bring out the drama without seeming contrived. Acting is likewise direct to the point, clearly the episodes main strength. Although Mayor Vi is notches higher in delivering her role, Maja showed that she has the makings of another Vilma Santos. Pitting them together was a casting triumph. Although Regalo is a small story, cast and crew imparted it with enough realism to turn it into a domestic epic of sorts. Regalo, written by Dado Lumibao, is a clear proof of MMKs superiority as a drama anthology, making it the longest running ABS-CBN show right now. It is not afraid to defy convention, tell real-life stories with themes of rape, homosexuality, or physical disability, just as it delivers contemporary stories of love and sacrifice, family dramas and teen stories. And it does this with critically acclaimed actors and directors, award-winning stories, and visual treats that have semblances of films rarely seen on television (read: high production values unconstrained by small-screen budgetary pegs). This makes Maaalaala Mo Kaya a world-class drama anthology. Regalo is MMKs Mothers Day presentation with excellent actors Ricky Davao and Erich Gonzales in supporting roles.” – Edgar Cruz (READ MORE)

“…A special 15th Anniversary prsentation of Maalaala Mo Kaya. “Regalo” is an inspiring story of a woman who goes through a painful journey of finding her fulfillment as a wife, a mother and as a person. Balancing her time between her career and family is rather difficult for Daisy Hernandez. Her eldest daughter April is afflicted with Cerebral Palsy and needs all the love, care and attention only a mother can give. What can a mother sacrifice to raise a daughter like April? How far can she go to fight for her daughter’s battles in life?…” – Kabayan Central (READ MORE)

“…As for Vilma’s “MMK” replay, she and Ricky turned in emotionally charged and committed performances in it as the parents of a girl (Maja) with cerebral palsy. Vilma’s character, in particular, refused to capitulate to the dreaded illness’ terrible demands and tragic consequence, and the portrayal she turned in was one of her career bests. It’s good that our TV channels are replaying iconic shows and performances, because new generations of viewers are made more aware of and grateful for past thespic achievements, which make them more enlightened and demanding viewers today—to keep our TV-film people on their toes!…” – Nestor U. Torre, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 25 April 2015 (READ MORE)

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Bugso (TV 2002)

Posted on May 21, 2012 by @ffv Standard

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Basic Info: Director: Christopher Strauss De Leon; Cast: Vilma Santos, Tirso Cruz III, Christopher De Leon, Ian De Leon, Renato Del Prado, Aiza Marquez, Mandy Ochoa; Producer: Sandy Andolong, Lyn Ynchausti

Plot Summary: Bugso is the GMA-7 telesine that Christopher De Leon directed (he also does a bit part in it as Vilma’s dead husband). It’s not correct to say that Bugso is television version of the classic Audrey Hepburn starrer Wait Until Dark, although, like Audrey, Vilma also played a blind lady toyed around by greedy relatives (Tirso Cruz III being one of them) who wanted the inheritance all to themselves.

Achievement: One of De Leon’s directorial projects (Maalaala mo kaya (2009), Bugso (2002), Huwag mong salingin ang sugat ko (1991), Halimaw – “komiks”segment (1986)

Review: “…When we arrived before lunchtime (good timing!), direk Christopher had already wrapped several scenes and he was working double time to finish the rest of the day-effect scenes before dusk fell. Because they were limited to only two shooting days, opting for Lipa as location in deference to Mayor Vilma who couldnt be away from the city of her affection, direk Christopher said that he had to do away with some of the night scenes without disrupting the flow of the suspense-thriller. Direk Christopher was a delight to watch at work, very different from when he’s only acting. Bugso is not his first directorial job, having already megged Komiks (part of a twin bill produced by ex-wife Nora Aunor, starring a very young Ian de Leon as a komiks freak), part of Kislap sa Dilim which he took over from Lino Brocka who died in a car accident before putting the movie to can and all of Huwag Mo Akong Salingin, the other movie Lino was supposed to start shooting three days before his untimely death. Bugso is made more interesting by the fact that, besides being a “family affair,” three of the people whose lives have been inter-twined with that of Nora Aunor are involved in the project – Christopher is Nora’s ex-husband, Tirso is Noras ex-boyfriend and Vilma, although a kumare, is considered until now to be Nora’s arch rival. (Vilmanians will insist, however, that Vilma has beaten her kumare by miles, with Vilma still enjoying a well-oiled career, a happy family life and a successful transition from showbiz to politics, a field Nora has failed miserably to conquer.)…” READ MORE

“…Seen in more than a dozen successful big-screen projects (among them Relasyon, Broken Marriage and Ipagpatawad Mo), Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos and Christopher “Boyet” de Leon are together again but on another level this time and on the small screen, she as the lead actress and he as the director. The telemovie is entitled Bugso, with Tirso Cruz III and Ian de Leon as the other members of the cast. The suspense-thriller is being produced for GMA 7 (telecast is slated middle of next month) by Tirso’s wife Lyn Ynchausti. Shooting will take two days in, as per Mayor Vi’s request, Lipa City, with some of the highlights shot at the beautiful resthouse of STAR columnist and art patron Danny Dolor (who is hosting a lunch for the Bugso cast and some special friends from Manila on the last shooting day)…” – Ricardo F. Lo READ MORE

“A telemovie of GMA productions was shown during the Holy Week and man… it really sucks! Well, I don’t want to sound too mean but have you ever heard of a blind woman able to kill a psychotic murderer on the loose? The twists in the movie were also pathetic and predictable! Guess what? There are three killers and the only thing that made this difficult was to know who killed whom? There are no surprising twists and even the fighting scenes stink. In some part of the teemovie the flow of the story was so slow, too slow. Maybe this is just the director’s, Christopher de Leon, style but I guess this slow phase was not really necessary because it could be a reason to lose their viewers attention. Vilma Santos played the lead role of a blind woman who became a house’s breadwinner. Vilma’s character is actually rich and she is sustaining her sister’s family. Vilma is a really good actress but I was not impressed by her portrayal of a blind woman. The sister’s husband, portrayed by Tirso Cruz III was actually the one who hired the psychotic murderer to kill his family for fifty thousand pesos. The psychotic murderer, portrayed by Ian de Leon, did his job but when the Tirso’s character asked Vilma’s character to sign the papers that will turn her treasures to him, Vilma thought that he was the one killed his family. Tirso got insane and Vilma noticed it. She was able to call a police and a fighting scene happened. Tirso got hit and before he died he revealed that he hired Ian de Leon’s character to kill her and that Vilma’s safety is still not for sure. This was really funny you know. The man who hired a murderer to kill Vilma was suddenly caring for her safety. Maybe the part that I really enjoyed is when Ian was hunting to kill Vilma. This part made me scream for Vilma, shouting that she should run faster or do this and that. But when the part that she stabbed Ian with an axe in his back made me laugh! It was as if she could see Ian after all, that she was not blind. I don’t know how she did it but it certainly made Vilma’s blindness obviously fake…” – bluedison23

“…Bugso is a noun that roughly translates into “gust,” as in a quick attack of wind or some such. Sometimes, the word is also used in the context of having extremely strong and sudden feelings, reactions or urges. The movie is about the conspiracy of three men, each of whom have a different motive, to kill the family of Miss Ancheta (Vilma Santos) – so she would be left alone and helpless to sign some papers that would turn over all her money and property to Tirso Cruz III‘s character, her devious cousin-in-law. Tirso’s character is one of the three schemers. Such was his greed that he came to the point of killing off his own wife and stepchildren for the sake of material wealth. The other two men involved in the plan are the non-speaking semi-psychopath Nanding (Ian de Leon) and the aging foreman of the Ancheta farm, Ka Matias. The former does it for the money and the thrill of the kill. The latter has cheated the Ancheta family by stealing the title to the farm land and then pawning it for money for his own caprices. Ka Matias realizes that he cannot hide such a secret for long and believes that the best way to clear himself of it was to resort to murder and force. The approach of the whole television movie was suspense-mystery. The story was driven by dark intentions set against the idyllic countryside. All of it revolves around the decisions and chutzpah of a proud, blind heroine. I have to admit this may be a bit formulaic, with so many murder-mysteries and their respective slightly incapacitated heroines, but Bugso possesses an appeal all its own, sourced for the most part from its actors. Vilma Santos is heart-wrenchingly bittersweet and annoyingly stubborn. Tirso Cruz III is ever the Juancho-like bastard (Juancho is his villain character from the GMA-7 soap opera Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga). However, my favorite is definitely the dark, mentally-disturbed Ian de Leon, who exudes menace just by sitting in the shadows and eyeing the heroine with bloodlust. Director Christopher de Leon did a good job with the transition of scenes, especially when the action starts to heat up. The way he constructs the angles and the movements of the characters mirrors the varying moods…” – Madame Shi

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ULTIMATE SCRAPBOOK (Repost)

Posted on May 19, 2012 by @ffv Standard

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There was a time when a fan’s devotion to his or her idol wasn’t measured by how much they’ve spent on all the advertised merchandise made available to the public. Not every fan was able to afford the style of clothes sported by the stars, let alone be able to purchase the latest glossy magazine with their idol’s perfect smile on the cover. It was a time when making a scrapbook was enough to call one a devotee. Chosen photos collected from all sorts of publications were recycled, and carefully pasted on a simple spiral ring notebook. This would be one of many treasured volumes of personalized scrapbooks that would be shared, traded, and admired by other adoring fans. Here’s a look at an original late 60’s scrapbook made by a Vilma Santos fan. Many thanks to our good friend Edward De Los Santos for sharing scans of this amazing Vilma Santos scrapbook. For the best source of classic records, vintage magazines, and other amazing vintage collectibles, visit his Ebay stores: philippine.music (Ebay Philippines), and oldbestseller (Ebay USA). – Nostalgia Manila web-site (READ MORE)

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Print Media Covers (2000-10s)

Posted on May 17, 2012 by @ffv Standard

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COVER - Planet Philippines Aug 2012 Fifty Shining Seasons (1)

COVER - Yes Magazine Oct 2015 Aldub Fever

COVERS - Super Balita Davao 08 June 2015

COVERS - Cooperative Ambassador March 30 2015 (1)

COVERS - Cooperative Ambassador March 30 2015 (2)

COVER - Celebrification in Philippine Politics 2011

COVERS - John Lyod Cruz and Luis Manzano @ Chalk

#VilmaSantos, #Vi, #VilmaSantosRecto, #magazinecovers

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DEKADA 60: Si Ate Vi, Si GING (Repost)

Posted on May 15, 2012 by @ffv Standard

All Vilmanians and even those who just love watching old Tagalog movies must have been glued to their TV screens last Thursday afternoon when Channel 9’s “Premiere Pilipino Klasiks” aired “Ging”, Vilma Santos’ follow-up movie after she was introduced in Sampaguita Pictures’ “Trudis Liit”. Produced by Premiere Productions when Vilma was only 10 (circa 1963), “Ging” casts the now-Star for All Seasons (and Lipa City Mayor, too! (now Governor of Batangas-FRV)) as a street child who is in charge of taking care of her invalid mother, played by Olivia Cenizal.

In flashback fashion, we find out that Ms. Cenizal was once a big movie star who fell in love and married a young rich man (portrayed in the film by Jose Padilla, Jr.) Padilla’s aristocratic mother (Etang Discher), unfortunately, breaks up the union and the two lovers go their separate ways. Vilma, as Ging, was born shortly after. While begging for food scraps from customers at the restaurant of the Chinese Ponga (I doubt if today’s generation have any idea who he is or how he looks like), she is spotted by Ramon D’Salva and his wife, Carol Varga. The couple immediately express their wish to adopt her. Vilma was hesitant at first at the idea – until she was promised by D’Salva that she would be sent to school, and her mother, to the hospital for medical treatment. Once she is in the D’Salva home, the couple show their true colors. They exploit her by making her perform in vaudeville presentations.

Although she is a hit and a top money maker, she is still badly treated by Varga. For one, she is not given proper nutrition to stunt her growth (child stars are supposed to be cute and small). Little Vilma rebels when she finds out that D’Salva does not fulfill his promise of sending her mother to the hospital for treatment. She runs away and in the process bumps into people related to her biological father. Padilla and Cenizal are reunited and the little heroine lives happily ever after with her parents. “Ging” was directed by Cirio Santiago and Teodorico Santos. Although it was made in the old-fashioned way of making films (the flashback scenes in particular), the material used here is timeless – especially since there are more street children in our midst now more than ever.

As far as the showbiz scene is concerned, there are still a lot of heartless impresarios today exploiting young talents in the business. But what really made “Ging” a delight to watch was the performance of the very young Vilma Santos. Even at the early age, it was clear that she was already brimming with talent. Vilma, apparently, was born into this world to perform, entertain and make people happy. She was utterly convincing in the dramatic scenes and thoroughly graceful in her musical numbers. Listang-lista – as we’d say in the vernacular. Even then, she was already living up to her showbiz title of “Star for All Seasons” because her performance in “Ging” is not only brilliant, but timeless as well.

Source: Written by Butch Francisco, Mar 04 1999 People’s Journal

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ONE MORE HURRAH FOR VILMA

Posted on May 13, 2012 by @ffv Standard

From the chubby faced cry baby of TRUDIS LIIT in 1962 to the chinky eyed teener of THE SENSATIONS fame ululating the words of “Sweet 16” and “Sad Movies Make Me Cry”, Vilma Santos blossomed into an actress, star and entertainer in her own right. She finally emerged from the overpowering shadow of her touted arch rival, the Superstar, when she gyrated her way to immortality via the definitive Celso Ad. Castillo masterpiece BURLESK QUEEN.

Then she paired up with Christopher de Leon, and together they produced a string of box office and critical triumphs. Among them were RELASYON and BROKEN MARRIAGE, Ishmael Bernal’s paeans to domestic turmoil, and roles which earned her back-to-back Urian Best Actress Awards, and forever ingrained her image as the archetype of the long-suffering wife in the consciousness of Filipino moviegoers. True, the rest of the 80s would be no picnic for Vilma. However, she had also entered the field of variety and drama anthology television and was determined to keep up the pace of her achievements.

Vilma Santos is among the last of the real stars. Unlike the celebrities of today, she never needed the packaging, the publicity blitz or even the programmed gimmickry to keep the public interested in her. With more than 36 dozen acting citations to her credit, she continues to remind one and all that talent must be deeply rooted, developed, nurtured and disciplined. Above all, she never sat back and accepted the appellation that she was only number 2. Vilma is Vilma — a star of the first magnitude, brilliant, glamorous enough to hold her own against anybody else. Out of her struggles in the cruel world of showbusiness, she emerged a resilient, confident lady. It would only be fitting to say that she carved her own throne – not to be better than anyone else but because she knew that film artistry is the very essence of her being, the why and wherefore of her existence. None of this was for the fans but for her own completion and fulfilment.

Yet like everyone else, she longed for greater meaning. After her marriage with Edu Manzano failed, she had to find once more the man of her dreams, the man who was worth giving up even her career in entertainment. It all climaxed in a storybook wedding in Lipa Cathedral. Then another chance at mother hood required some great sacrifices including her withdrawal from the Friday night variety program, Vilma. Time was of the essence. Motherhood overrode the mundane details of a showbiz career. Time slowed for Vilma as she bowed out of the limelight. It was not the death of a career but a pregnant pause – waiting for something bigger and better in the coming days.

Then Vilma returned, a mother. She tried television for 13 weeks, but that was far more than her pace as woman, mother and star can carry her through. Was the star for all seasons ready for a truly big comeback? Sadly, the answer was: not yet. She paired up once more with Christopher de Leon and then action king Fernando Poe Jr in a two lackluster hits that only confirmed that it was not yet time to return. In the wake of those forgettable films, the tragedy of Nana Rosa, WWII comfort woman, whose story with all the makings of a grand masterpiece was slowly taking shape only to be shelved in the end. It really wasn’t meant to be, but she needed an ace to show all that she still has the touch of an actress. Strident and confident as she is, she kept all these things in her and bided her time. People hardly expected it, but another facet of Vilma was about to show itself.

Vilma, wife of a prominent congressman, had allowed the reality of the unshod masses in her adopted home of Lipa City to touch her heart. From her heart came the fount of compassion. “This was not playing big actress on the silver screen,” she declared. “This was coming face to face with a reality on a day to day basis. You literally have to learn to deal with the children who walked around barefoot, naked and dirty,” she went on. The national elections of 1998 were fast approaching, and Vilma was each day strengthening her chances of taking over City Hall. “People tend to look up to you because you are a star in their eyes, the one who embodies their dreams and aspirations” she explained. There was no escaping that reality, reluctant as she was to take on the challenge of populist politics where she and many others were jeered at as brainless entertainers who cannot think up pro-people programs, ready to be forgotten after the last meeting de avance.

Yet she was not to be easily dismissed. After all, experience counted for something. Neither was she intellectually gifted to handle the finer rudiments of ward politics – like the Umali family which had kept a stranglehold on the mayorship of Lipa and who now treated her as a potentially dangerous rival in their continuing quest for political control. It was not her entertaining skills that ruffled their feathers. It was the very fact that Vilma had faced the people and begun winning their hearts through her kindness, notwithstanding her limited resources as a congressman’s spouse.

As she touched the hearts of her fellow Lipenos, the acclaim for her to sit as the new mayor grew. Even rival political parties from out of town thought nothing about asking for her endorsement. She was never interested in endorsements; all she knew was that she wanted to serve the people of Lipa City. “It was these people who asked for medicine, food, even money to keep their small businesses going. You had to face them, to know who they are and to be wise because being accommodating to everyone is not necessarily good for everyone. If someone holds an unfair advantage over everyone else, I was willing to fight tooth and nail for the common good of all. This is the heart of my mission,” announced Vilma. True enough, she kept the faith with her people. She was keenly aware of her limits, but she knew that nothing could make her fail to respond to their needs the way she can.

Then in the middle of all this came BATA, BATA PAANO KA GINAWA? from Lualhati Bautista’s classic novel. The role seemed to embody everything she has lived through the years. It’s not a perfect film, but one that will surely reinforce her legacy as woman, mother, wife, politician and actress. Surely, the most meticulous preparations went in this Star Cinema production. We can be certain though that the one thing that will emerge is Vilma, glistening like a diamond on her cosmic throne. This time the stakes are far deeper than just thepopularity polls and awards derbies. It will be Vilma Santos the person who will be shining through. And truly, it will be a fitting urrah! – Written by Alex Jimenez, Newsflash

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Vilma-Nora Then, Nora-Vilma Now (Repost)

Posted on May 11, 2012 by @ffv Standard

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Rosa Vilma Santos tugged the hearstring of the Filipino moviegoers via Trudis Litt in 1963, her first movie at age nine that gave her the Famas Best Child Actress award. At that tender age, Vilma was also tapped to star with Gloria Romero and Rita Gomez in the movie Anak, Ang Iyong Ina, thus making her busy with two pictures. It might interest non-Vilmanians to know that little Vilma’s auditions for Trudis Liit was accidental. When she went to the Sampaguita compound with her mother, she was prodded to join the queue of hundred kids for an audition. When her turn came, she acted with premier villainess, Bella Flores. The Sampaguita patriarch, Dr. Jose Perez, was so impressed with Vilma’s performance that the plum role had to fall on Vilma’s lap. That was the start of Vilma’s reign up to the early ‘70s with box-office outings via Lipad, Darna, Dyesebel at and Mahiwagang Kabibe, Kampanerang Kuba, Wonder Vi, Anak ng Aswang, Batya’t Palu-Palo, and many more. These pictures were preceded with the tweezum-craze of the period – Teenage Señorita, Young Lovers, The Sensations, The Young Idols, Sixteen, Love at First Sight, My Pledge of Love and other Vi-Bot (Edgar Mortiz) starrers.

Phenomenon – But the early ‘70s saw the emergence of a phenomenon that defied all traditions and stereotypes – Nora Villamayor, the little brown girl from Bicol. Nora Aunor to all of us, practically swept us off our feet and she rose to dizzying heights never before seen in the Philippine cinema. Gifted with a golden voice, Nora is an illustrious alumna of Tawag ng Tanghalan. That was her passport to fame and fortune. Her meteoric ascent to superstardom marked Vilma’s descent to background attraction. Chanteuse Carmen Soriano recommended Nora to Alpha Records. The little brown girl from Bicol broke existing records in the local music industry, which marked the Golden Age of Local Recording. She spawned hits after hits and the airlanes played to the mass in a Nora mania. The next most logical step was to cross borders – to the movies – and this was where the fiercest of competitions began.

The Rivalry – Pitted against Vilma in a musical vs. musical, drama vs. drama, Nora, no doubt, had Vilma struggling for breath. Vi-Bot came a distant to Guy-Pip (Tirso Cruz III). The non-singer could not hold a candle to the gifted, awarded singer. In terms of early movie outputs, Banaue, And God Smiled At Me, showed Nora’s intensity as an actress – profound and eloquent. The eyes showed it all – which Vilma hadn’t really experimented at the beginning, except being hysterical which was taken for good acting. “Trudis Liit” in the battle for movie supremacy had to maneuver herself into a paradigm shift, she dared to tackle roles where Nora feared to tread. That was the spark of Vilma’s own genius. Vilma Santos in a complete turnaround showed ample flesh and gyrated like there was no tomorrow in the controversy-laden Burlesk Queen. She played a rape victim in Lino Brocka’s Rubia Servios – which many observers thought could have won her the Best Actress plum. Nora in Atsay bested her. To Vilmanians and to Vilma herself, that was a bitter pill to swallow. Undaunted, the actress continued improving and reinventing her screen persona. She also did Celso Ad Castillo’s multi-awarded Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-Itim ng Tagak, and then came Relasyon in 1982, megged by Ismael Bernal, which gave Vilma the Grand Slam from the Urian, FAP, FAMAS, and Catholic Mass Media. The mistress role, which Nora may play with discomfort fitted Vilma to a T. Equally compelling were the roles she essayed in Broken Marriage, Sister Stella L., Tagos Ng Dugo, Pahiram ng Isang Umaga, Imortal, Ipagpatawad Mo, The Dolzura Cortez Story, Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa (Vilma won as Best Actress in Brussels), Anak,

Dekada ’70, and Mano Po 3. With sch kind of hypnotizing filmography would Vilma accept the backseat – with Nora at the driver’s seat? This is a battleground of cinematic excellence like no other. Nora Aunor, Vilma’s tormentor, chumed out classics like Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, Bona, Andrea, Paano ang Maging Isang Ina, Bilangin ang Bituin Sa Langit, Ang Totoong Buhay ni Pacita M., The Flor Contemplacion Story, (Nora won as Best Actress in the Cairo International Filmfest.), Bulaklak sa City Jail, Muling Umawit ang Puso, Bakit May Kahapon Pa (another Best Actress for Nora in Malaysia International Filmfest) and of course, Naglalayag, Nora’s starrer which gave her third international Best Actress in Brussels. Lest we forget, Nora Aunor did the Filipinos proud with Bona in Cannes and Himala in Berlin where the actress received Certificates of Honor. With these outstanding accomplishments, couldn’t she claim her place of honor as the “Greatest Filipino Actress” ever? The two icons paired of with the ultimate in Philippine movies – Vilma with FPJ (Fernando Poe Jr.), Nora with Erap (Joseph Estrada) – blockbusters all, but the Vi-FPJ proved the bigger draw.

The Match-up – In terms of film output, Vilma has the slight edge with almost 200 movies to her credit since she started her film career as a child actress. Nora is not far behind though with more than 170 films to her credit. Although they understandably seldom make movies now, there was a time in their careers when Nora and Vilma each did 20 movies or so in a year especially in the early ‘70s during the height of popularity of their loveteams with Pip and Bot, respectively. In terms of film awards, the two are almost even. They are both FAMAS Hall of Fame awardees having won Best Actress five times – Vilma for Dama de Noche (1972), Pakawalan Mo Ako (1981), Relasyon (1982), Tagos ng Dugo (1987), and Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos (1988); Nora Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos (1976), Ina Ka ng Anak Mo (1979), Bulaklak Sa City Jail (1984), Bilangin Ang Bituin Sa Langit (1989), and Andrea, Paano Ba Ang Maging Isa Ina (1990). Not counting the awards season this year. Vilma has more Urian Best Actress trophies than Nora, 8-6, and Star Awards for Movies Best Actress tropies, 5-4; Nora and Vilma have the same number of Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) trophies, 4-4, and Manila Film Festival trophies, one apiece; Nora, meanwhile, has more Metro Manila Film Festival best Actress trophies, 7-4 and international recognition, 3-2.

Vilma’s Urian trophies were for Relasyon (1982), Broken Marriage (1983), Sister Stella L. (1984), Pahiram ng Isang Umaga (1989), Ipagpatawad Mo (1991), Dahil Mahal Kita; The Dolzura Cortez Story (1983), Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa? (1998), and Dekada ’70 (2002). Nora won Urian for Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, Bona (1980) Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit, Andrea, Paano Ba Ang Maging Isang Ina, The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995), and Bakit May Kahapon Pa (1996). In the FAP Awards, Vilma won for Relasyon, Dolzura Cortez Story, Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa?, and Dekada ’70. Nora, on the other hand, won for her performances in Bilangin and Bituin Sa Langit, Andrea, Paano Ba ang Maging Isang Ina, Ang Totoong Buhay ni Pacita M. (1991), and The Flor Contemplacion Story. In Star Awards, Vilma was acknowledged for her roles in Pahiram ng Isang Umaga, The Dolzura Cortez Story, Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa?, Anak (2000), Dekada ’70 and Mano Po 3 (2005). Nora won for Merika (1984), Andrea, Paano Ba ang Maging Isang Ina, Ang Totoong Buhay ni Pacita M., and Muling Umawit Ang Puso (1995). Vilma was adjudged MMFF Best Actress for Burlesk Queen (1977), Karma (1981(, Imortal (1989), and Mano Po 3: My Love (2204).

In Manila Film Festival, Vilma won for Dolzura Cortez Story while Nora won for Naglalayag (2004). Nora boasts three international best actress trophies: Cairo International Film Festival for The Flor Contemplacion Story, Malaysia International Film Festival for Bakit May Kahapon Pa and Brussels International Film Festival for Naglalayag. Likewise, Vilma also has a Best Actress trophy from Brussels International Film Festival for Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa and another award from CineManila International Film Festival for Dekada ’70. The breakdown of their awards is as of 2004 only and does not include the awards season this year where both Nora and Vilma are frontrunners. We also just mentioned the major award-giving bodies that have television coverage and exclude other award-giving bodies handed out by different critics’ groups.

Their Firsts – Aside from these, Nora and Vilma each registered their own “firsts.” Consider these: Vilma is the first and only actress, so far, to win the prestigious Gawad Urian Best Actress Award for three consecutive years – Relasyon, 1982; Broken Marriage, 1983; Sister Stella L., 1984; the first and only actress to score an unprecedented three-time grand slam win for Best Actress Award – Relasyon, 1982; The Dolzura Cortez Story, 1983; and Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa?, 1988; the only actress play Darna four times – Lipad, Darna, Lipad and the Giants, Darna vs. the Planetwoman, Darna at Ding, and the first female mayor of Lipa, premier city of Batangas. Nora, on the other hand, is the first Filipina actress to win a number of international Best Actress accolade; the first actress to topple down the box-office supremacy of the bold genre in the ‘70s; the first singer-actress whose discography broke all existing records in the local recording industry; and the first certified “Cinderella of the Philippine Movies.” Until…Nora allowed herself to be bogged won by some domestic problems, which could not be said of archival Vilma Santos, whose professionalism has never been questioned. A character, which in the words of critic Nestor Torre, made Vilma the “Producers’ Choice.”

Somehow, this also affected Nora’s box-office record while Vilma continue to attract moviegoers and, in fact, still managed to be crowned as Box-Office Queen in 2001 with the monstrous hit Anak. Where does the parallelism lie in their married life? With Senator Ralph Rector as Vi’s husband and Nora long estranged from Christopher de Leon, it looks like Vilma has got the upper hand. Not that being estranged is a misfortune, but Nora is perceived to have fallen for the wrong men.

Politics – How about their excursion into the political arena? Though admittedly Nora made a President, she miserably failed her own bid when she miserably failed her own bid when she ran as Governor in her hometown. Whereas Vilma’s political star practically rose brighter and brighter as a three-time Mayor of Lipa City. Vilma is as luminous as ever – the true ‘Star for All Seasons,’ Nora is busy concerting abroad – singing, a craft she excels in where she began and made her the only “Superstar.” Circa 2005 awards season. Nora vies for Naglalayag and Vilma for Mano Po 3. For the nth time, Nora completes with her patent restrained acting, Vilma with her hysterical trademark. Let the competition begin…again! – Source: S Magazine READ MORE