Vilma Santos-Recto is a popular multi-awarded actress and politician in the Republic of the Philippines. *** She is known as "Queen of Philippine Movies," "Queenstar," "Grand Slam Queen," "Box Office Queen," and "Star for All Seasons." *** This website is mostly about her iconic film career.
Whether in reel or real life, Vilma Santos is an epitome of an ideal mother. This is my tribute to Vilma Santos, ang Ulirang Ina. She has had faults or wrong choices in life. Like her, we all make mistakes. As the years go by, we learn from those missteps, wisen up and change for the better. I could write a book about Vilma, and perhaps one of the most poignant chapters will be about her as a mother. Oh yeah, we’ve had ‘mother’ role figures in showbiz via the late Ms. Rita Gomez, the original bad girl, or her ‘arch rival’ Ms. Celia Rodriguez. Then there’s Mother Lily, the matriarch of Regal studios. There is the protective Amalia Fuentes, who at daughter Liezl’s prime, was the best known mother/actress of the Philippines. At one time, Nora Aunor was a picture of a happy family with real son Ian De Leon and a battalion of adopted children who appeared on movies together with either Christopher De Leon or Tirso Cruz as father figures. In films, some of Nora’s most memorable characters are mothers: Bulaklak sa City Jail, Andrea, and Pacita Madrigal.
But no one is as beloved a Mother Figure than the QueenStar, Ms. Vilma Santos. Remember the “I love you Lucky!” days when, after a grueling VIP/Vilma live show, mother Vi would say those endearing words to her son waiting at home? Those were the most famous greetings that were heard every Friday, from Luzon to Mindanao, year after year. “I love you, Lucky!” The words say it all, from a loving, doting, responsible mother. At the height of her TV (top rating Vilma!) and movie career (prime movie roles and box-office triumphs in the 90’s), Vilma mad a tough choice: to give new husband Sen. Ralph Recto a child. In her farewell Vilma! show, she tearfully said goodbye to fame and fortune, and her fans, to give way to family/motherhood. Why even megastar Sharon Cuneta was all praises to the Real Queen for the tough but wise decision she ever made. No success in life can ever replace a failed family. Even then, Ms. Vilma Santos was admirable for her brave, smart decisions. Risking her career, even her life, she went through a most delicate pregnancy the Philippines had been a voyeur to. She had to be literally carried to the bathroom in order not to bleed and lose the baby. What a sacrifice from a mother and wife. And how God blessed her with a new son, Ryan Christopher Recto. And oh how avid fan Sharon Cuneta followed in her idol’s footsteps. Two great mothers. Two great superstars. When they appear in a film 2gether?
As to films, no other actress has essayed a gamut of credible mother roles, than Vilma Santos.
“Broken Marriage” – failure as a wife, but Never as a mother.
“Aida Macaraeg” – her poignant moments with her son, unforgettable. Lino Brocka could not have found a better Macaraeg.
“Dolzura Cortez” – on her deathbed, dying from AIDS, she tells her mother Charito Solis (SLN) – “ang mga anak ko, huwag ninyong pababayaan ang mga anak ko.” Urian was won over. Bow! Award, oh! Grand slam number two, oh!
“Saan Nagtatago ang Pag-Ibig?” – as a ‘surrogate’ mother to Val (Tonton Gutierrez). Remember the lines, “si Val, si Val!?” Best picture!
“Ipagpatawad Mo” – “si Jun-Jun!”. Ugrian jurors made the right choice. Best actress of ’91.
As Lea in “Bata Bata Paano Ka Ginawa” – son screams “hindi totoo ‘yan. ‘hindi totoo ‘yan!” Mother and son scenes. Mother and daughter scenes. Mother and children scenes. Unforgettable. Grand slam nga, eh! Number three!
As Josie in “Anak” – wa na ko say. BOW! WOW! POW! PMPC Star, PASADO and CMMA did the right thing. Awards! Oscar foreign language film entry.
Amanda Bartolome in “Dekada ’70” – Mother Courage, Nestor Torre describes Vilma of her character and brilliant performance. Grand slam number four. Second trip to the Oscar foreign language film category as an entry.
Lilia “Mano Po 3” – “Pati ba ikaw iiwan mo ako? Sabagay, sanay na ako ng iniiwan?” A well written role for Vilma (si Nestor Torre ulit, oh!) as mother, wife, abandoned girlfriend, anti-crime crusader.
The envelope, please! Kayo, may maidadagdag pa ba kayo? Vilma Santos has done it all. Been there, done that. Next stop, the MMK role as mother to a child with cerebral palsy. And the mother of three gay sons in Flores de Mara. Kapanapanabik! As for me, Vilma’s best mother role is that of being mother to sons Lucky and Ryan, and to her constituents in Lipa city who voted her, in a landslide, three times, for being an excellent, incomparable Ina Ng Lipa. Bow! Happy Mother’s Day, Mayor Vilma Santos-Recto! – Mar Garces, V Magazine, April – May 2005 (READ MORE)
Pre-1972 – From late 1960s to 1971, comes the arrival of the musical era and the arrival of the golden of voice of Nora Aunor. Aside from stocking success in music, Nora ventured into films, with string of films that featured other singers like Eddie Peregrina, Edgar Mortiz, Manny de Leon, Victor Laurel and Victor Wood. Films that begin with singing and mostly ends with big production number, all with singing and dancing – ala-Bollywood. Venturing to film making, Nora found her rival, “dramatic-child-star” now a strugling “teen-film-star” in a “musical-era,” Vilma Santos. Although the competition was slightly in favor of Nora, she found herself in numerous occassion, having a strong resistant from Vilma. On 1971, there were atleast one Nora or Vilma film showing in local movie houses. Nora Aunor did seven films (Always in My Heart; Ang Waray at ang Talyada; Guy & Pip; Lollipops and Roses; My Blue Hawaii; My Prayer; The Singing Filipina) and Vilma Santos did nine (Angelica; Eternally; Ikaw Lamang; Love at First Sight; Our Love Affair; Teen-Age Senorita; The Sensations; Wonderful World of Music; Young Lovers), most of these films were musicals. The next year, comes the confirmation of their rivalry.
And God Smiled At Me vs Dama de Noche – “…At the Quezon City Film Festival, then held every October, Nora’s entry was Sampaguita Pictures’ And God Smiled At Me (directed by Tony Cayado and Danny Holmsen); while Vilma’s banner vehicle was Tagalog Ilang-Ilang Productions’ Dama de Noche (directed by Emmanuel H. Borlaza). And the winner was Nora! May die-hard Vilmanian kaming kaklase sa elementary, ang sabi: ‘Luto ‘yun, dahil malapit si Nora kay QC Mayor Norberto Amoranto!” Such loose talks were never confirmed to be true. Or as Tempo’s veteran movie columnist Ronald K. Constantino avers, ‘Nora never figured in any awards scam!…Sa annual Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards Night, it was the Vilmanians’ turn to rejoice. Vi was ad-judged Best Actress for Dama de Noche, ka-tie ni Boots Anson-Roa (for JE Productions’ Augusto Buenaventura megger Tatay Na Si Erap). Nora wasn’t nominated for her award-winning starrer at the QC filmfest, but for The Gift of Love kung saan siya gumanap ng dual role: bilang isang cancer-stricken patient at ang kakambal na eventually ay napunta kay Tirso Cruz III. Dama de Noche, which paired Vi with Edgar Mortiz, also had her doing two parts: a baliw and a sane sister…” – William Reyes (READ MORE)
Nora Aunor’s 1972 Films (8): (And God Smiled At Me; Dito Sa Aking Puso; Gift of Love; Kung May Gusot, May Lusot; My Little Brown Girl; Nora, Mahal Kita; Way Out In The Country; Winter Holiday) – Most of her films capitalized on her golden voices and untapped dramatic talents.
Vilma Santos’ 1972 Films (14): (Aloha, My Love; Ang Kundoktora; Dalagang Nayon; Dama De Noche; Don’t Ever say Goodbye; Dulce Corazon; Hatinggabi Na, Vilma; Inspiration; Leron, Leron, Sinta; Little Darling; Remembrance; Sweet, Sweet, Love; Takbo, Vilma, Dali; Tatlong Mukha ni Rosa Vilma) – Most of her films were not focused on singing but more on her versatility.
Nora Aunor’s 1972 acting recognition (2) – Best Actress from Quezon City Film Festival and a nomination from FAMAS both for “And God Smiled At Me.”
Vilma Santos’ 1972 acting recognition (2) – Best Actress from FAMAS (tie with Boots Anson Roa) and a nomination from Quezon City Film Festival both for “Dama de Noche.”
Dual Roles – “…Vilma as Armida is drab and dry, almost a movie prop. It is in the portrayal of Rosanna that Vilma would tear one’s heart away. The many close-ups so effectively used throughout the movie show the unglamorous Vilma: her frowns, her lip-twitching, her uninhibited and stifled sobs. But Vilma is less successful with the shifty look that is the distinctive trait of the deranged. She compensates for this in the ‘betrayal’ scene when Rosanna suspects that Leo, Armida and the psychiatrist (Fred Montilla) all conspired to imprison her in the hospital. Another outstanding feat is the subdued scene where Rosanna learns that Leo has gone to the Lerma villa to meet Armida. The vivacious Rosanna is just as winsomely pathetic. Watching her is just like seeing a bosom friend trying to pretend she’s happy when both of you know she’s not only in this case, Rosanna is truly happy. Her non-knowledge of her plight is what is particularly heart-curling…” – Times Jornal, October 24, 1972 (READ MORE)
Golden Voice – “…They’ll wait for the perfect timing, he says and then he’ll tell his wife Olga (Lucita Soriano) everything. The perfect timing never comes. One morning, Celina just can’t help calling him ‘Itay,’ telling him she loves him very much and that he must come home at once, please. The tender moments take too long, and everybody in the theater knows Damian is ‘tsk, tsk, tsk, mamamatay.’ Everybody is right. At the hospital, the secret lets loose as Celina jerks in agony. ‘Itay, Itay,’ she sobs, in the presence of Damian’s wife and two adopted daughters. Here, Nora’s bid for a best actress award really begins. The three witches (oh, how the fans hated them) now maltreat Celina all the more, slapping her, pulling her hair, kicking her right in the tummy. All through these, Celina’s only consolation is her love for Carding (Tirso Cruz III), the laundry-woman’s (Nenita Jana) son. He is blind. He is desperate. He loves Celina very much but ‘wala akong karapatang umibig.’ And so he contemplates suicide, sneaking out one night, begging between yells of ‘Gusto ko nang mamamatay,’ for a vehicle to run over him. An irked driver shouts at him: ‘Ano ka ba, bulag?’ A woman fan shouted too: ‘wag kayong tumawa, serious yan.’ And then, what do you know, another death: not the blind leading man (that would’ve been a blunder) but his mother, who had followed him. After so much unbearable beating and tearful moments between the lovers, Celina delivers her ultimate prayer — she can’t take it anymore. AND GOD SMILES AT HER. God grants her a golden voice (for a while one thought that was only the beginning of the movie, after no less than two-and-a-half hours) and she sings all her heart at the foot of the altar. And this is not the end of it…” – Times Jornal, October 24, 1972 (READ MORE)
Post-1972 – Nora Aunor did eleven films (Binibini ng Palengke; Carmela; Dalawang Mukha ng Tagumpay; Erap is my Guy; Hindi Kita Malimot; Impossible Dream; Kondesang Basahan; Maalaala Mo Kaya; Paru-parong Itim; Super Gee; Tapat na Pag-ibig), most of these films were a smash hits. Some highlights: “Erap is my Guy,” her film with Joseph Estrada; “Paru-parong Itim,” confirmed her dramatic talents; and “Super Gee,” signalled her entry into the comics-superhero genre. Meanwhile, the same year, Vilma Santos did ten films (Anak ng Aswang; Carinosa; Darna and the Giants; Dyesebel at ang Mahiwagang Kabibe; Lipad, Darna, Lipad; Maria Cinderella; Now and Forever; Ophelia at Paris; Tsismosang Tindera; Wonder Vi), most of these films were also a box office hits. Some highlights: “Anak ng Aswang,” horror film with senior movie queen Gloria Romero; “Dyesebel at ang Mahiwagang Kabibe” (mermaid); “Lipad, Darna, Lipad” and “Darna and the Giants” (Filipino version of Wonder Woman/Superman); “Wonder Vi” (Filipino version of female Tarzan) – confirmed she was the queen of the comics-heroine genre as these films broke box office records. The following year, 1974, Nora Aunor did six films (Aking Maria Clara; As Long As There’s Music; Carnival Song; Fe, Esperanza, Caridad; Happy Days are Here Again; Somewhere Over The Rainbow) While Vilma did twelve films (Batya’t Palu-Palo, film with FPJ; Biktima; Happy Days are Here Again; Kamay na Gumagapang; Kampanerang Kuba; King Khayam and I, film with Joseph Estrada; Mga Tigre ng Sierra Cruz, film with Amalia Fuentez; Phantom Lady; Tok, Tok, Palatok; Twin Fists for Justice; Vilma and the Beep, Beep, Minica; Vivian Volta). Vilma dominated 1974 in terms of total output and notable projects with other big stars like FPJ, Joseph Estrada and Amalia Fuentez. By mid decade, Nora Aunor ended up with eight films (Banaue; Batu-bato sa Langit; Dugo at Pag-ibig sa Kapirasong Lupa; Happy Days are Here Again!; Hello, Goodnight, Goodbye; Hotdog Unang Kagat; Lollipops and Roses at Burong Talangka; Memories of Our Love) while Vilma’s total output was nine films (Basta’t Isipin mong Mahal Kita; Darna vs. the Planetwoman; Dugo at Pag-Ibig sa Kapirasong Lupa; Ibong Lukaret; Karugtong ang Kahapon; Nakakahiya?; Tag-ulan sa Tag-araw; Teribol Dobol; Vilma Viente Nueve). The highlights for both stars were: Nora’s signalling her seriousness in aquiring the services of A-1 directors to honed her dramatic talents for future projects that Gerry de leon’s “Banaue” initiated. Meanwhile, Vilma continued to balance art and commercialism with hit films like “Nakakahiya,” “Karugtong ng Kahapon,” and “Tag-ulan sa Tag-araw.”
Student Canteen to Eat Bulaga – “…Matatandaang ang friendship nina Vi, Helen, Coney at Tina ay naging matibay at matatag dahilan upang mai-guest ni Helen ang tatlo sa kanyang programang Lovingly Yours. At biruin nyo ang talent fee nila ay ang trip to Singapore na silang apat lang ang magkakasama para lalo silang makapag-bonding. Noong binawian ng buhay si Helen noong early ’90s ay sa isang fellowship building sa Makati City siya ibinurol at nakita namin sa kanyang coffin ang isang bouquet na nakalagay ang mga pangalan nina Vi, Coney at Tina. Sobrang nalungkot ang tatlo sa pagkamatay ni Helen at bilang pagpapatunay ng kanilang pagkakaibigan…..nang ikasal si Vi ay ginawa niyang mga secondary sponsors sina Coney, Tina at Princess na siyang pumalit kay Helen. Matatandaan ding noong 1991, sina Vi, Helen, Coney at Tina ay pare-parehong umakyat sa entablado para tanggapin ang kanilang award mula sa Star Awards for Television. Tinanggap ni Vi ang best musical variety show para sa kanyang VILMA show, si Helen naman ay bilang best female newscaster para sa GMA Balita, si Coney ay bilang best drama actress para sa Coney Reyes on Camera at si Tina ay bilang best female host para sa Lunch Date. Silang apat ay nagsama na din sa isang espesyal na okasyon ng Vilma Show ni Vilma at umawit pa nga sila ng awiting That What Friends Are For. Siyanga pala si Helen at Coney ay nagkasama rin sa television show na Student Canteen katuwang sina Eddie Ilarde at Bobby Ledesma. Samantala, sinabi ni Coney sa isang VTR ng Wowowee noong nakaraang kaarawan ni Vi na siya daw ang nagturo kay Vi para gumamit ng panyo. Ayaw daw kasi ni Vi na gumamit ng tissue paper dahil pag pinagpapawisan siya at ginamit niya ang tissue paper ay may naiiwang nakadikit na tissue paper sa kanyang pisngi kaya’t hanggang ngayon ay panyo ang trademark ni Vi.
Di nga ba’t isa si Julie Haglund na masuwerteng nakahingi ng panyo ni Vi noong dinalaw niya si Vi sa Batangas City? Nang magkasunod-sunod ang best actress award ni Vi noong early 80s lalo na noong naka-grand slam si Vi sa pelikulang Relasyon ay nasabi ni Coney na pinapakyaw talaga ni Vi ang mga awards. Napangasawa ni Coney ang basketbolistang si Larry Mumar at nabiyayaan din sila ng mga anak subali’t hindi rin naging maganda ang kanilang pagsasama kung kaya’t naghiwalay din sila. Nang mawala ang Student Canteen ay naging isa sa mga hosts ng Eat Bulaga si Coney. Dito nabuo ang relasyon nila ni Vic Sotto. Nagkaroon sila ng isang anak sa katauhan ni Vico at isa si Vi sa mga naging ninang ni Vico. Si Coney ay ilang beses ding naparangalan ng Star Awards for Television bilang best drama actress sa kanyang drama anthology na Coney Reyes on Camera noong taong 1987, 1990, 1991, 1994 at 1995 at ang kanyang drama anthology ay nabigyan din ng best daytime drama anthology noong taong 1996 at 1997. Naging best actress ng Metro Manila Film Festival si Coney noong 1983 para sa pelikulang Bago Kumalat Ang Kamandag. Si Vi at si Coney ay nagkasama sa mga pelikulang Basta’t Isipin Mong Mahal Kita at Muling Buksan Ang Puso…” – Alfonso Valencia (READ MORE)
Coney Reyes (born Constancia Angeline Reyes Nubla on May 27, 1954) is an award winning Philippine Film/TV actress, television host and producer with Chinese and Spanish descent. She has been one of the co-presenters of Student Canteen (1975–1982) and Eat Bulaga (1982–1991). She earned a degree of Bachelor of Arts major in Communication Arts at Maryknoll College (now Miriam College). Prior to her career on entertainment, Coney was a student leader and consistent dean’s lister during her college days. Coney made her movie debut in “Return of the Dragon” in 1975. She hosted for Student Canteen since its first airing on GMA Network in 1975. In 1982, Coney Reyes left Student Canteen for Eat Bulaga on RPN. In exchange, Chiqui Hollmann filled the slot Reyes vacated. Coney’s hosting stint with Eat Bulaga opened more opportunities for her and she has co-starred with Dolphy, Fernando Poe Jr., Vilma Santos, Lorna Tolentino, Maricel Soriano, Helen Vela, Aiza Seguerra and Vic Sotto among others in several movies and TV programs. Her weekend afternoon drama anthology “Coney Reyes on Camera” (1984–1998), which she was also a producer, was one of the successful top-rating programs aired on Saturday afternoons and brought home several awards and citations including Star Awards for TV, Catholic Mass Media Awards and the CAMACOP. She recently appeared in programs like “Ysabella,” “Rubi” and “100 Days to Heaven” (her first leading role in TV or movie appearance since “Biyudo si Mister, Biyuda si Misis” in 1997) – Wikipedia (READ MORE)
Coney Reyes and Vilma Santos
Muling Buksan Ang Puso (1985) – “…Jim (Dindo Fernando) is a doctor and Cristy (Vilma Santos) is his nurse. Good looking and successful Jim finds himself an ardent admirer in Cristy. But Cristy is not an ordinary lady – she’s daring and defiant. She’ll do whatever it takes to win him even if he’s very much married. Cristy’s persistence and Jim’s longing for a child leads to an illicit relationship. But too much love suffocates and covetousness can breed hate…” – Mavshack (READ MORE)
Basta’t Isipin Mong Mahal Kita (1975) – “…And so, to prove them wrong, Vilma’s manager smartly plotted follow-up recordings. Not only did Vilma record her follow-up album, she recorded a string of mini-LPs. Mini-LPs are shorter version of the big vinyl record with two songs on each side. She ventured into Tagalog songs, recording six songs that include instants hits like Isipin Mong Basta’t Mahal Kita, a theme song to a film she did opposite Filipino chess grand master, Eugene Torre; Palong-Palo, where she received a golden record award in 1974 and an up-tempo opm, Tok-Tok Palatok, another theme song from one of her comedy film with the same title opposite Jojit Paredes…” – RV (READ MORE)
Fashion Show – “…The Sta. Cruz de Mayo, or popularly identified as the Santacuzan activity itself, as introduced by Franciscan Missionaries, is a retelling of biblical stories and characters climaxing with the “finding of the True Cross” by the Empress Helena and her son Constantine I, the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. This Novena procession is normally held at the end of May. In the past, the Santa Cruz de Mayo participants were encouraged to dress up in biblical costumes and to hold the appropriate symbols of their role in their hands. Sadly, with multiple queens or reinas, the present Santacruzan has become a fashion show, an unfortunate turn of event discouraged by the Church. The Filipino Heritage Festival Inc. (FHFI), in celebration of Heritage Month last May, campaigned for the return of the original practice of the Santacruzan by encouraging people to be aware of its inherent religious significance as well as its cultural value in our nation’s history…” – Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 15 2012 (READ MORE)
Hermana Mayor – “…Namukadkad ang samu’t saring klase ng bulaklak sa loob ng kapitolyo nang inalala ni Governor Vilma Santos Recto ang pagdiriwang ng Flores de Mayo kasama ang mga kawani at opisyales sa pamahalaang panlalawigan ng Batangas. Hangad ni Gov. Vi na muling maiangat ang kultura ng mga Batangueño lalo na at sila ang nagpalaganap ng paggunita ng pista ng mga bulaklak tuwing Mayo. Ang selebrasyong ito ay isang sagradong pagdiriwang ng pagbibigay parangal kay Birheng Maria sa pamamagitan ng paghahandog ng bulaklak sa kanyang taglay na huwarang kalinisan at kabutihan. Noong ika-7 ng Mayo ay pormal na binuksan ang tuklong sa Kapitolyo na hudyat ng pakikiisa ng buong Pamahalaang Panlalawigan sa Flores de Mayo at doon din ay masayang ginampanan ni Gov. Vi ang pagiging Hermana Mayor sa unang araw ng pag-aalay ng bulaklak sa Birheng Maria. Kaugnay dito ay nagtakda ng mga tanggapang magiging abala sa paghehermana hanggang sa ika-30 ng Mayo. Tulad din ng karaniwang parokya, magkakaroon ng isang Grand Santacruzan na magiging culminating event ng Flores de Mayo sa Kapitolyo…” – Mamerta P. De Castro, PIA, May 13 2012 (READ MORE)
True Cross – “…Tradition ascribes the Finding of the True Cross to Emperor Constantine’s mother, a Christian convert. As a token of piety, Helena had churches built, and, at an advanced age of 80, went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. At Calvary, she had several excavations made in which 3 crosses were found. To determine the real thing, she had a dying man placed on each cross who recovered upon being touched by the authentic cross. Another story tells of her discovery of 3 nails that shone like gold. Although details of her life are vague and legendary, she was, at one time, considered one of the most important women in the world. The proper Santacruzan not only gives tribute to Mary and the finder of the Jesus’ cross but also gives recognition to characters from both the Old and New Testament. The procession opens with boys holding ciriales, poles topped with a cross and candles. Heading the cast of charcaters is the ancient Matusalem, followed by 2 Reina Banderadas, flagbearers of the Philippine and papal standards. Toddlers carrying placards spelling out AVE MARIA precede the parade of gorgeous sagalas. Three maidens representing the virtues of Fe, Esperanza, Caridad (Faith, Hope and Charity) come next, trailed by the Divina Pastora, with a lamb or goat. More queens make their appearance in this order: Reina Mora (the moorish queen, Reina Saba (Queen of Sheba), Infanta Judith (holding Holofernes’ decapitated head), Reina Sentenciada, Abogada and Reina Justicia. Next in line are more pretty sagalas bearing the symbols of Christ’s passion: 3 dice on a plate, 30 pieces of silver (supot ng Hudas), St. Peter’s rooster (manuk ng San Pedro), the spear, 3 nails, INRI sign and kuronang suksuk. The major beauties of the town follow, starting with Veronica, Maria Magdalena, Maria Salome and Rosa Mistica. The last 3 queens make their grand entrance in this order: The Reina de los Flores holding a bouquet of flowers, Reina Ester, the beloved Jewish Queen of Persia holding a scepter, and finally, framed by a flowered arch, the crowned Reina Elena, a role especially reserved for the town’s loveliest belle, dressed in a magnificent flowing gown with a small crucifix in hand. Walking by her side is Principe Constantino, representing her young son, with a cape, crown and sword. The use of handsome escorts is a fairly modern concept as well as the appearance of multiple Elenas (as in Reina Elena 1, Elena 2, etc). Sometimes too, the Reina Elena is treated separately from an Emperatriz, although both are one and the same. Often lost or ignored in the rear-end of the procession is a figure representing San Macario, the bishop who escorted Helena to Jerusalem…” – Alex R. Castro, Views from Pangpang, Sep 12 2007 (READ MORE)
When Vilma Santos released her first album in 1969 under Willears Record, no one expected that her vinyl record would sell 500,000 units making it the company’s surprise record-breaking album of that year. The signature song, “Sixteen” became the most played single of that year proving that Vilma Santos can be as phenomenal as her closest rival and the more established singer, Nora Aunor. The young Vilma won a Golden Record Award for her debut album that comprised of 16 English songs including four original songs composed and arranged by Dannie Subido.
Prior to her debut album, Vilma Santos’ first stint in singing was in her earlier film, 1964’s Ging. She played a child singing sensation opposite drama staple, Olivia Cenizal. Her career continued with string of dramatic roles and when the musical trends started in late 60s her career aspiration become limited mainly because everyone expected young stars to sing well. She admitted her limited range as singer and concentrated with her promising acting talents and dancing. When Vi found commercial success with Edgar Mortiz as her love team, she occasionally sings with him. Their fans did not mind Vilma’s soft thin voice. Actually, Vilma’s sweet tone blends well with Edgar’s balladeer pipes.
The success of Vi & Bot love team was evident with numerous films and it was only a matter of time that the idea of having Vilma have her own album came in 1969. There was a market and demand for Vilma’s very own long-playing vinyl. William Leary, Vilma’s manager asked musical director Dannie Subido to gather songs that will suit Vilma’s limited range. It was reported that Subido find the project challenging. They have to find songs that are light but will still give Vilma’s fans enjoyment. They decided to make it fun and sort of child like. They also wanted to make sure that the songs reflect Vilma’s current state of mind, that of a growing teenager. Sort of like early Britney, “no longer a child not yet a woman.” Her promotional interview clearly confirmed some of the issues teenagers are experiencing during this time. Body image, sex education, adulthood, friendship, and dating are some of the topics the album tackled which are topics that are still relevant today. “…as a singer…gosh…I feel a funny thing inside every time na naiisip kong, I was not a born singer. But every time I hear my records play, I couldn’t help but kid myself that I was made after all.” She commented when asked to evaluate herself as singer. What she really meant by that line, “I made it” is that by making her record a success no one cannot say that she cannot be sell records. This success proves that she can be a successful singer like her closest rival, Nora.
Vilma’s first album was pure fun and still very relevant today. Consist of twelve songs six on each side. The vinyl record on side A starts with its carrying single, Sixteen. Composed by Dannie Subido, Sixteen talks about “making out” in the park. This might alarm some of the religious zealots in the 70s but Ate Vi’s wholesome sweet voice makes the song wholesome and child like. The hidden sex – “making out” – kissing and hugging in public place – message of the song would probably the reason why “Sixteen” became the favorites of teenagers. The song catapulted Vilma’s signature song. A feat that even her closest rival, Nora Aunor can’t replicated (Nora Aunor despite successful singing career lacked a signature song). Remember this is the hippie era and the start of the feminist movement. A clear reason why “Sixteen” was a major hit with the free love carefree young generation of this era. The next songs, Dry your Eyes and Bring Back Your Love both arranged by Dannie Subido are love songs that boils down to frustration of a girl in love. Followed by a turned around in terms of mood with Vi’s version of a Bacharach composition, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, a funny but out of place song. One of the two final songs on side A, came as a surprise. “When The Clock Strikes One” was an original composition of Robert Medina and like “Sixteen” was about “making out” – kissing and hugging but this time its more fun because of its unusual up-tempo mood that’s actually more like a hip-hop song.
Side B of Sixteen was pure fun too. Three songs that stands out were the original compositions of Dannie Subido, “Sometimes,” “It is Wonderful to be In Love” and “Then Along Came You Edgar.” The lyrics of these songs are simple and obviously catered to the massive followers of the Edgar – Vilma love team. Before Britney Spears came up with her hit song, “Sometimes,” Vilma has her own song titled “Sometimes.” Both Britney and Vilma’s songs are about teenage love confusion. It’s a Wonderful To Be in Love is self-explanatory, yes Ate Vi is in love and she expressed it nicely in this song. The up-tempo and simple lyrics of this song makes it more like a children rhyme song except that it’s about almost “adult-kind” of love. The puppy love theme of the album continued with an uplifting song, well at least for the Vi and Bot fans with “Then Along Came You, Edgar.” This song confirmed Vi’s puppy love to the dark and handsome but not so tall cutie-pie, Edgar Mortiz. Once again, Dannie Subido’s arrangement and lyrics are simple but playful, a perfect fit to Ate Vi’s sweet range.
The success of Sixteen can be attributed to the playfulness and simplicity of the song selections. It suited the sweetness and purity of Vilma’s almost child like voice. The album earned Vilma her first golden record award and a remarkable signature song, “Sixteen.” The album established her as a successful recording artist. If I will compare her to today’s list of contemporary artists, I will compare Vilma to the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, and Madonna. Jennifer, Britney, and Madonna has thin but sweet voices just like Vilma. Like Vilma, these pop superstars have to work hard to achieve almost perfect products that their fans loved. Like Vilma, the three pop stars are great dancers which they all used to the max in their choreographed production numbers. The reluctant singer came out on top. Vilma Santos’ debut album made history. Sixteen made Vilma Santos a remarkable singer.
After Sixteen – The success of Sixteen brings out another facet of Vilma Santos’ talent. Everyone knows that she is a good actress and a wonderful dancer but nobody expects that she will be able to succeed as a singer. At the early stage of her young career, the rivalry between her and a more established singer, Nora Aunor was lapse sided because Aunor was the number one singer in town. The success of Sixteen brings about an even playing field between the two young stars. Vilma’s record-breaking sales positioned her career into high gear. She continued to act in several musical films and at the same time recorded fun-filled songs. To her critics, Vilma’s recording success were attributed to pure luck. And so, to prove them wrong, Vilma’s manager smartly plotted follow-up recordings. Not only did Vilma record her follow-up album, she recorded a string of mini-LPs. Mini-LPs are shorter version of the big vinyl record with two songs on each side. She ventured into Tagalog songs, recording six songs that include instants hits like Isipin Mong Basta’t Mahal Kita, a theme song to a film she did opposite Filipino chess grand master, Eugene Torre; Palong-Palo, where she received a golden record award in 1974 and an up-tempo opm, Tok-Tok Palatok, another theme song from one of her comedy film with the same title opposite Jojit Paredes. Vi and Bot also released two mini-LPs, “Something Stupid,” a song that they regularly sings at their TV show, D’Sensations and “Christmas Tiding,” a collection of famous holiday songs like Silver Bells and Vilma’s now famous version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Mommy Kissing Santa Claus that’s been circulating in the internet in recent years. In addition, Vilma recorded Baby Vi, another mini-LP. She also shared equal billing with Edgar Mortiz, Esperanza Fabon, Ed Finlan, Hilda Koronel, and Sahlee Quizon in a Christmas compilation album titled, Christmas Carols.
Willears Records continued Vilma’s recording projects with two albums, Sweethearts and Aloha My Love both featured her with off and on screen love partner, Edgar Mortiz. The company who introduced the resurgent singer, Vilma in Sixteen followed up her solo success with Sweet, Vilma, Sweet, a much more ambitious offering with Vilma doing popular cover songs. Songs that are mostly identified with more established singers, like Nora Aunor. It is worth noting that during the peak of the musical genre in the early 70s, the musical films relied heavily on foreign influence. Maybe this was the reason why Vilma’s rival Nora Aunor doesn’t have a signature song. Recorded songs are mostly versions of the foreign recordings. Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra, Connie Francis, Neil Sedaka are the usual suspects. Instead of original simple composition, Willears selected songs like Mama, Sad Movies, and Our Day Will Come and let Vilma create her own version. The result was a disappointment not because Vilma didn’t work hard for the project but because it lacks the originality of her first album. Vilma’s thin voice also didn’t help.
But despite this visible contrast to her first album, Sweet Vilma Sweet was a successful follow-up. She continued her singing stints with an album most Vilmanians seems to forget, All I See Is You carried the folk song, Ati Cu Pung Sing-sing and Wonderful world of Music. The later song became a title of a musical film that paired Vilma with Edgar and co-starred with Snooky, Tony Ferrer, and Boots Anson Roa. The demand for Vi & Bot’s recordings increased and Willears produced Sweetheart, perhaps a confirmation album of the real score between the two young teen stars. Out of 25 films Vilma and Edgar made in 1970, both Sweethearts and Sixteen stands out as two of their certified hits both as films and recorded albums.
By 1972, Vicor Music Corporation took over Vilma’s singing career and smartly went back to the original fun-loving carefree theme that suited Vilma’s voice and made her a successful recording artist. With the guidance of Orly Ilacad, Vilma recorded original compositions that were light hearted, up-tempo and simple. Sing Vilma Sing arrived at the radio airwaves with the carrying single, “Bobby Bobby Bobby.” Despite the declaration of Martial law in 1972, the album became another instant hit. Also, Vilma and Edgar recorded their third album together, a follow-up with the hit, The Sensations. Aloha My Love came afterwards which also became a film and appropriately shoot entirely in Hawaii. Aloha was artistically packaged and contained Hawaiian and popular cover English songs like All Alone Am I and Eternally.
Unfortunately, all good things must end. By 1973, Vilma made her move. After almost one hundred films with Edgar Mortiz, she decided, it was time to venture out of the love team and test the water as solo star. This move also signaled the end of her singing career. At the same time, the musical genre started to subside as more turmoil politically spreads around the country. The bomba films exploded in mainstream local cinemas in mid 70s. Movie theatre owners illegally inserts porn clips in the middle of film. It was so popular back then that even the first Manila International Film Festival organized by former first lady, Imelda Romualdez Marcos allowed the bomba or sexy films to be shown during the midnight time slots of the festival. The bomba period created a long line up of respectable sexy actress like Elizabeth Oropeza, Daria Ramirez, and Chanda Romero. Even former beauty queen, Gloria Diaz ventured into the sexy film. The emergence of sexy or “bold” films as what they referred to by local film buff challenged the now solo superstar, Vilma Santos. Tagalog Ilang Ilang production transformed her into an action super hero as the new Darna, Philippines’ version of Wonder Woman. Lipad Darna Lipad (Fly Darna Fly) defeated entertainment giants Fernando Poe Jr and Joseph Estrada, both have films being shown at the same time and the usual bomba films. A very long line-up snake down the streets of Claro M. Recto Avenue’s Cinerama theatre. It was recorded that Tagalog Ilang Ilang Production distributed Darna dolls and Coka-Cola bottles to the massive patrons during the film showing. Lipad Darna Lipad became the most successful Darna film ever. It broke box office records and solidified Vilma’s clout as the new box office queen of Philippine movies. Vilma’s stature as the most bankable artist of that time validated her decision to leave her love team with Edgar Mortiz and the singing stints to her closest rival, Nora Aunor. She became more adventurous and accepted roles that showcase her versatility. And this move cemented her position as the actress to watch, the actress on top of her game.
Remarkable History – As a singer, Vilma’s thin voice didn’t stop her to become a successful singer. Her hard work paid off and earned her a piece of history. The reluctant singer recorded strings of solo albums that created her signature songs, “Sixteen” and “Bobby, Bobby, Bobby.” Signature songs that enlisted her together with famous singers like Imelda Papin (Bakit), Eva Eugenio (Tukso), Claire DeLaFuente (Sayang), Sharon Cuneta (Mr. DJ), Didith Reyes (Nananabik), Aiza Siguerra (Pagdating Ng Panahon), Freddie Aguilar (Anak), Florante (Handog), and Gary Valenciano (Di Na Natuto). Her sweet and child like voice reflected the innocence of her original up-tempo songs that tackles teenage issues like dating, sexual education, body images, and adulthood. Teenage issues that are still remarkably relevant today. – RV Album album text and photos: Nar Santander, Eric Nadurata; Additional photos: Rene Maximo READ MORE
Director For The Moment – “…The general public does not really know that Mike comes from the famous de Leon clan of showbusiness, his father being Atty. Manuel de Leon (erstwhile president of the Film Academy) and his grandmother being the late Donya Sisang, famous starmaker of LVN Pictures. Mike indeed grew up in a milieu that is purely showbiz. He is used to being surrounded by movie stars. Kaya naman hindi katakataka na sa kanyang paglaki ay hangarin niyang mapabilang din sa daigdig ng pelikulang kanyang kinamulatan. His first formal brush with moviemaking was in 1975 when he co-produced Lino Brocka’s Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag. He was also the one who handled the film’s cinematography, and he won a Famas award for his marvelous sifirst job. The following year, he produced and directed his first full length fils, Itim. Mike’s early movies, Itim and Kung Mangarap, were hailed as gems of technical excellence. One can really see the effort to make the cinematograph, the sound recording, the production design, the editing and the musical scoring highly polished. But Mike was chided for the scarcity of relevant content in his films. Itim was merely an excursion to the realms of the occult while Kung Mangarap is basically a small drama about a confused youth and his brief affair with a lonely wife. Some even concluded that Mike cannot be expected to deal with subject that are socially conscious for he was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. With Kakabakaba Ka Ba?, Mike surprised his critics with a musical comedy that is a thinly disguised attack against the enroachment of foreign businessmen in our country. The Chinese and the Japanese were portrayed as wily capitalists earer to pillage their unsuspecting victims. For us, the movie was also a triumph for Armida Siguion Reyna and Johnny Delgado, who portrayed their neocolonialists roles with much fervor and enthusiasm. The movie also attacked organized religion and its involvement in deluding the people. Batch ’81 further enhanced Mike’s growing reputation as a conscienticized moviemakers. It dealt with oppression and tyranny using the basically cruel initiation practices of fraternities as an allegory. In Sister Stella L., de Leon’s politicalization is in full bloom…” – Mario E. Bautista, Movie Flash Magazine, July 19 1984 (READ MORE)
Focus on Filipino Director: Mike de Leon – “…de Leon spent his childhood in the family owned LVN studio, one of the three major studios of the forties and the fifties. He studied cinematography in Germany and the United States and worked to create the quality that LVN laboratory is known for. In 1975, he formed his own company, CineManila, whose initial offering was the monumental Maynila: sa Kuko ng Liwanga, of which he was also the cinematographer. In 1976, he directed his first film, Itim (Pitch-Black), a psyhological drama of a psychic who is haunted by a past muder, in which the supernatural is suggested rather than exploited. His second film, Kung Mangarap Ka’t Magising (Moments in a Stolen Dream, 1977) touched on the bourgeois values of the upper class as two lovers meet and separate in Baguio ans Sagada. His film Kakaba-kaba Ka Ba? (Will Your Heart Beat Faster? 1980) is a fine, innovative sppof of the country’s sacred cows, using Mother Goose language to hit at, among others, the Japanese and Chinese presence in the Philippines. His fourth film Batch ’81 depicts the initiation rites of aspiring neophytes into quasi-tribal fraternities, and is injected with so much double meaning that the gory initiation rites become a disturbing metaphor of post-Martial Law Phlippines. His last film, Kisapmata (In the Wink of an Eye) delves into the misuse of authority in a closely-knit family. The Mike de Leon style always hints at meanings otehr than those plotted out and creates powerful, disturbing images. Mike de Leon’s last tow films Batch ’81 and Kisapmata were shown together at the 1982 Director’s Forthnight in Cannes, marking the first time in its history that two films by the same director were ever exhibited…” – Focus On Filipino Films, A Sampling 1951-1982 (READ MORE)
The thin line between genius and sanity – “It’s easy to call Mike de Leon one of the greatest if not the greatest Filipino filmmaker who ever lived; he’s done only a handful (nine features and three shorts), but every one displays an amazingly high level of technical proficiency. In terms of sound design, cinematography, and editing, his films sound and look and flow better than almost any other Filipino filmmakers’; it may be argued that De Leon has never made a bad film–that his batting average runs a near-perfect 95 or even 100%. That said, De Leon does seem to have his blind spots. He’s never done a big-budget picture before (the only one he’s ever attempted, GMA Studio’s “Jose Rizal,” he walked away from after spending so many months and so many millions of pesos preparing). He never does explicit sex scenes, and almost never shows human sensuality in any form. He also seems to have trouble portraying women–they are either passive or impotent or almost totally absent from his films. For all of De Leon’s supposed range and versatility, you could almost chart his career on what he will or will not do, as if some complex formula secretly ruled his life. And perhaps there is. De Leon’s reputation for technical perfection is both boon and bane for anyone trying to assess his films; most critics only see the surface perfection–bow to it, hang garlands upon it, burn incense and chant hosannas to its holy presence. They don’t seem in any way aware of the turmoil beneath that perfect surface, a hidden turmoil the dynamic of which mars as often as strengthens his films, and is the true source of their power….Judging from his recent work, De Leon seems to have exorcised his demons and is content to do clever, even brilliant, comedies; the anguished artist has given way to the urbane, sophisticated satirist. Which is fine and good, unless you happen to catch a screening of “Kisapmata,” either in a retrospective or on cable, and notice how ten years later it still hasn’t lost any of its power to disturb or shock–that, in fact, it’s one of the greatest Filipino films ever made. Then you want to ask: “When is De Leon going to do something worth obsessing over again? When is he going to do films that matter again?…” – Noel Vera (READ MORE)
Miguel Pamintuan de Leon, also known as Mike de Leon (born May 24, 1947) is a Filipino film director, cinematographer, scriptwriter and film producer. He was born in Manila on May 24, 1947 to Manuel de Leon and Imelda Pamintuan. His interest in filmmaking began when he pursued a master’s degree in Art History at the University of Heidelberg in Germany…De Leon explored subjects such as incest, fraternity violence, and the Filipino workers’ cause. These were themes that were portrayed in the films Kisapmata, Batch ’81 and Sister Stella L. respectively. These films became cinematic masterpieces in Philippine History of Filmography and were later listed as the Philippines’s Ten Outstanding Films of the Decade: 1980-1989 by the Philippines’ Urian Awards. Later on, Batch ’81 was voted best picture by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) where de Leon also won a best screenplay award. For Sister Stella L., De Leon won best director and best screenplay in the Philippines’s Urian Awards in 1984. Kisapmata and Batch ’81 were presented during the Directors’ Fortnight at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival. The film Sister Stella L. was an entry during the 1985 Venice Film Festival…Mike de Leon received the Parangal Sentenyal sa Sining at Kultura at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in February 1999. His Batch ’81 and Sister Stella L. had been among the 25 Filipino films shown in New York from July 31 to August 1999, organized by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, in partnership with the Philippine Centennial Commission, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, IFFCOM, the Philippine Information Agency, the Consulate General of the Philippines in New York and the Philippine Centennial Coordinating Council – Northeast USA. These series of Filipino films were presented at the Walter Reade Theater of the Lincoln Center, in celebration of the 100th year of Philippine Independence. – Wikipedia (READ MORE)
Scene: struggling with her emotion, she kneels beside the bed where her father lies dead. The crippled old man couldn ’t accept the fact that his daughter was dancing for a living. Earlier, they had a quarrel and when she left the house, the old man had killed himself. “Bakit naman hindi n’yo ako hinintay?” she’s now whispering to him in remorse, “hindi naman talaga ako galit sa ‘yo, a. Di ba kayo rin kung minsan nakapagsasalita kayo ng masakit sa akin pero naintindihan kita dahil alam ko galit ka at hindi mo sinasadya. Dapat naman sana naintindihan mo rin ako,” she continues, breaking into sobs, “dadalawa na nga lang tayo sa buhay iniwanan mo pa ako. Hindi naman tama ‘yon!” And with the camera fixed on her in a semi-closeup shot, she weeps through her kilometric dialogues with startling spontaneity, the scene lasting all of ten minutes.
The scene is one of Vilma Santos’ high moments in Burlesk Queen, Celso Ad. Castillo’s magnum opus which earned for Vilma the Best Actress award in the Metro Manila Film Festival concluded last week. It’s a difficult scene and an actress of lesser skill could have buckled along the way and wasted rolls of precious film, but not Vilma who acquitted herself beautifully well in just one take. “Halos wala kaming rehearsal,” Vilma recalls, “kasi si Direk ayaw ng masyadong rehearsal dahil nagiging mechanical daw ang labas. Gusto niya after one rehearsal, take na kaagad because he believes that the first take is always the best.” Then she adds as an afterthought: “Nakakapagod ang eksenang ‘yon. Emotionally, that is.” Had she done the role of a burlesque dancer three years ago, Vilma would have stirred a big hornet’s nest among her loyal diehards… she would have been burned in effigies in indignant rallies all over the country… but no such untoward reaction happened, thank heavens. “My fans have grown up with me,” Vilma says, “they have matured. Besides, I’m already 24 and I’m not getting any younger. Ayoko naman nang palagi na lang akong naka-ribbon sa buhok at nalo-lollipop. Hindi na ako ang dating sweet-sweet. Come to think of it, mas mahirap mag-maintain ng sweet image dahil kaunting mali mo lang nama-magnify na kaagad, pinalalaki kaagad.”
Her metamorphosis began in late 1976 when she agreed to be kissed by Rudy Fernandez in Makahiya at Talahib. It was a “feeler” of sort and when the public clacked its tongue in obvious approval, Vilma shelved her lollipops-and-roses image and proved that she, too, could be a woman – a wise move indeed because at that time her career was on a downswing and her movies were not making money. Then she did Mga Rosas sa Putikan for her own VS Films where she played a country girl forced into prostitution in the big city. The movie did fairly well at the tills. Good sign. And came her romance with Romeo Vasquez, boosting both their stocks at the box office (thier two starrers, Nag-aapoy na Damdamin and Pulot-Gata where Vilma did her own wet style, were big moneymakers). The tandem, although it did help Vilma, actually helped Vasquez more in re-establishing himself at the box office (without Vilma, his movies with other leading ladies hardly create any ripple). In Susan Kelly, Edad 20, Vilma played a notorious-woman role that required her to wear skimpy bikini briefs in some scenes, following it up with two giant sizzlers (Dalawang Pugad, Isang Ibon and Masarap, Masakit ang Umibig) that catapulted her as the newest Bold Queen. Then came Burlesk Queen.
Scene: she comes home one night to find the mother of her week-old husband packing his clothes. He has eloped with her but he’s a Mama’s boy, a backbone-less guy when face-to-face with his mother, and he has now agreed to go home with Mama. She couldn’t persuade him to stay. As mother and son descend the long flight of stairs, the burlesk queen is left all alone in her room, in tears, with nothing and no one to clutch on to. At first she pleads with him but realizing the futility of it all, she proceeds to mock him and humiliate him, “Sige, she yells at him, “magsama na kayong dalawa, magsiping pa kayong dalawa, wala na akong pakialam. Ikaw, Jessie, wala ka namang paninindigan. Sige, magsama na kayo ng mama mo. Sige, gawin mong babae si Jessie, gawin mo siyang bakla!” Vilma’s change of image is part of her newly-found “liberation.” Liberation from what? “From many things,” Vilma answers. “From fear of being criticized, from fear of what people would say about me, from certain restrictions and inhibitions, from everything that was slowly choking me.” That exactly was how she felt early last year: all choked up.
So she slipped into a private hole after a quarrel with her Mama, refusing to be seen in public and thus setting off speculations that she was in hiding because she was on the family way. “No such thing,” says Vilma who had posed in a pair of bikinis to disprove the rumor. “Na-rumor pa na nagpa- abort daw ako at kung anu-ano pa, na nagwawala na raw ako. Pero ako naman hindi ko na iniintindi ang mga tsismis, bale wala na sa akin. Basta ako, I tell the truth and if people don’t believe me, okay lang. Dati-rati, nagri-react kaagad ako, pero ngayon, sanay na ako.” She was so confused and depressed at that time, “so filled up to my neck with problems and the pressure of too much work,” that Vilma was all set to kiss the movies goodbye. “Nakahanda na akong mamuhay ng tahimik noon, as an ordinary person.”
And how was he able to overcome that blue period? “Well, when they let me alone, nang payagan akong magsarili, that’s when everything seemed to loosen up. That’s the time I really felt free. Now, I have all the privacy I want, sa bahay ko, that is.” Although she now lives by herself in a single-girl’s pad, Vilma still runs home to Mama and Papa when she has to make important decisions. When Burlesk Queen was offered to her, Vilma bided her time until she talked with her parents. “Okay,” her Mama agreed, “as long as the sexy scenes would be treated well.” Says Vilma: “I am liberated in the sense that I have moved out of the family residence. Why did I do it? Because I feel I am old enough to take care of myself, gusto ko namang masubukan ang independence. I feel that I am old enough to know what I want. “Ngayon,” she adds, “anu’t-ano pa man ang mangyari, buhay ko na ito. Kung madapa man ako, sisikapin ko nang bumangon ng sarili ko.” Her kind of liberation includes freedom to choose her dates and to go out unchaperoned. To criticisms about her going out with a married man, Vilma snorts: “Ako naman, I don’t care whether a man is a sinner or a saint. Basta niri-respeto niya ako at ang pamilya ko, niri-respeto ko rin siya.”
Scene: She emerges on stage in a lace gown and, gradually, as the music gets hotter and hotter and the audience’s applause louder and louder, she unwraps herself and starts the greatest performance of her life. She has lost her father and her lover Jessie and she has nothing more to live for. The baby in her womb has to go, there shouldn’t be any memory of Jessie. And she dances on and on and on until she collapses in a bloody heap. The dance lasts for 17 minutes. It is her dance of death. Vilma almost backed out of the tree-fourths finished movie when she learned about the finale sequence. No, she wouldn’t do it, she couldn’t do it. She ignored call slips and went into hiding. Poor Celso, he was drowning in his own tears of desperation and banging his head against the wall.
Burlesk Queen was his “last card”, he wanted to retrieve his dwindling popularity, he wanted to save face and if he didn’t get what he wanted now, he would be finished. Finally one day, he received a basketful of fruits – “Peace offering,” Celso calls it, “from Vilma.” “It took us almost seven nights, shooting straight, to finish that sequence. I learned the dance from an expert real-life burlesque dancer. During shootings, palaging close-door. My God, I couldn’t have done it with so many people around.” She had to take several shots of brandy before the shooting. “Otherwise, I could have died from nervousness. ”According to Romy Ching, producer of Burlesk Queen, he didn’t really have the Metro Filmfest in mind because he had a November 25 playdate. But when he saw the rushes, he changed plans. “Hindi ka magsisisi na tinanggap mo ito,” he told Vilma, “it will be worth it.” Says Vilma: “I didn’t expect to win, although marami ang nagsasabi sa akin na malaki ang pag-asa ko. Ako naman, I don’t believe anything unless talagang nangyayari. Kasi noon, I expected to win, sa film festival din sa Quezon City, but somebody else did. I was very disappointed. Noong awards night nga, I wasn’t convinced I would win hanggang hindi ko pa hawak ‘yong trophy.”
After the award, Vilma has understandably upped her asking price. She’s now worth only P300,000, may kaunting tawad pa if the role is good and the director is good. That business-and pleasure trip to Europe with Vasquez shall have to wait while Vilma is fulfilling her previous commitments. The morning after the awards night, tempting offers swamped Vilma, P300,000 and all, but she is not about to grab them all. She wants first to resume the shooting of her own outfit’s much delayed project, Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak, where she co-stars with Bembol Roco and has for director, yes, Celso Ad. Castillo. “We want to make it as good as, if not better than, Burlesk Queen,” Vilma and Celso promise. It better be. – Ricardo F. Lo, Expressweek Magazine January 19, 1978
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