Vilma Santos is a popular multi-awarded actress and politician in the Philippines. She's known as the "Queen of Philippine Movies," "Queenstar" and "Star for All Seasons." She is currently the Congresswoman of District of Lipa, Batangas (Philippines). This site is mostly about her film career.
In her heart of HEARTS, the heroine of the celluloid world who stands by the right and plight of the underprivileged, has lent her heart to make the HEARTS program available to her constituents in the province of Batangas. The charm and charisma that endeared this actress-turnedpolitician to her millions of fans when she started her career in Philippine filmdom at age 9 is still embodied in Gov. Vilma Santos as she meets people, as she faces the challenges of her office. “Monday is people’s day. That’s the time when I get to meet and find out the needs of my constituents from various sectors.They follow up their requests, ask for assistance. Others just want to see me for picture-taking,” she pauses, smiles and adds, “There were many cases when they still demanded to see me personally even if I had already assisted them in one way or another. They just wanted to see me and thank me. Well, it’s part of my job. It’s physically draining, but the Vilma is still there.” Health & Home staffers and others witnessing the interview nod their heads in agreement. With regard to the urgent need of her constituency, the governor stresses that it is still the basic needs and these are what her government needs to address and enhance. “There are many problems, left and right, up and down. But it’s still the basic needs that are important and they are contained in our HEARTS program.”
This program, she clarifies, was not invented. “It was given enough study time when I won the mayorship in Lipa in 2007, with the help of my husband, Senator Ralph Recto.” The HEARTS Program Health, Education and environment, Agriculture, Roads, Tourism and technology, and Social service and security. For her health program, the governor says her government has many projects. “I’ll give only one. We have 12 district hospitals. One perfect example is the Lipa District Hospital. All of them [hospitals] were rehabilitated and expanded, and we bought new equipment and facilities and distributed Philhealth cards.” She further explains that even though these are district hospitals, people should pay. “We can’t subsist if everything is free. How can you maintain a hospital if everything is free?” (Purchase this H&H Magazine to further read on the article, please feel free to contact the Marketing Department or call us at (632) 364-5205) Jose F. Sarsoza Jr. is editor in chief of Health & Home. – Jose F. Sarsoza Jr. (READ MORE)
Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos had the first-hand experience of waking up one day only to realize she had lost everything — as in everything: Money, vehicles and even her home.
Ever persevering she worked triply hard — to the point of sacrificing her marriage (she had no choice) — in order to be able to bounce back financially. She did — and recovered her Magallanes home from getting foreclosed by the bank.
Vilma is one of those intelligent and sensible people who know that having your own home is an excellent form of investment. She has wisely invested on real estate through the decades and that has made life a lot more comfortable for her (she could live off the rentals).
Raised in the Sta. Cruz district of Manila, Vilma didn’t really have to work as a child star because both her parents were employed and could very well afford to feed the brood. But what do you do with a precocious daughter loaded with talent and itching to act in the movies? Vilma has never stopped working since she was cast in the title role of Trudis Liit at age nine.
When she was a teen star, she got a house for her and her family in one of those subdivisions (was it Arfel Homes?) off Visayas Avenue. When her residence was featured in one of the fan magazines that time, the readers gushed over her choice of a round bed — as opposed to the conventional rectangular bed of rival Nora Aunor whose own bedroom was featured in the opposite page.
Vilma eventually moved to Magallanes Village where son Luis was eventually born. When he was a kid, Luis decided to raise a pair of pigeons and Vilma was just too happy to see her then only son learning how to be responsible. From two, however, the pigeons multiplied to about 40 and they were all nesting on the roof of the Magallanes home. Some found their way inside the ceiling where they continued to grow in number.
In a scene that could have come straight from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, the residents, Vilma included, were eventually terrorized by the avian creatures because these started pecking on the ceiling of the bedrooms and only heaven knew when the entire roof would collapse (and endanger the lives of the people below) from all that weight. Vilma was left with no choice but to ask Luis to give up this hobby.
In the early ’90s, Vilma felt that it was time to move to another residence and found one in Green Meadows, then a relatively new subdivision. She didn’t sell the Magallanes home, however (she worked hard to recover that, remember?) and used it as storage for pieces of furniture and appliances that couldn’t be accommodated in her new house. The trophies she won for having been proclaimed Box-Office Queen many times over, for instance, had to be left behind in the old residence because compared to the small glass citations being given away now those were huge and bulky back then — some even measuring three feet in height. But in time, Vilma decided to have the Magallanes residence rented out for additional income. Recently, it was torn down and rebuilt and is now being rented out again.
I never saw that Magallanes home, but I’ve been to the one in Green Meadows. In fact, I was there during the blessing where a dinner reception followed. The house on Green Meadows has four rooms, but one had to be turned into Vilma’s dressing room and closet (a star of her stature needs a huge closet space). The other two were divided between sister Emelyn and Luis.
According to the other Green Meadows celebrity residents, they had no problem with Vilma as a neigHBOr. Joey de Leon would even tell me that whenever he and wife Eileen Macapagal would host parties at their home, they would sometimes call Vilma to join them and if she was home and wasn’t doing anything, she’d drive over and join in the celebration until the wee hours of the morning. Vilma, however, is no longer a Green Meadows resident. The house had actually been turned over to Luis, who is now enjoying his independence (he is a responsible kid and I know he can take care of himself).
For the past couple of years now, Vilma, her husband, former Sen. Ralph Recto (now very much in the news), and their son Ryan Christian had been staying in Alabang. No, I haven’t been there. Neither had it been shown to the public in the past.
Tonight, we will be given the chance to finally have a peek at this very private residence because it will be featured — along with Vilma as wife and mother — in Vilma: A Woman for All Seasons after Charo Santos’ Maalaala Mo Kaya on ABS-CBN. (Ai-Ai de las Alas is the guest co-host for this episode.)
The house is said to be tastefully designed by Budji Layug. It’s mostly wood and done in minimalist style. Yes, it is Vilma’s dream house and so don’t miss it for the world. After all, it’s an invitation from no less than the star for all seasons herself. Best of all, you don’t have to travel to far Alabang. – Butch Francisco (telebisyon.net)
The Plot: The first time they laid eyes on each other, they knew from that very moment that they were destined to be together. But their love was not meant to be consummated instantly-they had to wait. But their waiting spanned not just year but lifetimes. The time comes that they meet again. But now, they must break the walls that have for so long kept them apart. They must fight for their love because now is their last chance. – Viva Films
The Reviews: We saw the movie “Imortal” starring Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon, and directed by Eddie Garcia, which won most of the awards in the last Metro-Manila Festival. It was awful. People who make such movies, and those who hand out awards to them, thoroughly deserve each other. In its asinine plot, “Imortal” tells of the immortal love between two siblings with a common father — a doctor Christopher de Leon and Vilma Santos who becomes a nun, wife of an impotent husband, adulteress and a whore. They never make it because movie censor Manoling Morato would have gotten mad, but in the next generation, the daughter of the whore with foreigner (without AIDS, we hope) — also played by a younger Vilma Santos — marries the son of the doctor, played by a young Christopher de Leon, in a psychedelic wedding in the year 2016 AD. In the year 2016, youngsters Vilma (with brown skin and blue eyes) and Boyet are singing Happy Birthday to the father Old Christopher, a senile old man in a wheel chair. “Happy Birthday, Papa,” says Vilma as she kisses him on the cheek; he does not respond so she panics: “Papa… Papa… PAPA!” He does not answer because he is dead. According to the movie script, the father Christopher was born in 1954, which makes him in 2016 only 62 years of age — much younger than Director Eddie Garcia or even Dolphy, hardly an age to be senile and dying.
There are other laughable scenes. Vilma says, “My husband is (music rises ominously) — my husband is (music again) IMPOTENT (music rises to a climax)!” You’d think the husband just contracted the AIDS virus or got castrated by Sparrow units! Shucks, I know several husbands who just can’t do it anymore, and I hear no heavy music when their wives complain. As a matter of fact, wives prefer their husbands to be impotent, rather than be sexually active with other women. Another terrible scene. The car ridden by Christopher and wife Cherie Gil falls off a cliff. Cherie who is pregnant is mortally wounded and dies. And Christopher looks at his dead wife, and holds aloft a new born baby complete with umbilical cord. This is absurd without a caesarian operation by a doctor. The worst scene is when Christopher digs up the corpse of Vilma at the cemetery, amidst thunder, lightning, wind and rain, and embraces her passionately, while she exhibits no rigor mortis, and apparently no smell of formalin. You don’t find this kind of idiocy in a television commercial. Most of my grandchildren, including Angeli who is only four months of age, enjoy commercials more than dramas.
Some TV commercials can tell the story vividly, memorably, with impact in 30 seconds, better than two hours of unmitigated nincompoopery in filmed dramas. A simple love story is telescoped into a heartwarming half a minute of the Lizl Lebron commercial for San Miguel — boy meets girl against the parents’ wishes, in the tennis court, Fort Santiago in the rain, in the balcony — and ends as he gives her a engagement ring. Actresses with a roomful of acting awards can never match the birth of love and passion in the virginal innocence of this young girl. The same love story is retold in the Ligaw ad of Jollibee chronicling the Filipino traditional courtship — the chaperoned visit, permission to take the girl out for a snack, “Sigurado ka bang sa Jollibee?” the first tentative holding of hands, and the sudden appearance of papa — a slice of true life experience every young person can identify with, more than the bizarre events of “Imortal.” Movies are a director’s medium, the stage is an actor’s medium, a TV commercial is the medium of the advertiser who pays for the ad. The advertiser conducts enough studies to justify the expenditure in a logical way: product and consumer research to determine the most compelling reason to buy the product; careful attention to story boards, makeup, hair style, with no waste, irrelevances or digressions — long before shooting even starts.
A commercial of 30 seconds takes from P800,000 to P2 million to produce or as much as P67,000 per second. A movie of two hours or 9,600 seconds may take P5 million to produce, or P520 per second. A commercial costs as 128 times as much as a movie. Del Monte’s Spaghetti Sauce’s Godfather ad, mechado sauce’s Candida ad, and ketchup’s Family Dinner ad; the San Miguel series with Fernando Poe Jr., Tawa Marcelo and Freddie Aguilar; Jollibee’s Lola ad; and the Sarsi ad — are technical and artistic masterpieces. The Hope cigarette ads are colonial, sexist and insulting to the intelligence, as are those of Vos Brandy, White Castle Whisky and Old Captain Rum. But even the worst TV ad is better than “Imortal.” – Hilarion M. Henares Jr., Jan 14, 1990, Philippine Daily Inquirer READ MORE
Watching Imortal on ABS-CBN was purely out curiosity. At first I thought it was a remake of the old Vilma Santos-Christopher De Leon movie entitled Imortal. Gosh. Then only to find out the teleserye is about feuding wolves and vampires. You don’t have to be Twilight fan to realize how Twilight-y the plot is not even halfway into the first episode. And like any other Pinoy plot, the story line is just so darn predictable! The first episode isn’t over yet but you already know how it’s going to end. Why is it always like that? Can’t the writers think of new twists and be creative for once? (I’m already in my late 30s and they’ve been at it since I was in grade school.) Or is it that unpredictable twists don’t sell to the masses? Most probably! Either way, don’t blame me for being ‘unpatriotic’ because I get more satisfaction watching reruns of good old foreign films. – READ MORE
Kissing On The Park
Hugging On The Phone
Holding Hand In Hand
Down The Avenue
II
Strolling Down The Land
With Castles In The Air
A Kissin’ a Lovin’
A Kissin’ a Lovin’
A Kissin’ All Night Long
III
They Say I’m Only Sweet Sixteen
I’ve Never Been Kiss
I’ve Never Been Love
And All I Want Is Candy
Ice Cream, Teddy Bear and Lollipop
IV
Riding On The Sun
A Lot Of Things We Do
Whispering To My Ears ” I Love You So”
Repeat II, III, I, II
A Kissing, A Lovin’
A Kissing, A Lovin’
A Kissing All Night Long (Fade)
DRY YOUR EYES
(DANNY SUBIDO)
I
Dry Your Eyes
Have A Little Smile
Won’t You Let The Sunshine through Your Hair
Wipe The tears
Discard Away The Fears
Don’t Be Afraid , To Walk By Yourself
Don’t Be Afraid , To Be Alone
(refrain)
And All The Blows,
That She Gave To You
Somehow Would Disappear From View
Then You Could Face The World With No regret
Just Like Before
II
Look Around
Never Try To Run
For The Things To Come
Could Be Your Chance
You’re Still Young,
To Suffer And To Cry
Don’t You Deny
For I Know your Part
I Also Cry, But They’re Gone
(repeat refrain, I )
RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD
I
Raindrop Keep falling On My Head
And Just Like The Guy
Who’s Feet Are To Big For His Bed
Nothing Seems To Fit
Those Raindrops Are Falling On My Head
They Keep Falling
So I Just Did Me Some Talking To The Sun
And I Say I Didn’t Like The Way
He’s Got Things Done
Sleeping On The Job
Those Raindrops Are Falling On My Head
They Keep Falling
But There’s One Thing I Know
The Blues They Sends To Meet
Won’t Defeat Me
It Won’t Be Long Till Happiness
Steps Up to Greet Me
II
Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
But That Doesn’t Mean My Eyes
Will Still Be turning Red
Crying Is Not For Me
Cause I’ll Never Gonna Stop
The Rain By Complaining
Because I’m Free
Nothings Worry In Me
WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKE ONE
I
When The Clock Strike One
We Gonna Have Some Fun
When The Clock Strikes Two
I’m Outing For Two
My Love It’s You And Me
Your Hand, Holding Mine
We’ll Start The Fun
When The Clock Strike One
II
Your Sweet, Sweet Lips
Your Eyes That Shine
Your Rosy Cheeks
I Know They’re All Mind
(repeat I )
I’m Feeling Fine
Having So Much Fun
I’m Feeling Alright
Just Holding you Tight
IV
When The Clock Strike Three
Love For You And Me
When The Clock Strike Four
We Gonna Have a Tour
In The Outer Space Of Love
With Kisses, romancing And Hugging
We’ll Start When the Clock Strike One
(repeat III, I )
SOMETIMES
I
Sometimes I wonder Why
You Couldn’t Love me
When You Could See From The Start
How Much You Mean To Me
So Darling Tell Me Now
If I Could Get Your heart
So I Could held Myself really Tough
II
Sometimes, When I Feel Sad
I Always Call Your Name
And These I Can’t Explain
Cause Your Driving Me Insane
So Darling Tell Me Now
If I Could Get Your Heart
So I Could Told Myself Really Tough
III
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
My Heart Is Aching
La, la, la, la, la, la , la,
I Think I’m Dying
(repeat I, III, II)
THEN ALONG CAME YOU,”EDGAR”
I
Used To be Afraid
I’ll Never Find, A Boy To Love
Hopefully, Good And Kind
Always On My Mind
Used To be Afraid
I’ll Never Find, A Boy To Love
Good And Kind
(refrain)
Then Along Came You “Edgar”
And I Know You’ll Be My Star
Young and Very Handsome
Full Of Lovely Things To Say
As Along Came You “Edgar”
And you ‘re A Star, You are
II
Used To Be An Ordinary
Lonely Little Girl
Living In A Shell
Never Having Fun
Used To Be An Ordinary
Lonely Little Girl
Living In A Shell
Not Having Fun
(repeat refrain)
Used to Date a Boy Who Swept Me Off My Feet
Someone I Admit While Walking Down The Street
Used to Date a Boy Who Swept Me Off My Feet
One Admit While Walking Down the Street
(repeat refrain)
SEALED WITH A KISS
I
Though’ We Gotta Say Goodbye
For The Summer
Darling I Promise You This
I’ll Send You All My Love
Everyday In A Letter
Sealed With A Kiss
II
Guess It’s Gonna Be A Cold
Lonely Summer
But I’ll Find The Emptiness
I’ll Send You All Love
Everyday In A Letter
Sealed With A Kiss
(refrain)
I’ll See You In The Sunlight
I’ll Hear Your Voice Everywhere
I’ll Run To Tenderly Hold You
But Darling You Wont Be There
I Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye
For The Summer
Knowing The Love We’ll Miss
Oh Let us Make A Pledge To Me in September
And Sealed With A Kiss
IT’S WONDERFUL TO BE IN LOVE
I
People Always Say
Love Is Blind
Around Your Eyes
You’ll See Tears And Clouds
Before Myself I Think
It is Nice
It is Wonderful To Be In Love
II
But If this Feeling Inside My Heart
But There’s A Room
Cause You’re Bt My Side
Before Myself
I Think It Is Nice
It is Wonderful To be In Love
(refrain)
I Wanna Tell YouI’m Satisfied
To Be In Love
With The Boy Like You
I Didn’t Know
That Love Could be
As Wonderful As You
(repeat I, II, I )
It Is Wonderful To Be In Love
It Is Wonderful To Be In Love
BRING BACK YOUR LOVE
(DANNY SUBIDO)
(Bring Back Your Love 3x To Me)
You Used To Tell Me Honey ” I Love You So”
And You Make Me Believe, You’re always true
But One day, While I was Walking
I Saw You With My Best Friend
Sharing Laughs, While You Broke All My Dreams
(refrain)
Bring Back Your Love (3X)
You Once Gave To Me
Bring Back Your Love (3X)
To Me
II
I Hate To do, For What You Did
Still I’m In Love With You
Cause the Feeling I Used To Hide
Stronger Than My Pride
If You Could Still Remember It Right
What I Told You Before
No Matter How You Hurt me
I Will Love You More
(repeat refrain 2x)
LOVE, LOVE
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la (4x)
Yesterday I Found Myself
Crying Alone With A Broken Heart
All The Promise You Make to me
They Just Banish
When you said Goodbye
(refrain)
Love, Love
You Make Me Sad
Love Love
You Broke My Heart
When Will I Find
Someone To mend
The Things You Left in My heart
II I
Was Left Alone And Blue
Crying Alone Over You
Since For Me
There’s No Regret
Though I Felt It Hurt Inside Of Me
(repeat refrain)
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
(repeat refrain. I refrain 2x)
SO WITH ME
I
You Boy, Say To Me
That You Care
That You Like To Be
My Only One Forevermore
II
And You Say
Though You Are Away
I’m Always In Your Mind
And Till The End Of Time
You Say That You will always be True
Never Leave Me Blue
III
(Now) It’s My Turn
To Say My Heart Burst
And That It Fits
For Only You
And As For all
The Things You’ve set
I Say, So With Me
So With Me
(repeat III)
BABY BABY BABY
I
I’ve Been Alone For Long
I’ve been Crying, Over You
I Never Thought
You Leave Me Here
And Then You Run Away From Me
(refrain)
You’ve Been Playing A Game or Two
You’ve been Treating Me
So Bad When I’m With You
Baby, Baby, Baby
You (Don’t) Made A Fool
Out Of me
II
You Know It’s Wrong To Lie
Cause Someone
Will Surely Cry
Photos and lyrics transcription courtesy of Nar Santander
FAIR USE NOTICE This site contains copyrighted materials the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to preserve the film legacy of actress, Ms. Vilma Santos-Recto and information available to future generations. We believe this is NOT an infringement of any such copyrighted materials as in accordance to the fair dealing clauses of both the Canadian and U.S. Copyright legislation, both of which allows users to engage in certain activities relating to non commercial/not for profit research, private study, criticism, review, or news reporting. We are making an exerted effort to mention the source of the material, along with the name of the author, performer, maker, or broadcaster for the dealing to be fair, again in accordance with the allowable clauses. – Wikipedia (READ MORE)
1. RELASYON (1982) – “Vilma Santos represents womanhood in the film…Santos portrays a mistress who is an out-and-out martir. She serves De Leon hand and foot, ministering to his every need, including fetching beer for him, washing his clothes, serving as his shoulder to cry on, even baby-sitting his child. In return, all she gets from De Leon is chauvinistic love, void of tenderness, full of immature aggressiveness… Vilma Santos’ acting is adequate and extraordinary…” – Isagani Cruz, Parade 01 July 1982.
“Vilma Santos confidently showed she felt the character she was portraying. Her depiction of feelings and emotions easily involve the viewers to share in her conflicts and joys. In this film, she has peeled-off apprehensions in her acting. Christopher de Leon has also been supportive in emphasizing the characterization of Marilou. He suitably complements Vilma’s acting.” – Lawrence delos Trinos, Star Monthly 10 July 1982
”Vilma Santos holds the first ace on acting this year with her terrific performance in Relasyon – the range is wide, the insight deep, hardly a false note in the entire performance – she was always in control, even when she seemed totally lost in her role…basta magaling si Vilma, tapos!“ – Ador Cs Tariman
FACTS: Vilma Santos’s first best actress grand slam win.
FICTION: Vilma Santos’ wins can be attributed to her connection to Imelda Marcos. (That’s absurd.)
2. BURLESK QUEEN (1977) – “…naiiba ang Burlesk Queen, kahit ikumpara sa mga naunang trabaho ni Celso at sa iba pang direktor na nagtangkang tumalakay sa paksang ito. Matagal-tagal na rin namang nauso ang kaputahan sa pelikula, pero walang nakapagbigay ng katarungan sa lahi ni Eba bilang Pilipina at bilang puta… para kay Celso…ang tao ay hindi basta maghuhubad at magtatalik. Maraming pangyayari sa buhay ang dapat munang linawin at unawain, at iyon ang basehan ng kasaysayan.” – Jun Cruz Reyes, MPP, Manila magazine Dec 1977
“(about the hospital scense with Vilma and Leopoldo Salcedo) Tuloy-tuloy ‘yun. nag-experiment ako noong una, kumuha ako ng second take, pero di ko na rin tinapos. Perfect na iyong una. Alam mo bang nang gawin namin ang eksenang iyon tatlo kaming umiiyak sa set? Ako, si Vilma, at si Leopoldo? Dalang-dala si Leopoldo sa pagsasalita ni Vilma, lumuha siya kahit patay siya dapat doon. Buti na lang di siya nakuha ng kamera…(Kung Nahirapan ka ba kay Vilma?) …Oo, hindi sa acting dahil mahusay talaga siya kundi sa scheduling. Alam mo kasi it takes time before I can really get into the mood of a picture, mga two weeks, tapos kapag nandiyan na, that’s the stage when I’m ready to give my life to the project. Tapos biglang walang shooting ng two weeks dahil busy siya sa ibang pelikula…” – Ricardo Lee, Manila magazine Dec. 1977
FACTS: The film won 10 out of 13 Awards at the 1977 Metro Manila film festival including Best Actress for Vilma Santos.
FICTION: All of the awards that’s been given to the film has been given back due to the investigation that the verdict were rigged. (Up to this date, Vilma still has her medal and award.)
3. RUBIA SERVIOS (1978) – “The second rape scene in “Rubia Servios” which stars Vilma Santos, is reminiscent of the rape scene in “Santiago”, shown in 1970. Instead of Caridad Sanchez as the wife who is assaulted in full view of husband Mario O’Hara, it has Vilma Santos and Mat Ranillo III. This coincidence is not surprising since Brocka also directed Santiago, and O’Hara, who has since graduated from supporting roles, is the scriptwriter for “Rubia Servios”. Vilma does not expose much skin and Philip Salvador (as the attacker) has his pants on, but the scene could well be one of the most realistic rape scenes on screen in a long, long time. The anguish in Vilma’s face and the lust in philip’s eyes blended so well the effect was dramatic rather than sensual. The real climax of the film, however, is the killing of Philip by Vilma with a paddle aboard a motorboat at sea. Lino Brocka, who directs Vilma for the first time, succeeded in muffling her sobs even in the most hysterical moments. To our mind, “Rubia Servios” is geared towards mature audiences. It is engrossing despite the lack of fancy camera shots and an almost chronological presentation.” – Ricky Lo
FACTS: Vilma Santos lost The Best Performer Award in this 1978 Metro Manila Film Festival to rival Nora Aunor. Admittedly, this was the most painful lost she experienced in her whole career. With its “For Adults Only rating” in consideration, the film still managed to end up as one of the Festival’s top grosser.
FICTION: Vilma committed suicide after her lost, luckily Manay Ichu, her Rubia Servios producer came and rescued her. (Both Manay Ichu and Vilma managed to get drunk but Vilma did not commit suicide.)
4. DOLZURA CORTEZ (1993) – Dahil Mahal Kita (Because I Love You): The Dolzura Cortez Story 1994, This Philippine drama chronicles the colorful life of Dolzura Cortez, the first publicly recognized AIDS patient in the Philippines. The film begins with a brief examination of Cortez’s pre-AIDS life. Initially she lived in a small village with her cruel husband and three kids. The spunky woman leaves them and moves to the big city where she engages in several affairs. Her second marriage to a rich foreigner does not last long. To support her children, Dolly begins an all woman “contract worker” agency. This also serves to facilitate her love of night-life. Tragedy comes to Dolzura after she collapses on a dance floor one night and learns that she has full-blown AIDS. At a Manila hospital she meets ex-lover Paulo, an AIDS researcher who encourages to tell her story publicly. The courageous woman does and she becomes instrumental in spreading AIDS awareness to the islands. – Sandra Brennan, The New York Times
“Still bearing activist weight is Vilma’s effort in Laurice Guillen’s Dahil Mahal Kita: The Dolzura Cortez Story in which she fleshes out a body and a mind for a person with AIDS. This initiative constitutes an advocacy not only for people afflicted with the dreaded pandemic, but also for women who have to overcome strata of ostracism in the process of survival and resist their being reduced to an aberration, in this case, a pathology.” – Patrick Flores, Manila Standard Today Jan 11, 2003
FACTS: Vilma Santos’ earned her 2nd Best Actress grand slam wins.
FICTION: Dolzura Cortez wanted Nora Aunor to play herself in this film. Aunor declined. (No. No. No. That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard – Simon Cowell from AI)
5. PAHIRAM NG ISANG UMAGA (1989) – “…a striking part of the movie (was when), Juliet watching intently as morticians work on her father’s remains, as everyone weeps when the coffin is lowered to its final resting place, and during the ritualistic pasiyam, the nine-day novena for the dead. It’s as though Juliet can see herself in her father’s lifeless body while mourners mill around it. The attempts to raise the level of the melodrama and present insights on life and death provide the movie its greatest strength – and wide appeal. How strangely ironic that a movie dealing with death could have so much life.” – Mario Hernando, Malaya 05 March 1989
“…Vi goes to the kitchen to prepare breakfast at habang nagbabati siya ng itlog, doon pa lang ipinakitang una siyang nag-breakdown. And this is shown nang nakatalikod siya sa camera. No overly ornate kind of emoting na akting na akting ang dating. Pero damang-dama mo pa rin…she becomes the part (lalo na sa eksena nila ni Gabby Concepcion sa simbahan na binalikan nila kung paano sila nagkasira), and if you notice that she is good, well, salamat po…Sa second viewing ng movie namin lalong napansin ang subtle nuances ng performance ni Vi, up to her death scene which confirms our supposition that the movie is not really so much about death than a celebration of life..’yan ang opinion namin…” – Mario Bautista
FACTS: Vilma Santos won her first PMPC Star Awards Best Actress.
FICTION: Mario Bautista fought hard to make sure Nora Aunor won the Star Awards. (It was actually the opposite!)
6. LIPAD, DARNA, LIPAD (1973) – “the quintessential actionfantasy Pinoy flick that appeals to all ages, from generation to generation. This movie is a major milestone for Vilma because it proved that she could really carry a solo movie and bring in the dough (up to now of course!). Vilma’s Darna franchise is the most memorable and successful of all Pinoy fantasy-action genre. Imitated but never equalled, Vilma’s Darna lives on. Unforgettable. Memorable. It grows on you. No Pinoy kid ever grows up without being a part of the Darna magic. Vilma, practically flew at the top of the box office in Sine Pilipino’s trend setting trilogy “Lipad, Darna, Lipad!” Many fans consider Lipad, Darna, Lipad, as one of the most entertaining Darna movies ever. After all, who could forget that climactic aerial battle scene between Darna and the Impakta (Gloria Romero)? That shot of Romero impaled in a giant crucifix ensconced on top of a church tops any gory scene in The Omen. The enormous success of Lipad, Darna, Lipad led to three more Darna movies with Vilma Santos. As a result, the star for all seasons became the star for all Darnas—Santos played her four times, more than any other actress in the superheroine’s history. “Lipad, Darna, Lipad!” were divided into three separate segments, directed by three different directors. In Darna’s case, the three directors were Maning Borlaza, Joey Goesiengfao, and Elwood Perez—three names that promised an adventure that could do Andy Warhol proud.” – Eric Cueto
FACTS: Lipad Darna Lipad broke all box office records and made Vilma as the most successful Darna to date.
FICTION: Vilma was immediately wanted to wear the two-piece sexy Darna cutomes. (Vilma wore skin coloured suit on top of the Darna custom but after some people who works for TIIP and her entourage convinced her that it looks tacky, she agreed to wear the custom without it.)
7. ANAK (2000) – “Living complex emotions with subtlety and humor, pic resists melodrama until the dam abruptly burst after 90 minutes; ill judged pileup of crying scenes, plot crises and more crying ensues…That’s too bad, since early reels observe parent-child relationships with considerable delicacy… veteran local star Santos is in fine form, while barretto lends impressive shading to what might have been a stock sexy “bad girl” role…” -Dennis Harvey, Variety Magazine 19 March 2001
“The slick production is turned into art by its star Vilma Santos. Her magnetic star quality makes her look so wrong for the part and yet she makes it all her own. She’s a natural comedianne and a great tragedienne-her look of resignation is heartbreaking. Vilma discards the glittering clothes and make-up for Anak, but she still looks youthful. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if the sensitive young actor playing her son would go on to play her leading man a few years from now.” – Dennis Ladaw
FACTS: Official Philippine Entry to the 73rd Academy Awards Best Foreign Film. Anak grosses 14 Million Pesos, a record breaking for a Filipino film!
FICTION: Vilma can’t portray a poverty stricken maid or “atsay” role, that role only suited Nora! (Tell that to the marines!)
8. SISTER STELLA L. (1984) – “…For a heart-warming film, the entire cast deserves congratulations, particularly Vilma Santos who reveals another aspect of her multi-faceted talent. From her usual soft and sweet romantic roles, she can be transformed into a strong and militant woman without losing any of her charm and beauty. Jay Ilagan, Tony Santos, Anita Linda and Liza Lorena are also in their best form. Mike de Leon as director, Jose F. Lacaba as scriptwriter are likewise to be congratulated for making a truly human film and for contributing to the cause of workers for justice and of the religious for the recognition of their social role. Not to be overlooked is the producer Lily Monteverde of Regal Films who has this time shifted from puerile erotic dramas to make a courageous film for which she will always be well remembered.” – Alice G. Guillermo, Who Magazine 30 May 1984
“…De Leon’s film was to have had special screenings, on the unanimous request of the Cannes’ board of critics. Sister Stella L., however, suffered from the rush of subtitling work that descended upon Cannes’ select group of translators and De Leon opted not to show the film without subtitles. He nevertheless had the distinct honor of holding a retrospective under the sponsorship of the French Cinematheque right after the festival. The film eventually competed at the Venice Film Festival. Under its original title Sangandaan (Crossroads), Sister Stella L. was invited to the Venice Film Festival in 1984, the second Filipino film (after Genghis Khan in 1951) to be honored with such recognition.” – Agustin L. Sotto, Pet Cleto, Philippine Panorama 02 December 1984
FACTS: Vilma Santos admittedly confessed SSL was a flop at the box office.
FICTION: Vilma was overshadowed by the supporting cast of this film. (The Urian critics disagreed! They gave Vilma, her third consecutive best actress! Hah! Beat that!)
9. DEKADA 70 (2002) – “Santos’ Amanda effortlessly and movingly chronicles the changed consciousness of the family and the country, with understatement her most reliable tool. Pic begins and ends with images of Santos at the forefront of a political demonstration, and nothing, from first image to last, for 128 minutes, is allowed to spontaneously or slyly deviate from the logic of her consciousness-raising.” – Ronnie Scheib, Variety Magazine “Last seen in ANAK (SFIAAFF ‘01), Vilma Santos delivers an understated, profoundly moving performance as the matriarch whose awakening redefines the traditional mother and wife role she donned for years. This is the story of an incredible character that survived an unforgettable decade.” – Michael Magnaye, The 22nd San Fransisco Asian-American Film Festival 2004
“As Amanda, Vilma Santos shows again why Brocka, before he died, had likened her to water. “She can register anything,” he said. In “Dekada”, its the same Santos of vigor and transparency. The only difference is the depth, the resonance, and the greater confidence. Can she ever go wrong?” – Lito B. Zulueta, Philippine Daily Inquirer 30 December 2002
FACTS: Vilma Santos’ 4th Grand Slam wins for Best Actresses. The film was exhibited in last year’s “Cinema of the world” section at Cannes. Philippines’ Official Entry at the 76th Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film. Vilma’s 4th Grandslam Best Actress wins.
FICTION: Dekasa 70 was written by Lualhati Bautista for Nora Aunor.
10. BATA BATA PAANO KA GINAWA? (1998) – “Sa tingin ko, sa Bata, Bata… pinakamagaling si Vilma Santos. Sa dami ng kanyang award, may ibubuga pa pala siya. Iba ang akting niya rito…Halatang feel na feel ni Vilma Santos ang kanyang papel dahil, gaya ng karakter ni Lea Bustamante, dalawa ang anak ni Vilma sa magkaibang lalake.” – Marra Pl. Lanot, Diario Uno 16 Sept. 1998
”And Vilma Santosis more than up to the challenge. Gone are the hysterically flapping hands, the melodramatic emoting, all the trademark acting tics. In their place is a heartfelt performance that distills Lea’s essence to an exquisite point-no movements are wasted, no gestures are overwrought. …Vilma rolls them on her tongue like the finest wine; when Lea is on the verge of breaking down, Vilma remains true to the spirit of her character… If the Lipa City mayor decides never to do another movie again, she can retire assured that her last performance-in a career already studded with formidable portrayals-may conceivably have been her best.” – Andrew E. Pardes, Manila Times 13 Sept 1998
FACT: Opening gross was 5.2 million pesos. Another record breaking for Vilma. The film earned her a third grandslam best actress wins and her very first international recognition, winning the Brussel International film festival’s best actress award.
If I were to write the biography of Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos, I would open it when she was around 14, a period when a girl is deemed too old for dolls but too young for guys.
I was barely out of college then and Vilma was in her bobby socks stage. I fetched her and her mom, Milagros Santos (now into her mid-80s), from Torres Auto Supply on España St., Sampaloc, Manila, and we took a taxi to Manila Times office on Florentino St. in Sta. Cruz, Manila. Vilma was going to be featured on the cover of Variety, one of the then No. 1 broadsheet’s Sunday magazines, and I was tasked to do the cover story.
She was in that awkward stage, too old for tearjerker kiddie roles such as those in Trudis Liit and Ging that propelled her to child stardom and too young for adolescent roles that she would be doing shortly, such as those saccharine flicks that she did with Edgar Mortiz in the Vi-Bobot era that pitted them against the Guy & Pip tandem of Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III.
She’s called a Star For All Seasons for a good reason: She has successfully navigated the dangerous waters from being a matinee idol to a serious actress, paving the way for those in her league to go “daring” via her award-winning portrayal as the title role in Celso Ad. Castillo’s landmark movie Burlesk Queen. From then on, Vilma (who will forever be simply Vi to her family, fans and friends) successfully ventured into other fields, including doing an album that has become some kind of a “classic” that is a perfect soundtrack for a workout (try it!). She reaped awards along the way.
The bio will discuss how she manages to play to the hilt her real-life triple roles — in this order — family woman (wife to Sen. Ralph Recto and mother to Lucky/Luis and Ryan Christian), public servant (beautifully wrapping up three terms as Lipa City Mayor before becoming the province’s governor) and actress par excellence (she’s shooting The Healing for Star Cinema, directed by Chito Roño).
Of course, several chapters will be devoted to Vi’s colorful love life, punctuated by episodes of her running away from home with a leading man and holing herself up for days at a five-star hotel. If made into a movie, Vi’s love life will require several (a dozen?) leading men but there should be a “disclaimer” to the effect that it’s a “fictionized true story” lawsuits that may be filed by some of the men most of whom are now happily married.”
And how will the bio end?
It will be a cliff-hanger because the life of Vi is like an extended teleserye with subplots cropping up at every twist and turn. But it will hopefully have a happily-ever-after ending like a fairy tale that Vi’s life is likened to.
Anyway, before that tell-all biography, let’s ask Vi what lessons she has learned as she celebrated her 58th birthday last Nov. 3, taking time out for her annual family vacation, this time on an Asian jaunt kicked off by a weekend in Phuket, Thailand.
Vi herself made the list in her own handwriting, using her left hand, she being kaliwete.
01. Pray for guidance.
02. Respect the opinion of others.
03. Sing and dance.
04. Forgive and forget.
05. Drive.
06. Exercise.
07. Apply my own make-up.
08. Dress up properly.
09. Drink (socially) occasionally.
10. Be patient.
11. Work with dedication.
12. Respect colleagues in the movie industry and politics.
13. Talk with sense.
14. Make friends.
15. Appreciate good deeds.
16. Trust people who are trustworthy.
17. Share my blessings.
18. Wake up early.
19. Speak with responsibility in public.
20. Deal properly with my constituents.
21. Understand the problems of other people.
22. Be a liberated mother to my sons.
23. Be a good (not necessarily a model) wife.
24. Give priority to my family.
25. Budget household expenses.
26. Spend less than what I earn.
27. Manage my own finances.
28. Pay my taxes on time.
29. Appreciate the love and support of all my fans (the Vilmanians).
30. Extend a helping hand to people in need.
31. Be more humble.
32. Appreciate CNN (World News).
33. Be considerate of the feelings of other people.
34. Treasure true and real friends.
35. Respect my subordinates and treat them fairly.
36. Try to live up to advances in technology.
37. Accept my mistakes.
38. Run a local government.
39. Hone my craft.
40. Honor my commitments.
41. Love my career as an actress.
42. Respect my position as a public servant.
43. Be tough in facing challenges.
44. Not to disappoint people who give me their trust.
45. Choose my battles.
46. Love my enemies.
47. Eat healthy food.
48. Not to underestimate children.
49. Spend money wisely.
50. Always keep an open eye.
51. Not to hesitate to ask questions when I don’t understand the issues.
52. Read more books.
53. That health is wealth.
54. Be a nature lover.
55. Waste segregation.
56. Pay attention to constructive criticism.
57. Express gratitude to whoever, whatever and however minor the things are said about or done to and for me.
This program, she clarifies, was not invented. “It was given enough study time when I won the mayorship in Lipa in 2007, with the help of my husband, Senator Ralph Recto.” The HEARTS Program Health, Education and environment, Agriculture, Roads, Tourism and technology, and Social service and security. For her health program, the governor says her government has many projects. “I’ll give only one. We have 12 district hospitals. One perfect example is the Lipa District Hospital. All of them [hospitals] were rehabilitated and expanded, and we bought new equipment and facilities and distributed Philhealth cards.” She further explains that even though these are district hospitals, people should pay. “We can’t subsist if everything is free. How can you maintain a hospital if everything is free?” (Purchase this H&H Magazine to further read on the article, please feel free to contact the Marketing Department or call us at (632) 364-5205) Jose F. Sarsoza Jr. is editor in chief of Health & Home. – Jose F. Sarsoza Jr. (READ MORE)
Star For All Seasons 
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