Filmography: Ikaw ay Akin (1978)

Posted on November 21, 2009 by @ffv Standard

“Rex…anong gagawin mo? Ako anong gagawin ko? Ako ba ang nagpapagulo sa otherwise your perfect world?…sure? Rex ang problem ako hindi lang ako eh…si Teresita rin…nasasaktan ko na siya…anong gagawin ko iwasan kita eh de ako naman ang nasaktan? Shit! Bakit? Ewan…nahihiya nako kay Teresita at saka sa’yo eh!…Rex huwag mong sabihin yan, naiintindihan mo ba ako? I need your presence more than anything else. Sabi nila liberated woman raw ako, front lang, kalog raw, front din…alam mo namang kulang-kulang ako eh sinabi ko na sayo nun pa…ninenerbiyos ako kapag hindi kita kasama eh, baka dapuan ako ng kung ano diyan, bery-bery, typoid fever! Pakiramdam ko safe lang ako kapag nariyan ka eh…pag wala ka,huh, nagwawala ako parang manok takbo ng takbo wala namang ulo!…Rex, anong gagawin mo?” – Sandra

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Basic Information: Directed, screenplay: Ishmael Bernal; Story: Jose Carreon; Cast: Vilma Santos, Nora Aunor, Christopher De Leon, Nick Romano , Ellen Esguerra, Zandro Zamora, Odette Khan, Charmie Benavidez, Ernie Zarate, Cris Vertido, Anton Juan, Sandy Andolong; Executive producer: Experidion Laxa; Original Music: The Vanishing Tribe; Cinematography: Sergio Lobo; Film Editing: Augusto Salvador; Production Design: Mel Chionglo; Sound: Teddy Ramos, Rolly Ruta

Plot Description: Botanist, Tere’s (Nora Aunor) long stable relationship with business executive Rex (Christopher Deleon) was shaken when Sandra (Vilma Santos) came into their lives. A pill popping liberal career minded, Sandra made Rex’s monotonous life colourful and exciting. He later realized that both women complete his existence. – RV

An unusual story of three people caught in the unexplainable intricacies of love and need. The five year old relationship of Rex and Tere is put to a test as Sandra, the kooky, talented and aggressive designer rocks the picture perfect and peaceful relationship. The solid and unruffled engagement cracks as Rex is immediately smitten by Sandra’s dynamic persona. The film features the superstar team-up of award winning artists Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos and the drama king, Christopher de Leon. – Database of Philippine Movies

Ang ‘Ikaw ang Akin’ ay tungkol sa isang paboritong paKsa sa ating puting-tabing: ang trianggulo ng pag-ibig. Si Rex (Christopher de Leon) ay batambatang tagapamahala ng isang pagawaan ng dyipni. Limang taon na silang magkatipan ni Tere (Nora Aunor), isang dalubhasa sa paghahalaman. Mapayapa at maayos ang kanilang pagsasama hanggang makilala ni Rex si Sandra (Vilma Santos), isang designer. Nagsimulang magkaroon ng sigalot ang pagsasama nina Rex at Tere. Hindi makapagpasiya si Rex kung sino ang pipilijn sa dalawa na kapwa naging matimbang sa kanya. Sa huli, nataios ni Rex na ang pag-ibig at pag-aangkin sa isang nilalang ay isang masalimuot na damdaming hindi nararapat sarilinin ng isang tao lamang. – Manunuri

Tagalog movie’s traditional love triangle is told in a sophisticated, unconventional way. Stars three of the country’s younger superstars – Christopher de Leon torn between a quiet, conservative type played by Nora Aunor, and a contemporary “free spirit”, Vilma Santos. Excellent performances by the three principal players with fine support by Ernie Zarate, Ellen Esguerra, and Rene Requiestas. Earned the critics Urian nominations for best actress (Aunor and Santos), supporting actor (Zarate), screenplay (Jose N. Carreon), cinematorgraphy, editing, sound, direction and best picture. Urian awardees for best actor (De Leon), production design (Mel Chionglo) and musical score (Vanishing Tribe). Directed by Ishmael Bernal for Tagalog Ilang-Ilang. – Trigon Video

Film Achievement: 1978 Gawad URIAN Best Actor – Christopher De Leon; 1978 Gawad URIAN Best Music – “The Vanishing Tribe”; 1978 Gawad URIAN Best Production Design – Mel Chionglo; 1978 Gawad URIAN Nomination Best Actress – Vilma Santos; 1978 Gawad URIAN Nomination Best Actress – Nora Aunor; 1978 Gawad URIAN Nomination Best Cinematography – Sergio Lobo; 1978 Gawad URIAN Nomination Best Director – Ishmael Bernal; 1978 Gawad URIAN Nomination Best Editing – Augusto Salvador; 1978 Gawad URIAN Nomination Best Picture; 1978 Gawad URIAN Nomination Best Screenplay – Jose Carreon; 1978 Gawad URIAN Nomination Best Supporting Actor – Ernie Zarate

Film Reviews: “…After 37 years, Ikaw Ay Akin becomes a materialist indictment of the patriarchal deceit cisgender passion must contend with, opening up the queerness that emerges from feminine confidence as zone of alternative feelings. And, of course, Nora still punctures the assault with an imperturbable will to punctuate the sentence, despite the adages of her time failing to utter competitive affection, convincing Vilma that the encounter isn’t just about female rivalry, but also masculine decadence…” – J. Pilapil Jacobo, Young Critics Circle Film Desk, 21 November 2015 (READ MORE)

“Ikaw ay Akin” is the latest addition to Ishmael Bernal’s continuing attempt to portray how people and relationships are at once simple and complex. It is also the most engaging local movie shown this year, once again proving that the marriage of commerce and art can be remarkably fruitful. Those who expect the film to be one of those triangles of the “Sapagkat Kami’y Tao Lamang” variety will be disappointed. Made with taste and finesse uncommon in Pilipino movies. “Ikaw” surveys the interactions of three people caught in the unexplainable intricacies of need and love.

Rex, the young executive of a jeepney-producing firm, has been going steady with Tere, a demure orchid expert, for five years. Theirs is the kind of self-satisfied relationship that results from along, unruffled engagement. That is until he meets Sandra. An artist-designer, Sandra is kooky, talkative, aggressive career girl who is also neurotic, chain-smoking, tranquilizer-gulping, phobia-laden product of a broken family. Rex is immediately attracted to Sandra’s seemingly boundless energy. Compared to her, Tere is a calm, reserved, efficient, level-headed woman who looks totally in control of herself.

The “menage-a-trois” is then sensitively laid out for viewers to look into the hurts and joys, hesitations and decisions, delights and agonies of each character. At film’s end nothing is really resolved. Most loyal viewers will be revolted by this ambiguity. To get their money’s worth, they feel they must be sure “kung kanino talaga napunta si Christopher, kay Nora ba o Vilma?” But Bernal is not so much concerned with fulfilling audience expectations than with putting across his message: that no one can totally, absolutely, fully own another human being. The best thing is to understand the needs of a person and love him according to his limitations. This is evident in the lines of Rex, whose character we completely grasp only as the film nears its conclusion. Rex tells Tere: “Kailangan ako ni Sandra hindi lamang sa pisikal kundi sa emosyonal din. Tulad ng pangangailangan ko sa iyo. Sa kanya, parang nagkaroon ako ng gamit. Kailangan ko kayong dalawa para mabuo ako.” To Sandra, he says later: “Si Tere, tinaggap nang hindi niya ako maaangkin nang buong-buo. Kung sasabihin mong nakuha mo nang buong-buo ang isang bagay, kulang pa rin.”

Unlike other superstar team-ups that fail to exploit the golden opportunity of pulling in sure audiences to watch a serious work, Bernal’s greatest achievement lies not so much in putting his three big stars together but in making use of them to lure their fans and followers intos eeing a mature, sensible film. And his cast serves Bernal very well. In the hands of a capable director, Christopher de Leon proves that his forgettable appearance in such odious films as “Topo-Topo Barega” and “Disco Fever” are mere lapses in judgment that do not entirely discredit his craft. He also shows enough gallantry by not getting into the way of his leading ladies, whose roles are undoubtedly more demanding than his. As the uptight Sandra, Vilma Santos has the script’s choicest, wittiest lines. She makes the most of them and succeeds in giving a fairly accurate portrait of an emotionally insecure young woman. And when she tells Rex: “sabi nila liberated ako, front lang. Kalog daw, front din. Alam mo namang kulang-kulang ako. Pag wala ka, magkakalat ako. Para akong manok, takbo ng takbo wala namang ulo.” She likewise handles her final breakdown exceedingly well. Nora has less lines but she nevertheless manages to conveys her emotions very effectively. In that family reunion-party which is so engrossed in gossip and banter, she remains so detached, speaking nary a word — a triumph for both Bernal and her. The hurt in her eyes continues to build up until that disrupted dinner scene where she rushes to her room and, unable to contain herself, finally cries. The most stable of the three, you could really believe her when she tells Rex: “Galit ako sa ‘king sarili, dahil sinasaktan mo na ako nang todo-todo pero lalo ka namang napapamahal sa akin.”

The film is greatly enhanced by Jose Carreon’s vibrant script, Mel Chionglo’s superb production design, the Vanishing Tribe’s fine musical score, and Augusto Salvador’s brisk editing (few scenes last longer than a couple of minutes). But the lion’s share of credit goes to Bernal. I particularly like his splendid use of meaningful pauses and oppressive silences, as in Sandra and Tere’s accidental first meeting at Rex’s house, Sandra’s soundless dinner with her father that leads to her breakdown, and the long, quiet ending scene where Sandra and Tere never say a word and yet succeed in finally communicating with each other. Our viewers are discomfited by this exhausting process, what with the underdeveloped tastes of our mass audience perpetuated by irresponsible irectors. But one fervently hopes for Bernal, who apparently believes he owes the audience his best even if they are more likely to love his third best more, that they would get the film’s message and, perhaps, even accept and like it. – Mario E. Bautista, Philippine Daily Express, 1978

“…Mas challenging ang role ni Ate Vi rito kumpara kay nora…mas magaganda ang mga dialogues ni Ate Vi na nakakatuwa at magaling ang pagkakadeliver niya ng mga linya. Sexy siya ha at magaganda ang mga damit na ginamit niya rito. Maigsi ang buhok na medyo curly. Bagay na bagay sa kanya. Komento ko lang ay medyo matinis pa ang boses ni Ate Vi rito…Ok din naman si Nora dito kaso nga gaya nga sabi ko, mas malaman ang role na napunta sa kanyang kumareng Vilma. Asiwa rin ako sa wig niya…teka naka wig nga ba siya rito na mahabang makapal? Di ko lang type ang pag-iyak ni nora…ewan ko ha pero wag naman sanang magagalit ang mga Noranians, medyo napapangitan talaga akong umiyak si Nora kahit noong bata pa ako. Pangit na pangit ako sa pag-iyak niya. Parang pinipilit niyang mag emote. Di rin ako sanay na nakikipaghalikan si Nora sa mga movies, sabagay bibihira naman talaga makipaghalikan si Nora sa mga screen partner niya at usually naman si Boyet ang kahalikan niya pero noong pinapanood ko ang halikan scene nila Nora at Boyet, parang naaasi-wa ako. Ewan ko ba…parang nakakadiring tignan ewan…upps, komento ko lang iyan ha…sa sine parang sa tingin ko ay di sabay ito kinunan sa tingin ko lang ay di sila magkaeksena rito bagamat pareho silang nasa sinehan. b) bahay scene – ang ikli ng pagsasama nilang dalawa rito na parang pinasabik ang mga manonood kung may iringan ba or acting sa acting ang magaganap, pero walang naganap na ganun! c) No Dialogue Scene – Grabe!! Ang galing ng eksenang ito. First time kong makanood ng ganitong ending…walang salitaan, sagutan, walang murahan, walang away, wala as in wala except labanan ng facial expression, eye acting ika nga. Kainis lang ang director na ito kasi pinaglaruan lamang ang imahinasyon ng mga manonood at ng mga Vilmanians-Noranians!!! huh… Mas gusto ko pa rin na marami sana silang eksena na magkasama…sayang!…” – Dream Forest, V magazine Nos. 7 2006

“…Makikita sa Ikaw Ay Akin ang dalawang magkaibang estilo ng pagganap na ipinamalas nina Nora at Vilma at kapwa akmang-akma ito sa buong katauhan ng mga karakter na kanilang ginampanan. Sino ang mas mahusay sa kanilang dalawa? Kani-kaniyang opinyon, depende sa mga nakapanood ng pelikula. Maraming nagsabing mas pinaboran daw ni Bernal si Vilma sa dahilang mas maramin itong mabibigat na eksena kaysa kay Nora, ngunit paano makakalimutan ang huling tagpo sa Ikaw Ay Akin kung saan mahabang katahimikan ang naging daan upang higit na magkaintindihan sina Tere at Sandra tungkol sa kanilang pag-ibig kay Rex. Kung totoong mas pinaboran ng direktor si Vilma ay nakabawi naman ito ng husto kay Nora pagdating sa nabanggit na eksena. Kakaiba din ang husay na ipinamalas ni Christopher de Leon, maaring alam niyang ang Ikaw Ay Akin ay pelikula ng dalawang malalaking aktres kung kaya tama lamang ang bigat ng pagganap na ipinamalas ng aktor sa papel ni Rex. Napagwagihan ni Christopher ang Pinakamahusay Na Pangunahing aktor mula sa Manunuri Ng Pelikulang Pilipino nang sumunod na taon samantalang kapwa nakatanggap ng nominasyon bilang Pinakamahusay Na Pangunahing Aktres sina Nora at Vilma sa Ikaw Ay Akin ngunit kapawa sila natalo ni Beth Bautista para sa kanyang mahusay na pagganap sa Hindi Sa Iyo Ang Mundo, Baby Porcuna. Hindi matatawaran ang tagumpay ng mga manlilikhang bumuo sa Ikaw Ay Akin na nagtaas ng kalidad ng dramatikong pelikulang Pilipino, nagturong umintindi ng husto sa damadamin ng mga taong tunay na nagmamahalan.” – Jojo Devera, Sari-saring Sineng Pinoy (READ MORE)

“…“Ikaw Ay Akin,” 1978, Ishmael Bernal. A refreshing change of role for the superstar, cast here as a smart and sophisticated horticulturist at odds with best friend and real-life rival Vilma Santos. Notable for its experimental and long closing shot of the two friends’ reunion, with only their eyes talking…” – Mario A. Hernando, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 01 October 2011 (READ MORE)

Silent Confrontation – “…The movie brings together fierce cinema rivals Aunor and Vilma Santos as well as Aunor’s then-husband, Christopher de Leon. Skydiving enthusiast Rex (De Leon) and horticulturist Tere (Aunor) are in a stable relationship until the arrival of Sandra (Santos), a liberal-minded artist. Rex embarks on an affair with her, then becomes overcome with guilt when Tere discovers the relationship. Ikaw ay Akin is best known for the “silent” confrontation scene between Aunor and Santos, where neither speak a single line and communicate by just staring at each other…” – Coconuts Manila, 27 July 2018 (READ MORE)

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Filmography: Never Ever Say Goodbye (1982)

Posted on November 17, 2009 by @ffv Standard

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Basic Information: Directed: Gil M. Portes; Story, screenplay: Jose Javier Reyes; Cast: Vilma Santos, Nonoy Zuniga, Jenny Ramirez, Ting Jocson, Allan Bautista, Ian Veneracion; Executive producer: Wilson Theng; Original Music: Willy Cruz; Cinematography: Ely Cruz; Film Editing: Edgardo Vinarao; Theme Songs: “Never Ever Say Goodbye” performed by Nonoy Zuniga

Plot Description: No Available Data

Film Achievement: 1982 Aliw Awards for Record of the Year – Never Ever Say Goodbye; FAP – Best movie theme song nomination.

Film Review: “…After these two awards, Nonoy Zuñiga, Pops Fernandez and Ivy Violan performed a medley of the five nominated theme songs. Sinasamba Kita by the late George Canseco was voted the best original song, winning over Willy Cruz’ Never Ever Say Goodbye, Marita A. Manuel’s Puppy Love, Rey Ramos’ Paalam (from Get My Son, Dead or Alive) and Pablo Vergara’s Katumbas ay Buhay (from Vendetta). The late Ernani Cuenco won the best musical score award for Pedring Taruc. The other nominees were Ryan Cayabyab (Kamakalawa), Willy Cruz (Never Ever Say Goodbye), Lorrie Ilustre (Batch ’81) and Marita A. Manuel (Puppy Love)…” – Jose N. Carreon (READ MORE)

Heart Out Trance – “…(He lost a leg during the 1980 explosion at a hotel where he and his band were performing regularly; and how he tucked up a degree in Medicine from UST even while doing shows (plus a movie, Never Say Goodbye, inspired by his hit song) and recordings)…Many know me as a balladeer but not the fact that I can also sing folk songs and pop-rock and play the guitar. I actually started as a folk singer, then got into a showband, and then went solo with romantic songs. So, I want to share and bare more of myself…(here are the five songs: Ako Ay Ikaw Rin; Doon Lang; Kumusta Ka; Never, Ever Say Goodbye; and Love Without Time, that mean so much to Nonoy)…about “Never, Ever Say Goodbye,” Willy told me that he had an unfinished song based on his experience with a girlfriend whom he loved so much when he was abroad but they had to part ways because of his pressing commitments in Manila. He asked me if I could relate to the song because I was still young then. All I could say was, ‘Yeah, a little.’ So, during the recording, I put myself in a trance and sang my heart out. By the way, Willy said that he dreamed of the prelude and melody. As soon as he woke up, he wrote the lyrics and taped the melody before he forgot about it…” – Nonoy Zuñiga, reported by Ricky Lo, The Philippine Star, 12 March 2019

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Ate Vi Amidst Mortals

Posted on November 9, 2009 by @ffv Standard

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From an old article of Good Housekeeping Magazine, June 2000 issue. Here’s their interview to Ms. Vilma Santos during the press conference of her movie “Anak”

What is your greatest fear as a Mother? Siguro yung time na malalayo na sila sa akin. Mga lalake ang anak ko eh, so sila yung aalis. Ang talagang takot ko eh baka pag may sariling pamilya na sila, they’ll already forget about me. That’s why I’m enjoying my time with them right now. I would say na maswerte ako especially with Luis. He’s a very good young man Liberated but with limitations. Yung Mama ko hinawakan ako dati sa leeg. Ngayon kailangan kang sumunod sa generation. Dati 2 o’clock uwian na ang mga bata. Ngayon kainitan pa lang nila yan. Inaabot sila ng umaga, mga 6 am kung umuwi. You have to adjust.

What’s your greatest joy? Being a mother is my greatest joy.

How would you handle it if your kids were to rebel? I think rebellion is part of growing up. Ginawa ko rin yan nung bata pa ako. Alam ninyo yan. But I think there will come a point when the child will get tired of it. So as a parent, you have to be understanding. Like my Mama! Mama ko hanggang ngayon magkasama pa rin kami.

They’re calling you the mother of Lipa. Has being a mother helped you in your functions as a mayor? Yes, I think my being a mother is a plus factor. I run Lipa as I would run my household. Sa bahay, ang importante ayusin ang budget, yung edukasyon ng mga bata, at kung may pagkain syempre. Ganon din sa Lipa. First, I put the house in order, meaning City Hall. And my priorities are health and education.

Does being a movie star helped? I guess, advantage din if you come from showbiz, kasi napapatawad ka nila. If you commit a little mistake, may allowance sila. Kasi they still see me as Vilma Santos the actress.

How would you differentiate the fulfillment you get from showbiz and politics? It’s different. Sa showbiz, spoiled ka dito. There’s a lot of adulation but in politics, you get respect. Ibang kind of fulfillment. But I don’t have a political agenda. Bahala na ang partido diyan. That’s why I’m not comfortable with these politicians. They still have a year and a half left but they’re already preparing for the next election. They can still do so much more.

They say that your kumare Nora Aunor is planning to run. What do you think of this?Anybody can run. Pero hindi madali. Madaling tumulong pero iba yung nasa gobyerno ka. When I was starting out, I had to learn everything. These politicians, they always talk in acronyms. I had to learn that. The procedures, the budget, the legislations. Ralph used to give me these tutorials. We would talk every night. Finally, I just said, “Ralph, enough! My brain is full!”

How do you balance your political career with your home life? My first priority is still my family. My constituents know this. When Christian was hospitalized, I stayed by his bedside the whole week. It did’nt matter if all the paper works had to be brought to Manila everyday as long as I could be there when my son needs me.

How do you spend special time with Luis and Christian? Sunday is really for the family. Yan yung tipong walang liguan. Kung ano ang hitsura mo sa umaga, ganoon ka pa rin sa hapon. We go swimming, we eat out, watch TV or just play around the house. My sons are both in their formative years. Christian is four, Luis is 19. That’s why it’s very important that I’m there when they need me.

Would you mind if we talk about Luis? I don’t have the right to talk about his life. Oh, he goes out with girls and he tells me, but I’d rather not say anything. Buhay niya yan eh.

How would you react to news, for example that Luis gone to bed with this or that girl? What makes you think that he hasn’t yet? Please naman, my son is already 19.

How would you characterize your relationship with Luis? Every other Saturday, I would have one-on-one talks with Luis. I think that now, our relationship is more like friends than mother and son. I ask him kung anong gimik niya. Minsan, nag-aaway din kami. Sometimes, he would say, “Mommy, you’re not listening to me.” So, I keep quiet. He has a radio but I’m not the type who would call him every now and then and ask, “O nasaan ka na?” I trust my son, the radio is for emergencies. There are rules. He can’t go out on school days. And no overnight with friends, pero sila, pwedeng matulog sa bahay.

How about Edu? Edu still takes care of Luis’s education, and they always talk. If he feels that he can’t tell something to Edu, he’ll go to Ralph. Hay naku, mas mataas na si Luis kaysa kay Edu, malapit nang abutan si Ralph. Edung-Edu siya pati pag-joke, yung mga mannerisms, mga actions, pero mas maputi si Luis kay Edu.

What about Christian? I think siya ang artista. Yung bully. Haharap yan sa salamin, mag-e-emote. Sabi nga ni Mama parang ako daw nung bata. Mahilig sa picture taking. Siya pa nga ang tatawag sa iyo. Luis was never like that.

GH: With that, I packed my bags, and said a quick thank you to give way the tons of other reporters milling around the studio. But Ate Vi was not going to let me leave in a hurry. She looked me straight in the eye, waved goodbye, gave one of her easy smiles and said, “I’ll see you! I’ll see you!” And I believed. Source: Good Housekeeping Magazine, June 2000

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Charmed Life of Maria Rosa Vilma

Posted on November 9, 2009 by @ffv Standard

Isang Martes ng umaga, ika-3 ng Nobyembre, 1953, sa Trozo, Magdalena, Tondo, Maynila ay may isinilang na isang cute bouncing baby girl sa Galang’s Maternity Clinic. Ang batang ito ay ipinaglihi sa kesong puti at labis labis na pagmamahal. Ang ina ay nagsilang na din ng isang batang babae two years earlier pero dito sa pangalawang batang ito ay walang pagsidlan sa kaligayahan ang kanyang nadarama. May “premonition” siya na ang batang ito ay lalaking “somebody special” and that she will lead a “charmed life.” Pinangalanan ng mag-asawang Amado Santos at Milagros Tuazon Santos ang kanilang baby ng MARIA ROSA VILMA.

Ang ama, Amado Santos, na isang tubong Bamban, Tarlac ay dating isang bit player sa Premiere, LVN at Larry Santiago Productions. Lumabas siya kasama ang mga big stars ng mga nasabing produksiyon at ang pinsan niyang si direktor Felicing Constantino ang nagkumbinse sa kanya para subukan ang pelikula. Ang ina, Milagros Tuazon Santos, na isang tubong San Isidro, Nueva Ecija ay isang pharmacist by profession at eksperto sa sayaw nang kanyang kabataan. Sa MCU, kung saan siya nagtapos ng kanyang “degree” ay palaging may libreng costume para lang maipakita ang kanyang “terpsichorean talent” sa mga importanteng school programs. Sa pagkakataong ito, saan pa ba magmamana si Vi ng kanyang galing sa pagsasayaw?

Ang Santos family ay nakatira sa ground floor ng isang maliit na apartment at sa itaas naman ay ang isang close relative. Isang araw habang nasa kusina si Papa Amado ay bigla siyang nakarinig ng ingay na parang kalabog ng isang nahulog sa hagdanan. Dali dali siyang tumakbo papunta sa hagdanan at nagulantang siya nang makita niya na si Vilma pala ang nahulog sa hagdanan. Agad nila itong isinugod sa ospital, pina-xray at salamat sa Diyos dahil sinabi ng attending physician na very slight fracture lang ang nangyari sa bata. When Rosa Vilma was already of age, ipinasok siya sa St. Mary’s Academy at noong nasa kindergarten pa siya ay dito na umarangkada ang kanyang pagiging artista dahil palagi siyang kinukuha sa mga school play. Gustong-gusto niya yung ilang oras na nasa stage, behind gleaming footlights, in fancy costume and make-up. At pagkatapos ng “play” ay ang malakas na palakpakan at pagbati sa kanya ng publiko. Nakalimutan na niya ang title ng play at kung anong okasyon ng eskwelahan ito ipinalabas subali’t tandang-tanda pa niya na ang role niya dito ay isang madre na pagkaraan pala ng tatlong dekada ay lalabas din siya sa role ng isang nun-turned-radical film Sister Stella L na dinirehe ni Mike de Leon.

Noong anim na taong gulang pa lamang si Rosa Vilma ay sinabi niya sa kanyang magulang na magiging “painter” siya someday. Gusto daw niyang kunin ay “Fine Arts” sa University of Sto. Tomas, maging isang matagumpay na artist at maging mayaman. Mahilig siyang mag-drowing – crayon sketches of birds, flowers, trees, houses at kahit saan ay nagdodrowing siya pati na sa dingding ng kanilang bahay. Dahil dito, si Papa Amado ay palaging nag-a-apply ng coat ng pintura sa kanilang sala tuwing ikalawang linggo at hindi lang yun dahil binabantayan din niya ang batang si Rosa Vilma na baka mahulog sa baso ng gatas ang mga krayola niyang ginagamit. Si Mama Milagros naman ay nagtrabaho sa isang garment department ng Aguinaldo’s kasama ang hindi pa kilalang manlililip na si Rene Salud. Bukod sa pagkanta at pagsayaw sa mga school plays, ang batang si Rosa Vilma ay nagpakita din ng kanyang galing sa pag-iyak dahil sa pakikinig niya ng mga soap operas sa radyo. Mahilig siyang makinig ng mga drama sa radyo at doon ay tutulo na lamang ang kanyang luha. May mga okasyon pa nga na bigla na lang papasok sa kuwarto niya sina Papa Amado at Mama Milagros at nakikita nila na nasa salamin ang batang si Rosa Vilma at nagda-drama.

Noong later part ng 1962, nagkaroon sila ng family reunion sa nilipatan nilang apartment sa La Loma at ang isa sa mga naging bisita nila ay si Amaury Agra na isang cameraman sa Sampaguita Pictures. Si Amaury ay isang malayong tiyuhin ni Rosa Vilma, na ang asawa ay pinsan ni Papa Amado. Noong makita ni Amaury si Rosa Vilma ay agad niya itong tinanong kung gusto niyang mag-artista dahil ang Sampaguita Pictures ay naghahanap ng isang batang lalabas sa kanilang susunod na pelikula, ang Trudis Liit na sinulat ni Mars Ravelo at natutunghayan sa Liwayway Magazine. Noong una ay ayaw ng mag-asawang Amado at Milagros na pumasok sa pag-aartista ang batang si Rosa Vilma dahil pareho silang abala sa trabaho, bukod pa sa gusto nila na pag-aaral muna ang asikasuhin ng batang si Rosa Vilma, subali’t isang araw ay nakatanggap sila ng sulat mula kay Amaury at sinabing ipinalista niya ang pangalan ni Rosa Vilma para mag-audition sa Sampaguita Pictures kung saan si Dr. Jose R. Perez ang isa sa mga screening committees.

Dahil hindi nila mapahindian si Amaury kaya’t nag-day off muna si Mama Milagros sa Aguinaldo’s para samahan si Rosa Vilma sa Sampaguita studio. “Diyos ko po,” ang nasambit ni Mama Milagros dahil mahigit yata sa tatlong daan ang mga batang nag-a-apply, lima lamang ang magiging finalists at sa limang finalists ay dalawa lamang ang kukunin, isang batang babae at isang batang lalaki na gaganap na kapatid ni Trudis Liit. Ang suwerte naman, dahil ni-reveal ni Dr. Perez na bago pa sila nagpa-audition nang araw na yun ay meron na silang napiling limang finalists noong previous screening at inisip ni Mama Milagros na lahat ng nag-audition nang araw na yun ay wala ng pag-asa pero sinabi ni Amaury na gusto lang niyang mag-try out si Rosa Vilma para sa susunod nilang pelikulang pang-mahal na araw ng 1963 na pinamagatang Anak Ang Iyong Ina.

Si Amaury ay nasa location shooting noong araw na yun. Samantala, nang si Rosa Vilma na ang nag-audition, sa harap ni Dr. Perez at ni Direktor Jose de Villa at nang ipinagyugyugan na si Rosa Vilma ni Bella Flores ay parang gripong tumutulo ang kanyang mga luha. Nakita ni Mama Milagros sina Dr. Perez at Direktor de Villa na nagtitinginan at pagkatapos ng screening ay sinamahan ni Direk De Villa ang mag-ina sa opisina ni Dr. Perez na nag-extend ng congratulations kay Rosa Vilma na siyang gaganap na Trudis Liit at yung limang finalists ay gagawin na lang supporting sa mga forthcoming na pelikula ng Sampaguita Pictures. Suot ng isang magarang damit, pumunta na ang mag-ina para sa isang screen test subali’t ang magandang damit ay pinalitan ng gula-gulanit, parang basahan. Inumpisahan nang lagyan ng make-up ni Jesse Lopez, ang make-up artist ng studio sapol pa noong era nina Carmen Rosales hanggang sa era ni Amalia Fuentes si Rosa Vilma. Nagtanong pa ang batang si Rosa Vilma kung bakit pa siya kailangang lagyan ng make-up at ang gusto lang daw niya ay huwag masyadong makapal at kung pwede ay pulbos lang. Gumiling ang camera…..sumigaw ang direktor ng” Action!” Nag-umpisang mandilat ang mata ni Bella at cry to death naman ang Rosa Vilma. “CUT!” sabi ng direktor. “Very good!”. Si Bella ay niyakap ang batang si Rosa Vilma at sinabing…. .Aba, first take lang nakuha mo kaagad. Ang galing. Congratulations, Trudis Liit. The whole set was no screen test, but an actual take. Si Maria Rosa Vilma Tuazon Santos ay isa ng ganap na bituin sa edad na siyam na taon.

May mga tanong noon kung ano ang itatawag nila kay Rosa Vilma onscreen. Ang mag-asawang Amado at Milagros ay gustong i-retain na lang ang pangalang Rosa Vilma subali’t si Dr. Perez ay nag-object dahil marami na daw Rosa sa pelikulang Tagalog, merong Rosa Mia, Rosa Rosal, Rosa Aguirre. Nag-suggest na lang si Dr. Perez na alisin ang Rosa at tawagin na lang na VILMA SANTOS. Sa Trudis Liit, ang batang si Vilma ay binayaran ng Php 1,000 sa isang kondisyon na sa susunod na pelikula ay lalabas ulit siya at ito nga ay yung Anak Ang Iyong Ina. Dito sa Anak Ang Iyong Ina ay Php 700 ang kanyang take-home pay. Bukod kay Bella Flores, kasama rin ni Vilma sina Lolita Rodriguez, Luis Gonzales at Connie Angeles sa Trudis Liit, “The Motion Picture That Will Tear Your Heart To Pieces” (as proclaimed by the film’s ad). Ito ay sa screenpaly ni Chito Tapawan. Nagkamit ng FAMAS Best Child Actress si Vilma dito sa Trudis Liit. Impressed na impressed si Direk De Villa sa batang si Vilma dahil sa isang explanation lang eh nakukuha na kaagad nito ang mga instructions. Sabi ng mga co-workers ni Vilma, si Vilma ay merong fantastic memory and can easily dish out even a kilometric dialogue. Pagkatapos ng Trudis Liit at Anak Ang Iyong Ina, sunod sunod na ang ginawa niyang pelikula katulad ng King and Queen For A Day, Aninong Bakal, Morena Martir, Iginuhit Ng Tadhana at Pinagbuklod Ng Langit.

Samantala, gumawa rin ang batang si Vilma ng isang weekly tv series sa ABS (the former KBS in Roxas Boulevard) sa direksiyon ni Jose Miranda Cruz na may pamagat na Larawan Ng Pag-ibig kasama sina Willie Sotelo at Zeny Zabala at tumagal ito ng dalawang taon sa ere. In between tapings of Larawan Ng Pag-ibig and schoolwork, siya ay gumawa rin ng mga pelikula sa iba’t ibang outfits katulad ng Ging, Naligaw Na Anghel at Sa Bawa’t Pintig Ng Puso. Later on, ginawa ring pelikula ang Larawan Ng Pag-ibig. Gumawa rin siya sa Larry Santiago Productions ng mga pelikulang Maria Cecilia, Kay Tagal Ng Umaga at Hindi Nahahati Ang Langit. Sa mga sumunod na taon ay ginawa rin niya ang mga pelikulang Ito Ang Dahilan, De Colores, Kasalanan Kaya?, Sino Ang May Karapatan? at Sa Baril Magtuos. Dito sa Sa Baril Magtuos ay kasama niya sina Ronald Remy at Romeo Vasquez. Noong 1967 ay ginawa ni Vilma ang The Longest Hundred Miles, isang war movie for international release sa pangunguna ng Hollywood actor na si Ricardo Montalban, Doug McLure at Katherine Ross.

Noong nagsisimula pa lang si Vilma sa Sampaguita Pictures, isa sa mga pelikulang pinanood niya kasama ang buong pamilya ay ang award-winning na The Miracle Worker. Ang role ni Patty Duke as the young Helen Keller ang kanyang pinakapaborito at ninais niya hanggang sa ngayon na makagawa siya ng pelikulang katulad nito. Sabi ni Papa Amado, si Vilma ay hindi “spoiled” dahil kahit artista na siya, pinapalo pa rin daw niya ito kung sa palagay niya ay may nagawang kasalanan. Sabi naman ni Mama Milagros si Vilma pag may isang bagay ng gustong gawin, ito ay kanyang itinutuloy. Sabi naman ng movie scribe na si Ched Gonzales, si Vilma daw ay katulad din ng isang ordinaryong tao na mahilig sa manggang hilaw na may bagoong at sa sitsirya katulad ng popcorn, pretzel, chicharon at butong pakwan. Gustong gusto daw nito na may kinukukut-kukut.

Noong 1968, si Vilma ay nominado ng FAMAS para sa best supporting actress category, kasama sina Lolita Rodriguez at Eddie Rodriguez sa pelikulang Kasalanan Kaya? Siya ang pinakabatang aktres an nominado sa kategoryang ito. Hindi man siya pinalad na manalo sa FAMAS subali’t ang San Beda College ay binigyan siya ng Best Supporting Actress award. Sa pagsasara ng dekada 60, si Vilma ay naging popular sa mga television shows kagaya ng Tinno Lapus’ Eskwelahang Munti sa Channel 7. Dito ay itinambal siya sa undefeated Tawag Ng Tanghalan champion for twelve weeks na si Edgar Mortiz. Ang unang pelikulang pinagtambalan ni Vilma at Edgar ay ang JBC Productions’ My Darling Eddie topbilled by the late Eddie Peregrina.

Noong 1970, ginawa in Vilma at Edgar ang pelikulang Love Is For The Two Of Us kasama sina Helen Gamboa at Ricky Belmonte. Sa telebisyon, si Vilma at Edgar ay may regular shows na Oh My Love at The Sensations sa Channel 2. Ang kanilang tambalan ay tinawag na “subok na matibay, subok na matatag.” Noong Enero 1, 1970, ipinalabas ang superhit na pelikula ng VP Pictures na Young Love kasama ang loveteam nina Nora Aunor at Tirso Cruz III. Dito na nagsimula ang rivalry ng Vilma-Edgar loveteam at Nora-Tirso loveteam. Noong 1971, ang tv show na The Sensations ay ginawa ring pelikula ng Tagalog Ilang Ilang Productions sa direksiyon ni Tony Santos, Sr. Noong Nobyembre 1971, ang popular lovebirds ay pumunta ng Hawaii at Estados Unidos para gawin ang mga pelikulang Aloha My Love at Don’t Ever Say Goodbye. Marami pa ding mga pelikulang ginawa sina Vilma at Edgar at kabilang na dito ay ang mga pelikulang I Do Love You, From The Bottom of My Heart, Because You’re Mine, Eternally, Edgar Loves Vilma, Vilma My Darling, My Love At First Sight, The Wonderful World of Music, Remembrance, Renee Rose, Angelica, I Love You Honey, Our Love Affair, Mga Batang Bangketa, Baby Vi, Dulce Corazon, Anak Ng Aswang at ang inilahok sa 1972 Quezon City Film Festival na Dama de Noche kung saan hindi man siya ang naging best actress dito subali’t sa FAMAS nang sumunod na taon ay siya ang naging Best Actress ka-tie si Boots Anson Roa.

Samantala, Abril 28, 1974 nang maghiwalay ng landas sina Vilma at Edgar. Maraming Vilma-Edgar Fans ang nalungkot at inisip nila na magkakabalikan din ang dalawa subali’t hindi na ito nangyari hanggang sa si Vilma ay itinambal sa iba’t ibang leading men. Pero bago pa sila naghiwalay ay itinambal na din si Vilma kina Paolo Romero sa pelikula ng Virgo Productions na Ikaw Lamang kung saan nagkamit ito ng Best Picture sa 1973 Quezon City Film Festival, Manny de Leon sa mga pelikulang Teen-age Señorita at Cariñosa, Walter Navarro sa Sweet Sweet Love at Dalagang Nayon, Jay Ilagan sa Tsismosang Tindera, Ang Konduktora at Inspirasyon, Tirso Cruz III sa Dingdong, Nobody’s Child at Give Me Your Love, Victor Wood sa My Little Darling, Victor Laurel sa Ophelia At Paris, Prinsipe Paris Walang Kaparis, Jojit Paredes sa Tok Tok Palatok, Ronnie Henares sa Let’s Do The Salsa at nitong huli ay kay Christopher de Leon sa Tag-ulan sa Tag-araw. Talagang poor second lang noon si Vilma kay Nora Aunor, subali’t nang gawin niya ang trilogy film ng Sine Pilipino na Lipad Darna Lipad ay talagang lumipad ng husto ang kanyang box office appeal. Sinundan pa ito ng mga pelikulang Takbo Vilma Dali at Hatinggabi Na Vilma. Anupa’t itinambal din si Vilma sa mga matured leading man na katulad nina Eddie Rodriguez sa mga pelikulang Nakakahiya, Hindi Nakakahiya Part 2 kung saan nagkamit siya ng Best Actress Award sa 1st Bacolod City Film Festival at Simula Ng Walang Katapusan, Dante Rivero sa Susan Kelly Edad 20, Chiquito sa Teribol Dobol, Dolphy sa Buhay Artista Ngayon, Joseph Estrada sa King Khayan & I, Fernando Poe Jr. sa Batya’t Palu Palo at Bato Sa Buhangin, Jun Aristorenas sa Mapagbigay Ang Mister Ko, Dindo Fernando sa Langis at Tubig at Muling Buksan Ang Puso at Romeo Vasquez sa Nag-aapoy Na Damdamin, Dalawang Pugad Isang Ibon, Pulot Gata Pwede Kaya at Pag-ibig Ko Sa ‘Yo Lang Ibibigay.

Nagkasunod sunod na ang kanyang box office hit movie, hanggang sa inoperan siya ng Ian Films ng pelikulang Burlesk Queen kasama si Rollie Quizon kung saan hinakot nito ang halos lahat ng award including the Best Actress Award sa 1977 Metro Manila Film Festival. Hindi lang awards ang nakopo ng pelikulang ito dahil ang Burlesk Queen pa rin ang itinanghal na Top Grosser sa nasabing pestibal. Gumawa rin siya ng mga pelikulang siya mismo ang prodyuser katulad ng 1978 FAMAS and Urian Best Picture na Pagputi ng Uwak Pag-itim ng Tagak katambal si Bembol Roco, Halik Sa Paa Halik Sa Kamay kasama si Ronald Corveau at Eddie Rodriguez, Coed kasama si Jay Ilagan at iba pa. Noong taong 1978, ginawa ni Vilma ang isang pelikula kung saan lumabas siyang isang rape victim kasama sina Philip Salvador at Matt Ranillo III ng Sampaguita VP Pictures na pinamagatang Rubia Servios. Hindi siya pinalad na maging Best Actress sa pelikulang ito, si Nora Aunor ang nanalo sa pelikulang Atsay, bagama’t marami ang humuhula na siya ang tatanghaling Best Actress dahil kahit ang direktor ng pelikulang Atsay na si Eddie Garcia ay si Vilma ang hinalikan at binati subali’t kinabukasan ay lalong lumakas sa takilya ang Rubia Servios at tinalo nito ang Atsay. Talagang iniyakan ni Vilma ang kanyang pagkatalo. Taong 1978 din nang lumabas ang betamax issue sa kanila ni Romeo Vasquez subali’t sa halip na kumulimlim ang kanyang pagkabituin ay lalo pa siyang pumaimbulog paitaas at sa bandang huli ay hindi naman napatunayan ang balitang ito. Noong July 19, 1980 ay nagpakasal si Vilma kay Edu Manzano sa Las Vegas, Nevada habang ginagawa nila ang pelikulang Romansa at April 21, 1981 nang isilang ni Vilma si Luis Manzano. Gusto ni Edu na maging plain housewife lang si Vilma subali’t hindi ito nangyari dahil sa natuklasan ni Vilma na baon na pala siya sa utang kaya gumawa siya ng mga pelikula.

Talagang puro good karma ang dumating sa buhay ni Vilma dahil after niyang makapanganak ay gumawa siya ng sunod-sunod na mga box-office hit na pelikula katulad ng Ex-Wife, Hiwalay, Sinasamba Kita, Gaano Kadalas Ang Minsan?, Paano Ba Ang Mangarap?, Relasyon, Tagos Ng Dugo, Saan Nagtatago Ang Pag-ibig? Yesterday Today & Tomorrow at iba pa. Sunod-sunod rin ang kanyang Best Actress award katulad ng kanyang grand slam sa mga pelikulang Relasyon, Dahil Mahal Kita: Dolzura Cortez Story, Bata Bata Paano Ka Ginawa? at Dekada ’70. Naging best actress din siya sa mga pelikulang Broken Marriage, Mano Po 3: My Love, Sister Stella L, Tagos Ng Dugo, Pakawalan Mo Ako, Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos, Pahiram Ng Isang Umaga, Sinungaling Mong Puso at Anak. Sunod-sunod rin naman ang kanyang Box Office Queen award. Hindi lang best actress at box office queen award ana kanyang natanggap kundi nagwagi din siya ng 2005 Gawad Plaridel. Samantala, sa pagsasara ng ABS CBN dahil sa martial law, ay nagsara din ang tv show ni Vilma na The Sensations datapwa’t may mga humalili din dito katulad ng Santos, Mortiz & Associates, Ayan Eh, Vilma Santos Very Special at Vilma In Person (VIP) sa BBC 2. Ang VIP ay lumipat sa GMA 7 at ito ay ginawa nilang VILMA. Ang VILMA ay nagtagal ng labinglimang taon at sa loob ng mga taong ito ay consistent top rater ito kaya naman siya ang highest paid tv star nang panahong iyon.

Noong December 12, 1992 ay ikinasal naman si Vilma sa noo’y congressman ng 2nd District ng Batangas na si Ralph Recto. Bumaha ang taong dumalo at nanood ng kanilang kasal sa San Sebastian Church sa Lungsod ng Lipa at noong March 29, 1996 ay ipinanganak si Ryan Christian Recto. Noong 1998, hinikayat siya ng iba’t ibang sektor ng lipunan para kumandidatong punong-bayan ng Lungsod na Lipa at matapos niyang gawin ang pelikulang Bata Bata Paano Ka Ginawa? ay miniting niya ang mga Vilmanians at sinabing humihingi lang siya ng isang “sign” para matuloy siyang kamandidatong mayor ng Lipa at ito ay nangyari. Naging punong-lungsod siya ng Lipa at sa loob ng siyam na taong panunungkulan ay masasabing ang Lungsod ng Lipa ang isa sa mga pinakaprogresibong lungsod sa Pilipinas. Noong May 14, 2007, siya ay nahilingan naman na kumandidato bilang gobernador ng Batangas at dahil sa kanyang magandang nagawa sa Lungsod ng Lipa, siya ay pinalad na manalo sa posisyong ito. Katatapos lang iselebreyt ni Governor Vi ang kanyang 100 araw na panunungkulan bilang gobernador ng lalawigan ng Batangas at nagkaroon siya ng State of Provincial Address nitong nakaraang October 8, 2007. Sabi nga ni Governor Vi, sa nagayon ay prioridad niya ang kanyang pamilya, pangalawa ay ang pagiging gobernador ng Batangas at pangatlo na lamang ay ang kanyang pagiging artista. Maraming movie offers ang kanyang natatanggap katulad ng pagsasamahan nila ni John Lloyd Cruz, meron pang digital film na La Independencia ni Raya Martin na automatic na ilalahok sa Cannes Film Festival kung magagawa niya (sana lang!). Meron ding offer na stage play (pero malabo na ito dahil maraming oras ang kakainin nito lalo na sa rehearsals). Meron ding mga commercials at marami pang iba. Ano pa kaya ang naghihintay sa isang VILMA SANTOS-RECTO? Marami pa, marami pa, di ba Governor Vi? Happy 54th Birthday Governor VI! – Source: ALAM NYO BA? Part 41 by Alfonso Valencia, VS Yahoo E-group 2007

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The People Asia Magazine Article

Posted on November 9, 2009 by @ffv Standard

VILMA SANTOS-RECTO’s star continues to shine, succeeding on all fronts, whatever the challenge, whatever the season. “I did not politicize my position. Even the barangay captains who did not support my candidacy were not deprived of the services their constituencies needed. I will give them what they need because it is the people who will benefit.”

The people of Batangas knew exactly who they wanted for governor – and they made this perfectly clear when they gave VILMA SANTOS-RECTO a landslide victory at the polls last May, giving her 130,000 margin over her closest rival, then incumbent governor Arman Sanchez. Nothing really phenomenal about that in this day and age, women leaders are no longer an “aberration” or “anomaly.”

But unlike other women whose educational credentials could make to her men squirm in embarrassment and insecurity, the new Batangas governor has no college degree to speak of. And what makes her victory even more special is the fact that Santos-Recto, a female, won in a province known as “barako country” – where men are expected to dominate. Two, she is an actress. And like it or not, other showbiz denizens who have thrown their hat into the political arena did not exactly give stellar performances as public servants. In fact, majority of showbiz celebrities who ran for office last May were clobbered at the polls, with some people even snickering at the news of these actors’ defeat.

But not VILMA SANTOS-RECTO. But then again, Santos-Recto, or “Gov. Vi” to her constituents, did not exactly get the position of governor empty handed. On the contrary, she had already set a record of sorts when she became the first female mayor of Lipa City in 1998. “I must admit that initially, my being an actress was a plus factor, and it was a definite edge when I first ran for mayor of Lipa,” she admits. “But during my first term, some people also underestimated me especially since I was not from Lipa (she is from Pampanga and Nueva Ecija), I was from show business and I was a small woman. Of course it’s different if you have the height”, she laughs, recalling those days when the men would merely give a slight nod of acknowlegement, at times grudgingly, in response to her greetings.

But the multi-awarded actress soon proved that she was not just acting out a role as local chief executive; rather, she meant business, and she was in it for real. During her watch, the economy of Lipa City boomed, with infrastructure improvements that put the city on the radar of the big time developers and investors that steadily increased government revenues year after year. “I eventually earned their respect because they discovered that lalaki akong kausap (I am also a man to talk to) and second, I am straight. If there’s an immediate solution at hand, then let’s not wait for tomorrow or next week to do it. People are tired of waiting and of lip service, so let’s get them what they need if we already can. But if there’s nothing I can do about something at this time, then I tell the people so they will not also keep on hoping,” she discloses.

“If there’s one thing that people appreciated from my administration, it’s the fact that I did not politicize my position. Even the barangay captains who did not support my candidacy were not deprived of the services their constituencies needed. Whether these leaders were political allies or not does not matter – I will give them what they need because it is the people who will benefit.

“Perhaps it’s because I am a woman and a mother. A mother’s heart is different; a woman’s pulse is different,” she adds. Which is probably the reason why one of her priorities is to uplift the quality of education in her province. She recalls a time when, during her tenure as mayor, she was “frustrated when grade school students took this exam and 70 percent did not pass. You know what I did? I give a big allocation to have the day-care centers upgraded to Montessori level. We cooperated with the school of Mrs. (Precious) Soliven of OB Montessori and had the day-care teachers trained by them. Even the educational materials, we upgraded.

“I know how important education is because I am also a mother. I have an 11-year old son (Ryan Christian) and he is number two in class (at De La Salle Zobel in Alabang) so I know if you don’t start early by giving children the right foundation during their formative years, they will have a difficult time coping and competing later.”

“I get my adrenaline, my energy, my inspiration from my family.” Livelihood and other income-generating opportunities are also at the top of her agenda, putting up cooperatives and micro-financing institutions that would give loans at minimal interest to get people started with small business enterprises. “We started with very small amounts like P50,000 to these cooperatives, and before my (third) term as mayor ended, we were giving as much as P500,000. You know why? Because the people paid their loans religiously. I told them that if they did not, then they would be depriving the next person of the opportunity to get a loan as well. Pag ibinitin ninyo ang bayad, ibinibitin niyo rin ang iba. Which is not good.”

She is a “hands-on” type of executive, she admits, and some people even call her makulit (pushy). “That’s because I take note of everything they tell me. I write these down during meetings. If they tell me they can finish a project in two weeks, then I expect them to deliver within that time. I follow up on their commitments because I also base my commitments on what they tell me.”

Before she decided to throw her hat into the political arena, it was her husband former Sen. Ralph Recto who gave it to her straight: Her showbiz career would be affected one way or another, there would be danger not only from political rivals but from drug pushers and all sorts of people who will resent efforts to rid Lipa (and now Batangas) of criminality. In fact, during her first term as mayor, Vilma almost gave up, unnerved by the threats she got. But Ralph reminded her: I told you this was all a part of being a public servant.”

The neophyte politician could not understand why she would become a target. “I was not doing anything wrong, I was just serving the people. I wasn’t part of the syndicate. So Ralph made me go on a two-week leave and I prayed and prayed. Of course I was afraid, I have children, I am a mother and I felt that it was not even worth it to sacrifice my family. But then I also realized that the people who voted for me – I also won by landslide – gave me their trust. They believed in me and were counting on me, so it would not be right to disappoint them, so I went back to work albeit with enhanced security, ” says the governor, who admits that yes, she knows how to use a gun and in fact practices at the shooting range in her Lipa home.

Asked if she misses making movies, the 53-year-old actress gives a big smile. ” I miss acting, I miss my showbiz career. In fact, I already have an offer, but I will have to ask the people of Batangas first like what I used to do in Lipa. Lipeños used to asked me ‘Mayor, why aren’t you making any more movies? We miss seeing you act!” And I would tell them, “You want me to make movies and then you will hit me with rumors that i wasn’t going to work?’ But then during flag ceremonies I would asked them, “Please allow me to make a movie, that’s my racket. I earn a lot there. if you don’t, then I’d steal from you’!” she says in jest.

“Definitely it’s not easy,” she says, admitting that she was rather alarmed that “Luis (Manzano, her son by Optical Media Board chairman Edu Manzano) now pays more taxes than me. I told myself, this is not a good sign anymore, I have no more income! I had so many offers in the past that I could not accept because my priority was my work as mayor since it was already my last term and I wanted to do everything to get a passing grade, so I made sure that all my projects were finished by the time my term ended.”

For someone who started working at the age of nine and has been a virtual public property since her teenage years, the life of VILMA SANTOS-RECTO is an open book. She is a “survivor for all seasons,” as STAR entertainment editor Ricky Lo called her. She was at the height of her career in the ’80s when she found herself bankrupt and facing a possible lawsuit from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, her properties mortgaged. “I was so trusting. I would just sign checks and anything they put before me. So there I was, pregnant with Lucky and I owed Php 9 million without knowing why!” Edu, who was then a budding actor, was very supportive and wanted to get out of her predicament. It took her four years to pay off her obligations (“When I saw the last billing statement of P50,000, you could not imagine the joy and relief I felt!”) – but it cost her marriage to Edu Manzano. But the sad experience taught the actress to be smart with her finances. “Ngayon wala akong utang (I don’t have any debts to this day),” she proudly declares. And it naturally helped that she had her beloved Ralph by her side. While it pains her that her husband lost in his re-election bid as senator, she takes it as a blessing in disguise. “Perhaps the purpose was for him to help me, since this is already the whole Batangas we are talking about. Hindi na biro ito (This is no joke). They say politics and showbiz are the same, but no way, malayo. Show business is more manageable even with all the intrigues. Politics is more tough. If you are not strong, you would buckle under the pressure. The attacks here are more personal, and the system is really different,” she reflects.

Despite the frustrations that go with the job – the governor says she derives her strength from her family. “I get my adrenaline, my energy, my inspiration from my family because I know they are proud of me. They support me and they believe in me, that’s why I always strive to do my best. I know nothing is perfect, but if we can make it almost perfect, then why not?”

EDITOR’S NOTE: VI IS FOR VICTORY – “Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say and not giving a damn” – Gore Vidal

She rushed eagerly down the steps of her ranch-style house to greet us at the driveway, like we were long-lost classmates and not intruders into her busy schedule. She was in blue jeans, a white pullover and sunglasses, one of her two material passions (the other being cologne). The “Star for all Seasons” is still in her spring.

It took a lot of convincing to pry newly-elected Gov. VILMA SANTOS-RECTO from her desk at the kapitolyo to our waiting flashbulbs and tape recorders. But oblige us she did in what is probably her first and last glossy magazine cover for the year, Vilma is a winner because she sought out to be someone greater than what she was originally – and succeeded. A child star and teenybooper with a voice that could not rival her archrival’s (Nora Aunor’s), she focused instead on being a dramatic star – and succeeded. Once drawning in debt she clutched at a lifeline of hard work and fiscal discipline to keep her afloat and swimming merrily back to the bank – and succeeded. Having reached her peak as an actress, with virtually every trophy on her shelf except that of best actor, Vilma sought out to be a public servant. What? Vi at City Hall? It was an effort that met some public ridicule – how could an actor, much more an actor without a college degree and administrative experience, run a city?

Vilma says she succeeded because she had an ace up her sleeve, her husband Ralph, a politician from an illustrous clan who not only gave her a pedigreed surname but also the desire to learn more. Encouraged by her mentor Ralph, who is younger than she is, Vilma enrolled in local government management courses at the UP. The tutorials extended to home, during which Ralph would tell her, “No matter how good your intentions, if you are not careful, you will end up with a case at the Ombudsman.” She also succeeded because she had the passion. “You must have the passion for what you are doing. You must not only be working for the money,” she believes, although there was a time when, mired in debt, she worked hard only for the money. She gets satisfaction from “Seeing the difference I have made in the lives of others.”

“Our people are tired of promises,” she says, twirling some pancit langlang (a Lipa delicacy from her sister Emilyn’s Golden Coco restaurant) around her fork. “If I can get a request moving in a day, like an artesian well, I don’t wait for the end of the week to get it started.” Inspired by his friend Vilma’s passion – even for a shoot she gives her best – and a couple of cups of kapeng Barako (Batangas coffee), a phtographer Raymund Isaac brings out the sunshiny glow in Vilma’s eyes even on a rainy day. We knew immediately that the shoot was a winner. – Signed JOAN RAE RAMIREZ

Source: Written by Bing Parel-Salud, PEOPLE ASIA, September 2007

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Vilma Ages Gracefully

Posted on November 9, 2009 by @ffv Standard

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M ANILA, Philippines—Vilma Santos sees nothing wrong with breast implants. “A lot of women get it,” she said. “Why are we making a big fuzz about it?”

Inquirer Entertainment sought the opinion of the A-List actress-turned-Batangas governor on the report that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had a breast implant procedure done sometime in the 1980s. According to Arroyo’s deputy spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo, the President was “offended” by talk about her breast augmentation. The Chief Executive recently had a lump on her left breast removed.

“Our President may be the most powerful person in the land, but she’s also human. There are things that should be left private,” said Vilma in exclusive interview on the set of her upcoming TV special on ABS-CBN. “If you study it carefully, would talking about it have a positive effect on the nation’s economy? Let’s give the President the respect that’s due her.”

Not ready – While the award-winning actress said she respects whatever view the President may have of cosmetic surgery, she pointed out that she has not had any beauty enhancing procedure on herself. “I have nothing against it. I’m just not ready for it now, not even for Botox,” said Vilma, who at 55 is aging gracefully. For five Saturdays this August, Vilma will be seen on the Kapamilya channel in a TV special titled “Vilma: A Woman For All Seasons.” A combined documentary and reality show, “Vilma” will feature the subject as a movie and TV icon, as well as her life as a wife to National Economic Development Authority chief Ralph Recto and mother to sons Luis Philippe and Ryan Christian. It will also discuss her being a symbol of woman empowerment.

New movie – The show is expected to drum up interest for Vilma’s forthcoming movie, “In My Life,”—her first in five years. ABS-CBN special projects group head Chit Guerrero says Vilma “will get to share with younger stars what she has learned over the years. You’ll see something that hasn’t been done yet on local television.” Wearing a Danilo Franco off-shoulder black dress and a pair of Stella Luna pumps, Vilma sat with the Inquirer for this interview.

We see your youngest son Ryan Christian on TV, too. Does this mean you don’t mind his being exposed to show biz at an early age, like you? I don’t mind, but you see, he’s really not that active in the business. He just did one TV commercial and appeared on “Goin’ Bulilit” during the summer break. School is still his priority. He’s in seventh grade now and is an honor student.

Did you ever imagine that you’d be working on a film with your eldest son Luis? I never thought so. I found working with him a challenge. There were times when I wanted to coach him but I always stopped myself. I only remember telling him one thing: “Anak, di ka nagho-host dito. You’re portraying a role.” I believe in our director (Olive Lamasan). She’s the captain of the ship. We follow her. Minsan napapagalitan n’ya si Luis. I just keep my mouth shut. Luis is super kulit in real life, but when we were working he’s serious, quiet and focused. He was ready with his lines and he followed what the director told him to do.

After working for more than four decades in show biz, do you still have a dream role? I still want to do a lot of things. I never expected I’d land this role, for instance. This is something new for me. I don’t want to be complacent just because I’ve gotten awards for the roles I’ve played in the past. This job is a continuous learning process. You have to continually hone your craft.

You’re the most awarded Filipina actress. You’ve also won awards as a public servant. Is there anything else that you want to win an award for? I simply feel very blessed. I appreciate the recognition that other people give me. I consider awards as bonuses for my hard work. They inspire me to do more. They’re indicators that I’m on the right track, but I don’t work for the sake of getting awards. Nakakadiskaril ’yun.

You’re very visible on TV these days because of your commercials. What’s your policy on accepting product endorsements? I get a lot of offers that require me to be seen cooking and washing the laundry. I turn them down. I don’t cook or do the laundry. If I’d endorse something, it has got to be something that I really use. I ask a lot of questions about the product. My shampoo commercial, for example, carry the theme “Ibalik sa nature.” I had asked if the product really uses natural ingredients like aloe vera. I’m very meticulous.

You play two roles, as a show biz icon and a public servant. Which is more difficult to portray? It’s tough to be a public servant. I grew up in show biz. I was 9 when I started working. It’s more manageable. Politics is different. Iba ang labanan. Kung kailangan na one inch ang kapal ng mukha mo sa show business, dapat sa pulitika, five inches. If I may say so, I didn’t ask to become governor. God gave this role to me. There’s a big difference between ambition and destiny.

You have offers to run for Vice President. Yes, there are offers. I’m not meant for that kind of role. I’m not interested in running for a national position, but I would want to run for governor again. I know what I want for Batangas.

Would you campaign for Edu Manzano (Luis’ dad) in case he decides to run for public office? Walang problema d’yan. The only difficulty I see is if we end up being members of different parties. In politics, affiliation does matter.

How do you handle death threats? The death threats I got a few years back almost made me want to quit. But Ralph reminded me that it’s part of my job. I don’t want to disappoint my constituents by quitting. Now, I just offer a prayer to God every time I leave for work. I still get scared, but I can’t keep hiding forever. After all, I have nothing but good intentions for the people.

Have you thought about your legacy in show biz? I want to be remembered as an actor who makes inspiring and relevant films. I’ve dedicated more than half of my life to show biz.

How do you compare actors during your teen years to young actors today? We were not as many as the number of teen actors today, that’s why mas madaling mag-stand out noon. Today’s artists all know how to dance, sing and act well. All of them are good-looking. The competition is stiffer now. You have to have that X-factor to survive. But when it comes to professionalism and learning things the hard way, mas sanay kami. I guess the most important thing is to take your career seriously. – Marinel Cruz, Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 11, 2009

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The Ten Best Films Of Vilma Santos

Posted on November 8, 2009 by @ffv Standard

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Sa history ng pelikulang lokal, sadyang namumukod-tangi si VILMA SANTOS dahil hindi lang sa larangan ng pag-arte siya nagtagumpay kundi pati na rin sa pulitika. Pagkatapos ng siyam na taong paglilingkod bilang mayor ng Lipa City, tinanghal naman siyang governor ng buong lalawigan ng Batangas. Nagsimula si Ate Vi bilang child actress noong 1963 sa pelikulang Tudis Liit ng Sampaguita Pictures nang siya ay siyam na taong gulang lamang. Nakipagtagisan siya ng talino sa dalawang batikang aktres nang panahong iyon, sina Gloria Romero at Lolita Rodriguez. Naging positibo ang reception ng publiko kay Ate Vi kaya naman nagkasunod-sunod ang movies niya as a child actress. Sa kanyang makumpletong filmography, makikita ninyong walang patlang ang paggawa ni Ate Vi ng pelikula. Hindi siya nagaya sa ibang child stars na sa transition from childhood to adolescence ay nawala sa eksena at tuluyang nagretiro, o kaya’y bumalik na lang noong teenager na sila. Noong naging 16 years old si Ate Vi in 1970, she became a teen idol and made a staggering total of 27 movies for one year alone. Malayung-malayo nga sa mga artista ngayon na isa o dalawang pelikula lang ang nagagawa taun-taon. She was truly in demand then! And to think may regular TV show pa siya at that time sa ABS CBN, ang D’ Senations na later on ay isinapelikula rin.

HINDI MADALING GAWIN – Ang assignment namin dito ay itala ang ten best films na nagawa ni Ate Vi at, sa totoo lang, hindi madaling gawin ito dahil nga napakarami niyang nagawang magagandang pelikula through the years. As a child star, pinakagusto namin ang kanyang Ging sa Premiere Productions. Street urchin siya ritong anak ng lumpong si Olivia Cenizal na natuklasan sa movies at sumikat bilang child star. Sa teenage phase ng kanyang career, ang most memorable movies niya for us ay ang Renee Rose (gumanap siya bilang isang sikat na artistang may mahigpit na stage mother, played by Lilia Dizon, at dahil dito ay nalaktawan niya ang kanyang kabataan and she often behaves like a child), Inspiration (directed by the late Ishmael Bernal, this is a well-written teen romance at ang nakatambal niya ay ang yumaong Jay Ilagan), Takbo, Vilma, Dali (this is and effective suspense-thriller directed by the late Joey Gosiengfaiao and Vilma played a witness to a crime na hinahabol ng killer), Dama de Noche (dito niya napanalunan ang first Famas best actress award niya and she is totally convincing in a dual role bilang magkapatid na kambal na ang isa ay mabait at ang isa ay baliw), Lipad, Darna, Lipad (this is her first Darna movie, a trilogy na naging blockbuster hit and established her as a top box office actress), Nakakahiya? (this is about a scandalous May-December romance na ang kapareha niya ay ang nasirang Eddie Rodriguez na pwede na niyang maging ama, naging big hit ito kaya nagkaroon pa ng sequel na Hindi Nakakahiya), at Tag-ulan Sa Tag-araw (directed by Celso Ad Castillo, ang first movie nila ni Christopher de Leon tungkol sa magpinsang-buo na umibig sa isa’t isa).

Natitiyak naming kayo ay may sariling paborito sa mga pelikulang ginawa ni Ate Vi. Tiyak na marami ring may gusto sa Pagputi Ng Uwak, Pag-itim Ng Tagak (a love story about a rebel, Bembol Roco, and a violinist, Ate Vi, na siya mismo ang nag-produce sa kanyang VS Films at dinirek ni Celso Ad Castillo), Rubia Servios (dito siya unang dinirek ni Lino Brocka and she played a rape victim who later gets to kill her rapist, Philipp Salvador), Tagos Ng Dugo (isa siyang serial killer dito, directed by Maryo J. de los Reyes), Kapag Langit Ang Humatol (a well-told komiks melodrama directed by Laurice Guillen), Anak (she played an OFW na may gap sa anak niyang si Claudine Barretto, directed by Rory Quintos), Bata-Bata Paano Ka Ginawa? (adapted from Lualhati Bautista’s award-winning novel, she played a liberal single mother who asserts herself, directed by Chito Roño) and Dekada ’70 (again adapted from a Lualhati Bautista novel and directed by Chito Roño, tungkol ito sa isang ina noong panahon ng martial lwa).

OUR PERSONAL CHOICES – Para sa amin, ang aming personal choices are the following:

article pic 003 1. SISTER STELLA L (1984) – Mula kay Mother Lily Monteverde ng Regal Films, ito ang most socially relevant film na ginawa ni Ate Vi, masterfully directed by Mike de Leon, written by Ricky Lee. Hinakot nito ang karamihan sa tropeo ng Urian Awards for that year, including best picture, best actress for Ate Vi, best actor for Jay Ilagan, best supporting actress for Laurice Guillen, and best supporting actor for Tony Santos, Sr. Si Vilma ang gumaganap bilang title-roler, isang apolitical nun na ang dating boyfirend ay naging isang journalist (Jay) na tumutulong sa mga inaaping manggagawa sa pangunguna ng labor leader na si Ka Dencio (Tony). Ang kapwa niya madreng si Sister Stella B. (Laurice) ang nagpakita sa kanya kung paano sila magiging mas makabuluhan by serving the people’s struggle for social justice. Ipinakita ritong dapat tayong makisangkot sa mga suliranin ng lipunan para magkaroon ng mabuting pagbabago sa sistema. Hindi pwedeng neutral ka lang na ayaw ma-involve. Kahit na nga member ka ng religious community, dapat ding makisangkot ka sa socio-political affairs. Ang talumpati ni Ate Vi nang maging militanteng madre na siya pagkatapos mapatay si Ka Dencio (“Kung ‘di tayo kikilos, sino’ngkikilos? Kung ‘di ngayon, kailan pa?”) ay talaga namang nakakaantig ng damdamin.

2. IKAW AY AKIN (1978) – Member kami ng Urian Awards nung ’78 at ang pelikulang ito, produced by Tagalog Ilang-Ilang Productions, ang siyang ipinaglaban namin para manalo ng best picture. Hindi ito sinang-ayunan ng karamihan sa mga kapwa namin Manunuri dahil mas pinili nila ang Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim Ng Tagak, dahil may elemento raw ng kaapihan ng magsasaka at ng reporma sa lupa. (Ang tanging consolation ng Ikaw Ay Akin ay nanalo si Christopher de Leon ng kanyang first Urian best actor award.) Years later, some of the Manunuri members who voted for Pagputi told us they regretted the decision dahil obvious namang Ikaw Ay Akin ang pelikula na talagang withstood the test of time, written by Jose Carreon and directed by Ishmael Bernal. Wala itong pretensiyon na nagpapa-socially relevant but it deals so effectively on the matter of how human beings and relantionships can at once be simple and complex. Malayo nga ito sa usual love triangle flicks na puno ng melodramang iyakan, although Christopher as Rex is also turn between Vilma Santos as Sandra, a kooky and neurotic artist designer, and Nora Aunor as Tere, an orchid expert. Ang mga salimuot ng menage-a-trois na ito ay sensitively laid out para makita ng viewer ang sakit at ligaya , at dusa at saya na dinaraanan ng bawa’t tauhan. Sa ending, nothing is really resolved. Basta nagtitinginan lang sina Nora at Vilma sa isa’t isa nang walang dialogue for five minutes. This is a very daring move, lalo na’t ang local viewers ay yung tipong gustong matiyak kung kanino ba talaga napunta si Boyet, kay Vi o kay Guy? Pero si Bernal ay walang pakialam with fulfilling viewer expectations. Basta ang gusto niya ay mailarawan niya ang mensahe ng movie.: that no one can totally, absolutely, fully own another human being. The best thing is to understand ang pangangailangan ng isang tao at mahalin mo ito according to his limitations. Sabi nga ni Boyet kay Guy: “Kailangan ako ni Sandra hindi lang sa pisikal kundi sa emosyonal din, tulad ng pangangailangan ko sa ‘yo. Sa kanya, nagkakaroon ako ng gamit. Kailangan ko kayong dalawa para mabuo ako.” Sabi naman niya kay Vi: “Si Tere, tinanggap nang hindi niya ako maaangkin nang buong-buo. Kung sasabihin mong nakuha mo ako ng buong buo ang isang bagay, kulang pa rin.” Grabe rin ang galing ng acting dito ni Vi sa tagpong inilantad niya ang kanyang sarili as an insecure woman: “Sabi nila, liberated ako, front lang. Kalong daw, front din. Alam mo namang kulang-kulang ako. ‘Pag wala ka, magkakalat ako. Para akong manok, takbo nang takbo, wala namang ulo!”

3. DALAWANG PUGAD, ISANG IBON (1977) – A commercial and artistic success written and directed by Ishmael Bernal, love triangle movie rin ito that banked on the real life romance then of its lead stars, Vilma and Romeo Vasquez. Si Vilma ay si Terry, na iniwanan ng kanyang immature boyfriend (Mat Ranillo III at sumama sa isang lalaking may asawa (Romeo) sa kabila ng pagtutol ng mga magulang niya. Pwede itong naging mediocre romantic melodrama pero nagtagumpay si Bernal na i-elevate ito to art by giving us mature, sensitive characters who, like most of us, are looking for meaningful personal relationships. Tinalakay sa movie (in a very sutle manner) ang legal and moral implications ng adultery o pakikiapid ng isang dalaga sa isang married man, lalo na nga’t society shuns such sinful relationships. Ang relasyon nina Vilma at Romeo ay reflected sa relasyon ng iba pang mga tauhan sa movie, tulad ng sa mother ni Vilma (Anita Linda) at ng ama niyang nagtataksil din (Fred Montilla), sa lola ni Vi (Mary Walter),sa first boyfriend niya (Mat) at sa babaeng may gusto rito (Ann Villegas) at kapatid nitong pokpok (Laila Dee), at sa misis ni Romeo (Anna Gonzales) na ayaw siyang pakawalan kahit hindi naman sila magkasundo. Kung may pelikula si Ate Vi na nasasabik kaming panoorin uli, ito ‘yon. Kaya lang, wala na yatang existing copy ito at nakasama sa movies produced by Lea Productions na nasunog o nasira sa baha. What a big waste. Sayang talaga.

4. RELASYON (1982) – Ito ay isa pang pelikula ni Ishmael Bernal sa Regal Films na tumatalakay sa subject ng adultery from the point of view of the other woman, si Marilou (Vilma), ang mistress ni Christopher de Leon na pinaglilingkuran siya ng buong puso: pinaglalaba siya, binibigyan ng beer at inaalagan pa ang anak niya mula sa legal wife niya. Ipinakita rin sa feministic movie na aito ang pagka-chauvinist ng mga lalaking Pinoy. Gusto’y sila lagi ang masusunod at ni ayaw makakausap ng ibang lalaki ang babae nila, tulad ng aversion ni Christopher kay Jimi Melendez sa kuwento, at pati na rin sa kaibigang bading ni Ate Vi na si Manny Castañeda. Tinalakay rin sa movie ang subject ng kawalan ng divorce sa Pilipinas, dahil kung may diborsiyo raw ditom sana ay pinakasalan na ni Boyet si Vi. Narito sa pelikulang ito, which scored for Ate Vi her first grand slam as best actress, ang famous death scene ni Boyet na namimilipit sa sakit habang inirereklamo ang masakit niyang ulo at tarantang-taranta naman si Ate Vi na hindi malaman ang gagawin. Tuhog ang kuha sa mahabang eksenang ito and the acting is really great kaya dito pa lang ay sulit na ang panonood ninyo.

5. BROKEN MARRIAGE (1983) – Nagwagi rin ng Urian best actress award si Ate Vi para sa acting niya sa pelikulang ito na muli ay produced ng Regal Films. As the title implies, tungkol ito sa isang nasirang marriage. Si Vi ay si Ellen, isang TV production executive, at si Boyet ay si Rene, isang newspaper reporter. Pagkatapos ng sampung taong pagsasama, kinakalawang na ang relasyon nila bilang mag-asawa. Dahil lagi na lang silang nag-aaway, umalis si Rene mula sa tahanan nila at si Ellen ay naging single parent sa dalawa nilang anak. Nang manakawang ang bahay nila, lumipat si Ellen at mga anak nila sa bahay ng nanay niya. Nang mabugbog si Rene ng mga tauhan ng isang politiko dahil sa expose niya, napilitan siyang muling pumisan kina Ellen at dito rin muling nabuo ang pagsasama nila bilang mag-asawa, resulting into a reconciliation. May dalawang mahabang arias dito si Ate Vi na talagang lutang na lutang ang kahusayan niya. Una’y ang monologue niya sa piling ng mga kaibigan na pinagtatapatan niyang bagot a bagot na siya sa buhay. Susunod ay sa eksena niya with Boyet na sinasabi niyang hindi sila magkakabalikan nang dahil lang sa mga bata. Hindi rin malilimutan ang unang confrontation scene nila sa movie na natural na natural ang away nila bilang mag-asawang na-alienate na ang loob sa isa’t isa.

6. SAAN NAGTATAGO ANG PAG-IBIG (1987) – Sa aming talaang ito, ito lamang ang pelikula ni Ate Vi na hinango sa isang nobelang komiks. This was shown in the same year as Tagos ng Dugo (na siayang nagpanalo sa kanya ng isa pang Famas best actress award), pero hindi namin naibigan ang performance niya rito as it was so palpably engineered, pati ang ibang movements niya na ang nakikita mo sa likuran niya ay ang instructions na bigay ng direktor kung ano ang gagawin niya. That year, ang choice namin for best actress ay si Lorna Tolentino sa anti-heroin role niya in Maging Akin Ka Laman ni Lino Brocka. But we will alwyas love Saan Nagtatago Ang Pag-ibig, na dinerek ni Eddie Garcia, dahil may kakaibang tama ito sa puso. Sa kuwrnto, si Vilma ay nabuntis ni Ricky Davao pero hindi siay mapakasalan nito dahil sa mamanahin mula sa kanilang dominanteng lola, the late Alicia Vergel, na inaapi-api pati ang ina ni Ricky, si Gloria Romero, who gives a great performance. Ang ginawa ni Ricky a kinumbinsi si Vilma na pakasal sa kanyang kapatid na retarded, si Val, played by Tonton Gutierrez, para aito ang magbigay ng pangalan sa magiging supling niya. Pumayag si Ate Vi at doon na nga siya natira sa malaking bahay ng pamilya nina Ricky at Tonton. Dahil doon, mababago ang takbo nga buhay ng pamilyang ito dahil si Vilma ang magsisilbing agent of change who will defy the matriach taht is Alicia Vergel. Mabubunyag din kung pano nagkaroon ng pinsala si Tontion sa utak. Maraming madamdaming eksena sa pelikula na talagang titimo sa inyong puso. Sa ending, there is justice dahil nagkamit ng karampatang parusa ang mga nagkasala.

pahiram 7. PAHIRAM NG ISANG UMAGA (1989) – Namatay si Ate Vi sa pelikulang ito sa papel niya bilang Juliet, isang advertising executive na dinapuan ng cancer, but the film, produced by Regal Films, written by Jose Javier Reyes and directed by Ishmael Bernal, is really more a celebration of life. Pagkatapos malaman ni Juliet na may taning na ang buhay niya, ginugol niya ang mga natitira niyang araw para ilagay sa ayos ang kanyang buhay. Nakipagkasundo siya sa kanyang estranged husband (Gabby Concepcion) na may iba nang asawa (Zsa Zsa Padilla) at inihabilin dito ang anak nila (Billy Joe Crawford). Maraming simbolo and motifs ng buhay at kamatayang ginamit din ang expressionist painter na si Ariel (Eric Quizon) ina an impressive performance) para ipakita ang parallelisms between life and art. In one scene, tinalakay pati ang origins ng art when prehistoric men made drawings on caves na kahit primitive ay they continue to exist until this day. people may die, but art will live on. Ironically, si Ariel ay isang tormented soul who wants to kill himself. Pero iniligtas siya ni Juliet, a dying woman na hindi na maililigtas ang sarili niyang buhay. The grand death scene of Juliet on the beach habang nakasuot siya ng puting night gown haang nagbubukang-liwayway, sa ‘di kalayuan ay isa sa mga ‘di-malilimutang paglalarawan ng buhay at kamatayan na maing napanood sa pinilakang tabing.

8. HAHAMAKIN ANG LAHAT (1990) – Produced by Regal Films, dinirek ito ni Lino Brocka and we honestly believe na very much underrated ito. Ang tanging award na pinanalunan nito ay best supporting actress award for Snooky Serna (na very deserving). Nirepaso nga namin ang aming listahang ito at napansin naming ito lang ang movie ni Ate Vi na dinirek ni Brocka which is included in our list. Mas marami kaming isinaling pelikula ni Ate Vi na dinirek ni Bernal. Actually, may iba pang ginawang movies si Ate Vi with the legendary director, tulad ng nabanggit na rin naming Rubia Servios (kunsaan tinalo siya ni Ate Guy as best actress for Atsay in the 1978 Metro Manila Film Festival) at ang Adultery: Aida Macaraeg with Philipp Salvador and the late Mario Montenegro. Pero para sa amin, this is Ate Vi’s best Brocka movie and one of her best and most demanding roles sa mga nagampanan na niya. Vilma plays an anti-heroin, si Sylvia, isang bida-kontabida. Asawa siya ng isang gahamang mayor (Eric Quizon), na piangtataksilan siya. Nang muli niyang makatagpo ang una niyang pag-ibig, si Rene (Gabby Concepcion) ay pinagsikapan niyang makuhang muli ang pagtingin nito kahit kasal na rin ito sa ibang babae (Snooky). Sa kanya nga patungkol ang titulo ng movie dahil hahamakin niya ang lahat maagaw lang muli ang dati niyang pag-ibig. Dati, akala niya, magiging maligaya siya sa mga materyal na bagay at pati ang mahirap niyang ina (Perla Bautista) ay nagawa niyang itakwil. Nguni’t natanto niyang wala sa pera o sa kapangyarihan ang tunay na kaligayahan kundi nasa tunay na pag-ibig. Ang hindi niya alam, paghahangad niyang maibalik ang nakaraan ay hahantong lamang sa isang malagim na trahedya. Sadyang mapanghamon ang role ni Ate Vi rito na tuso, matapang, sinungaling at manggagamit ng kapwa tao. Mapupuri mo nga siya dahil hindi siya natatakot kumuha ng ganitong klase ng roles (gaya rin ng role niya sa Sinasamba Kita) na pwedeng maka-alienate sa kanyang fans. She’s definitely more adventurous as an actress. Kaso ang nakalaban niya that year ay si Nora Aunor who played a more sympathetic role bilang inang nagpakasakait alang-alang sa ikabubuti ng anak sa Andrea, Paano Ba Ang Maging Isang Ina? kaya mahuhulaan na ninyo kung sino ang nagwagi ng best actress awards for the year.

9. BURLESK QUEEN (1977) – Humakot ng lahat ng tropeo sa 1977 Metro Manila Film Festival, tribute ito sa stage shows noong ’50s. Sinulat ni Mauro Gia Samonte at dinirek ni Celso Ad Castillo, dito unang nagpa-sexy si Ate Vi at talagang big blockbuster ito. Kuwento ito ng isang batambatang burlesque dancer noong 1950s, played by Ate Vi. Nagsimula siya bilang alalay ng isang reigning burlesque queen, si Rosemarie Gil, na kabit ang maton na si roldan Aquino. Nang iwana ni Roldan si Rosemarie, naglasing ito at ayaw nang sumayaw kaya si Vilma ang isinalang bilang kapalit niya sa entablado. Maiinit ang naging pagtanggap ng mga lalaking manonood kay Vilma, pero ang maprinsipyong ama niyang lumpo (Leopoldo Salcedo) ay tutol sa ginagawa niya. Dahil naghihirap sila, nasunod din ang gusto ni Vilma na maging burlesk dancer. Nagpatiwakal ang ama niya dahil dito. Umibig naman si Vilma sa isang iresponsableng lalaki na nakipag-live in dito, si Rollie Quizon, na isa palang mama’s boy at hindi sanay sa hirap kaya nilayasan din siya. Ang climax ng movie ay ang may sampung minutong pagsasayaw ni Vilma sa entablado hanggang duguin siya. Buntis pala siya at gusto niya talagang malaglag ang dinadala niya. Maganda ang maraming elemento sa movie, malian sa production design na 1950s ang setting pero hindi maingat kaya maraming detalye na pang-19702 ang kasama rito. Very memorable din dito si Jonee Gamboa sa papel ng stage impresario an siyang nagsasatining ng mga opinyon ng writer at direktot na pinupuna ang hypocrisy ng mga moralista, tulad ng pagtatanong niya kung anong uri ng show ang dapat ibigay sa masang Pinoy na hindi kayang magbayad ng pang-mayaman at kulturadong shows tulad ng operang Merry Widow. Sayang at wala na rin daw existing copy ng pelikulang ito (Actually some Vilmanians do have a copy of this film, medyo blurry nga lang – Rendt).

10. DOLZURA CORTEZ STORY: DAHIL MAHAL KITA (1993) – Ito ang unang pelikulang lokal na nagsiwalat tungkol sa sakit na AIDS at filmbio ito ng kuna-unahang Pilipino na umaming may AIDS siya, si olzura Cortez, na ang kuwento ay nalathala sa dyaryo. Sinulat ni Ricky Lee, dinirek ni Laurice Guillen at produced ng Octo Arts Films, bida-kontrabida rin ang papel ni Ate Vi rito in the title role. Hindi siya yung usual heroine na walang bahid-dungis at inaapi. Dito, isa siyang makasalanang babae na nagbili ng katawan, nagkaroon ng affairs sa maraming lalaki, hanggang sa dapuan nga siya ng dreaded sickness called AIDS. Muli ngang naka-grand slam si Ate Vi sa role niya sa pelikulang ito. The same year, meron ding nagawang movie si Ate Guy, ang Inay na dinirek ng yumaong Artemio Marquez, pero hindi man lang siya naging nominee para sa pagkakaganap niya roon. That year, dalawang movies ang nagawa ni Ate Vi. Ang isa pa ang ang action-dramang Ikaw Lang ni Chito Roño, na in fairness ay mahusay rin siya sa papel ng battered wife ng baliw na si Cesar Montano an naging bank robber kasama si Ronnie Ricketts. Pero sa Dolzura Cortez nga pinarangalan si Ate Vi dahil talaga namang very convincing ang pagkakaganap niya bilang isang babaeng lumaban sa buhay alang-alang sa kanyang pamilya, nguni’t sa kasamaang-palad ay iginupo ng isang sakit na walang lunas. Malusog na malusog si Ate Vi nang gawin niya ang pelikulang ito, pero very convincing siya sa paglalarawan ng isang babaeng may malubhang sakit at malapit nang bawian ng buhay. Dahil nga sa pelikulang ito, nagkaroon ng higit na kamulatan ang publiko ungkol sa sakit na AIDS.

BEST MOVIE IS YET TO COME – Kung magdagdag kami ng isa pang Ate Vi movie sa aming listahan, it will be another work of Laurice Guillen, ang Ipagpatawad Mo, where Ate Vi played the mother of an autistic boy na ipinaglaban ang anak niya kahit may kapansanan ito. At dahil aktibo pa rin si Ate Vi at may bagong movie na nakatakdang gawin sa Star Cinema, hindi pa tapos ang pagsulat sa history niya bilang isang actress. Kahait gobernadora na siya ang Batangas, lalabas pa rin daw siya sa movies every now and then. Who knows? Baka he really, really best movie is yet to come habang mas nagmamature siya, like fine wine, bilang isang actress for all seasons. – Source: Written by MARIO E. BAUTISTA, Hi! Magazine December 2007 Transcribed by Alfonso Valencia and posted at the Yahoo Vilma Santos e-groups, Nov. 17, 2007.

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Gawad Plaridel Award (Other Articles)

Posted on November 8, 2009 by @ffv Standard

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Vilma Santos sa Puting Tabing: Ikaw, Siya, Tayo – My Film 100 professor had said that when you see Vilma Santos in person, it’s really hard not to get starstruck with her stellar appeal. UP Diliman Chancellor Francis Sergio Cao agrees. In his opening remarks at the Gawad Plaridel 2005 Awarding and Lecture, he confessed it was still his first time to see the famed actress in person and just how “starstruck” he was to be near her (two seats away); yeah, I could almost hear him jittering. Well, good for them; they got to be a meter or two away from this still youthful even in her golden age film icon. Me, the closest that I could get was just around 8-10 meters. I was in awe, of course, to have seen one of my favorite older actresses. But not much awe for me to be considered starstruck. I was just way beyond the “Starstruck Radius”.

Multi-awarded Filipino actress Vilma Santos is this year’s UP Gawad Plaridel awardee. The UP College of Mass Communication (my college!) gave her this award for her innumerable and invaluable contribution to the film industry, and mass communication as a whole. Santos was given the award at the Cine Adarna (formerly UP Film Center) just this afternoon, where she also delivered a half-hour lecture, reminiscing her almost fifty-year life as an actress and speaking strongly against the problems that plague the film industry today (lets give one of them a name: piracy). Ms. Santos’ speech, for me, was very profound and candid. I always had great respect and admiration for her as a person, public servant, and actress. After the lecture, that respect and admiration hot-air-ballooned. It became clear to me that even if this person is now worthy of having a constellation named after her, she is still as human and feet-on-the-ground as possible. During the reminiscing part of her speech, she told us about her humble beginnings as an artist, and about her mistakes and the challenges that spiced up her life. There was that time, she confided, when she had just won grandslam best actress and she was filming another movie and she sort of…”laxed” a bit. Her director, whom she had previously worked with, scolded her saying, “di dahil nanalo ka na ng grandslam e magaling ka na!” The director had Vilma Santos jog for 10 minutes to awaken her from her “illusion.”

But aside from Vilma Santos, many prominent people were also present in the occasion. Here’s a list of those I can remember: Sen. Ralph Recto, UP President Emerlinda Roman, National Artist Napoleon Abueva (who sculpted the Gawad Plaridel trophy), ABS-CBN boss Charo Santos-Concio, Eugenia Apostol (Philippine Daily Inquirer founding chairperson and last year’s Gawad Plaridel awardee) and Film director Chito Roño. Members of the media were also there. I even got to see Mario Dumaual, that showbiz reporter in ABS-CBN! It was him whom I got to see closest; he and his crew were shooting a mere meter in front of me. That portion where he is talking, with the stage and the lecturing Ate Vi in the background–I was right at the back of the cameraman. Vilma Santos’ mother was also there. There sure were many film producers and directors present in the affair, it’s just that I forgot their names or they were not acknowledged at all. Students and faculty members from different universities and colleges occupied most of the theater’s seats. And yes, magpapahuli ba ang mga die-hard Vilmanians? They occupied the middle seats; you’ll know its them with their distinctive gray hair. PS. I don’t have a camera to prove that what I say is true (but trust me, it really is true). Thankfully, in less than two months, I’m having my first digital camera! My aunt in Ohio is sending me one (bless her) after a month of grueling “courtship.” So you might as well expect a photoblog from me in August. – Ringhithion, Monday, July 04, 2005.

How I wish there were more intelligent and passionate individuals like her in local show biz. – My long overdue visit to my beloved alma mater, UP’s College of Mass Communication and our tambayan, the Broadcasting Association, was a dejavu of sorts for me, and an overall enjoyable afternoon. Besides seeing the newer breed of young “broad-assers” as we call them (pardon the term of endearment), as well as my close professor-associates, I also witnessed the awarding of the Gawad Plaridel to the country’s premiere actress, Lipa Mayor Vilma Santos, which my friend Rome Jorge talks about in today’s banner story. Instead, let me fill you in on the glittering list of Ate Vi’s well-wishers that day—from her industry colleagues to the academic multitude to her loyal Vilmanians—who all gave the gem of an artist a standing ovation at the end of her 45-minute speech.

She had of course her husband the Senator Ralph Recto to escort her. I meanwhile, had the privilege of attending the event with the head of the Film Institute Prof. Ed Lejano and his brilliant namesake, my fave, Prof. Ed Piano. The audience, meanwhile, had such bigwig names like Atty. Esperidion Laxa, ABS-CBN and Star Cinema executive Charo Santos-Concio, film director Chito Roño, scriptwriters Ricky Lee and Pete Lacaba, fellow actor Tirso Cruz III, film critics Bienvenido Lumbera and Mario Hernardo, and National Artist Napoleon Abueva, who is the sculptor of the highly revered Gawad Plaridel trophy. To say that Ate Vi’s lecture was powerful is an understatement, as Rome will no doubt tell you. How I wish there were more intelligent and passionate individuals like her in local show biz. Inspiring rather than . . . never mind! Let’s just get on with my prowl! – Amiel Martin Cabanlig

UP honors Vilma Santos with Gawad Plaridel – She was unforgettable as Burlesk Queen, as Sister Stella L and as Dolzura Cortez. On Monday, however, she was Vilma Santos, the artist. “Ako po pala ay nakapag-ambag na sa industriya,” said Rosa Vilma Santos as she accepted the Gawad Plaridel, a citation given by the University of the Philippines to media practitioners who excel in their profession. The award was named after Filipino propagandist Marcelo del Pilar who used the pen name Plaridel. “Paulit-ulit ko pong binasa ang citation,” Santos said. She is the first artist to receive the award for her contribution to the movie industry. In her lecture on the relevance of the film industry on society, Santos said actors can be role models through the various roles they play. She said she was able to internalize her role in the movie “Sister Stella L.,” a story of a nun who became an activist during the martial law years.

“Totoong-totoo ‘yong sinabi ko sa Sister Stella L. na ngayon hindi na lang ako nanonood. Nakikisama na ako at tumutulong sa abot ng aking makakaya,” Santos said. She called on the public to support the local film industry. Santos, who acted in over 200 movies, said she owes her success to the film industry. She is now mayor of Lipa City in Batangas and is supporting the movie business by lowering the amusement tax in Lipa from 30 percent to 15 percent. She started her career when she was nine years old in the movie “Trudis Liit.” She, however, said the turning point came when she did “Burlesk Queen” when she was 23 years old. It was a tough decision, she said. She used to attend a school run by nuns. But it was a good choice, she said. “Ang pelikula pong ito ang nagpamulat sa akin sa maraming bagay,” she said. “Burlesk Queen,” shown in 1970, was a social commentary of the country’s patriarchal society.

Santos movie career, however, was not always happy endings. “Sister Stella L.,” for instance, did not rake in profits compared to the movies of Sharon Cuneta during those days. “Nilangaw po ang pelikula ko,” Santos said, adding that she cried over the box-office flop. It was worth the gamble, however. The movie is now considered a classic. Acting is an endless process of learning, Santos said. Despite the many awards she got she always remembers that she still needs to learn a lot. During the shooting of the movie “Relasyon,” director Ishmael Bernal told her: “Tanggalin ang ilusyon sa iyong sarili.” He ordered her to jog inside the toilet for ten minutes to internalize her role. Santos said she is grateful to the directors who megged her most unforgettable films. She thanked directors Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal, Mike de Leon, Laurice Guillen, among other. Among the films that made marks in her acting career were: “Relasyon,” “Broken Marriage,” “Sister Stella L,” “The Dolzura Cortez Story,” “Anak,” and “Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa?” Bravo Ate Vi! – Vanessa Bago, ABS-CBN News

Recognizing Vilma Santos, thespian and nationalist – She is the grieving mother of sons to the struggle, linking arms and manning the front lines of a peaceful revolt. She is the mistress demanding the dignity deserving of a wife, a friend and a woman. She is the nun preaching the gospel of liberation against a dictatorship. She is the stripper dancing in tears as she lets go a love and a life never meant for one such as her. She is the single mom struggling to keep her wits amid domestic, financial and romantic dilemmas. She is the overseas worker facing down AIDS and its inevitable consequences. And she is Darna, a superhero fighting the giants, saving Ding and flying off to the stars. Burlesk Queen, Relasyon, Sinasamba Kita, Sister Stella L, Imortal, Dahil Mahal Kita: Dolzura Cortez Story, Bata, Bata . . . Paano Ka Ginawa?, Dekada ’70, not to mention Darna at Ding are just some of her countless films.

Vilma Santos is all these and more. From the every woman to the other woman, she elevates every role as worthy of a superstar and every character as deserving of precise and passionate acting. She braves patriarchal traditions and murderous dictatorships to play burlesque dancers, mistresses and activist nuns. “She gambles her popularity to widen her scope as an actress,” proclaims Dr. Nicanor Tiongson, Dean of the College of Mass Communication of the University of the Philippines (UP). He adds, “She proves popularity and ratings need not degrade the craft.” For that and more, Vilma Santos wins the 2005 UP Gawad Plaridel Award. Santos received the award designed by National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon Abueva on July 4 in ceremonies at the Cine Adarna, UP Film Institute. Besides speeches, renditions of original movie soundtracks from Santos’s best loved films, as well as an insightful audiovisual presentation directed by Jun Austria, regaled audiences comprised of students, entertainment industry luminaries and fans who packed the venue. The Gawad Plaridel is an annual award to honor the exemplary media practitioners of the highest professional integrity in the interest of public service. Adopting the pen name of propagandist and La Solidaridad publisher Marcelo H. del Pilar, the award recognizes those who, like del Pilar, use the media to advocate libertine principles. Newspaper publisher Eugenia Apostol is the award’s first recipient. Now Vilma Santos joins the highly esteemed ranks of nationalist media professionals.

Beyond celebrity – She won despite being a star. Bookish and unglamorous academics instinctively scornful of celebrities and politicians bowed to her stellar performance as thespian, woman, politician, and yes, superstar. Dr. Sergio Cao, chancellor of UP Diliman confessed being a star-struck fan, “I had to nebulize before coming here; I couldn’t breath.” He later thrilled to busing her on the cheek. Nevertheless, Cao sermonized, “Star power is real power. It is the power to move people to tears, to make them cry and laugh and urge them to by with endorsements. It is to make them think what you want them to think, to make them feel what you feel. They should use it wisely, make people do good and aspire for better lives.” The Gawad Plaridel validated that Santos has done just that. Her multifaceted portrayals of strong independent women have inspired those she has mirrored. Her portrayals of antidictatorship advocates have immortalized unsung heroes of the movement for generations to come. Her fearless gambles at parlaying her celebrity to triumph at portraying the most challenging of roles have set the mark for generations of actors.

Vilma Santos is a class act, not by any accident of pedigree, but rather by the brilliance of her artistry and the strength of her convictions. Santos herself credits her success to “nonstop learning.” She remembers basking in the glow of a grand slam win at every major award-giving body for best actress with the movie Burlesk Queen. On her next movie with director Ishmael Bernal, she recalls a humbling experience she remembers to this day: “I took seven takes just for the first scene on the first day. I wasn’t focused. Bernal trapped me in the toilet and ordered me to jog in place to work off many illusions from my grand slam win.” The Gawad Plaridel recognizes Santos as a consummate thespian and nationalist. In an industry marred by dubious awards, it is the academe that remains the unimpeachable judges of exceptional talent and principle.

Tough times – Vilma Santos, ever fearless, used her time at the podium not only to thank the industry and her supporters for her awards; she enumerated specific problems besetting the local cinema and television industry, and more importantly, specified solutions for the current crisis. The problems include the huge entertainment taxes imposed by government; digital video piracy; the lack of spending power of the masses; competition from foreign films that open on the same time as local films; and foreign television drama series that producers find cheaper to import instead producing ones locally. Santos proposes reducing taxes on films and television productions to bring down costs; better scripts and original stories that are distinct from foreign counterparts; lower talent fees for superstars—”Show me the script and we’ll talk about the talent fee,” Santos dares independent filmmakers; and Sen. Ralph Recto, Santos’s husband, passed a law that offers 10- to 50-percent tax rebates on film of worth and quality as adjudged by the Film Rating Board. “We can still overcome,” Santos rallies the Gawad Plaridel audiences. From superstars such as her to the new crop of independent filmmakers now with immortal lines from Sister Stella L. “Kung hindi tayo kikilos, sino? Kung hindi ngayon, kalian pa?” – Rome Jorge (READ MORE)

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Most Challenging Role

Posted on November 8, 2009 by @ffv Standard

People and Passions: Award winning actress Vilma Santos Recto tackles her greatest, most challenging role yet as governor of Batangas. Early dawn breaks in Batangas just as the clouds lose their heaviness, turning what have been just minutes before a towering, threatening storm-bearing mass to silky, wispy firmaments as harmless as spun cotton candies. In this tangerine-bathed panorama, just as the first fingers of the sun’s rays peek through, the landscape in the first few hours of the morning becomes absolutely breathtaking.

A place is always beautiful after it is cleansed free, and the wind and the rain have drawn out from the drenched earth a profusion of scents. Here, in this rugged, coastal province, it’s that wondrously intoxicating smell of coffee beans, the saps of early July-harvested mangoes, the aged bark of malabayabas that grosw unimpeded in vast, open spaces, the wild horses in the ranches of the hacienderos, and dozens of unidentified ones, layered on top of each other, crisp and musty, and unexpextedly, nostalgia-inducing. Over two million people will wake up to this olfactory overloaded vista, and one of them will have spent the last night pacing, nervous and exhilarated, all but oblivious to the tug of was between light and day, sunshine and monsoon rain, bullfrogs and crickets.

V FOR VOTES – VILMA SANTOS RECTO wouldn’t have noticed the gentle transformation of daylight. She was too busy going over the notes, trying to run through, for the umpteenth time, in the corrections she has scrawled all over her paper. Today, the scond of July, is officially the first day she’s taking over this province of 300,000 hectares, a population of tough, weather-beaten Marlboro Country men whose pastimes include taming wild horses and brandishing homemade balisongs (fan knives that natives purportedly carry everywhere they go.) So her anticipation is weel-placed, although you would not know by the stoic look on her face as she alights from the black van carrying her to the Kapitolyo, the official residence/office of the governor. After all, the multi-awarded star is still the country’s best actress. Solemn in her Paul Cabral barong, a long-sleeved creation with floral appliques, and her soft black slacks and pearls, she still looks like the huge movie star that she is. Never in the history of Batangas has a new governor been deluged with media-flashing light bulbs, mobile newrooms, mics thrust on their faces, and persistent camera crews – on the first day of assuming their posts.

With the rolling lawns of Laurel Park dotted with acacia trees as backdrop, it may look just like any other expensive production set of a movie starring the Philippines’ best actress. The neo-Classical structure of the Capitol is bravado personified, a men’s man’s lair if you will, with four Greek columns signifying, if not pillars of strenght, then phallic pro[portions. On the second story’s walls, there hang framed portraits of the men who ruled coffee country. Men, take note, not a single lady in its almost 500-year history, of varying pedigrees and popularity. This is the province that produced not a few of our good men: flag-maker Marcela Agoncillo, Apolinario Mabini, General Miguel Malvar, among others, prompting many to call it “the cradle of heroes and nationalists. ” It is with this burden, standing on the shoulders of giants, plus filling their shoes, that rests on the elfin frame of seasoned star and politician of mere nine years VILMA SANTOS RECTO.

“Oh my God, this is it,” she recounts, with a little shiver when asked what went through her mind as she woke up, or rather, met the day head-on. “I really wasn’t able to sleep well. I was trying to remember what else I wanted to say. Of course, I was nervous, but at the same time, prepared.” She glosses over the fact that she’s the first woman to come to the Batangas Capitol, the bastion of male supremacy in the country, if, indeed, there is one. “I think this is the first time for a governess,” she quips, luaghing. “Governess, parang yaya.” This may be but one small step for VILMA, but it is a giant leap for womankind. Her nine-year administration in Lipa as a city mayor is also a first time for a woman. “I believe in women empowerment, ” she stresses. “What you can do, I can do better. I respect you, but respect me, respect my ability, respect what I can do. I won’t tolerate not beign respected.” If she’s sending out zingers to God-knows-who, we can only guess. There are the usual suspects, like ex-governor Armando Sanchez, who did not concede without putting up a fight.

“You konw what, I did not even think about the preparations leading up for today,” she intimates as we talk in her barely-furnished governor’s office. The only personal touch you can see around is a picture of her family – erstwhile Senator Ralph Recto, sons Luis Manzano and Ryan Christian – in an informal pose that might’ve been taken in one of their many holidays together. Earlier, she had done the rounds of the Capitol, her first, and proclaimed it needed her signature look. “Even a week before this, issues were coming out,” she intimates. “Talk was flying about how they would stop me from assuming my post, about TROs, about how I shouldn’t be too sure I would be starting (today). Those were really my concerns. I would have been prepared to face them, you know.’ But the day has come and gone without upheavals and she says she thanks the ex-governor. “If he wants to join me for the good of the province, he is very welcome,” she intones, smiling.

And then, there’s the rift with Ricky Recto, brother to her husband Ralph, who proclaimed his intent to run in the gubernatorial post. But that’s a hatchet buried because, for all the world to see Ricky gallantly attended the first day proceedings. What was she thinking during that one-week hiatus when she mulled over the decision to run against Ricky? “I prayed really, really hard. I thought, if rested for one term, would the people need me the same way they do now?” she opens. “So I just went and took the risk. I can only say that God guided me.” At fifteen past nine on a Monday morning, in front of supporters and allies, VILMA, a Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats bet, won in 5,840 precints with 475,740 votes, 100,000 more than closest rival Sanchez. ‘I told the Lipeños, let’s work together. I will not have you blaming me. You also need to do your part!’

V FOR VISION – For the people who know her, VILMA SANTOS RECTO deserved every one of her 475,740 votes and then, of course, some. As a congresswoman’ s wife, she involved herself in medical missions and school programs that endeared the native Nueva Ecijana to the Batangueños. When she was asked to run for Lipa mayor in 1998, she declined three times before she got her sign that she was to spend her life in public service. “God must have wanted to teach me a lesson,” she discloses. “Spoiled ka ha, pwede ka mag demand ha, pag may shooting ka may van ka ha, ngayon, baliktad. Ikaw ang lalapit sa tao, ikaw ang magsisilbi sa tao (If you’re spoiled, demanding, and catered to, now we’ll reversed it. You’ll serve the people. You’ll go to them).”

Like a veteran movie star setting her sights on the climatic crescendo, she waited for that final day before she turned in her petition for candidacy, alb eit without premeditation on her part. She enrolled at the University of the Philippines’ special five-module crash course in Public Administration to bolster her performance and, as they say, the rest is “herstory,” peppered here and there by special citations from three different award-giving bodies as an Outstanding Mayor. For someone who had great hesitations to plunge into the world “I knew nothing of,” she has done infinitely much better than most of her political contemporaries. “I really still don’t know why I’m here,” Vilma admits modestly. “It’s true. I maybe more comfortable now, what with my experiences, but talaga, I still can’t imagine this.” She is quick to attribute a huge chunk of her success to Ralph, who is her senior adviser, and to teamwork, of which Vilma refuses to be shorthchanged. “I told the Lipeños, let’s work together,” she says. “I will not have you blaming me. Kailangan ‘nyong gumalaw (You also need to do your part)!” Newly-elect Mark Leviste, who has worked closely with Vilma is all praises, even if he ran under the opposition banner. “I’d like to think the reason she is successful as she has always been a source of inspiration to her colleagues, her staff, her constituency in Lipa, he says. “In everything she did, it was because of that sense of inspiration. She is an inspirational leader.”

Amelia Lipata, a messenger who has worked for the governor since 1998 when she was sitll campaigning for mayor, sums up what thousands of provincemates think about their leader. “Abunado pa si Ma’am. Ang dami n’yang natutulungan. Minsan inaabot ng dilim. Lumalabas kahit sa mahihirap na bayan. Mas malayo nga ‘yung bayan, mas priority pa ‘nya (She’s not profiting from this. She helps a lot of people, and the further-flung a town is, the more she prioritizes it).” “One thing I can brag about my leadership,” Vilma says of her past administration, “is that the whole time I served, I served without politics. The people who didn’t vote for me, the barangay kapitans that weren’t mine, nakuha nila ng buong-buo ang serbisyo ko (they got my full service).” What fuels Vilma as a politician, this unerring desire to give a hundred percent, perhaps take its roots in her background as a young, working actress at age nine. She won her first FAMAS award for Trudis Liit and has continued to reap many more in the years to follow. For a child to have gained recognition that early must have left an indelible mark on the young thespian. In more ways than even Vilma herself can comprehend, she has always felt the need to rise to expectations and, for her, that has become a way of life. VIVA VI! Woman power reigns supreme as VILMA SANTOS RECTO takes her place as governor of what used to be the domain of the barako, a man’s land, the province of Batangas.

V FOR VALUES – “I’m so blessed to be loved , but I can’t answer that,” Vilma truthfully replies when asked how she feels to have reached a mythic status, idolized, and, in the pantheon of modern day gods and goddesses, revered beyond reason. Today, over lunch at the Mansion, a nearby residence constructed during the American occupation, an octogenarian Vilmanian has come bearing a gift of beautiful (and huge) South Sea pearls from her own farm. The old woman had asked Emelyn, Vilma’s older sister, to please have Vilma wear it on her first day. Another, a teacher, has come all the way from the Visayas to witness this new era in her idol’s life.

With more than forty years in the biz, you would have thought that the governor has become used to the attention, but to her credit, she does seem genuinely puzzled at the level of success she has achieved. And nobody is that good an actress. “It’s only now, after my term as mayor and before I became governor, that I appreciated how lucky I am,” she humbly reveals, citing the clamor for her to run for governor where people rallied in the streets. “Without the cameras, I found out what real life was like. Dati, when I give tips to waiters, I’d give without thought P2,000, but when I became mayor, I found out that there was this family who didn’t even have electricity for two years because they couldn’t afford the P800 they had to pay. That changes my perspective.” Her life has indeed changed tremendously. Although she has never run out of movie offers, she certainly prefers that, at her age, she would rather grab the opportunity to give back. “You know what I had to give up?” she challenges jovially. “No income! No raket! Di hamak mas malaki ang income ko sa showbiz, dios me! (There’s no question I learn more in showbiz, my God!). So I wondered how I was able to just, you know, sacrifice. It’s not easy to.”

Since she became a politician, Vilma would only do a movie every other year, in spite of good scripts, and high talent fees. She has always repeated in many of her interviews that there’s no equivalent to the trust and respect she gets from the people she had helped, and now as the first woman governor, she’s reaping more. She’s leaving a legacy. “That no amount of money can buy,” the governor proudly reveals. “Batangueños are known barakos so when you see these kapitans give you their respect and they treat you with such deference, you really can’t put a price to that.” She adds half-seriously, “Sa last bayaran nga ng tax, mas malaki pa ang binayaran ni Lucky. Nakaka insecure na ito.” (The last tax payments, my son paid more than I did. I feel insecure.) ‘You won’t believe this, no matter how tired I am, I still tutor my son Ryan. And Lucky still needs somebody to listen to him. They need their mother.’

V FOR VOCATION – As with any other lot in life, Vilma perfectly understands, but will not tolerate, that no matter how hard she tries, some people will always find flaws with what she does. She has been known to be unapologetic, especially if she’s criticized in her juggling act between her many vocations as mother, wife, public servant, and celebrity. “I was accused before of not being a twenty-four- hour public servant,” she divulges, “but it’s not my fault that things now are just a click away. One text from me is all they need for approval. Everything’s computerized. I may not be here all the time but when I go home, I make sure I’ve done my job.” Every day without fail, Vilma the mother goes home to her children in Quezon City, and says with pride, “You won’t believe this, no matter how tired I am, I still tutor my son Ryan. And Lucky still needs somebody to listen to him. They need their mother.” She unfailingly inculcated in her constituents the weighty importance of her own time. “The people from Lipa know that when my son has school activities I will be there, even when I am needed here. That’s what your department heads and vice mayor are for,” Vilma shrugs. “I’ll now have to teach the same thing to Batangueños, that I won’t be effective to you as a leader if I can’t even keep my own family happy. What I want for my children is what I want for them. First and foremost, I am a mother.”

In her order of priorities, family comes first. Every so often, she and her family retreat to out-of-the-country vacations to recharge from the daily stresses. This is what keeps her sane, and she counters, effective. “Problems are the greatest reasons for getting old,” she laughs. “I am fifty-three and yet still have energy, only because I am truly happy and comfortable with life.” She still does tae-bo twice a week and swims on weekends to keep her trim shape. “I am still an actress,” she proffers. But that’s the extent of how the well-preserved actress exudes efforts to preserve herself. Although she’d splurge on Gucci and Ferragamo, Danilo Franco, JC Buendia, and Paul Cabral, she has never undertaken extreme measures like facelifts or surgery to look and feel good. “I don’t even have a beauty regimen. I have nothing against Botox, but I’ve never tried, not even once,” she admits. “But I’m still fine and, honestly, I have other things to do.” Then she says with aplomb, “Hindi pagiging matanda ang importante, ang pinagkatandaan (It’s not about aging, but how you age). Everybody grows old. Nothing’s going to stop it. I just want to do it with grace.” A politician of nine years, VILMA takes her seat at Batangas’ Kapitolyo, on the stength of 475,740 votes and 5,849 precints won. TRIPLE DUTY. VILMA plays multiple roles in her present life – sometimes an actress, foremost a mother, and always the leader of Batangas.

V FOR VICTORY – At exactly eight in the morning, as the returning sun beats with a vengeance down on the crowd gathered at the lawn in front of the Capitol building for the first official flag ceremony, VILMA SANTOS RECTO takes her place among the leaders, old and new, of Batangas. The employees, most of them who have grown up watching the governor take on her many roles as an actress, are skittish and excitable. You get a sense that, for them, the petite, five-feet-flat actress is just portraying one of her award-winning roles. No, she isn’t really going to be the governor. Look, she’s beside the more imposing ex-governor Antonio Leviste and the suave, smooth-talking provincial administrator. It still feels surreal. Cameras from cellphones flash, and even during the somber flag-raising, all eyes are trained on her. She’s aware of this, even if at the moment, she doesn’t let on. “Every day is still a learning process for me,” the newly-appointed governor shares thoughtfully a few hours later, back at the cool confines of her office. “I’m apprehensive about the expectations. I just want to be magnanimous about the victory I got. People need to understand my priorities, support them, and do what they need to do. This is not even for me, you know?” Judging from the still star-struck faces of most, it’s a reality that may take a while to set in, but the tough politician who’s turned a city around is not one to easily give up. When she takes the stand to speak for the very first time as their governor, a quiet, expectant hush falls over the crowd. You could hear a pin drop. And then Vilma, who never disappoints, gravely said, “We’re all in this together. Kami dito sa stage walang payong, kaya ibaba ninyo ang mga payong ninyo. Kung kami maiinitan, lahat ay maiinitan (We don’t have umbrellas here, so fold yours. If we take the heat, so should you.)” There’s a moment of silence before giddy laughter erupts and then from somewhere, scattered burst of applause cracks the stillness until the whole plaza joins in, and as they have always been since she was nine, people unwittingly feel under Vilma Santos Recto’s magic spell. The first lady governor of Batangas smiles triumphantly, surveys her audience with a fond look, and steps up to the dais, bravely facing the dawning of the new day. The End – Source: Senses and Style, August 2007 Issue By Krizette Laureta Chu Portraits Rudy Liwanag; Text transcribed by Alfonso Valencia posted at the VS Yahoo e-groups.

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Vilma Santos: Plaridel Awardee 2005

Posted on November 8, 2009 by @ffv Standard

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The UP Gawad Plaridel Awards 2005 is the only award in the University of the Philippines bestowed to outstanding media practitioners. It honors Filipino media practitioners in print, film, radio, television and new media, who have excelled and performed with the highest professional integrity and in the interest of public service. National Artist Napoleon Abueva conceptualized and molded the Plaridel trophy showing Marcelo H. del Pilar (the crusading journalist and editor of the vernacular section of Diariong Tagalog, the first Philippine bilingual newspaper, and the La Solidaridad, the reformist newspaper), which will be given to the awardee plus P100,000. Last year’s awardee was editor and publisher Mrs. Eugenia Duran-Apostol. This year, a film practitioner was to be distinguished among our many outstanding film practitioners.

Vilma Santos was declared the Plaridel awardee for 2005. The actress, now mayor of Lipa City, has received 65 awards from different award-giving bodies including the best actress in the Brussels International Film Festival in 1999, 10 awards from FAMAS, and another 10 best actress Urian awards from the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino. The other awards are from FAP, the Manila Film Festival, the Metro Manila Film Festival, Star Awards, Catholic Mass Media Awards, CineManila International Film Festival and many others. Her first film, Trudis Liit, garnered for her the best child actress plum 41 years ago, and the rest is “herstory.” She declared that she was very nervous the day she received it. The award, she thought, was so prestigious that it carried with it a lot of responsibilities. But it seems Vilma Santos is used to handling responsibilities. Aside from being an active movie personality, she takes her tasks as city mayor of Lipa seriously.

Sen. Ralph Recto attended the awarding like a proud husband would, attentive in the front row of the theater beside Vilma’s mother as UP President Emerlinda Roman, UP Diliman Chancellor Sergio Cao and Dean Nicanor Tiongson bestowed the Plaridel Award 2005 to Ms. Vilma Santos. President Roman, in her message, said “Because of her dedication to her craft and her portrayal of roles important to women and society, Ms. Santos deserves recognition not only from the viewing public, but also from the academic community.” UP Diliman Chancellor Cao said that he was starstruck and that it was the first time he had seen Vilma in person, adding, “More importantly, Ms. Santos has used her status as celebrity to pursue public service. As mayor of Lipa City, she has proven that art and politics do not exist in separate plains. She has shown us that women artists can transform society in more ways than one.”

College of Mass Communications Dean Nicanor Tiongson said, “Traditionally, the academe has always kept a discreet distance from show business and for good reason. For one, academics have always emphasized critical thinking and professional integrity, both of which seem to be rare commodities in a movie world obsessed with instant gold and glamour. For another, the popularity of a movie star, to be sure an unwanted legacy from Hollywood, has been used by producers to cover up for a multitude their cinematic sins. Stardom is not a sin in itself. In the hands of film actors who are sincerely committed to their art, popularity can be harnessed to uplift the standards of the whole film industry. In choosing Vilma Santos as the UP Gawad Plaridel Awardee for Film, the College of Mass Communications would like to offer to film and media industries incontrovertible and living proof that popularity and ratings need not lead to the degradation of media tastes and standards.”

After receiving her trophy, Vilma Santos delivered her Plaridel lecture. She shared her experiences in the industry that she truly loves and expressed her concern for the high taxes on film, dwindling audiences of Filipino films, piracy and the strong competition from foreign films. She spoke to a very attentive audience. The Cine Adarna of the UP Film Institute, which can seat almost a thousand people, was SRO. Ms. Santos has over 200 movies to her name. Some of the more notable ones are: Burlesk Queen, Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak, Ikaw ay Akin, Rubia Servios, Broken Marriage, Relasyon, Sister Stella L, Dahil Mahal Kita, Bata Bata Paano Ka Ginawa, Anak and Dekada 70. Many recognize the value of this “Star for All Seasons.”Writer Lualhati Bautista says, “As an actress Vilma gets into the character she is playing, goes through her experiences and pain.” Feminist Mara Lanot says that, “In all the roles Vilma has played in her films and real life, she chose for herself and got what she wanted, and these characters are strong.” Scriptwriter Ricky Lee explains that “Vilma, by embodying the different images of the Filipina as victim and fighter in the span of three decades, has consistently molded the image of the woman and society that moves forward.” Another writer, Pete Lacaba, admires Vilma for her fearless portrayal of Sister Stella L during martial law years when it could have affected her career and her personal life at the time, and also for courageously using her clout as a big star in the movies to perform roles that are different.

Vilma has worked with many of our reputable directors. Chito Rono sees her as a consummate actor who brings brilliance to her performances, saying, “Sometimes an ordinary role becomes a diamond when she portrays the role.” Maryo de los Reyes says, “As an artist, she has nurtured an aesthetic refinement and has continuously searched for the beauty and the enhancement of her craft. She has maintained her ‘pagiging tao,’ being ‘makatao’ and ‘pakikipagkapwa-tao’ all these years.” Critic Bien Lumbera calls her an “auteur,” one who leaves the mark of her personality in the roles she plays. In her performances, he adds, she manages to bring her audience together with her character’s experiences and ways of looking at things. Another critic, Butch Francisco, explains that, “Vilma took a long time to be recognized as a serious actress. Through the collaborative efforts with top directors, she became one of the greatest actors of Philippine cinem. She tackles scripts with social issues and often times was experimental with her roles.” Producer Atty. Espiridion Laxa says Vilma “has reached this incomparable height of success because of several good traits: her discipline, her determination to excel in her acting profession and her knack for choosing the right roles.” Producer/actress Charo Santos-Concio speaks of her as a “passionate thespian, her filmography boasts of a list of films that are audacious, artistic, classic and socially relevant. Inevitably, she has brought to the limelight ordinary people with extraordinary lives and has created awareness of various socio-political issues.” Her frequent leading man in her films, Christopher de Leon, has good words to say about her, too: “Vilma Santos is not a selfish actor. For example, if I have a scene that is really meant for me, she will make me shine; she is a very gracious actor. ” He explains that the brilliant performances of the actors who interact with her are evident in her films. To Vilma, congratulations! – Philippine Daily Tribune, July 07, 2005 (READ MORE)