Woman

Tempus fugit. It seems like it was just yesterday when we celebrated Christmas and Single Awareness Day. And now, we are entering the last month of this year’s first quarter. For some, it is just an ordinary month. For the graduating students, it is something to look forward to. And for the beach bums, uhm, the time to get rid of those love handles. (I refuse to do it though. I love my six-pack abs and I cover them with a thick layer of fats for protection.)

“Woman I can hardly express, My mixed emotion at my thoughtlessness, After all I’m forever in your debt, And woman I will try express, My inner feelings and thankfullness, For showing me the meaning of succsess..” 

Today, March 1, we officially start the Women’s Month and the Fire Prevention Month.

Fire. It creates and destroys. A very powerful element.

During the time of ancient Greece, a philosopher named Heraclitus considered fire as the most fundamental element (urstoff) of the universe. He considered fire as gave rise to the other elements and thus to all things. He saw fire as the element that transforms everything through its flames.

We’ve seen fire’s benefit to mankind. It gives us light and heat. It cooks our raw food. It transforms the most obscure ore into precious gold. But we’ve also seen its wrath and menace. It’s vital and at the same time, dangerous.

“Woman I know you understand The little child inside the man, Please remember my life is in your hands, And woman hold me close to your heart, However, distant don’t keep us apart, After all it is written in the stars..

Woman. Without her, we are nothing. She is the instrument of God’s creating hands to create us human beings by carrying us in her womb for nine months. She’s vital for the survival of the human race.

And just like a fire, she’s dangerous. Her charm and beauty may appear to be frail and enchanting but her real power rests on the inside. And history has seen women with legacy balls more powerful and more influential than men. And up to this day, we still do.

“Woman please let me explain, I never meant to cause you sorrow or pain, So let me tell you again and again and again, I love you. now and forever, I love you..”

I would like to dedicate this lovely anthem from my favorite Beatle, John Lennon, to all the women out there. Our mothers, sisters, friends, fiancees, and to the great women in history who helped shape mankind. Let it be known that although we are (still) living in the society created by men with balls and discrimination against you are still rampant in some parts of the world, your contribution to society and history is priceless. Thank you. And please forgive us.

I may not be the most gentle of all the gentlemen out there (or I maybe not a gentleman at all). I may not be a Knight who will save a damsel in distress. I may not be some cutie patootsie young man idolized by the kids and the tweens with a big banner ‘I Respect Women’ on his blog. but all I have is this simple song, just for you. again, thank you.

Happy women’s month to all the women out there. Grazie mille!

Note: The word art above was originally posted during my first year on Tumblr. It was inspired by a friend when I asked him why women’s month and fire prevention month are both celebrated on March. And he gave me that answer. For my non-Filipino readers, it is (loosely) translated as: ‘Perhaps, women’s month and fire prevention month are both celebrated during the month of March because they are both dangerous and vital for survival

Blue Moon (Unreleased Original Take) - Orange and Lemons/Clementine

https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F37987444&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=ff7700 Blue Moon - Orange & Lemons (Original Take) by Dragonfly Collector

When I first heard the Orange and Lemons’ songJust Like a Splendid Love Song on Jam 88.3 sometime during my early years in College, I thought it was song from a British group. I immediately fell in love with it and I thought of searching the group online and digging their other music. I was surprised to learn that the song was already two years old and it was from the Filipino group Orange and Lemons which was then rapidly climbing the steps of mainstream popularity with their infectious hit Hanggang Kailan dominating the airwaves.

And just like any other music lovers during the so-called Golden Age of OPM after the nineties, I immediately became a fan of the group. They continue to release other hits such as Heaven Knows (This Angel has Flown), Lihim, Pinoy Ako, and Blue Moon which was used as the soundtrack of the movie of the same title. But all things, even the good ones, must come to an end. Shortly after the release of their third album Moonlane Gardens (which, in my opinion, the best Orange and Lemons album among the three), the group disbanded and formed other bands. Mcoy Fundales and the Del Mundo brothers formedKenyo while Clementine Castro formed The Camerawalls with the original OnL bassist Law Santiago.

I have always idolized Clementine since the Orange and Lemons days, especially on the album Moonlane Gardens where he penned most of the songs. He’s a musical prodigy and he’s got good taste on music. Actually, music-wise, he influenced me more than any other musicians. I owe my love for Indie and British Pop to him.



I tried to give the other three OnL members a chance on my eardrums but they have failed me on their Radiosurfing and Maharlika albums. Those albums, in my opinion, are no match against The Camerawalls’ Pocket Guide to the Otherworld and Bread and Circuses.

Last night, while waiting for Kara David’s i-Witness documentary, I stumbled upon Clementine’s Facebook post (A link of his blog, Musings of a Commoner) about the original recording of one of the famous OnL hits, Blue Moon. Alongside with an excerpt of the song, he wrote a brief description of the song and how the client (the film outfit) removed him from the vocals and preferred the version that we know today.

Most of us have heard the Mcoy Fundales-voiced Blue Moon and his version was good, catchy, dance-able, and the typical Orange and Lemons style that the general public loved. But as much as I respect Mcoy as a musician, I find Clementine’s version better. Though I am a big fan of the combination of Mcoy and Clem (they got one of the perfect vocal blending among the local bands), I find the latter’s voice more soothing, subtle, and good for my ears. (If you have heard the Clementine-voiced OnL songs such as Armageddon is Coming to Town, Pabango ng ‘yong Mata, Hey Please, and Let Me, then you know what I mean.) It has also a catchy Beatle-ish beat which was lacking on the popular version.

I hate doing comparisons among artists but I choose which music is more suitable to my ear and my taste. And Clementine obviously has got it. After hearing the version above, which do you prefer? the popular version or this one? You may choose what you want but the bottom line is, let us keep the music alive. Let us keep the OPM flame burning. Support our local artists.

A great artist may only appear once in a blue moon. But just like looking at the blue moon, listening to their works will be worth the wait. Padayon!

Photo Courtesy of Clementine Castro’s Facebook page.

Elsewhere:

• Cover to Cover: A True Blue Story Behind a Pop Song


• Of Mice and Men - The story of Orange and Lemons’ break-up as told by its ‘unwanted member’, Clementine Castro

#AshTag Wednesday

“It’s Ash Wednesday. Let us spread the #ashtag”

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates Ash Wednesday. This day marks the beginning of the Lenten season, or the 40-day period of fasting to prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection (Paschal Mystery). It is the season where we are reminded to repent from our sins, to fast and abstain, and to do charity works for the poor and needy.

It is an open secret here on Tumblr and in my blog that I am a former seminarian (or more appropriately, a seminarian on regency or break). I studied in the Seminary for eight years - from high school to college, and I have been writing reflections about Lent and being of service to the poor and the needy since I was twelve (I entered the seminary at a young age, so there goes the explanation).

But there is something that I have to confess to you. Something that whenever I remember those events, I have a mix feelings of being ashamed and laughing at it. During my first years in the high school seminary, I look at Ash Wednesday as a punishment. You see, even the required age for fasting and abstinence is 14, there are no exemptions in the Seminary (for obvious reasons, of course). I treat Ash Wednesday then as a ‘hunger strike day’ for we are only served one full meal during the day without merienda. And if you personally know my eating capacity, you will know why I despise a meal-less day.

As I grow up and as I learn more in the Seminary, my perspective has changed. And I should, because Seminary is a place of formation - spiritually, academically, socially, and formation as a mature, young man with the direction to the Priesthood. And even after I left the institution last March 2009 after graduating in Philosophy, even now that I am living in the real world away from the comforts of her confines, I continuously live (and share) most, if not all, the things that I have learned inside. There are no clear indications yet if I would return and pursue my Theological studies but the important thing is, I should and I must strive not to forget those good things.

 



 

Last night, I planned to attend the Ash Wednesday Mass at our Parish (outside the UPLB Campus). But when my mother told me that there will be a mass in their office (which is inside the campus), I decided to go there since it would be more convenient for me.

The Mass celebrant is Father Thor (Yes, Thor. He may not look like Chris Hemsworth but he is one of the nicest, and funniest priests that I know), the Parish Priest of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish (the church inside UPLB). And I did not regret attending his mass. His homily moved me.

He started his homily sharing a stuff that he found on the internet. He said that a particular Christian denomination put up in their website that a mixture of ash and water burns the skin. As most of us know, the ashes being placed on our foreheads is a mixture of ashes (from the palms used on the previous year’s Palm Sunday) and (Holy) water. He consulted the Chemistry Professors of the University and they told him that yes, it is possible to burn one’s skin by a mixture of ash and water (he told us the name of the chemical compound but I forgot it) but the ashes used on Ash Wednesday have a very minimal effect to cause burning. So are they bluffing? Or scaring the faithful? We don’t know.

Why put ashes on our forehead? It is a reminder for us that we came from dust/earth and we would return to it after our death. Faher Thor told us that the mixture of ashes and water is very symbolic since ashes represents a lifeless man and water, the breath of God that created us (if you read the book of Genesis, this will be quite familiar to you). When God breathed to the earth, there was life.

So what is the challenge for us? Father told us that when the Priest (or the Minister) put ashes on our foreheads, this is a invitation for us to ‘return to the earth’. It is an invitation for us to be stoop down from our level, be ‘dirty’, and to be humble. After all, humility came from the Latin word humus which means earth or soil.

But how could we do that in these modern times where everything is fast and everyone is busy? That is where fasting and abstinence would enter. Fasting and abstinence is not just eating less and abstaining from meat. It is also doing less the things that we find addictive - television, alcohol, cigarettes, internet, and everything considered as ‘excess’ and not an essential. And when we have a free time after abstaining (and fasting) from these, then it would be the time to go back to the earth and be dirty.

And after all of these, during the celebration of the Easter Vigil (or the end of the 40-day preparation) and the blessing of fire and water, it is there when we would burn ourselves and walk to God, our savior. So basically, those who posted that a mixture of ashes and water will burn us, is in a way, correct.

Seminarians are known to Priests as omniscient creatures (it is a inside joke actually). I am guilty of this when I was in college since there are Priests and speakers who give us something that we already know and I (together with most of my brothers) would just fake our attention, pretending to be listening. I know, it is a sign of being proud and not being humble.

But I have learned my lesson today. Though I cannot say that I am totally doing it, I chose to listen and digest what Father has given us. I have learned that yes, we know things and sometimes, it is our expertise, but we should always be reminded. And we should see things from other people’s perspective.

The Season of Lent is about preparing ourselves. It is the period to give up something and be of service to the needy. Actually, as I have mentioned above, some of the things that we have saved during this season should go to helping the poor and the needy. Some would say that this is hypocrisy on our part, but should it be? I think doing something good at least during a particular period of a year is better than having done nothing at all. And as long as you know what you believe in, as long as you are steadfast on your faith, no hecklers, trolls, haters, and non-believers can shake you.

This is a period of giving up our excess. What would you give up? for me, I think it wold be extra rice. Aside from helping me lose wight, it will help those who are in need by giving them what I should have eaten for my excess consumption. (Lent, as they say, is the best way to lose weight and be of shape.)

In these modern times, is the celebration of Ash Wednesday still relevant? Yes. We need it more during these times when we seem to just think of ourselves and our personal gains.

Today is the beginning of the Lenten Season. Let us spread the #AshTag.Vaya con Dios!

Photo Above: A nun uses ash to mark a cross on the forehead of a believer outside the Baclaran church in Paranaque on the occasion of Ash Wednesday. The occasion marks the beginning of the season of Lent in the largely Roman Catholic country. (via ABS-CBNnews.com)

Elsewhere:

• The Word Exposed: Ashes - Manila Archbishop Chito Tagle’s catechism and reflection about Ash Wednesday. This is very informative.

Prom

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba4R_oxrLpg]

 

“Nanginginig na mga kamay. Ang puso kong hindi mapalagay. Puwede ba kitang tabihan? Kahit na may iba ka nang kasama..”

It’s prom season once again. They say that this is the most anticipated event in one’s high school life. A night of fun, glamour, good memories, and an unforgettable moment for teenage first love.

This is not a story for me to tell. I never had a chance to attend a Junior-Senior Promenade. I studied in an exclusive school for boys in High School.  And during my senior year, when we cross-enrolled at a nearby coed Catholic school, I was not able to attend the graduation ball (the nuns replaced the JS Prom with it for some reasons) because I was busy preparing for college then (nuks).

“Ito na ang gabing di malilimutan..”

Last Friday was a busy day for the parloristas here in Los Baños. Almost all high schools inside the UPLB Campus were having their JS Prom. And for my younger sister who is a junior in high school, that night was surely a memorable one.

She’s the family’s unica hija and the first among the siblings who will attend the JS Prom (My brother and I studied at the same high school.). So you can imagine how my parents, especially my Nanay, prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Days before the Prom, I ask her if she has already a date/partner for that night. She said yes but she won’t give us his name. My Nanay, with her awesome cyber esponage skills, managed to look for the guy and we found out that he’s nice. I jokingly told my sister that I’m gonna bring my zombie apocalypse kit on the night of her Prom just in case the guy mess up.

My sister was fetched in our house and went to the Prom with her barkada (not her date. Good for the guy, haha!). We basically let her do what she wanted on that special day. She went to the Prom while my Parents and I went to the muddy UPLB Feb Fair.

“Parang atin ang gabi. Para bang wala tayong katabi. Nang tayo’y sumayaw na parang di na tayo bibitaw..”

They say that high school is the happiest stage of one’s life (though there are some who would beg to differ). Even Sharon Cuneta immortalized the tears and laughter of high school with the song High School Life. This is the stage of one’s formation, transformation, and self-discovery.

I may have not experienced Prom but let me share with you some of my a priori thoughts on it. Enjoy every single moment of it. It only happens once or twice in one’s life time. It is also training ground for a bigger world after school. It is where you learn etiquette, decorum, and where you test your self-esteem ad self-confidence (by asking someone to be her date and not being a wallflower during the dance).

I know that there are more knowledgeable and credible persons out there to talk about this but what I only have here is a small story and a good music to share.

When I first heard this song by Sugarfree (with the Manila Syphony Orchestra), I was instantly amused by the David Pomeranz-penned King and Queen of Hearts introduction (a classic Prom song) before hitting the first drum beats and notes of one of the group’s famous anthems.

How was your prom? Is it nostalgic or a horror? And for the younglings reading my blog, are you excited to have one? I hope this song by Sugarfree help you reminisce on this cold, rainy weather.

Maraming salamat Ebe Dancel, Sugarfree, at Manila Symphony Orchestra sa napakahusay na awiting ito.



Photo Above: My sister and I minutes before she went to the Prom. And please excuse my ‘beer barrel belly’. Thank you very much.

“To Infinity and Beyond!”

Most people today are either celebrating Valentine’s Day or being a jerk thinking about how pathetic their being single is. Or having a genital wars in some branch of Sogo (So clean, So good). I was suppose to write something about Valentine’s Day today but because of the gloomy weather, nothing special, extraordinary, or Valentine-related stuff happened to me the whole day. And it’s too mainstream. So I decided to write about another significant event of today:

Manong Johnny Enrile’s 88th birthday. Yes, eighty-eight. Double infinity as some would say.

Back when I was a young little kid, I see to it that I always watch the evening news with my parents/ grandparents. Through that, I became familiar with current events and the different personalities from politics, sports, and entertainment. I may have not memorized all of the politician’s names but there is always one who I always remember - Enrile. Juan Ponce Enrile.

As I grow older and into maturity (hopefully), I indulged myself more in the matters of history, politics, society, government, and current events. And  I can still hear Manong Johny Enrile’s name every now and then. He is always there. Or should I say, he must be always there.

Time passed by and as we both grow older - me in my late teenage years and he, in his seemingly emergence into immortality - I got to know him more by reading history and news stuff related to his life. And he became one of my favorite law makers.

Perhaps he is best known to this generation as the Senator who wishes us to be happy. His “Gusto Ko Happy Ka” (I want you to be happy) campaign slogan in the 2010 elections made him won the hearts of the youth and the generation who were not yet born during the dark ages of our history - where he also played an important role.

I have been reading Manong Johnny Enrile-related news items the whole evening on the internet and I came across this article fromInteraksyon.com that summarizes the man’s legacy:

Juan Ponce Enrile has seen, in 88 full years, the highs and lows, the tragedies and triumphs, countless political seasons, of the country. He not only lived through most of them, but also at every turn played a key role. The remarkable journey made his birthday, at the helm of a historic trial, so much more pregnant with meaning. Having been born in on the day of hearts, it seemed fitting he remained, eight decades after, still very much at home in the heart of history.

Eighty-eight years. For some, it is the age of retirement. A time to spend your last remaining years on this planet with your loved ones. And a bonus age for most of us. but Manong Johnny Enrile just keeps on going and it looks like he has no plan to stop as long as he is able to do his duty. He is the perfect example of the Filipino saying about being hrdworking, ‘Kalabaw lang ang tumatanda’.

Eighty-eight years. One is considered an immortal if his works and legacy continue to inspire and move others even after his death. But Manong is still alive and is continuously doing things for the future of this country.

Eighty-eight years. Just like his birthday wish, I wish him stamina to perform his duties well. Will he live until the 2016 elections and be our next leader? What’s wrong with a 92-year old leader?

Isa kang alamat Manong Johnny. Maligayang ika-walumpu’t walong kaarawan! At sa puntong ito, gusto ko, happy ka!

Photo Above: Senate President and presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile is amused as Senate reporters present him with a cake with a miniature image of the impeachment court on his 88th birthday on Tuesday, before the start of the impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Renato Corona. (via ABS-CBNnews.com)

Elsewhere:

• “I Sense a Disturbance in The Force” - I always remember Manong Johnny whenever I see this villain from Star Wars. Seriously.


• Manong Johnny Enrile’s Biography - Taken from his official website. This will take us back to the prehistoric times during the age of the dinosaurs. (Kidding!)


• JPE at 88: At Home in the Heart of History

Memoirs of Inday and the Bodyguard

It was the nineties. Some would say that it is the best decade for music, movie, recreation, fun, and entertainment. For those who were born and who grew up in that era, it wil be remembered for its good old memories of nostalgia and fun (but of course, those who were born on a different era will beg to differ).

Nineties. It was the year when kasamabahay(s) are stereotyped by popular TV shows and movies with the name Inday and having an affair with asikyu (security guard). And it was also the year when a song for every Inday - and every romantics - came out.

It was I Will Always Love You. Or for every pun-loving Filipino in that decade, it was Inday will always love you.


[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QaI-M9sxW4]


The song was so popular in the country that it became an anthem of almost every music-loving Filipino (long before Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On, but that’s another story). Though not a Whitney Houston original (it was Dolly Parton who sang the original), the song gained popularity after the former recorded it for the soundtrack of her debut movie, The Bodyguard.



Ah, that movie. It is considered one of the classic romantic-thriller movie of that age. I remember watching it in my grandparents’ house on their trusty VHS player. I did not care about the movie being a romantic flick then. What I care about is it being an action-thriller movie. And its theme song I will Always Love You.

This may sound not-so-manly but Whitney Houston’s  I Will Always Love you is one of the first songs that I learned to sing (aside from the jingle of cough syrup Tuseran Forte which I used to sing as ‘Sa Tusenan Boteee..’). In fact, I even held a mini-concert during my fourth birthday party, singing and screaming the songs at the top of my lungs in front of our house. (I still have a picture of it but I think it’s still in our old house. I’m gonna post it soon when I find the opportunity to get it.)

And just like any other kid, or a typical Pinoy, who sing that song, I used to sing it as “Indaaa-hiyaay! Will always love you! Huuwaaa..”.

What made me sing a Whitney Houston song for cryin’ out loud? Perhaps it’s because of the song’s popularity during that time that it became the anthem of almost everyone. It became the song that everyone knew to sing and to love (unlike Frank Sinatra’s My Way that became infamous for it’s, uhm, fatal effects). Just like a young child singing whatever is overplayed on television and the radio, perhaps I just joined the Whitney Houston bandwagon then?

I woke up last Sunday morning, February 12 here in the Philippines, learning about Whitney Houston’s death via Tumblr and Twitter. And I told myself that’s it, another musical legend passed away, leaving her fans, listeners, and people whom she inspired in grief. The news about her drug addiction during the last years of her life may always be included in her story but that would not suffice to overshadow her fame, success, and legacy.

You may call yourself a die-hard fan who would weep because of her sudden demise. You maybe just an ordinary music fan who appreciate her music. and you may be just someone who recently listen to her music and joined the We-love-you-Whitney-Houston bandwagon.

But I will always remember her as someone who introduced me to Inday andThe Bodyguard. Someone who helped me discover my love for singing and music.

Goodbye Whitney. Thanks you for the music. Millie grazie!

Ang Alamat ni Jeric Raval

Noong isang araw, nabulabog ang mga angry birds ng cyber space nang sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ay tumayo ang kilalang miyembro ng Senate Committee on Silence na si Senator Lito Lapid at nagsalita sa impeachment court. At dahil bihira ang pagkakataong iyon, nag-trending worldwide ang Senador sa Twitter. Kasama ang pangalang Leon Guerrero.

E sino nga ba si Leon Guerrero? Siya ang Pinoy version ng Lone Ranger na nakilala sa pinilakang tabing dahil sa pagganap ni Lito Lapid (pero mas naunang gumanap ang kaniyang tiyuhin na si Jess Lapid). Ang pinakanatatandaan ko sa kanya ay kung paano niya pinatay ang dalawang tumatakbong kalaban gamit ang iisang bala - sa pamamagitan nang pagpapaputok ng baril sa harap ng isang punyal (na kahit si MacGyver, hindi maiisip yun).

Gusto ko sanang magsulat tungkol kay Leon Guerrero at sa tahimik na Senador pero napagtanto kong sayang lang ang bandwidth. At neurons. Kaya’y naisipan kong ibaling ang aking atensyon sa aking paboritong action star noong dekada nobenta:

Si Jeric Raval.

[caption id="attachment_424" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Isa sa mga pamatay na movie posters noong dekada nobenta."][/caption]

Noong isang araw, habang naghahanap ng matinong palabas sa TV, ay napadaan ako sa Kapuso Movie Festival ng GMA-7 kung saan may nakita akong isang pamilyar na mukha na kasama nang noo’y payat pang si Beethoven Del Valle-Bunagan (Michael V.) - si Jeric Raval. Ang pamagat ng pelikula? Biboy Banal: Pagganti ko..Tapos Kayo (halimaw sa title!) na orihinal na ipinalabas noog taong 1994. At sa puntong iyon, bumalik sa aking alaala yung kabataan ko na tuwang-tuwang nanonood ng mga Pinoy action movies sa TV, VHS at sa Pinoy Blockbusters (Tatay ng Cinema One). At isa nga sa mga naging paborito kong bida higit sa ibang action stars ng henerasyong iyon ay si Jeric Raval.

Sino nga ba si Jeric Raval? Ang tunay niyang pangalan ay Jericho Buensuceso at inilarawan siya ng Wikipedia (ang hindi nagsisinungaling na bible ng henerasyon ngayon) bilang isang artista na nakilala sa kanyang leather jacket, leather pants, at shiny hair.

Una siyang nakilala sa pelikula ni Manoy Eddie Garcia na Valentin Zapanta Alyas Ninong: Ang Huling Kilabot ng Tondo kung saan gumanap siya bilang isa sa mga bata ni Ninong at ang kanyang kauna-unahang pelikula in a lead role ay ang Kalabang Mortal ni Baby Ama kasama sina John Regala at Willie Revillame (Oo, si Kuya Wil). Matapos noon ay naging sunod-sunod pa ang pelikula niya sa OctoArts Films katulad ng Boboy Salonga: Batang Tondo,Estribo Gang: The Jinggoy Sese Story, Beloy Montemayor: Tirador ng Cebu,Victor Meneses: Dugong Kriminal, Barkada Walang Atrasan, at ang personal kong paborito dahil sobrang pamatay ng pamagat na Bunso: Isinilang Kang Palaban.

Napilitan si Jeric na tumigil sa paggawa ng pelikula matapos makatanggap ng Temporary Restraining Order matapos ang hindi pagkakaunawaan sa OctoArts Flms na nauwi sa korte. Matapos maayos ang gusot ay nagbalik pelikula si Jeric pero hindi na gaanong naging maningning ang kaniyang kasikatan. Ang kaniyang pinakahuling pelikula ay ang Lapu-Lapu ni Lito Lapid noong 2002 (na sa tingin ko ay kakaunti lamang sa inyo ang nakapanood).

E ano ba ang meron si Jeric Raval na wala ang ibang action stars katulad nina Robin Padilla, Fernando Poe, Jr., George Estregan, Cesar Montano, Monsour Del Rosario, Ronnie Rickets, Bong Revilla, at Rustom Padilla? (Oo, gumanap na astig na sundalo si Rustom sa Mistah kasama ang mga kapatid niyang sina Robin, Royette, at Rommel bago siya naging BB Gandanghari)

Para sa akin, may ibang klase ng karisma si Jeric Raval. Hindi siya yung tipikal na action star noong dekada nobenta na sa unang tingin mo pa lang ay alam mo nang mambabasag ng bote ng San Miguel beer sa ulo ni Bomber Moran o kaya ay makikipaghilahan ng bigote sa magkapatid na Rommy at Paquito Diaz. Siya yung klase ng astig na action star na hindi mo aakalaing makikipagpatayan sa mga bata ng kurap na Congressman, pulis, at negosyante. Maamo ang mukha kaya may elemento ng surpresa at gulat kapag nakikipagbakbakan sa loob ng bandonadong gusali o warehouse.

Katulad na lamang noong pelikulang Biboy Banal: Pagganti ko..Tapos Kayo.Sa unang tingin, lalo na at kasama pa ang henyong si Michael V., ay aakalain mong isa na namang pelikulang comedy ng OctoArts ang palabas. Pero matapos na mapatay na ang kaniyang ama, gahasain at patayin ang kanyang kapatid , magkaroon ng nakakakilig na eksena kasama ang leading lady, ang kaunting pag-aaway sa loob ng beer house, at ang paglabas ng Mitsubishi L-300 na siyang sikat na sasakyan sa mga Pinoy action movies (samakatuwid, kapag lumabas na lahat ng cliche sa mga action films noong dekada nobenta), ay lalabas na ang kaniyang husay sa pag-arte bilang isang dekalibreng action star.

Masasabi kong isa si Jeric Raval sa mga impluwensyal na naghubog ng plikulang Pilipino noong dekada nobenta - ang huling dekada kung saan ang malaking porsyento ng masa ay gumagastos at pumipila sa mga sinehan (Siguro ay dahil mas mura pa ang panonood sa Sinehan noon. At dahil buhay pa ang Seiko Films. Oh yeah!)

Pero lumilipas ang panahon. Namatay ang action genre sa pelikulang Noypi at kasamang namatay nito ay ang karera ng daan-daang movie crew, stuntmen, kontra bida, at mga action stars na hayun, huli kong nakita sa TV ay nasa drama o sa mga pa-cute na youth-oriented shows.

Nasaan na nga ba si Jeric Raval ngayon? Wala akong balita. Huli ko siyang nakita noong isang taon sa radio show ni Cristy Fermin sa Aksyon TV 41 kung saan sinabi niyang sabik na siyang magbalik-pelikula. At ganoon pa rin ang mukha, halos hindi tumanda. Parang si Ely Buendia. At ang namayapang si Francis Magalona.

Sinasabing kinakailangang magkaroon ng ‘kamatayan’ ng action films sa Pilipinas para magkaroon ng ‘muling pagkabuhay’ at para maitaas ang kalidad nito. Sa pagpapalabas ng Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story ni George Estregan at sa nalalapit na pagpapalabas ng Hitman ni Cesar Montano, masasabi nating unti-unti na ngang nabubuhay ang action genre ng pelikulang Pilipino.

Utang na loob, sawang-sawa na ako sa paulit-ulit na comedy at love story sa pinilakang tabing. Ibalik natin ang Pinoy action Films. At ang titillating movies ng Seiko Films. Biro lamang ang huli pero puwedeng seryosohin.

Hindi ako dalubhasa sa pelikula at ekonomiya pero sa tingin ko, ang magpapabuhay sa naghihingalong industriya ng pelikulang Pilipino ay ang masa. Gumawa tayo ng pelikula na hindi mang-iinsulto sa ating kakayahang mag-isip (katulad noong mga staple movies sa MMFF). Gumawa tayo ng de kalidad na pelikula na ikatutuwa at ipagmamalaki ng mga manonood. Gumawa tayo ng de kalidad na pelikula. Gumawa tayo ng de kalidad na action films - na sa aking opinyon ay ang genre na malapit sa puso ng masa.

Nalalapit na ang muling pagkabuhay ng Pinoy action movies. At iisa lang naman ang hinihiling ko - ang makita ko ulit na nakikipagbarilan at nakikipagbasagan ng bote ang idolo kong si Jeric Raval sa pinilakang tabing.

Isa kang alamat, Jeric Raval. Mabuhay ang pelikulang Pilipino! Respeto.

Elsewhere:

• Video 48 - Ang mga larawan sa itaas ay dito ko kinuha. Ang blog na ito ay patungkol sa mga classic Pinoy movies. Asteeg!
  


• How the metrosexual killed the action star - Kung dati, ang mga iniidolo ay ang mga lalaking may bigote sa action movies, ngayon, mga lalaking kung mag-ayos ay mas komplikado pa sa mga babae.


• Guns, Goons, and Gore - Lourd de Veyra’s take on the Pinoy action movies.