Evolving Project - "...Si Ate Vi nag-text nga dapat andito siya ngayon kaya lang may session daw ngayon Monday eh. Si ate Guy nasa Bicol ngayon. Pero kinongratulate nila pareho si Judy Ann (Santos)...The Mindanao director said he has just been waiting to do a film with Vilma Santos when the timing is right. Merong mga usapan. Schedule lang talaga. Siyempre iba na talaga ngayon ang priorities niya. Ano na siya politician na siya so yun ang priority niya. Gusto rin niya. Ayaw lang niya na magtrabaho kami na half-hearted or hindi talaga siya nakabuhos ang concentration niya sa akin. Iba iba yung project kasi nag-e-evolve na rin eh...” - Brillante Mendoza, reported by Rhea Manila Santos, Push, 12 December 2019
Festival Hall of Fame - "...Sa December 27 naman ang awards night, at ang ilang pagbabago rito makakatanggap ang lahat na winners ng cash prize. Dati kasi mga major winner lang ang may cash prize, ngayon lahat na including ang mga technical awards. Kaya dapat na dumalo ang mga nominado. Bahagi ng pagdiriwang ang Centennial of Philippine Movies, gagawaran ng Hall of Fame award ang mga makakatanggap ng pinakamaraming award sa mga MMFF. Iyung mga nagwagi ng tatlo at higit pa na awards sa MMFF ay gagawaran ng Hall of Fame. Ang top three winners lang ang bibigyan. Kagaya ng sa kategoryang Best Actress, ibibigay ito kina Nora Aunor, Vilma Santos at Maricel Soriano. Sa Best Actor naman ay sina Christopher de Leon, Cesar Montano at ang namayapang action star na si Anthony Alonzo. Sa Best Supporting Actress naman ay sina Amy Austria, Cherie Gil at Eugene Domingo. Hindi ko lang nakuha ang sa Best Supporting Actor. Ang sa Best Director naman ay sina direk Joel Lamangan at Joey Reyes..." - Gorgy Rula, Pilipino Star Ngayon, 29 November 2019
The End of Sampaguita Garland Fans - “...Well, all I can say is grabe. Do you remember the days when movie fans drowned Vilma Santos and Nora Aunor in sampaguita garlands? Sa amin na nag-end yon. We would have sampaguitas up to our necks when we would perform. From start to finish ng isang song, wala kang makikita kundi puro sabitan ng sampaguita, ha ha ha! They would give gifts; we even had fans na mga prinsesa sa Mindanao who would give jewelry. They were really, really kind. And now I have fans who are teachers, lawyers, doctors, nurses, and they would tell me na nakikipag-away sila nung mga panahon na ‘yon! Doon daw sa basketball court nakikipag-sabunutan sa isang Jennifer Sevilla fan! Even though Jennifer and I are friends!...” - Sheryl Cruz, reported by Ricky Lo, The Philippine Star, 28 September 2019
Idol Si Vi - "..One movie is fine with me. You know, Ate Vi is my idol. She has proven that actors can be good public officials, from being mayor of Lipa to governor of Batangas and now congresswoman. Masipag siya. We hold office close to each other in what is known as the Showbiz Wing. That’s also where Congressmen Christopher de Venecia, Yul Servo, Lucy Torres, Edward Maceda and Dan Fernandez have their offices. Someday, I hope to do a movie with Ate Vi..." - Quezon City (5th District) Rep. Alfred Vargas, reported by Ricky Lo, The Philippine Star, 01 September 2019
Hindi Bagay Kay AiAi - “...Five movies ang nakatakda kong gawin this year, at pagkatapos noon, pahinga na muna ako, next year kasi gusto kong harapin ang family ko at gusto ko nang magka-baby kami ni Gerald (Sibayan). Kapag ginawa ko iyon kailangang sa first trimester, dapat nasa bahay lang ako...(Is she interested in Mother Lily's film bio) Hindi, pass na ako sa movie ni Mother Lily, saka mas bagay gumanap sa kanya sina Judy Ann Santos at si Congresswoman Vilma Santos. Manonood na lamang ako ng movie ni Mother Lily.” - AiAi DelasAlas, reported by Nora Calderon, Pang-masa, 09 August 2019
National Artist - "...Tito Ed is one perfect example of professionalism as an actor and director! Kapag co-actor ka niya, napakalambing at kalog ni Tito Ed. Kapag director siya ibang-iba, seryoso at metikuloso. Alam ni Tito Ed dinaanan ng buhay ko. Sa lahat ng pagsubok at tagumpay! Dahil bata pa ako nakasama ko na siya sa pelikula as co-actor ang director! Hanggang huling hininga nasa pelikula siya. Nagsilbi ng napakahabang panahon para sa industriya at natanggap na ang lahat ng mahahalagang awards bilang artista at director, hindi lang sa bansa kungdi international awards. Para sa akin, ganyan dapat ang nabibigyan ng Most Prestigious Recognition (National Artist). Inspiration ng lahat ng pumapasok sa industriya. ‘Yan si Eddie Garcia!" - Hon. Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto, Reported by Leo Bukas, Pinoy Parazzi, 25 June 2019
Pinakasikat na Darna - "...Ang pinakasikat na gumanap na Darna ay walang iba kundi si Vilma Santos na nagbida sa “Lipad, Darna, Lipad” in 1973 na produced ng Sine Pilipino. Trilogy ito na dinirek nila Emmanuel Borlaza, Elwood Perez at Joey Gosiengfiao. Nakalaban dito ni Darna ay sina Valentina/Babaeng Ahas (Celia Rodriguez), Babaeng Lawin (Liza Lorena) at Babaeng Impakta (Gloria Romero). Ang gumanap naman na Ding ay si Angelito. Tatlong beses pa na ginampanan ni Vilma ang role na Darna. Ang ikalawa ay noong 1974 na “Darna And The Giants” na produced ng Tagalog Ilang-Ilang Productions at dinirek ni Emmanuel Borlaza and Leody Diaz. Ang mga gumanap na Giants ay sina Divina Valencia, Pepito Rodriguez, Cesar Ramirez, Zandro Zamora, Max Alvarado at Ike Lozada. Ang gumanap na Ding ay si Dondon Nakar. Ang ikatlong Darna ni Vilma ay ang “Darna Vs. The Planet Women” in 1974. Produced ito ng Tagalog Ilang-Ilang Productions at mula sa direksyon ni Armando Garces. Ang mga gumanap na Planet Women ay sina Rosanna Ortiz, Eva Linda, Lita Vasquez, Liza Zobel at Diana Villa. Ang role na Ding ay ginampanan ni Bentot, Jr. Ang ikaapat at last Darna role ni Vilma ay ang “Darna And Ding” in 1980. Produced ito ng D’Wonder Films at dinirek ni J. Erastheo Navoa and Cloyd Robinson. Si Niño Muhlach ang gumanap na Ding. Mga nakalaban nila rito ay sina Lei Ming (Celia Rodriguez), Dr. Vontesberg (Marissa Delgado), Babaeng Lawin (Veronica Jones) at ang Giants na sina Ike Lozada, Panchito at Angie Ferro. Nakalaban rin dito ni Darna ay ang kanyang sarili na si Black Darna..." - Anonymous, Abante, 01 June 2019
With That TV Show - "...As recounted by cultural historian Pablo Tariman who worked with Conchita Sunico at the Met, in his article, “More Met Memories,” “despite the rave reviews and standing ovations, with the lack of sponsorship hounding our good intentions, we hardly broke even.” He further recalled how Conchita Sunico helped keep the Met alive at all costs, even in her deathbed. Just to keep the Met alive, Tita Conching (as she was fondly called) agreed to rent out space to Vilma!, Vilma Santos’ GMA TV variety show, and leased out office space even to recruitment agencies sending Japayuki entertainers to Japan. Visiting former MSO conductor, Herbert Zipper, once asked Tita Conching to do away with Vilma! Tita Conching replied thus: “I have a theater to maintain and employees to feed. If you promise to maintain this theater and feed my staff regularly, then I’d do away with that TV show...You have all the right to protect Mozart but I also have to protect my employees.” As recounted in the same article, Herbert Zipper’s last Met concert in the 1990s played Mozart’s Requiem, which was ominous of its decline and eventual closure..." - Isidra Reyes, ANCX, 04 May2019
Queen of all Darnas - "...Since Liza Soberano’s finger is sore, she can no longer soar as Darna. If she had her way, the Kapamilya sweetheart would still push through with the project. She is ready and willing, but is unable to portray the iconic role. Since the search is on for the next actress to play the superheroine, I thought of reprinting excerpts from my interview with the “Queen of all Darnas,” Vilma Santos. I cornered Ate Vi about her Darna thoughts after Angel Locsin backed out from reprising the role that catapulted her to fame. Here’s what she said: "All actresses dream of playing Darna. It’s a plus factor in their career if they land the iconic role. When you are Darna, you already have a captive market. Kuha mo agad ang attention ng kids. We have new stars who are more than qualified to be the next Darna, but I’d rather not name names at baka maipit ako (laughs). Too bad Angel had to back out, but her health is more important. In order to become Darna, an actress must be believable. She must also have a strong personality. She has to be charming and compassionate. [These are the] qualities that Darna possesses. I made four Darna movies. Those were milestones in my career..." - Dolly Anne Carvajal, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 13 April 2019
Star Power: Good or bad in PH politics? - "...People say, "there's no business like show business." The same could also hold true in Philippine politics. The country's election season won't be complete without the presence of local celebrities endorsing certain candidates or as candidates themselves running for local or national posts. Some say celebrities enjoy undue advantage when they join the political fray. This is because of the high recall and awareness they enjoy prior to their candidacy as a result of being seen regularly in noontime programs, teleseryes, movies, commercials or celebrity events. In the upcoming midterm elections, at least 30 TV personalities are joining the race. They are vying for positions ranging from senator to congressman, mayoral and gubernatorial posts, to party-list representatives...The mix of showbiz and politics does not guarantee a sure victory for any candidate. Although familiarity and recall are an advantage, UP Political Analyst Jean Franco believes that other factors come into play before celebrities actually get enough votes to elected...Star for all Seasons Vilma Santos-Recto served as Lipa, Batangas Mayor and later on won as the province's Governor. Yet being the 5th District Representative of Batangas is totally a new role for Ate Vi. Santos-Recto said education remains to be her priority as lawmaker. She is one of the authors of the Anti-Discrimination Bill or SOGIE Equality Bill, the Expanded Maternity Leave bill and the Expanded Senior Citizen Bill. The Star for All Seasons also gained attention when she voted "no" against the reimposition of the Death Penalty in 2017. Santos-Recto lost her committee chairmanships after her controversial vote. "If you believe na talagang ito ang paniniwala mo at sa tingin mo, ito ang dapat mong gawin, paninindigan iyon. But that doesn't mean I'm fighting the government. Hindi ako nandito para kalabanin ang gobyerno," Santos-Recto explained in an interview with CNN Philippines. [Translation: If you believe in this and you think this is what you're supposed to do, that is principle. But that doesn't I'm fighting the government. I'm not here to fight government.] Stars will not always shine bright for our favorite actors or actresses deciding to enter the challenging world of politics, but their performance as elected officials will be determined not through blockbuster success or awards but how they were able to improve the lives of their constituents and the people they choose to serve..." - Tristan Nodalo, CNN Philippines, 09 April 2019
Forever Kung Magmahal - "...Humahanga kami sa Vilmanians noong burol ng mother ni Cong. Vilma Santos sa Loyola, Sucat. Gabi-gabi silang naglalamay sa pangunguna ni Jojo Lim at sila ang nagbabantay at sumasalubong sa mga dumadalaw sa burol ni Mama Mila. Abala kasi si Ate Vi sa mga kasamahan din sa trabahong nakikiramay. Ibang klase talaga ang fans noong araw, forever kung humanga. Hindi tulad ngayon, dinidiktihan ang mga artista na animo’y robot na pinaglalaruan..." - Vir Gonzales, Pang-masa, 10 April 2019
Pahinga na sa lahat ng hirap at pagod sa buhay - “It was a bitter pill. Masakit talaga para sa aming mga anak niya iyong pagkawala niya, but deep inside alam naman naming nahihirapan na rin siya at iyong nangyari means makapagpapahinga na rin siya sa lahat ng hirap at pagod sa buhay...In fact, we all came out strong. Siya nga kasi ang naging example namin eh. Hindi ko masasabing walang hindi naging magandang nangyari sa buhay ko, pero natutuhan ko ang bumangon at mailagay sa ayos ang lahat. Iyong mga kapatid ko, hindi ko naman masasabing hindi rin nagkaroon ng problema, pero sila man mabilis na nakakabangon, kasi nga iyon ang nakagisnan namin kay Mama. At iyong totoo, hindi umasa si Mama sa akin. Lagi siyang may sariling negosyo kahit na ano pa iyan, kaya hindi namin masabing umasa siya sa amin. Noon na nga lang talagang mahina na siya at saka lang siya tumigil talaga. Pero hindi pa rin agad tumigil eh, siguro hindi niya kayang kumilos pero noon kasi iba pa rin ang isip niya. Nagbibigay pa rin siya ng advice and most of the time, maiisip mo, tama ang sinasabi niya...(Stop muna si Vi sa kanyang re-election campaign) kailangan ko namang makabawi kay Mama..." - Hon. Congresswoman Vilma Santos-Recto, reported by Ed de Leon, Pang-masa, 04 April 2019
Mami-miss ka namin, Mama - "...60 years old na si Mama nang una kaming magkakilala. Dekada ‘80 noon. Estudyante pa lang ako sa kolehiyo noong una kong makilala at ligawan si Vi. Ang Papa nilang si Amado Constantino Santos ay maagang pumanaw, isang taon bago kami magkakilala ni Vi...Nang ikinasal kami ni Vi noong 1992, si Mama at si Sonny ang naghatid sa altar kay Vi. At doon nagsimula ang ‘love story’ namin ni Mama, bukod sa love story namin ni Vilma. Sa lahat ng pagkakataon, buhat nang magsama kami ni Vi noong 1986, si Mama ay palaging nasa panig ko. Maaaring itanggi ni Vi iyan, subalit iyan ang totoo. Maalaga at sweet si Mama sa akin kaya’t kaming dalawa ang magkasundo. Palagi niya akong ipinaghahanda ng mga pagkaing nanggaling Nueva Ecija, ang probinsya ng mga Santos, katulad ng ‘batutay’ o longganisa ng Nueva Ecija. Kung ano man at saan man naroroon si Vi ngayon ay dahil kay Mama. Tulad ko ay Capricorn ang zodiac sign ni Mama kaya’t ang personalidad namin ay parehong competitive. At bilang competitive na stage mother, siya ang masipag magdala kay Vi sa lahat ng audition sa shows at pelikula, at doon na nga nagsimula ang career ni Vi noong mapili siyang gumanap bilang Trudis Liit sa edad na 9 na taon. Nasungkit kaagad ni Vi ang Best Child Actress award mula sa Famas. Naging mabuting ina si Mama sa magkakapatid na Santos. Siya rin ang dahilan kung bakit nananatiling close ang magkakapatid hanggang sa ngayon...Mami-miss ka namin, Mama. Sinabi ni Vi dati na ang pinakamatinding krisis o dagok na pinagdaanan niya sa buong buhay niya ay noong namatay ang Papa niya. Siguradong ibayong kalungkutan ang nararamdaman ni Vi at mga kapatid sa iyong pagpanaw...Pahinga ka na, Mama. Maraming salamat sa pagpapalaki mo sa isang Vilma Santos na ngayon ay kasama ko sa buhay. Maraming salamat sa pagturing mo sa akin na parang tunay na anak..." - Hon. Sen. Ralph Recto, Abante, 02 April 2019
Paalam Marie - "...Nagulat ako sa biglaang pamamaalam ni Marie Balbacui na kapanabayan namin every Sunday sa Custodial sa Camp Crame nu’ng nakakulong pa doon sina Sen. Jinggoy at Sen Bong. Hindi pumapalya si Marie tuwing Linggo sa Crame. Natagpuan daw na patay na sa kanyang tinutuluyan somewhere sa Sampaloc. Ang pakikiramay sa kamag-anakan. Fan ‘yan ni Vilma Santos noong kabataan niya..." - Joe Barrameda, Abante, 05 March 2019
Films That Celebrates Womanhood - "...In celebration of International Women’s Day, heto ang ilang local films that celebrates womanhood. Ito ang mga pelikulang pinapakita ang tapang, talino, pagtitiis, pakikipaglaban at pagwagi ng isang babae...Sister Stella L (1984) - Mula sa direksyon ni Mike de Leon, bida rito si Vilma Santos bilang ang madreng si Sister Stella na nabuksan ang mata sa matinding kahirapan ng maraming mamamayan. Una siyang na-involve sa isang on-going labor strike hanggang sa sumama na siya sa isang malawakang protesta para mabigyan ng hustisya ang pagkamatay ng isang labor union leader...Bata, Bata Paano Ka Ginawa? (1999) - Mula sa direksyon ni Chito Rono na hango sa celebrated novel ni Lualhati Bautista, ito ay kuwento ni Lea (Vilma Santos) isang women’s right advocate na may sariling pinagdaraanang krisis sa kanyang buhay. Una ay ang kanyang dalawang anak na sina Ojie (Carlo Aquino) at Maya (Serena Dalrymple) na magkaiba ang apelyido dahil sa magkaiba ang kanilang ama. Pangalawa ay ang pakikipagbuno niya sa ama ng kanyang mga anak na sina Ding (Albert Martinez) at Raffy (Ariel Rivera). At pangatlo ay ang pagtanggap sa kanya sa society na walang paghuhusga dahil isa siyang babae na nagmahal ng dalawang lalake..." - Ruel Mendoza, Abante, 02 March 2019
Armida and Lino - "...The shooting went well until the third week when I felt that Mario O’Hara seemed aloof toward me. I noticed that he had toned down the intensity of the love scenes and also did other more “commercial” aspects with the movie. I reminded him that though risky, as all period films are, I agreed to do the project and that I was prepared to fight for it during censorship. Despite this assurance, we still could not communicate well with each other. To avoid unnecessary friction, I moved to a small hotel near Lubao, Pampanga. Things got worse after that. He would change schedules without consulting with me. So, what the hell, I fired him. But before I did that, I asked Romy Suzara if he could take over the remaining five shooting days. He agreed. Our production deadline was delayed by 20 days but because we had a well-planned schedule, we still finished way ahead of all the other entries to the MMFF. Oh, how Lino Brocka hated me for it! He was so angry. Mario O’Hara was his friend and as I said, pag tao nya ang kinalaban mo, kalaban mo si Lino Brocka. I remember, during the post-production of the movie at LVN where Lino was also doing work on his MMFF entry Inay, he would give me dagger looks at parang talagang gusto niya akong sakmalin pag kami ay nagkakasalubong sa swing door papunta sa office ng LVN. He even demanded that his scenes be removed from the movie. Acceding to his request, I eliminated his scenes except the one in which Alma Moreno was abducted. Talagang hindi puedeng tanggalin yung isang shot kasama si Lino. Galit na galit siya. Eh balitang-balita pa naman noon na strong contender ako for best actress in the MMFF awards night. Nanggigigil siya talaga at ipinagdadasal na huwag akong manalo. Hindi ako nanalo pero tatlo lamang kaming nominated for best actress – Liza Lorena for Ishmael Bernal’s Walang Katapusang Tag-araw, Vilma Santos for Celso Ad Castillo’s Burlesk Queen and myself for Bilanggong Birhen. Vilma Santos won. No hard feelings on my part. Vilma was very good in the movie. After that came the FAMAS and Urian awards nights. Ganoon din; ipinagdasal din ni Lino na huwag sana akong manalo. Pero hindi siya nagwagi. After two years, his anger simmered down and eventually we became friends again. Hindi kami nag-away ni Lino na kaming dalawa ang dahilan ng pinag-awayan. It was always a third party that caused our rifts. We shared the same principles and fought for the same causes in the movie industry -to rid the industry of the patronage system whcih we both felt was a deterrent to professionalism. He was a great advocate of freedom of expression, and so was I. The movie industry owes Lino a debt of gratitude for inserting “freedom of expression” in the 1987 Constitution, without which the fight against censorship would be many times more difficult than it is now...When Lino died, I was very sad. Mahirap mapalitan ang isang katulad niya..." - Armida Siguion-Reyna, excerpt her book "Armida," ABS-CBN News, 17 February 2019
More to Learn - "...I really used to dance, Billy Boy knows this. Siguro nahawa ako sa Mama ko (referring to Rep. Vilma Santos who used to have her own variety show). And I was always around the VIP dancers...But you realize early on that I love dancing but it won’t be my bread and butter. I was so interested but I wasn’t able to turn it into a passion per se...Good question (number of show he has done so far). I wish I knew. It’s a good problem to have. I simply started in MYX then ASAP, then the shows came one after another. The sum total — how many shows and the number of seasons — I honestly don’t have any idea. But thank you, I’m going to look into that...No matter how good you believe you are, no matter how good people say that you are, the moment you think there’s nothing more to learn, that’s when everything goes down. Every new partnership, every new show, there’s something new to learn...” - Luis Manzano, reported by Nathalie Tomada, The Philippine Star, 02 February 2019
Junior Versions - "...They say we are like the junior versions of Ms. Nora Aunor and Ms. Vilma Santos. It’s flattering but for the record, I’m not competing with her. Everyone knows that Therese is a critically-acclaimed actress and it’s quite challenging to share the frame with her in this show...Yes, I’ve been hearing talks like that. But in all honesty, I don’t want the idea of competition between us. That would just affect my performance. Just let things flow naturally...” - Kyline Alcantara, reported by Joseph Peter R. Gonzales, Manila Standard, 28 January 2019
No for Vi - "Strong resistance from lawmakers and children's rights groups alike did not stop the majority of the House of Representatives from passing the bill that would lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 years old to 12 years old. On Monday, January 28, a total of 146 legislators said yes to House Bill (HB) No. 8858, while only 34 said no. There were no abstentions...There are a total of 291 lawmakers sitting in the House. This means the remaining 111 legislators were absent during the vote, and their names will not be part of the list below...Here is the list of lawmakers who voted yes and no to HB 8858, based on Journal No. 45 which contains the summary of the plenary proceedings on Monday: NO:..Santos-Recto, Vilma (Batangas 6th District)..." - Mara Cepeda, Rappler, 30 January 2019
Feelers - "...Time to dust off the Crystal Ball and (fore)see what’s in store for the make-believe denizens in the Year of the Pig. Oink, oink, oink!!! A blushing revelation: this annual (random) fortune-telling dates back to the imposition of the unlamented Martial Law and, believe it or not, the batting credibility/accuracy average is way, way above the median. The manghuhula deserves three good pats on the back! First, the “Wide Awake” Items...Luis Manzano will keep on teasing the public imagination with “feelers” that he’s ready to marry girlfriend Jessy Mendiola (and make his mom, Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos, happy. She has been wishing for a grandson from Luis) but that’s as far as Luis will go - lip service..." - Ricky Lo, The Philippine Star, 02 January 2019
Matured & Mellowed - "...In my 50 years in show biz, there were many times when I wanted to give up. Back in the day, I would shoot three movies at the same time, aside from my weekly TV show. When I felt burned out, I made a disappearing act. I would just take off and go to Baguio, or any place where I could get away from it all. While I stood on the edge of a mountain, I shouted and cried it all out. I would be gone for three days, which was admittedly quite unprofessional. But I had to go away because I was dead tired and overworked. But as I matured, I mellowed. I began to think of the other people I worked with, and not just myself. We all need to take a breather every now and then..." - Hon. Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto, Reported by Dolly Anne Carvajal, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 01 January 2019
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