Vilma, Nora parehong nangangampanya

ATTENTION:  Vilma Santos’s invitation (through The Generics Pharmacy): “My 60th birthday celebration, which coincides with the launch of my newest TVC and the first private label generic medicine of TGP, the TGP Paracetamol, will be held at the Isabella C Ballroom of Makati Shangri-La on Tuesday, 12 of November, at 11 a.m.”

Siyempre, dumating ang media, not in full force, pero sapat na rin upang mai-cover ng “majors”—ABS-CBN 2’s Mario Dumaual, GMA-7’s Lhar Santiago, TV5, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, HATAW Dyaryo ng Bayan, People’s Journal, Bulgar, Bandera, Malaya at marami pang iba. The early presence of veteran showbiz scribe, the 73-year-old Alice Buhain Vergara, and the unsinkable Linda Cabuhayan of whatever it is that they represent, talagang “made” na rin ang presscon cum party ng Star for All Seasons now tagged as the country’s National Treasure.

Of course, The Generics or TGP family was there, sa pangunguna na rin ng TGP president and chief executive officer  Benjamin I. Liuson at TGP chief Marketing officer Philip S. Tan. Ang nagsilbing emcee ng nasabing okasyon ay ang mismong kapatid ni Liuson na siyang dating president ng Cityland, ang higanteng real estate developer.

Ang main program ay ang sitdown interview ni Luis Manzano sa mismong top celebrity at star-politician ng bansa. And what a show it was, there’s nothing like their tandem in the whole of showbiz and politics. Very competent ang anak at very candid and spontaneous naman ang magulang. Truly ang National Treasure in many, if not in every respect. Both in private and in public life.

Parehong masuwerte sina Vilma at TGP, na mayroon ng 1,600 branches nationwide. Ayon kay Mr. Liuson, dalawang branches lang ng Generics ang company-owned and the rest (1,598) ay pawang franchise na. Ang total franchising fee ng isang Generics branch ay umaabot ng P729,000.00 sa ngayon.

Last year (2012) pa kinuha ng TGP si Vilma bilang endorser nila at kasama ng aktres sa unang Generics TV commercial ang Miss Universe First Runner-up (2012) Janine Togonon. Ngayong 2013 ay “solo frame” na ni Vilma ang bagong Generics TVC, at dapat lang!

Sa kanyang stature at popularity, walang sinumang artista at pulitiko, noon at ngayon, ang maaaring ihanay sa naturingang National Treasure ng bansa. At nag-iisa lang siya sa kanyang kategorya: one, combining art and commerce in showbiz; and two, combining showbiz and politics in the name and pursuit of public service.

Ito ang nakita ng Generics/TGP sa “goldmine” ni Ralph Gonzales Recto. Dahil kay Vilma, nabawi ng mga Recto ang tinatamasang tagumpay at yaman nila ngayon, pagkatapos malaos at malugmok ng pamilya Recto noon  maibagsak at mapalayas ang mga Marcos. Paano ba nag-umpisa sa pulitika si Ralph sa 2nd district ng Batangas noong 1992, Bong?

Sa kabilang banda, masuwerte rin si Vilma sa Generics/TGP dahil magagamit niya ang nationwide network nito (with 1,600 branches and thousands of employees) para sa anumang political plans niya after her third and last term as Batangas governor.

With 18 years of excellent government/public service in 2016, Vilma Santos, the National Treasure, is ripe for a national position. Already, the air is filled with whispers of a “Vilma for President” movement. No, not as president of a senior citizen society, as she joked in her long Generics interview with her son at Shangri-La, but as president of the Philippines.

Sa track record niya sa pulitika, anong sinabi nina GMA, Erap at Bong sa kanya! Ang kailangan lang nating bantayan ay ang kanyang mentor and tormentor na “youngest son” in her brood of three, ayon na rin sa kanya.

Biro man o hindi, sana manaig pa rin kay Vilma ang kaniyang integridad at delicadeza, for or against her traditional-politician husband, Mr. E-VAT and Mr. Sin Tax.

But if the so-called gods decided against her running for the country’s top post in 2016, victorious Vi can always settle for vice president. At sino naman ang magiging running mate niya bilang presidente kung saka-sakali?

Methinks, and I believe, anyone between Grace Poe-Llamanzares  and Antonio Trillanes IV as presidentiable in 2016 would be a good and sure bet.

With the fall of Binay and his thieving pork barrel company of wolves, pushing for Vilma-Grace or Grace-Vilma would be “heaven” (Vilma’s favorite expression), if not “heaven-sent.”

Either way, it will be the first of its kind in the world—a unique tandem of two top and popular women-politicians running for the top posts of the country.

Imagine the values and work ethic of both Vilma Santos and Grace Poe as president or vice president in the same term, operating in the entire government system. That indeed would be sweet poetic justice for the betrayed and cheated FPJ (in 2004).

Trillanes is a desired dark horse for any of the top two position come 2016. With either Vilma or Grace as running mate, there’s no other way to go but Malacanang and, hopefully, the people.

By 2015, ang target ng Generics ay 2,000 branches nationwide, according to TGP’s president Liuson. (To date, rival drug distributor Mercury Drug has more that 900 branches nationwide.)

By 2016, with Vilma Santos as president or vice president, Generics or TGP will be the premiere “drug lord” or “medicine king” in the country. So, let’s all go Generics—”Mabisa na, matipid pa!”                                                 (ITUTULOY)

NORA NANGANGAMPANYA SA CCP AT NCCA

Kinabukasan, Miyerkoles, Nob. 13, 2013, dumalo kami sa presscon ng “San Andres B.,” ang operang sinulat ng National Artist na si Virgilio Almario (Rio Alma) na dating alagad ni Imelda at ng rehimeng Marcos. Santo na ba ang bayaning si Andres Bonifacio o San Andres Bukid?

Sa direksyon ni Floy Quintos at nilapatan ng musika ni Jacinto Chino Toledo, sino ba naman ang di maiintriga at mai-excite sa bagong obra ng Tanghalang Pilipino.

Nasa kalagitnaan ng presscon nang tahimik na dumating ang nagpapa-demure na Nora Aunor (kahit na tibong-tibo ang gayak at asta nito) kasama ang mahinhing mamasang nito na si Ricky Lee.

Aba! Talagang nangangampanya ang National Con Artist sa gitna ng mga taga-CCP at NCCA, ang mismong grupo na siyang may kinalaman sa pagnominate ng mga ituturing (magkano?) na NA kuno.

Sandali lang dumaan ang “presence” ng mga mukhang nagaapi-apihang “mag-ina” (mag-ina raw o!), pero may kakaibang bagyo akong naramdaman at may dalangmasamang hangin.

Paglingon ko ay paalis na ang dalawang “himala” o “walang himala” na produkto ni Imee Marcos ng dating ECP. At mula sa mikropono na nasa panel ay nagbigay-pugay si Nanding Josef , sabay sabing “Mga Noranian kami lahat dito!”

“Ikaw lang!” ang sagot namang nakaingos mula sa upuan at mesa ni Ibarra Mateo, ang foremost current theater chronicler mg media

And we completely agree.

Siyangapala, ang operang San Andres B. ay magkakaroon ng world premiere sa Tanghalang Aurelio V. Tolentino (Little Theater), CCP, sa Nobyembre 28, 2013, 8ng gabi. Ito’y para sa paggunita sa ika-150 taong kapangakan ng Pambansang Bayani.

Teka, bigla akong na-excite sa binanggit ni Rio Alma na merong ilulunsad na pagbabago sa ating talang-pangkasaysayan “merong movement na isusulong na si Andres Bonifacio ang unang pangulo ng republika at hindi si Aguinaldo….”

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PERSONAL: Nakikiramay kami sa angkang Nable at Amoyo, ng Hilabaan, Dololres, Eastern Samar, sa trahedyang dumapo sa  pamilya nang walo sa kanilang kaanak ay kasama sa libo-libong namatay sa pananalasa ni Yolanda sa Lungsod ng Tacloban. Dalawang mag-asawa, dalawang apo, si Mana Basilia Costuna-Busa (kapatid ng bayaw kong si Mano Pio Nable), isang retiradong guro na matagal (30 taon)  nadestino sa liblib na baryo ng Dolores. Isa ang nakaligtas si, Cynthia.

At hindi rin naligtas ang aming bahay-kubo na ayon sa huling balita ay natanggalan ng bubungan. C’est la vie.

Art T. Tapalla