Mutya Datul: Secrets of the Salagubang Walker on the Rise

"Dati sa Isabela, gusto ko lang makarating ng Maynila. Hindi ko akalain na sa pagsakay ko ngayon ng eroplano makaka-labas ako ng bansa..sa Europe pa! With humility, God manages to surprise us by giving us more than what we pray for"

As I'm writing this, Mutya Datul is probably sharing a bit more of Philippine sunshine in cold and intimidating Belarus. Unaffected yet immensely competitive, she's focused on making all of us proud in this year's edition of Ms Supranational with 93 other delegates. She sashays gracefully even in the most uncomfortable outfit; she keeps her answers honest and simple, her smile sweet and genuine. Cheerfully she said she's inspired by the quiet salagubang; and we're all happy with how far she has gone and improved. Not only can she speak Tagalog and English more fluently now, she even managed to learn some Russian phrases!

Here are some tidbits about her (stuff she shared during her send-off party at the airport):

1. Lucky charm- "Rosaries from friends; I can feel their love and support through this."

2. National costume- "It's really unique! It will surprise you all."

3. Her inspiration- the support of her family, friends & fans. "Yung marinig ko lang yun boses nila, nakakatanggal na ng kaba."

4. Gameplan- "I'll enjoy the moment and do my best. Hindi ko na kelangan ng multivitamins; si God ang vitamin ko. Sa kanya walang impossible."

Hopefully the three plane transfers didn't drain her. May God strengthen her to continuously persevere and eventually bring home the crown.

Read More

Cinesthesia: works just like anesthesia in artists' quest to eliminate social cancer

Comfort zones exist to prepare us for greater discomforts in life; a certain level of discontent is essential for society's growth & progress. Yet it takes courage to step out of one's daily routine & explore uncharted seas and some may not be ready.

Most of the time I still get numb & queasy when I watch indi films; they nudge people out of their comfort zones, hoping to awaken positive transformers & philanthropists in their seats.  To achieve this, they tolerate communal meditation, dilly dallying & overt displays of affection..so much so that sometimes watching the characters wallow in pain make me feel guilty.

Nevertheless, I'm grateful for the opportunity to watch several Cinemalaya films this year.

1. Purok 7 by Carlo Obispo

    Diana (Krystle Valentino) and her younger brother (Miggs Cuaderno) hardly look alike, yet their sibling-hood is so realistic it made me wonder how they are related in real life.   Her eyebrows & toothy smile make her even more interesting to watch. It's a feel-good movie that shows how young love can be so uplifting and how the spirit of bayanihan can bring out goodness despite people's flaws.

2. Babagwa (The Spider's Lair) by Jason Paul Laxamana

    Despite having a predictable ending, it's amusing and disturbing at the same time to watch how the characters use and deceive each other.  The sex scenes are quite uncomfortable to watch.  It's cool though how they thoroughly explored the topic and interlaced the fictional/idealized characters into the phone/fb conversations of the real ones.
 
3. Instant Mommy by Leo Abaya

    Eugene Domingo never fails to make me laugh even when she's subtle.

4. Nuwebe

    Watch if you want to groan.  To watch incest & rape unfold is just too much for one night.

5. The Diplomat Hotel

    Watch if you want to groan even more. Reminiscent of grade school indoor horror booths.

6. Quick Change by Eduardo Roy Jr.

    I really love Miggs Cuaderno; he's so cute, he can take on any role.  Their makeup artists are commendable too; even the infection looked real.  All the shots were artistically done & even the bed scenes are interesting to watch. Truly amazing.

7. Sana Dati by Jerrold Tarog

    Tearjerker. The entire cast was superb & I like the ending too.

 I'm really a sucker for good endings..I have trouble with films that leave me hanging. Call me lazy or old fashioned, I don't care.. I want some kind of closure there. Even if its objective is to arouse action for society's reforms, I still feel we deserve to see a good ending.

Read More