•Goodbye, EJ, hasta la vista!
•Goodbye
Susan Fuentes!
Scene: The 7th School Press Advisers Movement
Inc. (SPAM) was held in Tagbilaran City, Bohol on Sept. 12-14 attended by
student writers and advisers in the country. Two GMA pillars are recognized by SPAM with their
first awards of excellence for media practitioners. GMA News anchor and
“Imbestigador ng Bayan” Mike Enriquez has received the Award of Excellence in
the Field of Broadcasting, while GMA News Online Editor-in-Chief Howie Severino
has received the Award of Excellence in the Field of Documentary Reportage. With the theme “Intensifying the
power of Campus Paper in Protecting and Preserving the Environment and Natural
Resources,” the convention aims to recognize the excellent services of campus
journalists and advisers, hone their talents, and provide them with the recent
trends in campus journalism.
 |
| Mike Enriquez and Howie Severino during the 7th SPAM |
Scene: Dindo Tallo and his wife Rose
(Miss Tagbilaran 1987 first runner-up) were in Bohol to attend to their
father’s wake and burial. Dindo is the eldest son of Dr. Prisco Tallo who died on August 28. Dr. Tallo served as resident physician of the Bohol Provincial Hospital and chief of the Loon District Hospital
and Carmen Cong. Natalio Castillo Memorial Hospital, respectively.
Scene:
Maria
Mercedes ang pangalan ko! Sa
'king pamilya'y tumutulong ako. Nagtatrabaho ng kahit ano. Sanay ako magbanat
ng buto...Maria
Mercedes, the Mexican telenovela
starring Thalia will be back on primetime. The first official teaser for the
Philippine remake of the hit Mexican series "Maria Mercedes" was released
last week. The clip uploaded on ABS-CBN's official YouTube page shows lead
actress Jessy Mendiola dancing in a long red dress -- a throwback to the iconic
take of Mexican superstar Thalia on the title character. The teaser also offers
a brief taste of the updated Filipino version of the series' theme song, as
first heard in the local telecast of the original "Maria Mercedes" in
1996. Thalia fans couldn’t wait to see the soap. Si señor!
***
Ania si Rosas Pandan
Gikan pa intawn sa kabukiran
Kaninyo makiguban-uban
Sa gisaulog nga kalingawan
Balitaw day akong puhunan
Maoy kabilin sa akong ginikanan
Awit nga labing karaan
Maoy garbo sa kabungturan
Ayayay ayayay ayayay!
Ayay sa akong balitaw
Kanindot ba mosayaw
Daw yamog ang kabugnaw
Tigadong tigadong tigadong!
Ayay usab si Dodong
Nagtan-aw kang Inday
Nagtabisay ang laway...
 |
| Susan Fuentes |
I’m not sure how old I was at the time but I
remember singing Rosas Pandan while the song was being played by our neighbors
back in old Booy.
The neighborhood was simple. Technology was slow then. Since only a handful few
had TV, most people tuned in on radio especially
on Sundays for their favorite oldies.
I also remember Rosas Pandan was used as talent
in barangay beauty pageants and amateur singing contests. It was easy to
sing. It still is. Thanks to the Queen of Visayan Songs Susan Fuentes, who’s a half-Boholana-half Butuanon, who also has a
string of other enduring hits to her name.
For the information of today’s generation of music-lovers,
between 1970s
and 1980s, Susan racked up
several No. 1 Visayan songs, including “Matud Nila” (They Say),
“Gimingaw Ako” (I Feel Lonesome), “Usahay” (Sometimes),
“Rosas Pandan,” She
also originally
recorded and popularized “Miss Kita Kung Christmas.”
Call
me old, but I love listening to Susan’s authentic and uniquely poignant voice that
reminds me of good times.
I
like Susan’s version of “Ang Bol-anon” (originally composed by Regino Bastes Dano) which shows her clean, soulful and
authentic voice. And it’s Binol-anon for using the word gaJud instead of gayud.
Kung ikaw Inday mangita'g
pamanhunon, Siguro-a baya inday ang Bol-anon, Kung matuman mo suwerte ka kay
ang Bol-anon buotan gajud, Magmahal kanimo hangtud sa Tagbilaran... Magmahal
kanimo hangtud sa kahangturan...
Is there any difference
between women of past and women of present? Yes, her song “Kagahapun ug Karun” tells why.
Kagahapun ug karun
Kadako diay sa
kabalison
ang dalaga ta manggi-ulawon
moduko lang kon imo lang sud-ungon
Ang karun pagkatahum
kon tutokan mo mapahiyumon
kon halaran mo iya
kang tubagon
hinay ka ra kay may tag-iya na
Ang dalaga ta karon dili daling muhilak sama kagahapon Ondo
ikaw pa hikapa ang gihay
di ba mangatangtang ug mangapangtagak
Lahi ang kabulakan nga katilingbanun
Buyog magsibadsabad
mata magsiplatsiplat
Mao kini ang lingla sa bag-o nga panahon
lahi ang kagahapon lahi ang karun...
Her fans, including my Mama Inday, Inday Charity and
yours truly, are
deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Susan who died on Sept. 7 after a
prolonged confinement due to a kidney ailment. She was 58.
Mama
Inday has paid tribute to Susan last week. She was singing all her Awitnong Bahandi songs although Mama
Inday was not hitting all the right notes with her lusty vocals and
emotional stylings like Susan’s, while Inday Charity has paid tribute to Susan in her
radio program.
Well,
it’s a misty-eyed Sunday morning today while listening to Visayan classic oldies.
Midag-om, midag-om na,
dapit sa atong habagatan,
pagbantay-bantay mga
kauban, ang timbangan dili pagbiyaan,
ayaw baya kalimot nga gikalisangan
kining hangina,
Mugisi sa layag, Muguba sa atong sakayan,
Timbang kamo, hinubig
kamo, Dagan ngari, dagan ngadto,
Walay labing pait
Ingon sa kinabuhing sakayanon,
Init ug ulan , Gisawod nga walay pulupasilong,
Nia pay katugnaw, Ug
kagutom pa gayud intawon,
Giantus ang tanan,Kay gim but-an sa kapalaran...
***
Anytime
now, fashion icon EJ Relampagos is flying to New York to relax.
He
has been busy in wedding coordination alongside some other events like
debuts, beauty pageants and fashion shows.
 |
| EJ Relampagos |
EJ
is planning to see famous landmarks in New York such as the Empire State
Building, the 911 memorial, Statue of Liberty and American Museum of Natural
History.
What
will happen to EJ’s House of Fashion (along Pamaong Road, Tagbilaran City) where
he has total creative responsibility for the designs and all of its
collections?
“It
is still open. It will continue with all my staff. But we're only accepting wedding gowns for now while I will be away,” says
EJ.
However,
VRS heard that EJ was invited to design for an American singer (name not
disclosed by VRS) as part of the New York Fashion Week in the US.
“He
will also be there to visit some famous fashion houses and attend charming
workshops in New York,” adds VRS.
Well,
then, to EJ, wishing you the best in NYC! C'est
la vie!
***
Thanks for your letters, all
will be answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan
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