FAMOUS AND award-winning actress Judy Ann Santos (Judy Ann Lumagui Santos in real life) has been adopted as an illustrious daughter of Cuyo for being instrumental in highlighting the municipality in Philippine movies via the indie film Ploning.

Santos’ adoption was made official on August 27 by the Sangguniang Bayan of Cuyo through an announcement that was made by Mayor Teodoro Villagracia.

"Ito lang ang probinsyang maituturing ko na madalas kong makita. Masayang-masaya ako. Pinag-uusapan namin bakit ba wala tayong probinsya? Nakakatuwa na finally may probinsya ka na (This is the only province that I can say I always visit. I’m so happy. We are telling ourselves, why don’t we have a province? Finally, we now have our own province)," Santos was quoted telling Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP).

"Nagpunta din kami doon not only for the fiesta itself and for the screening of Ploning but also for the medical mission na gagawin namin for the hospital. Nag ocular kami, nag-groundbreaking din kami, tinignan namin kung ano iyong mga kailangan. Ito iyong mga basic needs na dapat talaga nasa isang ospital. Pero ospital ito at nagsasabi sila na wala silang ganoong supplies dahil hindi na umaabot ang tulong sa kanila (We also went there not only for the fiesta itself and for the screening of Ploning, but also for the medical mission that we want to do for the hospital. We conducted an ocular inspection, we attended a groundbreaking, and we checked what the hospital needs. They said they need some basic supplies that the hospital has to have to be called a hospital)," she added.

Aside from her, talented actress Beth Tamayo, who played the role of Divina in Ploning, was also adopted as Cuyo’s very own daughter for her distinguished contribution to the promotion of the municipality, known as a land of extraordinary colors, culture and traditions, and as home of the world-famous Amanpulo Resort.

Santos and Tamayo’s adoption coincided with the first screening of Ploning on the island where it was entirely shot as a debut film of director Dante Nico Garcia, a true-blooded Cuyunon.

The two were there until August 29 to personally grace the screening of the independent film, which stunned many Cuyunons who did not realize it would be able to capture the exceptional beauty and grandeur of their place.

Garcia said Santos and Tamayo were so happy with their adoption by the people of Cuyo, whom they have also pledged to help by giving a portion of the profit of Ploning for the improvement of their municipal hospital.

As of this writing, Santos has already donated an amount for the construction of the perimeter fence of the Cuyo hospital.

With the success of Ploning, Garcia and the rest of its cast are hoping that it will be chosen by the Academy of the Philippines as its official entry to the 2009 Oscars.

“Let’s pray that Ploning is declared as official entry of the Philippines in the Oscars next year,” Garcia said.

LINKS TO PLONING

http://www.ploningthemovie.com/home.html

http://oggsmoggs.blogspot.com/2008/05/ploning-2008.html

]]> http://timescolumns.wordpress.com/?p=92 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:36:07 +0000 thepalawantimes http://timescolumns.wordpress.com/?p=92 By Karen Martinez

PLONING, NGA labing maleban. Ang gegma mo Ploning, nga ingkadadoan. Lisinsya ko Ploning, kong sarang togotan, mapamasyar ako sa marayeng logar. Ploning, pobri akong masyado. Ara 'ko sasalan nga mga rikwirdo. Ara 'ko bolawan, ara 'ko diniro, solaminti Ploning, demdemen mo ako.

For several months now, I have been itching to write about my reaction to the movie Ploning, which I watched on Mother’s Day in Manila. Nanay Jane Timbancaya-Urbanek and I saw it together after a hearty lunch (a.k.a. “eating-well session”) at a mall in Ortigas.

I went to the movie house unsure of what to expect as it was my first time to watch a Filipino-made indie film. Ploning tells the story of a Palaweña who lives on the island municipality of Cuyo, northern Palawan. Now, the place is much-talked about because of its beauty and allure as presented in the film.

All I was certain of that day was my excitement to see it because our dear Neva (Nanay Jane’s daughter) was Ploning’s best friend in the movie. It’s from her that I am currently learning more difficult Cuyunon words and phrases – I’m glad I am coping.

Ploning made me left the movie house by getting more, way more than what I was excited about.

I’m not Cuyunon so I don’t know anything about the place, the culture and traditions of its people, and their way of life. It’s intimidating sometimes when you don’t know anything about what you’re interested about; it’s like being a child learning his/her ABC.

Ignorance excuses no one -- I had to interview two dear Cuyunon friends of mine to ask them for their insights and opinions about the movie as well. I wanted to know if what was presented in the film was accurate.

“The genre about movies like this is at hand, it’s about time. As an artist, how the director dramatized the movie to show culture is his call. We can’t criticize a person for things he didn’t intend to do to begin with,” Carlos Fernandez told me.

He hasn’t seen the movie because he’s waiting for it to come out in DVD, but he has heard so much about it and has read a lot of good reviews. For him, just the thought of a Palaweño making a movie about Palawan and its culture is great idea enough.

My good friend Malou Paglinawan, who is from Cuyo, said the movie is ticklish on the intellect. “The movie is intellectual. If you’re expecting usual plots often offered by commercial movies, then you will be frustrated,” she said.

Malou believes the movie is beautiful and relishes in the feeling that after you see it, you’ll ask yourself many questions. She explained further that the fact that the movie made her battle with herself on so many questions is proof enough that it is an interesting film.

Life in Cuyo where she was born is slow-paced because people live it with no complications, luxuries, or embellishments. While its people are like everyone, hopeful for the best things and opportunities to come their way, they do not complain about what is not there. Rather, they make do with what they have, thankful for their blessings and take so much pride in their culture.

Ploning is an art film, and art in general, is supposed to make one wonder and think. It is meant to stimulate the mind and allow a person to have his/her own interpretation, independent from what the artist wants to convey. True good art is more than what meets the eye, or any of the senses for that matter. It leaves us food for thought.

I have a handful of Cuyunon friends, and I can honestly say, taking into consideration that I have been exposed to many different cultures, that they are one of the most good-natured people I have ever met. That even in times of adversity, they remain positive and hopeful about life. They remain graceful and calm amidst chaotic conditions. Cuyunon people make the best of what they have and their God-given talents – they are content. And last but not the least, they adhere to their morals and principles in spite of whatever environment they are in, be it morally-jaded.

I’ve heard people criticizing Ploning, even those from Palawan whom I thought would be proud of it because it’s Palaweño-made. Cuyunon Dante Nico Garcia put a lot of effort in bringing the film to showcase the unique culture and traditions that the Palaweños have. It may not be anywhere near the commercial qualities of popular directors’ works, but that’s what made it spectacular. After you see it, you know there can’t be anything like it.

Ploning is not just a typical or ordinary movie, for me it is a life experience worth seeing and learning from over and over. It gave me a rich harvest of lessons, taught me to have a more positive outlook in life, to be more thankful for the simple things around me that I usually take for granted, to be more selfless and bring joy to those we love and be happy in seeing them happy.

They said that it was “dragging and dull” – yes, it was slow-paced, but that is how life is on the island town. It’s not a film that stars Robin Padilla; it was never marketed as an action film or a comedy flick, why would we expect it to be fast-paced?

Ploning isn’t bad for me, a Manileña. Sometimes, we move in such a fast-paced environment that we fail to appreciate simple things that count, moments, events, feelings and even interesting people we know because life passes for us so quickly we can’t run after it.

Life should not be lived as if it’s a rat race; it should be enjoyed and savored. It is in slowing down and taking a breather that we can realize how blessed we truly are and see what important details we have been missing out on… just like Ploning.

A friend says that when watching movies, it is better not to have expectations (big or small) because it is in expecting too much that we become frustrated and that we fail to see the most important things that they want to tell us.

here's an article from Philippine Daily Inquirer why ploning is an important film. every people should watch it.  a different juday can be seen here.

Ploning, a film produced by Panoramanila Pictures Co. has been chosen as the country's entry to the 2009 Oscar Awards' best foreign language film category.

The Board of Governors of the Film Academy of the Philippines approved the selection of Ploning during a meeting last Friday, August 29.

Five members of a special committee tasked to select the country's entry, which is headed by National Artist for Film Eddie Romero as chairman narrowed down the possible nominee to two films, Ploning and Caregiver. In a meeting last August 20, three members voted for Ploning and two members chose Caregiver.

The special committee members were Director Jose Carreon, secretary of the Directors Guild of the Philippines, Inc.; Director William Mayo, president of the Philippine Motion Picture Directors Association; Johnny Delgado, chairman of the Actors' Workshop Foundation; Pablo S. Gomez, president of the Screenwriters' Guild of the Philippines; and Manny Morfe, president of the Productions Designers Guild of the Philippines.

The two films were initially included in a six-film short list, which were all reviewed by the committee on August 12 and 14 at the FAP office at OctoArts Bldg. on Panay Avenue, Q.C.

Also reviewed were Tribu, a Cinemalaya festival winner and Endo. The producers of two other films—Pisay and Serbis (the Filipino entry in the last Cannes Film festival)—failed to submit a DVD or VCD copy of their films and were not reviewed by the committee.

The result of the voting was announced during the Board of Governors monthly meeting on Friday, August 29.

Bruce Davis, executive director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), reminded the Academy of the various deadlines which are listed hereunder:

October 1, 2008 (Wednesday)

a) three official entry forms completed and signed by

1) the chairperson of the selection committee;

2) the selection committee; and

3) the selected film's producer.

b) Synopsis in English of the selected entry.

c) Cast and production credits of entry.

d) Advertisement of the film's commercial run.

e) Director's biography and photograph.

f) Film print of entry.

The special rules for the best foreign language film award category require accurate English subtitles of the entry. The rules further stipulate that only one picture will be accepted from each country.

Entries which will be nominated on January 22, 2009 will be required to provide a second English-language subtitled print of the film to facilitate voting screenings. This second print must be submitted to the AMPAS on January 23, 2009 (Friday).

All entries will be screened by the Academy's Foreign Language Film Award Committee(s) whose members will vote by secret ballot to nominate five foreign language motion pictures for this award.

Academy records showed that 17 local films were shown in theaters from October to December last year. During the period from January to July 2, 2008, another 17 local films were also exhibited. Eight of these 34 films were rated A by the Cinema Evaluation Board of the Film Development Council of the Philippines and 11 were rated B.

- Philippine Entertainment Portal

The thematic and conceptual backdrop of the movie was so charged with the usual hot-button issues that it was fairly easy for the movie to slide into trite melodrama. But it didn't. By not romanticizing caregiving, the movie avoided becoming a smarmy saccharine sonnet (awesome alliteration!!!) to caregivers. Which is refreshing, seeing as how we've already had one love-fest this year.

And by not taking itself too seriously and trying to feel like a gritty realistic docu-wannabe, the movie also avoided fist-pumping social commentary. After all, Sarah (the caregiver of the title) wasn't forced to leave the country because of poverty or social inequity back home, but because of good ole'fashioned wifely devotion.

Instead, the movie chronicled Sarah's awakening to the realization that, when she got married, she didn't stop being a person. More than anything else, this re-emergence of self formed the centerpiece for the movie. And that's why it speaks to audiences quite effectively.

Everyone, at some point, feels the pressure of having to be something to everyone. Mother, sister, lover. And sometimes, it can be tough to break out of that mold. Sarah found the courage to do it, and - in a very nice bit of symmetry - her strength came from the one thing that used to keep her in that mold.

Sharon Cuneta, I have to admit, became Sarah. In fact, nearly everyone in the movie seemed so comfortable in their characters' skins that the story was able to flow smoothly; even the usually shallow Rica Peralejo imbued her character - a more experienced caregiver giving Sarah moral support - with respectable realism.

The movie was shot very well too, with dramatic angles and flourishes that I've never seen in Filipino movies. There was a minimum of speechifying-while-looking-off-into-the-distance, for instance, and a lot of competence in pulling off the close-ups that allowed the characters' eyes to fill in the things the dialogue - superbly natural and unstilted - left unsaid.

Watch out for the scene where Sarah sweetly asks her husband for permission to spend a week in the country with her ward. You can tell that she's afraid that he might say no, but was actually angling for him to say no as a kind of reassurance that there was still some connection between the two of them. When all he says is "you have to be paid more," the pained and disappointed expression on Sarah's face said more than any dialogue could.

Just a bit of a quibble, though. The movie was a little under done in its treatment of some themes and relationships. The situation between Sarah and her son was resolved far too easily, in my opinion, although that may have been due to the need to stay within the movie's running time. The scene with Sarah getting semi-lost in the woods was also, to my mind, rife with possibility. To be fair however, it worked well enough in relation to the scene that followed. And the reference to Tess of the d'Urbervilles was, unfortunately, a throw-away.

All in all, tho' Caregiver was a good movie - and one can hope that other Filipino movie makers take a close look at it before trying to make any more movies that 'redefine' *plo-cough-ning* Filipino cinema.

Wachiley dapat akets ng Ploning istaring Judy Ann Santos. No, hindi dahil die-hard Judaynatic akets kundi dahil sey nila maganda raw talaga ang pelikula. At alam mo naman dito sa Pilipinas, ang mga magagandang pelikula ay hindi sinusuportahan kasi mas gusto raw matawa ang mga ordinaryong manonood kaysa sa mag-isip.

Kaya lang, pagdating ko sa SM North EDSA noong Linggo, nagulat na lang kets sa aking nasaylalu. Wala na pala si Ploning, at heto ang pumalit...

Ektuwalee, hanggang 2:35pm lang ang screening ng Ploning noong araw na 'yon. Alas-tres ako nakarating sa sinehan. Sayang talaga.

This probably is one of the very few films that were created because of the story - and may be the characters. Aside everything, this one did not feel that Ploning was tailored for Judy Ann Santos which is a very good thing. It did not feel as if the movie was created solely for profit - as somewhere in the midst of the cheesy and overly done lines (i.e., Digo and the Taiwanese conversation on the beach with the bottle of Ploning's peanut brittle), repeated misediting (abrupt cutting or whatever technical term is there that should be used) and dragging and useless frames - there still was heart. However bad this movie might have been described in this entry, it still does not compare to the atrocities created by directors on breadtrip - sacrificing their belief in a cultural art and in their own integrity. Ploning was a good attempt - it may be a small step towards developing better films for the Filipino audience - but an inch forward nonetheless.

Kudos to the cast and the director.

Most of the blog posts about Ploning - maybe an attempt to increase the search engine visibility of the movie's home page - seemed to have been written by a nenyalorien, and she sure gushed about the movie. So, in the interest of fairness, here's her take on it, together with mine.

Juday’s amazing acting. Here, she was absolutely fluid, absolutely seamless. This is her transition from the old Mara Clara and Wowie de Guzman-era persona to the amazing woman that she is. I was entranced, amazed, floored, riveted to her allure, her subtle allure and beauty that unfolded in her fluid movements, in the generosity that her character displayed, in this regal bearing that made you feel that whom Juday was playing there was analogous to her real-life character.

Judy Ann was amazing. Amazingly bad, that is. What fans may consider her subtle and regal performance was actually more like her impression of a deer getting caught in the headlines, alternating with saccharine Mona-Lisa type smiles. Only once did I actually see real emotion in her face: when she told Celeste that Celeste's Tomas was a different person from her (Ploning's) absent Tomas. At that moment, Judy Ann's acting chops took center stage as if she had forgotten for a moment that she was making an indie film but a movie that needed actual story-telling.

The cinematography was just divine. Made possible by the same company who were part of Crying Ladies and Santa Santita, I need not wonder anymore. I have yet to watch Crying Ladies, but Santa Santita surely was phenomenal for me. But more phenomenal than Santa Santita was Ploning, in my personal opinion.

Nenyalorien's hardsell notwithstanding, some of the cinematography was very nice. A lot of the angles and stuff could have been thought-out better, but the set pieces - like sunsets and lit lamps in the dusk - were respectable.

The acting of Cedric Amit, the boy who plays Digo, Ploning’s adorable foster son. I may not like normal-weight kids that much, but Digo was just a darling!

Amit was mediocre. There was no depth to his acting, nor any nuance to anything he did. He was a kid who had memorized his lines and his blocking, nothing else. Oh, but dear me! What was I thinking comparing him to Dakota Fanning or Anna Paquin or Haley Joel Osment?

Ms. Gina Pareño still manages to get you to grab the edge of your armrest. She is still ever so riveting, with a screen performance that is unparalleled ... Gina Pareño’s tour de force scene to end all scenes paralleled “Walang Himala” of Nora Aunor that would have you praising God for creating minds like Direk Dante Nico Garcia’s, BJ Lingan’s, Jourdan Sebastian’s, or Guia Gonzales’. Or even creating an actress like Ms. Gina Pareño.

Yes, Pareno did make me grab my armrest ... to heave myself out of the chair and leave the theater. She was strictly vaudevillian in this. Why is it that Filipinos often equate volume and vehemence with quality? Because what is being praised here as a tour de force, was actually just a function of decibels: she was screaming at God while alternately clutching at melting salt and slapping the palms of her hands on mud. Puh-leeze. That was hammy acting. Nora Aunor in Himala was shouting at a crowd, trying to make herself heard. What was Pareno's excuse for her hysteria?

And have you ever noticed how the "Ms." is used as an honorific in Philippine showbiz? It's like the only time you merit a "Ms." is when you're either old or diva-ish.

The beauty of Cuyo is just... It makes you realize there arel patches of paradise in the Philippines, indeed.

Absolutely true.

Meryll Soriano was superb as the simpleton Alma.

She was not superb. She was ok. But she wasn't a simpleton either. They may have wanted her to be one - or to convince the audience with repeated references to how she only talked to her radio that she was one - but Soriano certainly didn't seem like a simpleton. The word I would use is naive. Especially after her bit of dialogue about believing in her husband unconditionally.

Mylene Dizon’s role as a jaded city girl on her journey to reformation was pulled off with such excellence that I actually hated her for... Er, five seconds. Then as she started showing her inner need of being accepted, and as she grew into a real relationship with Ploning, I started... Liking her. For a viewer to be moved to feel real emotions about a movie character, you’d know the actress is GOOD!

If you hated her for five seconds and started loving her after that, she wasn't a good actress - you just had a wrong first impression. And Dizon's character showed no need for acceptance until almost the last third of the movie when revelations about her vulnerability all came tumbling out of the narrative. In fact, the treatment of the nurse's story pretty much reflected the whole pace of the movie. The first 2/3rds of the movie was laid back and artsy; the last third brought a flurry of flashbacks and flashforwards and a veritable torrent of explanations as to why characters had done certain things and not others. It was a sloppy attempt to mimic the storytelling of Atonement - one of the saddest movies I've ever watched - that was obviously motivated by the need to finish the movie within the last 20 minutes of running time. For those of you who read books more than watch movies, think Clive Barker. 435 pages of build-up and set-up, and the last 35 pages crammed to the scuppers with plot resolutions and everything else needed to finish the book within the maximum page-count.

Other than that, Mylene Dizon's acting was flat. Like she used to be before that boob job.

Tessie Tomas is lovely as the old Celeste: light-hearted, engaging, retaining the younger Celeste’s flirtatiousness and feistiness, yet her character is underscored with the gentleness that comes from being tempered with time.

No. She was hammy. Like a female William Shatner. Or how a weather reporter would act if she were a cashew nut entrepreneur.

Eugene Domingo and Ces Quesada also gave wonderful performances, excellent actresses as they are; Ketchup Eusebio is endearingly irritating

Eugene spent most of the time on her back. Her only bit of acting was when her son Digo asked her when she would die. And even then, it looked like she was too busy willing her nose not to drip as she did the silent weeping bit. Ces was bland, going from one airy speech about life to another. Ketchup was stupid, and his relationship with Mou Sei was stupidly written anyway. One minute, he's practically begging him for some warmth, and the next, he's comfortable enough with him to touch his head? Come on.

Amazing talent discoveries: Boodge Fernandez as Muo Sei was the most remarkable breakout star in the bunch (and I’m not talking about the washboard abs, okay?!). He had this ironic quirkiness and adorability at the same time. To me, he was like Forrest Gump with a mild Colin Farrell undertone; Ogoy Agustin, who plays Veling (Digo’s brother), gave an intense performance worthy of an acting award. Seriously. I actually wondered if he had a theater background!

Fernandez as Muo Sei was brooding quiet most of the time. He did not perform; he was just present. When he finally did some acting, it was to act clownish with Ketchup - totally at odds with his initial portrayal as an angry young man, frustrated by an inability to find what he was looking for. And the only reason he would remind anyone of Forrest Gump is when you realize that he's looking just as retarded.

Agustin, on the other hand, only really showed his chops when he wailed about his mother's death, and the extent of his craft was looking like the weeping mask in those weeping-mask/smiling-mask representations of theater.

Tony Mabesa gave a moving performance. And his scene is the biggest reason I deem that Ploning the movie was AMAZING.

No. Tony Mabesa sucked. An old geezer like him, you'd think he'd have enough respect for his craft to try to learn to speak a foreign language as though he were a native. He never did. He spoke cuyonon word for word, having obviously just memorized individual words. Worse, he often slipped into a Tagalog accent. After all the expense the producers went through to make this movie, you think they could have just spent for acting workshops for local talent to support Judy Ann. Locals would have at least aided the suspension of disbelief by actually talking like Cuyonons, instead of condescending Manilans.

All in all, Ploning scored high on the cinematography and maybe the art direction. But it totally bombed in the acting department. Even Judy Ann - normally a good actress - seemed t0o burdened by the need to make this movie subtle and flowing and organic (and whatever the new buzzword in indie films) is to turn in a good performance.

The crux of Ploning's terribleness, however, is not the acting. Even acted by morons, King Lear would still be tremendously enjoyable. Ploning's problem lay at the very heart of the movie: its storytelling. The narrative is confused, the point-of-view jumps from one person to another with nothing to offset the jarring shifts, and the premise is intrinsically weak. I suppose that's what happens when you obviously don't set out to actually tell a story but to film a series of gorgeous set-pieces and simply use the story as an excuse to string them together into an hour and a half movie. To be perfectly frank, that's how they do porn films too.

About the only thing I appreciate about Ploning is that it isn't about sex or homosexuality or poverty or crime. This is significant since the producers - the grandiosely named Panoramanila (shades of Walter Mitty) - seem bent on shopping this around to various filmfests. If they succeed, then they will at least show that there are more people in the Phlippines than poverty stricken man-whores preying on rich and unsuspecting homosexuals and lonely old ladies. That's a good consolation prize for when they realize they haven't really showcased Filipino storytelling skills.

What can you say about it/them?

Barbie already made her comment about Ploning on my other entry:

barbie Says:
May 1, 2008 at 11:03 pm edit

Napanood ko na ang Ploning at napakaganda sobra!
Hindi nga commercial pero mapantatapat siya sa mga international films.
Pang Cannes film festival ba. Basta maganda
Wala ngang nakapila sa When Love Begins at napakahaba ng pila sa Ploning nung nanood kami.
Must see talaga ang Ploning sa mga taong naghahanap ng iba naman
hindi na ang parati nalang na mga love story na gasgas na.
Yun lang, watch Ploning

Sino pang gustong mag-share? Don't be shy... :)

Hindi naman ako nabigo, sa halip nalunod ako sa panonood.

Gaya ng mga karakter sa pelikula, makikita mo na lang ang sarili mong bahagi nito; naiintriga kay Ploning. Mararanasan mo ang paghahanap sa kanyang pagkatao, gusto mong mabihag ang mailap nyang damdamin at unawin hindi lang ang kanyang isinasaisip bagkus ang tinitibok ng kanyang puso.

Hanggang sa unti-unting mabunyag ang nilalaman nito. Hindi maikakaila na ang lahat ng naroroon sa sinehan ay naapektuhan sa kani-kanilang reaksyon. Maririnig mo ang mga katagang Oh My God! Ang mga pagsinghot at mga pagpunas ng mata. Mapapansin mo na lang na mamasa-masa na ng luha ang mga matang kanina lamang ay bukas na bukas sa kasabikan at nahahalina sa ganda ng Cuyo.

Sino nga ba si Ploning? Isa siyang simpleng babae na may makapangyarihang pagkatao na pilit sinusundan, inaalam at nilalapitan upang hingan ng lakas. Sa kanyang katahimikan natagpuan ng kanyang mga kababayan ang kani-kanilang sarili. Sa kabila ng katahimikang ito ang misteryong maghuhubad sa kanyang pinanggagalingan. Sa huli, mas lalo siyang hahangaan sa dakila niyang puso.

Walang hindi maaapektuhan pagkat lahat ay nakaranas ng pag-ibig. Iba't-ibang anyo ng pag-ibig. Sa kaibigan, pamilya at kasintahan.

Hindi rin matatawaran ang husay ng mga nagsipagganap. Unang hahangaan ang batang Digo na hindi ko kilala, at ngayon ko lang siya nakita. Napakagaling ng Direktor upang mahugot ang gayong emosyon sa batang ito. Gayundin ang kanyang kuya at ang binatang Digo. Sila na wala pang puhunan kundi ang galing sa pag-arte.

Gayundin, masasabing ang pelikulang ito ay sadyang para sa sining sa pagkakaroon ng mga artistang gaya nila Tessie Tomas, Gina Pareno, Mylene Dizon, Eugene Domingo, Tony Mabesa, Ces Quesada, Ketsup, at Meryl Soriano. Hindi ko alam ang pangalan subalit mahusay rin si Tsuy at syempre pa, ang pagganap ni Judy Ann Santos na masasabing naglagay na ng kanyang pangalan sa kasaysayan ng pelikulang Pilipino dahil sa obrang ito. Kung aalalahanin siya sa kanyang mga nagawa, ito ang pelikulang maiuugnay sa kanya
at naghanap ng kanyang landas sa espasyo ng entablado.

May mga eksenang hindi makakawala sa iyong alaala kahit nakauwi ka na.

Ang pakikipagsayaw ni Judy Ann sa lalaking nabigo sa pag-ibig.

Ang pagtuturo ng kuya ni Digo kay Digo na lumangoy upang maging ganap na Cuyonon

Ang pagtatanong ng batang si Digo kung kailan mamamatay ang kanyang ina at pagluha ng kanyang ina habang kumakain.

Ang bugtungan sa buhay ng apat na babae (Ces, Mylene, Judy Ann at Meryll) habang kinukuha ang buto ng kasoy.

Ang pagbubukas ng puso ni Celesta kay Ploning at pagtalakay nito sa kahalagahan ng palayaw.

Ang pagsasayaw ng mang-ama (Tony at Judy Ann - walang pusong hindi kikirot).

Ang pag-abot ng larawan ni Digo kay Celine (Tessie Tomas)

Ang pagbuhos ng ulan at pagkalusaw ng mga asin - madadala ka sa emosyon ni Gina Pareno, isang eksenang tama lang na ibinigay sa kanya sapagkat mahusay niyang binuksan ang pelikula sa tinatagong lihim nito,

Ang misteryo ng puting damit sa paghahatid sa huling hantungan ng ama ni Ploning.

At ang pamamaalam ni Digo kay Tsuy.

Ang pagkakatagpo ni Digo sa kanyang kuya

Sa kabuuan, ang panonood ng pelikulang ito ay isang karanasan na waring iniwan ka sa isang isla at nakisabay sa paghahanap; isang paglalakbay sa sarili kasabay ng pelikula hanggang sa unti-unti mong matagpuan ang hiwaga ng buhay, ang ganda ng daigdig gaya ng Cuyo at ang kapangyarihan ng Pag-ibig.

Official Website

Iyong Ploning, mukha naman siyang maganda at may sense, but as we all know quality movies doesn't exactly equate to box office success. Mas gusto pa rin ng mga tao iyong may commercial appeal kagaya ng When Love Begins. Aga Mulach, Anne Curtis -- need to say more?

Agree or disagree?

Btw, di ba nagtatampo daw si Juday dahil tinapatan ng Star Cinema ang play date ng movie niya? Ang sabi naman ng Star Cinema, nauna raw silang nagbook kay Juday (para sa mga tamad magbasa: July 2007 pa raw sila nag book, ang Ploning naman October 2007).

Hmnnn...

Whaddya think? Mukhang maganda siya...

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Two or three days ago, I was with Angga. We strolled along the airport area hoping to find the perfect location for our future bar-cafe which we will most likely call "Tabirab" because we find the name cute and has a lot of character. In Cuyunon, one of the vernaculars we speak here in Palawan, it means "I don't know about you or I don't believe you." If I say: "Elam kanimo, ang katabirab kaw!" that would be saying "I don't know about you, baloney!"

This photo of Angga was stolen from his Friendster profile. His hair is no longer like this. I told him I want this hair back because it's full of character. Angga is, of course, the writer of Ploning. He will soon direct the movie too!

We were with Emilyn, Malou and Ruth that sunny afternoon. Rash, another friend, who's interested to partner with us in this bar-cafe was somewhere we don't know. I couldn't wait for her since I hate waiting, especially when I'm early or on time, so I cajoled everyone to do the foot trip without her.

Angga, Ruth and I and the rest of the foot gang were eying this particular place where there's still a souvenir shop. Before we even got there, we met Redempto D. Anda a.k.a. Dempto, my mentor and former editor in Palawan Sun. He was riding his mountain bike, and that day too, he won the essay contest for the media sponsored by Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. and the Provincial Information Office.

It was Dempto to whom I sent Angga's first and second drafts of Ploning a few weeks ago. That afternoon was an opportunity for me to introduce Angga to him since he told me he's very interested to make a review of the future movie in his blog here at wordpress. But he said he hasn't read it yet because he was busy.

Angga with popular Philippine actress Judy Ann Santos who will play the part of Ploning. He's best friends with her; for friends money isn't a matter of importance just to do a film that primarily seeks to promote the unique culture and traditions of the Cuyunons of Palawan. I stole this picture too from his Friendster. This was taken when they were filming "Ouija."

The meeting with Dempto reminded me that I, too, has a copy of the drafts. I've already uploaded the teaser video of Ploning here. Since it's 124-page long, I'm forced to discuss it piece by piece. It's a long read, besides I couldn't print it because I'm out of printer ink right now.

The story started at Tabunan Shore in Cuyo. From the dark, one slowly hears two voices singing "Ploning" (yes, Ploning is a popular song of the Cuyunons); a guy and a little boy; they were accompanied by guitar.

Ploning...

Nga labing maleban

Ang gegma mo Ploning

Nga ing kandadoan

The singing goes on until near the calm shores of Tabunan, a mystery is revealed through the reflections of a gas lamp. There are many gas lamps and people are on the shores gathering shells. Picking shells is a typical event in Cuyunon communities. I was reminded by my lola -- when we were children, my grandmother, a Cuyunon, would take us every weekend to Canigaran beach to also pick shells we can cook for food.

Although to many this is a way of being careful with money and resources because they don't have to go to the market to buy, it's also a form of meeting together to catch stories about their lives; not necessarily to gossip, but just to see how they are doing. Of course, those days were gone here in Puerto Princesa. We no longer go to Canigaran to pick shells. But I'm pretty sure that in Cuyo, residents still do this.

Back to Ploning, the mystery revealed was that of two teenagers passionately and tenderly making love inside a small crude shack. They kiss and they almost don't want to do it, but their emotions show great love for each other. You can see tears falling from both their eyes.

The sound they emit is like there's something hard being rubbed on the floors made of bamboo strips. Before they reach their key moment, the young woman stretches her arms above her head, the guy slides some balugo (tree) seeds to her palms and closes them tightly with his own.

I can't wait to see this scene on the film because it's so bold, vivid and strikingly impressive -- very exciting and intense to start a film. For a minute, I thought it's like "Blue Lagoon." Angga's creative mind was probably oozing that time he was writing the script. He gets a standing ovation from me for this opening of the "Ploning."

More to follow.

I have above the teaser video of "Ploning" which was written and will soon be directed by my friend Angga Garcia in Cuyo in January. The film's inspired by the fact that Angga's Cuyunon and he wants to show the world his birthplace because he's proud of it and its unique culture and traditions.

The first time I saw this teaser video was at cuyopress.com -- a website started by Mandy Perez a.k.a. Banbanen for Cuyunons living all over the world. Angga had placed it there in the hope of encouraging all Cuyunons to be proud of their roots, their customs and traditions that are truly exceptional.

I have a copy of the first and second scripts, and I've started reading them. But because I was busy the past few weeks, I didn't understand a single of what I've read. It's embarrassing, I know!

Anyway, I promise to get back with a few of my thoughts after reading them again in the following days. In the meantime, relax and enjoy the video.

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