Nora versus Vilma in the History of Metro Manila Film Festival

 

 

 

The 1978 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) will go down in the annals of history as the most talked about edition of the annual film fest.  Much has been written about the tension-filled battle for the Best Performer award  between Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos. It's now common knowledge that Nora emerged triumphant; and that Vilma was devastated  by her defeat she purportedly got so drunk and passed out. 

 

 

But Nora's victory in 1978 was just icing on the cake, so to speak.  Tracing the history of MMFF would reveal that Nora reigned supreme over her arch-rival. For 8 consecutive years--that is, from 1975 to 1982--when both actresses had their film fest entries,  Nora Aunor always got the upper hand forcing  Vilma Santos to take a backseat, almost all the time.

 

 

Let's take a comparative look at  Nora and Vilma's MMFF records:

 

*1975
NAME                RANK         ENTRY                                           TICKET SALES     

Nora Aunor            1             Batu Bato sa Langit                        P 10.9 million
Vilma Santos          7            Karugtong Ang Kahapon                 P 4.5 million

 

*1976
Nora Aunor            2            Minsa'y Isang Gamu-Gamo             P 10.5 million
Vilma Santos         10           Makahiya at Talahib                       P 1.0 million  

 

*1977
Nora Aunor            2            Bakya Mo Neneng                           P 14.0 million
Vilma Santos          1            Burlesk Queen                                 P 14.3 million 

*1978 

Nora Aunor            1             Jack 'n Jill   Third Kind                     P 20.3 million
Nora Aunor            2             Atsay                                              P 14.0 million   
Vilma Santos          5            Rubia Servios                                   P 6.5 million

 

*1979
Nora Aunor            1            Kasal-Kasalan Bahay-Bahayan         P 23.8 million
Nora Aunor            2            Ina ka ng Anak Mo                           P 18.5 million
Vilma Santos          9            Modelong Tanso                              P 1.5 million  

 

*1980
Nora Aunor            3           Kung Akoý Iiwan Mo                         P 13.8 million
Nora Aunor            5           Bona                                                 P 13.0 million
Vilma Santos          4           Langis at Tubig                                 P 13.5 million

 

*1981
Nora Aunor            2           Rock n Roll                                        P 12.8 million
Vilma Santos          9           Karma                                               P 3.0 million

 

*1982
Nora Aunor            1          Himala                                               P 35.8 million
Vilma Santos          9          Haplos                                               P 5.0 million

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Manila_Film_Festival

It's worth noting that;

 

In terms of gross ticket sales, Vilma edged out Nora only once but not without controversy. Vilma romped away with the best actress award for the film Burlesk Queen.  It could have been the sole saving grace for Vilma, unfortunately, hers was a tainted  victory when the festival organizer asked [them] to return the award.

 

Nora came back with a vengeance, knocking off Vilma in every aspect of the competition. She ensured her supremacy  over her rival not just once but thrice:  Nora won the best actress awards in 1978, 1979 and 1982-- and all of her film entries were the top box-office draw.

Once and for all, Nora Aunor proved that she's the undisputed Superstar.

The Truth: Why Catholic Church Forbid Reincarnation

"When all other explanations are disproved what is left must be the truth!"

 

*The awesome charisma of Jesus Christ and his good-news ministry profoundly changed the lives of those who knew him and who followed soon after. The enthusiasm and spirit of the first Christians spread through the Middle East until what had begun as an inspired cult of Jews in dusty Judea grew to be a revolutionary religious movement pervading the whole Roman Empire. As the ideas spread, they percolated through the practices and theologies of existing religions and took on forms that Jesus would not have recognized--especially the institution of a formal priesthood to mediate between man and God. Throughout the first three centuries of the Christian era, there was no single Christian doctrine. Christian theology and doctrine--interpretations of Christ's teachings blended with ideas from other philosophies and religions--were hotly debated for at least three hundred years. Many of the tenets of the faith that Christians take for granted today were, during this long period of flux, simply one point of view among many.

 

It is a fact that some Christian sects and writers accepted reincarnation as an enhancement to the teachings of Christ. Origen, one of the heralded Fathers of the Church and described by Saint Gregory as "the Prince of Christian learning in the third century," wrote: "Every soul comes into this world strengthened by the victories and weakened by the defeats of its previous life."

 

So if reincarnation was an idea in currency with early Christians, why have all traces of it disappeared from the Christian religion we know today?

 

By the early fourth century, strong Christian factions were vying with each other for influence and power, while at the same time the Roman Empire was beginning to fall apart. In A.D. 325, in a move to renew the unity of the empire, the absolute dictator Emperor Constantine convened the leaders of the feuding Christian factions at the Council of Nicaea. He offered to throw his imperial power behind the Christians if they would settle their differences and agree on a single creed. Decisions made at this first council set the foundation for the Roman Catholic Church. (Soon after, the books of the Bible were fixed too.) For the sake of unity, all beliefs that conflicted with the new creed were banished; in the process the factions and writings that supported reincarnation were thrown out.

 

Then, with the applause and support of the Christian leaders, Constantine moved to eliminate competing religions, and to make his personal grip on the Empire even more absolute. The result of the marriage between church and imperial state was a new Church made in the image of the autocratic Roman Empire. This is why, according to some historians, the Church exalts unquestioned central authority, imposes a singular dogmatic creed on its followers, and works so hard to stamp out divergent ideas. This is important, because reincarnation fell outside the official creed.

 

 

Apparently some Christians continued to believe in reincarnation even after the Council of Nicaea, because in A.D. 553 the Church found the need to single out reincarnation and condemn it explicitly. At the Second Council of Constantinople the concept of reincarnation, bundled together with other ideas under the term "pre-existence of the soul", was decreed to be a crime worthy of excommunication and damnation ("anathema"):

 

Quote:
"If anyone assert the fabulous pre-existence of souls, and shall assert the monstrous restoration which follows from it: let him be anathema." 

 

Why would the Church go to such lengths to discredit reincarnation? The implicit psychology of reincarnation may be the best explanation. A person who believes in reincarnation assumes responsibility for his own spiritual evolution through rebirth. He does not need priests, confessionals, and rituals to ward off damnation (all ideas, incidentally, that were not part of Jesus' teachings). He needs only to heed his own acts to himself and others. A belief in reincarnation eliminates the fear of eternal hell that the Church uses to discipline the flock. In other words, reincarnation directly undermines the authority and power of the dogmatic Church. No wonder reincarnation made the Defenders of the Faith so nervous.

 

Despite the decree of 553, belief in reincarnation persisted among the rank and file. It took another thousand years and much bloodshed to completely stamp out the idea. In the early thirteenth century, the Cathars, a devout and enlightened sect of Christians who believed in reincarnation, flourished in Italy and southern France. The pope launched a crusade to stop their heresy, a half million people were massacred whole villages at a time, and the Cathars were totally wiped out. This purging set the tone for the brutal Inquisition that began soon after. Not only was a belief in reincarnation cause for persecution, but so was belief in any metaphysical idea that fell outside the bounds of Church dogma.

The murderous efficiency of the Inquisition proved effective. The persecution by the institutional Church has scarred our collective psyche and surrounded us with an invisible fence dividing what is safe from what is dangerous to believe. Since then, people who harbor forbidden ideas have learned to keep their thoughts to themselves. Our cultural memory still carries the fear of reprisal for publicly associating with any occult practices, the use of psychic powers, or a belief in reincarnation.

 

Here it is, the source of the double standard. No wonder so many people today believe in reincarnation privately but are afraid that if they come out publicly, they will be attacked for being weird--the modern word for heresy. Maybe by understanding where this fear comes from, we can negate its hold on us and turn off the invisible fence. So when our children speak of past lives, we can follow our hearts and not our fears--and believe them.

 

*(from Chapter 14 of Children's Past Lives by Carol Bowman and Steve Bowman)

 

Metro Manila Earthquake: The Coming

 

The West Valley Fault is predicted to strike Metro Manila at any time. The fault line starts from Angat Bulacan; passes through the cities of Quezon, Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Pateros, Muntinlupa; and ends in Carmona Cavite. Once the fault moves, it will generate a 7.2 magnitude earthquake causing massive damage to property and loss of life. Experts estimate the destruction could reach up to 500,000 houses destroyed; 9 bridges and 400 buildings to collapse; and over 100,000 casualties. 

 

It is hard to imagine how this impending catastrophe can have far-reaching  environmental, social, and economic consequences. But my most pressing concern is about the safety of my loved ones.  I fear for my community, my friends, my family, my home--they are situated within the 5-kilometer danger zone of the fault line. I'm hoping against hope that the day of reckoning will come not really soon.

 

 

 

Sinulog Festival 2014 Winners

The occasional rain and strong winds didn't deter some 3.2 million people from filling up the streets of Cebu City to witness the Sinulog Festival 2014 Grand Parade held last Sunday, January 19. More than a hundred participants, including 35 dance contingents, paraded through downtown streets donning elaborate costumes and performing synchronized dance routines. The all day long spectacle wrapped up in Cebu City Sports Complex where contingents had to perform onstage for final judging.

 

Four out-of-town entries were among the big winners for both Sinulog-based and Free Interpretation. Kulturang Placereno from the Province of Masbate bested all other contestants in Sinulog-based category. Meanwhile, Cebu City's Lumad Basakanon gave a solid performance to upset early favorite  Tribu Himag-ulaw of Placer Masbate which eventually settled for the second spot in Free Intepretation.

 

Here's the list of winners and videos of the performances.

 

Free Interpretation

1st  – Lumad Basakanon
2nd – Tribu Himag-ulaw (Placer Masbate)
3rd – Abellana National School
4th – Tribu Subanen (Plaridel, Misamis Occ.)
5th -- Banay Talambanon

Lumad Basakanon

Tribu Himag-ulaw

 

Abellana National School

 

Tribu Subanen

 

 

Banay Talambanon

 

 

 

Sinulog-Based
1st  – Kulturang Placereno (Province of Masbate)
2nd – Tribu Sinanduloy (Tangub City, Misamis Occ.)
3rd – Municipality of Tuburan
4th – Carcar City Division
5th – Talisay City Central

Kulturang Placereno

Tribu Sinanduloy

 

Municipality of Tuburan

Carcar City Division

 

Talisay City Central