Brillante Mendoza Helms environmental docu "Buhos"

Regal Films’ producer Mother Lily Monteverde threw another gathering for Liberal Party Vice Presidential candidate Mar Roxas and the members of the entertainment media the other day at her Imperial Palace Suites.

The good senator is profuse with gratitude to the lady producer for her support, saying that Mother Lily needn’t hold another presscon for him since she already gave him one two months ago early in the campaign.

But Mother Lily is giving Mar her 100 per cent support, which Mar accepts wholeheartedly. “I am accepting Mother Lily’s support and am using as an inspiration, and a sacred obligation that I will not fail her. I am really touched and honored.”

Since Sen. Mar is getting higher ratings compared to LP presidentiable Sen. Noynoy Aquino, he said that he's taking it as the cue that he should campaign all the more for Noynoy, so that his running mate would increase his lead in the surveys. When he gave way to Sen. Noynoy, he said he didn’t do it as a form of political calculation. There were comments that he did it to earn pogi points, since at that time, even if he declared the willingness to run as president, he was not figuring prominently in the surveys.

“Nang ako po ang magparaya, hindi po ito bunga nang kahit na anong palitan sa pagitan namin. When Noynoy brought up to me the idea of being his running mate, I told him hindi namin ito dapat haluan nang kahit na anong palitan. Kung nagpakabayani man ako sa pag-give way sa kanya, gusto na 100% nagpakabayani na ako sa decision ko imbes na may halong politika o transaksiyon sa pagitan namin. Once he decided he’s running for president and he still wants me to be his running mate, then we talked again on this,” Mar recalled.

Mar said he believes in the leadership of Noynoy and reiterated that his support for Noynoy has not wavered a bit.

When asked about Noynoy’s state of health and well-being, he said Noynoy is physically fit to handle the rigors of the presidency. Mar added that Noynoy also vowed to stop smoking.

Mar is saddened though that his wife Korina is being dragged into the dirty tricks being leveled at him by his political opponents. He said that both of them became victims of malicious text messages, and which he didn’t want to recall anymore because he didn't want to lose his good mood in the presence of Mother Lily and the entertainment press.

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The camp of Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto denied claims that she has been neglecting her duties as the province’s chief executive, branding the allegations as black propaganda of desperate opponents.

“The security logs of the provincial capitol would show that, in terms of hours spent in office, she had stayed in her office longer than her immediate predecessor,” her camp said in statement sent to media offices.

And in terms of visitors received, many people had trooped to her office in the first three months in comparison to the whole three years of former Gov. Armand Sanchez, the governor’s office said.

“This is because Vilma accommodates those who call on her, even those coming from outside Batangas. In contrast, Sanchez, using foul language, would berate and drive away those seeking assistance from him."

But the surge of crowd descending on the provincial capitol in Batangas City has its downside too, like the scheduling problems that it poses, the camp of Gov. Vilma said.

“She can do paperwork, meet staff, consult local leaders and attend to many concerns that need the attention of a provincial executive, we have sometimes have to turn down requests of her many of her well-wishers to see her,” the statement said. “She cannot do that if she has been isolating herself from her people, as her opponents are trying to portray her.”

The actress-turned-politician, incidentally, added another feather to her cap, by winning the best actress award at the recently concluded Star Awards for her comeback movie “In My Life.”

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As we celebrate the 40th year of Earth Day, we ought to ask ourselves: what good have we done to our planet so far?

In a rare collaboration, two top-notch individuals recognized for their bodies of work, will mark the month celebrating Mother Earth with a loud cry against environmental justice.

Internationally-acclaimed Filipino director Brillante Mendoza and environmental hero Loren Legarda will launch “Buhos” (Downpour), an eye-opening documentary on global warming. Said title was inspired by Ondoy and Pepeng, two typhoons that hit the country during the making of the film.

The 30-minute documentary is produced and narrated by Loren, a United Nations Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in the Asia-Pacific.

In between receiving international awards for his controversial and socially films, the Cannes film festival best director followed the senator to her “Lingkod Loren” missions in towns, cities and barangays severely affected by flooding.

The experience brought Mendoza to places as Barangay Potrero in Malabon, Marikina, Lupang Arenda in Taytay Rizal, Sta. Cruz, Laguna and San Roque Dam in Pangasinan, among others.

Behind the lens, Mendoza captured the ill effects of climate change on human lives. Animation as well as actual video footage of the typhoons, floods and devastation resulting in global warming, helped in the visual illustration of the narrative.

“Buhos” is an environmental documentary for all Filipinos and for humanity. It is a film that begs for an answer to our opening question. Let’s do something for the planet; let us arrest the sweeping apathy plaguing our people and start taking action to stop the worsening state of our environment.