The pain remains

Before Nida Blanca was brutally slain exactly a year ago today, she had left behind a long list of highly-successful and long-running television programs. But really long was her filmography – having done hundreds of films in a career that spanned five decades.

Nida did so many movies that she must have worked for all the local film companies – big and small. For instance, she did Magkapatid na Jesse at James, Wow na Wow and Adyang Batibot for the independent movie outfit Gold Stars. For Greta Films, another small film production, she did Together Again and Going To A-Go-go.

For Sampaguita Pictures, the turf of rival Gloria Romero, she did Bulungbulongan and Sosayting Tindera. From the mid-’60s all the way to the ’80s, she made dozens of films for RVQ where she co-starred in various comedies with Dolphy.

In the latter years, she shuttled between the sets of Regal and Viva and, later, Star Cinema.

Nida Blanca, however, will forever be identified with LVN Pictures, the film company where she began her movie career in 1951 in a film entitled Venus (with Lilia Dizon in the lead). It was in this studio where she learned professionalism, where she developed her acting talent and dancing skills and where she honed her comic timing – mostly under Director Felicing Constantino. It was also in this studio where she forged deep friendships.

Although Nida was a friend to everyone at LVN, she was closest to Lita Gutierrez, Lourdes Medel and Caridad Sanchez.

Nida developed long, lasting friendships because she never had any star complex. Never mind if she was the studio’s top moneymaker.

Nida was always the life of any gathering. "Every time she would tell stories, we would just sit back and listen," recalls Caridad Sanchez. Even when it came to storytelling – so Caridad swears – Nida had perfect timing.

After they all left LVN, which continued operating as Dalisay Pictures up to 1965, Nida kept in constant touch with her friends from the studio – particularly Caridad because they were neighbors at White Plains.

At least three times a year, the LVN gang would gather together – on the birth and death of anniversaries of Doña Sisang and during the birthday of lawyer Manny de Leon. On these occasions, the LVN stars didn’t have to worry about bringing food because these affairs were always hosted – quite lavishly, in fact – by their Boss Manny at his fabulous home in New Manila.

But for the other reunions (like an LVNer visiting from abroad), it’s potluck for them – usually held at the Parañaque home of Charito Solis (when she was still alive) or at the Cavite beach house of Nida’s friend, Paning. (They seldom held it in restaurants because they’re admittedly a very noisy group.) A vegetarian, Nida often brought her own food – vegetable dishes, of course – to these gatherings. Occasionally, however, she would indulge in seafood.

Most of the time, it was either Nida or Charito who would organize these reunions. (Emma Alegre was another one of the organizers until she migrated to the US a few years ago.) Regularly present at these affairs were Delia Razon, Nita Javier, Luz Valdez, Marita Zobel, Celia Flor (whenever she was in town), scriptwriter Loida Virina, LVN curator Bernard Fernandez, Doña Sisang’s daughter, Bading Erana, Totoy Avellana and, of course, Caridad Sanchez.

Nida and Caridad would always drive to these reunions together – with Nida on the wheel because she really enjoyed driving. On the night Nida was killed, in fact, she and Caridad were supposed to have been together at the wake of another LVN star, Nenita Vidal (Bong Erana). But Caridad got sick and begged off from the commitment. Their last conversation was over the phone between 12 noon and 1 p.m. of Nov. 6, 2001.

In the morning of Nov. 7, the phone at Caridad Sanchez’ house wouldn’t stop ringing. The people at home, however, didn’t dare wake her up because she was still burning with fever. But when Douglas Quijano called up from the US, he instructed the househelp to ask Caridad’s daughter Cathy to come to the White Plains house (Cathy lives with her family in Blue Ridge) so she could break the news to her mother about Nida’s death.

Caridad’s first impulse upon hearing the sad news was to dress up and proceed to Atlanta Center. "I didn’t feel any emotion that time," recalls Caridad. "Pero nawala ang lagnat ko."

Caridad and Cathy did go to Atlanta Center, but left after a while because Caridad didn’t want to see her friend’s body all bloodied up.

Mother and daughter thought it was best to proceed to Camp Crame where Nida’s body was brought for autopsy. While in Crame, Caridad looked for old friends (her late husband had a long career in the military) who could be entrusted with Nida’s remains. Her search ended when she found Gen. Marlon Pedrigosa who made sure the body of the slain actress was covered with layers of blankets.

When Nida’s body was wheeled in, however, the soles of her feet somehow stuck out and the sight of these smeared with what looked like dirt ("She was a stickler for cleanliness," cried out Caridad) was what made Caridad finally break down. With her in Camp Crame were two colleagues from LVN – Luz Valdez and Nestor de Villa.

Today, their LVN reunions are plagued with sadness because of the death of Nida Blanca. "We in the group were able to accept Charito Solis’ death because – though sudden – it was from natural causes (cardiac arrest)," points out Caridad. "What happened to Nida was an entirely different case."

But what pains them even more is that Nida Blanca’s murder has remained unsolved to this day.