Highest Urian honors for Gloria Romero

Strange as it may seem, the awards season–interrupted by the recent elections–will be back soon. On June 19, the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino will finally stage the 27th Gawad Urian at the AFP Theater in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. In July, Albert Martinez is producing the FAP Awards for the Film Academy of the Philippines. In between will be the Manila Film Festival, which will hold its awards night toward the end of June.

Award-giving bodies deliberately stayed away from the campaign season because, well, everyone’s attention was focused on the elections anyway. Besides, it would have been difficult to mount awards presentations during this period because most movie stars and singers were away campaigning and entertaining crowds during campaign rallies.

In the history of the Gawad Urian, this is the first time Manunuri members are holding their awards night this late. In 1986, the Gawad Urian was also delayed (it was held May 28 at the Philamlife Theater) because after EDSA I, so many changes occurred in the television industry and it was difficult to find a network that would air the awards night. (The reorganized Channel 4–then called People’s Television Network–took care of the TV coverage).

On record, however, it was the 27th FAMAS that had the most delayed awards presentation ever. That was in 1979 and the FAMAS staged its Gabi ng Parangal in mid-November to honor outstanding achievements in film for the year 1978.

But going back to the Gawad Urian, this year’s awards night will be produced once more by Tony Tuviera’s APT Entertainment. Hosting the event are Janno Gibbs, Michael V. and Pia Guanio. Telecast will be at 9 p.m. on RPN 9.

Four films are up for the Best Picture award: Babae sa Breakwater (Entertainment Warehouse), Bridal Shower (Seiko Films), Crying Ladies (Unitel Pictures) and Magnifico (Violett Films).

Vying for the Best Actress award are Dina Bonnevie and Cherry Pie Picache for Bridal Shower, Katherine Luna for Babae sa Breakwater, Ara Mina for Huling Birhen sa Lupa, Elizabeth Oropesa for Homecoming and Maricel Soriano for Filipinas.

Competing for the Best Actor trophy are Cogie Domingo for Angel sa Lupa, Kristoffer King for Babae sa Breakwater, Jiro Manio for Magnifico and Aga Muhlach for Kung Ako na Lang Sana.

For the Natatanging Gawad Urian, or the Lifetime Achievement award, I am very pleased to announce that this year’s recipient is the beloved Ms. Gloria Romero. The Manunuri is honoring Ms. Romero for her contributions to Philippine cinema as an actress for more than half a century. Starting as an extra in Sampaguita Pictures in 1949, she became a movie queen in the early ’50s and is still regarded as one by industry members today.

Gloria Romero won the FAMAS Best Actress trophy for Dalagang Ilocana in 1954 (the first actress to win in a comedic role). It wasn’t until 1987, however, when she won her second acting trophy –for Best Supporting Actress in Ishmael Bernal’s Nagbabagang Lupa (where she played Gabby Concepcion’s neurotic pill-popping mother).

In 2000, she almost scored a grand slam for Best Actress for her role as the matriarch suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in Laurice Guillen’s Tanging Yaman.

In this year’s Gawad Urian, she is again nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the cancer-stricken grandmother in Maryo J. de los Reyes’ Magnifico.