Ex-sexy star looking for missing husband

Does anybody remember Barbara Benitez?

I doubt it very much because Barbara disappeared from the movie scene as fast as she broke into it. She was launched by Regal Films in 1985 in Sensual, with Cebuano model Lito Gruet as leading man, which was director Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s only sexy/bold movie ever. After that, direk Marilou never dared do another movie of that genre – and never, if memory serves me right, did Barbara star in another movie again (just like the ’70s bold star Rizza who was launched in Nympha, a classic Celso Ad. Castillo masterpiece, and vanished as if into thin air after doing her second and last movie, The Virgin, also by Celso).

Why is Funfare refreshing its readers’ memory about Barbara? Well, I just got a letter from Barbara who said she is in desperate need of help. I’ll let her tell her story herself:

Dear Ricky,

I wrote you this letter to ask for your help. I hope that you can help me, although I don’t know how.

My real name is Angelita Aguas and Barbara Benitez was a screen name given to me by Regal producer Mother Lily and director Marilou Diaz-Abaya.

For almost two decades now, I’ve been living a happy private life with my husband, Roberto Edwin "Bobby" Gonzalez Francisco, and our eight children Dainiel (18), Paolo (15), Czezka (12), Abby (11), Lyka (nine), Joseph (four), and twins Michael and Raphael (two), in Tahanan Village, Parañaque City.

Last April 11, my husband went to the BF police precinct to sign an affidavit with regards to a robbery incident in our house (being rented out) in BF Homes. He didn’t use his car because he wanted to have a haircut afterwards.

That was the last time we heard of him. We never saw nor heard from him again up to now. We tried to reach him through his cellphone but it was "unattended." I went to the BF police precinct and the barbershop and they confirmed that my husband did go there but nobody could give any information where he went after that.

My children and I are already mentally, emotionally and physically stressed and depressed. Our spirits are shattered. I already had the incident "blottered."

I want to appear on TV and make an appeal for help. I don’t know what to do. I hope you can help me find my missing husband by publishing our pictures in your paper.

Godspeed!

Sincerely yours,
Angelita Aguas-Francisco
(Barbara Benitez)

P.S. Here are my contact numbers: Landline 809-0905 and cellphone number 0917-3769405. I hope your readers can give me whatever information that may lead to my husband’s whereabouts.

US concert producers band together

Time and again, concert producers in the US would complain against Philippine-based artists who are hired for concerts in America – you know, how (some of) the artists would quote prohibitive talent fees (thus eventually pricing themselves out of the market), how they take advantage of the poor US-based producers’ generosity and hospitality by charging to them "incidentals" like the airfare and hotel accommodation of the artists’ companions (usually frightening in number) and other expenses, and a few other "abuses."

Well, the US-based concert producers have had enough. To protect themselves, they have formed an association called Concert Masters USA "to professionalize their trade and improve their increasingly threatened lot."

According to a story in the New York-based The Filipino Reporter written by its entertainment editor and columnist Raoul Tidalgo, the association was conceived a year ago under a different name. The producers regrouped last month and formed Concert Masters USA with an expanded membership, with these objectives: To police not only their ranks (the competition has become cutthroat even among supposed friends) but also brazen out-of-town evil producers out to wreak havoc on "the cosmic order" of the concert business in the US.

Concert Masters USA was hatched one rainy night last month at Nanding and Mila Mendez’s New York midtown office over a gourmet dinner that Mila herself whipped up at a short notice. The founding members are: Red and Alice Martinez of Re-Al Entertainment; the Mendez couple of Philippine Fiesta; Nel Castelvi of Perlas ng Silangan Restaurant; Baby Lantin of Miracle Productions; and publishers John Inayan and Herbert Magtoto, Chuny Ng, Ditas Malasig and Ed Sunico. Also present was publicist Ron Reganit.

Elected head of the association was Alice Martinez, doyenne of concert producers in the East Coast.

"It’s increasingly harder to produce shows now," confirmed Alice. "Everything has gone up – rental for venues if you can find any, artists’ fees and other production costs. Also, you have to contend with overbearing managers and greedy handlers, and slow market conditions. It’s no joke producing a concert these days."

Added Red, "We must organize now and deal with these irritants in the business. If we unite and speak as one voice, hopefully we can remedy and improve the situation."

Well, what can I say but, "Right on, Concert Masters USA!"

Reader’s reaction

Here’s a rejoinder from Reigh P. Monreal, alumnus of the Department of Pest Management, College of Agriculture, Leyte State University, ViSCA, Baybay, Leyte:

It was not a butterfly that landed on Rustom’s lap. It was an Atlas moth (Attacus atlas), a species (Note: "species" is both singular and plural. There is no such word as "specie" – Hello, Karen D. – to refer to a single kind of organism, be it plant or animal) of large moth found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia, including the Philippines.

It is also common in southern China and across the Malay archipelago to Indonesia. "Yan yung gumagawa ng kanyang pupa sa guyabano."

In some parts of South Asia, the moth is cultivated for its sturdy silk known as "fagara" that makes up its cocoon. Considered to be the largest moth in the world in terms of total wing surface area (i.e. up to 65 square inches) and wingspan (up to 12 inches), this moth species is predominantly brown to maroon in color with black-bordered pseudo "eyes" on both forewings and hindwings to drive off predators.

I had goose bumps when that moth hovered on Rustom especially when he talked about his deceased father. We Filipinos believe that the souls of the dead reappear to the bereaved family in the form of moths; thus, it could have been Rustom’s dad! Eerie, isn’t it?

By the way, the basic difference between a moth and a butterfly lies on their wings. When at rest, a butterfly’s wings are all folded up, touching each other vertically.

Those of the moth’s are fully opened when not in flight, like human arms stretched from the side of the body.

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