Ang Lumang Album

In showbiz parlance, ang lumang album (the old album) fondly refers to veteran stars who, whether retired or still active even in their golden years, light up the silver screen and/or their ardent fans’ memories.

It was strictly “lumang album” last Sunday when Marichu “Manay Ichu” Maceda, her sister Chona Ampil and their mom Nene Vera-Perez hosted a get-together among the stars of Sampaguita Pictures. As usual in a salu-salo like that, the favorite “dessert” is the recollection those years, my friend, we all thought would never end.

The salu-salo was made more nostalgic by the menu which was the same as the one the Sampaguita patriarch-Starmaker Dr. Jose R. “Doc” Perez loved to serve in similar occasions (including the anticipated, well-loved movie presscons): Laing Bicol, the mouth-watering chicken-pork adobo, nilagang baka, etc., capped with native delicacies like suman sa ibos, biko and maja blanca (and including potluck dishes and goodies brought by the barkada).

“This get-together is Chona’s idea,” said Manay Ichu. “She stood as a principal sponsor with Dolphy at a recent wedding and she told Dolphy, ‘Tito, it seems only yesterday when I was a kid and I was watching you during shootings at the studio. Now, we are both standing as sponsors already.’ Then, she suggested to organize a get-together.”

Unfortunately, Dolphy didn’t make it that Sunday.

Among those present was Balikbayan actress Tessie Agana, together with her husband, Dr. Rodolfo Jao, and her mom, Linda Estrella, one of Sampaguita’s top stars in the ’50s. Tessie was the Philippines’ answer to Holywood’s Shirley Temple. She starred in Roberta, the megahit tearjerker that got Sampaguita Pictures back on its feet after it was razed to the ground. Now into her mid-60s, Tessie lives in Indiana, USA, with Rodolfo and Linda. The couple has nine children and 11 grandchildren.

“We come home every two years for a medical mission,” said Tessie who last appeared in the Sampaguita romance-comedy Love at First Sight (with Jose Mari Chan) and, before that, Amy, Susie,  Tessie (with Amalia Fuentes and Susan Roces).

Also present was Cynthia Ugalde, 1962 Miss Philippines who represented the country in the Miss International contest that same year (with Josephine Estrada, also a Sampaguitan, as her counterpart in the Miss Universe pageant; the two starred in a few films, including Birds of Paradise). Cynthia came with her husband, Dr. Oscar Tan. They have come home for good after several years in the US.

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