Ormoc is in the heart

Richard Gomez’s return team-up with Sharon Cuneta, Three Words To Forever, was filmed in his ‘turf’

MANILA, Philippines — Richard Gomez feels proud to showcase Ormoc City, where he’s been mayor for almost three years now, in his new film Three Words To Forever.

Co-stars Sharon Cuneta, Kathryn Bernardo, Liza Lorena, Freddie Webb as well as Joross Gamboa and Tommy Esguerra stayed for almost three weeks in the city to shoot the Star Cinema film. Directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina, Three Words To Forever opens today in cinemas. 

“I’m very fortunate because the film was shot in Ormoc City. It’s my pride to have these people there, to host them and to show the whole country yung ganda ng syudad na inaayos namin ngayon (the beauty of the city that we’re improving on),” Richard said in a grand presscon for the film at the Dolphy Theater last Nov. 22. “That’s why I am happy that they enjoyed their stay in Ormoc while they were there.”

His fellow actors were all praises for the set location in the province of Leyte, including Sharon who is reunited on the big screen with Richard after their last film together, Walang Kapalit, 15 years ago.

The Megastar fondly recalled their past as a reel and real-life couple when they were in their early 20s. She said she didn’t expect Richard would become a mayor, jokingly adding,“wala kang (addressing Richard) ginawa kundi puro kalokahan (laughs).

“Because we were together when we were younger, alam ko naman ’pag committed siya sa isang bagay na passionate siya — like all his sports I saw all his trophies then, I don’t know how many trophies he has now — he commits himself and gives his 100 percent. So, I should have expected that, when he became mayor of Ormoc.”

Admitting that she never used to hear about Ormoc until he married (now congresswoman) Lucy Torres-Gomez, Sharon added, “Honestly, mangiyak-ngiyak ako sa pride because a lot of places in Ormoc used to be pala the drug center… But a lot of the places now are drug-free. It’s beautiful, it’s clean and bait pa ng tao. Where we filmed, it was about half an hour from the city, the climate was cool. It’s so progressive, which to me would have been unbelievable if it wasn’t Richard... and it’s the richest city in Eastern Visayas now. My god in three short years!”

Three Words To Forever’s Richard, Kathryn Bernardo and Sharon Cuneta enjoy the view at Lake Danao.

Sharon also pointed out that its airport is working on having more regular flights. “I’m just so filled with pride because it’s Richard... and he did it. And I’m so touched because he gave us so much lechon (laughs).”

Kathryn, for her part, said being “locked in” one place helped the cast members bond. “I’m very excited na makikita niyo kung gaano ka ganda yung Ormoc because when I went there, it was also my first time to go to Ormoc. Hindi ko rin expect na ganun.”

She noted how Ormoc has been under the radar or not very known as a tourist destination that “we don’t know what to do there, but hopefully when they watch the film, they would want to go there and visit the place.”

During the presscon, Richard addressed an audience member in fluent Cebuano or Bisaya. After the presscon proper, STAR and other media had an opportunity to further test the mayor’s proficiency in the native language of Ormoc.

When made to react on the good things being said of Ormoc, he said, “Well, ako na gitrabaho’g maayo. Akong gi-prioritize sa Ormoc kanang peace and order situation. Pag maayo ang peace and order situation, mosunod ang mga investors no? Unya ila manang nakita karon na maayo na ang peace and order, so nisulod na ang mga malls, naa na ang Robinsons, naa na ang SM, abli na, karon lang, bag-o ra. So, dako na ang improvement. Unya na-achieve namo nga mahimog drug-free ang Ormoc City, pinaka una sa tibuok Region 8.” (Well, I really worked on that. I prioritized in Ormoc the peace and order situation. If there’s peace and order, investors will come in next, right? Now that they’ve seen that peace and order (situation) is good, the malls have come. There’s Robinsons, SM, they just opened. So, there’s big improvement. Then, we have achieved to make Ormoc City drug-free (as declared by PDEA), first in the entire Region 8.”

Asked what Ormoc attractions can be seen in the film, Richard said, “Ang bukid ang amo gipakita, ang Tongonan where the geothermal plant is. Among gipakita ang Lake Danao. Ang Lake Danao is the premier destination sa Ormoc City. Unya, among gipakita, kay naa man sa distrito ni Lucy, ang Kalanggaman Island, which is one of the hottest tourism destinations sa nasud nato. Ang pineapple plantation, amo pud gipakita sa movie.”

Kathryn, Freddie Webb, Tommy Esguerra, Richard and Joross Gamboa bond on the set of the film in Ormoc City. — Photos from Richard Gomez’s Facebook page

(We showed the mountains, the Tongonan where the geothermal plant is. We showed Lake Danao, the premier destination in Ormoc City. Then, we also showed — because it’s located in Lucy’s district — the Kalanggaman Island, which is one of the hottest tourism destinations in our country. Also, our pineapple plantation, we showed that in the movie.)

Richard taught himself the language after marrying Lucy. “Nagtuon lang ko. Actually, sa una wala’y kahibawo mag-Binisaya. (I just studied it. Actually, at first, nobody spoke Bisaya) because I’m really Tagalog. I was raised and born in Manila, my mommy is from Bulacan.

“But when I married Lucy, ingon ko kay Lucy na gusto ko makasulti ug Bisaya (I told Lucy that I wanted to be able to speak in Bisaya). So, what I did was I bought a book, English to Bisaya, then I started reading. Unya akong mga kastorya sa balay, among mga katabang, puros mga Bisaya (people I talk to at home, all our househelp are Bisaya) aside from my driver... Ingon ko sa ila, ‘Ayaw og istorya nako ug Tagalog or English, gusto nako, tubag lang pirmi sa Bisaya.’ (I told them, ‘Don’t talk to me in Tagalog or English, just answer always in Bisaya.’) That’s how I learned it,” he said adding that their daughter Juliana speaks Bisaya well, too.

Meanwhile, Richard shared how it felt to be working with Sharon again. “It’s a beautiful reunion project. Ang tagal na but it’s nice to have seen her. Of course, a bit uncomfortable (at first) because it’s been a while since we last saw each other. Parang it’s nice to see you again. There was a warm-up period.” 

In the film, they play a married couple going through a rough patch just as their daughter decides to get married.

Richard weighed in on the film’s marriage theme: “It’s so easy to wed nowadays. But to a lot of people, to a lot of my friends, especially my close ones, when they ask us what do you think about marriage, I always tell them, if you’re not 100 percent sure, you don’t marry that person, you don’t marry at all because it will not get better. When you get married, you have to be 100 percent sure. You don’t have questions in your mind like, kasi ganito, ifs and buts, or there’s no. It has to be, when you get married, you’re 100 percent committed to the person you’re going to marry.”

Richard celebrated his 20th wedding anniversary with Lucy this year.