Kapuso, Kapamilya together in prayer for peace

By this time, a video called A World at Prayer is a World at Peace must be posted on social media and, during the Holy Week, hopefully airing on both ABS-CBN and GMA. Featured are 27 Kapuso and Kapamilya stars led by Susan Roces in a joint effort to reaffirm the power of prayer and remind the faithful not to forget to say the rosary.

“All the 27 stars did it for free,” said Marichu “Manay Ichu” Maceda who set the “prayer brigade” in motion upon the suggestion of Pangasinan Archbishop Socrates Villegas. “They were just too willing to participate in the prayer movement.”

Vic Sotto

Noting that young people today seemed to have forgotten to say the rosary, Archbishop Soc requested Manay Ichu to ask Susan to spearhead a Holy Rosary crusade.

“At first, I was hesitant,” related Manay Ichu. “I told Archbishop Soc that as far as I knew, Susan is not a Marian devotee but a Black Nazarene devotee. It was Susan’s husband FPJ who was a Marian devotee. But I called Susan just the same and Susan readily said yes.”

(Left) Ai-Ai de las Alas. (Right) Alden Richards

That started the ball rolling. A-list talent managers Lolit Solis, Shirley Kuan, Dolor Guevarra and June Rufino (in-charge of production) mobilized their talents (and other stars besides). Praise God, the stars all agreed, especially when they learned that Susan had already shot her part. Also part of the conceptualization was Lawrence Tan.

Your Funfarer and a few other movie writers have watched the videos that showed the “prayer warriors” first individually, with the clips put together according to two groups — the Kapuso and the Kapamilya.

Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto.

Some sound bites:

• Vic Sotto — “I never leave home without my rosary. Di bale na maiwan ko ang ibang bagay basta huwag lang ang rosaryo ko.”

• Sylvia Sanchez — “Years ago, King Gutierrez gave me a rosary ring. I’ve been wearing it since then.”

Rosary tattooed on Melai Cantiveros’ back.

• Kim Chiu — “I hear Mass at my favorite church every Sunday and I always hang a rosary on crosses arranged as a fence. Ang dami ko nang iniwang rosaries dun.”

• Matteo Guidicelli — “I pray not to ask for anything or only when I have problems. I pray to thank God for everything.”

• Alden Richards — “…sa God lang may forever…”

• Dingdong Dantes — “…I pray not only for myself and for my wife (Marian Rivera) but also for the baby in my wife’s womb…”

The other Kapamilya stars: Judy Ann Santos, Maricel Soriano, Bayani Agbayani, Arjo Atayde, Joshua Garcia, Julia Barretto, Karla Estrada, Jolina Magdangal, Melai Cantiveros and Coco Martin.

And the other Kapuso stars: Pauleen Luna, Maine Mendoza, Wally Bayola, Ryzza Mae Dizon, Baeby Baste, Dennis Trillo, Ai-Ai delas Alas (a Marian devotee), Marian Rivera, Christopher de Leon and Eric Quizon (who directed the videos).

Other people who helped: TAPE, Inc./APT Entertainment boss Tony “Mr. T” Tuviera for post-production and the airing on Eat, Bulaga!; Jim Baltazar for cameras, lighting and sound; Dominic Du, in-charge of theaters; and ABS-CBN, GMA and the cable channels of Viva and Solar.

The movie writers suggested that the videos should also be shown in schools and in churches.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)