Ate Vi on 60 years in showbiz: ‘Combination of hard work, grace from God’

As she’s celebrating 60 years in showbiz, still sought-after and with her star not waning one bit, Vilma Santos is perhaps the best person to dispense advice on staying power and career longevity.

“I guess 60 years is not a joke. Definitely, I feel elated. Not everyone is given this kind of blessing. I’m very, very thankful,” Ate Vi, as she’s fondly called in the industry, recently reflected on her six-decade career. For her, it was a combination of different factors, but mainly achieved through hard work and by the grace of God.

“It’s true that yun talaga ang goal ko and kung tumagal man ako ng 60 years, yun lang ginawa ko — hard work, smart work and grace of God. Hard work because you really need to work. Smart work because iisipin mo rin kung saan mo gusto pumunta or how you will plan your career. And grace from God because kahit papaano, you really have to pray for guidance,” she said when asked by The STAR on the secret to her enduring career.

“So, for our newbies today, the soon-to-be stars or superstars, love your career and it will love you back.”

Another “X-factor” for her is respect for others. Amid talk and issues of “attitude problems” among younger artists, she advised: “Ang usapan, if you want to be in showbiz, is longevity. Hanggang kelan ka? You might be a superstar for a year or two, but after that, where are you? Sa dinami-dami na ng artista ngayon, kelangan yung X-factor mo and No. 1 is respect for your colleagues para umangat ka.

“Kasi ang dami ngayon. I mean, give it two months, may bago na naman lalabas. If you don’t have that X-factor and one of those is being respectful to your colleagues, especially to your seniors, palagay ko wala kang pupuntahan.”

As for her advice to the younger stars who are already feeling “burned out,” she said with a laugh, “It’s too early para ma-burnout… 60 years na ‘to,” then added, “but you will go through that stage. Alam mo, kung seryoso ka talaga dun sa career mo, you will learn how to handle it right. You will go through challenges but you will learn how to face all these things, if you really want to last long in the industry.”

Ate Vi admitted that there was a time that she herself faced troubles as a younger star, considered quitting the business and felt living in a box. The Star for All Seasons, who started out as a child actress, recalled, “Talagang dun lang ako lumaki eh, entertainment lang. Ang feeling ko, wala na akong alam kundi puro showbiz. There was even a time, ‘pag nagbubukas ako ng dyaryo, ‘di ko pinapansin ang frontpage, I would go straight to the entertainment section.

“But maybe it was meant to be, when I became a public servant, dun ko lang din naman na-realize yung reality of life. You learn while you grow, you mature while you learn.”

When Ate Vi reinvented or expanded her career by entering the government, she acknowledged that her showbiz career helped her in her 24 years as a public servant.

“It was a big help on how to lead my people. Lahat ng klase na tao, kaya mong harapin. Nai-dagdag at nai-apply ko ‘yan when I became a public servant. Kung ano man ang inabot ko, utang na loob ko ‘yan sa buong industry,” said the former congresswoman, who officially retired from public service last year.

Meanwhile, 2023 is the year of Ate Vi’s official showbiz comeback. This March, she is leaving for Japan to shoot her first movie in six years opposite Christopher de Leon, who will also serve as its assistant director.

“It’s a love story pero sa tamang edad namin,” Ate Vi said. “This is a romantic drama pero ‘di kami pa-cute. At the same time, this is a story of an OFW who fell in love with Japan. We’re both OFWs in the film. It’s a very simple love story, although malalim ‘pag pinag-usapan ang love… It’s something new sa mata.”

She’s also set to do two other projects, an action-oriented film with Erik Matti and another movie with Star Cinema.

“Sobrang na-miss ko kasi naging third priority ko ang showbiz nung maging public servant ako,” said Ate Vi, who also discovered the joys of vlogging over the pandemic.

“I’m still evolving, I’m still open to new challenges. You never stop. While I’m no longer a public official, I’m a private citizen now, you never stop. A lot of interesting things will continue to come into your life, and I entertain these things,” she added.

The STAR and other press members were able to interview Vilma when she was launched as the “new partner” of Angkas motorcycle ride-hailing company.

During the launch, the company dropped a teaser of their upcoming commercial, which had a dramedy treatment and wherein Ate Vi is dramatically revealed as the Angkas passenger. Not a few were surprised to learn that Ate Vi is actually not afraid to ride a motorcycle.

She shared that during her courtship period with husband, Ralph Recto, he used to fetch her from tapings on his big bike. She’d still be wearing her high heels and long gown.

"Sinusundo niya ako sa Vilma show, tapos sabi niya, 'Ride with me.’ (One time) nag-aaway pa kami. Pipilitin niya akong umangkas sa kanya tapos binibilisan niya,” she recalled.

When the traffic light stopped, she was recognized by bus passengers because “there were no helmets” at that time. "Yung lahat ng (pasahero) na nasa bus, nakatingin sa akin, 'Si Vilma Santos ba ito?' Naka-gown pa ako, naka-angkas, naka-heels pa! But when we arrived at our destination, I broke up with him. Natakot kasi ako sa ginawa niya," Ate Vi laughed in recollection.

"But enjoy talaga. So, sanay ako sa motorcycle," she added.

Vilma further said that among the first questions she asked prior to the partnership was how safe and how well-trained the riders are and she received assurance that passengers are “99.997 percent safe” with Angkas, including gears they will use. According to her, she fact-checked every line she said in the TVC “because since ako ang mag-e-endorse, gusto ko makasiguro na totoo yung sabihin ko. So far, OK naman, walang record pag-dating sa mga aksidente.”

She also noted she and the company shared the same beliefs about job creation and poverty alleviation, adding that from the record she got, over 30,000 riders have been given jobs.