‘2 mabubuting kaluluwa na buhay na buhay pa rin sa aming alaala…’

DONNA VILLA AT CARLO CAPARAS

SINADYA naming hindi humingi ng saklolo sa Google in getting the exact dates ng pamamaalam ng dalawang lady producers close to our heart.

We’re merely relying on how well our memory functions lalo’t ginugunita ngayong araw ang mga tao who have left ahead of us.

Sila’y sina Mina Aragon ng Viva Films at Donna Villa ng Golden Lions Films na kung tawagin sa showbiz ay “tita.”

Sa kalagitnaan ng pagko-co-anchor namin noong January, 2017 ay nakatanggap ang “Cristy Ferminute” ng impormasyong iniulat o ipinost on Tita Donna’s death.

No specific details were given. But we prayed na sana’y fake news lang ‘yon (even before then-PCOO ASec Mocha Uson had become notorious for manufacturing such).

Clueless din ang matalik na kaibigan ng mag-asawang direk Carlo J. Caparas at Tita Donna, si Tita Nene Mercado who had to excuse herself para alamin kung totoo ang balita (she was on the phone). Moments later, nakumpirma mismo ni Tita Nene that Tita Donna passed away.

It was later found out (mula na rin mismo kay Tita Nene) na meron nang iniinda ang lady producer, but the latter wouldn’t make it public. December, 2016 ay nasa undisclosed hospital si Tita Donna. Her family was at her bedside, yes, at her beck and call.

Nagsimula ang aming pagiging malapit sa Caparas couple noong dekada nobenta. Kasagsagan ‘yon ng sunud-sunod na paggawa ng kanilang kumpanya ng massacre movies which all made direk Carlo and Tita Donna laugh their way to the bank.

They were the type of couple who knew how to share their blessings. They always attribute the success of their films to the press. Hindi kataka-taka kung bakit mahal sila ng lahat ng mga reporter, in their eyes all the members of the media were on equal footing who deserved importance.

Malungkot ang press sa ‘di inaasahan at biglang pag-alis ni Tita Donna. Noong nagpatawag ang TV5 ng presscon para sa Ang Panday (at Plaza Ibarra), we remember Tita Donna excitedly telling a small group of reporters about direk Carlo’s works which Viva TV already bought.

Sino’ng mag-aakala na sa likod pala ng masigla niyang pakikipagtsikahan ay may sakit na pala siya?

Samantala, April, 1995 noong napaigtad kami sa masamang balitang namaalam si Tita Mina, Vic del Rosario’s better half.

Si Tita Mina ang pinagkakautangan namin ng loob for recommending us bilang bahagi ng creative team ng Startalk, then co-hosted by Kris Aquino who was her brother Phillip Salvador’s partner that time. Si Tita Mina consequently got us a writing job with The Kris Aquino Show (aired over PTV 4), produced by Viva TV.

May kuwentong nakapaloob sa aming pagiging malapit sa kanya. Dekada nobenta rin ‘yon, tagasubaybay pala si Tita Mina ng lahat ng mga babasahin ng Mariposa Publications. Consistently in our columns (in all of its five fanmags), “Viva Confectionery” ang tawag namin sa kanilang film company (why that was because ‘di ba, may kending kapangalan ito?).

We were also highly critical of Viva Films that time. Kuwento ni Tita Mina sa amin, she would have this pile of fanmags for breakfast. Sa halip daw kasing unahin niyang mag-almusal (sila ni Boss Vic) ay babasahin niya ang mga ito.

According to her, she took fancy at our articles kahit inookray namin ang Viva Films. So for her to get to know us and the entire Mariposa team, she treated us to dinner at Sugi, a Japanese resto, in Greenhills. Nasundan ‘yon ng ilan pang dinner dates, but most if not all of which ay kami-kami na lang with a colleague or two. Or kaming dalawa na lang.

Episode writer kami ng The Kris Aquino Show. At the same time, we would write its merchandising plugs. A frantic call awakened us, nagising talaga ang natutulog (at baka nga naghihilik pa) pang diwa namin by a call informing us that Tita Mina was gone.

Shocked and open-mouthed, sobra naming ikinalungkot ang balita. Biglaan din kasi at hindi inaasahan.
To this day, ang mga alaalang ito nina Tita Mina at Tita Donna are etched in our mind. Alaala ng kanilang kabaitan, ng kanilang sinseridad, ng kanilang malasakit.

Hindi man natin sila kasama, not only are they constantly prayed for. Hanggang ngayon, hanggang sa dako pa roon kung saan at kailan man ‘yon, ay patuloy namin silang pasasalamatan.