By GEORGE VAIL KABRISTANTE
PMPC (Phil. Movie Press Club)
From my blog “ Manila Showbiz & Lifestyle” farmed out in different versions to www.pmpcstarnews.com, Remate Online, Pilipino Mirror, Scandal, Pssst!, CMT (Columnists Monitoring Team) Update, etc.
It is always with some tinge of nostalgia whenever I write about our beloved mayor of Quezon City Herbert Bautista. For one, in the early years of Maryor Herbert’s career in showbiz I have almost become a family friend of the Bautista’s when they were yet residing at New York St. area, Cubao where the Mayor’s Mom the dear departed Madir Baby (that’s how we called her endearingly) had maintained a restaurant offering specially- home cooked delicacies.
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| MAYOR HERBERT BAUTISTA |
It was colleague Dennis Adobas who is much closer to the family that would tag me along to share with Madir Baby some showbiz chit-chat even if Herbert, Hero, Harlene and Dad/Director Herminio “Butch” Bautista were not around. After which the ever- generous movie-reporter friendly Madir Baby would treat our bottomless pit to the unlimited choice portions of her home cooked delicacies.
I was lucky to be one of those who saw Mayor Herbert grew up in the world of showbiz. At one time we would talk about his studies at San Beda where he was then seriously taking up Philosophy as his major.
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| MAYOR BAUTISTA ON THE RED CARPET |
I would think it was his destiny to become Mayor of Quezon City despite some struggles on the way. Even if he is up there, Mayor Bautista makes it a point on most occasions relating to the affairs of showbiz to make his presence felt with us in one way or other through his trusted colleague in the movie press and a co-member of the PMPC (Phil. Movie Press Club) in the person of a good friend of mine Linda Rapadas.
Now on his first term, the actor turned mayor had recently disclosed to us that all systems go for Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista’s 2012 Quezon City Film Festival in December which will showcase three independent films to be produced from grants awarded by the city government.
The QCFDC will select three film projects to be granted a seed funding of P800,000 each.
Mayor Bautista believes The City of Stars deserves a film festival of its own. The festival is the flagship carrier of the Quezon City Film Development Commission which Bautista heads along with Vice Mayor Ma. Josefina G. Belmonte.
Bautista said that Quezon City is not a just a City of Stars in name.“It is not enough na maging City of Stars tayo. Kailangan there is something happening. Kaya, eto na ‘yon, to kickstart all the acitivities,” he said.
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| A TOOTHSOME SMILE FROM MAYOR BAUTISTA |
“We want Quezon City to be known. Na ito ang maging kapitolyo ng ating mga pelikula,” explained Bautista, an actor who came from a showbiz clan,” he added.
Bautista also said Quezon City has long shown its concern for the film industry by lowering the amusement tax from 30 to 10 percent.
He has also discussed with MTRCB chair Grace Llamanzares-Poe his plan to lay the groundwork of the FPJ Studios compound along Del Monte Avenue into a museum in honor of the departed King of Philippine Movies.
He has the same blueprint for the Sampaguita Pictures compound on Gilmore Street.
“Para there will be a place for film students, or Masscom and Journalism students, may library, may film archives. Kung maaayos uli, it can earn at maraming mga tao ang mabibigyan din ng trabaho,” Bautista said.
Morato Avenue, he avers can also be turned into a showbiz district where monuments of film icons like FPJ and Dolphy can be erected.
Bautista calls Dolphy “Ninong”, although it is his brother Hero who is Dolphy’s godson. “Ang ninong ko talaga si FPJ,” he said.
He said his father, Herminio “Butch” Bautista, was hit hard by Dolphy’s recent death.
“Siya ang director ni Ninong Dolphy sa first ‘Captain Barbel’. Kaya, they were really very close. Kaya nga ang bituka namin, parang tahi-tahi na. Magkaka-grupo na sila during Ninong’s Sampaguita days,” he said.
He disclosed that the Quezon City government bought a property from Dolphy early this year for P13 million, and he plans to put up a high school on the lot that will honor the Comedy King’s memory.
“This year only, Ninong sold us a property in Barangay Gulod in Novaliches. And ang plano namin sa lupa eh tayuan ng high school. Dahil ganoon kalaki ang lupa niya. And we will be calling it Rodolfo Vera Quizon High School,” he said.
Bautista said more showbiz-related activities are in the pipeline in preparation for Quezon City’s diamond anniversary in 2014.
Meanwhile according to my colleague at our PMPC turf my kumare Linda Rapadas, beloved Mayor Herbert Bautista is not running for a senatorial seat in 2013. Bautista is expressing his intention to run again as mayor of Quezon City. The local elections will be held on May 13, 2013.
He recently celebrated his 44th birthday and is currently on his first term as mayor of the city.
He was then elected as councilor of Quezon City from 1992 to 1995, shortly after in the same year he became the youngest vice mayor and was elected for three consecutive election years.
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