WRITING A BOOK — with a topic on the entertainment industry—has always been my pursuit since Day One of my movie reporting venture.
Or even during my college days or prior to them, I already dreamt of writing a book on any subject, anyway.
I envied the anthology in Diwang Ginto and Diwang Kayumanggi, both books prescribed in secondary school curriculum, and thought I could be included in any of the collection in the future.
My medium then was solely Filipino which I thought would be an interesting read.
When I was already in the thick of things in movie journalism in the mid-70s, my interest in book writing had intensified especially when I came across the late Board of Censors for Motion Pictures Chief and Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr.’s presidential assistant Guillermo de Vega’s “Film and Freedom: Movie Censorship in the Philippines.” In-depth, De Vega’s research was scholarly.
Alas, I found the right timing when UST initiated a program called “400 Books at 400,”… in celebration of the quadricentennial of the university in 2001.
400 BOOKS AT 400
My dream of writing a book became more apparent and intense when entertainment journalist Emmie G. Velarde launched her book “All Star Cast,” a collection of feature stories in English and Baby K. Jimenez came out with “Ang True Story ni Guy,” a biography on Superstar Nora Aunor in Filipino.
The misimpression that book authoring / publishing is expensive and laborious didn’t hinder my passion to pursue book authoring.
Alas, I found the right timing when the University of Santo Tomas initiated a program called “400 Books at 400,” a project of the UST Publishing House in celebration of the quadricentennial of the university in 2001.
UST alumni were qualified to publish their manuscripts provided they were approved by the head of the publishing house.
It was former chair of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), the late Ponciano B.P. Pineda who advised me to submit my work to the publisher.
My project was a biography on the Filipino film pioneer Vicente Salumbides which I titled “Tio Ticong Pelikula at Pulitika Vicente Salumbides.”
SALUMBIDES OF LOPEZ, QUEZON
Without batting an eye, I immediately gathered all my thoughts and palpable materials about Salumbides which included, rare photos on and about him which I borrowed from his heirs for the documentary film I shot for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
I applied my discipline in writing inspired by one of my Literature professors, the late poetess laureate Ophelia Alcantara-Dimalanta and soon started pounding on a gadget in a computer shop.
To begin with, I had ample information and materials about Salumbides, who was my townmate in Lopez, Quezon.
After his primary and secondary education in Tayabas, now Quezon Province, Vicente went to the US and studied law at the Southern California University. He also took up directing, acting and writing in Hollywood while working as an usher in Kinema Theater. He was a member of the Famous Players Lasky Studios Lasky Players Studio in Hollywood.
Later, he quit school and joined World War I in France under General Pershing.
Salumbides finally finished his law studies in the Philippines.
OFF-PRESS, FINALLY
Well-equipped with creative and technical knowhow in filmmaking, Vicente did silent movies. Two of them, “Miracles of Love” and “Fate or Consequence” in the early 1920s which were burned during the WWII battle in Manila. He went on to direct feature films for LVN Pictures like “Ibong Adarna” and “Florante at Laura.”
He was one of the delegates to the 1935 Constitutional Convention and fought for Filipino as National Language and women’s right to suffrage.
He also became mayor of Lopez during the Japanese occupation.
“Pelikula at Pulitika” It was written in Filipino and eventually given a green light for publication by the late Micheline Manalastas, the UST Publishing House at the time.
Boy, I was so excited when the book was off-the-press and launched at UST.
It was the beginning of my book writing career.
