Costanilla: ‘Santa Niña,’ a teleseries of 2 miracle workers

Monday, July 18, 2011

HAVE you already heard of Santa Niña? Yes, folks, that’s the correct spelling. It’s not Santo Niño but Santa Niña, meaning, it’s a female name. No, I don’t mean to confuse you. And before you accuse me of writing a blasphemous article on the Holy Child, allow me to explain first. Santa Niña is actually the title of a forthcoming teleplay to be aired over TV5, which is also its producer, in collaboration with Donna Villa, a Garbo sa Sugbo awardee.

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And who doesn’t know Donna? In real life, she is Marian Patalinghug of Lapulapu City.

In previous years, the Cebu Provincial Government recognized her with a Garbo sa Sugbo award for bringing pride and honor to Cebu in the field of arts and culture, and filmmaking. When she settled in Manila, Donna tried her hand at acting before becoming a movie producer while her husband, Carlo J. Caparas, wrote and directed a number of blockbuster flicks under their Golden Lion Films. Of course, we all know that he is the acknowledged “Komiks King of the Philippines.” Most of his komiks stories have been made into teleseries productions and full-length films.

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Back to Santa Niña. Direk Carlo, as he is fondly called in the national movie industry, texted me that he is busy writing the teleplay. “This production has a religious undertone,” my good friend said. According to Direk Carlo’s script, Niña is a seven-year-old girl from Cebu “na pinaglihi sa Sto. Niño image” while Santa is a 20-year-old blind orphan “na pinaglihi sa Birhen sa Grotto.” Both of them can perform miracles, Direk Carlo stressed in his text message to me.

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The writer-director also texted that he and Donna will soon come to Cebu and shoot some scenes here. While Santa and Niña will be portrayed by two Manila-based artists, I’d like to believe that Direk Carlo will also tap a number of Cebuano talents to appear in Santa Niña. As in our previous projects here, yours truly will again work as talent coordinator for Direk Carlo and Donna. It’s such an enjoyable task.

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IT really gets my goat when I see local showband musicians and singers, particularly the male members, perform in ordinary collarless t-shirts. I think it’s so unfair on the part of paying customers to be watching these band artists in their household getup, as if they are just rehearsing.

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We are asking these male musicians and singers to dress up properly and decently. They don’t have to be in coat and tie or barong but their getup should at least have collars and not crumpled. These performers should remind themselves that they are entertainers and that their improper outfit is a big letdown.

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This aging mediaman has just been eased out as one of the hosts of a local television talk show. He had been caught on camera several times, either yawning or sleeping in his chair.