Thursday, November 08, 2007 Magsaysay: Absolutely fantastic Arcilla By Jo Magsaysay Whatever
A PRIVATE concert by John Arcilla. Who? You mean you never heard of John Arcilla? Neither did I until he sang and I fell in love. A visit from an old friend, actually a dear relative by extension, Emerson Manawis, dropped in from Hawaii to say hello. Emer is a business entrepreneur with Military Travel Agency in the Big Island under his helm— but I knew him when he was a foreign correspondent—he and his buddy won a Pulitzer Prize years ago for their investigative reporting on what was going to be the Vietnam War. Emer travels everywhere and brought in friends to Cebu—Dr. Avery Freed, a retired radiologist from Hawaii, a gentleman of the old school, John Arcilla (stage and screen actor) and Mark Dungo—who has the good looks and the flawless skin of a commercial model which he is.
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When I asked John what he did, he said he was a singer. A handsome hunk, swarthy, with the physique of someone who takes care of his body, and the deep, rich, pure voice of an operatic baritone. John is an amazing discovery as far as I am concerned. He reveals that he had conducted the Philippine National Anthem without his pants on. That he was three years old at that time and that the school was right across the street from his house, so he toddled over to the front pole where in full sight of the teachers and the student body, singing the Pambansang Awit for the flag ceremony. There was young master John rhythmically waving his arms to conduct the song, his bare essentials swinging along with him. Although early on he was into music, his parents swear he was only 11 months old when they brought him to the movies and from the first bar of the Sound of Music, he was hooked, refusing his milk bottle between songs and dances.
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Acting workshop with Laurice Guillen, training under Peta, under National Media Productions, an acting scholarship from Eric Morris, honed his acting talent to a degree that he was nominated for best supporting actor in Sakay and in Bayani, awarded Best Actor trophy at the Manila Film Festival and several stints on TV ( ABS-CBN and GMA), and acted with Aga Muhlach and Maricel Soriano in A Love Story. John Arcilla went on to sing in Ryan Cayabyab’s musical Noli Me Tangere as Crisostomo Ibarra and Simo Ibarra in El Filibusterismo; touring the Philippines, Japan, Malaysia and France. His Concert Journeys took him to America and from here on to May next year, the concert singer will be bringing his music to Berlin, Frankfurt, Norway and Italy.
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Singing Tonight from the musical West Side Story and several other songs, pop and classic, John Arcilla simply blew me away. His solid and powerful voice booming and surging like a bass kettledrum then ebbing into a dim innuendo soft as a butterfly whisper. He is going to be known farther and wider around the world and then I will say with great pride: “WhoJohn Arcilla?” I know him and he is absolutely fantastic! Another one of my favorite people is Elena Sy. Not because she is tall and beautiful, and goddess-like, which she is, not because she is sweet and gentle and soft-spoken, which she also is. I like Elena because she cares. She cares kindly and thoughtfully about people—about her old parents upon whom she lavishes attention; upon her little nephews and nieces and of course her gorgeous, adorable little children with whom she spends a lot of precious quality time. Elena cares about her job, relentlessly working where it takes her, tirelessly giving comfort and spreading good cheer to the tired and weary, the grouchy and whining traveler. She doesn’t just care about people she knows or people who are close to her, not because she is just doing her job.
She cares about the unfortunate people, the helpless, the homeless and the handicapped. She simply cares because she is a genuinely good person and that’s how come Elena is one of my favorite people.
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Seems like other people like Elena, too, particularly Cathay Pacific, the airline she works for as a flight stewardess. It has recognized her exemplary service and has promoted her as Inflight Service manager, which is the top position in Elena’s long career flying with Cathay Pacific. A seafood dinner over at Elena’s well appointed home had her friends gathering around to celebrate her promotion. So, look who’s there! Congratulations! Incidentally, CX is touting something new, first class and business class passengers on premium aircraft flying to London, San Francisco and Frankfurt with special suites with huge flat beds one can dine with another passenger boasting the irresistible hype “Asian Spa Meets Saville Row.”
