Charlie Davao grandson makes it on his own

If you’re not habitually into patronizing Vivamax movies, you may not know that a grandson of the late character actor Charlie Davao has been doing the usual bold films there.

That grandson is Anthony Davao, son of an actor himself, Charlon Davao, a younger half-brother of Ricky Davao. Charlon is one of Charlie’s children with his second wife after he was widowed. Anthony, now in his late 20’s, is, therefore, Ricky’s nephew.

Anthony has been appearing in Vivamax early last year. His dad, who shuttles between Florida, USA and Manila, is well aware of the kind of movies his son appears in. And so does Ricky. They have no objections to Anthony’s simulated sex scenes and disrobing countless times in those movies.

Anthony’s latest is Linya, directed by Carlo Alvarez, and co-starring Cess Garcia, Sheila Snow, Chester Grecia, and VJ Vera.

Davao delineates the male lead character in a story about a female bar tender who, despite having a boyfriend, carries on sideline affairs with rich and powerful men.

Davao is noted in the entertainment websites for declaring that he will likely turn down assignments that will require him to do frontal nudity and intimate scenes with male actors.

He has all the abs and biceps and triceps to show off as he used to be a gym instructor. He has appeared fully naked in one Vivamax film but with his back facing the camera.

But look who is back with Vivamax. Award-winning filmmaker Joel Lamangan, who really has no issues directing all kinds of sex scenes, from fully clothed to fully naked.

The activist director had a falling out with Viva boss Vic del Rosario Jr. when the company blithely produced movies that were believed to be pro-Marcos, namely, “Maid in Malacañang” and “Martyr or Murderer,” both directed by the amoral raconteur Darryl Ong who never hid the fact that he likes the Marcoses.

Lamangan directed Sisid Marino topbilled by first-time actors Jhon Mark Marcia, Julia Victoria, Cariz Manzano, and former child actor Ataska Mercado. Come-backing bold star Yda Manzano is also in the cast in a daring role.

At the pocket (little) media conference for the film held at the boardroom of Viva Communications Inc. in Ortigas Center, Lamangan said that it was he who initiated to be working friends again with the Del Rosarios since the filmmaker does not hear anymore of plans to do films favorable to the Marcoses.

Lamangan stressed anew that he makes films to tell stories that may have sex as part of the narrative but the sex scenes are not the main stories.

For instance, the imDB publicity yarn says Sisid Marino is about a couple who got addicted to sex to forget the pain and loneliness after their first baby died.

At the media huddle, Lamangan said the main story is about the ex-seaman husband who came home with so much earnings. When their neighbors and townmates sensed the couple’s financial comfort, they started borrowing money from him. He lent them money but most of them fail to pay back. The ex-seaman became vindictive in so many ways, including accepting payments in kind from the wives of the men who owe him so much.

The film has violent scenes in bed and out of bed, warned Lamangan.

Both Sisid Marino and Linya are now streaming on Vivamax which has been trumpeting that they now have 11 million subscribers worldwide. Happily, though, Viva Films, the conglomerates original movie division, still makes wholesome movies for theater screening.

She is not mayor of any town or city, but “Mayora” is how a cast member of the iconic 80s and ‘90s GMA 7 youth show That’s Entertainment is fondly addressed for some years now.

That person is Gem Castillo of San Pablo City in Laguna where she is the wife of incumbent Mayor Vicente Amante, who has had multiple terms as the city’s chief executive.

The “Mayora” has four children with Amante, now all adults and living abroad. She became the mayor’s romantic partner in the early 2000s, when she gave up being a singer and sexy star who was leading lady in action movies and second lead in daring sex-drama films.

There’s a gap of about 30 years between Castillo and the mayor. It seems to have never bothered the ex-singer-actor. At the huddle with a group of showbiz journos and photographers one afternoon recently, she didn’t say a word about the age gap. She didn’t bother at all to justify her falling for an old man. An influential and opulent man.

“My mother rejoiced when I decided to stop appearing in films and stick to guest stints as a singer,” recalled the “mayora” at the new city hall of San Pablo after she served as witness in her husband’s swearing into office the officers of showbiz reporters’ and photographers’ organization The Entertainment Arts & Media (TEAM) recently.

Her real name is Benilda Retuerto, and it was her discoverer, the comedian-TV host Ike Lozada who gave her the showbiz name that made her well-known.

“I was a college student at Lyceum in Intramuros when Tito Ike saw me singing in a convocation there. He approached me and asked me if I want to join showbiz and assured me he could help me land a slot in That’s Entertainment dahil close na close pa rin naman daw sila ni Tito Germs kahit di na siya co-host nito sa show,” she recalled.

“Tito Germs” is the late actor-TV host German Moreno who conceptualized That’s Entertainment, proposed it to GMA 7 and took the portly Lozada, his showbiz contemporary, as co-host. Years before That’s Entertainment was launched in 1986, Moreno had been the co-host of the iconic Nora Aunor in the Sunday night musical variety show Superstar on RPN 9.

The “mayora” is really a native of San Pablo City, and Amante became familiar with her in the late 80s even before she joined That’s Entertainment because her father was one of Amante’s campaign managers during his early attempts to be voted into public office. The man finally won his first term as the city mayor in 1992. He won for two more succeeding terms and had to rest since the law allows only three consecutive terms for that position. He was replaced as city mayor by one of his sons in a previous conjugal relationship. That son is Loreto. The former singer-actor got together with the ex-mayor during his political hiatus.

When Amante began his next round of being city mayor in 2004, Castillo began to be identified closely with the returning politician. By his next term, Castillo began philanthropic projects and was openly being referred to as San Pablo City’s “First Lady.” She had been raising funds for several orphanages and for college scholarships — including for students with below-average grades.

“Naniniwala akong basta pumapasa ang isang estudyante sa grades na below average, makakahanap pa rin ‘yon ng magandang trabaho pagka-graduate at tutulong sa mga magulang nila para makapagkolehiyo din ang mga nakababatang kapatid nila,” Castillo intoned to the visiting TEAM officers and members.

It must have been with that kind of wisdom and compassion that the mayor’s wife began to be addressed as “Mayora.” In the Philippines, it’s the female mayors who are called “Mayora” — not the mayor’s wife.

Her philanthropy now extends to people of San Pablo with medical requirements they cannot afford.

The Mayora is being offered by some political party to run for public office not in San Pablo but for the whole of Laguna. She hinted that she has sounded off her husband about the offer and he was agreeable to it. The wife did not mention anything about her husband’s quitting politics when his term ends in 2025. He is allowed two more terms even as he is 75 years now.

He stands ramrod straight and walks unaided. He speaks clearly, and the Mayora is as proud as ever of her husband.

Meanwhile, it’s too soon for her to reveal if she would indeed go herself into the political arena of Laguna which has had some former showbiz idols as leading players. Actor-producer ER Ejercito was governor for more than one term there. His wife, ex-actor Maite Sanchez, was mayor of Pagsanjan for several terms.

The incumbent governor is Dan Fernandez. Angelica Jones was provincial board member.