Vince Tañada follows dad’s wish — his passion later

Vince Tañada has been attracted to the world of theater and music since his student days at De La Salle Green Hills. He even joined the secondary music ministry, the LSGH’s Kundirana, which is one of the most renowned and prestigious high school musical groups in the Philippines. He also joined Tony Espejo’s Bulwagang Gantimpala at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

After his tertiary days at San Beda University in Manila, Tanada decided to live briefly in New York City to try his luck in musically theatrical arts where he met and got in touch with the creme de la creme.

From there, he was exposed to the “renaissance man” theory, an ideal that developed in Renaissance Italy from the notion expressed by one of its most accomplished representatives, Leon Battista Alberti (1404–72), that “a man can do all things if he will.”

In today’s world, he is a man with genuine competence in and understanding of multiple different fields, all of which complement one another to make him a more talented and productive person, like the case of Mayim Bialik (actor, director, author and neuroscientist), Bono (Irish singer, philanthropist, investor, businessman and social activist) and Brad Pitt (American actor, producer, filmmaker, humanitarian and investor).

In the case of Vince, he is a writer, educator, actor, singer, director, entrepreneur, businessman, marketing genius, thinker and lawyer rolled into one.

Vince admits to this writer that he took law at San Beda’s College of Law to fulfill his promise to his father, the late Tony Tanada (so Vince’s theatrical opportunity in New York was cut short).

“My dad was kind but outspoken. That is what I learned or inherited from him. You know that I come on too strong or, sometimes, I am brutally frank but you know my heart. Alam ko hindi ako mabait (I know I am not good) but I want to believe na mabuti ako. Magkaiba ang mabait sa mabuti (that I am kind. There is a difference between being good and being kind),” Vince told this writer.

An indefatigable workhorse, Vince can be a perfectionist at times, but he is kind and appreciative, down-to-earth and dependable. However, he has experienced social media’s crucifixion of his person with the recent 72nd FAMAS controversy.

FAMAS president Francia Conrado incessantly apologized in a speech to Vince Tañada, who directed the FAMAS Awards show, claiming that the judgment of people on social media blaming him and the Philstagers’ production for not calling Eva Darren as a presenter at the said awards night was “misguided.”

Conrado claimed that Tañada was not in charge of the list of presenters confirmed three days before the event and was just acting on the list given by the FAMAS Board.

While studying law, Vince and his friends in San Beda founded the Dulaang Bedista Alumni Production (DBAP), now known as the Philippine Stagers Foundation (PSF),a young professional theater company duly organized and registered under the laws of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

PSF, a national mobile theater group that celebrated its 24th Foundation Anniversary on 14 June, in Quezon City, is not just an ordinary performing group for it is also a foundation with an objective of helping the poor, the sick, the elderly and the forgotten through the medium of theater arts.

The group also conducts workshops for aspiring theatrical actors and theater management and production staff. Through these efforts, PSF is an artistic team with a purpose in the society. The aggressiveness of its marketing team remains its inspiration in producing quality plays, just like the recently concluded musical HERO Z that had performances throughout the Philippines. Its markets hailed all its plays as spectacular, well-polished and innovative.

Likewise, PSF ventures into films, like Katips, Ako Si Ninoy, Ang Bangkay and many more. In the works is Filipino National Artist Ricky Lee’s Himala: the Musical Remake film. Originally, Himala (Miracle) was a 1982 Filipino film directed by the late Ishmael Bernal and produced by the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines, with National Artist Nora Aunor in the lead.

During the cast party after the grand closing show of a hit musical play HERO Z, PSF president and 2022 FAMAS best supporting actor Johnrey Rivas and Philstagers artist Yvonne Ensomo sang “Himala ng Pag-ibig” (to be used in Himala: The Musical Remake), composed and arranged by Pipo Cifra. Actor Piolo Pascual will be part of the movie.

As a father to his son, Peter Parker, who also studies at LSGH, Vince is a hands-on dad who sees to it that everything is provided for his child. He spends quality time with him and disciplines with love. He at times is a child’s teacher, joins his son’s activities in school and meets other parents.

This year, his alma mater San Beda University (where he was a cum laude graduate) honored him with Most Outstanding Alumnus in honor of his contribution to entertainment using his God-given talent to advocate social transformation through the arts. He was supported by his mother Emy, son Peter, siblings Anna, Elaine and Cocoy and some members of the Philstagers, whose aim is truly to educate, entertain and inspire.