Filipino-German actress Paraluman died last Monday (April 27) at a little past 5 a.m. She succumbed to cardiac arrest. She was 84 years old.

Paraluman’s only child, Baby O’Brien, also an actress and program host as well as civic leader, said her mother had been suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases ever since year 2000. Bed-ridden and confined to the wheelchair for a long time, Paraluman did not want people see her in her affliction. But those who saw her on rare occasions said the former actress remained pretty.
Siegfrid von Geise in real life, she originally used Mina de Gracia as a screen name. It was the late producer Fernando Poe, Sr. who named her Paraluman. He made her star in a movie entitled “Paraluman.” There was even a song bearing her name that was composed for her, Ms. O’Brien recalled.

But it was under Sampaguita Pictures, one of the so-called Big Four (movie productions) during the golden years of Philippine Cinema that Paraluman made a number of films. One of them, “Sino Ang May Sala” which also starred Romeo Vasquez, former husband of erstwhile movie queen Amalia Fuentes, won for Paraluman the Best Actress trophy from the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts & Sciences (FAMAS).

The late producer and famous starbuilder Dr. Jose Vera Perez assigned Paraluman her first starring role under the Sampaguita bandwagon via the movie “Lydia” and this was followed by many more starring roles.

Paraluman’s last movie was “Mister Mo, Lover Boy Ko,” with multi-awarded and versatile actor Eddie Garcia and equally awarded Elizabeth Oropesa.

Paraluman will be buried today (April 30) at the South Cemetery.

Lota Delgado passes away too

Lota Delgado, wife of the late matinee idol Rogelio dela Rosa, also passed away (last Tuesday, April 28). She was buried April 29.

Rogelio, and his brother Jaime, were two of the most popular stars of Sampaguita Pictures.

‘Soul Prince’ in concert

Joaquin Garcia made waves beating more than 4,000 contestants from all over the world in an official and grueling Talent Olympics, the World Champions of the Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Hollywood, California. That was in 2007, and Joaquin Garcia became the second Filipino artist (next to Jed Madela) to have brought home two gold medals, making the country proud as ever.

Some renowned local singers followed after Garcia to compete in the same contest but were not as fortunate as him who was named Over-All Champion in the Original Composition category aside from winning Gold Medal in the Contemporary Category.

Tongue-in-cheek Garcia recalled that toward the final round he was forced to come upstage and to sing before a huge crowd barefooted because somebody hid his shoes. The threatened culprit must have thought he would not dare show up barefooted in his national costume – barong! But he did and won!

A talent agent of WCOPA offered Garcia a scholarship and working contract to pursue his career in the US, but he opted to come home to savor his success in his country and share it with his kababayans. Thus, far Joaquin has paid his dues and has rightly earned through hard work the title “Soul Prince” which was given him by his peers in the industry.

Not exactly a newcomer in showbiz, Garcia was 15 when he joined “That’s Entertainment.” He was in an all-male singing group, took to musical theater, waxed an album and did musical theme songs for the movies.

The “Soul Prince” takes center stage for the third time in “Reload,” slated tonight (April 30), at 10 p.m. at The Library in its new place along Maria Orosa St., Malate. Featured guests are Beverly Salviejo and Philip Lazaro. Previous to this, he had a couple of SRO concerts which took off at Music Museum with out-of-town performances in Davao, Antique, and other cities.

Directing the show is mentor-manager of Joaquin Garcia and proprietor of The Library, Andrew “Mamu” De Real. Versatile Garcia will deliver a spirited wallop of solo spots, medleys of different genres of music from Broadway to Jazz to OPM and R&B. He will also sing his winning songs at the WCOPA Olympics. Garcia also performs on Fridays and Saturdays in the same venue.

Productions 56 manages the best child actors today

Two award-winning child actors and three upcoming child thespian stars are now under the management of Productions 56. They are Nash Aguas, three-time best actor of the Metro Manila Film Festival for his remarkable performances for “Shake, Rattle & Roll, 8 & 9” and Star Awardee (for the movie “Angels”) and Robert “Buboy” Villar, who’s currently one of the favorite for good projects in GMA. He recently bagged the Best Child Performer Award for his performance in “Shake, Rattle & Roll 10,” the “Nieves” episode. On the other hand, Nash is presently scheduled to star as young Jericho Rosales in an upcoming ABS-CBN telenovela and will play son to megastar Sharon Cuneta in her newest film outing with Ai Ai de las Alas in Star Cinema. Buboy, as fondly called, is the naughty sidekick of Richard Gutierrez in “Zorro.”

Aspiring to their thrones are Jacob Rica, who recently finished his “Colgate Cavities” commercial and “Saan Darating Ang Umaga,” the tearjerker telenovela wherein he gave a very outstanding performance as Joel. Byron Ortile of the telenovela “Gaano Kadalas Ang Minsan” and Julio Pisk of Pediasure & Fruity Pop Commercial fame complete the line- up of Productions 56.

“They are now the best child actors in the country today; they will eventually become our best actors and stars of the future,” says Director Maryo J. delos Reyes, the mentor of talents at Productions 56.

And because of their good acting abilities, Director Maryo has chosen Nash, Buboy and Julio together with Ms. Gloria Romero to lead the cast of his DGPI-APT film, “Kamoteng Kahoy,” one of the movies included in the Director’s Festival, “Sine Direk,” which is now ongoing.

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, April 30, go to Manny de Leon, Lito Gorospe, Carlo D. Jose, Melanie “Tingting” Palileo, Niza Vergel de Dios, Vicky Hidalgo, Marites Jacobo, April Lumagui, Rev. Fr. Ernesto de Leon, Ernesto ‘Junjet’ Y. Martinez Jr., and Diane Peñaflorida… Happy wedding anniversary to Virgilio and Virginia Pantaleon…