To borrow a line from Robert Duvall in "Apocalypse Now," "I love the smell of New Year in the morning. The smell, you know, that gunpowder smell, smells like... victory. And truly it does. As the smoke from last night’s revelry clears, leaving a brand new day, a new year that is simply bursting with the promise of good times ahead. On this first day of the New Year, I would like to wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2006, may it be as glamorous, exciting, and delightful as we want it to be."
I have always had a soft place in my heart for the New Year because it is often the time for reunions, of joyful reminiscing, and of hope. The spirit of the times is contagious as families come together and old friendships and relationships are rekindled while new ones are forged. Everything is awash in the light of hope brighter than a thousand parols and a hundred roman candles combined.
It is no wonder then that the entertainment industry reserves its most extravagant showcases and celebrations for this event: Their performances more than just a way of entertaining their fans but also their own tribute to the importance of the togetherness of family and friends.
"Entertainment is about family, at the heart of entertainment is the basic enjoyment of being together with family and friends galore," multi-awarded filmmaker Vitt Romero gamely told me at a pre-New Year reunion party recently.
The London-Tokyo based advertising filmmaker is back in the country to celebrate the holiday with kins. "I wouldn’t miss being with my Mom in Manila for the New Year," he unabashedly declares. "It’s the best place in the world to be merry!" A leisurely break is well-deserving for Direk Vitt. He just wrapped up a Paris production for a new perfume, a TVC aptly entitled, "French Scent."
"Yes, even the world of cosmetic, fashion and art, gets into the spirit of New Year: Designs and fragrances are new yet somehow familiar, like long lost friends who we lost touch with and have now rediscovered," says Vitt. "Our favorite image models and celebrity endorsers, as much a part of our families as our relatives, say what we are sometimes too shy to voice out. Their on-screen celebrations and thanksgiving mirroring our own, our gratitude and love reflected in their holiday specials."
Indeed, traditions vary from home to home, some families feast on rellenong manok, or ham, or turkey. Some will sing "Auld Lang Syne" while others prefer Basil Valdez classics. For some, it is just a simple affair of beer and banter. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate the New Year, after all.
"What matters are the fellowships that we renew and forge, with colleagues, friends, lawyers, doctors, and stars of all magnitudes" colorful and romantic Vitt cheerfully gushes.
In one shining moment, as we count down the seconds, we are united as a people. Political lines blur, showbiz intrigues are set aside and differences are forgotten as we usher in the new year, full of hope, promise, and opportunity. Or, as Bono of U2 sang: "And so we are told this is the golden age."
As the first few minutes of the New Year go by, we are united in one sentiment: Here’s hoping that 2006 will be a happy and prosperous one!
For Direk Vitt’s beloved Cruz and Romero clans, the same spirit of revelry and celebration is enhanced by the presence of much-loved family members and friends. As always, the family, scattered as it is all over the world, comes together. Being the most enthusiastic photographer-videographer of clan reunions, Vitt features on this page a photo-spread of recent celebrations with siblings Leo and Joy, Bella and Edgar, David and Vin-Vin, Dante Jr. and Veronica, Corazon and Gilles, Maria Felisa, relatives and friends.
He echoes what his mom Aurora often says about immortalizing family reunions through photographs, " I treasure each and every person in my life and only through images of them can I feel their heart and spirit. Family reunions captured in pictures can never be recreated, much less repeated. I’m happy I have a photo collection of these unforgettable moments. It melts my heart every time I look at them."
In an effort to make the joyous celebration of New Year even more special, Vitt has grouped together his eleven nephews from around the world to rekindle family ties and to touch base with their Filipino heritage. "New Year kasi is so Filipino. I wanted them to feel and see where they came from and to take the tradition back with them," the cinematic ingénue shares.
The Cruz-Romero grandchildren: Vincent Dante, Jordan, Virgil, Jasper Lee, Paulo Gabriel, Lennard, Raphael, Jensen, and Jovitt plus William and Benjamin reunited together through the efforts of their dynamic and imaginative Tito Vitt, as a birthday, Christmas and New Year’s gift for the clan’s matriarch at a heart-warming dinner party.
The vibrant youths experienced a sentimental bonding with their beloved grandmother, Aurora C. Romero as well as relatives and family friends. Keeper of the family’s history and consequently of the accumulated wisdom of generations of Cruz-Romero, as well as the Martinez-Belen families, my Tita Aurora is not only a bridge between the past and the future but also a living treasure trove of stories, lessons, and advice.
As we welcome in her 75th New Year, let me wish my favorite Tita Aurora, her family, the Martinez-Belen clan, and all the families in the Philippines a joy-filled New Year, and a promise to see each other again next year. Or, as my Tita Aurora and her creative genius son Vitt like to say: "May your New Year be filled with 365 Happy New Days!"
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What the celebs hopes and wishes for year 2006
Senator Bong Revilla: "Actually, I couldn’t ask for more, having accomplished a lot in my life, modestly speaking. But what I really hope and wish for is sana lahat tayo sa ating bansa ay magkasundo sa taong 2006."
Paolo Bediones: "I wish to keep alive and strong my passion for my work. I really love what I am doing and I promise to love it even more this 2005." As to his personal life, Paolo said he has no plans to settle down yet, not in the next few years. He wants to get married at the age of 34. His current girlfriend is a dentist.
Gil Portes and Tony Y. Reyes: "To keep on directing movies, for this is the only way we could help the industry and the country as well." Gil is the producer and director of the very entertaining filmfest entry "Mourning Girls," while Tony is the director of the top-grossing filmfest entry "Enteng Kabisote: The Legend Continues."
Mark Gil: "Maybe, this New Year, ang resolution ko, less smoking." Mark is in the cast of Imus Productions/Reality Entertainment/Enchanted Kingdom’s "Exodus: Tales From the Enchanted Kingdom."
BJ "Tolits" Forbes: "I promise not to be a bad boy to my mother this New Year." Tolits plays the Fire Elemental in "Exodus: Tales from the Enchanted Kingdom."
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4th day filmfest gross
Here’s the unofficial fourth day gross of the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival 2005:
"Enteng Kabisote," R7.5M; "Mulawin," R4.1M; "Exodus," R4.1M; "Ako Legal Wife," R3.8M; "Shake, Rattle & Roll," R2.4M; "Kutob," R1M.
Four days total gross: "Enteng,"R47M; "Exodus," R30M; "Mulawin,"R29M; "Ako Legal Wife," R19M; "Shake, Rattle & Roll," R17M; "Kutob," R9M; and "Terrorist Hunter," R1M.
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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Jan. 1, go to Mrs. Cristina Ponce Enrile, Rev. Sonia Yu Lim, Mrs. Gliceria R. Abunda, Lourdes Tapia-Tolosa, Sony Mangundayao, Mylene Gamboa, Patrick Apostol, Aida de la Cruz, Violeta Villanueva, Buddy Medina, Leila C. de Leon, Mila Africa Jose, Alfredo B. Canlas, Jr., Soledad S. Siguenza, Dr. Rosalinda Suaco Ante and Marietta Ejercito... Belated b-day greetings to Marietta Tamondong of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) who marked her special day last Dec. 28, but it was also the day her mother passed away. Our condolences... TO OUR DEAR READERS, WISHING YOU A MORE BLESSED AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!
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