Rey Anthony Chiu

As you are reading this, a movie crew has used up rolls of film, taking moving shots of local actors and filming beautiful locations in Bohol for a movie entry in the prestigious Master Director’s Edition of the 2013 Sineng Pambansa. Movie director and Boholano artist Maryo J. delos Reyes himself said he brings to Bohol the production staff and crew to a movie “the Bamboo Flowers,” to complete a movie project currently on location shoot in Alicia, Anda and Abatan River in Cortes and Maribojoc. Delos Reyes is among the 12 television and film directors who have been funded to provide an entry into the film festival in September, according to similarly award-winning musical scorer and Boholano Lutgardo Labad. Delos Reyes said the project is a grant by the Film Development Council of the Philippines as a tribute to those who helped carve Philippine movies. Just recently, the country lost at least three great movie icons, and delos Reyes said he is dedicating “The Bamboo Flowers” to them.

In 2012, the Philippines lost three movie icons: Celso Ad Castillo, Marilou Diaz-Abaya and Mario O’Hara. Delos Reyes said Bamboo Flowers, is a collection of stories that narrate the lives of various characters in the province of Bohol. He shared the synopsis as: “There is the tale of Ma’am Berta and her son Omel who are happy living the simple life along the Abatan River in Antequera. But both are confronted by the condition of Berta’s aging father, Andong, who is now sick. Andong loves joining the Abatan cultural collective presentation along the Abatan River Cruise, in fact he was the one who also brought his grandson Omel into the group. Since then, Omel has been performing with them since he was 8 years old. Now, Omel has to leave Antequera for a job in Tagbilaran city to help the family.”

“Meanwhile, in the coastal town of Anda, Sandra goes back home with her young teenage son Eric after the death of her husband left them penniless. Eric has to adjust to the rural life that is now pressing upon him while dealing with his anger about what really happened to his beloved father. His relationship with his mother is much strained because he thinks Sandra is a weakling who had to retreat to the province with him in tow. But nothing is farther from the truth. When Eric bullies a classmate in his new school, Sandra knows that she has to do something to finally teach her son some lesson.” “Dolores is an intern at a resort in the island of Panglao, a requirement for her to graduate from her Tourism course. Her boyfriend Luis is also in his last semester at a maritime school. Both love each other but they plan to finish their studies so they can work abroad. While, everything looks bright for Dolores, Luis struggles with his studies and eventually fails. His father forces him to come home to Alicia so he can become a farmer and abandon his dream of becoming a seafarer.” “Luis and Dolores decide to call it quits knowing that a long distance relationship will not work for them. Dolores then meets a foreigner who seduces her into a romantic escapade and offers marriage.” The film with star Mylene Dizon along with the company of big screen names, and would feature Boholano talents including the Abatan Cultural Collectives, Evelyn Silva, a production assistant said.

TOURISM PROMOTIONS

Over the development, Abatan Community Life Tours get its most needed nationwide promotions, admits Emilia Roslinda, executive director of a non-government organization operating the tours. People in Abatan expect a sudden tourism awareness in their community like the one sprung when Cesar Montano filmed the movie “Panaghoy sa Suba” in Loboc. Now slowly picking up in tourism arrivals, the influx has also opened opportunities from people along the river to earn a few more in tourism services. Abatan features a river cruise and cultural presentations in its five stops circuit. Along the way from Cortes to Balilihan, where the river is navigable, tourists are afforded the view of bamboos, glorious in its flowering stage. Few days ago, delos Reyes, along with a casting crew held auditions for support cast at the Food Plaza of the BQ Mall, where a sizable crowd of aspiring young Boholanos tried their acting skills. On the movie, delos Reyes explains, “it is a reality that when the bamboo starts to produce flowers, the tree is said to be entering its final stage and will eventually die.” The sight of the chandeliers of flowers hanging from the tree is all glorious. In the same manner, we are all destined to leave this world eventually and all we leave behind are the glorious stories of our lives,” de los Reyes said.