Sylvia La Torre: The First Lady of Television is back - FUNFARE by Ricardo F. Lo

Like ABS-CBN’s long-winding two-year-old soap Saan Ka Man Naroroon, GMA 7’s early-afternoon drama series Rio del Mar (produced by Television and Production Exponents, Inc. or TAPE) is closing very soon (as in this weekend) and taking its slot is an entirely new series, a light comedy this time, titled Biglang Sibol, Bayang Impasibol, directed by Jeffrey Jeturian from a teleplay by a pool of writers headed by Bibeth Orteza.

Biglang Sibol is a welcome change, indeed, an innovative show that will give housewives (target market of shows on that timeslot, 1:30 to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday) a chance to laugh and give their overworked tear glands a much-needed respite. The show will chronicle the petty quarrels of two families, the Vaciadors and the Herreros, whose younger members later fall in love with one another and thus further complicating the already complicated situation. Yes, it’s a reworking of the classic Romeo & Juliet but without the tragic deaths or double suicides, although televiewers are properly forewarned that they could die laughing.

Cast in Biglang Sibol, which premieres next Monday, March 12, are Nestor de Villa, Delia Razon, Celia Rodriguez, Michael de Mesa, Gardo Versoza, Lara Fabregas, Lyka Ugarte, Lara Morena, Ynez Veneracion, Jeffrey Quizon, Alessandra da Rossi, Little Miss Philippines Dindin Llarena, Gladys Guevarra (of The Boxers With K) and – drum roll, please! – Sylvia La Torre, the First Lady of Television no less.

The new generation of TV-movie fans might be wondering who Sylvia La Torre is since the First Lady of Television has been away not only from the limelight but from the country as well, playing to the hilt her real-life role as lola to her and husband (dentist) Celso Perez de Tagle’s eight grandchildren in California where they migrated in the early ’80s.

The daughter of Olive La Torre, director of the classic ’50s weepy drama Roberta (with Tessie Agana in the title role) which helped put back in business the burned Sampaguita Pictures, Sylvia has been in showbiz for 56 years, married to the same man for 47 years, starting as a radio talent at the old ABS-CBN in Aduana, Intramuros. She’s a Conservatory of Music graduate from UST and the country’s undisputed Queen of Kundiman, the voice behind such immortal songs as Madaling Araw, Waray Waray, Mutya ng Pasig, Pandangguhan and Kalesa, among many others.

She was also the first leading lady of now-Senator Ramon Revilla in the Sampaguita movie Takas sa Bataan (directed by Armando Garces) and among the original hosts of noontime shows (remember Everyday Holiday, with Oscar Obligacion, also now US-based?) and daily early-evening variety shows (Oras ng Ligaya, of course!); the ghost singer of dozens of popular actresses of the ’50s and ’60s; and the star of several spin-offs of the trend-setting sitcom Tang-Tarang-Tang (with Pugo, Bentot, Rosa Aguirre, Eddie San Jose and Leroy Salvador), including Utos Nang Utos, Nukso Nang Nukso and Sebya, Mahal Kita (which started on radio and graduated to the small screen and, eventually, the big screen).

Then and now, she’ll always be Ebyang in the hearts of her fans, old and, hopefully, new ones she will surely win over with her appearance in Biglang Sibol – that is, Ebyang the "untouched," Ebyang the pure and wholesome, Ebyang the epitome of virtue and everything positive about the Filipina (you know, keep off her, please!).

In short, Sylvia La Torre is Mrs. Clean, perhaps the only Filipino actress who adamantly refuses to be embraced or kissed by her leading men – the Eternal Virgin of the Screen. Can an actress stay that long in showbiz with such a no-no condition (clearly stated in her contracts)? Well, Sylvia is the living proof.

TAPE people knew, so when they offered Sylvia the Biglang Sibol role they bore that no-touch self-imposed "policy" in mind.

"It’s a nice role," admits Sylvia who showed up at Annabel’s Restaurant with husband Celso, now fully recovered from a stroke a few years ago. "I play an old maid, actually a widow who never remarried, may moral values, strict and conservative. Kapag masaya, kumakanta; kapag malungkot, kumakanta pa rin. O, di ba akong-ako! Bibeth told me, ’Tita, ’yung asawa ng character n’yo died before the honeymoon was consummated.’ Sabi ko, ‘Good, iha, virgin pa rin ako kung ganoon.’ Not many people know that Bibeth wrote her very first teleplay for my show Basta Mahal Kita in the early ’80s. In Biglang Sibol, we will inject into the script Filipino values and customs na parang nakakalimutan na ng kabataan, that’s why I accepted the role at once when my manager (Ronnie Henares) called me up in the States about it."

Yes, worth coming home for.

"The offer came just in time because I’d really been planning to make a showbiz comeback, especially now that my grandchildren are grown-up."

When Sylvia left for the States, she looked forward to playing lola, never mind if she was giving up her TV shows and a lot of money. Her children are all staying in California: Artie Perez de Tagle with his wife and three children in San Jose, Bernadette with her husband and two children in Sacramento, and Che-Che (also once an actress) with her husband and three children in San Bernardino.

"Priority talaga naming mag-asawa ang aming pamilya," says Sylvia who looks as youthful as ever, 20 years younger than her age (secret!), thanks to her sunshiny disposition, positive attitude in life and highly-spiritual outlook. "When I celebrated my 50th anniversary in showbiz in 1994 at the Shrine Auditorium in L.A., Pilita (Corrales) was telling me, ‘Oy, Sylvia, you better resume your career in the Philippines; you’re losing a lot of money!’ Sabi ko, ‘I don’t really care about the money. I love my family, I love my children, I love taking care of my grandchildren.’ It’s family for us, above everything else."

In California, Sylvia’s time wasn’t all devoted to being yaya to her apos. She and US-based Filipino actors (Oscar Obligacion among them) would activate their Oras ng Ligaya sa Amerika group and perform in fund-raising shows.

"Even in America," says Sylvia whose last TV appearance was in Joey & Son (early ’80s, with Joey de Leon and a very young Ian Veneracion, now a father of two), "hindi ko nakakalimutan ang pagkanta ko. I would vocalize when I was cooking or putting the babies to sleep. Si Doc (husband Celso), nagtataka when I’m not vocalizing at home, even here. He would play my tapes, which he loves to listen to again and again, and remind me it’s "time to vocalize."

Sylvia was 21 and "Doc" was 20 when they got married.

"First love ko siya, first love din niya ako." says Sylvia, breaking into her signature musical laughter. (During the interview, the couple were holding hands and exchanging sweet glances, as if two teenagers in love.) "We get into discussions but we never fight. Hindi siya palikero, ako pa nga ang selosa, e. In three years, we will be celebrating our golden wedding anniversary."

The couple, now living in a cozy condo unit (after they’ve sold their Pasig City residence), is staying put for at least one year for the duration of Biglang Sibol, depending on whether or not her TAPE contract would be extended.

"All I’m thankful for," says Sylvia, "is that I still have my voice and I can still make people laugh. I still have this God-given gift and I have to use it to make other people happy."