Pinoy stars’ ‘guardian angels’ in Barcelona

The entire cast and staff of Barcelona are forever grateful to Tina Paner for introducing them to the couple Brad Malapitan Catly and Vicky de Leon Matira, who turned out to be their guardian angels from beginning to end. Brad and Vicky welcomed the group with open arms, allowing them to shoot in their house and business establishments (Myramar restaurant 1 & 2, Vibrad Travel and CoAliment grocery), which also served as their unofficial headquarters.

The couple also took care of their meals and provided them with transportation. At times, when the regular driver, Peter Brucal, was not available, Brad himself took the wheel, to the embarrassment of the Barcelona group led by producer Christopher Concepcion and director Gil Portes.

As if that wasn’t enough, the couple also requested their many friends in Barcelona to assist in the filming of the movie which starred Alessandra de Rossi, Luis Alandy, Tina Paner (who also served as production coordinator), Alan Paule and Robert Arevalo.

Early this year, Gil flew to Barcelona to look at possible location sites in the city, the capital of Spain’s Catalan region. He got in touch with Tina, who’s been based in Barcelona the past five years. At a party, Tina introduced him to Brad and Vicky, Barcelona residents for more than 20 years. They have two children born in the Spanish City, Myra, 20, and Marc, 17, both in college.

Gil befriended Brad and Vic and proposed that they be the sponsors of the production group which would shoot in Barcelona in May. In return, the couple would have the premiere rights of the movie tentatively entitled Barcelona, now the final title. They said yes and didn’t even bother to ask for any formal guarantee. Gil’s words – with the go-signal of the producer, Christopher Concepcion – were good enough. The young, good-looking and articulate producer manages the family business, Loyola Plans, which is tapping the Filipino market overseas.

Brad and Vicky’s office staff were ever ready to be of help during the shoot, especially Angelle Villanueva of Vibrad Travel and Marie Magsinoc of Myramar 1, who also appeared in the movie. But for Myramar 2 which is in another part of Barcelona, the couple’s businesses and piso (three-story apartment) are situated on Calle Valldoncella, near La Rambla, Plaza Catalunya, Barcelona cathedral, Ronda San Antoni, and stores like El Corte Ingles, Zara and Mango.

Alex and her mother Nenita were billeted in a nearby hotel. Luis and Christopher, who flew in later, occupied extra rooms in the couple’s piso. The rest – Gil, cinematographer D-boy Trofeo and his brother Ari (sound engineer and editor), associate producer Israel Penson, assistant director Boyet Kabigting, assistant cinematographer Elmer Despa, production designer Willy Urbino, scriptwriter Senedy Que, Ronald Constantino of Tempo – stayed at a condo whose caretaker is Tina’s good friend, Riza Cruz.

Brad and Vicky, originally from Calapan, Mindoro Oriental, migrated to Barcelona in 1980. They were in their early 20s; Brad took up mechanical engineering at FEATI but ended as a waiter in a bar. Vicky dreamt of being a stewardess and studied in Iberia, a school for flight attendants.

Brad recalls that the owner of the Spanish bar he worked for persuaded him to take over management of the establishment as he wanted to retire. "You won’t regret it," the Spaniard assured. True enough, Brad eventually put up his own restaurant, Myramar, named after the two children. Myramar served Spanish and Filipino food as it catered to a mixed clientele. The menu list includes paella, jamon, chorizo, tapas and such Pinoy recipes as pansit, litson kawali, laing (spinach is used instead of gabi leaves) and halo-halo.

Business was so good that in time the couple put up Myramar 2, CoAliment grocery and Vibrad Travel. A money remittance center is in the offing.

Brad and Vicky are hands-on entrepreneurs. Vicky stays most of the time at the travel agency, where she’s training her daughter Myra to manage it. Myra’s taking up tourism, third year. The son, Marc, is a pre-Med student.

Brad does the marketing for the two restaurants and the grocery store, driving a pick-up and loading and unloading boxes of meat, fish, fruits and vegetables with the help of an assistant.

Most of their staff are Filipinos, relatives whom they petitioned. Then it was easy to get a working visa in Spain, especially in Barcelona, a Filipino-friendly city. Some 25,000 Pinoys live and work in Barcelona, and nearby areas, mostly domestics, waiters, sales clerks, cooks and seamen.

There are, however, Filipinos who dared to embark on their own businesses (mostly putting up eateries, bars, pubs, groceries, beauty parlors and travel agencies) and succeeded. One such success story is that of Brad and Vicky’s. There’s a couple who won 1.8 million euro in the Barcelona lotto, enabling them to renovate their house and retire in comfort. One euro is equivalent to nearly P70.

Tina Paner has a pretty three-year-old daughter, Luisane "Shane" Kristiel, Her father is a wealthy Filipino-Spanish mestizo who’d rather not be identified. Tina started producing concerts, the first topbilled by Ogie Alcasid and Manilyn Reynes, which was a hit. The latest starred Piolo Pascual, Rica Peralejo and Pokwang. It could have been another success but for the antics of an overbearing road manager.

In accordance with Spanish laws, Tina is known as Tina Paner Romualdez. Yes, the middle name comes last. And that will be her name forever, regardless of marriage or divorce or separation. And it applies to men and women alike. The mother’s name comes last.

Filipinos in Barcelona, like those in Madrid, Rome, Milan, London, Amsterdam, Athens, and other cities in the world, send a substantial portion of their income back home, meeting day-to-day expenses and financing the building of homes and schooling of children and other relatives.

In the movie, Alex plays a mysterious woman in search of a missing husband (Kris Martinez, who shot only in Manila) in Barcelona, where she meets Luis, Tina, Alan, and Robert, who have their own stories to tell.

One scene in Barcelona was shot at the videoke room in Myramar 2 (every Filipino restaurant in the city has one), where Pinoys shared their tragic and comic experiences while new in the place. It was supposed to be Independence Day, June 12, and amid songs, tears and laughter, the country’s bagong bayani are lost in thoughts about the Philippines. But they realized soon enough that Spain, which is generally kind to Filipinos, is their new home, be it for a few years or for good.

It was with mixed feelings that the group left Barcelona when the shoot wrapped up after three weeks (not counting the pre-production work). It means returning to the Philippines, which they anticipated with joy. But then they also felt sad as it meant saying goodbye to Brad and Vicky, their families and office staff, whose kindness and hospitality were overwhelming. They’ve also enjoyed mixing with kababayan in Barcelona, some of whom appeared in the film. Everyone cried. But hopefully they’ll see Brad and Vicky again. At the premiere in Barcelona, perhaps?

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