Yul would rather feed the soul

As a neophyte councilor (third district of Manila), Yul Servo may just be learning the ropes of local government and the bureaucracy’s ins and outs. But he has something his colleagues may not be able to offer: An abiding passion for the arts.

Yul’s fellow councilors may have their hands full with projects that feed the body. But lest anyone forget, food for the soul, is just as nourishing. It has a more lasting, more life-changing effect. It can lift depressed spirits; cheer up the cheerless heart with its vibrant hues, lilting melodies, uplifting prose. And that’s where Yul comes in.

As chair of the Committee on Arts (with fellow artist Lou Veloso as vice chair), Yul has been silently but surely sowing the seeds of artistic passion in his area. To an out-of-school boy hooked on solvent, Yul’s acting workshop proved to be a ticket out of a deadly addiction. To another hitherto aimless boy who didn’t know he had talent, the finger painting workshops opened the door for his work to be displayed at Malacañang in celebration of the ongoing National Arts Month.

Members of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts sat up and noticed when the Pili at Pino (composed of out-of-school youths in Manila which Yul organized) choral group performed at the opening of the National Arts Month.

The moving stories of transformation can go on and on, especially in depressed areas of Manila, where teenagers, children of cash-strapped parents, roam aimlessly and resort to vices. That’s why Yul is always up on his toes, balancing his work in the movies with that of councilor.

His main concern now is getting free space for his art workshops through the Rotary Club of Tondo. As it is, Pili at Pino is renting a place in an area outside Yul’s jurisdiction — Quezon City — for the free workshops. And that’s the irony of it all. Manila — with all its public schools scattered all over the place — cannot even provide space to help its artistically-inclined youth. And Yul’s committee has to go to Quezon City to make its dream project come true. In so doing, it needs to exert extra effort, spend more time and money.

Yul is unfazed. On his 28th birthday on Feb. 23, his one dream is “to bring art to the grassroots especially to the children.” So he is holding a full day program at San Nicolas, Binondo, Manila (in front of Binondo Church) for his constituents. It will be capped by a variety show starring Torotot co-star Maui Taylor, Angelika dela Cruz, the all-male M-Gage band and others. In the morning, Yul will hold a feeding program, free hair-cutting sessions and a dental-medical mission. The public can have their hair cut and their teeth extracted for free.

Good intentions, however, can only go so far. Yul admits he is still learning and the road ahead is still long and lined with the usual pitfalls. That’s why he wants to be more equipped. He plans to take up a crash course on public administration.

But he also realizes that he can’t live on a councilor’s modest paycheck. He needs showbiz to feed his body. Thus, the award-winning actor wants to do more projects, like a teleserye. For now, Yul is shooting the indie film Torotot, directed by Maryo J. delos Reyes.

Here he plays a workaholic architect who neglects his bored wife Rita (played by newcomer Precious Adona). Rita turns to another man for solace, and the problems begin.

Precious may be new in the game – Torotot being her debut film. But this early, the model and Allure cover girl has what it takes to get direk Maryo J’s thumbs-up. Her bed scenes alone (with Yul and Anton Bernardo) may make any newcomer squirm. But the Assunta de Rossi lookalike is not afraid. She’s willing to learn.

Precious is willing to go the extra mile to live up to her role as family breadwinner since her mom, estranged from her dad, suffered a big loss in her recruitment business.

Besides, there’s direk Maryo, Yul, Maui, Baron Geisler and Andrew Schimmer, Precious’ Torotot co-stars, to help her.

Everything is possible if one is willing to go the extra mile to learn. Yul knows that. And Precious — bless her soul — agrees. She’s willing to work just as hard to give her craft the passion it deserves and her life, the deeper meaning it can give her.