This is a belated birthday tribute to German Moreno, who turned in another sleepless year (his show is Walang Tulugan, right?) last Oct. 4.
Although I cannot say categorically that we are friends, especially since we had never even sat down together for coffee (except during an interview I did with him during my first wave with this paper), I will always respect him for his loyalty and work ethics.
We all know that his loyalty to Nora Aunor is as legendary as the career of the superstar.
His loyalty to GMA 7 — I became witness to that.
When I was still with ABS-CBN, the bosses used to invite the talents for lunches in the executive offices. I don’t know if they still do that now, but I hope they had continued this practice because that gave the artists the assurance of being needed (and the showbiz people are such an insecure bunch).
In one of those lunches, the network’s top honcho revealed how they had wanted to pirate German and Helen Vela. They both politely said no.
The two were on top of their careers that time and were valuable properties. Helen was doing the GMA 7 newscast, but — more importantly — watching her Lovingly Yours drama-counseling program every Sunday afternoon had become a habit among Filipinos, like it was part of the religious practices of all faiths.
German had the hugely successful GMA Supershow every Sunday noontime and That’s Entertainment every afternoon.
Helen had already passed away that time when I was told this story, but the network bosses clearly still maintained their admiration for her. It was the same with German. The Channel 2 bosses respected them all the more because of their sense of loyalty to their home network, GMA 7.
With regard to German’s work ethics, I think he is the only on-cam talent today who actually sees through every step of production.
And then, there are his contributions to the local entertainment profession. Of course, he had been widely known as a star-maker.
Now, let us put things in their proper perspective: Some of the That’s Entertainment alumni were already stars when they joined his afternoon program. Lea Salonga actually started with Repertory Philippines as a child performer and had a few, well, forgettable youth-oriented films behind her when she joined German’s fold.
It was the same with Francis Magalona, who was launched by Viva in Bagets 2. And Jojo Alejar, whose career was launched in Penthouse 7 as part of the dancing trio The Tigers.
While German didn’t exactly discover them, his That’s Entertainment show sustained the careers of these young talents while they were trying to find their places in this very complicated showbiz universe. In this industry, you’ll never know where you will excel until you are there and already making a good job of it — and maintaining it.
Lea went on to bigger things and is now a national treasure. Jojo is still around hosting his late-night show on TV5.
But the one German truly helped through the transitory phase was Jestoni Alarcon, who started out as a very young screen stud mercilessly exploited in those Seiko sex movies.
Jestoni’s mother obviously had a deep sense of what is right and what is wrong because she was said to have protested over her young son’s screen exploitation. She worked as a lady guard and probably gave her consent not knowing how the industry operates.
A stint with That’s Entertainment eventually helped clean Jestoni’s image — until he finally became a bankable action star. Action movies may not be in vogue now, but Jestoni later also succeeded as a politician and is now a reliable character actor in soaps — thanks to That’s Entertainment.
The late Francis M. didn’t know what to make of his career either in the mid-’80s, but German’s show gave the then young artist a home base until he discovered his music and became famous as a Master Rapper.
I believe this is one facet of German’s generosity that has yet to be officially acknowledged: He gives shelter to lost careers.
If at times he feels overly sensitive about being ignored by the industry and its members, maybe it’s because he is not being appreciated enough by the industry and its members.
But I will always acknowledge his lofty status in the profession. Never mind if — truthfully — there was no point in my career when it led to his direction or any of his past programs.
Although, of course, there was a time I was this close to getting drafted in That’s Entertainment and it’s a story I will never have the guts to share with the public. I hope Baby Gil of this paper no longer remembers the incident because she was there when it happened. She and Nene Riego.
However, even if I never got to work with German, my respect for him will eternally be up there. I salute him for his loyalty, dedication to work, his contributions to the entertainment business — and yes, for just being Kuya Germs.