Mitch & Lorli combine showbiz & advocacies

When one mentions the name Mitch Valdez, the immediate connection is OPM and comedy. Similarly, the name Lorli Villanueva revives memories of Bituing Walang Ningning, PETA and Lino Brocka. Nowadays, Mitch is starting a new life and Lorli’s selfless contribution to education in Manhattan continues bearing fruit.

It has already been written in this paper by Ricky Lo how after Mitch stated that visiting The Holy Land was on her bucket list, Arlina Onglao who organizes Holy Land tours got her to sing this coming Christmas in Bethlehem. As we face her for the first time in many moons, we recall the great ’80s and ’90s when Mitch (renamed Maya Valdez by Ishmael Bernal) made her presence felt in films of Brocka like Burgis & Lunes, Martes, Miyerkules, Bernie’s City After Dark, Peque Gallaga’s Oro Plata Mata, and Mario O’Hara’s Bulaklak ng City Jail with Nora Aunor.

She would appear on television intermittently, but it was on the live stand-up comedy scene where she was most active. Nowadays, Viva Concerts and Events has decided to put together the Comic Divas of Nanette Inventor, Tessie Tomas and Mitch Valdez, with Jon Santos as special guest in a night of endless laughter on Sept. 26 as directed by Andrew de Real. Venue is the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World Manila.

 For the longest time, Mitch since 1990 has headed the OPM (Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mangaawit) Board. Today, she is busy with the new Collective Management Organization (CMO) that will do the collections for performers, in the same manner that FILSCAP does the collections for composers. Best of all, Mitch is eager to make herself visible on television not only via live guestings but teleseryes as well.

Lorli Villanueva and family at their home in Guimaras Island

For info on Comic Divas, call Resorts World 908-8888, Viva Concerts at 687-7238. For Christmas in Bethlehem, call Journeys of Faith 929-0144 and 929-0155.

Another showbiz personality who had re-invented herself by heeding the call of the academe is Lorli Villanueva, deputy chair of the Graduate School of Education and Special Education of Touro College in Manhattan where she is called Prof. Lorli Dima-ala. Her devotion to the cause of higher education gave her the Ulirang Guro Award from the Association of Filipino Teachers of America in 2010.

This month, Lorli receives still another recognition as one of 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the US: Behind the Scenes Leader Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, Stanford Court Hotel, San Francisco for her work in education. Exceedingly pleased by the acknowledgment, Touro has placed its appreciation in a number of international publications.

Lately, having rediscovered her talent for singing, Lorli recorded a CD titled Reminisce for the Asilo de Molo in Iloilo to use in its fundraising efforts. She will follow this up with a concert An Evening with Lorli scheduled Oct. 19, at the Philippine Center on 5th Avenue, NY with the Asilo de Molo as beneficiary. She has just put up the Creative Convergence for Entertainment Arts Foundation which indicates there will be more of these fund-raising shows.     

Lorli’s concert in Manhattan for the benefit of Asilo de Molo

Another development is Lorli’s appointment as chair of the Faculty Hiring Committee in the Graduate Education Program, plus her heading Touro’s expansion from Manhattan, to Queens, and now the Bronx. “I run the biggest education program in the State of New York,” Lorli tells us, happy for the school’s recognition of her administrative abilities. “Touro is in the Top 10 schools for education in the whole nation!”

“Before we know it, you’ll be bringing Touro to the Philippines,” we kid her. Seriously, Lorli answers, “I already have a program proposal that would connect Touro to a Special Education Online program of training teachers in the Philippines. We only need a partner in the Philippines.” Obviously, there is no stopping this woman. Interested private schools in the Philippines can reach Prof. Lorli at [email protected]. 

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