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The Butcher | Controversial acceptance speeches at the Urian, including one by Yen Santos

by Butch Francisco /

11.21.22
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Photos: @ysantos_lilieyentasticofficial @johnarcilla @ms.lotlotdeleon

The Urian contest that evening was clearly between On the Job: the Missing 8 and Big Night. During the deliberations, the Manunuri members took a long time deciding between the two films. In the end, the group decided to give the top prize to both movies and so there was a tie in the best picture category.

In spite of the pandemic, the members of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino soldiered on and mounted the Gawad Urian ceremonies in 2020 and 2021. Both programs, of course, were done in the safest manner possible: online.

For the 45^th Gawad Urian, the Manunuri members were originally still bent on doing an online show. But the TVUP group stepped forward and offered to help the critics’ group put the presentation together – in a formal venue like during pre-pandemic times.

The TVUP organization, incidentally, is a group of mass communications graduates from the State University. It is headed by Dr. Grace Javier Alfonso, who is also a Manunuri member.

The Manunuri members are aware that TVUP is run by some of the most experienced people in the broadcast industry. For one, there’s Agnes Caballa, who wrote some of the grandest special affairs programs during the glory days of Philippine television. And then, there’s Malou Choa-Fagar, who was the executive producer of Eat Bulaga for more than three decades.

The Gawad Urian is no stranger to Malou. For seven years, she also supervised its production. This was during that period the Urian was being produced by APT Productions, the sister company of TAPE, Inc., the company behind Eat Bulaga.

TVUP only had less than two months to work on the Urian program. And Malou, bless her, she even volunteered to help the Manunuri get additional funding from the Film Development Council of the Philippines, which is now under the leadership of Tirso Cruz III.

Initially, the 45^th Gawad Urian was supposed to be held in one of the venues of TVUP, which is now housed in a brand-new building in the UP Diliman campus – practically across Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) in Balara, Quezon City. On the 5^th floor where the UPTV offices are located is an atrium. It’s not too big – just about the size the Manunuri members wanted for this year’s presentation. The COVID virus is still around us and the critics’ group didn’t want a big crowd breathing into each other.

That atrium has a lot of potentials. Imagine singers belting it out on a parapet. The place looks like a modern Rajah Sulayman in Fort Santiago where some of the best PETA plays were staged starting in the 1960s.

Unfortunately, that venue is open-air and there’s the risk of the event getting canceled due to bad weather. True enough, it rained on the night of the Urian.

The Gawad Urian, therefore, had to be moved to Cine Adarna, formerly known as UP Film Center. There had been three other Urian presentations done there in the past.

And so the Manunuri members were already on familiar territory on the night of the 45^th Gawad Urian last November 17. The event started at 6 p.m. with cocktails right outside the lobby. One of the early birds was John Lloyd Cruz who was nominated for Ang Historya ni Ha. He showed up in a polo barong that was in keeping with the Filipiniana motif identified with the Gawad Urian.

By 7 p.m., guests started arriving and were greeted with drinks and finger foods. At 7:30 p.m., the show began rolling with the opening number of Bayang Barrios.

This writer served as master of ceremonies – with Agot Isidro as co-host. Agot is no newcomer to the Urian rites. She had attended a couple of Urian shows as a nominee. She received nominations for Tulad ng Dati and Changing Partners.

The first to be awarded was Dante Rivero – as best supporting actor for On the Job: The Missing 8. For an actor of his caliber, it is strange that this Urian win is only his third acting award. He has only won previously for Wanted: Perfect Mother in the 1970 Manila Film Festival and as best supporting actor for A Love Story in the 2008 Luna Awards.

Sadly, Dante Rivero was unable to make it to the awards because he fell ill on the day of the Urian. In the past, organizers would only advise anyone involved in a show to pop a pill and show up at the event. But not in this pandemic age.

The next awardee was Lotlot de Leon as best supporting actress – also for On the Job. She made history that night because never had there been three generations of acting winners in any awards body – until Lotlot won the Urian last Thursday.

There had been mother and daughter victors before: Gloria Sevilla and Suzette Ranillo (then still Nadia Veloso), who even won on the same FAMAS night in 1974. Oh, yes, even father and son: Ramon Revilla and Marlon Bautista – also in the same FAMAS presentation.

But in the Urian, there are now three generations of winners from the same family. Of course, everything started with Nora Aunor, the first Urian best actress winner. She has received a total of seven Urian acting trophies, three for actress of the decade and a very special one for lifetime achievement.

For best actress, Yen Santos got the award for her performance in A Faraway Land. In her acceptance speech, she thanked leading man Paolo Contis, who is now her beau. Paolo was also nominated for best actor – also in the same film. He wanted to escort Yen to the Urian affair and be there as nominee, but was busy shooting a movie that day.

Paolo lost to John Arcilla, who actually had three nominations that evening: two for best supporting actor (A Hard Day and Big Night) and one for best actor (for On the Job). He won the bigger acting prize.

In 2020, Janine Gutierrez got the best actress trophy for Babae at Baril. And now comes Lotlot’s turn. It wasn’t surprising that she gave the most heartfelt acceptance speech that night. Like she said, she’d only admire and caress the Urian trophies of mother Nora Aunor in the past. Now, she has her own Urian award.

John actually faced fierce competition in the best actor category. Big Night’s Christian Bables fought really hard for the award, but it was John who prevailed in the end.

The Urian contest that evening was clearly between On the Job: the Missing 8 and Big Night. During the deliberations, the Manunuri members took a long time deciding between the two films. In the end, the group decided to give the top prize to both movies and so there was a tie in the best picture category.

The two movies (plus other nominated films) had strong political commentaries against government policies. It therefore was not surprising anymore that a lot of acceptance speeches were critical of the way the country is being governed by its leaders.

Thankfully, there were other musical numbers that helped ease the atmosphere at the Cine Adarna that evening. The two other performers were Rice Lucindo and Banaue Miclat-Janssen, who gave a haunting rendition of "Ginugunita Kita," the lyrics of which were provided by her late sister, another great artist, Maningning Miclat.

Below is the complete list of the Gawad Urian winners:

Best Short Film – Dandansoy by Arden Rod Condez

Best Documentary – The Right to Life by Arbi Barbarona

Best Sound – Corinne de San Jose (On the Job)

Best Music – Erwin Romulo, Malek Lopez and Arvin Nogueras (On the Job)

Best Production Design - Whammy Alcazaren (Kun Maupay Man It Panahon)

Best Editing – Gerone Centeno and Jay Altarejos (Walang Kasarian ang Digmang Bayan) and Jay Halili (On the Job)

Best Cinematography – Carlo Canlas Mendoza (Big Night!)

Best Screenplay – Michiko Yamamoto (On the Job)

Best Director – Erik Matti (On the Job)

Best Supporting Actor – Dante Rivero (On the Job)

Best Supporting Actress – Lotlot de Leon (On the Job)