Today Tabloid

Cuyo, Palawan—When I saw the trailer of filmmaker Dante Garcia’s directorial debut, "Ploning" middle of this year, its setting was delightful and refreshing--in contrast to the haunting and yearning atmosphere created in the film, vis-à-vis its love lost theme that somehow, this coastal town perfectly actualized.

The Cuyo port is the stopover of most ships and boats coming and going to Iloilo City and Puerto Princesa City.

Our ship, the My Milagrosa J-Tres docked in this wharf for a major, marathon stopover--we were docked for 12 hours, five in the morning to five in the afternoon, Friday (October 10, 2008)--before we could resume sailing to our destination.

According to the many seasoned seafarers, the long stopover allows for the boarding of additional passengers from Cuyo who are going to Iloilo City or Puerto Princesa City. It also allows the crew of the vessel to unload and load heavy materials.

I was sick with the flu and decided to sweat the virus out out by walking the harbor and seeing the hidden beauty of this island paradise, amidst the seeming isolation of a community almost forgotten by the conveniences of modernity.

I was told that that during the whole stopover wait, I could roam around and get in touch with the "cinematic fossils" left behind by Judy Ann Santos’ "Ploning" before it gets to Hollywood.

True enough, the creamy beach reminded the earnestness of its people in welcoming visitors.

I asked around where Judy Ann one of her more notable scenes in the movie. A small eatery operator volunteered. "D’yan po sa may dagat d’yan. ‘Yang may beach na ‘yan," she pointed out referring to the creamy beach more than almost five hundred meters away from her karinderya.

"At saka d’yan po sa may d’yan sa papuntang pantalan at sa may bayan," added the eatery manager.

As has been widely reported, Judy Ann and after shooting there for weeks, the actress was adopted by the islanders as one of their own.

As one female resident said: "Nang tumagal, parang tagarine na rin si Judy Ann. Hindi na masyadong pinapansin. ‘Yong boyfriend nga, lagi na lang nagmomotor d’yan sa mga kalye d’yan."

But what the Cuyo people still don’t realize is this: once their location island is flashed on-screen during the pre-selection of the Best Foreign Language Film at the 2009 Oscars, this sleepy town just might wake up one day to a sudden arrival of tourists.

"Ploning" is the Philippines' entry to the special category mostly missed out in the past at the first base yet. Who knows next year could be our lucky year?

Director Dante Garcia has already left for the US to attend the screening of his film. "Naghahanap din siya ng pondo para madala ang kanyang pelikula sa Oscars," a source told us, requesting anonymity.

"Kailangan ding mag-lobby ni Dante Nico para mapansin ang pelikula natin," said one gay resto owner in Palawan who said he’s a friend of Garcia.

Before going to Hollywood, Garcia went home to Puerto Princesa City, his hometown, to oversea his many businesses in place.

He’s also set to shoot his new film with Eugene Domingo, no less, as leading lady, titled "Mrs. Recto," about the lives of students getting board and lodging in the university built area of C.M. Recto.

According to our very reliable source, Domingo will be joined in by heartthrobs Piolo Pascual and Jericho Rosales.