I HAVE always taken special interest in vloggers. Not just vloggers but particularly those I’ve been friends with in an industry where genuine friendship is hard to come by.
One of them is former fellow writer, artist manager-content creator Ogie Diaz who churns out celebrity interviews in a manner that is both insightful and revealing.
The other one is Morly Alinio, also a former magazine writer, now host of a showbiz program on DZRH.
Between the two, Ogie began vlogging way ahead of Morly. While Ogie’s contents are purely showbiz-concentrated, Morly’s initial vlogs dwelt on the simple yet colorful lives of people living in Tondo where he traces his roots.
Morly’s screaming OBB (opening billboard)–“Kung kaya mong mamuhay sa Tondo, kaya mo ring mamuhay saanmang panig ng mundo!”–teases what his viewers expect of each episode.
However, it’s still the juicy showbiz stuff which Morly’s captive audience expects of him to deliver the same way he does on his widely followed radio program.
For many editions now, Morly’s vlogs have gone through some major “makeover”–this time showbiz-flavored–while keeping the Tondo OBB.
His contents have even leveled up in the sense that Morly is himself the stand-upper who cuts his celebrity interview out of the blue, introduces a lead-in line and resumes his one-on-one talk.
Morly’s authoritative demeanor, however, gets drowned by his scene-stealing, attention-getting physical appearance–what with a hairpiece in the middle of his head, earrings that look like miniature chandeliers and outfit better worn by a cosplayer.
But if only for the manner by which he navigates his interview, the physical aspect becomes insignificant as it is forgiveable.
One of Morly’s recent vlogs featured Nova Villa who he visited on the set of Pepito Manaloto. Morly had to be in more than one location where the veteran actress had to do her scenes.
While it could affect the spontaneity of the interview, Morly was able to tightly hold his momentum. While I could imagine that most portions in the interview had to be remedied in the post-production work, the entirety came off as a breeze.
Consistently, I guess much of Morly’s nailing his interview with ease and confidence comes from being a one-time Palanca awardee (for poetry, however, using a pseudonym) back in the mid-80s and a glib Tagalog conversationalist, best of all.
Morly’s signature laughter–which can create fissures in the Earth’s crust–is yet another contributing factor.
A friend I hold dear, I can’t be any happier for Morly who–like Ogie–is also a father. Having sent his two sons to college is Morly’s greatest achievement by far.
Yet his feet remain planted on terra firma.
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SPEAKING of Nova Villa, once and for all, she addressed the old issue on mothering a child by the late Fernando Poe Jr.
“That’s not true. Let’s leave him in peace,” the veteran comedienne politely begged off.
What Nova shared is that her very first movie Daigdig ng Fantasia under Premier Productions had her as FPJ’s leading lady.
Already a showbiz hopeful at 17, it was her neighbor-friend Chichay who brought Nova to the production office in Caloocan City.
Introduced to the company’s production manager, Nova was told to be at the appointed place the next day for the morning shoot. “Aren’t you subjecting me first to a screen test?” Nova asked the PM.
Her first shooting day proved to be a walk in the park as Nova’s scenes were all take one. Since then, film offers came in torrents.
Even to this day, not everyone is privy to the fact that when not at work, Nova takes care of her bedridden non-showbiz husband with whom she has a now-US-based daughter: “I already have four grandkids.”
