HINDI IKINAHIHIYA ni Buboy Villar na isa siyang basurero noong bata pa. But there was more to scavenging as the Visayan boy—who recently turned 17—dreamed big.
Ang kanyang pangarap ay para sa kanyang pamilya to make it rise above poverty. Hence, sa aspetong ito nakare-relate si Buboy sa buhay na kinamulatan ni Manny Pacquiao until he became what he is today.
Buboy plays the 15 year-old Pacman in Paul Soriano’s Kid Kulafu. Tulad ni Manny na nangongolekta noon ng mga basyo ng Kulafu (syoktong), Buboy found himself in the same boat in real life.
Tulad ng Pambansang Kamao who had his share of life’s adversities, may ganito ring setback sa career si Buboy. Unlike most child prodigies who go through awkward stage, Buboy considers himself lucky to have been chosen to play the young Manny mula sa mahigit isandaang nag-audition for the role.
Mismong si Direk Paul oversaw the screening of the auditionees who barely had the slightest idea kung anong karakter ang gagampanan ng mapipiling bagets. Katwiran ni Direk Paul, the moment nga naman the hopefuls were told one of them would portray the young boxer ay aaralin nga naman nila ang mga kilos ng boxing champ.
As usual, the auditionees were made to act. At one point, Direk Paul asked Buboy if he was inclined in sports tulad ng basketball. At the same time pala, direk Paul watched Buboy’s past movies. Finally, after two or three callbacks, Buboy got the plum role.
Hindi naging madali para sa former child actor ang gumanap sa naturang papel. Aside from learning how to speak the way Manny does in his native dialect, kailangan ding nakakundisyon ang kanyang physique.
While the young Manny enhanced his body sa mga gawain sa bundok ng Bukidnon, Buboy was made to carry on his shoulders heavy stuff for him to develop the required muscle tone.
Famous sports analyst Ronnie Nathaniels only has nicewords sa pagkakapili kay Buboy bilang—as he was known in their province—Kid Kulafu.
At perfect nga ang playdate nitong April 15 (it was ABS-CBN President Charo Santos-Concio who chose the date), more than two weeks before the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight—dahil pangungunahan ng pelikula at ng ABS-CBN as well as its subsidiaries ang massive campaign in support of Pacman’s much-awaited fight.
BENJIE SALAC works as a a floor manager ng tinatambayan kong resto-bar in Pasay City, and what do you know? He hails from Pagadian City, kung saan nagmula rin si Mr. Rey Pamaran na nakaengkuwentro ni Melissa Mendez.
Benjie, however, does not come from Pagadian City’s who’s who. Isang simpleng residente lang siya roon who knows the Pamarans too well.
Mula pala sa angkan ng mga bigating pulitiko si Rey, but so much unlike most politicians here and elsewhere, the Pamarans are a low-profile lot. Ina-assert lang daw nila ang kanilang kapangyarihan when provoked.
And in the case involving Melissa—when push came to shove—normal at natural lang daw na almahan ng isang miyembro ng angkang Pamaran ang bastos na inasal ng isang tao.
Pepperoni
by Ronnie Carrasco III
