WE always root for the underdogs. They are the usually quiet ones who dream big, set realistic goals and work hard. And the year that was saw a lot of them rising to the occasion and edging out the favorites in their respective fields. Cheers to these underdogs who will all move forward and take bigger, bolder leaps this new year.
ELIJAH CANLAS
ONLY 20 years old, Elijah is no doubt the most accomplished local actor of 2020. For his brave and heartfelt performance in the movie Kalel, 15, Canlas scored best actor wins at the Urian, Famas and the 17th Asian Film Festival in Rome. We first caught his natural flair for acting as a child actor in Sundalong Kanin, an entry to the Cinemalaya 2014 edition. He also had memorable scenes in Babae at Baril and Edward, both exemplary movies of 2019.
This year, Canlas accepted one of the two lead roles in the Boy Love (BL) series Gameboys, which turned out to be an online hit. There’s just no stopping him now.
JANINE GUTIERREZ
THE granddaughter of Pilita Corrales, Eddie Gutierrez and Nora Aunor surprised film aficionados when she accepted the lead role in Rae Red’s Babae at Baril, a move that worked wonders for this model-celebrity. She bagged best actress honors at the QCinema International Film Festival, the Urian and Famas.
A contract star of GMA for many years, it is ironic it was through the film medium that Gutierrez’s potential as an actress was tapped, utilized and maximized, and where she eventually shone as an actress. Her parents, Ramon Christopher Gutierrez and Lotlot de Leon, must be beaming with joy and pride over their daughter’s many achievements this year.
CHARLIE DIZON
TWENTY-TWENTY’S breakout female star is named Charlie Dizon, a first-time movie actor who bagged the recent Festival Best Actress for her role in Tonette Jadaone’s Fan Girl.
Dizon has been waiting in the sidelines for some time now among the hundreds of hopefuls in the roster of Star Magic contract artists. She was usually categorized as “ordinary looking”—until the call for auditions for a new actress to play the titular role in this movie came about. And when the film was finally shown, she did not just impress but also mesmerized.
ALFRED VARGAS
TWENTY-TWENTY seemed like a roller coaster year for actor-politician Alfred Vargas.
In July, Vargas found himself being bashed by so many in the entertainment world when he chose to inhibit himself in the controversial ABS-CBN franchise renewal voting as a member of congress.
Vargas, who continues to serve his constituents well in the Fifth district of Quezon City, acted out of propriety and cited conflict of interest as his reasons. He was hurt, but he set aside his personal feelings and carried on with his duties during the pandemic, even quietly reaching out to help people outside his district.
Last year also saw Vargas producing and acting in the movie Tagpuan for the annual year-end film festival where the movie even scored a win as third Best Picture. But the joy was short-lived because just a day after the awards ceremonies, Vargas and some of his colleagues at the House of Representatives were implicated by President Duterte in a corruption allegation. Vargas has denied this indictment and asserted that his conscience is clear.
We’ve known Vargas for a long time now, and we have been witness countless times to how hard he works and how good his heart is.
RABIYA MATEO
ILOILO’S pride Rabiya Mateo was not on top of the favorites’ list of pageant experts when she joined the first-ever Miss Universe Philippines search. But her competitive spirit surfaced during the finals and she won the title. Call it destiny, but her big win just proves that if we really want something that bad, and we work hard on it, the elements of the universe will conspire to grant us our goals and dreams.
MIGS ALMENDRAS
CREATING waves is promising newbie Migs Almendras, who just won the Aliw Award for Best Actor in a Play for his heartfelt performance in Peta’s Under My Skin.
Almendras has played small but significant roles, including the young Michael de Mesa character in the filmfest movie Isa Pang Bahaghari. Almendras’s photo was not included in the poster of the movie, as he was deemed “wala pa naman pangalan compared to his coactors.” When Phillip Salvador saw the film during the preview, the veteran actor was overheard asking what’s the name of this new actor playing the young Michael de Mesa. “Mahusay siya” was Salvador’s remark.
Like his coactors in the hit online series Hello Stranger, Almendras now enjoys a fan base among the younger audience who are all looking forward to the movie version of the series that has already wrapped up principal photography under Blacksheep Productions.
JAMES DE LOS SANTOS
KARATE champion James de los Santos first hogged the headlines in 2019 after he was unceremoniously excluded from the Philippine team that participated in the biennial Southeast Asian Games. He stood up to alleged corruption within the sports body, perhaps one of the reasons why he was left out in the selection process. Undaunted by this setback, de los Santos remained focused and went on a personal training trip in Japan under the mentorship of Masa Saito.
All his sacrifices have paid off as he is now the highest-ranking e-kata athlete, dominating the international virtual kata circuit with a total haul of 36 gold medals, beating the best of the world.
And who knows, we might see this 30-year-old charmer from Cebu trying out local show business in this new year, too!
RICHARD SOMES
ONE of the few we knew who successfully hurdled depression and anxiety during the pandemic lockdown, filmmaker and TV director Richard Somes was always firm that he should and will win over this unwelcomed disorder.
Somes, who was diagnosed as diabetic, took the organic and natural way to combat his fluctuating sugar levels. He didn’t take any maintenance medication but instead worked out at home, ran, jogged, ate healthy and recalibrated his mind. Now, he is just a few pounds off his ideal weight, and he is happy with how he feels, inspiring his close circle of friends to do the same.
He also took to painting to release his suppressed emotions. He has finished and sold more than a dozen large artworks. Somes has also shifted his director’s adrenaline to high gear as he is about to start a new psycho-thriller-action movie that will star JM de Guzman, Sid Lucero, Annicka Dolonius, Julio de Leon and Paolo Paraiso.