By Mario J. De los Reyes

I am an assistant to the Great Artist. I was only in the kindergarten in Letran when I realized I wanted to be a director. Whenever there was a show, a declamation contest for Christmas decoration contest, I was always assigned to be in Charge, even at the early age.

But my dream to be a director flourished because I lover the movies. I would sell macopa, the proceeds of which I used to watch double program movies of Sampaguita Pictures or LVN at Clover, Majestic in Recto and others. And then, when I entered the seminary, I continued to volunteer my services to the drama guild.

Twist of Fate

In high school, now out of the seminary upon the advice of my prefect, I joined PETA. I was supposed to be going to PWU because my mom had encouraged me to join the Bayanihan Dance Troup. But I boarded the wrong vehicle. Then I met a friend from the seminary who urged me to join in PETA where they still were in need of one actor.

That same night, I was already practicing with Cecille Guidote as our teacher. Inspired by my teacher, friends and sister and pushed on my dream, I took up Communication Arts in the University of the Philippines.

My thesis was about family planning and the theater teaching principle. From the show, “Itay, Kain na Tayo,” we would give questionnaire before and after the play to solicit awareness and understanding about family planning. This thesis was sent to Cecille Guidote who in turn sent it to the UNESCO International Woman’s Year in Mexico. I was invited to become a youth speakers to discuss how I could use the theater teaching principle. From Mexico I proceeded to New York to do my report and I asked them to give me a scholarship in International Theater Institute in Paris.

I got the certificate course on the theater in Paris and stayed there for a week or two. The theater group assigned me jobs like carpentry, ticketing, stage assistance, any thing, I finished it in six months. After which I went to Germany and Amsterdam. Theater groups have many connections that are why I got to travel around and search for whatever group that would accept me.

Can’t Stop It!

When I came back to the Philippines, I met Lupita Kashiwara who was starting a movie, Magandang Gabi sa Inyong Lahat with Guy and Pip with Premier Productions. She invited me to give a workshop for her film Alkitrang Dugo. I gave the workshop in which Eddie Villamayor and Nora Aunor joined, Guy asked me to direct her for the Makulay na Daigdig ni Nora.
Because of my background with kids in Alkitrang Dugo, I directed my first movie with Agrix, High School Circa 65, it was blood, sweat and tears! I cried because only then did I realize how hard it was to be in the movies. Just imagine directing 20 children, 10 adults and hundreds of supporting casts.

Re-directing a Director

Aside from directing, I also teach directing and scriptwriting for television. It was during the height of height success that I tried drugs, sex and song. Thank heavens for my background. I would not be drowned by this search for new adventures. My colleague, Jake Tordesillas, was trying to introduce me to the Renewal Movement but I would always postpone attending the Life in the Spirit Seminar of the Oasis of Love.

That was the time I was directing Kapag Napagod ang Puso with Boyet de Leon and Snooky Serna. Boyet was hooked into drugs then and he would come to the set really height on drugs and I felt ready to give up. I though to myself, drugs make people crazy and I don’t want to handle him anymore. After that I talked to him. It was the lowest point in his career. He was down and no producer would take him anymore.

After a while I heard that he was into the Renewal. They organized the Oasis of Love. “Naku, totoo ba yan? “sino bang niloko n’yo,” I would say. Jake Tordesillas, my colleague joined in as Batch 3. They were inviting me but I didn’t see the need to attend since I used to be a seminarian and I knew Theology, the Bible and God. I didn’t have a problem and I always went to Mass on Sundays. The habits I learned from the Seminary I hadn’t forgotten, I didn’t have big sins. Or so I thought.

Every LSS they would invite me but I always gave the alibi that I had a shooting. But in Batch 6, Luz Valdez invited me and I joined them at Sta. Catalina Convent in Baguio City. October 17 was a triple celebration for me! My birthday, my spiritual birthday and my Moms birthday. When I went back to Manila, I felt it was more of a fine tuning if my spiritual life and relationship with the Lord. My communication with the Lord became clear, no more obstruction, no more static frequency.

I was assigned to be Batch leader together with Mother Lily Monteverde. Eventually I became one of the council of elders, in-charge of the education ministry. I was spiritually high then. I would line up in Bible studies and all the hinges like symposia, seminars and workshops. When we had a rotation, I was assigned with the youth.

I felt more secure about His love for me and my love for Him. I felt I was being trained and given workshop to stage another life in difficult situations. I learned now that it is working for others and God (more than working for oneself) that matters. I have wards or talents for my movie who take drugs and I have to take care of them and give them advice. I also take care of a person at the drug rehabilitation center. Later I realized that God is giving me the youth to give them guidance not only in their acting career but also about lovelife and on their spiritual direction. I feel I’m there for the as an elder brother or father.

A Light for Showbiz

There were times in my career that I didn’t like what I was doing. I thought of going back to the seminary. But the feedback I got from the brothers at the monastery was they liked the way I inculcated values and principles in the movies. I realized then that my calling was indeed to be a television and movie director.

Now I understand why I was sent out. Through its not easy to just give the word of god in movies, at least I tried to inject Christian values and principles in the movies I direct, I find it difficult, but I take it as the challenge.

I stood by the message I impart in my movies like in Surigao: May Bukas Pa, starred by Richard Gomez and others. Basically, my point is we cannot escape our past no matter where we go. The past will always haunt us. To forget it, we have to forgive all the people who have hurt us so we will be cleansed and purification will be total and continuo. Otherwise, it will haunt us forever.

The Two Sides of Showbiz

The good majority of the people in showbiz are maka-diyos, maka-tao, and are working silently for the betterment of the industry. We have stayed long with the industry because of the principle of spreading God’s work of salvation in more subtle ways, I , for one, have been with the industry for 19 years and I also meet people who earn there bread and butter the hard, clean way.

I feel disappointed for those who do it the easy, dirty way. The tendency for them is to get sensationalized in a sex scandal or movie scam. There are those pillars of the industry who are more respectable and still striving to develop and improve the industry. We pursue a career for that and we will not destroy our reputation. I just view it this way – Gods is not asleep. He knows what I am doing and I have to suffer the consequences of what I do. That also applies to other movie practitioners.

God created us with artistic talents, with a special eye for visuals, to tell story. If this was not for me, I would have long ago left showbiz. But I have to have a strong moral values. I have to take care of that. My strong faith in God and my fear of God, knows I believe would bring me to where He wants me to go. Just like in my any other business. Like in the Senate or Congress, in all sorts of business there are bad people and good ones. I pray that all those assigned leaders to every sector will not be blended and tempted by the lure of money and fame.

One thing I hate most is drugs. The devil works so strongly in drugs, why we are plagued with so much crime is because of the influence of drugs. When drug pushers enter the renewal in Oasis, we give them counseling, pray for them, send them to the rehabilitation center and conduct sports competitions for them. We have been successful in taking way drug dependency form these users. I myself was into drugs before, for the main reason that it was the “in” thing, but I was lucky enough through God’s grace that I got out of this. After three months of using, I had ruptures on my skin. I was so vain then, so I stopped taking drugs.

Being in the renewal helps me a lot in putting a stop and saying no to drugs. The strong moral values and Christian principles imparted through the teachings become my shield form these temptations. I know God is there to protect me.

My Life’s an Offering

My sexuality is a continuous struggle for me. But when I joined the Oasis of, I stopped going to bars and I can now say no to actors who offer themselves to me in exchange for building them up. I no longer allow myself to be tempted. It’s just like going to malls. When I didn’t have money, I go window shopping; but when I see something worth buying, I develop a desire to have it. I’d rather not entertain that desire by not going to those places where my desire would heighten.

God also helped me through Divine intervention. Once, when I was about to fall, a visitor came and the consummation of the sexual act was thwarted. I’m surrounded by people who truly love me at the Oasis of Love and we have fellowships, worshipping God together, this keeps me away from temptation. At the LSS, I am always asked to talk to people with this sexual identify problem. And what I always tell them is that God is generous with His mercy. I tell them about the parable of the land owner who hired workers for different hours of the day. God emphasized on the generosity of His mercy.

A light in the darkness is all I hope to be. Yes, I am Director, but I prefer to say that I’m just the instrument of the Greatest Director – the Lord, my God, my Boss.