Inside Philippine politics & beyond

Farewell to my ex-neighbor, Dolphy

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By Raïssa Robles

Yes, Dolphy was my former neighbor when I was a kid growing up on Ubay Street in Quezon City.

The entire neighborhood knew that the big house at the street corner was the “Quizon compound” and the father was “the famous comedian Dolphy”.

I was very usisera even as a child. Sometimes I would stand across the Quizon house to stare at the gate, waiting for people to emerge.  Since the house held a lot of people, it wasn’t very long when I would see some of the children. They were all mestizo, I recall. I never got to find out if that was Dolphy’s real family or not.

I never spoke to them.

I did not think my parents would approve because I had earlier been told in hushed tones that they were living “in sin”. At that time, I only knew that living “in sin” meant Dolphy was not married to the mother of his children.

But I always wondered even then why Dolphy would be regarded as living “in sin”, while the priest in my hometown of San Antonio, Nueva Ecija who said Sunday mass and who had a mistress was not. In my young unformed mind, I worked out why – the priest was not married but Dolphy was.

The neighbor snubbed

The parents, including mine, in Ubay Street – a strictly middle class neighborhood – had a Catholic group called the Christian Family Movement or CFM. The only thing I recall about CFM is that meetings were rotated from one house to another in the entire neighborhood Well, not exactly. CFM did not include Dolphy or his “wife”.

So they were never there when there was a CFM neighborhood Christmas Party where the children were trotted out to sing or declaim or dance.

Despite never having met the man, I grew up hearing Dolphy and Panchito jokes. Some of them were toilet humor; some were slapstick. Some were downright funny.

Dolphy was among the first – if not the first – Filipino actor to ever portray a gay person in Jack and Jill and Facifica Falayfay.

Looking back, I think it was brave of him. He did it at a time when fathers would maul their sons if they found out they were gay.. He did it when macho man reigned supreme in Philippine society. Dolphy was not afraid to be branded gay by anyone.

Dolphy would reprise a similar role nine years later in Ang Tatay kong Nanay under the direction of the late Lino Brocka with a script written by the late Orlando Nadres, who became my professor in scriptwriting at UP, Diliman.

Watch the video excerpt below. The object of Dolphy’s character’s affection was a young man played by Philip Salvador.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb2OPCrAGbY&feature=fvwrel

Does Dolphy deserve to be National Artist? I think the best way to answer this is to look at his entire body of work. He must have made over 200 movies in all. Some of his movies were money makers, intended to support a growing brood. Some were gems.

All I know for now is that Dolphy made me laugh, and millions of Filipinos laugh. He poked fun at everything, especially the hypocrisy in our society.

And he refused to use his overwhelming popularity to run for President. He chose to stay with his craft.

Comments

  1. The first Dolphy movie my sister and I saw was Facifica Falayfay. We were fresh from the States and couldn’t understand a word. But my sister caught on with the story line. I was surprised that a movie was made about a gay character, but very touched when some nine children he took care of were taken away from him, but they came back because they loved him.

    Dolphy would return respect to the National Artist Award. He was a pioneer, a true talent, emulated the spirit of the Filipino people, and didn’t use his fame for political gain. He was not a perfect man, but then we are not talking of a Catholic Mass Media award here. We are talking of an artist who gave us nothing but laughter, opened our eyes and hearts to new possibilities, and emulated who we are inside as a people. He is a National Artist in every way.

  2. hello,just want to share my feeling about Dolphy,iam not favor that Dolphy is our national artist in my opinion pero baka nakapasa siya sa criteria ng national artist but for me he is not he is an actor.
    at salamat at na ilibing na siya sana ay maiba naang balita sa news papers at TV at sana ay patahimikin na ng media ang familya ni Dolphy,nakaka awa na man si Dolphy kung püpühunin ng mga anak niya ang kanyang kamatayan para lang kumuta sila.
    let us talk more on the Philippine issue.

    • “nakaka awa na man si Dolphy kung püpühunin (pupuhunanin) ng mga anak niya ang kanyang kamatayan para lang kumuta (kumita) sila.”

      Punong puno ng malisya tong line na to.

    • @ Priscila,

      Tama ka, Puro nalang magandang balita tungkol kay pidol? Paano naman ang balita tungkol sa mga naging karelasyon niya na halos mga friends na lang daw? At Paano na ang nangyari sa ASAWA dati ni ZHA ZHA Padilla? Ano ngayon masasabi nang mga taga SIMBAHAN lalo na nang mga BUTIHING mga OBISPO parang wala akong narinig na PANGARAL/ na WORD na IMMORAL, ganyan naba sila kababaw dahil mayaman si PIDOL. pikit mata sila sa katutuhanan…dahil mayaman… ha ha ha ha…..

      Hindi siya dapat maging national artist dahil nagbabayad tayo kong napatawa man niya tayo saka trabaho niya ito kong tutuusin. Anong meron MORAL Values ang maipapakita ni pidol sa nakakarami… wala dahil dami niya babae…

      • @jorge and priscilla

        Di ko maintindihan kung anong kinalaman ng pagiging moral sa pagiging isang national artist. Dapat ang pamantayan yung kontribusyon nya sa sining, hindi yung personal na buhay nya. HIndi naman nya obligasyon na maging modelo ng pagiging moral sa mundo. Wala naman syang sinabi na tuluran ang mga ginawa nya. Choice nya yun. Yung mga nakasama nga nyang babae walang sinasabing masama sa kanya. Eh ano ngayon kung di sya nagpakasal at madami syang babae. Yung mga moralista, magbasa nga kayo ng bibliya. Si Solomon at David, mga pinili at pinakamamahal ng Diyos ilan ba ang naging asawa? Kung magbabasa kayo ng bibiliya mga ipokritong katolikong moralista, napakadaming lingkod ng Diyos ang hindi lang may isang asawa. Pero hinusgahan ba sila ng Diyos?

        Ang imoral, yung mga taong nagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan. Yung mga walang ibang inisip kungdi yung kapakanan nila. Yung mga artist na kahit walang kwenta o value yung ginagawa nila, nilulunok ang prinsipyo magkamal lang ng pera. Yung mga taong walang ibinigay sa taong bayan kung hindi pahirap at sama ng loob.

  3. yes, dolphy made us all laugh!
    it is his craft. he’s expert in it!
    i can happily recall some tidbit of trivia during my younger days, in the mid-60’s, i and my favorite first cousin were tagged by our neighborhood as dolphy and panchito.
    and that’s how dolphy as well as panchito became so dear to my heart… :)

  4. @tess, tama ka! Before the end of this day Dolphy will be laid to rest acc to news.

    His number 1 talent was to make laughter a part of life for some. Many judged him as not good in many ways for many reasons daw daw daw…

    No one is perfect. But everyone like Dolphy has at least one good thing and he shares it with us. My belief is that where he is going there is much laughter. A happy place. A place where no one cries. And now he will be among and one those laughing.

    No awards are given in that place of laughters! Not needed. Everyone there is just as good as an awardee for it. God is not any cruel for laughter makers and those who laugh.. God laughs too! Don’t anyone ask me how did I hear it.

    JUST LAUGH! More FUN in it.

  5. Ang hinahanap po natin ay artist hindi saint. You award a person for his craft and not for who he is. If we are looking for a saint then we might as well abolish the National Artist coz definitely no one will pass.

    Bakit po naging national artist si Lino Brocka, homosexual po siya di bA? Saan po ba natin ibinabase ang masama sa hindi, di po ba sa kung ano ang sabi ng bibliya hindi ng batas? Ok si Lino kasi discreet siya pero si dolphy hindi discreet? Si FPJ ok pero si Dolphy hinde?

    Kaya para sa akin, isang malaking kabulastugan ang pagpili sa National Artist. Ano ba kaibahan niyan sa pagpili ng best actor, best director alo na sa taunang MMDA-sponsored filmfest? kasi di ba ang layunin ng MMDA sa filmfest ay to promote the good, the beautiful and etccccc. E bakit mo papanaluning Best Actor ang isang womanier, Best Actress ang isang known drug user etc…..

    Napaka-ipokritong pamantayan. Tanggalin na lang natin ang pagpili ng National Artist sa sino mang komiteng nakatalaga ngayon at ilipat na lang yan sa simbahan. At lest maiintindihan ko pa ang kanilang pamantayan.

    • “Ang hinahanap po natin ay artist hindi saint.”

      I agree with you on that.

      Kahit naman ang mga santo ay hindi papasang maging national artists kung talagang ganyan ang pamantayan na gagamitin.

      Ilan sa mga santong yan ang mga babaero, mamamatay tao, sugarol, etc? Mejo mangilan ngilan din.

      Ni Jesus nga e nagwala sa harap ng simbahan at pinagwawasak ang mga stalls dun e. Baka me magprotesta pa kung gawin siyang national artists kasi me history of violence siya — at hindi pa siya nagapologize after niya gawin yun.

      • Kasi kung santo, kailangan may miracle muna.

        Artists often lead messy lives. Sometimes that enhanced or harmed their art.

        • Don’t ever compare Jesus to people…Hindi po siya nag wala dahil feel lng nya or na provoke siya like what Anabelle rama did. He was so angry ( I will emphasize Sanctified Anger) because the Temple that had to be respected or a place of worship was turned into a market place.

          Kung ang bahay mo ba ay maglalagay dun ng palengke hindi ka ba magagalit?

        • The point is — sanctified anger or not — hypocrites will be indignant and bigots will be quick to judge.

          Someone with a history of violence will have a hard time being proclaimed as a national artist.

  6. Dolphy’s greatest contribution i believe is that,because of his gay roles in the movies, he made it easy for the(filipino) parents particularly for the fathers to accept their gay sons….:)

  7. so HERE’S THE THIRD AND FINAL TRY

    This is my definitive viewpoint on DOLPHY after so much weighty and reasoned posturings here in Raissa’s Cyber Plaza Miranda. Mine obeys the bible of not judging Dolphy but only classifying him. After all classification is a first necessary step in the scientific method where from an array of facts should emerge a theory of nature.

    Those who rise above all of us in our national ethos I will suggest to be classified and ranked as first, National Hero; second as National Scientist/Artist; third as National Saint or Martyr, and fourth and last: national idol or icon. So I can answer the question: WHERE IN HEAVENS NAME WILL YOU PLACE DOLPHY?

    An essay or monograph which can be very long, will explain the clear distinction that will wash away many learned and emotionally charge opinions. But for brevity, I shall use the wisdom of a child who have just learned to sit on the floor and able to place different shapes of plastic blocks into their slots: circle (hero); triangle (artist or scientist); square (saint or martyr), and rectangle (idol or icon).

    The national Heroes (circle) are Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio; Gregorio Del Pilar, Lean Alejandro, Edgar Jopson, all soldiers and policemen who died doing their duty, etc.etc. Need not be popular at the time but dead after their finest hour, in the act defending freedom and national patrimony TO BE A HERO.

    The national Scientist or Artist (triangle) dead or alive at the time of declaration shall be the CHOICE of their peers without authoritative interference from denizens outside Science (physical and social) and the Arts (communication arts, performing arts, visual arts, etc). They shall have been awarded or recognized by GENUINE ASSOCIATIONS (not by a single actor or poet writer) in their respective fields.

    The national Saint or Martyr (square) must obviously be already dead at the time, NEED no national declaration. It’s really giving one’s life not in patriotism but in innocence, piety and faith. It’s a church or religious choice like San Lorenzo Ruiz. If Jaime Cardinal Sin died of torture by soldiers (not under pains of dialysis) FIGHTING the dictatorship, he could have been the first Filipino Saint Sin or National Martyr and at the same time a National Hero.

    The national Idol or Icon (rectangle) dead or alive at the time of declaration or acclamation because of popularity arising from skills, talents, and visible achievements having solid national admiration and international esteem and approbation. Cory Aquino along with Au Aung SuKyi are both national international icons of democracy, so is Manny Pacquiao for boxing. Even if Pacquiao dies while fighting in the ring, he still can not be a national hero.

    DOLPHY as an artist (not Rodolfo Quizon as a person) is a NATIONAL IDOL more for his skills and talents and less for the quality of his art. Because of media frenzy and sincere idolization of his fans that borders on hysteria; idolatry may have diminished the warmth and human worth of Rodolfo Quizon to those he had loved in his lifetime. Nowhere though, lies a contradiction because DOLPHY and Rodolfo Quizon have one, the same body and soul.

    To that still crawling, sitting child DOLPHY is not a square or triangle in a round hole but a rectangle in a rectangular hole; A FILIPINO IDOL of NATIONAL STATURE.

      • @Alizarin Viridia
        When you write a comment, I suggest that you copy it to a notepad or if your using Win 7 copy it to the Sticky Notes,in a way maski di ma post you will not lose what you have written. By then you can just post it again presto, I noticed those that are not posted are commonly the long comments.

    • You can give dolphy all the awards you wish, golden award, medal of honor award, the funniest person of the philippine award, the etc, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc et etc,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, tama na ? BUT NOT THE NATIONAL ARTIST AWARD

      • I believe Dolphy got that award already, not from the Council, but from the PEOPLE who loved him! No budget needed. No complicated work needed. No many signatures needed. No screening needed. No votes needed. Nothing needed except the spontaneous LAUGHTERS HE GAVE US ALL!

        Today is the last day. Comedy KING DOLPHY will be laid to rest. RIP KING! Have a nice journey then….and THANKS for the memories!

        • @leona, thanks you read my mind. please let’s forget his personal life. let us remember how he makes us laugh and forget our problems at the time of his giving us happiens. REST IN PEACE DOLPHY. I STILL LOVE YOU NO MATTER WHAT. YOU ARE PART OF MY CHILDHOOD HAPPINESS. GOD WILL FORGIVE YOU I AM SURE.

      • Why? If you will give Dolphy all the awards, medals, etc. it would only mean that he’s deserving more of the Naitonal Artist Award.

        Why prevent him from getting (I think it’s too late already) something that he fully deserved?

  9. Whether Dolphy is qualified to be a national artist should be left to the panel of judges. Personally, I’m not a fan. I never liked his movies. I never went to the cinema to watch any of his films. Perhaps it is because I don’t like slapstick (although I did find humor in some scenes). He made tons of money and was extremely popular but I think these do not fit any of the criteria. Whether he is hailed as a national artist or not is of no moment to me.

    • He made Filipinos, in different generations, laugh – that is art. Should be enough criterion eh?

      • VERY FUNNY , MAKING DOLPHY A RECEPIENT OF THE NATIONAL ARTIST AWARD, IS THE MOST FUNNIEST THING TO HAPPEN TO US,,, making people laugh because of his toilet jokes is his own way of making money, if he had been a good provider to his sons and daughter it was his obligations and responsibilities, if his sons and daughters were proud of him , then let it be their personal happiness, but giving him a national artist award , dolphy did not die in vain, HE MADE IT AGAIN , making some people smile and maybe laugh again ,,,, heheheheheheh, natatatwa ako

        • He only made many of us laugh! That’s enough for us and him! It is a difficult task to make someone laugh to one’s heart content! Even toilet laughs! Okay lang yun. Is there a presidential laugh? Senate laugh? Congress’ laugh? Council laugh? CCP laugh? Lahat yun mga yun ay corny tsk tsk tsk….no laughs!

          Many people like me and us out there loves TOILET LAUGHS!

          Amen King Dolphy!

        • hey,

          I was surprised by your comment, anyway, you can read and follow my blog that ever since, I am not in FAVOR to give DOLPHY the award as one of the NATIONAL ARTIST AWARD. pwede po sya, the most funny person ever the Philippines have produced in a life time..

  10. @LIBRADO …….item 5.3……..As you stated that living in a moral life is not one of the criteria to be a NATIONAL ARTIST then MANG PIDOL is qualified to become ONE.

    We have to agree that some of our declared NATIONAL ARTIST had undergone extra marital affairs/immoralities however it was done DISCREETLY,……….discreet………discreet illegal affairs which were equated to their lifetime excellent and lawful accomplishments that gave the governing bodies to declared them as N.A.

    Kaya Lang PO Kay MANG DOLPHY ay LANTARAN naman nyang ipinakita sa PUBLICO,sa MEDIA lalo na sa SHOWBIZ at iba pa… Kung paano nya pinalitan si LOTES KEY na common law wife nya noon kay ALMA MORENO. Na tinanggap po naman natin .

    I still believe we are DISCIPLINED and HONEST FILIPINOS and we can arrive a formula/decision to HONOR MANG JOHN not a NATIONAL ARTIST AWARD. WE LOVE YOU MANG DOLPHY.FILIPINOS LOVE YOU PIDOL.

    • Please correct me if the sequential of MANG DOLPHY’S changing of common law wife is not in order. ” Sa dinami dami na po ang naging asawa nya ay hindi ko na PO matandaan sino ang una at pangalawa “. It might be an overlapping or crisscrossing marital affairs.

      • I agree. Dolphy should be given special recognition for being the king of Pilipino-style comedy but not the prestigious Order of National Artists award.

        An awardee should set an example for others to follow – not his questionable conquests of the opposite sex.

        • hehehe…ironic…then we “can” elect someone who got so many loves in life! No problema!

          Why not make the rules on national artists the rules for electing public officials also!

          What do we call such acts of unblemished pretensions?….a big H…cy…!

          Dolphy was at least frank and trutfhul in a sense his love life.

        • oo nga, ang daming mga high officials na marami din asawa, dami ding anak sa iba ibang babae pero hindi kayang batikusin, bakit??????????? hindi naman hinihingi ni dolphy ang karangalan. mga mapaghanap lang ng bumabatikos kay dolphy. huwag na tayong magmalinis pa. kanya kanyang pamumuhay. ang pagiging artista ni dolphy ang ating pagusapan hindi ang personal nyang pamumuhay. wala naman nagrabyado na mamamayan sa ginawang buhay ni dolphy maliban sa mga asa asawa nya. problema na nya yun. ang problema natin ay suklian ng paghanga ang kanyang pagiging mahusay na artista.SUMALANGIT NAWA ANG KALULUWA MO DOLPHY. MARAMI KANG PINASAYA SA IYONG PAGIGING ARTISTA.

    • To me it is just over reacting! The person is DEAD. What good is an honor to him. He could have been honored while he was alive.

      • NO BUDGET! Abolish that agency! It is an awarding agency for the DEAD anyway! Dapat LIVING STYLE pa!

  11. Below is the criteria for a NAtional Artist Award(I copied it from Wikipedia)

    Criteria

    Nominations for National Artist of the Philippines are based on a broad criteria, as set forth by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts[2]:

    Living artists who have been Filipino citizens for the last ten years prior to nomination as well as those who have died after the establishment of the award in 1972 but were Filipino citizens at the time of their death;
    Artists who have helped build a Filipino sense of nationhood through the content and form of their works;
    Artists who have distinguished themselves by pioneering in a mode of creative expression or style, making an impact on succeeding generations of artists;
    Artists who have created a significant body of works and/or have consistently displayed excellence in the practice of their art form, enriching artistic expression or style; and
    Artists who enjoy broad acceptance through prestigious national and/or international recognition, awards in prestigious national and/or international events, critical acclaim and/or reviews of their works, and/or respect and esteem from peers within an artistic discipline.

    Nominations are then submitted to the National Artist Secretariat that is created by the National Artist Award Committee; experts from the different art fields then sit on a First Deliberation to prepare the short list of nominees. A Second Deliberation, which is a joint meeting of the Commissioners of the NCCA and the Board of Trustees of the CCP, decides on the final recomendees. The list is then forwarded to the President of the Philippines, who, by Presidential Proclamation, proclaims the final nominees as members of the Order of National Artists.[4]

    —If this is the Criteria then Dolphy should have been there. Forget about the many spouses and bountiful children and grandchildren. Dolphy has proven his worth through his acting and he deserves it.

    But giving him a Half mast and national recognition day is big question for me. I got this from Wikipedia ;…

    The flag may be flown at half-mast as a sign of mourning.[19] Upon the official announcement of the death of the President or a former President, the flag should be flown at half-mast for ten days. The flag should be flown at half-mast for seven days following the death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice, the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    The flag may also be required to fly at half-mast upon the death of other persons to be determined by the National Historical Institute, for a period less than seven days. The flag shall be flown at half-mast on all the buildings and places where the decedent was holding office, on the day of death until the day of interment of an incumbent member of the Supreme Court, the Cabinet, the Senate or the House of Representatives, and such other persons as may be determined by the National Historical Institute.

    When flown at half-mast, the flag should be first hoisted to the peak for a moment then lowered to the half-mast position. It should be raised to the peak again before it is lowered for the day.

    The flag may also be used to cover the caskets of the dead of the military, veterans of previous wars, national artists, and outstanding civilians as determined by the local government. In such cases, the flag must be placed such that the white triangle is at the head and the blue portion covers the right side of the casket. The flag should not be lowered to the grave or allowed to touch the ground, but should be solemnly folded and handed to the heirs of the deceased

    I respect Dolphy but is it too farfetched putting him in a level of a President or any man from the government? I pity those soldiers who died in battle defending the country. many of them were still in the government hospitals waiting and longing for a recognition from us. Those OFW ‘s who died in the country where their rights have been tarnished, they worked and worked to send money to their families. When they arrived at the airport no one would gave them a heroes welcome.

    Well, i think our standard is very different from the others but let us be reminded that one day each of us(/ some may have it) will be given a credit or a CROWN from His Majesty for the works we had.

    • Excuse…criteria! Sa akin panciteria na lang! Even GMA abused that agency to her satisfactions! So, what’s it good for? No budget also. No money No honey! Let us just say some honors to Dolphy. Forget the national artists body forever and anything about it.

    • I have tried to simplify things in my mind.

      What is he really known for? Slapstick, gay roles, funny remarks, multiple wives and 18 children.

      Do I give him a national award for that?

      • wha’ts wrong with that Mr. God-Like-Thinks-Hes-Perfect. It’s not called the Holy Artist award. Kung ganon, e di wag narin gawing national hero si rizal, babaero din kase yun eh. Yan problema eh, kelangan ang national icon perfect. He’s supposed to be a national icon, but he doesnt have to be perfect. Hell, no one here wants to follow a perfect hero, kelangan alam mo ring tao rin lang sila – at walang perpektong tao.

        • Paolo, please go ahead with your award-giving to Dolphy. Nobody is stopping you. I like Dolphy. But…

  12. @Librado……item 5.3…. Sir, as you have stated that living in a moral life is not one of the criteria to be a NATIONAL ARTIST then MANG PIDOL is now qualified to become a NATIONAL ARTIST.

    We must agree that some of those declared NATIONAL ARTIST , during their lifetime had undergone extra marital affairs or on an immoral acts, BUT @ LIBRADO it was done DISCREETLY …….DISCREET…….DISCREET……..and this was equated to their excllent accomplishment in life that sidetrackted the negative MORALITY ISSUES and ultimately they were declared as our NATIONAL ARTIST.

    Kay MANG DOLPHY po naman kasi ay LANTARAN nyang ipinakita , sa SHOWBIZ, sa MEDIA, sa PUBLIC at iba pa , Kung papaano sya magpalit nang ASAWA mula noong nag artista. Tuwang tuwa po tayo pag napapabalita na wala na sila ni LOTES KEY at si ALMA na……we Filipinos accepted MANG JOHN as that kind of ARTISTA……papalitpalit…..

    I still believe on our DISCIPLINE and HONESTY as a FILIPINO in finding the best way to HONOR MANG DOLPHY that will FIT his fantastic accomplishment but please forgive me , NO to NATIONAL ARTIST AWARD.

  13. For me, definitely dolphy is out for the National artist award, yes maybe a movie award but no to a national artist award, what a funny thing to say, but look who are pushing, are those hypocrites, politician who keep on riding to the popularity of dolphy, and even the media, challenging each other to have a scope, the media millage will definitely run for a week or maybe two, so much commercialization of events for financial returns, now we can hardly even hear the case of the Mindanao massacre, or gma health gimmicks, or the helicopter deal, it’s funny how a mayor ordered all public schools for a half mast raising of our Phil flag, and even P’noy declaring a day of fun ,, funny talaga, napakamura na talaga ng ating moral values, i hope the religious will not join in this FUN RUN, its more FUN in the Philippines,,,

    • @ kontrapilo

      “what a funny thing to say, but look who are pushing, are those hypocrites, politician who keep on riding to the popularity of dolphy, and even the media, challenging each other to have a scope, the media millage will definitely run for a week or maybe two, so much commercialization of events for financial returns, now we can hardly even hear the case of the Mindanao massacre, or gma health gimmicks, or the helicopter deal, it’s funny how a mayor ordered all public schools for a half mast”

      You are definitely correct in what you are stating. These politicians “CLOWNS” who are advocating for Dolphy’s National Artist Award are doing this just for media mileage
      only. This is also true to newspapers especially for tabloids which utilize the current events for profits only….It’s really more FUN in the Philippines with all these CLOWNS and newspapers ……. that’s why I do not buy anymore newspapers. They are a waste of money and environment.

      • ..but something is bothering me…IS National Artist Award has the requirement that the Nominees should be Morally fit?

        Huh, sana matapos na to…How’s the other news naman…

        • Having successive or multiple partners as a morality issue is relative to one’s religious beliefs. Muslims are allowed 4 wives, some Christian sects allow polygamy and some extreme practitioners are sworn to celibacy but have mistresses but are respected. So you cannot judge a person based solely on how many children he has fathered from a number of partners. Morality is more than this and it is how you lived your life with respect to the welfare of the community you served.

          Dolphy showered respite to his audiences’ difficult life through his style of laughter and never wavered in his responsibilities with his love ones, relatives and friends, and those who came to him for help.

          The laughter we cherished from watching him in his shows made us forget for a moment the hunger we felt in our stomachs, the problem and stress we undergo in our lives; and for an hour of watching we feel good and relieved.

          Do not judge Dolphy by how many partners he has had and the number of children he has fathered. I believe the majority of the Filipino people will agree that he is worthy of the National Artist Award.

        • I hear ya, Paolo. But in the interest of our mutual self-improvement, the correct idiomatic expression is “hear, hear!”……for. Hear him, hear him….because you are agreeing with Apollo923. I also agree with Apollo’s and your sentiment. Hear, hear! Thanks very much.

        • hanap buhay lang naman ang sa isip ni dolphy, marami sya napasaya lalo na sa mga maliliit nating mga kabababyan, at sa pamagitan ng kanyang mga estilo na kung tawagain natin bakya sya ay kumita ng limpak limpak na salapi, at nagkakababae ng marami, para sa iba kahit isang dosena ang asawa nya OK LANG, after all di nya naman pinbabayaan at sila naman ay happy din, ONE AFTER THE OTHER, so ok lang, para sa kanya ok lang, para sa kanyang mga naging babae OK LANG, total happy sya may pera pa, para sa kanyang mga anak OK LANG , total busog naman sila lahat OK LANG YAN, pag ganyIN THE MORNING.an ang maging palatutunan natin, bakit pa tayo mag papakasal total OK LANG BASTA HAPPY TAYO LAHAT, nakakatawa di ba ? making dolphy a recepient of that NATIONAL ARTIST AWARD ,,, OK LANG BA? di sana pati tatay nyo pwede rin maging national artist awardee, di ba happy din naman kayo, nakakatawa ba ? o nakakainis,,,,isipin yung isang mayor para maging pogi sa kanyang mga inhabitants nag pa HALF MAST pa ng Phil flag… si P’noy naman nag declare pa ng day of observance, ano ba yan,, meron pa isang mangbabatas , nag panukala pa na gawin non working holiday with PAY pa … ano ba yan, papahirapan pa ang mga may ari ng companya sa kakatawan ni dolphy,,,,let dophy rest in peace, wag na tayo maging katawatawa sa harap ng mga santo….sandali, wala bang magpanukala na gawin si dolphy na santo? pag meron, I think that will be the GREATEST JOKE I WILL ENDURE….IN MY TOILET HOUR

        • Correct ka dyan@kontrapilo………..we accepted DOLPHY in everything and his every ways but to declare him as NATIONAL ARTIST which will make him a role model to MANY….. Ahh , ha ha WAG NAMAN KAKAHIYA TAYO at LALO NA KAYO NA NAGPUPUMILIT NA MAGING N.A. Sya.

  14. This is part of me. I am trolling, I am Noynoying whatever the heck those mean but Gil might have a point there on Dolphy’s morality:

    6 Gil : July 12, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    “I believe that it is in how one lives one’s life that one’s ‘morality’ is established – not by pieces of paper, elaborate ceremonies or what not. We’ve all heard stories about Dolphy’s simple life, his concern for his co-workers, the quiet ‘charities’ he supported (especially among movie people as I recall).”
    ——————–
    But this is my take. Morality is one SUPPOSED classic weapon of the poor against the excesses of the rich only to the point the poor can not afford its opposite (immorality). In the decades of 60s and 70s I observed SOME jeepney and bus drivers, ordinary policemen. Customs and BIR employees have number twos or more, like those rich politicians and businessmen.

    Pieces of papers as required by law are supposed to enforce morality. To have or have not these pieces of papers means nothing as measure in the grand scale of public opinion. Not all liquids falling into a vast ocean are lost; oil floats on its surface; still shines on its dark waves even after sunset to await the new day. Is Dolphy an oil?

    But HEY! Wait. I believe and do not contest nor doubt the good those pieces of paper had brought to my life.

  15. Pls read this article by jcc in his blog, “Viewpoint Neutral”

    Is Dolphy A National Artist Material?