DAUG

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The Palad junkyard boys — aged 7 and 8 — are now the current singing
sensations in Agdao area, everyday belting out wacky novelty songs to the audience
delight.

Armed with only one ukulele, the Palad brothers – Dariel John aka John-John and his younger
brother Jundrel aka Jun-Jun – are currently earning bucks by serenading vendors
and market goers at Agdao Public Market and areas in the city where people
gather.

But if they will be given the right direction, these two
kids could be the next big things in the entertainment world, and end up selling
millions of records and concert.

“From the moment I saw them on Testigo, I believe they have the talents to make it big,” said Boyet
Castillo aka DJ Johnny Holiday who discovered local talents like the now
popular rap novelty Thavawenyoz.

Johnny Holiday, who also writes lifestyle/entertainment column
Freeze in TIMES, said he’s very impressed
with the kids’ performance.

“It is very seldom that you can see very good performers.
These kids are really good,” said Johnny Holiday adding that recording
companies would one day compete to sign up these so-called “basurahan kids.”

But even Testigo reporter
before John Pauk “JP” Seniel discovered them while they were serenading police
officers at the Sta. Ana Police Precint one evening early this month, the two
already got a cult following in Agdao. In fact they already have group of
female groupies roaming around their shanty every morning.

Neighbors, market goers, drivers, vendors, and children are
flocking outside their house, a 6×6 length shanty atop the garbage bin area of
Agdao Public Market, hoping to see the kids perform for free.

Residents from nearby barangays visit the area just to
watch the children.

If not singing outside their shanty or serenading market
vendors of Agdao Public Market, the duo would go singing for a fee in every
store they pass in the

Chinatown area of
Uyanguren. Or they could reach as far as Tagum City.

They have no qualms in singing in places where people
gather. It is where they can earn more money for their daily needs.

“They are very entertaining… very funny,” vendor Manong
Andoy said in vernacular. “You can forget your problem once you see them
perform.” Manong Andoy said there is always a crowd at the garbage area of
Agdao market once the children sing.

The Palad brothers have already more than a dozen songs in
their repertoire. Some are their original compositions; others are parodies to
popular novelty songs of Yoyoy, Max and even Vhong Navarro.

In Yoyoy song’s Bayle,
the children spoof it into Inom and
infused lyrics which tell about the dangers of drinking liquor and other hard
drinks. There lyrics are sometimes naughty, but it’s clean fun.

Children and adult alike in Agdao market vendors are already
singing lines from their songs.

If they are internet savvy, probably they already have
hundreds of friends in their friendster’s account and lots of listers in their yahoo
group.

NATURAL

The boys’ 38-year-old father, Milly, said the talents of his
two children are natural.

While some believe that it was the father who composed their
songs, Milly said it was actually the children who came out with the ideas.

“I only taught them the basic in playing the ukulele,” Milly
said. “They just improvised it.”

Milly said he has no patience in teaching the children. When
they were in Lanao, the boys had to listen to the radio so they could catch up
with the chords and lyrics of the songs.

Playing music, he said, is the most precious gift he could
partake to his children.

Milly, himself, inherited the love for music from his father
who was the most in-demand harana
performer in Cebu.

The Palads came from a small town of Baroy in Lanao del Norte where the Cebu-born,
Cagayan de Oro-raised Milly worked in a farm owned by the governor.

When Milly’s relationship to the children’s mother,
Estrellita, turned sour just because of her addiction to watching television in
their neighbors’ house, troubles erupted.

The couple separated, and Milly brought his two children in Davao to seek greener
pasture. Their two other children are in Milly’s relatives in Lanao.

“A friend of mine told me there are lots of opportunities in
Davao,” Milly said.

Upon their arrival in Davao last July, the family stayed underneath the Agdao flyover where the two
children started doing their acts.

A barangay official noted them, and they were relocated to
the shanty which was used to be the post of barangay guards.

The kids then started their rounds of performance in neighboring
areas asking for coins. They performed for barangay fiestas, for birthdays, and
for any other occasions.

Sometimes, they were short charged. Sometimes, kind residents
gave them big bucks.

“They earn P30 in ordinary days… they are lucky to take home
P500,” Milly said.

Milly said he is sending half of their earning to his two
other children left in Lanao.

The father said he is not depending on his singing children
for their daily needs.

But since he could not find a job, Milly said letting the
children sing is better than to steal or to push drugs.

“If I can find a job to sustain our daily needs, I might no
let their roam around the city to solicit money,” Milly said. “But I will not
prevent my children from performing.”

BREAK

One evening early this month, GMA-Davao reporter JP Saniel saw
the kids performing outside the Sta. Ana Police Station asking for donations.

“There performance was very amazing,” Saniel said. “As a
reporter, it was my instinct to make the story.”

The children were them featured on GMA Testigo, and more blessings arrive.

Just days after getting their TV debut, some kind-hearted
televiewers donated food, cash, clothing and even a guitar to the children.

They even received a 100 free scholarship (plus free
materials, foods and other incentives) from Kurosawa Development School in Doña Pilar
Subdivision

Since last Monday, they have been under special education. They
stopped schooling years ago when they reached grade 2 in Lanao.

Next Sunday, September 30, the children will be having their
first major performance at the Matina
Town Square, a venue where only select musicians
can perform.

They are among the talented young musicians in Davao to take part in Teach Your Children, a benefit gig for
the street children.

It will be the first time that the children will be
performing before a huge crowd with a microphone.

Saniel said her fellow Kapuso
talent, Lorena Sullano, will be managing the children so they will not be
exploited.

He said a recording contract with a major recording company
is one of the major plans for the children.

Saniel, an award-winning short-film director, is doing a
film documentary about the children, and hopes to release not just on TV but
also on theaters.

Jun-Jun said he really loves to see himself on the tube someday.

“I want to perform
before a very huge crowd with lot of people watching us,” Jun-Jun said.
John-John gave his nod.

Sometimes, impossible dreams do come true.

ANOTHER kiddie band taking the stage in this Sunday’s Teach
Your Children gig organized by the Samahan ng mga Musikeros sa Davao, Inc. (Samadhi) at MTS is
Friends A Band, a group
whose members have an age average of 11 years young.

Friends A started as a group of relatives playing music in
family gatherings. But now, the children perform beyond birthday parties of
their relatives.

They are all fresh, but they already play like veterans,
said Noli Bencio, the president of the organizing Samadhi which is the biggest
group of musicians in Davao City.

The band’s youngest is the drummer, nine-year-old Febriene
Pitao.

Febriene’s two older brothers, Francis Renz Lois and Franz
Joseph, are also in the band. Francis, the oldest member at 15, plays the bass
and lead guitar while Franz, 11, takes the bass.

Also in the band are the cousins of the Pitaos – 12-year-old
keyboardist Len Nesmer Catindi and 11-year-old vocalist Jayrald Domingo who
also doubles on keyboard.

Newly tapped lead vocalist LJ Bohol is just 10 years old but
she sings like a professional.

The band was initially designed as group exclusive for Pitao
relatives.

Before they were formally formed in the summer of 2006, the
Pitao cousins were playing in family gatherings like birthdays with Matet
Domingo on the vocals.

But since the 15-year-old Matet grew too tall and that she’s
busy with her study in

Panabo City, she has to quit the
band.

Francisco “Kiks” Pitao, the father of the Pitaos who founded
and manages the band, said he plans to have the band as young as possible.

“Members have to graduate upon reaching a certain age… 18
perhaps,” Kik said. He is sure that the overage member of the band can pursue
solo or other projects, especially with their experience acquired while in the
group.

He envisioned Friends A Band to become a training ground for
talented young musicians, “relatives or not.”

In fact, the newest band vocalist is not a relative.

Pitao accidentally discovered LJ last July just as Matet
left the band.

The Grade 5 girl was singing videoke at Blowing Up Music Bar
and Grill owned by the Pitaos located in Dagat Diri. Bo. Pampanga in Barangay
Sasa.

“It was my children who noted that LJ has a good voice,”
Kiks said. “They asked me to recruit LJ.”

Kiks said he was also impressed with the performance of LJ,

LJ eventually became one of the friends, and it ushered a
new chapter in the band history since an “outsider” was welcomed to the group.

Friends A Band was named after Kiks’ former band, Friends
Band, which was active in Davao in the 80s and 90s. He was in the band’s wind section, playing the trumpet,
together with saxophonist Ric Junasa who later became a member of South Border.

Kiks said he initially wanted the children to play wind
instruments like the trumpets and saxophones.

But since playing wind instruments at the very young age is
not advisable since children still have milk teeth, the kids were instead train
to plan string instruments and drums.

He said the children are not only limited to one instrument.
“Each member can play the instrument of the other member,” Kiks said. “They
switch instruments during their performance.”

Kiks said the band is now into composing their own songs and
hoping to release an album in the future.

“We want them to sing songs with positive messages,” Kiks
said. Among the topics of their songs are environment, child protection, and
youth empowerment. Love songs, he said, is not a priority in the list.

The band’s last major performance was in Sundance 2007 in
Island Garden City of Samal last February. They also performed in the Hito
Festival in Calinan last August 30, and the Foundation Day of Hizon public
school.

While the kids have still no regular club gigs, but there
are lots of invitations for them to play in special occasions, Kiks said.

The Friends A Band will perform with other young musical
acts based in

Davao this Sunday evening at Matina Town
Square for the Teach Your Children benefit gig.
Also in the list are the funny Palad Brothers, The Cousins and saxophonist Nico
Dumlao. Show starts at 7:30 pm.

New band The Cousins lives with its name.

Members of the youthful musical band are composed of the
Balogo cousins of Toril.

All the four members are young – the youngest is seven and
the oldest is only 12.

The group is one of the acts performing on Teach Your
Children organized by the Samahan ng mga Musikeros sa Davao, Inc (Samadhi) this
Sunday at Matina Town Square (MTS).

The group is inspired and trained by founder Christopher
Balogo, father of the youngest member and uncle of the three others. The older
Balogo is himself a musician; the band leader of Twilight Dawn who plays the
drum and bass.

Christopher’s son, Kristoffer Casallas Balogo, is the
youngest member. The seven-year-old boy plays the drum. He is a Grade 2
student of Don Juan dela Cruz in Toril.

Taking the vocal works are siblings Leonor Balogo Buco, 12,
and Jess Balogo Buco, 10.

The eldest Leonor, a Grade 6 student, also takes the guitar
while Jess, a Grade 5 student, is also on the bass. The two are schoolmates of
Kristoffer.

The fourth member is 11-year-old Mikee Balogi Bucu on keys.
He is a Grade 5 student of St. Peter’s College.

The Balogo elders are also into music. Jess and Leonor are
children of Christopher’s elder sister who is also a singer. Mikee’s father
also sings.

“We impart to them our love for music,” Christopher said.
“Teaching them at very young age has the advantage since the children can
easily memorize.”

The Balogo cousins were formally organized just last summer
where they held everyday session.

“Instead of having summer vacation, they practiced their
instruments together,” Christopher said.

As exposure to the young musicians, the founder said he
always brought the children to the every gig of Twilight Dawn.

“Until now, The Cousins plays in gig where Twilight Dawn
plays,” he said.

The founder said the young group has also its own performance
in other venues aside from jamming with twilight Dawn. They have already jammed
in ABS-CBN morning show, Maayong Buntag
Mindanao and the Book Month Celebration.

The Cousins cover popular songs with positive values. But
someday, they will be having their own set of original songs and hopeful
release an album.

“Right now, the
children already have a number of original songs,” Christopher said. “Most
songs have social relevance.”

In Agoy Noy, the
children talks about the protection of environment, particularly in proper
waste disposal.

In Simulan Natin, the
band talks about the teaching positive values to the kid at very young age. The
English song Youth of a New Generation is
an anti-drug anthem.

“We hope the public will listen to the meaning of their
songs,” Christopher said.

The Cousins will be performing with other musically-talented
children in Davao in the benefit gig Teach Your Children at MTS on Sunday starting 7:30 pm. Entrance
is free.

Also in the bill are the Palad Brothers of Agdao, The
Friends A Band of Sasa and saxophone poster boy Nico Dumlao.

The event is organized by Samadhi, the biggest group of
musicians in Davao for the benefit of the street
children of Davao.

MUSIC poster boy Nico Dumlao is the lone solo child
performer in Sunday’s Teach Your Children benefit gig organized by the Samahan
ng mga Musikeros sa Davao, Inc (Samadhi) at Matina Town Square, Matina.

This 11-year-old saxophonist has already performed in
major cities in Visayas and Mindanao.

In Davao,
this son of police officer Peter and public teacher Ma. Theresa is one of the
most in-demand musicians. He has been invited to play in several weddings,
birthdays, corporate affairs, and other gatherings. He has played in major hotels
and malls in the city.

On Saturday, he was the guest performer in the regional
grand finals of SM Little Stars at SM City Davao.

He is a regular performer of NCCC Davao every time the mall has
major shows. He also performed in the Little Mutya ng Dabaw at Gaisano Mall of
Davao.

The Grade 5 student of Philippine Women’s College in
Matina gained public recognition when he joined his father, Peter, also a
saxophonist, in their father-and-son performance for a musical instrument
festival at Victoria Plaza in 2005. They
played every Saturday at the mall for six months.

Peter, a band member before joining the police force, said
he never forced his son to play the instrument. The boy was obviously
influenced by his father.

When Nico was already seven years old, he asked his father
to let his try the saxophone.

“That started it all,” said Peter who can also play saxophone,
bass saxophone, clarinet, and drums.

Nico’s current musical genre are standard and pop. But Peter said
they may make their own music in the future.

“I want to be a professional musician,”
said Nico, the elder of two siblings. His younger brother already shows interest in playing the sax at early age of 4.

Nico said he is very happy to have a father who has been
supportive to him.

The boy is currently the product endorser of ADI which
sells music instruments.

As ADI endorser, Nico has performed in the cities of
Tagum, General Santos, Pagadian, Cotabato and Cebu. Nico is featured in the ADI billboards and posters displayed in major music instrument shops across the country.

Next month, Nico is set to make his first Manila appearance as performer in the Kasalang Filipino organized by ABS-CBN on October 11-12.

On Sunday, Nico will perform with other
children-musicians in Davao City for the benefit gig
Teach Your Children at Taboan.

So sad!
The Davao-produced Huling Balyan sa Buhi which won awards in several international competitions went home empty-handed in the 30th Gawad Urian Awards held Thursday night at the Henry Lee Irwin Theater in Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City.
The movie directed by 21-year-old Sherad Sanchez got five nominations, including best picture and best director, in that local competition sponsored by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino.
Huling Balyan sa Buhi was bested by Kubrador, another indie film that won several international recognition.
Kubrador is the night’s biggest winner, taking home five out of the ten categories it was nominated.
In the five categories that Huling Balyan sa Buhi was nominated, four went to Kubrador.
It included Best Picture (for MLR Films), Best Director (won by Jeffrey Jeturian), Best Cinematography (for Roberto ‘Boy’ Yñiguez) and Best Production Design (for Leo Abaya).
Kubrado also won the Best Actress for veteran actress Gina Pareño. She was already honored at the Golden Screen Awards earlier this year, as well as numerous citations from international film festivals.
"Apat na dekada bago ko napanalunan ang tropeo ng Gawad Urian. Sa wakas, nagkaroon din ako ng pag-aari na ganito… Napakasarap na nandito ako sa Pilipinas. Nanalo ako sa bayan ko," she said in her speech.
Rustom Padilla and Mark Gil tied in the Best Actor category.
Rustom was honored for his work as Ada in the film ZsaZsa Zaturnnah: Ze Moveeh. This is the first major award for him.
Mark grabbed the trophy for independent film, Rotonda. It is his second Gawad Urian trophy. His first Urian came in 1982 for Palipat-lipat, Papalit-palit.
In getting his latest trophy, Mark bested his own son Sid Lucero, who was nominated for Donsol.
"I remember when I last won in 1983. That was the year when my son Sid was born. And, he was my good luck charm then. And, after twenty-four years, here he is also, contending together for the best award," Mark said in his acceptance speech.
It was an emotional moment for Rustom as his brother, Robin Padilla, was the one who handed him the trophy. Rustom gave Robin a long embrace before both winners spoke to thank the Manunuri. Robin won last year’s Urian for his work in La Visa Loca.
Rustom recounted that he used to watch this awards show when he was young when the likes of Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon were winning these awards.
"Maliit pa lang po ako at pinangarap ko na po noon na magkaroon ng ganitong klaseng awards. Dahil iba po yung kritiko yung nagbibigay sa iyo ng parangal, dahil nakikita nila yung puso ng pagkakagawa mo at pagkakalahad mo ng iyong karakter na naayon doon sa script," Rustom said in his speech.
Rustom also thanked Robin. "‘Tol, maraming salamat… Sabi ko ng pinanood ko yung La Visa Loca, sabi ko mananalo ka ng award. Little did I know that after one year ay siya mismo ang magbibigay ng award na kailanman ay hindi ko inisip na mapapanalunan ko."
A surprise winner was model turned actor Rafael Rosell for Best Supporting Actor in Rome and Juliet. He bested a couple of veteran actors in his field which including Allan Paule and Epy Quizon.
Rome and Juliet also won for Best Screenplay.
Absent from the program was Meryll Soriano, who won as Best Supporting Actress for Rotonda. His uncle, actor Mel Martinez, received her award in her behalf. Meryll had just given birth to her son Elijah.
Other Gawad Urian winners: Best Sound, Tulad ng Dati; Best Music, ZsaZsa Zaturnnah; and Best Editing to Todo Todo Teros. Best Short Film was awarded to Putot by Jhek Cogama.
Marichu "Manay Ichu" Maceda received the Natatanging Gawad Urian for film achievement. She was behind the establishment of the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) in the ‘80s. The guilds covering the different aspects of the profession now form the FAP.

Davao teens who are 14 to 19 years old only have until September 16 to register.
Bring your birth certificate; two recent photos: close-up and full body shot (taken at New Jersy Studio, NCCC Mall Davao), a certificate of good moral character or a barangay clearance. Don’t forget your written parental consent if you are below 18 years old, and work permits for foreign applicants.
Include a P500 single receipt from any NCCC Department Store, inclusive of a P200 purchase of any item from: Hasse and Prego, Tribal, Jag, Particles and Molecules and you can be part of Teenccclub’s Model Search.
Grand prize winners will each receive P30,000 plus a Samsung phone. First runners-up will each get P15,000 and a 1 GB MP4 player, while second runners-up will each have P10,000 and a 1 GB MP4 player. All prize monies are divided into cash and gift certificates.
Call 298-0888 local 300 or 2240186 local 253. See posters and flyers at all NCCC Department Stores for more details.

by Bam Salvani in his Mindanao Times column, Dare Me

IT feels good that my “alaga”
Michelle Carbonell has made it to the final 6 of the be bench/ The Model Search. I am proud of her.
Last March when I went home to do a corporate show at the
CAP Auditorium, I immediately contacted Michelle to host the show. I had no
idea then what she was doing after I left Davao and worked for Eat Bulaga! although
we communicate every now and then through text. When I learned that she’s
hosting a local cable program called Muzika
del Sur, like any proud mentor, I watched her appearances on the music program
and made little comments here and there.
Little did I know that she also has other plans for her
career only this time, it is to take the big league!

TEXT VOTE

I never had the slightest idea that she joined the be bench contest until she texted me to
vote for her. Vote what?

Then came a text message from a former GMA-Davao colleague
Papa Churlz, who is also now in Manila and is having the time of his life
managing a promising band called 1017 that has generated a novelty hit Charing, congratulating me for Michelle
being included in the be bench
finalists. Shortly after, I again received a text from Michelle asking for,
that’s right, text vote support. Totoo
nga!

Since then, I had myself hooked on the said contest on TV
that’s aired every Sunday on ABS-CBN. Michelle and I would constantly text each
other for advice and tips which I modesty believe have become of help to her.

TIPS AND ADVICE

I constantly tell her that she is a survivor in the said
contest and that she should look at it as a humbling challenge to do good and
get better. Starting off with a not-so-impressive performance, she was always
at the bottom among the other contestants during the early phase of the
competition. But soon enough, hard work helped her get good votes and notices
from the judges and the televiewers alike. I tell her that her edge among the
other female contestants is her chinky-eyed beauty that would help people to
easily remember her and that she should use it to her advantage. Sino nga iyong chinita na hindi naman maputi?
May recall!

Of course, Michelle’s innate intelligence is also something
to brag about. Why, even be bench
host Kris Aquino took notice of it and said on national TV that the girl from Davao indeed has
something between her ears. Don’t you think that’s something we all should be
proud of?

Michelle asked me what she should try to avoid doing during
the entire contest and I told her to control her being a cry baby. Crying a lot
in a contest is such a big letdown lalo
pa kung ito ay isang Ingliserang kagaya niya. She promised not to, well at
least, she’ll control herself not to daw.
Good thing in the past weeks that I watched the show, she never shed a tear.

“This is a model search, not a variety show so avoid making pa-cute,” I also remember telling her.
You see, when Michelle was with Singgit
Davao, many don’t like her guts, confidence and girlish, giggling ways. But
it’s really her. Some also find her smart-alecky, but she’s not. The girl is an
Ateneo graduate-UP dean’s lister and speaking out what’s on her mind is
definitely far from being a smart aleck.

But what really amazed me about Michelle was the fact that
she never forgets to thank me. She acknowledges my effort to make her sing,
dance and do her hosting better when I was still handling her back then. She
still constantly communicates with me, heeds my advice and listens to me. And
that makes me prouder of her.

A month ago, we unexpectedly bumped into each other at the
Gateway Mall and she was very excited to introduce me to her boyfriend JC.
Thankfully, the guy is very nice, intelligent and has good breeding. I like
him. And we talked a lot about our jobs. You see, JC works as a writer for
ABS-CBN’s Entertainment Live and I
write for GMA’s Showbiz Central. Wow,
on the same boat! Well, almost, only if we don’t belong to two competing
networks.

THE ARANETA
EXPERIENCE

Last week, Michelle invited me to watch the finals night of
the be bench contest at the Araneta
Coliseum. I promised to come.

The other night, September 11, Tuesday, I courteously asked
my boss’ permission to leave the brainstorming/meeting of my other show The Sweet Life at the Manor Hotel in Manila as I have a prior
commitment to attend to. My boss was kind enough to allow me, so off to Araneta
Coliseum I went. Witnessing Michelle performed before the who’s who in showbiz
and fashion world made teary-eyed. Bench owner Ben Chan, Kris Aquino, Piolo
Pascual, famous photographer Jun de Leon, fashion czar Lulu Tan-Gan, fashion
director Ariel Lozada, Richard Gomez, Lucy Torres-Gomez, ABS-CBN bigwigs Cory
Vidanes and Deo Edrinal, etc. — they were all there. I was seated next to Michelle’s parents Mommy
Thelma and Daddy Nick and I can see that they were the proudest for Michelle.

“This is my first time to be here in Araneta Coliseum and I
am just happy to have gotten this far,” says Michelle and the crowd applauded
her.

As I go to press, I am sure, all of you already know that
the be bench big winners are Carlo
Guevara and Regine Angeles (who also happens to be a close friend of another
former Singgit Davao talent Bianca
Cortez). Michelle may have not made it but she’s not fretting. Prior to the
finals, I told her that just making it to the finals night already has doors
opening for her. And I am just damn right.

OPENING DOORS

After the contest, we joined the be bench victory party and everybody was there. Food was
overflowing and the mood was superbly victorious. And so was Michelle that
night. And she has every reason to.

Let me the first to break the good news to everybody:
Michelle will be signed up by Bench as one of its contract artists joining the
league of Richard, Lucy, Kris, Piolo, Rica Peralejo, Wendell Ramos and many
more. She is also definitely part of the much-awaited annual Bench fashion show
also at the Araneta. Also that night, she was considered to join Mariel
Rodriguez and Bianca Gonzales as co-host for Entertainment Liv!” More TV guestings are also lined up for the be bench Final 6 that kicked off with a
song number with Angel Locsin on ASAP
last Sunday and on the daily morning show Boy
and Kris.

I can see that there are more to come for Michelle and let
us just hope that she continues to bring honor to all of us, her Davao folks.

Watch the be bench/
The Model Search grand finals on Sept. 16, Sunday, aired ABS-CBN, 10:30 pm.   

By Nef Luczon, Mindanao TIMES correspondent

THE writer behind the recent Cinemalaya entry Gulong that starred Gary Valenciano is a proud Davaoeña.

Palanca awardee Jeanne Lim grew up in the Chinatown area of Sta. Ana, and finished her high-school at the Chinese school, Davao Central High School, at the corner of Sta Ana Avenue and JP Laurel Avenue.

The 56-year-old Lim, a close relative of the prominent Limso clan in Davao whose family includes former councilor Robert Limso, once managed a snack inn named Queen’s (located near the Limso Memorial Hospital) where she used to cook different delicacies.

She left Davao some 23 year ago, and settled in Manila.

Her passion in writing had never come to her mind until she began learning the art of script writing 10 years ago.
When her marriage to a German national ended in 1996, her love for writing sparked.

“Instead na magmukmuk na lang sa bahay, I started attending script writing development programs,” she said.

She wrote the children’s story, Speedy and Jet, which gave her Palanca achievement in 1997. The one-act play, My Mommy Dearest, followed the next year.

In 2006, her story No Passport Needed, about a fugitive who sneak out of the country without a passport needed, was made into film by 18-year-old indie director, Pepe Diokno III who she fondly tagged as “young boy.” Lim appeared in that movie as old woman.

This year, her other story, Gulong (wheel), was made into movie by Sockie Fernandez. It starred the true-to-life couple Robert Arevalo and Barbara Perez with the support of Gary Valenciano and theme song by Christian Bautista. The movie, about a boy and his discarded bicycle that connects the past to the present, failed to win the major award in the recent Cinemalaya. But Lim is very proud of the movie.

In an interview with Davao reporters during her recent homecoming, Lim revealed that she has been invited to write a new story for a possible movie to be co-produced by Singaporean filmmakers.

Lim said she’s willing to work with Davaoeño film makers and artists.

“Don’t stop writing. Don’t give up. Don’t think that you’re no good,” she said and as for her encouragement to all those aspiring Davaoeños, “You’re never too old to learn, you’re never too late to start.”