Family is forever

No sibling rivalry. No professional jealousy. No cold war. No hidden bad blood.

Could this be possible in a field like showbiz ruled by the Green-eyed Monster?

Abrenica brothers Aljur (26), Vin (24) and Allen (17) are the exception to the rule. (They have a sister that comes between Vin and Allen.)

“We support each other,” Aljur told Funfare.

“Iba ang closeness namin,” admitted Allen.

“With us, family is forever,” added Vin.

Like the Three Musketeers, the brothers’ motto is One For All, All For One.

Their closeness was apparent on the set of T-Rex Entertainment’s Ang Hapis at Himagsik ni Hermano Puli, written by Enrique “Eric” Ramos and directed by Gil M. Portes, which is the closing film on Aug. 13 of this year’s Cinemalaya which opens on Friday, Aug. 5.

Aljur plays the title role of the almost forgotten early 19th century preacher from Lucban, Quezon, who led a movement for equality and religious freedom against the Spanish colonial government half a century before the martyrdom of Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio and Juan Luna.

According to Eric and Gil, Puli was only 18 when he founded the Cofradia de San Jose, a religious brotherhood that spread like wildfire among his fellow native Filipinos throughout Southern Tagalog. He was either just 27 or 28 when he was condemned as a heretic and executed by the colonial government.

“At 26,” said Gil, “Aljur is just the right age to portray probably the most challenging role of his career. As I’ve been saying, an actor is born in this movie. It’s a role that Aljur worked hard for. He did thorough research, walked on the ground in Quezon where Puli walked during his lifetime and stayed in places in Quezon where Puli lived.”

Puli was known to have been celibate (chaste) all his life and Aljur, noted for being a ladies’ man, reportedly “abstained” from any kind of intimacy during the shooting.

“I actually tried to live like Puli so my performance would be credible,” confessed Aljur.

Aside from, among others, Menggie Cobarrubias, Louise delos Reyes, Enzo Pineda, Markki Stroem, Kiko Matos and Ross Pesigan, Aljur’s co-stars include Vin and Allen, with the former as a military man and Allen as Puli’s younger brother.

A discovery of the TV5 talent search Artista Academy (conceptualized by Wilma Galvante), Vin has been catching the public’s attention with his acting ability, an asset that prompted ABS-CBN to sign him up after the expiration of his TV5 contract. He was last seen in last Saturday’s Maalaala Mo Kaya as the son whose girlfriend was coveted by his father (played by Jay Manalo).

Being the latest to join showbiz, Allen looks up to Aljur and Vin as role models.

“I felt safe and secure with my two kuya on the set,” said Allen who is a Hotel & Restaurant Management (HRM) student at UST. (Vin is a Culinary Arts graduate while Aljur didn’t reach college; he helped their parents send his siblings to school.)

Asked what support he and Vin are giving Allen, Aljur smiled. “Libreng transportation at libreng food lang,” joked Aljur. “Actually, we just left him on his own and he turned out to be a good actor, okey sa kanyang mga eksena. That’s the way I learned when I started in the business more than eight years ago. There were advisers but I really worked hard on myself,” added Aljur who, after a forced absence from showbiz (due to differences with his home studio, to which he has come back), has been showing marked improvement in his acting as evidenced in the Kapuso soap Once Again in which he played the boyfriend of Janine Gutierrez. “Hinayaan ko lang noon si Vin to learn by himself at ganoon din si Allen, hinahayaan ko lang siya.”

“Kung ano ang nakikita ko sa kanila,” agreed Allen, “ginagaya ko lang. They are my idols. I am following in their footsteps.”

“Follow the leader,” said Vin.

Like other siblings, Aljur and Vin (except Allen because of the slight age gap) engaged in some kind of “rivalry” as they grew up.

“Vin and I competed in who could swim faster, who would play basketball better, who boxed harder,” recalled Aljur. “Noong lumalaki kami niyan. We have settled everything noon pa.”

Up to now, they live in one house, share not just confidences but also clothes and shoes, and enjoy leisure time together (eat out, watch movies, etc.) — even sleep together.

“We share almost everything,” joked Vin, “except girlfriends.”

Incidentally, to impart the movie’s message, Hermano Puli launched a nationwide campaign called Bayani ‘To, kicked off to a rousing success last July 9 at the Angeles University Foundation where it enjoyed 1,300-strong audience of enthusiastic college students. The campaign is designed to cover 40 colleges nationwide until it wraps up next month.

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