Ella treasures very first acting award

It could have been her, you know, “one moment in time” but unfortunately Ella Cruz wasn’t at the CCP to receive her first ever award — Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Agnes in Edward which also won the Jury Prize in the 2019 Cinemalaya.

Did Ella “snub” the awards night?

“Of course, not!” said Ella. “Actually, I wasn’t invited to the awards night and I learned that I won only on social media.”

Two weeks later, Ella personally went to the Cinemalaya office at the CCP to claim her trophy.

“It’s my first ever acting award in the 10 years that I’ve been in the business and I really treasure it,” added Ella. “As soon as I got it, I hugged it. I brought it to our home in Bulacan and I told my mom to have a glass case built for it.”

Directed and co-written by Young Critics Circle awardee Thop Nazareno (for 2016 Best Feature Film Kiko Boksingero), Edward is a coming-of-age movie which serves as a mirror image of the healthcare system and the government-funded hospitals in the Philippines. Instead of a place where the sick are supposed to feel comfortable, the movie shows how the lack of both medical staff and effective equipment actually adds burden to them and the individuals who watch over them.

Ella with her Best Supporting Actress trophy which she personally claimed from the Cinemalaya office at the CCP since she wasn’t invited to the awards night.

As patient Agnes, Ella is at the ER (Emergency Room) when Edward (played by Louise Abuel) and his friend, who make the hospital their playground, see Agnes and turn her into an object of their naughty game of betting whether a patient will live or die.

“I’ve never played this kind of role…a street girl who is brave and aggressive…so I was hesitant to do it,” confessed Ella who will watch the movie for the first time only when it opens nationwide on Wednesday, Oct. 2, released by her home studio Viva Films. “It’s the character, really. Kahit hindi siya maganda magsalita, she also has values when it comes to her family.”

She has worked with Louise in 2012 but this time they felt somewhat awkward since, according to Ella, “hindi na siya baby boy,” but it didn’t take time before they got comfortable with each other.

Direk Thop said in an interview, “I make movies that I myself would like to watch. I inject humor in my storytelling because I don’t like melodramatic films that much. I aim for realism, for the truth. In reality, even when you are sad, you don’t spend every minute sulking. In this movie, I try to see the humor in the character of a teenager, how a child sees the world as a playground.”

Patricia chooses family over crown

Patricia Javier with Charo Laude (left) who replaced Patricia as 2019 Mrs. Universe Philippines’ Finest Woman.

Even before her reign as Mrs. Universe Philippines’ Finest Woman, Patricia Javier has decided to give up the crown for a good reason.

“The international competition will happen during the Christmas season when our family usually spends the holidays with Rob’s family in the US,” explained Patricia. “It wasn’t a hard decision to make. Between family and crown, family comes first.”

Rob is Patricia’s husband, chiropractor Rob Walcher, by whom she has two children.

But Patricia is wearing another crown as 2019 Noble Queen of the Universe, with the pageant set for Nov. 26 to Dec. 1 here at home with 30 married women vying for the title.

With husband, chiropractor Rob Walcher

Charo Laude (nee Maria Charo Calalo) who was supposed to vie for Mrs. Asia early next year assumed Patricia’s vacated position. Charo will compete against 80 contestants in the 2019 Mrs. Universe to be held in Guangzhou, China, from Dec. 22 until Jan. 1, 2020.

It’s interesting to note that Patricia and Charo were candidates No. 4 and No. 20, respectively, in the 1998 Bb. Pilipinas pageant won by Tisha Silang (Universe), Rachel Soriano (World) and Colette Centeno (International).

They were also roommates during the pageant. Eventually, both ventured into showbiz; they are both That’s Entertainment alumnae.

Among Patricia’s batch mates were Isko Moreno (now Manila Mayor) and Ara Mina. Charo was a member of the Monday group that included Ruffa Mae Quinto. Charo appeared in Bocaue Pagoda Tragedy (1995) and she’s in the cast of the ABS-CBN soap Kadenang Ginto. — With a report from Celso de Guzman Caparas

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