The prime of Miss Perla

Bautista in “Dapithapon”

Forgive veteran actress Perla Bautista if she can’t contain her excitement over her latest movie, Carlo Enciso Catu’s Cinemalaya entry “Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon” (Waiting for Sunset).

“I have two husbands in this movie,” she quips.

And they’re both younger than her.

In a judgmental world where cougars are shamed into the endangered species list, that’s quite a major coup.
Indeed, leading roles for women over 70 are already hard to come by, but to have two younger partners—Perla is really on a mighty roll!

Perla, who’s 78 years young, is paired with Dante Rivero, 72, and Menggie Cobarrubias, 65, in the indie drama.

Seriously now, Perla’s film tells a poignant love story: With the help of her doctor-lover, a hardy woman takes care of her ailing husband, who had abandoned her years earlier. Think of it as a golden ménage à trois.

Perla herself admits that she is uncertain if she is capable of committing that ultimate sacrifice. She asked herself: “Are there still people like her nowadays? I don’t think I can be as strong and forgiving.”

Kind-hearted character

Her director, who megged the acclaimed Kapampangan film “Ari: My Life With a King,” helped the seasoned actress understand her kind-hearted character.

“He and his staff are all so young! They were very hands-on. Tutok talaga,” she recalls. “Carlo even went to the studio, to help me dub a few scenes. In my many years in show business, I’ve worked with directors who would leave you on your own. They didn’t care much about the actors’ performances.”

Working with her two costars was a pleasant experience, as well.

“Menggie is so funny. He likes to joke around,” she relates. “I am used to him because my husband often gets him to host golf tournaments.”

Meanwhile, she can’t help clucking like a mother hen around Dante. “I worry about him because he works too hard. From the taping of his soap opera ‘Blood Sisters’ in Lipa, Batangas, he would go straight to the ‘Dapithapon’ set in Angeles, Pampanga. I kept reminding him to take it easy.”

Active

Perla herself has learned to slow down a bit—well, almost but not quite.

“I am not the type who acts like a señorita at home,” she owns up. “I have to keep myself busy. Active.”

She enjoys going to the palengke, cleaning the house and taking care of two dogs and six cats.

That’s the secret to her vitality, she insists. It also helps to keep a positive mindset at all times, she asserts.

Like her character in the movie, she explains, she is now in her twilight years, waiting for the sunset, too.

In “Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon” (from left): Perla Bautista, Dante Rivero and Menggie Cobarrubias

At this point in her life, she volunteers, fame and fortune are no longer her priorities.

“All I want is to do one good deed a day,” she remarks. “I tell my costars that, as actors, we are so lucky because we have the chance to make so many people happy. For example, taking time to pose for a photo can make a big difference in a fan’s life. Be an angel to someone—even complete strangers.”

Perla was not aware that Julia Barretto, her costar in the old series “A Love to Last,” had taken those words to heart.

“My friends in the hair salon told me that Julia had thanked me on her Instagram account,” she recounts.

Perla had no idea that she had such a profound effect on the young star.
“I only found out about it much later… I am not on social media eh,” she enthuses.

That brings such immense joy to her heart, she acknowledges, “to be a blessing in another person’s life.”

Cinemalaya will be held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and selected Ayala Cinemas from Aug. 3 to 12.