Tribute to Manny Pichel

PICHEL. His inspiring example lives on in “Paglipad ng Anghel.”

When Doy del Mundo’s latest film, “Paglipad ng Anghel,” is premiered at 7 p.m. on June 12 at SM Mall of Asia, we’ll be watching, because the unique drama is an inspiring tribute to our dear friend, Manuel Pichel.

No, the movie’s story is not about Manny, it’s simply been inspired by something he did when he was alive and working as entertainment editor of the Daily Express in Manila’s Port Area, where we would visit him before our jaunts into Manila’s nightlife (“for research purposes only,” was our cheerfully bald-faced alibi).

Stormy night

It was during one of those evenings that Manny confided to us that, one stormy night earlier that week, he had seen an old beggar fainting from cold and hunger. Instead of leaving the old man where he lay, Manny decided to go out of his way to help him, despite the extremely stormy weather.

Since there were no cabs around, Manny had to wait for a long time, until he finally hailed a calesa and persuaded the rig driver to take him and his shivering companion to the nuns in Tondo who belonged to Mother Teresa’s order, and took care of the impoverished and homeless sick and dying.

Yes, Manny shared, the old man eventually passed away, but at least he felt cared for and loved. Later, Manny would donate money to the nuns, to help them take care of other “lost” souls.

That wasn’t the only time that Manny would bring poor derelicts to the nuns in Tondo. It became his “little” secret mission, which he shared only with his closest friends. When Doy heard of what Manny had done, he was, like us, very moved –and eventually wrote a movie script inspired by it.

Manny himself died some years later – and that was when Doy decided to look for funding to film the script he had written that was inspired by Manny’s “secret” mission.

Act of kindness

In “Paglipad ng Anghel,” Manny’s little story has been transmuted and reworked to tell the strange but inspiring tale of a young man (Sid Lucero) who, after making a similar act of extreme kindness, is surprised (alarmed!) to discover that – he’s growing a pair of wings!

As you can imagine, the discovery confuses, scares and even discombobulates him, and wreaks havoc on his personal life. Of course, the growths are angel wings that vivify the young man’s heroic and angelic goodness – but, more than being just symbolic, the wings are a physical reality that the movie’s young hero has to deal with and deeply comprehend.

The production seeks to promote goodness and kindness as part of the sponsoring producers’ (De La Salle University) advocacy, and is also intended to raise funds for the One La Salle Scholarship Drive’s 10,000 beneficiaries nationwide.

Let’s all do our bit to help, like Manny Pichel. He didn’t grow angel wings, but his inspiring example lives on! Visit 100years.lasallian.ph.