Carlo Aquino and Vilma Santos. Image: Instagram/@jose_liwanag
Carlo Aquino greeted veteran actress Vilma Santos-Recto, as the latter marked her 60th anniversary in showbiz, recalling the movie adaptation of Lualhati Bautista’s “Bata, Bata… Paano Ka Ginawa?” where they starred as mother and son.
On Instagram, Aquino shared his fondest memories with Santos on the set of their 1998 film, or how her kindness and motherly approach left a mark on him as a young actor.
“Happy 60th anniv sa nag-iisang Vilma Santos-Recto,” he began. “First day of shoot ko sa Bata Bata. Dumating ka sa set na naka artista van. Pinakilala ka samin ni direk Chito [Roño] tapos lumapit ka sakin. Sabi mo ‘I’ll be your mom for this film, would you like that?’ Halos matanggal ulo ko sa pagtango.”
(Happy 60th anniversary to the one and only Vilma Santos-Recto. It was our first day on the set of ‘Bata, Bata… Paano Ka Ginawa’ when you arrived in an ‘artista van’. Director Chito Roño introduced you to me, and you asked, “I’ll be your mom for this film, would you like that?” My head was almost removed from nodding so much.)
The actor also expressed his love for the screen veteran, who remained close to him even though it’s been years since “Bata, Bata… Paano Ka Ginawa?” premiered in theaters.
“Salamat sa pagtanggap sa akin bilang si Ojie. Kahit matagal na nagawa ang pelikula natin ganun pa din ang pagmamahal mo [sa akin]. Salamat sa mahigpit na yakap pagkatapos ng bawat eksena. At higit sa lahat salamat sa ‘Akala mo lang wala’. Sana makatrabaho kita ulit. Love you mommy Vi,” he said, referencing his iconic line from the movie.
(Thank you for accepting me as Ojie. Even if it’s been a long time since we did the film, your love for me still remains. Thank you for the tight hugs after every scene. And most of all, thank you for the “Akala mo lang wala” scene. I hope I can work with you again. I love you, Mommy Vi.)
Actress Sue Ramirez and ABS-CBN AdProm head Eric John Salut took note of Aquino and Santos’ close bond, as seen in the comments of the actor’s post.
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@jose_liwanag
One of the most memorable scenes in “Bata, Bata… Paano Ka Ginawa?” is the heart-wrenching confrontation between Ojie and Lea, where the latter came face-to-face with her son about his gambling addiction.
“Akala mo lang wala pero meron, meron, meron,” Aquino said in response, and received a harsh slap from the screen veteran right after.
Aquino took on the role of Ojie in the Chito Roño-helmed film, as the son of Santos’ character Lea Bustamante. The film, which revolves around the life of Lea as a single mother and women’s rights activist, also stars former child actress Serena Dalrymple as the actor’s younger sister Maya. EDV