Better late. than absent
STAR BYTES By Butch Francisco (The Philippine Star) Updated September 22, 2009 12:00 AM

Urian Best Actor Ronnie Lazaro accepts his first-ever acting trophy

Last Saturday, Sept. 19, wasn’t the most ideal time to hold an awards night at the CCP complex grounds for at least two reasons: 1) There was the Martin Nievera/Gary Valenciano concert at the Aliw Theater and 2) Supposedly there was a midnight madness sale at the SM Mall of Asia also nearby.
Current Manunuri ng Pilipino chairman, the ever-efficient Dr. Roland Tolentino (dean of the UP College of Mass Communication), however, had booked the Little Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines six months ahead and no one among us bothered to check the other events scheduled that evening. (Heck, even I who had handled the Urian presentations from 1990 to 2007 didn’t have the foresight to check and merrily went along with the schedule given to us by CCP.)
It was therefore murder getting to that reclaimed area of Metro Manila since everyone was heading east of the city all at the same time. Adding to the aggravation was the CCP ruling that we start at 7 p.m. sharp or we pay the penalty — something to the tune of P10,000, which could hurt the already depleted Manunuri pocket. (The 32nd Gawad Urian was staged through a grant given by the Film Development Council of the Philippines — approved by Chairman Rolando Atienza and administrative head Lali Suzara — plus sponsorship from Rubby Sy’s Flawless, with the deal coursed through marketing services manager Francis Labora.)
Since the Urian is basically a showbiz affair, everyone thought that the call time was also showbiz — meaning we would start at 9 p.m. Even some of the Manunuri guests — non-stars and just plain spectators — came in at 8:45. The movie people — so used to grand entrances, of course, came in even much later.
As a result, Boots Anson-Roa and I — who were acting as emcees that evening — ended up accepting trophy after trophy because most of the winners were not yet around when their names were called.
Aleera Montalla, the lass who would turn into a monster at night in Yanggaw, was nowhere to be found when it was announced that she had won Best Supporting Actress.
But during the parade of winners at the show’s finale, there she was all dolled up.
In the case of Best Supporting Actor Coco Martin (he won for Jay), he was in the Peñafrancia festival in Naga that evening and there was no way he could be at the Urian since that commitment had already been booked since last July.
As for Brillante Mendoza, who won Best Director (for Serbis), he was in Rio de Janeiro for yet another film festival. His Serbis was also hailed Urian Best Picture last Saturday.
Best Actress Mylene Dizon (who won for 100) almost missed giving her acceptance speech because she arrived practically minutes before the announcement of her name as winner. Bringing son Tomas with her on stage, she exclaimed: “Susmaryosep! Nanalo tayo, anak!” Prior to that, she and last year’s winner Cherry Pie Picache (Mylene’s good friend) both squealed with delight and jumped up and down with joy when they met halfway across the stage — to the amusement of the crowd.
But everyone was happiest for Ronnie Lazaro who — despite the fact that he had long been acclaimed as one of the finest actors in local cinema — had yet to win an award. The Gawad Urian finally gave him his first ever acting trophy — Best Actor for Yanggaw. In his excitement, he forgot that he was addressing a mostly Tagalog-speaking audience and gave the first part of his acceptance speech in Ilonggo, but even that was met with applause. Everyone just cheered for him.
The standing ovation, however, was reserved for the highest honor given that evening — for Peque Gallaga, who was given the Natatanging Gawad Urian. It was but fitting that the presenters in that category were Joel Torre and Cherie Gil, who were his Miguelito and Trining in his classic Oro, Plata, Mata.
Below is the complete list of winners in the Gawad Urian:
• Best Director: Brillante “Dante” Mendoza (Serbis)
• Best Picture: Serbis
• Best Actor: Ronnie Lazaro (Yanggaw)
• Best Actress: Mylene Dizon (100)
• Best Supporting Actor: Coco Martin (Jay)
• Best Supporting Actress: Aleera Montalla (Yanggaw)
• Best Screenplay: Francis Xavier Pasion (Jay)
• Best Production Design: Benjamin Padero and Carlo Tabije (Serbis)
• Best Cinematography: Odyssey Flores (Serbis)
• Best Editing: Francis Xavier Pasion, Kats Serraon and Chuck Gutierrez (Jay)
• Best Music: Popong Landero (Hunghong sa Yuta)
• Best Sound: Joey Santos and Von de Guzman (Yanggaw)
• Best Short Film: Andong by Milo Tolentino
• Natatanging Gawad Urian: Peque Gallaga