The Story of How Mayor Pablo Cuneta Helped Vic Del Rosario Establish Viva Films
Before Viva Entertainment Founder and CEO Vic Del Rosario became one of the Philippines' most important media moguls, he was the big chief at Vicor Music. During the '60s and '70s, Vicor would become a pioneer in the recording business. From there, he would meet and nourish some of the country's biggest talents before expanding his business interests.
One of them, of course, was megastar Sharon Cuneta, who had previously been a fast-rising recording artist under Del Rosario's wing. The two would have quite the partnership. “Kung walang Sharon, walang Viva," Boss Vic would say. Their creative collaboration, after all, helped Cuneta transition into one of the country's premier stars back in the '80s. Interestingly, Cuneta, along with her father, the late Pasay City Mayor Pablo Cuneta, would effectively help Del Rosario establish Viva Films.
Boss Vic noted: "[Cinema] a bigger industry compared to music, so when I was checking around, sabi ko Regal Films that time was big eh. They had young stars and a stable of artists, and then when I checked the other movie companies, the successful ones were run by the superstars like FPJ or RVQ, then even Ramon Revilla, so nag dalawang isip ako. I cannot go into the movies na wala akong artists."
Dindo Fernando and Amy Austria in Langis at Tubig (1980).
At the very least, he had Cuneta under Vicor. However, Del Rosario then was still trying to figure out just how far Cuneta could go as a movie star. During the Metro Manila Film Festival in 1980, the classic Langis at Tubig, featuring Amy Austria, Dindo Fernando, and Vilma Santos, was shown. Cuneta, who was prepared for more mature tracks, would record the theme song of the film. There, Del Rosario discovered Cuneta's true potential.
"Noong pino-promote na and yung producer ng movie (Langis at Tubig), tinawagan kami kung puwede raw ba sumama si Sharon sumama sa parada, and I said ‘okay.' So nag-join sya sa Luneta noon, mina-mob sya ng fans," he claimed in an interview with Esquire Philippines. “That was December 24, eh meron Sinulog Festival sa Cebu sa January, and then Sharon was invited by Student Canteen so I brought Sharon sa Cebu kasama yung Mommy niya."
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Del Rosario added: "When we arrived in the hotel, I met Danny Zialcita, the director of Langis at Tubig. Sabi nya, ‘May festival dito, puwede bang pasamahin si Sharon ulit sa parada.’ So pumunta sya... The following day I had breakfast sa hotel, nilapitan na naman ako ni Direk Zialcita sabi nya, ‘Grabe, parang mas malaki pa yung ingay kay Sharon kahapon kaysa kay Vilma.’ Sabi nya ‘What will it take to produce a movie for Sharon?’"
Del Rosario told him that there were a few requirements. First, Cuneta was to be paid P200,000. The second was for him to handle the marketing of the movie. And the last was for his brand to do the theme song. Del Rosario and Zialcita would agree then and there.
Hence, the arrival of Cuneta's debut hit Deart Heart, directed by Zialcita and produced by Sining Silangan Productions. But even then, Del Rosario admits that he wanted to test out his capabilities first in the market before Viva Films' actual launch. It was with Dear Heart that he would soon find out if he belonged. The 1981 film would put Cuneta alongside Gabby Concepcion, which became a reintroduction to Cuneta, the megastar, we now know and love.
The film did relatively well in the box office. "'Nung lumabas na, syempre malakas. It was a medium hit but it was not in the level ng mga FPJ, and I was already hot na mag produce eh so ang ginawa ko, tinanong ko, ‘Magkano ang income ng Langis at Tubig sa Cebu?’"
Del Rosario, nevertheless, insisted on more control. He asked to purchase the Cebu rights of Dear Heart. "Sabi ko ‘If I promote it, can I sell more?’ So sinabi nya ung presyo, and I matched it. ‘I’ll pay you that.’ I mean, Vilma Santos to a Sharon, syempre yung kay Sharon kalahati lang dapat."
Boss Vic wound up handling all the promotional efforts for its release in the Cebu market. "After two weeks, Cebu na, tinodo ko na ung promo. Lahat ng radio stations pino-promote na yun and you know what happened, I doubled the revenues."
Pablo Cuneta remains the longest-serving mayor in the history of the Philippines.
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The Viva Entertainment Founder couldn't resist making a film with Cuneta not too long after. Unfortunately, Sining Silangan's budget was committed to a foreign film at the time. This was when Del Rosario decided to pay Sharon's dad, Pablo, a visit in Pasay.
"Sabi ko, ‘ Mayor, gusto ko gawan na ng pelikula si Sharon.’ Tapos sabi ni Mayor, ‘Dapat sundan na, ang lakas ng pelikula nya.’ Sabi ko, ‘eh Mayor, wala pa silang budget to produce a second movie,'" he claimed. The mayor told him to pitch the movie to bigger companies like Regal or Lea Productions. There were no takers.
It would put the Viva chief right back with the Mayor. "O ano, kaya mo ba mag produce?" he asked Del Rosario.
"Mayor, kukulangan ako ng capital eh."
"Sige, pahiramin muna kita."
Pablo Cuneta would provide Del Rosario with the resources to launch Viva Films. "At pagkatapos nun, tuloy-tuloy na, non-stop na," Del Rosario explained.
From there, we probably know the rest. Del Rosario had Cuneta and Santos, and never looked back. "We started signing up puro multiple deals. Binalik namin si Hilda Koronel. We did Bagets in ‘83, Working Girls in ’84," he told Esquire Philippines. "Wala na, nilampaso na namin lahat ng kalaban. Kung baga, hinog na hinog na ako pumasok sa pelikula."
