Transitions 4: Direk Marilou Diaz-Abaya

Another sad day in this world... Another good friend taken by cancer....

This is my last photo with Direk one year ago, September 08, 2011. Her friend, Ms. Yuchengco, showed a docu film about Direk at RCBC Plaza auditorium. Direk's musical director in many of her movies and tv programs including Sic o Clock, Nonong Buencamino, invited me in facebook, that's how I learned about the event and I went there.

The room was full of soooo many fans and supporters of Direk, her students at her film school, former actors and actresses of her movies, fellow cancer warriors, other friends Sad but happy moments that day. I gave her a copy of my book and when I asked her to have a photo with her, she gladly displayed it.

She was undergoing chemo treatment that time. She sat beside her physician at the auditorium, who blushed when Ms. Yuchengco called on him and introduced him to the crowd.

Other Sic o Clockers who came that day, photos below, were Jimmy Fabregas, Noni Buencamino (younger brother of Nonong) who came with his wife Sharmaine, and Ces Quesada.  Lower right, some nice photos of Direk.

I was among the last addition to the cast of Sic o Clock News in 1990, was with the gang for about 10 months, before Direk decided to discontinue the show sometime in September or October 1990. The IBC 13 management, being a bunch of government appointed bureaucrats during President Cory's time, did not like the satire of the program of the "Kamag-anak Inc." and other policies of the government then, they kept changing the day and time slot of Sic. The fans and followers of the program got confused with frequent changes in the time slot. Direk knew that it was an implicit signal that the management was not happy with the program, so she pulled out and discontinued Sic.

Direk was not exactly a partisan person, she was simply aware of things that were not done right by the political leadership. Instead of supporting street demonstrators, or writing political commentaries, she preferred to do a political satire program that was Sic O'Clock. Very funny and informative at the same time.

Some friends asked me of any "secret" by Sic at that time. I think it was simply a perfect mixture of really wacky guys -- Direk Marilou, chief writer Mads Lacuesta plus assistant writer Jobart,  program hosts Jimmy Fabregas and Ces Quesada. Then wild cast like Manny Castaneda, Wilson Go, Ching Arellano, Rene Requiestas, Khryss Adalia, Errol Dionisio, Joji Isla, Jon Achaval, Dyna Padilla, Celeste Bueno, Noni Buencamino, a few others.  Video researchers Vinchy Lirios and Jun Segovia were equally cool guys. See my previous post about the group,
Weekend fun 19: Sic o Clock News.