Filipinas Mag

She is a common sight in south Sacramento, California, manning a booth in front of a Filipino grocery as a spokesperson for an international charity. Except for the most ardent movie fans, no one recognizes that this friendly face was once a mainstay in Filipino cinema, with a career that spanned over five decades in movies and in television.

Now away from the spotlight of Pinoy entertainment, Lucita Soriano’s life has come full circle. While she continues to play roles that endear her to audiences, at this stage in her life, the roles she assumes are real and make her complete.

“Being in show business was my dream when I was young,” she says, reflecting on her grade school aspirations. “I prayed hard to God to make me beautiful, to give me a clear complexion and to make me fat, because I was so skinny.”

Born Lucita Soriano Adriano in Taguig, Rizal, she hails from a family of seven children with parents from Taguig and Sorsogon in the Bicol region.

“I kept on watching movies, and when I got home, I would go to my room. I memorized some of the dialogue, and then I acted them out in front of the mirror.”
Her first major role came about in a high school production about Jose Rizal, where she played the national hero’s wife, Josephine Bracken.

“After that, some of my classmates and I escaped Physical Education. We rented a jeepney to go to Sampaguita (movie studios) to apply. My classmates wanted to be movie actresses also, but I was the one who got selected for a bit role. I had a movie with Romeo Vasquez called ‘Lover Boy.’ He was supposed to be a playboy, and I was one of the (many) ladies in his life.

“The funny part (about that) was when the director asked us if we knew how to swim, I said ‘yes.’ We were supposed to run after [Romeo], and our last destination was the swimming pool. He was going to jump in and we were supposed to follow him in the water. But only a few of us surfaced.

“When they were able to save us from drowning, we were all crying. The director was so mad, wondering why we were allowed to jump when none of us knew how to swim. That was an experience I enjoyed, because even though we lied, I became an actor. I saw my name in the credits.”

Lucita then auditioned for a project that would ultimately change her career.
“They were looking for an actor for the lead role in ‘I Believe.’ I sent my prettiest picture, and I received a letter to report in Caloocan. There were thousands of people! But instead of just reading for the role during the audition, I memorized the lines. That must’ve helped me get selected. There were only three finalists, and I took second place. Mina Aragon took first, and third was Juliet Pardo. Of the thousands who auditioned, only the three of us signed a five-year contract. That’s when my career took off.”

From bit player to leading lady, Lucita Soriano’s evolution as an actress took her all over the Philippines, learning horseback riding and even karate to augment her acting. She won a Best Supporting Actress award for the movie, “God Smiled At Me,” where she co-starred with Tirso Cruz III and Nora Aunor.

Lucita also acted in numerous television shows, specifically three years in “Valiente” with Michael De Mesa, “Pangako sa ’yo” in 2003 with Kristine Hermosa and Jericho Rosales, and “Magpakailanman” with Lorna Tolentino.

It enabled her to work with some of the other giants in the golden era of Pinoy cinema, memories she cherishes today.

“I looked up to Nida Blanca, Gloria Romero, and Charito Solis. They were very good actors. Nida Blanca did comedy, and Charito Solis did high drama. Gloria Romero didn’t do so much high drama, but did provinciana (provincial lass) roles that fitted her, as well as kenkay-kenkay (comedic) roles, because she was so beautiful.”

Lucita married fellow actor Rodolfo “Boy” Garcia in 1968 and raised two sons. Marcopolo Garcia became a TV and movie actor, and is currently a councilman of Barangay Pasong Tamo in Quezon City. Her youngest, Garry “Boy” Garcia, also became a movie actor, but is now married and living in Texas.

Spending over fifty years in the entertainment industry has given her a unique insight into the business, and she reflects fondly on those early days of Filipino cinema.

“It was very professional, and we really had good directors. They became irritated when you weren’t on time, and would get angry and replace you if you didn’t know your dialogue. There were people who were supposed to become famous but didn’t because they kept wasting negatives.”

But the current evolution of Pinoy cinema also has her concerned. “I am saddened by some of the movies today, because it’s more of the flesh. In our time, we didn’t have stories like that. But there are also those who make good stories today. If we didn’t have to give this type of food to the people, there could be so many stories that could be told about the Philippines. But life is hard, and you have to give what the people want.”

She is a strong proponent of the royalties system of paying actors for continued broadcasts of their past works. “There are no royalties back home, not like here in America,” she laments. “That was what some of the actors from my time were fighting for, but nothing happened. That’s why if you let your career go and you have no more movies, kawawa ka.”

Lucita now resides in Sacramento, where she enjoys gardening, listening to gospel music, and meditating on the Bible. She is also a fund-raising representative for the Philippine Children’s Fund of America, manning a small booth in front of the local Seafood City to reach out to the local community. “Our mission is to help the poor children of the Philippines, conducting programs in the poor communities and sending them to school.”

Lucita is also a devout born-again Christian, having converted in 1980. She is currently a pastor for the Jesus Our Salvation Christian Ministry, Inc., and a missionary for the Kingsway Fellowship International based in Des Moines, Iowa.
“Our mission is to spread the gospel, especially in the poor areas and communities. That’s where the Lord sends us.”

From an illustrious career that spans five decades, to her charity and evangelical work today, Lucita Soriano has finally come full-circle. The actress-turned-preacher has found a new meaning in life. On Valentine’s Day this year, she married a man she just met last November.

“Michael knelt on one knee in front of friends before the Bible study started. He told me (with an American accent), ‘Mahal kita.’ The people clapped and he slipped on the ring. I didn’t realize it would be this fast. I wrote a letter to God. I called all my friends and they were so happy.”

She beams when she thinks about the adoring fans that still remember her work, and has this message for them: “The most beautiful message is what the Lord said, that we should love each other. If we do what the Lord says, he will reward us in Heaven. God bless you all!”

Alex G. Paman is a journalist and entertainment reporter based in Sacramento, California.