If you are looking for something to inspire you, this story of Noel Sumingwa dramatized in GMA-7’s Magpakailanman might be the answer. Noel is a gay Igorot karatista who ruled as the regional shotokan-karate champion from 1994-1998.
PART 1: Noel wins a gay beauty title and gets beaten by his dad.
PART 2: Noel tries out for his school’s martial arts team. He makes the team and gets to be his school’s “pambato”.
PART 3: Coach gives Noel a pep talk during one of his down times.
PART 4: Mel Tianco interviews Noel Sumingwa.
You have to watch the videos to get the whole story hehe. But for those using dial up and who might have a hard time watching the videos, you might want to skip the first three parts and watch Part 4 where the real Noel Sumingwa appears. Update: The interview starts around the 4:30 mark.
So what do you think? Inspiring story alright? Magpakailanman is a television program which features the stories of people who overcome obstacles to achieve their goals. The program tends to overly dramatize everything. But maybe it is doing what viewers want to see so we won’t criticize GMA for its OA-ness [“over-acting”ness].
Don’t you think though that the Bembol Roco character is just too “madada” for an Igorot dad? He just never stops ranting. But maybe he is an exception to the stereotypical silent Igorot father.
Note to GMA-7: You might also want to feature Adeline Dumapong, and Rey Tam, and Daniel Foronda, and Julian Chees, and Kiko Calado, and many many more.
P.S. Tetchie Agbayani who acts as Noel’s mother in this drama is a kailiyan from La Paz, Abra.
VIDEO CREDIT: GMA-7
don’t like watching dramas.
skipped the first three videos.
started the fourth video.
heard the actress say, “apay, ania ngarud?”
put the fourth video off.
mel tiangco is just so sexist by saying she’d be more comfortable sparring in full contact sport with a gay man. she’s such a dinosaur.
Hi Pagano,
I didn’t notice those words until you mentioned it. Wrong words to say (Why? So What?) when your husband just got shot.
The interview starts in the middle of the video pala and you have to watch the cheesiest part of the drama before you get there.
Hi Nashman,
Yeah, that was a strange thing for her to say. It comes from the thinking that men will make “tsansing” if they are teaching contact sports to women.
Just woke up and have nothing else to do, so I watched da whole damn thing…Yeah, was wondering too if Noel’s late father was like that
on a daily basis.
Just like Pagano and most of us in CAR who less pay attention to sappy and crappy dramas, I myself lay da blame on who’s directing the show, no else, not even da script writer/s. Actors/actresses didn’t care either what their lines are so long as they get paid.
And so long as these fickle-minded viewing public continue patronizing
these kinds of shows, they do deserve whacky shows. It’s not new news. Cheers……….
Hi Trublue,
Hehe, so watched all of it ha 🙂 I hope he is not like the Bembol Roco character at all because Bembol just kept on yakking and yakking. I would kick his ass just to shut him up if I was there hehe. Thanks again.
When Mel Tiangco was doing the intro, I lost interest ‘kaagad’. She should have stated what club as my husband who was from JKA would be irritated hearing “kampeon ng boong Cordillerra” when the likes of Jr Kapawen, Jerome Chees, Webster and others from JKA were shinning that time.
Maybe I didn’t hear it right. Did they say he is from Shin-Shin?
I only fast forwarded to the interview. I need to be really drunk to watch a badly produced and badly acted tv drama like this. I like my cheese but this was a gutter production. (This has nothing to do with Noel of course.)
Tsk, tsk… Patrick Garcia’s acting was really bad. Gumamit man lang sana ng sibuyas or eye drops para maactivate ang tear ducts niya nung namatay ang tatay.
Kahirap ding magTagalog ni Noel sa interview a hehehe… But, he has an interesting story indeed. More power to him!
hi lovelyn,
i was thinking that maybe he was the caraa (or any regional college meets) champion because he was representing his school. but i might be wrong and maybe it was an inter-association competition.
not sure of where he’s from. is shin-shin a place or a martial arts association?
thanks much.
hi nashman,
hehehe. alam mo naman tv dito. wala na yatang pag-asang mag-improve in terms of how they produce their stories. thanks.
hi fongakhan,
yeah he’s not really a good actor.
pero magaling naman siyang mag-english. for some reason his english reminds me of miriam. yup more power to him. thanks
Shin-Shin Karatedo-Baguio is a club. JKA(Japan Karate Association) is another club where Sensei Julian Chees is affiliated to.
‘Auguri’ to Noel Sumingwa’s Story but not to the makers of the telemovie.
I fast forwarded the movie.It made me smile while I was thinking of Trublue watching the film hehehe…
Hi Lovelyn,
Thanks for the info. Oy, bigla kung ginoogle ang ‘auguri’ hehe. Yup, ‘auguri’ to Noel indeed.
Hi! I am Bruce Amoroto, social work student at University of the Philippines Diliman. I am also a glbt and human rights advocate. I am part of Team Pilipinas–a group of individuals and organizations that celebrate sexual diversity and equality through sports, culture and recreation. We would like to get in touch with Mr. Noel Sumingwa to invite him to be part of Team Pilipinas and its mission. We would appreciate if anyone would connect us to him.
Best regards,
Bruce Amoroto
bruce.amoroto@gmail.com
+63-916-2826781
Hi Bruce,
You might be able to get in touch with him via his contact info here. Thanks.
hi! speaking of Daniel Foronda, i wrote an article about him for The Manila Times.
there is a copy of that on my webpage:
http://defense.specialists.googlepages.com/
it’s under “Featured FMAs”