'LIVING INSTEAD': Money Ills Plague Fil-Canadian Film; Actress' Shady Practices Exposed

Volume 1, Issue No. 13

OPINION/COMMENTARY  The News UpFront: (TOP STORY) as of Saturday, January 13, 2018 

~  For months the complaint festered, ignored and unaddressed. Then came the moment concealing the truth was no longer an option. With all the bravado she could muster, a Toronto writer exposed the alleged misconduct of a local actress, a charge confirmed by the film director who also denounced the same person. Now all the money problems besetting the first 100% Filipino-Canadian film have surfaced, forcing the cancellation of its showing later this month.

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'LIVING INSTEAD'

Money Ills Plague Fil-Canadian Film;

Actress' Shady Practices Exposed

By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ

Editor, The Filipino Web Channel

"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time." - Abraham Lincoln

TORONTO - Before it could see the light of day, a film about Filipinos by Filipinos in Canada is being shelved, a victim of infighting, pretense, and what's hinted as "crab mentality".

One complaint, festering for months, has led to another, and to another because the person being complained of seemed to have turned a deaf ear to the steadily rising noise of protest against her alleged misconduct.

Beverly Vergel, an accomplished writer and film director, and scion of two prominent actors in the Philippines, and her team, have slammed the door on lead actors in the film "Living Instead" that she wrote and directed. 

The film, acted by Filipino performers, features Filipino immigrant experiences in Canada. (Background video at: https://www.facebook.com/BeverlyVergel.page/videos/1210131805711347/).

"Since both are on the demolition track," says Ms. Vergel, "my team and I quit!". That decision essentially meant the picture, billed as "the first 100% Filipino-Canadian film", would stay frozen indefinitely out of public view.

"Both" is a reference to Emily Bolanos, the producer and financier who is cast as the top actor in the movie and her own team that includes Michelle Chermaine Ramos, a Toronto-based writer, artist and designer, who plays a supporting role in the film.

To hear it from both Ms. Vergel and Ms. Ramos, Ms. Bolanos was not exactly upfront with her dire financial situation even before the film could be shot. That's the root of the controversy.

Specifically, Ms. Ramos claims Ms. Bolanos owes her money ranging from $2,000 to $9,000 that was spent for food and other necessities while the movie was being produced.

"I'm supposed to get paid but I lent Emily money in good faith completely trusting her like an older sister," Ms. Ramos says. "I was put on the spot several times and thought I was helping Emily save the project after she ran out of money or lost her credit card and all her excuses".

"Then I learned from Beverly that Emily didn't even have the money to start funding the project because she borrowed it from Levi de Jesus, the assistant director and co-scriptwriter who also plays a character named Lucy," Ms. Ramos explains.

She narrated Ms. Bolanos alleged tactic, thus: "Emily secretly borrowed money from Levi to pay Beverly the down payment to start writing the script which Beverly co-wrote with Levi with whom she unknowingly split the down payment that actually came from Levi in the first place!"

"See how sick this is?" Ms. Ramos states.

But it wasn't so much the money that appalls her. Ms. Ramos says she was misled by Ms. Bolanos' continuous lying. 

Several times, according to Ms. Ramos, she would be put on the spot and asked to use her credit card to pay for something because she forgot to bring her own credit card. Sometimes, she would also be asked to cough up cash.

"One of the many lies we discovered was when Abril (Sheryl Carrancho, a crew member) told me that Emily’s excuse for not paying her was because Emily claimed that she had to pay Erick Zonio (our lead actor) first," Ms. Ramos writes. 

She continues: "Emily said that Erick was in urgent need of money because his father was hospitalized when his hand got burnt in an accident. I found it strange that I never heard any news about Erick’s dad. So I messaged Erick to verify if his dad was hospitalized in 2016 for a burnt hand. Erick confirmed that never happened".

Instances such as this happened many times, according to Ms. Ramos. At some point, Ms. Bolanos was dropping Ms. Vergel's name (such as "sabi ni Direk") for some things to be done without her knowledge.

"What kind of person would attempt to start shooting a film by manipulating people into lending her money with her crocodile tears and sob stories while refusing to pay a caterer?" Ms. Ramos asked.

Ms. Vergel was equally indignant.

"I also had issues with the Producer-Financier’s (Ms. Bolanos) business practice and ethics. My resolution to was to quit because I was so scandalized at the audacity," explains Ms. Vergel in response to a question.

She basically confirms Ms. Ramos' complaints. 

Ms. Vergel writes in an email to this reporter: "I learned about those issues 6 months after project completion because we were made to believe by the Producer-Financier that all are generally volunteers including all those in her team. Up to the press con in Dec.10, 2017 that was what we knew. We later discovered that this was a lie".

Ms. Bolanos could not be contacted for comment. An email to her was unanswered. Her known friends said they did not have her email address.

Veteran movie scribe Nap C. Alip wrote in Balita, Toronto's largest Filipino newspaper, that Ms. Bolanos is an awarded actress who got recognition in three film venues outside Toronto. 

Last month, the cast and crew of the movie called a press conference announcing its formal release on January 27 in a local theatre. However, the scheduled screening has been stopped allegedly due to a lack of money to pay for the venue.

Ms. Ramos had feared she would not be allowed to take part in the press conference. But she did show up, much to the chagrin of Ms. Bolanos and some of the crew. There, she unloaded her bombshell of an exposé about the alleged malpractices of Ms. Bolanos.