July 16 - 31, 2016
Dolphy Month
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY
B5
My life with the King of Comedy
by Ronnie Quizon, exclusive to PNT
y late father
M
started his humble beginnings in Tondo,
Manila on July 25, 1928.
Rodolfo Vera Quizon, Sr.
found himself at par with
the local comedians he
admired in his youth years
later.
Learning
lessons
through hard work and
street smarts that can
only be learned in a prewar society, the young and
future Dolphy sought his
dreams in the early Forties, sharpening his acting
skills onstage in the lost
art of bodebil (vaudevlle)
and radio with the help
of the father of the late
Fernando Poe, Jr. but was
interrupted in WWII, doing all sorts of work like
shining shoes, putting
buttons on pants, selling
snacks at movie houses,
and other odd jobs in
order to help his parents
and siblings. He was then
discovered as a dancer by
Benny Mack, first joining
the chorus line for stage
shows, then later performing solos and forming a
trio of dancers along with
Teroy De Guzman and
Rene Pangan (Chiquito’s
older brother.).
He established his
own movie outfit - RVQ
Productions - in 1964. It
was during his early venture
as a movie producer when
he met our mother as an
18-year-old actress in the
movie Dolpong Scarface,
using the screen name
Pamela Ponti. I came into
the picture, followed by my
siblings Eric, Donna and
Epy.
Hundreds of films and TV
shows later, my late Daddy
has become a symbol of
the Filipino people, one
who is generous, Godfearing, resilient, humble
yet dignified, dedicated to
his family and his work, and
was able to keep a sense of
humour amidst all the trials
and tribulations.
As we brought to the end
of the celebration of Dolphy
Month of July on his 4th
Anniversary on July 10, all I
can say is SMILE - because
that’s what he would have
wanted us to do.
Every day on our way
to work or s