There are two people of the most sought actor and director in the Philippine Cinema

that made a wave that make an instant impact in the Industry of Philippine Cinema and made
the Philippine Cinema known to the world. First is Manuel Conde and second is Fernando Poe,
Jr.

Manuel Pabustan Urbano Sr., better known as Manuel Conde, is recognized as one of
the greatest Filipino directors of our time. He is credited for introducing Philippine movies to
the world. The son of an Italian mestizo, Dionisio Urbano, and Lucia Pabustan of San Fernando,
a Pampangueña who relocated to Daet, Camarines Norte in her teens.

When he started a career in advertising, one of the very first directors he met and worked with
was Jun Urbano. It was the early ‘80s, and Jun’s reputation as top notch director was already
known in the industry, bagging plum assignments from major advertisers such as San Miguel
Corporation, including the legendary Fernando Poe Jr. commercials for its beer brand. he was a
fledgling copywriter for Magnolia then, and just had a series of TV ads approved for production.
Jun Urbano was the one and only choice to shoot these ads. When he finally did meet him to
discuss the storyboards, he was awed by the depth of his creative vision and artistic talent that
obviously ran deep in his blood, being the eldest son of the famed director, Manuel Conde.

As we did more commercials together, Jun and he became fast friends. During shooting lulls, he
would often talk about his father and how he was influenced by the cinema he created during
the gilded age of Philippine movies. I was surprised to learn too that Manuel had Kapampangan
roots, the son of an Italian mestizo, Dionisio Urbano, and Lucia Pabustan of San Fernando,  a
Pampangueña who relocated to Daet, Camarines Norte in her teens.

It was here that Manuel was born on 9 October 1915. He was preceded by elder sisters Nena
and Carmen. Lucia and Dionisio ran a zapateria and a bibingkahan to support their growing
family, but they would meet early deaths, leaving their three children orphans. The siblings
supported themselves by selling banana fritters in front of movie houses and that was where
Manuel’s interest in movies began. After graduating from the Camarines Norte High School, he
left for Manila to enroll in geological engineering at Adamson University in 1931. He would play
hooky and hang around Filippine Films and in 1935, he was signed up to work for the film outfit
as an all-around production man, handling everything from spotlights to wardrobe and even
doing stunt work. He also dabbled in acting, the job he came to love most. His first bit role was
in the movie “Sa Tawag ng Diyos” helmed by Carlos Vander Tolosa, courtesy of a
recommendation from Don Danon (stepbrother of Rosa Rosal, another half-Kapampangan
actress).

Manuel ended his studies at Adamson and opted for a stable job with Marsman and Co. In
1938, he married Julita Salazar, a beautician, with whom he would have seven children, all
named Manuel. The only girl in the brood was named Manuela. While with Marsman, he
continued to moonlight as a performer, this time as ventriloquist with Borromeo Lou’s
vaudeville troupe. He bought a dummy doll and renamed him Kiko Tolosa. Since it was difficult
for the ventriloquist to say “Urbano”, he changed his last name to “Conde”, giving birth to a
screen name that he would always be known for.

His foray into directing was a result of a missed opportunity, when, in 1938, he missed his boat
to Java where he had been taken in to work as a mining prospector because he got drunk the
night before. Director Carlos Vander Tolosa found himself an assistant director in the person of
Manuel Conde, and in 1939, their film, “Giliw Ko” was released. Recognizing his worth, the
producer Doña Sisang de Leon offered him his first directorial job, “Sawing Gantimpala” an LVN
super production in 1940. Thus began a flourishing career as a successful director of renown.

He was well-known for his costumed fantasies for LVN, including “Ibong Adarna”,
“Principe Tiñoso” and “Principeng Hindi Tumatawa”, which was based on a story by Doña
Aurora Quezon. He struck out on his own in 1947 by forming his own MC Productions and came
up with the very popular “Juan Tamad” series, which poked fun at the post-war Pinoy foibles.
He worked with the future National Artist and good friend Carlos “Botong” Francisco in
designing the look of his films. He followed his first “laffterpiece” with “Juan Daldal (Anak ni
Juan Tamad)", but continued doing swashbuckling fanstasies like “Prinsipe Paris” and “Siete
Infantes de Lara” in 1950 where he introduced a Mabalaqueña ingénue, Gracita Dominguez, the
first wife of Dolphy.

On the otherhand DA KING'. Fernando Poe Jr. aka Ronnie Poe, Ronwaldo Reyes at age
18. FPJ had Pangasinan and Kapampangan blood in his veins. The King or FPJ, as he is known to
his millions of fans, was born on 20 August 1939, the son of
Spanish mestizo Fernando “Nanding” Poe Sr.—himself an esteemed actor and a director of San
Carlos, Pangasinan and Fil-American Elizabeth “Bessie” Gatbonton Kelley. Bessie was the
product of the union of Engr. Arthur Kelley of Iowa and Martha Gatbonton, a Kapampangan
from Candaba,Pampanga. Ronald Allan Poe was the second of six children; his siblings included
Elizabeth, Andy (who, in real life was named Fernando Jr.), Genevieve, Fredrick and Evangeline.
A half-brother is Conrad Poe, son of Fernando Sr. with Patricia Mijares, an actress.

One of the perks of being the son of a celebrated actor-director and producer were small roles
in his father’s movies in the 1940s. Tragically, Poe Sr. died in October 1951, of rabies, leaving
behind a devastated Bessie to raise her family singlehandedly. Ronnie finished his elementary
schooling in 1953. He spent his high school years in San Sebastian College, Mapua and
University of the East, but dropped out to help his mother support the family. It was just a
matter of time that he joined the movie industry, working odd jobs as messenger boy and as a
stuntman before becoming an actor. At age 14, billed as Fernando Poe Jr., he was launched in
the movie “Anak ni Palaris”, which was not exactly a hit for Everlasting Pictures. But FPJ as a
full-fledged actor, was on his way.

The movie that would make him a star was the 1957 youth-oriented film, “Lo’ Waist
Gang”, from Premiere Productions. Just 18, he was paired with Corazon Rivas, and the movie
started a national fashion craze for low-waisted pants. In 1961, he founded FPJ productions;
subsequently, he formed other film companies like D'Lanor, JAFERE, and Rosas Productions
 FPJ would also become the most highly paid talent for commercials, reprising his Panday
character in San Miguel Beer ads that won raves and awards from the local advertising industry
in the 80s. His later movie hits were “Kahit Konting Pagtingin”, “Dito sa Pitong Gatang”, and his
last outing was with the billiard champ, Efren “Bata” Reyes (also a Kapampangan) in “Pakners”.

Many of the most iconic roles in Philippine movie history—Flavio (Ang Panday), Aguila,

Both of those two National Artist really made the Industry of the Philippine Cinema
precious and to be known worldwide. Manuel Conde and Fernando Poe Jr. contributed in no
small measure to the indigenization of the cinema, specifically: by assigning it a history and
culture of its own; by revitalizing folk culture with urgent issues, fresh themes and new
techniques; by depicting and critiquing Filipino customs, values and traditions according to the
needs of the present; by employing and at the same time innovating on the traditional
cinematic genres of his time; and by opening the local cinema to the world.

With a curious mind and restless spirit that could not be contained by what is, Conde
and Poe went beyond the usual narratives of the traditional genres and ventured into subject
matter that would have been deemed too monumental or quixotic by the average producer.

In doing films on these world figures, Conde and Poe had in effect forced the Filipino
moviegoer out of the parochial and predictable concerns of the run-of-the-mill formulaic film
and thrust him into a larger world where visions and emotions were loftier and nobler and very
very far from the pedestrian whims and sentiments that constituted the Filipino moviegoer’s
usual fare.
Sources:
http://viewsfromthepampang.blogspot.com/2009/12/177-manuel-conde-kapampangan-khan-of.html

https://viewsfromthepampang.blogspot.com/search?q=fernando+poe

https://southeastasiancinema.wordpress.com/2009/05/28/manuel-conde-to-be-named-national-artist-
of-the-philippines/

https://cnnphilippines.com/life/entertainment/2019/12/23/best-films-of-the-2010s-decade.html