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UPFI Film Center Features The Beatles Manila Visit

by: Ramona Nieva

Just weeks ago, I wrote about the Beatles’ horrendous Manila experience.  How, after all of that, they vowed never to step on Philippine soil ever again.  Click this link for a peek http://muningerzee.blogspot.com/2015/07/ely-buendia-kikstarts-beatles-campaign.html

The Beatles, now with only 2 remaining members around, have kept their words.  They’ve managed to gig around Asia for decades without stopping over Philippines.  Even after they’ve disbanded, Philippines was never a gig destination for them.  So traumatic was their Manila Experience, it was reported, that even Paul McCartney stood up a press conference when he found out that the participating media were all from the Philippines.  

Just how bad was this experience, you ask?  For one, the Philippine promoter refused to pay the Beatles what's due them for the Rizal Stadium gig.  The band’s hotel suites were barraged with bomb and death threats.  They were literally kicked and harassed when they left their hotel for the airport.  Oh, and that’s not even half of it. There are many sites on the internet now that tell this story.  Many documentaries about the Beatles also chronicled the nightmare.

If you have no time downloading films or browsing the net, then head over to Cine Adarna in UPFI Film Center in Diliman Quezon City.  Showing this August is a full-length documentary feature on the Beatles visit by Filipino filmmaker Robert Nery.  Two screening dates are set on August 4, Tuesday and August 10, Monday.

Watch the documentary and you’ll see why the Beatles swore off the Philippines.   You’ll realize why Ely Buendia, of the famed Eraserheads and Oktaves frontman, had to launch a campaign to encourage Ringo Starr to reconsider.

Starr, the Beatles’ drummer, recently dropped an album entitled “Postcards from Paradise”.  And Buendia, himself a Beatles fan, saw this as an opportunity to launch a campaign to encourage all Beatles Fans to send Ringo Postcards from the Philippines.  “He didn’t get a good picture the last time”  Ely said.  Short of saying it’s different now Ringo, please come to the Philippines.  It’s a long shot but it’s worth a try.


In case you want reading list about the Manila visit of the Beatles, here are some of the links:

http://mybeatlesandclassicrockpage.blogspot.com/2011/06/rock-musics-worst-nightmarethe-beatles.html

http://pinoyclassicrock.com/BeatlesRPconcert.html
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