Hey, Herbert Bautista in the house

I have never imagined that one day I would find myself in the same classroom with Herbert Bautista.

You read it right, folks!

Herbert Bautista in the house.

It was on the morning of Thursday, June 4, 2026, the commencement of the three-day Directing-Cinematography Masterclass facilitated by award-winning filmmaker Raymond Red (“Anino,” “Bayani,” “Sakay,” “Mga Rebeldeng May Kaso,” “Kamera Obscura,” “Himpapawid,” “Manila’s Finest,” among others).

Venue: Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund) Film Institute (MFI) in Ilang-Ilang Street corner Rosario Drive in Quezon City.

I ascended the 6th floor of the building.

On the reception table were seated the staff of Mowelfund including a familiar face whom I would remember when she introduced herself as Lou Gopez.

Lou, I remember, was a showbiz fixture I met in various showbiz functions but especially as a GMA Network creative staff.

Later, I would learn that she has been working with Raymond in his films, particularly “Manila’s Finest,” a 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival entry from Cignal and MQuest Ventures.

As the ice breaker, Gopez dropped the moniker “Mayor” while saying something, I can’t remember anymore, looking sideways to a man seated in front somewhere in the middle of her introduction about the workshop.

I could only see the back of the head of the man from where I was sitting on the fourth row of the elevated Conrado “Dengcar” Baltazar Theater.

Conrado “Dengcar” Baltazar, cinematographer of Lino Brocka—subtitle (highlighted)

Just a side show—Conrado “Dengcar” Baltazar was an award-winning cinematographer of now National Artist for Film Lino Brocka in such classsics as “Insiang,” “Ina, Kapatid, Anak,” “Angela Markado,” “Bayan Ko Kapit sa Patalim” etc. whom the Mowelfund Theater was named after.

I wondered what and who Lou was directing her recognition of “Mayor” to.

Was there really a “town mayor” in a filmmaking workshop?

Then I overheard another sobriquet, “Bistek” which only belongs to Herbert Bautista.

Finally, Herbert Bautista was it.

“Herbert Bautista, a San Beda College graduate of Philosophy and Literature,” he announced in a getting to know yet intro as requested by Raymond before he commenced his lecture for familiarization.

We were, more or less, thirty students, most of them young and inquisitive, inside the hall.

Obviously, I was the oldest among them but still, curious as a cat.

I want to learn more about practically everything.

Bistek integrated well in the class.

He was always asking questions even if he is already a film actor.

During a breaktime, I asked him what was he there for?

“Walang magawa (Nothing to do),” he teased.

Seriously, though, he wanted to discover more about filmmaking, especially now that his family owns a movie outfit.

Herbert’s youngest and the only sister-actress Harlene Bautista founded a cinema production, Heaven’s Best Entertainment, the company that gave the moviegoing public no-nonsense titles as “Rainbow’s Sunset,” “Burgos,” “Blue Room,” among others.

Bistek integrates well—subtitle (highlighted)

Does Bistek want to be a director?

“No,” he exclaimed.

What and where does he want to apply his directing-cinematography skills in?

“I want to be a cinematographer,” he replied in one of my hastily ambush interviews after one of our sessions.

Later, I overheard that he was cooking up something, a movie perhaps?

“Mukhang may gagawin tayo, huh (It seems you are working on a project),” a film worker in the foyer quipped.

“Medyo (Well),” the former Quezon City mayor chuckled.

“Sama mo naman kami r’yan (Maybe you can join us in),” said the movie worker half-joking.

Bautista’s unassuming self has again surfaced in this event.

I asked him about his political career and he answered back: “Wala muna (No more yet).”

Award-winning director Raymond Red talks about Piolo Pascual