The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
by Boy Villasanta
Like the iconic Beatles, Hollywood action star, martial artist and Hong Kong Prid6e Bruce Lee is immortalized in the annals of global popular culture history as the finest actor on the kiss-kiss, bang-bang genre.
Fans were devastated when Bruce’s life ended tragically at the age of thirty two in 1973.
But the world never stopped adoring Lee as he still had so many new facets of show however through the eyes and performances of his followers.
Movie stars outside the American empire impersonated him to, at least, localize and echoe his legacy in their regions.
In the Philippines, Ramon Zamora took on the image transfer of the American-Chinese superstar to satisfy the curiosity and idolatry of millions of Bruce Lee Filipino fans and succeeded in it.
Rey Malonzo, Robert Lee, Levy Ignacio and their ilk followed suit.
Until Ramon and Robert passed on one after the other while Rey and Levy changed tack of their acting chores, Malonzo aside from entering politics became plain action megastar while Ignacio opted to become a dramatic actor.
The only remaining Bruce Lee look-alike waa action man artist Vic Tiro.
Vic was never conscious he was a dead ringer of Bruce Lee.
Never in his life did he imagine to be likened to a popular figure.
All he wanted was to hone his skills in martial arts.
Until he was noticed by local showbiz because of his expertise in karate, judo, taekwondo and kamaido.
People in the know christened him Bruce Lee of the Philippines long after the legend died.
“Pati raw hugis ng mukha ko at buhok ko, Bruce Leeng-Bruce Lee. Pati pagkilos ko, kamukhang-kamukha raw ako ni Bruce Lee. Pero hindi ko alam ‘yon. Mga tao lang ang nagsasabi noon (Even the shape of my face and my hairdo look like Bruce Lee’s. Even my moves, thet say I am his dead ringer.But I don’t have anything to do with it. It’s only the people who are telling me that),” explained.
Tiro never passes a single moment of tributary reflections and remembrances on Bruce on memorial birthdays and death anniversaries.
“No’ng last birthday niya, I made an art work for him,” said Vic.