Farewell, German :"Kuya Germs" Moreno

When I heard the news that Kuya Germs passed away very early morning, I suddenly felt a part of my youth also was gone too.  You see, I grew up watching most, if not all, of his shows in GMA.  I remember feeling amazed at the outrageous headdresses which are part of the costumes of his dancers then.  The production numbers of his shows were always awesome.  The costumes were very colorful and the dancers moved in unison; they seem to move in perfect rhythm with each other and their movements smooth and fluid.  As a young impressionable child, German Moreno's shows became my benchmark when it comes to performance level and quality dancing.  I actually miss watching his shows.  Whenever I would watch his production numbers, I feel like I was actually present in the studio and watching it all happening before me, and not just watching it on TV.  Crazy right?  I always looked forward to Sundays then, because of that and of course, because after that was the tearjerker "Lovingly Yours, Helen."  

When I grew older, he produced 'That's Entertainment.'  It was a venue for teenagers, who are aspiring to become serious  actors and actresses, to showcase their talents.  It was a 5-day/week show.  Participants of the show are able to showcase their talents, dancing, singing, acting, hosting, etc, and surprisingly, most alumni of "That's Entertainment" show have thrived in the industry and are now considered veterans in their own right and have become serious dramatic actresses.  Some of them are:  Manilyn Reynes, Sheryl Cruz, Sunshine Dizon.  Most of them became household names that's why it earned him the title "Star Maker."  I think not one actor in the present era did not go through the shows that Kuya Germs produced, unless of course, they are products of reality search shows that have become a fad recently.   

Kuya Germs' career spanned five decades and it is in itself colorful.  From his humble participation as "telonero" or "curtain drawer" at the Clover Theater, which was located at Sta. Cruz, Manila, he was given a break to be a 'bit actor' in theater plays and gradually, was trusted to star in movies and later, on television shows.  He even expanded to include radio in his empire, so to speak.  

Kuya Germs may have bid us all farewell, but his impact in local showbusiness has been very remarkable and strong, having helped and developed a lot of personalities, and through them, Kuya Germs' legacy will remain.    You may pay your last respects to him at Mt. Carmel Shrine in New Manila, Q.C. and he will be buried at Loyola Cemetery in Marikina on Tuesday, January 11, 2016.  Paalam po, Kuya Germs.