The life of Vicente del Rosario Jr. is all about entertainment—music and movies in particular.
Being a college dropout did not prevent him from becoming an industry mogul. For him, it took passion and a never-say-die posture to make a difference.
Del Rosario’s corporate journey started in 1965 when he, at a young age of 20, put up Viva Communications.
He was a greenhorn in the business. Nonetheless, he was obliged to put up Vicor Music Corp. in 1966, with his cousin Orly Ilacad who was a front man for popular band The Ramrods.
The partnership sowed the seed of Vicor in a virtual hole-in-the-wall office on Raon St. in Quiapo, Manila. Vicor’s initial artists were Jeanne Young and Helen Gamboa.
Del Rosario and Ilacad acted as their own salesmen, visiting record bars in the vicinity to ask if they could help sell Vicor’s records.
With business picking up, Tony Ocampo was hired to help manage Vicor. The firm launched its first long-playing record in 1970, featuring young singer Tirso Cruz III with the title Maria Leonora Theresa.
Eventually, Freddie Aguilar of the “Anak” fame also signed in. In the late 70s, Ilacad left Vicor to create a new company named Canary Records.
Del Rosario followed suit not long after to go into films. In 1983, Ocampo’s Ivory Records bought Vicor; lock, stock and barrel.
In March 1980, tragedy struck as Del Rosario’s three-year-old daughter Vina Vanessa with actress Mina Aragon perished in a fire that razed their home in San Juan. Arson investigators charged that Rodolfo Quizon Jr. torched Del Rosario residence.
Aragon is a descendant of the famous Salvador clan who contributed many actors and actresses to the Philippine cinema sector.
Also known as Mina Salvador, Aragon was herself a notable Filipino actress and producer. She made significant contributions to Philippine cinema, appearing in numerous films throughout her career. She died in 1996, but details about her passing were limited.
In March 1981, Del Rosario put together the media conglomerate Viva Communications with his sister Teresita and named it after his late daughter Vina Vanessa. Viva Films launched its first movie P.S. I Love You which turned out to be a hit. By the 1990s, Viva Films was the biggest movie producer in the country.
At the turn of the century, Viva’s movie outputs were bolder and raunchier. These included Lupe: A Seaman’s Life starring Andrea del Rosario, Anna Karenina and T.G. I.S. featuring Mahi Taylor and Gamitan.
The trend also gave rise to the controversial Viva Hot Babes.
In mid-2022, Viva started production of Maid in Malacañang following a series of negotiations with Senator Imee Marcos.
Del Rosario and Marcos had previous working relationships in organizing the Metro Manila Popular Music Festival in 1978 and the Cecil Awards in 1982.
“I think it would be great to put on film what [the Marcos family] experienced during their last three days in Malacañang,” Del Rosario mused.