Man of few words at mahiyain; may prinsipyo at sobrang mapagbigay.
Ganito ilarawan ni Susan Tagle si Da King at National Artist Fernando Poe Jr., o FPJ.
Si Susan ang sanggang dikit ng legendary actor/director/producer sa tunay na buhay.
Siya ang tumayong business manager at supervising producer ni FPJ mula '80s hanggang sa pumanaw ang aktor noong 2004.
Kung saan man ang lakad ni FPJ, madalas ay naroon din si Susan, o mas kilala sa palayaw niyang Santee.
Higit sa pagiging boss, malapit na kaibigan at parang kapamilya na raw ang turing ng Hari Ng Pelikulang Pilipino kay Susan.
Eksklusibong nakapanayam ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) si Susan sa pamamagitan ng Zoom call noong Agosto 12, 2025.
Ito ay para gunitain ang alaala ng Da King, na nagdiriwang ng dapat sana'y ika-86 niyang kaarawan ngayong Agosto 20.
"FPJ and I got along very well," panimulang kuwento ni Susan sa PEP.
"I guess, it's because—I don't know if Jo-Ann has mentioned this to you, but—I'm lesbian.
"I think it was comfortable for him not to have to worry about, you know, the intricacies of dealing with a female worker."
Ang tinukoy ni Susan na "Jo-Ann" ay ang editor-in-chief ng PEP na si Jo-Ann Maglipon.
Sabay sabi rin ni Susan, "And I guess also because Susan Roces liked me. Siguro inisip niya, 'Oh, no complications ito.'"
Unang nakatrabaho ni Susan si FPJ sa Katipunan ng mga Artista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (KAPP) o Actors' Guild noong 1983.
Si FPJ ang tumayong presidente ng KAPP mula noong taong iyon, at si Susan ay office manager ng organisasyon noon.
"I think the first time I met him was in a meeting of the KAPP.
"My very first impression of him, I think, was that he was actually a very shy person and not very talkative."
Madalas daw isinasama ni FPJ si Susan kahit sa location shoots ng aktor.
Kaya dumating sa puntong in-absorb na ni FPJ si Susan sa FPJ Productions, ang production company na pag-aari at itinatag ni FPJ noong 1963.
Pagpapatuloy ni Susan sa panayam ng PEP: "I think siguro nahihiya siya na nagmi-mix yung production works sa KAPP work because I was with him so much on location.
"So, sabi niya, 'Kumuha ka ng ibang tao for KAPP and join me in the production instead.'"
Noong una, ang trabaho ni Susan ay production assistant/production manager/field cashier sa mga pelikula ng FPJ Productions.
Hanggang sa naging manager si Susan ng Cinema Audio, ang recording studio na nabili ni FPJ mula kay Jose Mari Gonzalez noong 1985.
May iba pa raw personal tasks at business tasks si Susan para kay FPJ.
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SUSAN TAGLE ON HOW FPJ HANDLED A BLANK CHECK GIVEN TO HIM
Pero isa sa mga di malilimutang trabaho ni Susan para kay FPJ ay naganap noong siya ay 27 years old.
Hindi raw niya akalaing ipagkakatiwala sa kanya ni FPJ ang pakikipagnegosasyon sa multimillion-peso endorsement deal ng aktor noon.
Tandang-tanda pa raw ni Susan na may isang mayamang negosyanteng nag-offer kay FPJ na maging endorser ng isang bagong beer brand noon.
Nakasama raw si Susan sa private meeting ni FPJ kasama ng may-ari ng beer brand at lawyer nito.
Lahad niya: "During the meeting, the lawyer gave me an envelope and said for me to check it after the meeting was over.
"So when we got in the car, pagkatapos ng meeting, 'Silipin mo, San.' Pagtingin ko, it was a blank check."
Biro raw ni FPJ kay Susan, "Sulatan kaya natin San ng PHP50 million."
Sagot ni Susan kay FPJ noon, "Tingin ko hindi sila papalag kasi the mere fact na nagbigay sila ng blank check."
Kuwento pa ni Susan sa PEP, hindi raw kaagad umoo si FPJ na maging endorsement ng baguhang beer brand.
Gusto raw nitong masubukan ito.
"What happened after that was for several months he tried to drink [the brand's beer]. Sinubukan niya talaga," sabi ni Susan.
Pero hindi raw nagustuhan ni FPJ ang brand ng beer na iyon.
Tinanong din daw ni FPJ ang opinyon ni Susan.
"Ano San, kaya ba natin 'to?" tanong daw ni FPJ.
Sagot daw ni Susan noon, "Para akong umiinom ng pinakuluang Sampaguita."
Marahil ay dahil may nakasanayan na ring ibang brand ng beer si FPJ noon kaya hindi nito magustuhan ang bagong beer.
Pagpapatuloy ni Susan: "And so I asked for a meeting with the lawyer who gave the check. And it was very amicable. Walang samaan ng loob or anything."
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FPJ ENDORSEMENT DEAL WITH SAN MIGUEL BEER
Nang sumunod na taon dumating ang offer mula sa San Miguel Beer, na gustong kunin si FPJ bilang endorser.
Pagbabalik-tanaw ni Susan: "The first one who approached us in behalf of San Miguel Beer was Oli Laperal of a production company.
"So it was Oli wiho brought to our table the offer of San Miguel. And then we met directly.
"The president of San Miguel at that time was Florentino Galang. I think he has passed away now."
Hinayaan daw ni FPJ si Susan na humarap sa endorsement deal na iyon.
"Si FPJ is not a very... How would I describe it? He's not a person who relies on lawyers.
"He is very used to a handshake. You know, 'Usap tayo. Finalize natin yung terms. Pero hindi nating kailangan ang lawyer diyan sa ganyan.'
"But of course, ang laki nung deal with San Miguel commercial.
"By now it's in the books. He was paid at that time, a very big amount. That was 1987 and the contract was PHP30 million for three years.
"Two commercials each year, so pumatak na parang PHP5 million per year.
"We did six commercials. The first came out in 1988, [then] 1989 and 1990."
Na-appreciate daw ni Susan ang tiwala ni FPJ sa kanya.
Saad niya: "So that was the first big deal I handled.
"And parang yung mga taga-San Miguel siguro iniisip, 'Sino itong neneng 'to na nakikipag-usap sa amin ng milyones?'"
Pagkatapos noon ay nagtrabaho si Susan bilang production manager sa lahat ng mga pelikula ni FPJ hanggang sa pagpanaw ng aktor.
"If we were doing a film outside of FPJ Productions, I would always be on staff.
"That was part of his requirement for any producer who got him. So I would either be supervising producer or production manager."
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FPJ AS A BOSS
Kung susumahin ay 21 taong nagtrabaho si Susan kay FPJ.
Paano si FPJ bilang boss?
Paglalarawan ni Susan: "Si FPJ is straight to the point. He tells you what he wants done.
"But at the same time, in my case, he expects me to understand what the job entails and do things without waiting for him to say it.
"If I am not clear about something, if I think something needs to be done, but I'm not sure if I should or should not do it, I will ask him, and he will answer.
"I think you would say pakiramdaman."
Pagdating sa business aspect, hinahayaan daw siya ni FPJ na dumiskarte.
Pero inaasahan daw ni FPJ na made-deliver niya nang maayos ang trabaho.
Saad ni Susan: "Meron siyang level of expectation—that you know what the task will entail, and that you will do it.
"But if you are unclear, do not be afraid to ask. Ganun. Ganun yung level namin."
Masasabing seryoso, dedicated, at hardworking si Susan pagdating sa trabaho at kinilala rin niya nang husto ang kanyang boss.
"Ako yung pinaka-newcomer technically. All his production crew, meaning yung cameramen and everyone, lahat diyan, he has been with for years. For many, many years.
"So, yung kanyang makeup artist, the late Tinay Manahan, was with him since the '60s. Yung ganong tipo.
"So I learned from them, 'no? They would tell me, 'Oh, si Ronnie, etong gusto niyan. Si Ronnie ganito mag-isip.'
"So along the way you learn."
At sa loob ng panahong iyon, nasaksikahan daw ni Susan kung gaano kaalaga ang sikat na action star sa mga empleyado nito.
Kaya hindi raw nakapagtataka kung bakit marami sa mga staff nito ang tumagal sa kumpanya ng action star.
"He treats his people very well. Halibawa, pag pasukan, pag start of the school year, expected yan that everyone will write a love letter asking for financial support for, you know, the children that they have who go to school.
"So he will say, 'O, sige, San, i-prepare mo yung cash advance.'
"But that's always, in theory, a cash advance. It's never deducted from their salary. Yung ganun."
Diin ni Susan: "He's very kind to his people. If you need something, all you had to do was ask. Kung kaya niya, ibibigay niya."
Hanggang sa huli ay nanatili siyang trusted confidante ng sikat na action star.
Pumanaw si FPJ sa edad na 65 noong Disyembre 14, 2004.
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