Bayad Puri (1998)

A story of three women from different backgrounds who work hard to earn a living in Manila. Three women of different personalities but that had the same experience ~  sexual exploitations. 
A television producer (Dindi Gallardo) was forced to have sex with her boss in exchange for an opportunity to produce a new programme. And that almost costs her marriage. 
Being one of the temporary teachers, ChinChin Gutierrez and her colleagues are sent by their principal to give a dance performance at a ministry officer's birthday party. They are almost gang-raped by the executive director and his guests. 
A bus ticket seller (Ruby Moreno) accidentally kills one of the men who tries to gang-rape her, but all the bus passengers who witness the scene refuse to go to court to help her defending the charge of murder. Although the three women do not know each other, they end up taking the same bus leaving Manila and heading to the rural area (love this ending.)

Honestly, I originally intended to watch this movie not because of its casts and the storyline but mainly because of one of the movie character named Greta as portrayed by Ray Ventura. Greta, a transexual who performs as a singer in a lounge, was the brother of one the characters in the movie. On that same year, Ray Ventura also became part of another GLBT oriented movie with the lead role of a transgender as portrayed by Romnick Sarmienta was also shown with the title, Miguel / Michelle.

This I believe is one of Ray Ventura's work that would show his versatility as an actor. He was able to switch image roles from being the antagonist to protagonist, the good guy from the bad guy without any distinguishing marks from his previous roles. There were several actors who have been type-casted for a certain role not because they do not have any option but also because some of them could not deliver the acting requirement required for the role. No wonder he garnered a best supporting actor nomination at the 21st Gawad Urian Awards for the movie Bayad Puri.

In 1997, he was a teacher who raped one of his students (Claudine Barreto) in Calvento Files: The Movie (Balintuwad episode).  On that same year, he played as a prosecutor for the movie, Ipaglaban Mo II. He was the father of Melanie (Mylene Dizon) from the 1999 teen movie, Gimik the Reunion. Then in the hit movie Kailangan Ko'y Ikaw, he played as a loving father to a Ging-Ging, a special child and Guimo (Robin Padilla).  There are only few actors like Ray Ventura who can portray this kind or roles and be well accepted by the audience. 

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            Bayad Puri



Director: Joel Lamangan
Writer:         Rolando Tinio
Other Cast:

• Gary Estrada 
• Raymond Bagatsing 
• Jay Manalo 
• Richard Quan 
• Caridad Sanchez 
• Charito Solis 
• Cris Daluz
• Renato del Prado
• Augusto Victa