SOME years ago, film buffs dreamed of seeing excellent Filipino movies on television. They tried to make-do by watching scratchy prints of old movies on early-afternoon TV, but they missed seeing the outstanding films of more contemporary filmmakers.

With the opening of the Pinoy Blockbuster channel, the situation has improved. If we peruse the channel listings, we can get advance word on some interesting feature films.

For instance, for the month of October, we can view these treats:

"Aliw"--Directed by Ishmael Bernal, this movie focuses on three nightclub hostesses who are struggling to survive, in different ways. (Oct. 18, 1 a.m.; 27, 3 a.m.)

"Haplos"--A man falls in love with a mysterious woman who lives in an old house deep in the forest. His girlfriend desperately tries to convince him that the woman he's in love with has been dead for 45 years. Starring Vilma Santos and directed by Butch Perez. (Oct. 15, 3 a.m.; 22, 11 a.m.)

"Ina, Kapatid, Anak"--Three women (an illegitimate sister, a despondent mother and her restless daughter) come to terms with their past and present when the illegitimate sibling returns from the States to visit her hometown. (Oct. 12, 9 p.m.)

"Kisapmata"--A dysfunctional family's misfortunes take a turn for the worse when a young man asks the patriarch (Vic Silayan) for his daughter's hand in marriage. Mike de Leon directs. (Oct. 13, 9 p.m.)

"Vampira"--Maricel Soriano plays a seemingly sweet woman who's hiding a secret from her lover. Meanwhile, the town is terrorized by a mysterious creature that feeds on humans. Directed by Joey Romero.

Five good films in one month may not seem like much, but film buffs have learned to be thankful even for slim pickings. Besides, we can beef up our viewing by buying or renting tapes of other outstanding local movies, as well as keeping an eye out for the mini-festivals of fine films that various countries' embassies have been staging of late.

Troy Montero has become more "controversial" these days, a sign that his career is heating up. He's being linked to a number of female stars--Pops Fernandez, Charlene Gonzales, etc. Which one does he really favor?

The Pops scenario is way out of left field, Montero swears. She's a friend and he appreciates her tapping him as a guest performer on her concert tour because it's boosted his visibility in the provinces, but that's about it. Besides, Pops is still "officially" married to Martin Nievera, so the "off limits" sign is up.

And Charlene? Ah, that's when Troy starts beaming. He's grateful to her for helping him get established in show biz by way of the dance show they co-host--and he admits to there being "a little chemistry there."

He also shares that, a long time ago, he drew up a list of qualities he wanted his ideal girl to have, and, when he met Charlene, he realized that he had been dreaming about somebody like her all the time.

So, what's keeping him from turning the ideal into the actual? Troy says they're both focused on their careers. That means, no romantic explosions are expected in the chemistry lab just yet.

On other aspects of Troy's career: his unfamiliarity with Tagalog is keeping his acting career from progressing. Troy is aware of this drawback and is determined to take Tagalog lessons to speed things up.

Trouble is, he's not determined enough. He talks about weekly lessons, when a Fil-American who really wants to speak Tagalog well should study it at least thrice weekly for six months, aside from making it a point to converse with native Tagalog speakers as often as he can.

Only when Troy gets serious in this regard will his acting career really perk up.

Barely eight years old, talented Ryan Tumbocon has been entertaining people since he was a toddler. He sings, recites poems and acts. With a high IQ of 141, Ryan has varied interests ranging from the sciences to the arts.

As an actor, Ryan enjoys playing The Little Prince in the play based on the book by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. As his character discovers that what's really important is love, he speaks the unforgettable lines, "It is only with the heart that one sees rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

Like his favorite stage character, Ryan is busy learning everything he can about this beautiful world and its wonderful mysteries!