- Aiko Melendez addressed the need for standby medics on sets in case of emergencies
- She stressed the need for strict implementation of work cut-offs to avoid problems like what happened to Eddie Garcia
- Last June 8, Saturday, veteran actor Eddie Garcia collapsed during the taping of his upcoming TV series under GMA Network
Last Saturday, June 8, Eddie Garcia collapsed during a location shoot in Tondo for his upcoming TV series.
This news shocked a lot of people since the 90-year-old award-winning actor had shown n0 signs of being ill and he was still doing his own action scenes.
Because of this, prayers and support for Garcia flooded social media. Even celebrities from different networks expressed their concern for the fast recovery of the actor.
Having worked with him on different films and TV series, Aiko Melendez was one of the celebrities who was worried about the veteran actor’s condition.
And because of what happened to the actor, Melendez addressed issues that should be done to avoid such circumstances.
On her Facebook account, the actress emphasized the need for standby medics on the sets of movies and TV and the strict implementation of work cut-off for both celebrities and production team during taping as a precautionary measure in order to avoid accidents and health risks.
Her post reads, “We should require movie sets, taping a standby medic. For emergencies. Legit ones. I know it will cost more, but for safety dba. And Cut offs tlga should be followed. I have a cut off na nasusunod naman sa Wildflower. So this goes to all the units na wala cut-offs. Our body needs to rest too. If machines need to be turned off at a certain time, so does our body.”
In another post, she wrote: “Ang cut offs ng mga artista di kaartehan or wala pakisama sa production. And tawag dyan discipline. Both parties. Madami ako kilala na lesser stars na di maka angal and as in one to sawa ang taping. Kaya lang kng mas bata bata ako fight ako dyan sa one to sawa. But automatically pag 12 ng gabi nag shut down utak ko.”
“Ewan why. I come early sa set. I deliver what’s asked of me, so I deserve the cut off that I ask to be efficient as an actor too. Even the crews sila ang pinaka kawawa coz last to go home sila. And some segue pa. Kaya need at least 6-8 hrs of sleep ako. Sana maging uniform na ang cut offs sa artista. Ke maliit o malaki na artista.”
“And that should start from us. Si Direk Ruel Bayani I heard pag lumalagpas sa cut off pumupunta mismo sa set para iunplug ung generator. Sana maging great example to sa lahat. I asked GMA also to follow my cut off and they willingly agreed. So my advice is, all you have to do is ask nicely. And this should be mandatory! lahat ng bagay nadadaan naman sa pakiusap also,” she ended.
She also added that if she runs (and wins) for public office again, she has several laws she wants to implement.
She wrote, “Pag ako tumakbo uli ang dami kong batas na iimplement. #justsaying And ang showbiz industry di ko papabayaan.”
Melendez rose to fame in the late 1980s and has appeared in various television shows, series, and films. She has also bagged several acting awards.
Aside from being an artist, Melendez joined politics when she ran as councilor of the 2nd district of Quezon City from 2001 until 2010. However, the actress decided not to run in the 2019 elections since she had projects lined up and she doesn’t want to give only half of her commitment to public service.
