Comedian Alex Calleja could not help but become emotional as he shared how his career as a comedian got shattered by the failed COVID-19 response of the government during the pandemic.
In an interview with Ogie Diaz on YouTube, Calleja admitted even before ABS-CBN got shut down, he already lost his job as an entertainer.
“’Naghihirap ka na kaya panay ang suporta mo sa ABS-CBN.’ Hindi nila alam, bago pa mawala ang ABS-CBN, wala na akong projects,” he shared.
Calleja has stopped giving his support for his home network after it lost its franchise.
“Sinasabi ko lang hindi ako apektado. Na hindi naman ako sumusuporta sa ABS-CBN dahil wala na akong projects. Totoo naman. Hindi naman ako sumusuporta dahil nawalan ako eh,” he added.
Calleja shared his sentiments toward the government–how his job as a comedian in the entertainment industry is considered being nonessential during the pandemic.
“Masakit. Kasi ‘di ba sabi nila dati ‘wag ka daw magrereklamo sa gobyerno, magtrabaho ka na lang. ‘Di ba naaapektuhan ang trabaho natin? Dati sabi ko magtrabaho ka na lang, ‘wag mo intindihan ang gobyerno. Walang epekto sa’yo ‘yan, trabaho ka lang. Hanggang sa naapektuhan talaga tayo directly.
“Bakit? Hindi ka na makapasok eh. Nonessential daw ‘yung entertainment. Nonessential daw kami,” he complained.
He confessed how envious he is toward other countries re-opening their economy after successfully having concrete plans against COVID-19.
“Naniniwala ako na ‘yung mga dun nagtatrabaho din ‘yun. Ano ang difference? Ang government nila. Tama ba sila? Wala akong pakialam kung magkahawaan sila. Pero bumalik sila ng normal. Malapit na sila kumpara sa atin.”
He was one of the creatives of It’s Showtime. He appeared in various comedy films, such as The Reunion (2012), Unli Life (2018), and Papa Pogi (2019).
