On September 27, actress Iza Calzado highlighted the importance of the ‘Eddie Garcia Bill.’
At the cast reveal event for ‘Shake, Rattle, & Roll: Extreme,’ which LionhearTV covered, Calzado emphasized her passionate stance for better working hours for everyone in the entertainment industry.
“Unang-una sa lahat, ngayong umaga, galing kami ni Miss Roselle (Monteverde) sa Senado para sa Eddie Garcia Bill hearings. So yes, I am quite passionate about having our industry have the best kind of practice– to professionalize the industry in the sense that we would have the best working hours.”
She acknowledged that there has to be a middle ground between producers and the production team when discussing working hours.
“Mayroon talagang hindi pagkaka-unawaan, yes, but there has to be a middle ground. Ang sabi nga ni Senator Jinggoy kanina, he wants this to be a win-win for all.
“Siyempre naiintindihan natin na in terms of hours, the producers will suffer if it was really limited, so very limited, pero mahabang pag-uusap pa po ‘yun, hindi ito ang avenue, para doon.”
She urged her fellow artists to be part of the dialogue discussing the ‘Eddie Garcia Bill.’
“Pero hinihikiyat ko ang aking mga kasama dito ngayon at lahat ng mga actor na to really be interested and really be a part of this dialogue between producers and everybody and the industry–within this industry because we deserve the best practice.”
She also called for support from Filipino viewers to help the Philippine cinema industry.
“In that same sense, I think we also deserve–sana, the support of our fellow Filipinos, we are trying to give you the best quality output di ba? So sana suportahan din kasi kung wala pong tatangkilik ng pelikulang Filipino at ating ibinibigay sa ating audience, talagang patuloy–mawawalan tayo ng trabaho guys. So we took that into consideration.”
She then surmised how the changes in the working conditions on the set happened during the pandemic.
“Yes I love– naging precedent kasi ‘yung ano eh, ‘yung pandemic, ‘yung reality na nagawa natin within a certain time frame. We we’re not doing it– we’re not going beyond 24 hours. And to me, napakita na kapag na-prepare, natatapos naman.”
As for ‘Shake, Rattle, & Roll: Extreme,’ Calzado disclosed Regal Entertainment’s commitment to providing the best working conditions to its artists and staff.
“Noong SRR naman, better, may cut-off, may number of hours, safe– ofcourse the safety officers sa set. Naging practice na talaga. Very aware– minsan nga sabi ko nga, ‘Kuya okay lang ako.’ Napaka-tutok noong safety officer kasi talagang ‘yun we are really trying to learn and grow as a collective in the entire industry.”
Calzado also admitted that she had a personal stake in creating better working hours for artists and production crews as a mother and for her child’s future.
“Ako din personally, siyempre, bilang nanay, maganda na ‘yung pag-uwi mo, buo ka pa para sa pamilya mo, para sa araw na ‘yun. Sa totoo lang, bakit ba ako nag-atttend sa Senado?
“Bukod para sa personal– tayo ang makikinabang nito sa industriya, naisip ko rin, what if my baby, my child wants to be part of this industry? I would like [for] her to have better working hours than what I’ve had [to go] through and everybody had to go through.”
The House Bill House Bill 7762, or the ‘Eddie Garcia Act’ (named after the deceased seasoned actor who passed away after an accident while working on a production set), aims to protect and promote the welfare of workers in the film, television, and radio entertainment industry.
As for their upcoming film, the three-part horror movie ‘Shake, Rattle, & Roll: Extreme’ features three stories, ‘Mukbang,’ ‘Rage,’ and ‘Glitch.’
‘Mukbang,’ under the direction of Jerold Tarog, features Jane Oineza, RK Bagatsing, Paul Salas, AC Bonifacio, Jana Taladro, Esnyr Ranollo Ninong Rhy, Ian Gimena, Francis Mata, and Elle Villanueva.
‘Rage,’ directed by Joey De Guzman, features Jane De Leon, Rob Gomez, Paolo Gumabao, Bryce Eusebio, Mika Reyes, Sarah Edwards, and Dustin Yu.
‘Glitch,’ helmed by Richard Somes, features Iza Calzado, Angel Guardian, Miggs Cuaderno, and Donna Cariaga.
Regal Entertainment head Roselle Monteverde aspires to have the iconic horror film back in the Metro Manila Film Festival 2023 roster.
