On December 22, actress-director Gina Alajar shared her views about the current working hours for actors and the ‘Eddie Garcia’ bill.
At the media event for ‘Pieta,’ which LionhearTV covered, Alajar cited her experiences as a filmmaker and actress regarding her opinion about the working hours of film and TV productions.
“Magkaiba ‘yan eh. Oo, kapag director kasi you are pro-production, so kailangan– sa GMA kasi, they follow the 18-hours, sa ABS yata, 16-hours lang ata, hindi ko kung bakit sa magkaibang istasyon, magkaiba ng working hours. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ganon.”
She then expressed her hopes of having the ‘Eddie Garcia’ bill passed in Congress.
“Sana maisakatuparan na ‘yun para iisa na lang, kung ano na lang, ‘yun ang susundin. So kapag director ako, I follow the 18-hours. Kapag artista ako alam mo, I think– hindi naman ako nagka-cut off, pero they finish lang at a certain time.
“Lalo na ngayong nag-artista ako ulit. They finish me ahead of everyone naman. Hindi ko kailangan magsabi sa production na– ‘Oy may cut-off ako ha.’ So they call me at 6:30 in the morning, 18 hours, is 12 midnight, so by 12 or before 12 tapos na ako.”
She also detailed her experience working in GMA Network’s production and how they accommodate their actors, especially with their working hours.
“It’s so nice na ang production is so responsible. Na hindi kailangan na akong magsabi–oo GMA ‘to. Eh different groups, iba-iba eh, iba-ibang patakaran, depende kung kanino kang grupo mapapasama.
“Hindi naman kasi mas ilang araw ‘yung shinoshoot mo for sequences. At tsaka hindi katulad sa TV, alam niyo naman ‘yun di ba na for 25 to 30 sequences in a set.”
As for their film, ‘Pieta’ stars Gina Alajar, Nora Aunor, and actor-turned-politician Alfred Vargas.
The cast also features Bembol Roco, Ina Raymundo, Dan Alvaro, Miggy Jimenez, Tommy Alejandrino, Jak Roberto, and Jaclyn Jose.
Under the direction of Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr and the screenplay of Jerry B. Gracio, ‘Pieta’ is set to premiere in early 2024.
