- Tonette Jadaone and Dan Villegas shared their experiences working with Eddie Garcia.
- Jadaone and Villegas echoed calls for film and TV workers’ safety.
Multi-awarded directors Antoinette Jadaone and Dan Villegas have spoken out about the incident involving Eddie Garcia.
The veteran actor figured in an accident during the taping of GMA Network’s Rosang Agimat. Initial reports claimed he had a heart attack but it was later on confirmed that he suffered from severe neck injury due to a bad fall after tripping on a cable wire.
In a pocket interview with the press, the two directors talked about their experience working with the veteran actor and their take about the safety of senior workers and all workers in general.
Jadaone and Villegas worked with Eddie Garcia in his film Hintayan Ng Langit.
Asked about how they feel regarding Eddie Garcia’s accident, the two said.
“Ano men sobrang lungkot, pare. Ano kasi si Tito Eddie parang sobrang passionate niya sa craft niya. He’s one of the most professional actors I’ve worked with. Kinukwento ko nga sa mga tao pag call time niya 8 dumadating siya 6:30. Tapos pag tapak niya sa set mo memorize na niya yung lines niya. At that time he was 89 ngayon 90 na siya ‘di ba? So parang sobrang lungkot,” said Dan Villegas
“Sobrang ganda yung experience namin sa Hintayan Ng Langit so nung nalaman namin yung news parang hindi siya totoo kasi we know Tito Eddie is super healthy at 90, healthier than people younger than him,” said Jadaone.
They were also asked about their take on the renewed calls for safe working conditions of movie and TV workers especially senior and veteran actors.
“I think hindi nman…pero feeling ko hindi naman senior actors lang…all workers in general. Siguro nasa spotlight lang ngayon kasi Tito Eddie yun pero it should be for all,” Jadaone answered.
Towards the end, the two were asked on how they protect their actors during shoots and if they prefer giving more relaxed roles to senior actors.
“Sa Hintayan Ng Langit kasi hindi siya action charged scenes so kalma lang yung, kalma lang yung Hintayan Ng Langit. Siguro yung pinaka hindi kalma na eksena ay yung kailangan nilang sumayaw,” Jadaone shared.
Villegas added that doing the shoots on a set makes it more controlled.
“Saka Hintayan Ng Langit mostly kasi sets eh so very very controlled lahat. Kumbaga nakaayos siya lahat. Ang hindi lang talaga namin set dun yung post office. So everything else binuild namin yung set,” Dan said.
“I don’t think we can speak for others ano. Pero yung, yung Hintayan Ng Langit when we pitched it to Tito Eddie alam nya na ganun yung eksena, it will be a set. Yun tapos post office lang talaga yung outdoor pero still it was indoor. Yun speaking for our own production only,” Jadaone added.
