A LOT OF SENIOR stars are complaining because of the ruling in the Film Development Council of the Philippines guidelines about shootings or tapings that discriminate against them.
It says: “For any person more than sixty (60) years old, or of any age with co-morbidities or pre-existing illness, i.e., hypertension, diabetes, cancer, or with immunocompromised health status; or with a high-risk pregnancy, producers are highly discouraged from allowing these workers to work on-set.”
We have many senior stars playing parents or grandparents of younger stars who appear in existing shows. One of them is Eddie Gutierrez, who is in ABS-CBN’s “Make it With You”. He says he no longer expects to be called back when the show resumes taping because of this ruling.
But what if the senior star is actually playing a lead role, like Coney Reyes as the domineering matriarch in GMA-7’s hit primetime drama, “Love of My Life”?
If you’d take out her character from the show, the whole story will collapse because of the conflict between her and her son, Mikael Daez, and her daughter in law, Carla Abellana.
Alangan namang kumuha na lang sila ng mas batang aktres at lagyan ng aging make up para patandain ang hitsura. Coney Reyes is Coney Reyes and we think her superb acting as Isabella is one of the primary reasons why the show is clicking with viewers.
Other senior stars who’d lose the chance to work now include Gloria Romero who is in "Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko", Perla Bautista, Divina Valencia, Luz Valdez, Dante Rivero, Ronaldo Valdez, Tommy Abuel, Nova Villa, ELizabeth Oropesa, Gloria Diaz, Chanda Romero and even Nora Aunor, Tirso Cruz III and Christopher de Leon who are all now in their 60s and are bonafide senior citizens.
What will happen to Ate Guy’s well followed “Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit” if her character would be removed from the show? It would surely suffer.
We honestly think FDCP has to review this ruling as it’s quite unreasonable. There are surely other means to protect senior citizens on the set and it’s so unfair to just ban them from earning a living through the only job they do best, which is acting!
