Echo’s multi-awarded film ‘Alagwa’ opens today

Opening today in theaters nationwide is the indie film “Alagwa” for which Jericho Rosales won his very first Gawad Urian trophy for Best Actor. Before that Urian win, Echo won the Best Actor award at the Newport International Film Festival. His most recent triumph was at the Guam International Film Festival where he was also named Best Actor for “Alagwa,” a film which tackles human trafficking. Aside from winning acting awards for Echo from Gawad Tanglaw, it also won the Best Indie Film Award in the 2013 Third World International Film Festival.

There’s no doubting Echo’s capability as an actor. But when asked which trophy is more precious, Echo said the Gawad Urian trophy from the Manunuri shines like gold. He has been in the business for 16 years and has won several times but he says nothing compares to the ecstatic feeling of winning from the critics’ group, said to be the most credible award-winning body in the country.

“First time ko kasi manalo sa Gawad Urian kaya ang sarap ng pakiramdam. Parang bumalik lahat ng mga masasayang thoughts when I was just starting in showbiz at nangangarap na manalo ng award someday,” said Echo with a smile at the presscon of “Alagwa” held last October 3.

“Iba pa rin ang pakiramdam na nanalo ka sa sarili mong bayan,” continues Echo, adding that a new project is now being planned by him and “Alagwa” director Ian Lorenos (who also won as Best Indie director as well as Best Screenplay).

What made him accept the project was the riveting script. “First ten pages into the script of Alagwa, I told myself I want to do the project. Even if I had yet to meet Direk Ian, I already decided that I am going to do the film. I love the interaction of the father and son. You can’t help but be moved by it.”

“Alagwa” also features Leo Martinez, Smokey Manaloto, Bugoy Cariño (who also won Best Supporting Actor at the ASEAN International Film Festival, beating actors more than twice his age), John Manalo, Jeremiah Rosales, Iñaki King and Nanette Inventor.

The movie opens in SM Cinemas nationwide and is released thru Star Cinema.

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We were happy when we bumped into Kapatid actor Edgar Allan Guzman at the Trade Launch of TV5 shows at the NBC Tent recently. It was even Edgar who greeted me and if I wasn’t in a hurry, we would have wanted to have a chat with him since we haven’t seen him for quite some time. We also wanted an update on his career – what are his projects like new shows or movies.

We also wanted to thank him for introducing us to his girlfriend Shaira Mae who is in the cast of Sharon Cuneta’s “Madam Chairman” which premieres next week on TV5. But we wanted to tell Edgar that he seems to be neglecting his career because of his girlfriend. In our humble opinion, instead of being inspired to work because he is in love, Edgar was doing the opposite. He seemed to have lost focus on his career. We know that people in love are supposed to be inspired to work but this is not the case with Edgar.

We felt sad for him because when the Kapatid stars were presented onstage, he just became “one of them” unlike before when he was a cut above the rest. He lost several important projects like “Misibis Bay” and the movie “The Barber’s Tales” which would have reunited him with Eugene Domingo, his co-star in the stage play “Bona.”

We hope that Edgar realizes that he has a lot of catching up to do as far as prepping up his career. Instead of focusing on his love life, he should give more time to his career to make up for lost time and wasted opportunities. He is a two-time Best Actor awardee but what show does he have in TV5? The comedy show “Tropa Mo Ako Unli” where he is just one of the boys. We wish that he takes stock of his career before it’s too late. It’s a pity if his talent goes to waste.

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Coco Martin’s top-rating and widely followed drama action-fantasy series “Juan dela Cruz” is ending in three weeks and the actor couldn’t help but be emotional at the farewell presscon for the show that was hosted by ABS-CBN. The two-time Golden Screen awardee recalled his struggling days as an actor and said that God has been very good to him as he was blessed with successful projects.

If before, Coco was wanting in work, now he has his hands full. But he is not complaining, and is instead thankful for the many blessings given to him by the Lord. “Ang hiling ko lang dati ay magkaroon ng trabaho kahit na di ako matulog. Ngayon naman halos di na ako makatulog sa dami ng trabaho but I am not complaining. Mas mabuti na ang maraming trabaho kaysa walang ginagawa,” said the actor.

It was the lack of assignments before that prompted Coco to think of migrating to Canada just to find work, any kind of work, just to make both ends meet and survive in an alien land. “Nagkakabit ako ng tarpouline, namimigay ng flyers at nagtrabaho sa restaurant,” he said, recalling the jobs he accepted just to survive.

 But as the saying goes, if you have talent, you can never go wrong. Coco used his acting talent to make a name for himself, and look where is now — he is now one of the most popular and competent actors of his generation. And he knows how to share his blessings, especially for his family who is the reason why he persevered to achieve what he has now.