Cedrick Juan
Actor Cedrick Juan is convinced that Jun Robles Lana’s coming-of-age film “Kalel, 15” is such an important film that he would make even his teenage siblings watch it.
The film tells the story of 15-year-old Kalel (Elijah Canlas), who is afflicted with HIV. Cedrick, meanwhile, plays a drug addict and a bad influence on Kalel.
“My character will be shown participating in a drug session at a party. He is also into vices, like smoking and drinking alcohol. He represents someone that young people shouldn’t emulate,” said Cedrick, who is the second child in a family with eight kids.
Director Jun wrote the story of “Kalel, 15” more than five years ago when the rate of increase in HIV infections in the Philippines was the highest only in Asia. Now, ours is the country with the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in the world, according to a 2019 report from the United Nations Program on HIV and Aids (UNAIDS)
“Sadly, the topic of sex and HIV is still considered taboo,” Cedrick told Inquirer Entertainment. “I’m not trying to criticize society or the dominant religion in the country because they seem to avoid discussing it, but I think it’s an issue that should be confronted, especially because it is now affecting a lot of our young ones.”
Cedrick is convinced that without proper education and moral support, Filipino kids will eventually feel lost. “We keep saying that the youth is the hope of the nation, but what are we doing to ensure that this happens in the future?” he said. “My youngest sibling is 14 years old, and I understand what she’s going through because I’ve also gone through it before. So, I know what it’s like to feel the pressure to conform to our peers and society.
“It is during their teenage years when kids begin to feel more conscious of their sexuality, and the first lessons on sex should come from their parents.”
Cedrick said that just like his parents, who are both busy with work in order to provide for the family, most fail to attend to their kids’ emotional needs. “Parents have to remember that aside from providing for their children’s material needs, they should still be the kids’ No. 1 moral supporter.”
“Kalel, 15” is now screening in selected cinemas nationwide. INQ