Cast of “I Can See You: The Promise”
At GMA 7, the production gears are slowly and cautiously starting to turn: variety shows are going back to the studios; stalled soap operas have resumed taping; new anthology series are being introduced.
This is undoubtedly a welcome development for its artists whose work options have been limited by the COVID-19 pandemic. But just because the network is ready, doesn’t mean all its talents are.
Returning to the grind isn’t as easy as packing bags and driving to the location. There are a number of things to consider. Safety is of course, the top concern. While precautionary measures are strictly implemented, some are still understandably worried. And it gets trickier for those who have families:
Will lock-in tapings—and the mandatory self-quarantine periods before and after—be feasible given their current household setups? Will they be putting their babies, elderly or health-compromised loved ones at risk?
In a recent video conference, the Inquirer asked the cast of “The Promise,” the second installment of the drama anthology “I Can See You” that started airing on Oct. 5—about their decision to return to work, and how they set their minds into it.
Kapuso celebrities Paolo Contis, Yasmien Kurdi, Benjamin Alves, Andrea Torres and Maey Bautista, together with director Zig Dulay and the crew, stayed in Lake Caliraya in Cavinti, Laguna, to shoot their episode, which touches on love and loss.
Frank (Paolo) turns into a recluse after losing his wife, Clarisse, (Yasmien) in an accident. Things change, however, when Jude (Ben), his cousin and company right-hand man, visits Frank in his lake house retreat. Frank ends up taking an interest in Ben’s girlfriend, Ivy (Andrea), an aspiring artist willing to do anything to take her family out of poverty.
Ben advised fellow actors to “listen to yourself.”
“You really have to be kind to yourself … You should give yourself time to relax. And in that process, you may start to feel that you have to create something worthwhile … You have to ride that wave,” Ben said. “Take your time, because you can’t go back [to work] half-hearted. Once you’re ready, then go.”
“Learning that everyone tested negative after our shoot was a huge relief. I feel like it was a success,” he added.
While she’s physically healthy and spiritually strong, Maey said her mental health was something she had to keep in check.
“I had been working continuously prior to this pandemic. But everything stopped. It’s tough not being able to do what you do so suddenly. That’s why returning to work really helped me. I felt like I could finally breathe again,” she related.
“It helped that we had a nice location. I forgot that there was a pandemic, even for a while … I just have to protect myself and be mindful of others.”
For Andrea, it’s all about “trust.”
“There are a lot of things that can get into your head these days. But you have to trust your coworkers, that they’re ready and did the necessary precautions. You have to trust the people you leave at home, that they will do what they have to do even if I’m not around,” she said.
Andrea is glad she took on this project because it ended up being a “therapeutic” experience.
“I have been raring to work and looking for an outlet. And taping did wonders for me; I felt good and happy,” she said. “Doing something that you can look forward to, something people can watch out for, is so fulfilling.
The self-isolation was the toughest part. “Being stuck at home is one thing, but being stuck in your room is different! I stayed [inside for] seven days and moved about as if I had COVID-19, just to be safe, because we have senior citizens and a person with disability living with me at home,” she said.
“The first few days were fine. You think you would finally be able to do all the things you had been putting off. But then it gets quite depressing. The only interaction I had was with my mom, peeking from the door,” she related.
Having been with their kids almost 24/7 the past couple of months, Yasmien and Paolo couldn’t help but work about leaving the house and being away for work. Though the actual shooting usually lasts for a week or so, the whole process can take up to a month, if the safety protocols and preproduction work are put into the equation.
“Before I left the house, I focused on reading my script, so that I can prepare my mind for taping; so that I can condition myself that I will be away from my family and be in the right mindset,” Yasmien said. “The signal on the set was weak, so I couldn’t get in touch with my family. I couldn’t ask them how they were doing; I couldn’t tell them taping was going well.”
Paolo Contis (left) and Andrea Torres
“I also stayed in my room for a couple of days and didn’t mingle with my daughter (7-year-old Ayesha). It’s like you’re so near yet so far. Your loved ones are outside, but you can’t be near them. We talked via video chat! My daughter wanted to hug me, so she just pretended that her pillow was me.”
Paolo, on the other hand, got so used to being with his kids that he cried while driving enroute to a previous acting project.
“Our children really kept us sane so I had a hard time leaving them,” stressed the actor, who has a 1-year-old baby girl, Summer, with partner LJ Reyes, who also has a 10-year-old son, Aki, with ex-boyfriend Paulo Avelino.
“It can be frustrating that you will have to self-quarantine even if you have already tested negative in the swab tests. I know that it’s for our safety. But it just kills me to see the kids so happy and playing outside while I’m stuck in the room. One time, I went out on an early morning, while everyone’s asleep, to get some fresh air. When I came back I saw Summer running toward me—I had to run away from her!
Paolo is happy with how taping for “I Can See You” turned out, because it could send a message to other actors that it’s OK to go back to work. “It was important for us to ensure the quality of our work … It makes you feel more secure about your next shoot, because you already know what the process is like,” he said. INQ