Tetchie Agbayani on why celebrities should speak up: ‘Pag hindi ka kumibo,kinukunsinti mo ‘yung mali na ginagawa’
After more than four decades of being in showbiz, veteran actress Tetchie Agbayani said that this generation of actors are luckier compared to her batch that started in the 1980s.
“Palagay ko ‘yung mga stars ngayon ay very lucky. Kasi may network na nagsusuporta sa kanila, na nag-li-lead sa kanila para mas lalo silang ma-polish. So ‘pag nakatrabaho mo na ang mga young stars ngayon specially with the network that I’m working with at the moment, polished na. They know their craft, they’re good at it, they look well, they’re well mannered, ganun na. Pulido, polished. Kasi may suporta.
“Unlike nung panahon ko, may pagka kanya-kanya kami eh kasi ang uso nun contract star ka for a certain number of films. Pero after a film is done, walang overall na sumusuporta sayo, gumagabay sa ‘yo, dinadala ka sa isang acting class or dancing class or speech class. Ngayon mas suportado ang mga artista kaya ang suwerte suwerte ng mga artista ngayon,” she said.
During the mediacon for the series “Init Sa Magdamag” which started airing yesterday, Tetchie shared her support for celebrities who have become vocal on social media about current national issues.
“They say artista daw stick to acting. Stay apolitical. Huwag ka na sumasawsaw. But on the flipside of that, artists are citizens of the country as well. They have a voice and they have a unique position na because of their popularity, mas pakikinggan sila. I think whether celebrity ka or normal kang tao, if you see injustice being committed, you cannot not speak. As a Catholic, as a Christian, kung merong nagaganap na hindi tama, hindi makatao, hindi maka-Diyos, obligasyon mo bilang tao at bilang anak ng Diyos na kumibo. Dahil ‘pag hindi ka kumibo, kinukunsinti mo ‘yung mali na ginagawa,” she explained.
The former “Playboy” model turned Psychology professor said it is a personal responsibility of every individual to speak up for what is right, no matter what their background is.
“Kanya-kanya na ‘yan. Nasa ‘yo na ‘yan kung ano ‘yung paninindigan mo, if you want to speak up or not. Pero para sa akin, mahirap na hindi magspeak up eh. Lalo na ‘pag may mga marami ng namamatay, marami ng nagkakasakit. Kulang ang nakikita mong nagaganap. Kumbaga ang sinisigaw ngayon, ‘Pagkain hindi buhangin.’ How can you not react? You have to react. As a person, as a Catholic, hindi ko maatim na magsawalang kibo at magbulagbulagan, magpipi-pipihan, at magbingi-bingihan. Ngayon ang hindi panahon for that eh. Mas kailangan natin sabihin na hindi tama yan,” she said.
Tetchie plays the role of JM De Guzman’s mother and Yam Concepcion’s mother-in-law in the new Kapamilya drama “Init Sa Magdamag.”