“He had many trophies and recognition in his lifetime but this is his best and greatest trophy because it is his gift to all the people in the entertainment industry who will benefit from it."
This is what Lilibeth Romero, late veteran actor Eddie Garcia's partner for 33 years, said in an interview with ABS-CBN when she found out that the House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading the proposed Eddie Garcia Act, a bill proposing to institute the protection and promotion of welfare of workers in the film, television and radio entertainment industry.
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/25/eddie-garcia-bill-gets-house-approval-on-third-and-final-reading/
According to her, she has mixed emotions -- happy that it passed but also sad because Eddie is no longer alive to see it happen.
Deputy Speaker and 1Pacman Partylist Rep. Michael Romero, Lilibeth's son, is the principal author of the Eddie Garcia Act or House Bill 7762.
Its approval came just over a year after the seasoned actor died from internal injuries sustained in an accident that occurred in the set of a television series. He was 90.
In a statement released to ABS-CBN News, Lilibeth was quoted to have said the untimely death of Eddie caused her and the family "untold pain and sorrow," but the enactment of the Eddie Garcia Bill, which guarantees the protection of his colleagues in the industry against unsafe working conditions, will somehow "assuage" their "deep loss."
"We can expect that in the future, the production companies will learn to take responsibility for their actions and/or the lack of it," she said. "My heartfelt thank you to those who painstakingly investigated Eddie’s fatal accident -- chairman, Committee on Labor Cong. Eric Pineda, Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero, Cong. Raymond Mendoza, Cong. Toff de Venecia, Cong. Rufus Rodriguez and all the members of the HOR, the resource persons from the different entertainment guilds and organizations."
"I am humbled to say that he still remains to be the most awarded movie actor in real and reel life in the history of the Philippine cinema industry!"