A VISIBLY shocked Vice Ganda dedicated the Special Jury Citation plum he received from the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) to his loved ones including the “And the Breadwinner Is…” team and the LGBTQIA+ community, saying the film entry made him feel “seen.”
Vice Ganda bagged the Special Jury Citation award at the MMFF 2024 Gabi ng Parangal on Friday, Dec. 27, for his performance in the Jun Robles Lana-helmed film.
According to the MMFF, the award was given to an actor who “broke ground and went out of his comfort zone to prove his growth as an artist and tackle issues relevant to contemporary society.”
The actor-comedian, however, was initially confused as he went up the stage to receive the award. “Pagtayo ko, tinatanong ko si Direk Jun at Uge, ano ba ‘tong award na ‘to? Special jury citation for what? Best dressed of the night? Special jury citation for best performance?”
“Ganun ba ‘yon? So salamat po,” he continued, which led the audience to burst into laughter. “Seriously, hindi ko alam. Nagtatanga-tangahan ako. Ayoko naman magpasalamat nang hindi ko naman naintindihan ‘yung award… Baka sa best hairstyle, best outfit.”
Vice Ganda’s opening remark led Dennis Trillo (one of the presenters with Lorna Tolentino) to describe the purpose of the Special Jury Citation award.
After composing himself, Vice Ganda said in his speech that “And the Breadwinner Is…” was a project that finally made him seen as an actor.
“I am finally seen. I have been participating in the Metro Manila Film Festival for years. This is the first time na meron akong award (this is the first time I won an award),” he said while expressing his gratitude to ABS-CBN and Lana.
The “It’s Showtime” host nonetheless didn’t waste an opportunity to make the audience laugh, as he joked that the award might be a way for him to not be named Best Actor.
In his speech, Vice Ganda addressed his co-stars Eugene Domingo, Gladys Reyes, Maris Racal and Malou de Guzman, saying they deserved to get a Best Supporting Actress nod. Notably, none of them were nominated for the award.
“Gusto kong i-share ‘to sa nanay ko. May award na tayo, mabigat na mabigat… Inaalay ko ‘to sa aking asawa na si Ion Perez, siya ang pinakamasaya. At inaalay ko ito sa mga bahagi ng LGBTQIA+ community, para sa ating lahat ito,” he added. “Maraming salamat sa Metro Manila Film Festival at kinikilala niyo ako at ang kakayahan ko, isang baklang performer.”
Vice Ganda also bagged the nomination for Best Actor alongside Seth Fedelin, Vic Sotto, Piolo Pascual, Arjo Atayde, and eventual winner Dennis Trillo. (Hannah Mallorca © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
