(POLITIKO) Senate Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said on Thursday (June 6) the country will miss veteran film director Carlo J. Caparas.
“His passing is a great loss for the Philippine comics and cinema industry, and the entire nation,” reads Senate Resolution No. 1045 that Estrada filed in honor of Caparas.
Estrada said “Caparas undeniably contributed to the enrichment and growth of the local entertainment scene and promotion of Philippine arts and culture.”
“His impressive body of published works reflecting the Filipino way of life and aspirations as well as the rich tradition of Philippine folklore belongs to the artistic and literary heritage of the country,” he added.
Although some of his works were set against the backdrop of fantasy and the supernatural, the senator said “Caparas’ gripping storylines depict the struggles, perseverance, resilience, and indomitable spirit of the Filipino masses and the less fortunate, and their triumph against hardships, injustice, and oppression.”
Caparas passed away last May 25 at the age of 80.
Among the honors he received included the Presidential Medal of Merit in 2007 as one of the “Legends of Philippine Komiks”; the “Gawad Komisyon sa Wika” that was handed by the National Commission for the Filipino Language in 2006 for being a master storyteller, a champion, and hero in the Filipino language; the prestigious Gusi International Peace Award for Cinema and Filipino Literature in 2006; the Filipino Academy of Movies Art and Sciences (FAMAS) Hall of Fame Award in 2012; and Ulirang Alagad ng Pelikula sa Likod ng Kamera Award from the Philippine Movie Press Club’s in 2010.