Peque Gallaga

Maurice Ruiz de Luzuriaga Gallaga (August 25, 1943 – May 7, 2020), better known as Peque Gallaga, was a multi-awarded Filipino film-maker. His most significant achievement in film was "Oro, Plata, Mata", which he directed after winning a scriptwriting contest sponsored by the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines. He has received an award from the International Film Festival of Flanders-Ghent, Belgium in 1983; a Special Jury Award from the Manila International Film Festival; and the 2004 Gawad CCP Para sa Sining. He also earned the title "The Steven Spielberg of The Philippines".

Peque Gallaga
Born
Maurice Ruiz de Luzuriaga Gallaga

(1943-08-25)August 25, 1943
Bacolod, Commonwealth of the Philippines
DiedMay 7, 2020(2020-05-07) (aged 76)
Bacolod, Philippines
Other namesPeque Gallaga
OccupationFilm director
Spouse(s)Madie Gallaga
Children5

Education

Gallaga spent his elementary and high school years at De La Salle University in Manila, then finished his bachelor's in commerce and liberal arts at the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod. He taught theater and film at the University of St. La Salle.

Career

Rise to prominence

Upon moving back to Manila, he got involved in television musicals and eventually co-directed the film Binhi with Butch Perez.[1] He also directed the movies Virgin Forest, Scorpio Nights, Unfaithful Wife, and the "Manananggal" episode of Shake, Rattle and Roll I.

In 1986 he started co-directing films with Lore Reyes, with whom he shared directing credits for Shake Rattle & Roll 2, Shake Rattle & Roll 3, Shake Rattle & Roll 4, Baby Love, and more than twenty other films to date.[2] In the animated movie Dayo, Gallaga voiced the character of "Lolo Nano," the resident sage of Elementalia.

Gallaga and Reyes won Best Director and Best Screenplay for Magic Temple in the 1996 Metro Manila Film Festival.

Gallaga and Laida Lim-Pérez won Best Production Design for Eddie Romero’s Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon? in the first 1976 of Gawad Urian awards.

In 1980, he won the same award for Ishmael Bernal’s City after Dark.

During the 1980s, Gallaga served as member of the Film Academy Classification Board (FACB).[1]

Later career

In 2009, Agaton & Mindy, directed by Gallaga, started its theatrical run.

In 2013, saw the release of several of Gallaga's directorial efforts. On his own these include the film Sonata, and the documentary Botong Francisco: A Nation Imagined. With Reyes they directed Seduction. Also that year, the documentary film The Search for Weng Weng started its film festival run, where Gallaga is interviewed.[3][4][5][6] It is about the actor Weng Weng who was Philippines' first international star and a unique figure in cinema being a short person who performs death defying stunts.[7]

In 2014, Gallaga and Reyes collaborated on their final motion picture T'yanak.

Personal life

Gallaga lived with his wife Madie in Bacolod. They were married for 52 years. They have five children: Gines, Michelle, Datu, Jubal and Wanggo.[8]

Death

Gallaga was hospitalized in Bacolod City on May 5, 2020, due to complications from his past health conditions.[9] Two days later on May 7, Gallaga died in hospital from cardio-pulmonary arrest.[10]

He was cremated in accordance to his and his family's wishes.

Partial filmography

Director
  • Binhi (1973)
  • Oro, Plata, Mata (1982)
  • Bad Bananas sa Puting Tabing (1983)
  • Shake, Rattle & Roll (1984) (segment "Manananggal")
  • Scorpio Nights (1985)
  • Virgin Forest (1985)
  • Unfaithful Wife (1986)
  • Once Upon a Time (with Lorenzo A. Reyes, 1987)
  • Kid, Huwag Kang Susuko (with Lorenzo A. Reyes, 1987)
  • Hiwaga sa Balete Drive (with Lorenzo A. Reyes, 1988)
  • Tiyanak (with Lorenzo A. Reyes, 1988)
  • Isang Araw Walang Diyos (with Lorenzo A. Reyes, 1989)
  • Abandonada (with Lorenzo A. Reyes, 1989)
  • Trese (1990)
  • Shake, Rattle & Roll II (with Lore Reyes, 1990)
  • Adventures of Gary Leon at Kuting (1991)
  • Shake, Rattle & Roll III (1991)
  • Aswang (1992)
  • Shake, Rattle & Roll IV (1992) (segment "Ang Guro")
  • Dugo ng Panday (1993)
  • Darna: Ang Pagbabalik (1994)
  • Batang X (1995)
  • Baby Love (1995)
  • Magic Temple (1996)
  • Magic Kingdom (Alamat ng Damortis) (1997)
  • Halik ng Bampira (1997)
  • Diliryo (1997)
  • Gangland (1998)
  • Puso ng Pasko (1998)
  • Ang Kabit ni Mrs. Montero (1999)
  • Unfaithful Wife 2: Sana'y Huwag Akong Maligaw (1999)
  • Sa Piling ng Aswang (with Lore Reyes, 1999)
  • Pinoy Blonde (2005)
  • Agaton & Mindy (2009)
  • Seduction (2013)
  • Sonata (with Lore Reyes, 2013)
  • T'yanak (with Lore Reyes, 2014)

Screenwriter
  • Once Upon a Time (1986)
  • Hiwaga sa Balete Drive (1988)
  • Tiyanak (with Lorenzo Reyes, 1988)
  • Isang Araw Walang Diyos (1989) (story and screenplay)
  • Shake, Rattle & Roll II (1990)
  • Aswang (1992)
  • Shake, Rattle & Roll IV (1992)
  • Dugo ng Panday (1993)
  • Baby Love (1995) (story and screenplay)
  • Magic Temple (1996) (screenplay)
  • Magic Kingdom (Alamat ng damortis) (1997)
  • Scorpio Nights 2 (1999) (story)
  • Ang Agimat, anting-anting ni Lolo (2002) (screenplay)
  • Pinoy Blonde (2005)

Actor

Awards
Year Award-Giving Body Category Work Result
1996 Metro Manila Film Festival Best Director (with Lore Reyes) Magic Temple[11] Won
Best Original Story (with Lore Reyes and Erik Matti) Won
Best Screenplay (with Lore Reyes and Erik Matti) Won

References
  1. Francisco, Butch (15 September 2009). "My close encounters with Direk Peque". Philstar.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013.
  2. "FIRECRACKER'S 'Tiger Eye' interviews Peque Gallaga". Globalnation.Inquirer.net. 2007-08-31. Archived from the original on 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
  3. Harvey, Dennis (2015-02-26). "Film Review: 'The Search for Weng Weng'". Variety. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  4. Minutes, 2014 | 92. "Search For Weng Weng, The". Retrieved 2020-02-22.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. Team, Screen (2014-07-29). "Today at Fantasia". Cult MTL. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
  6. Wilson, Jake (2014-08-07). "In search of Weng Weng, the pint-sized James Bond of Filipino film". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
  7. Leavold, Andrew. The Search for Weng Weng (DVD). USA: Wild Eye Releasing. 760137943594.
  8. "Peque Gallaga on being a father to HIV-positive son". abs-cbnNEWS.com. 18 December 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  9. Arcadio, Ryan (May 6, 2020). "Peque Gallaga hospitalized due to complications from past health conditions". Inquirer. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  10. "'Oro Plata Mata' director Peque Gallaga passes away at 76". ABS-CBN News. May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  11. "Metro Manila Film Festival:1996". IMDB. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
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