Eddie Garcia has passed away.
The multi-awarded actor-director succumbed Thursday, 4:55 p.m., at the Makati Medical Center where he has been confined for several weeks.
He was 90.
Garcia was initially rushed to the hospital June 8, suffering from a severe neck fracture incurred after falling while taping a scene for an upcoming GMA-7 TV series.
An initial statement from his family said he had a “severe heart attack.”
His doctor, Dr. Enrique Lagman, however, later made clear “he is in critical condition due to severe cervical fracture.”
With Garcia remaining “comatose” days after his confinement, the family agreed to put him under “do-not-resuscitate” status.
Garcia is survived by his partner of 33 years, Lilibeth Romero, stepson Nikki Romero, and daughter Lisa Ortega.
Born May 2, 1929, Garcia started his movie career appearing in the movie “Siete Infantes de Lara” in 1949.
His first directorial project, “Karugtong Ng Kahapon,” came in 1961.
Garcia never stopped working, eventually notching over 600 films to his credit.
The awards continued to pour for him, as well.
Note, he was the most awarded and nominated person in the long history of the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards.
The award-giving body inducted him in three categories in the Hall of Fame. These were for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Director.
Garcia earned his first international film award at the 55th Asia-Pacific Film Festival garnering the Asian Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in “Bwakaw,” the first Filipino to do so.
His work on “Rainbow’s Sunset,” earned him another Best Actor award at the 52nd Annual WorldFest in Houston, Texas.
Garcia was recently given recognition by the PMPC Star Awards for his unforgettable and remarkable contributions to Philippine Cinema, naming him among 12 “Mga Natatanging Bituin Ng Siglo.”
Just a few days ago, he won the Best Actor trophy at the Gawad Urian Awards for his work on “ML.” (NEIL RAMOS with report from Regina Mae Parungao)