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Helen Gamboa grateful to Tikoy Aguiluz for her award-winning performance as Flor Contemplacion 

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MJ Felipe

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/bagongbayani.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Helen Gamboa as OFW Flor Contemplacion in Tikoy Aguiluz&#x27;s 1995 opus &#x27;Bagong Bayani&#x27;</span> </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Back in 1995, Helen Gamboa portrayed and gave life to the story of Flor Contemplacion, the OFW based in Singapore that was sentenced to death by hanging after killing a fellow Filipino and a child, on the big screen. </p><p>The film, &quot;Bagong Bayani,&quot; was directed by Amable &quot;Tikoy&quot; Aguiluz VI, who passed away on Monday at 76 years old.</p><p>“He’s a very good director. Very prolific. He’s very dedicated to his craft,” Gamboa told ABS-CBN News as she shared how was it working with the award-winning director.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/2/19/film-director-tikoy-aguiluz-dies-family-confirms-1348">Film director Tikoy Aguiluz dies, family confirms</a></div><p> Gamboa said Aguiluz courted her three times to do the role.</p><p> “I was in Hong Kong, I got this call from Direk Tikoy. But I haven’t met him, so I don’t know him. I heard he’s a director, &#x27;yun lang ang alam ko. So he called me up and offered the role of Flor Contemplacion,” she recalled.</p><p> “I didn’t accept the offer kasi naisip ko paano ko kaya bibigyan ng justice &#x27;yung role. I don’t mean anything, I wasn’t ready. Direk, I don’t think I can accept it.”</p><p> After a few days, Aguiluz called again and appealed to her to accept the role. </p><p> “Tawag na naman. Sabi ko, I don’t think I can accept it Direk Tikoy. Pero I was hesitant kasi mabibigyan ko ba ng justice &#x27;yung role ko as Flor Contemplacion,” said Gamboa. </p><p> “He called the third time, tapos sabi ko, &#x27;Direk Tikoy, have you seen me in person?&#x27; I asked him. He said, ‘Yes, I’ve seen you. Nakikita kita.’ Sabi ko, ‘Direk, what do you think? Babagay ba sa akin? Can I do justice to the role of Flor Contemplacion?’ I know you can. &#x27;Direk,&#x27; sabi ko, &#x27;Because I believe in you,&#x27; sabi niya. Parang na-challenge ako.”</p><p> Gamboa&#x27;s performance as Contemplacion was clearly outstanding, and she won the Best Actress award from the Gawad Urian.</p><p> Upon hearing of Aguiluz’s passing, Gamboa felt she could have done something to check up on Aguiluz or talk to him. </p><p> “I was so saddened kasi in the first place hindi ko naman alam kung nagkasakit ba siya. Kasi after we did ‘Bagong Bayani’ siyempre we see each other once in a while na. Hindi na &#x27;yung kamukha nung dati when we were doing the movie. Palagi kaming magkasama,” she said.</p><p> She considers Aguiluz as one of her memorable and favorites directors. “Nalungkot ako siyempre, kasi I look up to him. Ang galing niyang direktor. When I heard that, the first thing I did was pray for him,” she said. “Sayang, hindi ko man lang siya nakausap, nakita, before he passed on.”</p><p> Behind the cameras, Gamboa said Direk Tikoy was a real funny guy.</p><p> “Ang saya namin sa shooting, he cracks a lot of jokes. Mapagbiro siya pero when it’s time to be serious, serious siya. Kailangan makinig ka. Kailangan matandaan mo &#x27;yung sinasabi niya. &#x27;Yung blocking, &#x27;yung delivery ng lines. Everything.”</p><p> Asked what she would have wanted to tell her former director, Gamboa said, &quot;Tikoy, wherever you are, I know for the fact that you are with God, in heaven. I am so grateful that you were so persistent in offering me the role of Flor Contemplacion. I really enjoyed doing it. I learned a lot from you.”</p><div><strong>Related video:</strong></div><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="2964727"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><div><br/></div>

<p>Back in 1995, Helen Gamboa portrayed and gave life to the story of Flor Contemplacion, the OFW based in Singapore that was sentenced to death by hanging after killing a fellow Filipino and a child, on the big screen. </p>

Back in 1995, Helen Gamboa portrayed and gave life to the story of Flor Contemplacion, the OFW based in Singapore that was sentenced to death by hanging after killing a fellow Filipino and a child, on the big screen.