Peque Gallaga, among Philippine cinema’s greats, dies

MANILA, Philippines – Director Peque Gallaga, one of Philippine cinema’s greats, died on Thursday, May 7. He was 76. 

His brother, Ricky Gallaga, and manager, June Rufino, confirmed his passing in separate messages to media.  

His family earlier announced on May 5, through Gallaga’s frequent collaborator director Lore Reyes, that the director was in the hospital “due to complications arising from past health conditions.” 

Gallaga’s body of work reads like a collection of Philippine cinema’s classics. His most notable films include Oro, Plata, Mata (1982), a segment from Shake, Rattle & Roll (1984), Scorpio Nights (1985), Magic Temple (1986), and Tiyanak (1988), to name a few. His last listed work was a short, Tabang, in 2016. 

The Negrense director was also a scriptwriter and actor. Of course, it’s his directorial work that people best remember him by. He has won awards from the International Film Festival of Flanders-Ghent, the Manila International Film Festival, among others. He was awarded the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining in 2014. 

Gallaga was based in Bacolod City, where he was born. – Rappler.com