THE global pandemic that is the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) continues to impact the entertainment industry everywhere, with film and TV productions grinding to a halt, and theaters from West End to pockets around these parts reduced to ghost towns. However, the virus is spreading despair that goes beyond economics.
Gawad Urian awardee Menggie Cobarrubias, last seen on the just-concluded hit GMA prime-time series Beautiful Justice, is the latest member of the local entertainment community to have been downed reportedly by Covid-19-related complications from pneumonia. According to accounts, the actor had been tested for the coronavirus and was awaiting the results when he passed away at the Asian Hospital last Thursday, March 26. Last Wednesday evening, Cobarrubias posted on his Facebook page a simple message: “Goodbye.”
His passing was confirmed by the actor’s wife, Gina, in social media.
“Goodbye, my love. Thank you for the 30 wonderful years. I love you. Dear God, please give me the strength to be able to face this very difficult moment of my life,” wrote Gina Cobarrubias in a Facebook post on Thursday morning.
Menggie Cobarrubias won the Gawad Urian for Best Supporting Actor in 1979 for his performance in the Lino Brocka classic Jaguar.
In 2014, he won the Best Actor prize at the QCinema International Film Festival for his role in the movie Mauban: Ang Resiko.
Besides Cobarrubias, longtime Eat Bulaga host and actress Ruby Rodriguez has also been impacted by Covid-19, her sister, Dr. Salvacion “Sally” Rodriguez-Gatchalian, president of the Philippine Pediatric Society, passing away in the morning of March 26.
“As of 6 am, my sister Dr. Sally Gatchalian, who fought really hard, has joined our Lord God and Creator. We her family thank you all sincerely for praying with us. Stay safe and keep on praying,” Ruby posted in her Facebook page last Thursday.
Meanwhile, there is still no update on the status of actress Iza Calzado, who posted on Wednesday, March 25, this message on her Instagram account: “Hello, everyone. It’s been a while but I thought I’d update you all. I’m currently hospitalized for pneumonia and so, I was tested for Covid-19 and I’ve been waiting for the results for several days now. It’s been a challenging time for me but it cannot compare to the frontliners who have cared for me and to whom I am so grateful. My heart goes out to everyone in these trying times, especially those who risk their lives every day to care for their loved ones.”
The photo that accompanied her Instagram post showed in the actress wearing an oxygen mask and a hospital gown.
“I am hoping you all can join me in prayer for those who are currently sick and their loved ones, for every person struggling to cope in these tough times. And most especially, for the medical workers who are doing their best despite the hurdles. I count this time as an opportunity to be kind. To be a source of love and light. With the grace of God, I can fight this and we all fight this together,” Calzado concluded in her Instagram post.
Image credits: Photo from Gina Cobarrubias's Facebook Page and Iza Calzado Instagram Page
