VETERAN actress and director Gina Alajar has revealed that she used illegal drugs in the past to stay awake for work, saying she was addicted for several years.
She made the admission in an interview with Luchi Cruz-Valdes on Friday, August 8, when asked if she had experienced “child actor syndrome.”
“Meron part naman sa buhay ko na nagkaroon ng ganu’n especially nu’ng bata-bata pa ako. I did drugs also kung ‘yun ‘yung gusto mong puntuhin. At hindi lang ‘yun, may asawa’t anak na ako nu’n,” she said.
According to Gina, she started with marijuana but became “curious” and eventually tried other drugs. She became most addicted to shabu. “And I loved it so much because hindi ka inaantok which we need kasi noong mga panahong ‘yun ang trabaho namin, hindi mo alam kung anong oras matatapos,” she recounted.
She said the drug helped her stay awake for days of continuous work but eventually led to hallucinations. She was in her mid-20s at the time, and the habit lasted two to three years.
Gina decided to quit after a turning point in her marriage. “With my bags and the kids… umalis ako sa bahay. I needed to get out para doon sa connections du’n sa tao na kadugtong ko du’n,” she said.
