FERNANDO dela Peña, son of veteran actress, Eva Darren, took to social media how his mother was insulted during the recently concluded Famas Awards Night.
In a Facebook post on May 27, dela Peña shared a photo of his dolled-up actress who he claimed was supposed to present an award during the ceremony on Sunday, May 26, 2024.
He narrated how his mother prepared for the event only to be snubbed during the awards night.
Here’s what he posted on Facebook.
“A MOMENT OF DEBACLE AT THE FAMAS AWARDS NIGHT
My mother, Eva Darren, a veteran actress of the Philippine movie industry, having performed on the big screen and television for more than five decades, usually does not attend social events.
She loves the simple pleasures in life being surrounded by family.
“A couple of months ago, she received a notice of invitation for the FAMAS awards night. For those of you who aren’t familiar, FAMAS (Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards) is the equivalent of the USA’s Oscar Awards. She was also given a script to go over and memorize as an awards presenter coupled with another veteran actor, Mr. Tirso Cruz III.
“Mom was excited, bought the best dress and pair of heels she could afford and topped that with a nice package of hair and make up for the gala. During the event, she brought along three of her very proud grandkids. With a price tag of P5,000 ($90) per plate for four people, needless to say, it was not a cheap evening.
“It was all worth it though. After all, the last time she was on stage during a FAMAS awards night was back in 1969 when she received the coveted “Best Supporting Actress Award” for her role in the movie ANG PULUBI (The Beggar) opposite legendary actress Charito Solis.
Being the true professional that my mother is, she memorized and rehearsed her script to perfection, braved the downpour of a Signal No. 1 Typhoon warning and drove to the Manila Hotel.
“After the glitz and glamour shots with air-cheek-kisses and what not, everyone eventually took their seats and the awarding commenced. During the point where she was supposed to present an award, her partner, Mr. Tirso Cruz III went upstage with an upcoming young singer instead. Not my mom.
“My mother never went on the stage.
“The PR officer of FAMAS who had been in constant communication with my mother prior to the event had absolutely no explanations to offer, just a thousand apologies. He confessed not knowing what happened and wasn’t sure why there was a last-minute change. My Mom said “it’s okay” but decided to leave nonetheless. I couldn’t blame her. Staying around was just rubbing salt on her FAMAS-inflicted wounds.
“You would think and assume that a “prestigious award-giving body” who had been doing the same thing every year, over and over without fail, would have mastered their craft after 72 years. But no, not this entity.
“To all of you people behind FAMAS, you cannot do this to an icon of Philippine Cinema!
“It is RUDE… It is DISRESPECTFUL… It is UNETHICAL… it is UNPROFESSIONAL to say the very least!!!
“I can think of a hundred other words to describe what FAMAS did to my mother, even contemplated on legal actions for a second or two. But my sister, a devout Christian, told me to leave it to the hands of God.
“And so I will,” he said.
