MANILA, Philippines — "That's why I don't do TV."
Thus quipped veteran director Jose Javier Reyes when asked for a comment on the recent deaths of directors Wenn Deramas and Francis Pasion and the recent criticism on the working conditions in movie and television.
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It can be remembered that movie director Quark Henares took to Facebook to blame the "horrible working hours and condition" as presumably the reason why Deramas and Pasion got cardiac arrests.
The post turned viral and began a conversation in the industry on the heavy work load of those who work in television.
In an interview during the press conference for the 2nd CineFilipino Film Festival on Tuesday, Reyes agreed that work on television is difficult and that there is "is a need to reassess the working hours, the working conditions, but more so the security and healthcare given to television workers."
He also hopes that the people in the industry continue to discuss the work conditions of people who work in television and movies.
"This has been going on for years. Only now do you see something visible," Reyes said. "Hindi lang natin alam 'yung mga namamatay na trabahador na hindi kasing high profile ng mga direktor."
But Reyes believes it's still a matter of choice.
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"You are actually given a choice... When you accept TV work, especially if you accept teleseryes, it's gonna be like that," he said.
"I've been like that during my young and ambitious days, and I was already hospitalized because of stress. So it suddenly dawned upon me, it's really your choice, 'di ba?"
He also said: "I would rather have a life than die for a living... In the end, you would realize na, was it really worth it?"
His advice to young directors who work on television?
"Have a life," he said. "It's all about having a life, not merely having a living."