Actor Eddie Garcia passed away on Thursday, June 20, 2019, 4:55 pm. It was confirmed that he suffered from neck fracture after tripping while shooting a TV series ‘Rosang Agimat’ for GMA Network last June 8.

He was in a critical condition. Eddie Garcia was diagnosed with a severe cervical fracture and was put on ‘do-not-resuscitate’ (DNR) situation.

“We join the entire Filipino community in praying for the soul of Mr. Garcia and his dearly beloved family and friends,” the Makati Medical Center said in a statement.

 Eddie Garcia received his last award this week, a Gawad Urian for the best actor in Benedict Mique’s ML (2018).

In a statement, the Directors’ Guild of the Philippines Inc. (DGPI) referred to Garcia’s death as “a sad and urgent reminder to the film and television industries that safety protocols at work and on set are of paramount importance.”

Similarly, actress Judy Ann Santos, in an Instagram post paying tribute to Garcia, said what happened to Garcia could have been prevented.

She wrote, “Nakakalungkot… nakakahinayang na hindi ko nagawang makatrabaho ang isang napaka professional at batikang artista.. pero naggawa kong makamayan at makausap ng maraming beses.. maraming salamat tito eddie.. mananatili kang nag iisa sa industriyang ito.”

“Sana sa nangyaring to, maging bukas ang isip ng mga networks sa tamang pag aalaga , pagbigay ng sapat na kaalaman sa lahat ng taga production artista man o hindi, pagdating sa mga ganitong sitwasyon.. maaring naiwasan sana.”

“Paalam sir eddie garcia.. hanggang sa huli ibinukas mo ang mata ng industriya.. kung paanong dapat pahalagahan at wag balewalain ang kaligtasan ng bawat taong nagtatrabaho sa produksyon.. mapayapang paglalakbay sir eddie.. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼💔💔”

DGPI, in its statement, said Garcia is “forever etched in the history of Philippine cinema as one of its greatest actors,” through his outstanding body of work that spans 70 years.

“As well, his masterful contributions as a filmmaker remain provocative, as seen in such film classics as ‘Atsay’ (1976), ‘Magdusa Ka’ (1986), and ‘Imortal’ (1989),”

“His was a long and inspiring career, whose greatness never waned, even as he generously contributed to the national film culture as an actor right up to the age of 90.” the statement added.

“An iconic giant who will continue to influence generations of actors and filmmakers to come, Eddie Garcia and his immortal legacy shall be missed,”