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Leah C. Salterio - The Philippine Star
February 27, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The young cast of director Shugo Praico’s “The Caretakers” are all proud to be part of the amazing suspense-horror project that stars Iza Calzado and Dimples Romana for the first time on the big screen.
The kids got immersed in the work when cast and crew shot in the lush yet eerie backdrop of San Miguel, Bulacan.
“Actually, ‘yung experience ko po, medyo nakakatakot din po,” said the eight-year-old Erin Espiritu, who was first seen in the 2023’s Metro Manila Film Festival’s horror entry, “Kampon,” directed by King Palisoc.
“Medyo takot ako sa set, but with the help of our ‘The Caretakers’ director and my co-actors, hindi na po ako takot. Excited na akong mapanood ang movie.”
Erin, however, cannot be admitted yet to the PG-13 classification of “The Caretakers” that’s why she went out of the theater before the premiere started.
Althea Ruedas, who debuted onscreen in Marla Ancheta’s critically acclaimed “Doll House” (2022), admitted “The Caretakers” is the most challenging role to date for her.
“Malayo po siya sa mga ginawa kong movies in the past,” Althea said. “My last horror movie — Xian Lim’s ‘Kuman Thong’ — natakot din po. Na-challenged din po ako sa ‘The Caretakers.’ For me, mas gusto ko po when I get challenged. Mas na-explore ko po ang acting ko.
“With the help of Erin, my director, Miss Dimples and cast namin, nagawa ko naman po ang role ko ng maayos. Nagawa po naming lahat ng maayos ang ‘The Caretakers.’ I think we did our best.”
Ashley Sarmiento is really thankful to be part of the folk-horror film. “Last year, I remember telling my family that I want to have a movie,” Ashley shared. “Then there was an audition for a movie, so I went and I got in.
“I was so, so happy to be a part of an amazing movie and work with such kind and amazing people who were all genuine people, especially working with Miss Iza and Miss Dimples. They shared so much words of wisdom to all of us. They also inspired us to be kinder.
“Being in ‘The Caretakers’ makes you really proud. The lesson that I learned is ‘Do not hold a grudge. You can talk about it if you’re feeling something is bothering you.’ Time is limited. You’ll never know if something will take something from us.”
Ashley gets to work in a film for the first time with her TV partner, Marco Masa, in “The Caretakers.”
Marco, who is best remembered for his TV character “Nathaniel” in the series of the same title (2015), cannot be thankful enough that he gets to be part of “The Caretakers” and he is thankful to his producers, Rein Entertainment and Regal Films.
Ashley Sarmiento and Marco Masa team up on the big screen for the first time.
“The film was meticulously made and I’m just really happy to be part of it with such wonderful cast,” said the 17-year-old Marco, who last starred in the Netflix zombie flick “Outside.”
“Ang dami kong natutunan from Miss Iza and Miss Dimples. Not just about acting, but our personal lives, as well.
“After watching the movie, hindi pa siya nagsi-sink in. Ang hirap. Ang bigat. I’m just really happy and beyond grateful to be part of ‘The Caretakers.’ The message that this movie wants to impart is not just about love and family.
“It is about the nature and our surroundings, how we take care of our surroundings. That’s what matters. All of us protect something respectively. We have different ways to protect our loved ones and ourselves.
“We’ll never know the consequences of everything that we do. We have to make better choices for our future.”
For Erika Clemente, there was not a day that passed by that Iza and Dimples didn’t help them while filming.
“We always talked to each other,” Erika said. “Just telling stories to us helped us, too. So much words of wisdom. I will forever be grateful for being part of this movie.
“What matters the most is our surroundings. As long as we get close to nature and to the people around us, it will come back to us.”
“The Caretakers” was filmed with zero waste, and Iza and Dimples cannot be any prouder that it happened in their film.
Bringing the first partnership to the big screen of Iza and Dimples, the concept of “The Caretakers” is very new for both. Director Shugo wrote the script of the folk horror-film, with John Carlo Pacala.
Shot in a lush yet eerie backdrop of a rural property in San Miguel, Bulacan, “The Caretakers” centers on a fierce battle between two mothers — Audrey (Iza) and Lydia (Dimples) — over a piece of land.
Audrey, who hails from the city, arrives to claim the land that her family owns, while Lydia, the caretaker, fiercely protects the land her family owns for years.
“The Caretakers” is bankrolled by Lino Cayetano, Philip King and director Shugo Praico’s Rein Entertainment. The film is released in partnership with Regal Entertainment.
Shugo has the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry, “Nananahimik ang Gabi” to his credit, with Ian Veneracion and Heaven Peralejo in the cast.
The filmmakers are exceptionally proud that “The Caretakers” was one of the last projects approved by Regal matriarch Lily Monteverde before she passed on late last year. The film is now showing in theaters.
