Actor John Lloyd Cruz was dubbed as “woke” when he raised certain points on government accountability in his online conversation with Bea Alonzo, his former love team partner, through an Instagram Live session on Monday evening.
Reports said that Alonzo and Cruz’s surprise live online conversation started when the actress showed her followers how to cook “bagoong” rice through the photo and video-sharing platform. Prior to that, she cooked a big batch of meals for the frontliners of the UP-National Institute of Health.
Alonzo “invited” other people to join her live stream since she found it lonely to speak in her room all alone.
Eventually, Cruz joined the live stream and they started to quiz each other where he asked Alonzo about his favorite movies.
The online conversation turned serious as the actor talked about his life, shared his realizations and how he still feels lonely despite being in contact with people amid the quarantine.
“Iba na ‘yung mundong ginagalawan natin, Bea. Ibang-iba na. Nakakatakot, e. Ang bilis nang mamatay ngayon. Ang bilis nang pumatay,” he said.
“Naiisip ko kung matatawag ba talaga nating maswerte ang mga sarili natin habang ‘yung iba nababaril nang ganun-ganun lang sa kalye? Namamatay nang walang kalaban-laban dahil sa sakit?” Cruz added.
Last week, a former soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia was shot dead by a police officer in Quezon City for allegedly violating quarantine protocols. A homicide complaint has been filed against the shooter.
JOHN LLOYD: "Iba na 'yung mundong ginagalawan natin, Bea. Ibang-iba na. Nakakatakot, e. Ang bilis nang mamatay ngayon. Ang bilis nang pumatay. Naiisip ko kung matatawag ba talaga nating maswerte ang mga sarili natin habang 'yung iba nababaril nang ganun-ganun lang sa kalye?" ✊😥 pic.twitter.com/WS3BXom7Di
— #MassTestingNowPH / #MilkTeaAlliance Stan ⁷ (@MarchingHere) April 27, 2020
Cruz also mentioned his thoughts about raising his son Elias on the IG live stream.
“Natatakot ako na dito ko siya palalakihin… sa mundong ganito,” he said.
The conversation later shifted to Alonzo’s relief efforts for frontliners and those directly affected by the enhanced community quarantine. The actress has been spearheading donation drives to support COVID-19 frontliners through her organization, “I AM HOPE.”
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Her organization has so far donated improvised face shields, bottles of ethyl alcohol and medical supplies. Alonzo also partners with companies to provide the frontliners food.
Sometimes, Alonzo herself cooks food for these frontliners.
Cruz then wondered what would happen if generous people like Alonzo wouldn’t have the time or resources anymore to conduct relief operations, both for the frontliners and the needy.
“Ang sinasabi ko lang, dapat tulong lang siya. Dagdag. Kasi dapat may ibang bahala diyan, ‘di ba? Hindi naman pupuwedeng aasa na lang lagi sa kabutihan ng kapwa. Dapat may nanggagaling sa taas, sa kinauukulan,” he said, referencing the government.
“Yun lang ang nakakalungkot…. ‘Yung gutom kasi, Bey, kayang mapunan eh…. Kaya lang papaano pagka, paano ‘pag hindi na lang gutom? Papaano ‘pag takot na? Papaano ‘pag malungkot na? Papaano ‘pag galit na? ‘Yung mga ‘yan, ‘di kayang tanggalin ng pagkain, ng tubig, ng relief ops,” Cruz added.
He also mentioned that it has been “weeks” since the enhanced community quarantine was established but he implied there appeared to be no efforts to expedite help to the vulnerable sectors.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development said that it has already financially assisted around 7.7 million families under its emergency subsidy program, or social amelioration program, as of April 26.
It is a cash subsidy that was instituted by the government through DSWD to help low-income families get by as the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine takes place. Each household is supposed to get P5,000 to P8,000, depending on their region’s minimum wage rate.
Not ‘privileged’
Following Cruz’s musings to his former love team partner, some Filipinos then called him “woke” because of how he brought up the topic of government accountability amid the virtual reunion.
Merriam Webster defined “woke,” an American slang, as someone “aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).”
“So John Lloyd Cruz just discussed how social capital through private donations can be unsustainable in providing overall solution to this whole public health crisis. Popoy released that truth bomb,” a Twitter user said, referencing Cruz’s character in his movies with Alonzo, “One More Chance” and “A Second Chance.”
“Perhaps having a child gives John Lloyd a wider perspective on how government should protect its citizens at all costs, with of course, respect to human life and dignity. Malalim si Popoy kagabi,” the online user added.
Another Filipino lauded Cruz’s efforts to call out “government accountability” amid the situation.
he also said something about making the government accountable with the lack of relief goods kay dghan ang gigutom. wow, I stan a woke john lloyd! ✊🏼
— francine #OustDu30 (@francienne__) April 27, 2020
A Twitter user commented that Cruz was “fully informed” of the current situation and was not “privileged,” unlike some personalities like Vice Ganda who blamed Filipinos for the quarantine extension.
RELATED: How celebrities and influencers’ plea to ‘stay at home’ during Luzon quarantine shows class divide
“Grabe yung pagka-woke ni John Lloyd! And we stan people like him. He knows what is happening and was probably fully informed. Plus he is not blinded by his privilege,” the online user said.
Cruz and Alonzo earlier gave hints that they would be working on a project with directors Antoinette Jadaone and Dan Villegas on a “love story about these times.”
The actors shared a teaser on their respective Instagram accounts that mentioned they “will be performing a work of fiction on Instagram over the next week.”
The posts were shared on April 11.
“Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is intentional,” the teaser added.
