Celebrities attend the general assembly of AKTOR - League of Filipino Actors, May 18, 2025. Ganiel Krishnan, ABS-CBN News
MANILA -- The AKTOR - League of Filipino Actors held its biggest general assembly to date, marking a milestone in its mission to build a united community of Filipino actors.
The event also celebrated the launch of its official website, aktor.ph, which will now serve as a comprehensive database for Filipino performers and a central hub for the group’s upcoming projects and services.
From just 26 founding members in 2020, Aktor now has over 300 members, a development that left its president, award-winning actress Iza Calzado, both emotional and proud.
“Masaya na makita na from the humble number of 26 actors who first met in 2020, we are now at 300 members and growing,” Calzado said. “So yung makita na yung vision natin ng isang united na samahan, hindi lang naman organisasyon eh, community talaga ang habol dito. So to see that community growing is, ano yan, higit siya sa isang prize. Yun talaga ang vision at ang mission namin. So to see it come to fruition today is, makes our heart explode.”
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Vice Chair Agot Isidro also expressed her gratitude for the growing number of partners who believe in the group’s advocacy.
“Now the family is growing, sabi nga ni Iza. And kasabay nun, marami rin kaming naging partners. Dumadami sila. So, ibig sabihin, maraming naniniwala sa mga layunin. So, nakakataba ng puso, syempre, and we’re all doing this for the community,” she said.
Chairman Dingdong Dantes reiterated Aktor’s vision to foster a community of dignified and empowered artists.
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“Well, ang vision naman naming lahat, sabi nga ni Iza, yung first 26 members, is really to create and to cultivate that community of dignified, empowered, proud professional performers. So yung mga aktor, yung grupo ng mga aktor. And here we are, kahit sabihin man natin five years na magmula nung tinatag ito 2020, ang pakiramdam ay parang nagsisimula pa lang kami,” Dantes said.
One of the major announcements during the event was Aktor’s partnership with Liberty Insurance, which will provide each member with P50,000 worth of health insurance coverage for three years.
The organization is also set to roll out several initiatives including:
• Aktor Legal Help Desk
• Aktor Mental Health Desk
• Aktor EGL (Equal Gender and Labor) Monitoring Desk
• Aktor Podcast
An awards night is also in the works, with the details will be revealed at a later date according to Dantes.
Among the attendees was internationally acclaimed actress Dolly de Leon, who voiced strong support for Aktor’s objectives.
“This is very important. Aktor is going to help a lot of actors. It’s, you know, paano ma-improve mga work practices natin sa set and yung safety saka health ng mga workers natin,” she said.
Veteran actress and ABS-CBN executive Charo Santos-Concio also attended the event, emphasizing the importance of community in the industry.
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“It’s always good to get together with your colleagues in the industry. It’s really rare. So, I look forward to this general assembly once a year where the Aktor board and the leadership team present the accomplishments for the organization for the year,” she said.
Aktor’s Welfare Director Cherry Pie Picache assured members that numerous initiatives are underway to support their holistic well-being.
“Maraming, maraming plano ang Aktor. Maraming activities. You know, top of mind is yung welfare. Diba, fixing everything, helping everybody. Mental health, lahat, sports activities. Ang dami-dami plano ni chairman (Dantes) doon,” Picache said.