There's definitely no doubt that “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” is starred by a powerhouse ensemble comprised of some of the most talented new breeds of artists, seasoned actors, and screen legends in the local entertainment scene.
However, even though many of them are already well-experienced in acting or naturally gifted with that talent, the showrunners of the formidable ABS-CBN Studios series apparently refuse to rest on their artists’ laurels or innate skills, as they made sure that they are still well-equipped with training that could help them improve their knowledge and refine their performances. Besides, it’s also CCM Film Productions’ way of assuring that every action scene, especially the ones with gun fights, to be executed would be topnotch, realistic, and seamless.
And recently, some of the cast members, fight directors, and staff of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” underwent rigorous gun handling training, as seen in the two-part video uploaded by CCM Film Productions across its social media platforms.
The seminar was facilitated by Coach Kayo Downrage Daddy, who has been teaching people how to safely shoot guns since 2008. According to him, what fundamentally encouraged him to do this is to protect his kids since he has guns at home. But words about his trainings spread among interested gun-owner parents and companies, so he decided to just go on with it, and he has ended up doing this for more than 15 years now.
“I think every responsible gun owner should go to the gun safety seminar kasi, number one, it’s a requirement to have your license to own and possess firearms. Number two, if you have a gun, you should know how to be able to use it safely. So, people go to these kinds of trainings para not only are they aware of how safety affects their gun use, [but they also] become conscious of safety first and foremost,” Coach Kayo related.
According to him, among the topics they cover in gun handling seminars are the four cardinal rules of safety, manual of arms, a bit of marksmanship, being safe with guns and how to store them, legal ramifications of owning a gun, schedule or registrations, and the kinds of permits a gun owner need.
He went on to expound on the four cardinal rules of safety, namely, one should treat their gun as if it were loaded, one should never point their gun at anything or anyone they do not wish to shoot or destroy, one should keep their trigger finger off the trigger until they have aimed at their target and they have decided to shoot, and lastly, one should always know what they’re shooting at and what is beyond and around it.
Director Richard V. Somes, one of the brilliant helmers of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” commented on how this training would be very beneficial for them. He stated, “Maganda ‘yong experience namin dito sa gun-handling activity kasi malaking tulong ito sa amin sa shooting para sa safety at saka sa proper handling ng mga weapons and firearms. And, at the same time, magkakaroon kami ng knowledge para maging realistic ang mga eksena.”
Even though he already has knowledge about gun handling, Direk Richard firmly believes that it’s still better to always have refinement and gain new lessons and knowledge. Through this seminar, they're able to have a deeper understanding of the proper care and handling of guns, so that these weapons wouldn’t become dangerous and risky both for themselves and the people around them.
Malaking tulong ito para sa amin sa ‘Batang Quiapo’ na marami [kaming] natutunan para maiwasan ang lahat ng aksidente at maiwasan ang hindi tamang pag-aaral, lalo na sa paghawak ng baril,” he remarked.
Aside from Direk Richard, the other notable personalities who were spotted in the training were Director Malu L. Sevilla, Baron Geisler, Paolo Paraiso, Ronwaldo Martin, Jojit Lorenzo, Mammoth, Ryan Martin, Smugglaz, and Bassilyo.
The second video, which was commenced by seasoned character actor Richard Quan, featured more glimpses from the training they went through, as well as the feedback of Allan Paule, who plays Rigor’s (John Estrada) loyal friend and colleague Mando Mendoza, and Jojit Lorenzo, who portrays Tanggol’s (Coco Martin) best friend Enteng.
Allan expressed how delighted he was to learn a lot about gun handling—from the proper way of holding and aiming it to the correct way of checking if it’s loaded or not. He may already have experience in target shooting, but it was only through the seminar that he learned the different ways of holding it since there are different types of guns.
Mag-ingat. Itrato mo na mahalaga sa iyo ‘yong baril. Kumbaga, kakambal na ng buhay mo kung meron kang baril,” the veteran character actor said about what his most important takeaway from the seminar.
Jojit also remarked how important it is for the cast, crew, and directors of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” to undergo this kind of training since, for sure, they have viewers who are knowledgeable about gun handling. Thus, it’s indeed better if he and his co-actors could show the viewers that they could handle guns properly. At the same time, he found it exciting and interesting to be able to learn the right way of using guns.
Just like Direk Richard and Allan, he also realized via this training that even though he already has experience in gun handling, there were still a lot of things that he still didn’t know yet. And his most important takeaways from the seminar were how holding guns is actually a muscle memory and how safety should always be the utmost concern of anyone holding a gun.
See how the cast and crew of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” have applied their learnings from their recent gun handling training in the upcoming episodes, weeknights at 8 PM on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, iWant, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL). Viewers outside of the Philippines can watch on The Filipino Channel (TFC) on cable and IPTV.