The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Boy Villasanta
The adage “an ounce of prevention is a pound of cure” should have been applied to the health condition of award-winning actress Jaclyn Jose when she was still alive.
Regrettably, it was too late.
According to one of his bosom friends, Jaclyn, Mary Jane Santa Ana Guck in real life, couldn’t have died untimely if she had immediately consulted a doctor.
“Nag-uusap nga kapatid niya, si Veronica Jones na artista rin noon, na may nararamdaman nga si Jane kaya magpapatingin na nga siya (I was talking to her older sister Veronica Jones who was also ⁰an actress at that time that Jane would see and consult a medical advice),” said award-winning actor Julio Diaz, one of Jose’s best friends.
“Kaya lang, huli na. Nakakalungkot nga (But it was too late already. It’s indeed saddening),” Julio added.
“Kaya nga, dapat, payo ito sa ating lahat. Hanggat maaga, magpa-check-up tayo pag may nararamdaman na tayo sa ating katawan para hindi tayo magsisi o ang mga mahal natin sa buhay (That’s why I advise that as early as possible, we undertake medical check-up if we feel something wrong in our body,” Diaz quipped during the talkback session Friday afternoon after the screening of the 1995 Joel Lamangsn masterpiece “The Flor Contemplacion Story” written by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricardo Lee, most popularly known as Ricky Lee and starred in by his fellow NA Nora Aunor at the GSIS Theater in Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Film, Broadcast and New Media Division to spotlight creative works of National Artists.
Diaz said the Philippine cinema has lost a gem in Jaclyn who was also part of the film by portraying Nene, the paramour of Efren Contemplacion, the husband of Flor Contemplacion played by Julio.
“Iisa lang ang Jaclyn Jose (She’s only one),” exclaimed Diaz.
Jose died of myocardial infarction or a heart attack in the morning of March 2, 2024, according to her daughter Andi Eigenmann.