“Our North Star Is Clear”: Aktor PH on Building a Future for Filipino Actors

At Vogue Threads Manila 2025, actress and host Aya Fernandez moderates a talk with Aktor PH founding members Iza Calzado, Dingdong Dantes, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, and Elijah Canlas.

On a rainy afternoon in Makati, Aktor PH members Dingdong Dantes, Iza Calzado, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, and Elijah Canlas gather for a masterclass at Vogue Threads Manila 2025. In a talk moderated by actress, host, and fellow Aktor PH member Aya Fernandez, the group shares their experience in the industry and how it is building a future for Filipino actors.

For Fernandez, the panel discussion is an opportunity to highlight the cultural work that actors do. “By broadening people’s understanding of the work actors do, and hopefully deepen appreciation, sharpen their voices of consumption, and increase the demand for more relevant narratives,” she says. “It raises the question: does art mimic reality, or does reality mimic art? Supporting more local films matters because the public’s demand can shape the kind of stories that get told. When audiences ask for better, more critical narratives, the industry has to respond.”

During the talk, Calzado and Dantes recalled how a series of Zoom calls eventually led to the founding of the organization. What began as a way to air out their grievances eventually led to a series of questions for the actors: How can the industry be better? How can they be better protected? What can they do? Then, before they knew it, they established a name and began drafting bylaws.

“We asked ourselves, what problem do we really want to solve?” Dantes shares, speaking in a mix of English and Filipino. “There are a lot of issues, problems that you can solve as an organization, as a group.”

Previously, average work hours didn’t go for less than 19 hours and could range from 24 to 36 hours, he recalls. These demanding hours posed a risk to their health, which prompted the group to call for stronger measures for their working conditions. As they shared their experiences, it became clear that one thing united the actors: the desire to create a better future for the film and TV industry.

“The North Star is clear, at least for me,” Calzado shares, drawing from her perspective as a mother. “It was clear to me that I wanted the next generation not to experience what I experienced,” she said. “I do not want her, should she want to be in this industry, to experience what I experienced.”

During the question and answer session, Curtis-Smith encouraged aspiring actors to claim their space. “Just own it and try to feel comfortable as much as you can and then grow in that space,” she shares. “If your space starts small, let yourself grow. Because you’re just starting.”

Wrapping up the discussion, Canlas called on attendees to support the Philippine film and TV industry: “Stream the newest movie or show,” he says. “I think that’s the best way someone who’s not from the industry can support the industry, so we can keep telling stories and keep sharing this craft that we’re passionate about.”

By DAPHNE SAGUN. Photographs by ANIKEN DELA CRUZ. Digital Associate Editor: Chelsea Sarabia. Producer: Bianca Zaragoza. Digital multimedia artists: Bea Lu, Myc Priestley.