“Dominic Ochoa: Up Close and Personal with Father Jose”

While playing movie bit roles in 2003, I had the chance to play as the father of Jennifer Sevilla in a movie titled “Kung Ako na lang Sana” starring Sharon Cuneta and Aga Muchlach. When I watched the movie, it was then that I came to know that Dominic Ochoa was playing a major role as the best friend of Aga in the movie.  

We were together in said movie but we did not have the chance to work together. I did not have an inkling that time that I would be working with Dominic now in this top-rating show “May Bukas Pa”. 

As Father Jose in the monastery, Dominic Ochoa is our cook and the father who is the most close to Santino since he acted as the parent  who raised Santino from the moment that we adopted  baby Santino. 

As such, Dominic has more melodramatic moments with Santino. And, he is very effective in their scenes making the viewers cry as their duo with Santino engages in countless heavy drama scenes.  

Since we started working for “May Bukas Pa” in mid January this year, in between takes,  I came to know Dom more as a person. He is a very serious actor, one who would study his script thoroughly, making sure that he would be able to give justice to what is asked of him in a particular scene. During idle moments he is seated in him comfortable folding chair inside our airconditioned tent reading his script. But he never fails to join the rest of us in our conversations. 

There was an instance when during a take, Dom was distracted  by some men talking loudly at the other side of the church. Dom instantly left the set and ran towards these men, confronted them, told them that he was disturbed with their noise and that they should shut their mouths. The men apologized and we resumed taping the dramatic scene with Dom giving his full concentration on the scene. 

During our taping last week, we had a big scene where the Mayor (Albert Martinez) led a mob who stormed the church demanding that we the priests should leave the monastery citing that we are sinners specially Father Jose who was accused with murder of his wife and son. I could never forget the scene because I got severe muscle pain in my right arm. You see, the scene would have Dom daring to hit the Mayor and immediately Rayver Cruz (Cocoy) and myself had to restrain Dom. I hold him by his left arm with my right arm. I felt a pain running in my right arm. After the take, I could no longer move my right arm!

 I had my right arm x-rayed. Fortunately, there was no broken bone. Also, my suspicion that I have gout caused by high uric acid was also proven wrong when I had a blood test. I had a normal Uric Acid level. It was my struggle to restrain Dom in the scene that caused the pain in my right arm!

 I could never forget that scene with Dominic Ochoa a.k.a. Father Jose!