Acclaimed filmmaker Gil Portes; 71

Gil Portes —ARNOLD ALMACEN

Acclaimed filmmaker Gil Portes passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 71.

The Quezon City Police District said the veteran director was at his apartment in Barangay Pinyahan when a neighbor saw him vomiting earlier that day. The neighbor later found him unconscious around 4 p.m.

Portes was later pronounced dead on arrival at East Avenue Medical Center. The cause of death was not immediately announced pending the results of an autopsy.

News of the director’s death, which first broke on social media, was confirmed to the Inquirer also by his niece, talent manager Ming Tiñana, and his close friend and regular collaborator, screenwriter Eric Ramos.

Funeral arrangements and other details are expected to be announced once Portes’ immediate family—wife Telly, and sons, Carlo and Justin—arrive this weekend from New York City, where they are based.

Portes’ first directorial job was the 1974 drama anthology “Huwaran” on PTV4. His debut film “Tiket Mama! Tiket Ale! Sa Linggo ang Bola!” came two years later, starring Eddie Garcia, Gina Pareño and Laurice Guillen.

Among Portes’ extensive body of work, Ramos said, his favorites were the 1984 Nora Aunor-starrer “‘Merika,” “Markova: Comfort Gay” (2000), “Mulanay: Sa Pusod ng Paraiso” (1996), “Sa Piling ng mga Sugapa” (1977) and “Two Funerals” (2010).

His filmography also includes the award-winning “Mga Munting Tinig,” released in 2002. The 2016 historical biopic, “Ang Hapis at Himagsik ni Hermano Puli,” was said to be Portes’ dream project.

His last film, “Moonlight Over Baler,” was released in February.

A native of Pagbilao, Quezon province, Portes finished journalism at the University of Santo Tomas. He initially worked as a copywriter for a number of advertising companies and later as a production assistant at ABS-CBN.

Pursuing his dream to become a filmmaker, he went on to study TV and film production at the City University of New York. —JHESSET O. ENANO AND ALLAN POLICARPIO