The Philippine Senate has formally recognized veteran actress Judy Ann Santos for her international achievement, passing Senate Resolution No. 1320 on June 2 to commend her Best Actress win at the 45th Fantasporto Film Festival in Porto, Portugal.
The resolution was filed by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who praised Santos for bringing pride to the nation and uplifting Philippine cinema amid ongoing challenges such as piracy, dwindling theater attendance, and the dominance of foreign films.
Santos earned the award for her role in Espantaho (Scarecrow), directed by acclaimed filmmaker Chito S. Roño. In her heartfelt acceptance speech during the awards ceremony in March, she expressed gratitude to the jury and dedicated the honor to her director, writer Chris Martinez, producer Atty. Joji Alonso, her team, and her family—her husband Ryan Agoncillo and their three children.
Santos joins the ranks of past Filipino Fantasporto winners, including Barbie Forteza (Laut, 2016), Ian Veneracion (Ilawod, 2018), and Cristine Reyes (UnTrue, 2020).
Additionally, the Senate adopted two more resolutions—Nos. 1336 and 1351—offering condolences for the recent passing of entertainment icons Pilita Corrales and Ricky Davao.