Janno Gibbs Teams Up With Xia Vigor in Itutumba Ka ng Tatay Ko

Even at his weakest, a father will muster all his courage and strength to save his child. 

In his directorial debut, ”Itutumba Ka ng Tatay Ko”, Janno Gibbs teams up with Xia Vigor, the talented child actress who gave an unforgettable performance in “Miracle in Cell No. 7”, to tell the funny yet heartwarming story of single dad Teteng and his tomboyish daughter Tintin.

 

 

 

Teteng is in his 50s, a huge fan of the legendary Fernando Poe, Jr., but unlike his idol, Teteng is scared of fights. He cowers even in the littlest of confrontations. But for the sake of his daughter, he pretends to be brave. Tintin looks up to him even though he is the reason why she gets bullied. 

But the soft-hearted Teteng changes drastically one day. Although, he is able to open up about his problems to Tintin’s teacher, Mylene (Louise delos Reyes), his frustration still leads him to various troubles. The biggest one yet is a scuffle with the son of a so-called “Big Boss” of goons. Big Boss (Jeric Raval) retaliates by taking what matters most to Teteng – Tintin. 

No longer fearing for his life, Teteng will fight anyone to get his daughter back safe and sound. 

 

 

“Itutumba Ka ng Tatay Ko” is the fulfillment of Janno Gibbs’ longtime goal to become a director. He’s been acting since mid-80s, and has established himself as one of the country’s most bankable comedians. He shared in an interview that most of the directors he worked with are no longer around. “I think parang kulang tayo sa comedy directors ngayon kasi from my experience, lahat ng comedy directors noon na nagdi-direct sa amin nina Andrew E wala na. Ang nagdi-direct na lang sa amin ngayon ay si Direk Al Tantay. I want to help the comedy genre para maituloy naman namin.”  

Now, he can take pride in being called “Direk Janno” just as his beloved father, the late Ronaldo Valdez, was most certainly very proud of him. An Instagram post back in June showed them together on the set of their movie. The caption read, “Mighty Proud of My Son, Directing Me in His 1st Movie as Actor-Director.” 

Mr. Valdez’s role in “Itututumba Ka ng Tatay Ko” is Totong, Teteng’s father who left him after being involved in a syndicate.  Direk Janno called it “a joy” to share the screen with his father “and a privilege” to have directed him, to which Mr. Valdez lovingly reiterated his feelings with a comment, “Thank you, Son. You Do Me Proud.”  

Ronaldo Valdez, the well-loved and highly respected multi-awarded actor, also appeared in other movies of Janno’s, such as “Pedro Penduko Episode 2: The Return of the Comeback” in year 2000 and in “Mang Jose” in 2021. His support for his son was steadfast through the years. And now, we can see them together on the big screen again. For the very last time. Don’t miss this chance. 

“Itutumba Ka ng Tatay Ko” is just the first of the many exciting titles from Viva Films this 2024. It also stars Anjo Yllana, Robb Guinto, TJ Valderrama, Ronnie Henares, Julianna Pariscova-Segovia, and more. Opens January 24, 2024 in cinemas nationwide.