VMX actor Benz Sangalang said he was not surprised to learn that two players from the Ateneo Blue Eagles drowned off the coast of Dipaculao. According to Sangalang, the same beach was where the driver of filmmaker Jose Javier Reyes, popularly known as Direk Joey Reyes, also drowned during the filming of the movie Secrets in April 2022.
“When I learned that the two Ateneo basketball players drowned and died in Dipaculao, I wasn’t surprised because I know how powerful the waves are there. The waters have already claimed many lives,” Benz told “Cabinet Files.”
He recalled that on the very first day of filming Secrets, everyone was warned against swimming. “Our team was immediately prohibited from swimming because the waves could suddenly become huge and seemed to pull people in. I never attempted to swim there because I was afraid,” he said.
Meanwhile, Direk Joey described the area as notorious in a comment on a Facebook post by Cathy Babao-Sanchez, daughter of veteran actress Caridad Sanchez. “I know the place where the two players died. It was the exact same location where my driver drowned in 2022 on the final day of our shoot. The area has a reputation for claiming lives every year because of its vicious undertow and massive waves from the open sea. Even locals avoid swimming there because of the water’s unpredictable behavior,” Reyes wrote.
He further stressed the dangers of the location. “That area is notorious for being dangerous and treacherous. There should have been a more thorough assessment in choosing it as a venue for a training activity. Now all we can do is pray for strength for the devastated parents who only wanted a brighter future for their sons.”
