Matteo Guidicelli takes on mission to tell stories of the ‘Philippine Defenders’

 Matteo Guidicelli is hosting “Philippine Defenders,” a new GMA Public Affairs documentary that puts Filipino soldiers’ stories front and center. For the host/actor, it’s more than just another TV assignment — it’s a chance to honor their heroic work and sacrifices he’s seen firsthand since becoming a reservist with the current rank of second lieutenant.

Premiering this May 17 at 3:15 p.m. on GMA 7, “Philippine Defenders” follows Matteo as he immerses in the realities of Filipino soldiers on land, at sea and in the air, all in the name of “duty, honor and country.”

In this docu, he gets to join a high-risk aerial patrol mission with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and participates in the Rotation and Resupply Mission (RORE) to deliver food and supplies to Filipino soldiers stationed on disputed islands.

At Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, home of the Special Forces Regiment (Airborne), his intense military training includes a live parachute jump from an aircraft. He also takes viewers to the Presidential Security Command, the elite unit protecting the President of the Philippines. He also meets with soldiers who survived the Marawi Siege.

For Matteo, this kind of storytelling is personal. The idea of doing a project about soldiers is something he had long wanted to do, especially after joining the military reserve force in 2019. He pushed further with his enlistment by undergoing active duty training, which included Army Ranger and Airborne courses.

It all started with a simple invitation from a retired general friend to go “civilian skydiving.” “Tapos doon sa loob ng helicopter — first time ko — I was with Rangers, Special Forces. One Ranger invited me to go to Camp Tecson, Bulacan. ‘Bisitahin mo kami, makita mo yung buhay sundalo,’” he recalled.

Matteo visits the Filipino troops and the local community on Pag-asa Island, which is part of the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea.

That visit to Camp Tecson would lead to his reservist journey. “Nakita ko yung mga sundalong nagte-training… Tinanong ko yung general doon, then-Lt. General William Gonzales. Sabi ko, ‘Sir, paano ba sumali diyan?’ Sabi niya, ‘Matt, 45 days ang training diyan. Tapos pwede kayong maging Ranger.’”

“Sabi ko, ‘Uy, pwede ‘to ha. Subukan natin.’ Jokingly (at first), I said, ‘Sir, I’d like to enlist.’ Siya naman, jokingly, sabi, ‘Oh, sige, sige,’ knowing that I wouldn’t even dare to do it.”

But he did. Two weeks later, Matteo accomplished all the required paperwork and returned to enlist as a reservist.

The initial reaction he got was mixed because no actor then trained in what turned out to be a specialized unit. He was serious though, telling his manager, Viva big boss Vic del Rosario, about his plans.

“Sabi ko, ‘Boss, magsusundalo ako.’ Sabi niya, ‘Matt, gawa na lang tayo ng action movie para maging action star ka na.’ Sabi ko, ‘Hindi eh. Iba kapag mararamdaman mo talaga yung hirap — yung hirap ng buhay, yung pinagdaanan. And this will not just be good perception-wise, but me, as a person, I will learn from all that. This is priceless. You cannot take this away from an individual.’”

Eventually, Matteo would have the chance to present and secure the go-ahead for his project from then-President Rodrigo Duterte. He informed his family and fiancée (now wife), Sarah Geronimo, of the decision. “Look, the President said yes. Wala na kayong magagawa.”

To say the training wasn’t easy is an understatement. He shared, “At first, sabi ko, ‘Triathlete ako. Kaya kung tumakbo, lahat.’ But true enough, after three days, talagang araw-araw umiiyak ako. For two weeks straight, gusto ko nang umuwi.”

He managed to push through the hardships of his Ranger course, thanks to his fellow trainees, including PMA cadets (both men and women), who inspired him. “They are not just physically strong but they are mentally strong — extremely mentally strong.”

He finished at the top of his class and continued with airborne training. All this allowed him a better understanding of what soldiers go through. It’s what fuels his desire to tell their stories.

The idea for “Philippine Defenders” came about during the height of tensions in the West Philippine Sea, according to the producers. From the beginning, they already had Matteo in mind as host — his inputs and insights as a reservist contributing to the whole narrative.

“Matteo is really the best host for this because he has personal experience. During the shoot, he was able to verbalize: ‘Ano ba yung dapat malaman ng tao? Ano ba yung dapat nilang maintindihan dito sa pagiging sundalo?” said director Bryan Brazil, who previously megged the controversial documentary-film “Lost Sabungeros.”

Direk Bryan readily acknowledged the risks that came with filming “Philippine Defenders.” “But as a producer, of course, we need to assess that we don’t just dive in without careful thought. For this one, we planned it with Matt on how we would approach the stories.”

As for Matteo, he is no stranger to high-adrenaline and riskier-than-normal activities, having started as a go-kart racer in his youth. He’s always been drawn to challenges that stretch his limits such as shooting documentaries in sensitive areas like the West Philippine Sea.

“I love taking risks. I love adrenaline all the time. I think it’s part of my blood. Kumalma na nga ako dahil may asawa na ako. But sometimes, I’d like to take risks.”

But these days, he said, it’s not about thrill for thrill’s sake.

“I want it to have good meaning and added value — add value to our viewers, to our countrymen, to people around us.”

Asked about how he prepares for risky work, Matteo said, “The only thing you can do is pray. I think that’s something that will always, always be with me — prayers talaga. You always have to pray for protection, guidance and God will make the way already…

“But, of course, the producers really make sure they won’t put themselves in a corner or make a decision that’s too risky with no way out.

“In my personal experience with ‘Philippine Defenders’ — jumping out of an airplane, things like that — there’s always risk involved. That’s why hindi basta-basta lang gagawin, kailangan may tamang ensayo, tamang training, tamang mindset.

“And at the end of the day, whatever your religion is, you pray. You have to pray. There’s a higher power up there, God, who is always guiding us and leading us.

“In fact, if you talk to my other soldier friends and you start speaking about death and all of this, they always say, if it’s your time, it’s your time.”

During a jump training session, he shared, a soldier lost his life. “A few days after one of our jumps, one of the soldiers there lost his life, too, because of the jump.”

It was a reminder that even with preparation, “things can happen.”

“We can always try to be in control with our training, our mindset and all. But God is in control all the time, and He leads the way,” he said.

Meanwhile, Matteo hopes this won’t be the last time he works on a documentary with GMA Public Affairs. “If there’s a fitting project that they want me to do, I’m always here.”

He expressed gratitude for being given the chance to host “Philippine Defenders.”

“I hope I gave this docu justice. I hope I told the stories of our men and women in uniform. And I hope you will enjoy this. Sana ma-appreciate ng ating mga kababayan yung ating documentary natin. Because it is really the stories of our Filipino soldiers and civilians. It is a story of our country.”