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MANILA -- Veteran director Toto Natividad, known for his action movies spanning the careers of Eddie Garcia to Coco Martin, died Tuesday at Green City Hospital in San Fernando, Pampanga due to COVID-19 complications.

Luz Naraga, Natividad’s partner for 17 years, told ABS-CBN News that the director passed on at 10:15 a.m. He was 63.

“Napakasakit sa akin," Naraga said, recalling the time Natividad was rushed to the San Fernando hospital last April 20. "Umabot pa siya ng isang linggo.”

At the time of his death, Natividad served as barangay captain at North Bay Boulevard South (NBBS) Kaunlaran, Navotas City.

“Napakabait niyang tao, cool lang siya hindi marunong magalit," Naraga said. “Napakasipag, siya mismo ang personal na tumutulong at umaalay sa barangay namin.”

Natividad is best remembered for scores of action movies he directed and co-directed in the 1990s that headlined the likes of Garcia, Rudy Fernandez, Cesar Montano, Edu Manzano, Victor Neri, Ian Veneracion and others. The list of films include “Waway,” “Ang Siga at ang Sosyal,” “Ping Lacson Story,” “Moises Arcanghel,” “Wangbu,” “Walang Kokontra” and many other titles.

At the turn of the century, he also helmed ABS-CBN teleseryes like “Galema,” “Dugong Buhay” and Martin’s “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.” He also worked with Dingdong Dantes in GMA7’s “Cain at Abel.”

Vivian Velez, head of the Film Academy of the Philippines, told ABS-CBN News that she is “shocked and numbed” by the sudden passing of a movie industry pillar like Natividad due to the pandemic.

The Directors Guild of the Philippines (DGPI) headed by Paolo Villaluna also paid tribute to him as a respected filmmaker and one of the founders of the guild.

“He was one of the 11 founding members of DGPI, together with Ishmael Bernal and Marilou Diaz Abaya,” Villaluna recalled.

“Toto is a veteran filmmaker whose pioneering work in local action cinema was instrumental in the resurgence of the action genre during the '90s. He also directed audience favorite television shows like 'Ang Probinsyano' and 'Cain at Abel,'" the DGPI stated. “We extend our deep sympathies to the family of Toto Natividad."

“Cinema lost a hero today.”

The family of Natividad has yet to finalize funeral arrangements for him at St. Peter Chapels in La Loma after his cremation.