MANILA -- Award-winning actor John Arcilla was a picture of extreme happiness as he excitedly unboxed his Coppa Volpi for best actor from the prestigious Venice International Film Festival.

In an exclusive virtual unboxing with ABS-CBN, Arcilla shouted in joy when he started to peel off the plastic protecting the velvet box of the golden trophy which was hand-carried by director Erik Matti from Venice.

Arcilla was recognized at the Venice International Film Festival for his performance in the movie "On The Job: The Missing 8" but missed the awards night.

“Ang tagal kong hinintay ito. Grabe. Dapat ako ang makakatanggap nito e. Sayang dapat nasa Venice ito. Nanghihinayang akong tanggalin 'yung balot,” Arcilla said.

“Ito ang the best, the best na award na na-receive ko so far. It's really, really wonderful. It means championship. Talaga namang golden cup. Sobrang saya ko award na ito.”

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Before he removed the trophy from its case, the veteran actor put on his suit to look more presentable when he held the award for the first time since learning about his victory.

Arcilla was ecstatic as he lifted the trophy and gave it a good kiss.

• LOOK: John Arcilla's Volpi Cup from Venice film fest

“Sobrang finally. Dati nararamdaman mo lang na isa ka sa mga nakahanay sa mga world actors na hinahangaan mo. Finally it's with me now,” the actor quipped.

The “Ang Probinsyano” actor also revealed they were planning to have a formal turnover ceremony for the award but due to time constraints, he had to get the trophy immediately and proceed to a scheduled photo shoot with Metro.

Arcilla planned to visit Venice when the crisis subsides and have his photo taken in the venue while kissing the trophy.

“Ibang klase. At saka ginto. Sabi ko talaga, as soon as mas okay na ang ating sitwasyon, pupunta ako sa Venice, bibitbitin ko ito. Pupunta ako sa venue, iki-kiss ko ito sa harap ng venue. This is really a big deal for me as actor,” he said.

He also received an expensive Cartier watch as part of the prize.

The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world and is counted among the three most prestigious, alongside Cannes and Berlin.

• LOOK: Aside from Volpi Cup, here's what John Arcilla got from Venice Film Festival

Arcilla is the first Southeast Asian talent to win best actor in Venice, in its 78-year history.

"On The Job: The Missing 8" tackles another real-world predicament in today's media as journalists Sisoy Salas (Arcilla) and Arnel (Christopher de Leon) look at fake news and how easily it can be manufactured and disseminated to the public.

Eight individuals, all linked to a newspaper, disappeared one day, and a hired killer on the loose, inmate Roman (Dennis Trillo), holds vital evidence to this dark incident.

Arcilla stars as a radio host forced to re-think his support for the government after a series of assassinations.

The film is a sequel to the 2013 film "On the Job" by Matti, which was a huge success in the Philippines, telling the story of prisoners used by the government as hitmen.

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Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv