He was well known for his unusually light build and thin anatomy, earning him the self-deprecating screen name "Palito", which is Spanish for stick and is glossed in Filipino as matchstick or toothpick.

[citation needed] He would be seen regularly working with actors Fernando Poe Jr., Dolphy, Chiquito, Niño Muhlach, the comedy trio Tito, Vic and Joey.

In the 1980s, Palito played in Johnny Rambo Tango (1985),[4] Rambuto (1986), No Blood, No Surrender (1985),[5] James Bone, Agent 001,[5] and Kumander Kalansalay (1988).

His sunken hollow eyes and reed-thin body, while not aesthetically pleasing in the popular sense, fit the corpse-like demeanor that local filmmakers love to utilize.

On June 17, 2004, burgeoning comedy actor Vhong Navarro portrayed Palito in the anthology drama series Maalaala Mo Kaya, focusing on his life story as a survivor of the Japanese occupation during World War II and his heyday as a slapstick comedian during the 1970s and 1980s.

[6] Palito starred in an independent film, Enterpool: Senior Citizen in Action, released 24 August 2005, in the midst of the decline of Philippine cinema.

While it was received well by nostalgic movie-goers and local movie critics, it failed to take the general public's notice due to lack of promotion and marketing.

[1] Once voted as one of the top ten Filipino comedians of all-time, Palito engaged in small stage shows to make a living in his last years.