Garcia did the independent venture titled "Bwakaw" in 2012, directed by Jun Robles Lana, a young Palanca award winner and director, gave Garcia the script, and was worried that a big star like him would decline the role as the crew feared they could not afford him. The director admitted his concern to Garcia, who already read the script. To the director’s surprise, Garcia nonchalantly asked, “So when do we start shooting?” Garcia earned his first international film award at the 55th Asia-Pacific Film Festival as the lead actor for the movie on December 15, 2012, garnering the Asian Film Award for Best Actor, the only Filipino so far to win the award.