Alin ang mas matimbang?

Marian Rivera will try to outshine Angel Locsin once again as she is crowned as television’s new Darna.

Rivera’s forthcoming role was officially announced by GMA-7 on April 23rd at the GMA Network Center. She was the lead star in Marimar and Dyesebel. Both stories were supposed to be for Angel Locsin, but she moved over to ABS-CBN 2.

Darna and Dyesebel are originally made for komiks by Mars Ravelo, but eventually became hit movies. Previously, only Vilma Santos was able to play both Darna and Dyesebel (in separate shows, naturally).

February 26 and 27, 2009 — CSI, the City Mall, Lucao, Dagupan
March 3 and 4, 2009 — SM City Baguio
March 9 and 10, 2009 — LCC Mall Naga

March 12 to 13, 2009 — SM Iloilo
March 15 and 16, 2009 — SM City Cebu
March 18 to 19, 2009 — SM Davao

March 23 to 24, 2009 — SM Lipa, Batangas
March 27 to 28, 2009 — SM North EDSA, Quezon City
March 29 to 30, 2009 — SM Mall of Asia

If you are 18 years old and above, physically and mentally fit, and can last in unfamiliar terrain for 39 days.

• My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad
• Ang Babaeng Hinugot Sa Aking Tadyang
• Paano Ba Ang Mangarap?
• Totoy Bato
• Zorro
• Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin?
• All About Eve
• Muling Buksan Ang Puso
• StarStruck 5
• Pinoy Pop Superstar or Pinoy Idol
• Hole In The Wall
• Power of 10
• Celebrity Duets Season 3

It’s Marky. He’s gone. So in between talks of burial dates of people who died in their sleep or jeepney or due to old age or some heart condition, I hear people saying Marky’s dead. I receive TXT messages confirming Marky’s death.

Some articles:

It seems like it’s too early for a goodbye. So maybe, when I look up at the December night sky, I should say, hello, Marky. How is it like to be home?

Kung Fu Kids 26.6% vs. Zaido 28.9%
Lobo 27.7% vs. Kamandag 33.1%
Palos 23.6% vs. Marimar 36.8%

Lobo: Piolo Pascual and Angel Locsin
– Werewolves
Palos: Cesar Montano and Jake Cuenca
– Detectives
Kamandag: Richard Gutierrez and Mark Anthony Fernandez
– Snake Men
Marimar: Marian Rivera and Ding Dong Dantes
– Barrio simpleton turned rich heiress

O, PExers, vote na!

Corporate Social Responsibility goes beyond charity and requires that a responsible company take into full account its impact on all stakeholders and on the environment when making decisions. This requires the company to balance the needs of all stakeholders with its need to make a profit and reward shareholders adequately…. This holistic approach to business regards organizations as (for example) being full partners in their communities, rather than seeing them more narrowly as being primarily in business to make profits and serve the needs of their shareholders. [source]

And more: Corporations that create the appearance of acting responsibly just for its public relations value are said to be “greenwashing.”

The Issue at Hand
Did GMA-7 calculate the risk and by finding the clause any resemblance to real persons or groups in fiction is purely coincidental as a sufficient safety net, proceeded to shoot and show a script depicting an ‘undocumented Cordilleran tribe’ as an object of ridicule? Did they consider that the Igorot market is negligible when it comes to affecting the bottom line so it was OK to make fun of them?

Context
Let us put this into context. I will speak of Marky Cielo and StarStruck, Asian Treasures and stereotypes or TV representations.

Marky Cielo and StarStruck:
The Quest for New Markets and Cheap Talent

StarStruck 3 was a reality show that got its contestants from around the country. Reality shows have become vogue because they are comparatively cheap to produce and some of the contestants become instant celebrities. Since these raw talents cannot command a high talent fee at the start, they are a bargain. Marky Cielo became the Ultimate Survivor of this reality show and part of the prize that he got was a contract with GMA-7 stipulating that he will be part of some of the network’s shows. Cielo is now part of the currently showing Asian Treasures.

Since each StarStruck 3 contender represented a region of the Philippines, the show was an opportunity to attract new viewers from these identified markets. Viewers were encouraged to support the contenders that represent there respective hometowns. Cielo represented Mountain Province and was vocal about his being an Igorot.

So after the show, GMA-7 was able to capture a small percentage of Igorot viewers who would understandably be watching shows where Marky Cielo would be part of the cast.

Asian Treasures:
Problematizing History

Asian Treasures is a TV show that pretends to be historical. It is a localized version of National Treasure and the Da Vinci Code. The mythical treasure amulets of the equally mythical 10 datus were scattered everywhere and the lead characters were tasked to find these treasures. According to the story, the KKK, Rizal and Bonifacio were involved in hiding these treasures.

One of the amulets were entrusted to an undocumented Cordilleran tribe. See screen capture by Jeffer.

This episode was the same one where the character played by Marky Cielo was introduced.

So the small group of viewers who were eager to watch Marky Cielo got to watch the ax- and spear-wielding war- and soot-painted warriors, too.

Fact, Fiction and Stereotypes

Betrayal

Ginawang katawa-tawa ang mga Igorot. Again. GMA-7 disappointed me bigtime. Four episodes of it.

At best, the story arc is inaccurate. From there it can even get offensive.

The so-called undocumented tribe in the Cordillera –

• How could there be an undocumented tribe with their so-called princess on a painting? Isn’t that already a form of documentation? And how come several city folks have been going to the place already? The grandfather who left the anting-anting, the photographer-treasure hunter who stole the amulet from his ‘beloved’ princess and lastly, the lead stars. Siguro pinicture-picture na rin nung photographer ang kanyang labs. It’s hard to be undocumented when you keep on having visitors.
• My take: They made the ‘undocumented tribe’ excuse to protect them from us who might complain. In fact, Gabriela even said, “Ano kaya salita nila? Di naman Ifugao o Kalinga…” They can then claim that the tribe is fictitious just as the series is fictitious. So we are not talking about you. However, they used a Kalinga tapis for Angel Locsin’s wedding shawl. She was also wearing an ampuyou/tolge (Ifugao wraparound skirt). So their excuse is not aceeptable to me.

There is no such thing as an Igorot princess. Royalty does not exist among the Igorot.

The dances — to be continued

I might no longer update this entry. It would be better if you judge it yourselves. I have written another article (Corporate Social Responsibility: Of Igorots and GMA-7) where you can see screen captures and maybe a link to the videos once they are available.