Kamote, Kalabaw

Photo courtesy of GMA Network. "Jewel in the Palace" and "Jumong" are two Korean productions that I enjoyed watching. Through those productions, Korean TV was able to showcase its rich culture and traditions. Viewers outside Korea were able to appreciate the cultural history of Korea. I asked myself what culture can Filipinos boast of. Why is the Philippines not known for its cultural history and heritage? Filipino soap is all about mistresses, revenge, tragedy, bitchy women, and sadist men. If a soap does not contain these ingredients, it won't rate. Rarely that Filipino soap presents redeeming values that audience can learn from. A soap doesn't have to be corny to impart good values. That is the challenge to Filipino writers. These values can be subliminally presented if being corny is what writers are trying to avoid. When GMA Network aired Encantadia in 2005, Filipino audience enjoyed a different recipe of a good soap. Even men who were not f...

Marian Rivera is the hottest star of GMA7. The first time I saw her was in Tape, Inc's afternoon drama (after Daisy Siete), also in GMA7. She was with Camille Pratts, Ehra Madrigal, Oyo Boy Sotto, Kempee de Leon, and AJ Eigenmann. Marian looked matured for her age. Maybe, that's the reason why she was always cast as a mother like in Super Twins (with Dennis Trillo, Jennilyn Mercado, and Nadine Samonte) and Muli (with Alfred Vargas and a Malaysian actress). I noticed her acting and beauty when she was transformed as a villain in Super Twins. Her break when she was cast a lead role in Marimar, a Filipino version of the Mexican TV-novel of the same name. Marimar, the Pinoy version, holds the highest rating so far (50%) in primetime television. Currently, her primetime TV Mars Ravelo's Dyesebel airs weekdays around 8:30 PM on GMA7. If you want to know more about Marian Rivera, simply Google the Net and you'll find numerous sites and information about her. Photo is from cain...