Parang marami talagang sabik na magsuot ng Filipiniana.
Kahit ang mga kababayan natin sa abroad – from New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco ay todo bihis daw ng Filipiniana sa ginanap na watch party ng pinag-uusapang teleserye ng GMA 7 na Maria Clara at Ibarra sa isang historical trip ng mga novela ng bayaning si Jose Rizal na Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo via a watch party.
Hosted by GMA Pinoy TV, ang nasabing watch party ng Kapuso Network ay isang paraan umano upang dalhin ang kulturang Pinoy sa abroad lalo na sa Gen Z.
“Maria Clara at Ibarra is a GMA program that we are very proud of. Led by its director Zig Dulay, Ms. Helen, and the production staff, this watch party is our way to impart to our Kapuso in the United States and many parts of the world the lessons that our generation needs to know about our history and our culture. We recognize that our young Filipinos abroad today may not be familiar with a lot of things already from the Philippines. What we, in GMA International, do are bridging activities like this to our Filipino communities because if we know more about our culture, wherever we are in the world, we will be #StrongerTogether,” says GMA International First Vice President and Head of Operations Mr. Joseph T. Francia.
The event was attended by the powerhouse cast of Maria Clara at Ibarra – Barbie Forteza (Klay), Juancho Triviño (Padre Salvi), David Licauco (Fidel), Rocco Nacino (Elias), Juan Rodrigo (Kapitan Tiago), Lou Veloso (Mr. Torres), Ces Quesada (Tiya Isabel), Karenina Haniel (Victoria), Dennis Padilla (Mang Adong), and Dennis Trillo (Crisostomo Ibarra).
“Maria Clara at Ibarra, a teleserye based on Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibisterismo, is still very relevant. Until now, it mirrors the realities that we are facing today. Aside from that, we also want to remind the youth that we have a beautiful culture, art, and literature that we can be proud of. It is great that Filipinos are already going global and experiencing the culture of other countries, but as Filipinos, it is important that we still go back to our colorful roots. This is why we create shows like Maria Clara At Ibarra,” sabi naman ng Creative Consultant ng programa na si Suzette Doctolero.
The cast also expressed their gratitude to the Filipinos in the US who came in their best Philippine costumes and showed their support to their show.
“I am so proud to be Filipino, knowing that we are present in every corner of the planet because of the Kapuso abroad. I am also eternally grateful to GMA for creating and choosing me to be a part of a show that reminds us Filipinos of our wonderful history and culture,” says Barbie.
Dennis also took notice of the efforts of the Kapuso abroad in the United States who wore their Filipinianas even in cold weather. “We are very grateful to the Kapuso abroad for joining us in this watch party. They look very beautiful in their Filipino costumes. Thank you so much for wearing it even during the cold season. We can’t thank you enough for the support you’re giving us every night by watching Maria Clara at Ibarra,” he shares.
Vice Consul Adrian Baccay of the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco also reiterated ang kahalagahan ng ganitong programa sa young Filipino-Americans who want to reconnect with their roots.