Most of the time, I avoid Pinoy Soap Operas. It's largely because the stories they want to tell aren't compelling enough. I'm sure every Filipino can name the stereotypical situation of the Pinoy soap, like the rich guy falling in love with a poor girl or it could also be the wicked stepmother treating ruthlessly the innocent and frail protagonist.
Local networks usually steer clear of the complex emotions, coherent storyline, and round characters, especially during the time when there was no end date for these kinds of shows. But
Rubi is probably the only show I'd follow religiously, if I always had the time. And it's not because it is against the grain per se, but it's because while it does fall prey to the tried and tested, the writers (both the Mexicans and their Filipino counterparts) have found a way to at least develop the complex character of Rubi, slip in timely awesome zingers, and cast the perfect actress for the role,
Angelica Panganiban.
In the typical telenovela story, Rubi is a poor girl, aspiring to take her family out of poverty, but atypical of a protagonist, she is decidedly scheming and uses all the things available to her, her charm and beauty. She is strong willed and in the Filipino version, focuses on her family-centric motivations. Her solution to her poverty? Marry a rich guy. Her target was Hector (Diether Ocampo), a dashing young man, who was initially enamored with Maribel (Shaina Magdayao), the stereotypical sweet innocent girl. At first her attempts to lure Hector were unsuccessful, and she was sidetracked by falling in love with Hector's best friend, Alejandro (Jake Cuenca), an orthopedic doctor in training. The big stumbling block was while she loved Alejandro, the guy wasn't rich enough for her. So she chose to sacrifice her love for the wealth a relationship with Hector would bring. As the story unfolds, the tension between filial duty and love are tested constantly.
The greatness of this show is built on Rubi and Angelica Panganiban's brand of acting, and is ably supported by strong character actors such as
Cherry Pie Picache and
Cherie Gil. Both of whom play the protective mothers of their children, Rubi and Maribel. Rubi has to be flirtatious, charming, beautiful, scheming, and head strong. But at the same, she has to be sympathetic, and vulnerable. In other words, she has to be human, and this isn't an easy assignment for any actor, more so with the grueling schedule of television in the country. Angelica Panganiban is able to capture this essence of the character. It seems to come naturally to her. She's as loud as a
palengkera would be. She wears the tackiest and skimpiest of red clothes, but pulls it off. She uses the come hither look and body movements as Rubi would have done. To put it simply, she became Rubi.
But apart from Panganiban, I have to give credit to the writers of this show. They've been able to tap into Pinoy Pop Culture, and utilize its gay subculture and exploit this penchant for quick comebacks. These are the phrases used by those behind the camera, in the parlors, inside the posh offices of advertising agencies. "Achieve na achieve!" and then she shouts, "Bongga!" or goes for the witty jab or sound her approval with "I love it!" with the extended pronunciation of the i.
While story-wise they can go a wee bit crazy, they've made a wise decision in making sure the focus is always on Rubi, and on the ramifications of her actions and non-actions. Maribel was only to really be close to Alejandro because Rubi left him and hurt her by snagging Hector. In this show, everything has to be about Rubi and the good thing about that is we'll at least enjoy getting sick and/or laughing our asses off because of her.
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