Marian Rivera as Teacher Emmy in “Balota,” which earned her the Cinemalaya best actress award —PHOTOS FROM GMA PICTURES
Politics and show biz aren’t the strange bedfellows they were once thought of—at least not in the Philippines, where actors and other celebrities have long been trying, and proving, their luck in public office.
Just look at some of the names who made headlines in the weeklong filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2025 elections earlier this month.
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Marian Rivera, one of today’s biggest stars, admitted that she has, on not a few occasions, received proposals to run for a government position. “Marami!” she revealed in a recent interview with Lifestyle and select reporters.
But she never gave them anything remotely close to a second thought. Why would she? “Ano naman ang i-o-offer ko sa kanila?” the ever no-nonsense actress quipped before laughing.
Rivera would much rather focus on her charity work and raising her kids—Zia, 8, and Sixto, 5—with her husband, actor and TV host Dingdong Dantes. Or she can stick to what she does best and use her platform for politically and socially relevant projects, like her latest movie “Balota,” which premiered at the 2024 Cinemalaya Film Festival and started its nationwide theatrical run last Oct. 16.
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Produced by GMA Pictures and directed by Kip Oebanda, the satire drama thriller is set in 2007 in a rural municipality, where locals are compelled to choose between a former sexy actor and a land-grabbing tycoon as their next mayor. The tight race leads to conflicts. And violence inevitably descends on the town come election day.
Amid the chaos, Emmy (Rivera), a strict but well-loved teacher, flees to the forest, fending off goons and risking her life to protect the ballot box containing the last remaining copy of the election results. However, she ends up paying a steep price for upholding her principles. In her dogged persistence to defend the democratic process, her community finds itself caught in the crossfire.
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Timely
For Rivera, the message of the film couldn’t be more timely. “I hope it inspires viewers to reflect. Voting is something we need to do, not only for ourselves, but also for our loved ones. We all want a peaceful election and winners who will genuinely lead us and who will be there for us,” Rivera said.
While the jaded and cynical may have resigned themselves to the notion that their choices are futile in the grand scheme of things, Rivera begged to differ. “Like what Emmy says in the movie, ‘You don’t have to sell your vote.’ We have to protect it. It’s important … even if you feel like your one vote won’t matter or make a difference. We can all make an impact,” Rivera said.
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But more than the sanctity of voting, the film also builds a case against patriarchal and patronage politics. This explains the prominence of female and LGBTQIA+ protagonists, which include Babe (Sassa Gurl) and Ehrmengard (Esnyr), the riotous duo whose friendship gets tested by their contrasting political views.
In a way, “Balota” is Oebanda’s response to the 2022 elections—the results of which, he admitted, affected him profoundly. After all, the filmmaker is best known for “Liway,” the award-winning 2018 film told from his point of view of growing up in a prison camp with his mother and martial law dissident Cecilia Flores- Oebanda.
The film also allowed him to encapsulate and satirize the “lies, revisionism, violence and cheating” that have long plagued the country and elections—but in a way that doesn’t further polarize our already politically fractured society.
It can be tempting to advocate for one’s personal politics in projects like this one. But Oebanda didn’t allow himself to fall into that trap. He knew from the get-go that, if he were to push through with this film, he would have to get out of the echo chamber many of us unwittingly find ourselves in amid the noise around us, especially on social media.
“One of the things I did in 2022 was analyze the social media activities, trends and behavior of people from the opposite sides of the political spectrum. For thousands of hours, I watched content from both sides, took note of what convinced them and engaged them,” Oebanda said.
He also disengaged from his circles, and instead, mingled with the everyman who would ultimately become his test audience—the house helpers, drivers, security guards and other workers.
Dearth of content
What he learned was that there was a dearth of content that appeals to political tribes that identify, or are perceived, as either conservative or progressive. “We’re always appealing to ourselves, perhaps because we want to galvanize that group we already exist in. The discourse circulates in only one area,” he said.
Some critics and viewers found the movie’s presentation of its themes quite rudimentary. But this is by design, because as Oebanda realized while doing his legwork and after a showcase at last month’s Hawaii International Film Festival, many people don’t even agree with the premise that democracy as an institution is important.
“I can’t believe that in 2024, there are still many people who believe that we have too much freedom, and that we’re better ruled than making our own decisions,” Oebanda said. “So how do you talk to a person like that? You have to lay down the basic cases and predicates.”
And what’s obvious to some remains hidden in plain sight to others. “Audiences who have knowledge of political science may think, ‘Ah, but these are obvious.’ But if these things are obvious, then why do the same things keep on happening? And it seems to be only getting worse. Look at those who recently filed COCs,” he said. “It’s really an attempt on my part to reach people who don’t agree with me politically,” he added.
The film is propelled by Rivera’s compelling performance, which earned her the Cinemalaya best actress award. Breaking free from the conventions of mainstream acting that have become second nature to her, Rivera was able to explore the breadth of her emotional range, which wasn’t always possible in some of her past television outings.
But the trophy was just a bonus. Echoing Oebanda’s sentiments, Rivera said reaching a wider audience is the more pressing goal. As such, they’re keeping their fingers crossed that the film’s commercial release can spark as much interest as its initial festival run.
