Reincarnation of Aruray - "...In 1998 while she was working in Abu Dhabi, Pokwang received the sad news that her son died of a congenital brain ailment. “Of course, I felt guilty na wala man lang ako sa tabi ng anak ko nang kailangang-kailangan niya ako,” admitted Pokwang, the wacky comedienne (suspected to be the “reincarnation” of Aruray) who in real life is a serious mother. She changed moods from sadly reflective to hilariously comedic. “Shin was made in the Philippines, pero assembled by a Japanese. I met his father here before I went to Japan. Magulo ang relasyon namin. Away kami nang away, nagbabatuhan kami ng kung anu-ano, nagsasakitan kami talaga, that’s why the baby inside me was badly affected. Kawawa naman siya. When the baby was born, kami ng ama niya nagbabatuhan kami ng crib.” Ria Mae was also sired by a Japanese whom Pokwang met in Japan where she worked as a dancer. “I never lived with my children’s fathers,” Pokwang said. “Nabuntis lang nila ako.” Still haunted by the death of Shin, Pokwang is over-protective of Ria. In the four-storey house that she has built in Antipolo City, Ria has her own room but she’d rather sleep with her mom — “Malambing siya because I’m always out of the house working and we seldom see each other.”..." - Ricardo F. Lo (READ MORE)
Komiks Character - "...The name Pokwang (given to her by a friend who got it from a Universal Komiks character) must have proven a lucky charm to the woman who was born to make people laugh. "According to my mother, I was so malikot inside her stomach that when I was born, nahulog ako sa sahig." Her victory as the Clown in a Million has radically changed the life of Pokwang and that of her family. They used to live in a humble hut several minutes walk (they couldn’t afford to ride the tricycle, you know) from the highway but near the Hinulugang Taktak. That has drastically undergone an overall improvement. Pokwang doesn’t have to walk the distance now nor ride the tricycle. She now goes around in an Adventure bought on installment basis. "That’s why I have a lot to be thankful for this Christmas," she said. "And I’ll start by giving orphans a merry Christmas..." - Ricardo F. Lo (READ MORE)
Hard Work - "...“It’s Pokwang’s time to shine. Nora Aunor made an OFW film, ‘The Flor Contemplacion Story,’ in 1995. Vilma Santos did ‘Anak’ in 2000. Eleven years later, Pokwang comes up with this. We want to update the stories of OFWs. A lot has happened including the 9/11 bombing that brought major changes.” In spite of favorable reactions from viewers abroad, Pokwang says she’s still nervous to know how the local audience would react to the film. “I kept thinking, people know me as a comedienne, so how would they respond to seeing me doing drama? It helps that I’ve done five episodes of ‘Maalaala Mo Kaya.’ I learned a lot from the experience,” she says. “Even though I gave this project my all, I’m still feeling the pressure.” Pokwang claims she is not expecting an acting award for her performance. “Our focus right now is to let the people know that a film like this exists. We want to open the eyes of OFW parents about the repercussions of leaving their kids alone at home. We also want to teach kids of OFWs to give importance to their parents’ hard work..." - Marinel R. Cruz (READ MORE)
Aruray ni Dolphy - "...Aruray pala ang binansag ni Mang Dolphy kay Pokwang. Ito ay ikinuwento ni Pokwang sa preskon ng The Healing kung saan si Governor Vilma Santos ang bida. Aru kung tawagin ni Mang Dolphy si Pokwang. Sino nga ba si Aruray? Siya po ang komedyante noong araw na matagal na ring namayapa. Kahawig nga ni Pokwang si Aruray pero siyempre mas maganda si Pokwang, in all fairness. Bumunghalit ng tawa si Governor Vi nang marinig ang kuwento ni Pokwang na binansagan siyang Aru ni Mang Dolphy. Hindi naman makapag-react si Kim Chiu dahil hindi niya kilala si Aruray. Hindi pa yata siya ipinanganak nang mamatay si Aruray..." - Joe Barrameda (READ MORE)
Pokwang Marietta Subong (born August 27, 1970), better known by the mononym Pokwang is a Filipina comedienne, actress, TV host, singer, impersonator and salon co-owner. She started in a reality show in ABS-CBN and subsequently appeared in dramas and sitcoms of the network. She also received the Best Comedy Actress award from the Philippine Movie Press Club for her portrayal in the sitcom Aalog-Alog and the Best Female Comedian award from People’s Choice Awards. She became a host of the variety show Wowowee,"Pilipinas Win na Win" and "Happy Yipee Yehey". She is also known for impersonating actress Annabelle Rama, Dionisia Pacquiao (Manny Pacquiao's mother), and Marlene Aguilar, the sister of singer Freddie Aguilar. Pokwang is a member of ABS CBN's Star Magic group of entertainers. She is currently residing in Antipolo. - Wikipedia (READ MORE)
Pokwang and Vilma Santos
"...Nakaka-amaze siyang ka-trabaho (Vilma Santos). Madami kang matututunan hindi lang bilang artista kung hindi bilang tao," Pokwang said. "Natutunan ko sa kanya 'yung talagang magandang pinaghihirapan mo ang lahat ng bagay. At kita naman sa na-achieve niya. Alam mo napakagaan niyang ka-trabaho, ang sarap sarap. Tapos ang hilig pang magpakain. Makuwento din siya,' yung mga masasayang nangyari sa buhay," she added. Asked if she feels intimidated working with Santos, Pokwang replied: "Noong una. Pero ipaparamdam niyang kumportable siya kapag ka-eksena mo siya..." - ABS-CBN (READ MORE)
The Healing (2012) - "...Stories about the Filipino tradition of going to faith healers for guidance and treatment of ailments have not yet been tackled in-depth in movies. And in our film, the viewers will not just be horrified, they'll somehow be challenged to think as to how faith healing has already been part of our culture..." - ABS-CBN News (READ MORE)
D’Lucky Ones (2006) - "...Then there’s the silly subplot where the two friends, while trying to search for Lucky Girl, somehow fall in with a handsome young man, and both of them are fighting each other for his attention. It’s clear that he has no romantic interest in either one, who are both old enough to be his mother, but he’s hanging around as a friend. The two mothers go to a bar and join in a dance contest to impress the young man. They make their two children look incredibly mature by comparison. There’s one intense scene between Lucky Girl and her mother where Lucky Girl learns that her South Korean father abused her mother, and all the inlaws hated her because she was Filipino rather than Korean. Many times they would not allow her stay in the house with her daughter, but she begged for food on the streets. Watching Vilma Santos movies was her escape from this reality. This may also make Lucky Girl rethink her preference for living in South Korea over The Philippines (she’d been planning to return to the only country she knew as home. Heck, she only knew how to speak Tagalog from her mother forcing her to watch Vilma Santos movies.) The ending is obvious. Send the Vilma Santos fans to a Vilma Santos reunion party and get Ate Vi (Older Sister Vi) to patch up the two friends. And then everybody gets to dance. Hey, it’s The Philippines..." - That Awesome TV (READ MORE)
Related Reading:
- Pokwang moves to her P30-million abode in Antipolo
- Pokwang Takes Mother Role Seriously
- Pokwang says she likes showing her dramatic side in Aryana
- Pokwang enjoys working with Vilma
- Pokwang relives life before showbiz
- Pokwang reveals herself as a versatile actress and a loving mother
- Pokwang on staying humble: ‘Meron bang dapat ipagbago?’
- Pokwang graduates to lead role
