MILAN, Italy – Pokwang salutes the Filipinos abroad who work and sacrifice for the sake of their families in the Philippines.
The gesture was made during her attendance on the premiere day of the movie A Mother’s Story last Sunday, November 27, 2011 at the Arcobaleno Theatre in Viale Tunisia, Milan.
A Mother’s Story, the very first dramatic movie of Pokwang is set to be shown in the Philippines in January next year.
The experiences she have had as an OFW in Dubai and in Japan fews years back made her roles easy.
“Bilang dati rin akong OFW at ina, so inisip ko na talaga ring nag re- reflect din ang pagkatao ko bilang hindi isang artista, bilang isang OFW dati. Kaya kumbaga, totoong- totoo ang emosyon na naibigay ko talaga kasi alam ko yun naramdaman ng mga nanay especially nun mga magulang na nawalay sa mga anak d ba? Di man nila sinadya, hindi naman nila ginusto pero kinailangan talaga” Pokwang said in an interview.
In the movie, Pokwang is an OFW who worked in the US for the future of her two children and a jobless husband. She is a beautician to a celebrity who gave her the opportunity to come to US where she met her high school best friend who then offered to help her find a job.
With determination to give her family a good future, she opted to stay in US and work illegally. Her employeer maltreated her as her best friend being portrayed by actress Beth Tamayo cut her salary.
The movie was based on a true story of an OFW in the US who later won a case against her employeer.
The movie served as an eye opener for the Milan-based OFWs.
Sisters Menchu and Malou said “Talagang napakaganda ng film, realistic, nangyayari talaga dahil ako ay 23 years na sa abroad, na meron din akong anak na iniwanan nang siya ay maliit pa at ngayon ay nag a-abroad na rin.
“ Napakaganda kasi ipinakikita talaga yun kapwa magulang na maiintindihan talaga na kahit anong mangyari, pag ina ka talaga, ina talaga, sa hirap at ginhawa ang ina talaga ibibigay ang buhay nya para sa kanyang mga anak”
Fely Victoria, another OFW here in Milan hopes that the movie spread and be watched especially by the children of the Filipino workers abroad.
“ Sana mapanood ito lalong lalo na ng mga kabataan para malaman nila kung papaano ang sakripisyo ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay na nagtitiis dito sa abroad, kailangan isipin nila kung papaanong pagmamahal ng magulang ang ibinibigay para sa kanila”
While the woman in her 50’s, Susana de Lara, went out the theater still wiping the tears in her eyes. She said, she was really touched by how Pokwang tried all to give the best for her family. De Lara also wished for the success of Pokwang’s movie.
Pokwang’s career
Asked if there is any competition between her and Vice Ganda, Pokwang said, the more comediane exist, the happier the world will be.
“ Ako kasi, the more na dumadami ang nagpapasaya sa tao, the more na dapat matuwa tayo, unang una, iba naman yun naibibigay ko sa tao bilang babae, iba din naman yun kay Vice, di ba? pero pag pinagsama-sama mo yun naibibigay nya at ang naibibigay ko sa tao, saya at tuwa”, Pokwang said.
Pokwang also assured that she has no plan of transferring to other networks.
“Masaya ako sa network ngayon, ng kapamilya network, masaya ako dahil kuntento naman ako sa ibinibigay nila sa aking trabaho at tsaka atensyon, at saka mararamdaman mo naman di ba? kung talagang inaalagaan ka di ba? And happy ako”, she ended (Zita Baron)
