Article by Lola Lagamson Graphics by Gibrianne Derequito
February 22, 2022
A chapter of GMA’s viral teleserye, “Maria Clara at Ibarra” comes to a close as they reveal the final events of Noli Me Tangere through the latest episodes. The last few episodes consisted of characters moving on their separate paths. One of the episodes featured a love confession between Fidel (David Licauco) and Klay (Barbie Forteza), followed by a bittersweet farewell as she returned to the real world.
Some fans are left wondering if this marks the end of the series, while some anticipate a continuation. According to the show's supervising producer Helen Rose Sese, Maria Clara at Ibarra is set to run until February but will extend for a second season if received well by viewers. That is the case as GMA released a series of photos and videos teasing the events of the sequel novel, El Filibusterismo. This includes a music video of "Babaguhin Ang Buong Mundo" by Julie Ann San Jose (who also plays Maria Clara in the show), with the end part of the MV featuring clips of the upcoming episodes, which hinted that the series transitioned to the next novel.
One of the highly anticipated scenes is the reunion of Klay and Fidel once she has returned to the novel world. The scene of their meeting garnered plenty of positive reactions on social media. The official hashtag #MCIReunion had been the number 1 trending on Philippine Twitter. There were notable changes in the characters upon Klay’s return. Crisostomo Ibarra (Dennis Trillo) had grown his hair and beard as he assumed a new identity as Simoun. But the changes did not end there, as they revealed a new actor to play Basilio. Child actor Stanley Abuloc has played the young Basilio since the character’s introduction. Since 13 years have passed in the series’ timeline, an older Basilio will be played by singer-actor Khalil Ramos.
Padre Salvi actor Juancho Triviño stated how proud he was as a part of the production when he received the Gawad Lasallianeta’s “Most Outstanding Teleserye” award on behalf of the MCI family.
“I just want to reiterate here how proud I am to be a part of this show.” he posted in an Instagram post “ (...) bridging culture and society with entertainment is an achievement”.
The success of Maria Clara at Ibarra has created an impact on Filipino television and its audience. With how the show has trended on social media and the awards it received for its quality, it is not impossible to believe that it will continue to the rest of Rizal’s novels that it was inspired by. Though we do not know where the show is headed for its ending, we can only watch and wait for whatever surprises this teleserye has in store for its viewers.
Sources:
Llemit K. (2023) FIRST LOOK: Ibarra as Simoun in 'Maria Clara at Ibarra' transition to 'El Filibusterismo'
Llemit K. (2023) 'For nation building': GMA gives 'Maria Clara at Ibarra' almost same budget as 'Encantadia'
GMA News Network (2023) Juancho Triviño proud of how 'Maria Clara at Ibarra' bridges culture and society
GMA News Network (2023) Fan reaction to Klay and Fidel's reunion in 'Maria Clara at Ibarra' trends online
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