Much ado about Liza Soberano

Much has been said about Liza Soberano’s vlog and the contents like revelations of her past that make people, particularly her colleagues, react to the diverse issues and facts in more ways than one.

There are pros and cons on the case in point.

Critics say she doesn’t observe and exercise the value of “utang na loob (debt of gratitude),” a Filipino feudal behavior, towards the industry and some of its players who molded her into what she is now—as Liza Soberano. This attitude has been ingrained and inherent in Filipinos for so long to merit and demerit actions done to patrons or caretakers, i.e. producers, managers, publicists etc. in the creation of a product like movie star in the market positioning to achieve capitalist’s goals.

This time Liza is expected to show appreciation to stakeholders who made her big as if she’s a puppet and not as a real, palpable person who possesses potentials and qualities let alone independent-mindedness to make up an attractive product to be admired and bought in the media business. Although she’s a part of the commercial design, she is still a unique individual who differs from anyone else in this consumerist arena. As a matter of fact, she has drawn in profits for her bosses.

Her creating a vlog to present her thoughts and feelings has become an anathema.

Why can’t we be more analytical about her move to be independent?

Liza has to bolt from the usual brazen socio-cultural structure of showbiz which isn’t easy if one is attuned to comfortable zones.

One step she has taken is to try Hollywood reportedly with the assistance of another Filipino actor, James Reid, who is also a runaway kid from the harsh socio-econo-cultural realities of the entertainment world.

It seems, though, that the blossoming of Liza’s American dream has been put on hold if not wilted as early.

It is because Hollywood is also a big, wide, complicated geo-political structure considering that one is an outsider or to be blunt about it—colored race, a brown actress no matter her citizenship—when it is still the white supremacy (Hollywood stars are woke politically) which dominates in the global film trade although inroads on multiethnic communities are sipping gradually in the main currents of US cultural imperialism.

And now, Liza’s sporting a new screen—Hope Soberano, her true baptismal name being Elizabeth Hope Soberano—which has also launched a thousand and one discussions about maintaining one’s identity and roots.

What’s in a name, anyway but there’s something in a name—a rose in any other name still smells sweet?

What Liza or Hope would rise above any trivial arguments or stale assumptions is her embarking on a dissenting road or better still, a tread on a road not regularly taken by Filipino movie, television and theater stars?

The portrayal of socially liberating characters to embody the ideals of the Filipino masses and society in general—the roles like Luz Manalastas as the beleaguered wife of a misguided if not a lumpen proletariat printing press employee played by Gina Alajar in Lino Brocka’s “Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim” or as Esper portrayed by Gina as the peasant organizer and former girlfriend of a rebel priest in another Brocka masterpiece, “Orapronobis (Fight for Us)” and other out-of-the-box performances waiting to be showcased.

This is a test of Liza’s independence, indeed—to go against the grain.

If not she is really meant for oblivion.

Maverick director Vince Tañada is up against big productions of films in myriad of influences, political and otherwise, like Daryl Yap’s “Martyr or Murderer” and Joel Lamangan’s “Oras de Peligro” but he is firm and happy about the box-office performance of his project, “Ako Si Ninoy.”

The film on the murdered senator Ninoy Aquino has been going the rounds of block screenings and other special showings in the entire archipelago.

Even Filipina socio-civic worker Menchie Mizuno is slated to organize a block screening of the film.