One-on-One with Cebuanovela writer Jurey Mirafuentes

When the Cebuanovela “Saranghe” was presented to the media a few months ago, its writer Jurey Mirafuentes was forthright about its Koreanovela influence, from its title to the Korean actor Choi Jin Wook, who was discovered while studying English in Cebu.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock somewhere, surely you’ve noticed the sizeable Korean community in Cebu and elsewhere in the country, but it was ABS-CBN Cebu that first tackled this seemingly ubiquitous reality and made a cross-cultural love story about it. At the launch of “Saranghe,” it was revealed that its production group was already harbouring plans, although vague, of shooting scenes in South Korea itself. After all, there was a lot to consider, foremost of which was the budget requirements for a working trip to Seoul, the South Korean capital, which is Asia’s reportedly most expensive city.

Still, it was an exciting idea then and now more so, as I write this with the freshest updates from Jurey that they were able to finally tape episodes in South Korea last week.

Being a huge fan of travel shows, I’m impressed as to where our Cebuanovelas have been taking us: Bohol for “Milyonaryong Mini,” Dumaguete for “Amor Chicko,” Hong Kong for “Summer Sunshine” and now, SK for “Saranghe.”

Before we speculate away as to where we’ll be “transported” next, let’s get to know some more the animated, 20-something storyteller Jurey, who’s actually on an extended vacation in South Korea visiting filming locations of some of the most famous Korean dramas, in this brief one-on-one. As detailed in his professional portfolio, the Cebuanovela main writer is a member of the Screenwriters Guild of the Philippines and associate member of the Filipino Cinema Directors, Inc.

Question: How is “Saranghe” doing in terms of viewership?

Answer: Because of the hype surrounding Koreanovelas, maybe among the four Cebuanovelas that we’ve produced so far, “Saranghe” made the most mark. This was somehow proven when we recently had a very successful mall show at SM City Cebu. 

Q: You’ve mentioned to me before that “Saranghe” is a dream project come true. Why so?

A: Dream come true because I have always admired Koreanovelas… “Saranghe” is like a local version of the Koreanovela because it is done with a Filipino style of storytelling. Dream come true also because (now) I have the opportunity to bring two different cultures into one show and the added bonus is that I got to visit the actual filming locations of Koreanovelas in South Korea, making “Saranghe” as realistic as it can be.

Q: Who is Gryka Barrientos going to end up with in “Saranghe”? Is it Jay Justiniani or Choi Jin Wook? Can you clue as in?

A: Viewers can help decide it through text votes.

Q: Can you tell us about your background before you became a writer of Cebuano teleseryes in ABS-CBN?

A: I have always admired the things that go on in the big screen, hoping that one day my imagination would come to life. When I came to Cebu (from my hometown in Bohol) my first opportunity in the local entertainment was not writing scripts, but through a short role in “Mutya sa Aseras” (a teleserye before). Although I graduated with an accountancy degree from the University of Cebu, my foremost wish before was to become an actor on a local teleserye. Who would imagine now that I really joined all those pila-pila (long lines) just to join auditions and screen tests? Grabe jud. Eventually, I had the opportunity to be part of the ABS-CBN family where my stories and imagination were given the opportunity to come to life on screen.

Q: Since you’ve also tried directing, which do you enjoy more—writing or directing?

A: Both, I guess...As a writer, I know how each character acts and feels. I can imagine the twists of a story, its beginning and ending. As a director, I’ll be able to put all of these to life and that’s where the magic begins. And seeing the effect it has on the viewers and their reactions are as stimulating as inspiring.

Q: What past work of yours are you most proud of so far?

A: I’m proud of all I’ve done. But if there’s something I will put in esteem, with “Saranghe” as an exception, it would be “Summer Sunshine” because it was my directing debut. It was my first dual experience as a writer and director and I got the opportunity to shoot it at my imagined location, Hong Kong. What was even more fulfilling in doing that series was that the story was greatly accepted by the general public.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration for your dramas?

A: Inspiration comes from everywhere. It’s probably because of my sensitivity to people, their thoughts and feelings. Writing gives me the opportunity to realize the what-ifs in life and get a message across through the vivid ways of television.

Q: You’ve made no secret that you take inspiration from Koreanovelas. So how do you make sure that your projects still come across as very Cebuano, particularly with “Saranghe”?    

A: I can assure the general public that “Saranghe” is a Cebuanovela through and through because the story is very realistic and is based on what’s happening around us. My challenge here really is in the mingling of two cultures… how to make viewers understand Korean culture regardless of how different our culture is.