Rhian Ramos plays inspiring 'Miss Probinsyana' in advocacy film

CEBU, Philippines — Rhian Ramos only signs on to projects if she likes the message it imparts. In the GMA whodunit mystery “Royal Blood” last year, she appreciated that her role as Margaret served as a lesson to parents to appreciate their children to prevent them from harboring resentment.

The same applies to her special participation role as Filipina in GMA Network's World War II drama “Pulang Araw,” which encourages Filipinos to be proud of their national identity.

In Ramos’ latest film “When the World Met Miss Probinsyana,” released in cinemas today, she plays Marge, a hardworking woman from Bulacan who navigates the male-dominated BPO (business process outsourcing) industry.

It’s a real-to-reel story based on TeleWorkPH CEO Marjorie Aviso, who founded the company to provide Bulakeños with work opportunities in the BPO industry without having to travel to the metro cities.

“I love that the movie is about women's empowerment because I want women in the Philippines to have equal work opportunities as men. I believe in celebrating the success of other women because one woman’s success is the success of all women in the Philippines,” Ramos said during an interview Sunday at SM City Cebu after a meet-and-greet with fans at the cinema lobby.

The film was shot last year while she was also doing “Royal Blood.”

“I actually don’t like doing two things at the same time, but I felt that both projects were really worth the effort,” she said.

“When the World Met Miss Probinsyana” also depicts Marge’s struggles in running her own BPO business, the challenges she faced as a female entrepreneur, and how it affected her mental health.

“I loved that the film had the mental health angle. I don’t usually talk about my mental health in public, but we have our struggles. It’s those unexplainable moments when you celebrate your birthday or Christmas and you don’t know why you feel sad,” Ramos continued.

Singer-actor Lance Raymundo plays Marge’s psychiatrist, basing the role on his own experiences working with a few while recovering from a major accident.

“I know the value of taking care of your mental health. To be in a film where people realize that there is nothing to be shy about seeking help made me happy because it’s my advocacy. This is about resilience and strength, so that’s why being in this movie is a blessing,” Raymundo explained.

Also part of the cast is Sid Lucero who plays Marge’s husband. Ramos was delighted to work with her “My Destiny” co-actor again.

“When I found out that he’s going to play my husband, I was like ‘Yes!’,” Ramos said. “He made every scene so enjoyable in a natural, casual way that it’s like he’s not acting.”

Aviso said she was happy with the production team’s “unanimous decision” for Ramos to play her onscreen.

“Not only did Rhian resemble me as Marge, but she is a very professional and versatile actress. In a few minutes of meeting her, she already got my mannerisms and style of talking, which is less aggressive than most women who would be more upfront,” said Aviso, who is also the film’s producer.

Aviso didn’t imagine her story would be told on the big screen as she just wanted to share her experiences of running a BPO company on Facebook, which caught the attention of film director JP Bautista-Ninalga.

“Direk invited me for an interview for a cable TV show and I was delighted to do it. After she heard my story, she told me that this story is worth telling in a movie,” Aviso recalled.

Adapting Aviso’s life story to the screen with her husband and co-writer Eligio Ninalga Jr. is right up Bautista-Ninalga’s alley as an advocacy filmmaker, having directed “Ina, Anak, Pamilya” starring Eula Valdez and Joel Torre.

“I made several advocacy films that tackled issues that are not always talked about, like migration and development, and the social cost of migration on children who have OFW parents. ‘Miss Probinsyana’ is similar because Marge had to work away from home,” Bautista-Ninalga explained.

“I started my BPO company in Bulacan because I wanted to be with my kid,” Aviso explained. “I was traveling two hours back and forth to Metro Manila and only got to see my kid twice a week. I wanted to see the milestones of my kid growing up, so why not bring my job to Bulacan?”

“By telling Marge’s story, people will realize that they don’t have to go away from their family for work. That’s the point we want to make. I believe when people see this movie, they can reflect on themselves and be part of this life journey that is layered and transformative,” the director added.

Explaining why Marge is called “Miss Probinsyana”, Bautista-Ninalga said that the title is a “battlecry for giving opportunities to rural communities.”

“She is bringing employment opportunities to probinsyanos and probinsyanas, so why not call Marge ‘Miss Probinsyana’? There is also this issue of probinsyanos being discriminated. From that concept alone, that’s where we jump and explore who the ‘Miss Probinsyana’ is in every one of us.”

On what Ramos want audiences to learn from the movie, she said, “No matter what your educational attainment is, your gender, where you are from, just fight for your dreams. When you have a dream in your heart, it’s because God put you there and you also have the gifts and the skills to achieve it.”  — (FREEMAN)