MANILA, Philippines — New Twitter data shows that the new GMA historical drama "Maria Clara at Ibarra" has gained huge traction on the platform, with over 200,000 related tweets generated in its debut week.
The online success of the show comes just as Sen. Jinggoy Estrada admitted he is considered banning foreign entertainment content, mostly Korean shows, to show better support for local content.
Estrada claimed that local actors are losing their jobs because Filipinos prefer to watch Korean and other foreign shows.
"Maria Clara at Ibarra" follows young student Klay played by Barbie Forteza who is transported to the world of Jose Rizal's famous novels "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo," set during the tail-end of the Spanish colonial era.
According to Twitter's statement sent to Philstar.com, majority of the tweets that praised the show directed by award-winning filmmaker Zig Dulay discussed its production, cinematography, and script, some even likening it to a Netflix project.
Related: Jinggoy Estrada planning to ban Korean dramas, other foreign shows to boost Filipino shows
One Twitter user commended the show's attention to detail while another praised how it presented upfront the social issues Rizal presented in his works through more progressive takes on eminism, mysogyny, and labor.
Maria Clara was the most-mentioned character name as was her actress Julie Anne San Jose; Klay's real name is also Maria Clara as Forteza ranked alongside San Jose as the most-talked-about names from the show.
Other popular names discussed on Twitter are Ibarra (played by Dennis Trillo), Padre Salvi (played by Juancho Trivino), and Forteza's Klay.
Meanwhile, Twitter users also relied on emojis to express their admiration for "Maria Clara at Ibarra," the most common being the applause, crying, crying with laughter, and starstruck emojis.
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