Why ‘Balota’ is a career wake-up call for Marian Rivera

MANILA, Philippines — Marian Rivera, along with the rest of the “Balota” cast and production team, recently held a victory party for the successful theatrical release of the film co-produced by GMA Entertainment Group and GMA Pictures.

Already a crowd-puller in last August’s Cinemalaya independent film fest, the political satire and thriller directed by Kip Oebanda crossed over to commercial cinemas last month, sustaining box-office presence for four weeks.

The film, which also won its lead star Marian her first ever acting award, is now entering its fifth week in select cinemas.

In “Balota,” Marian plays Teacher Emmy, who is caught in a dangerous electoral battle. The story follows a land-grabbing tycoon and a former male sexy star feuding over the mayoral seat in a small town. Amid the election chaos, Teacher Emmy finds herself tasked with safeguarding a ballot box containing the last copy of election results — crucial to maintaining the election’s integrity. Emmy must outwit and outrun those bent on sabotaging the election.

Through “Balota,” the Kapuso Primetime Queen got more inspired to pursue indie films and tackle equally demanding roles in her next projects.

“Of course, kung kayo ay may wake-up call sa ‘Balota,’ ito naman ang aking wake-up call sa paggawa ng mas maraming magagandang pelikula,” she said.

“It’s hard to compare it to my past films, pero isa siguro si ‘Balota’ sa masasabi ko na, nung ginagawa ko siya, natapos ko siya at nung pinanood ko na siya sa sinehan, iba pa rin yung fulfillment na nakuha ko dun.”

According to Marian, it felt great to be part of a project that she knew would touch or help the audience. Now, she wants to make sure that every project she does moving forward has a positive impact on the people who watch her.

“Parang sabi ko, ay pwede palang ganito. Masarap gumawa ng isang proyekto na kapag gumagawa ka, buong-buo yung loob mo at alam mong may ma-ko-contribute ito sa mga manonood.

“I realized that in everything that I do, gusto ko talaga na kapag nanonood yung mga tao sa’kin, may nako-contribute ako sa buhay nila (I’m able to contribute something to their lives).”

In the film, Marian encountered several acting firsts, which were as challenging behind the scenes as they were on screen. During filming, one cameraman accidentally tripped and Marian got hit in the head. She also had to literally climb a tree. The fear or tension seen on screen was authentic because she felt it while being left alone on the tree while cameras were rolling. To add realism, she even ran around with a real ballot box, which typically weighs around 15 to 20 kilograms.

When asked by The STAR about her favorite scenes, Marian said, “Alam mo, yung mga nanood na malapit sa akin, tinatanong ko sa kanila kung ano yung mga favorite nilang eksena sa akin. Iba-iba yung sinabi nila.”

Referring to her husband Dingdong Dantes, Marian shared that his favorite moment was when Teacher Emmy called up her son in the film, played by Will Ashley, and she thought he was dead.

After playing the lead star in Kip Oebanda's' 'Balota,' the Kapuso Primetime Queen says she's more open and inspired to do indie films and equally demanding roles in her next projects.

But she also mentioned that others preferred her character’s end scene. Some also liked her emotional breakdown, especially when more of her family members faced deadly threats.

“So yun yung mga highlight. These three scenes are also my favorites. It’s hard to pick one because from the very start, for me, every scene is important. Gusto ko lahat.”

Meanwhile, worth noting was how Marian and the rest of the team worked on making it possible for teachers and students to enjoy a special rate for a “Balota” ticket.

She explained that the team thought about what they could offer as a gift for the teachers who truly deserve it since “this is their story.”

Marian, whose childhood dream was to become a teacher, said, “Malapit talaga ako sa mga teacher, high school palang. Ito yung pag saludo natin sa teachers, especially with ‘Balota.’ Nung araw ha ganito ang ginagawa nilang pag-alay sa mga buhay nila just to protect the ballot box.”

She said they also wanted as many students to watch it. “Alam naman natin yung hirap ng buhay ngayon. Magkano na cinema ticket ngayon? Three hundred something. So sabi talaga namin baka pwede nating magawan ng paraan na babaan para mas marami tayong mga estudyante at mga guro makapanood,” she said.

Marian further reflected that there are “films made to earn millions and millions.” There are films made because they’re personal to you, while there are films made because you want to experiment. But for her, “Balota” was made to contribute to the country.

“So malinaw sa amin na siguro kung kikita ang ‘Balota,’ bonus na lang yun. Ang gusto namin mag-contribute, to really help and become a wakeup call not just for young people, but everyone who is going to vote. Napapanahon kasi malapit na ang election.”

Marian hoped that the film encourages people to take elections seriously and to choose leaders carefully.

She mentioned that she and Dingdong approach the elections thoughtfully and choose candidates after “heart-to-heart” discussions.

“Nag-uusap kami ng asawa ko. May heart-to-heart talk kami and one-on-one, like, ano sa palagay mo (what do you think)? Sino ang mga dapat iboto? May ganun talaga kami. Para sa amin mahalagang mahalaga (ito), especially with Dong. Grabe talaga yung asawa kong yan. Isa ito sa mga pinag-iisipan niyang mabuti pagdating ng botohan.”

Marian added that they discuss their choices without debating, especially as she respects and listens to Dingdong’s opinion on these matters. “More on nakikinig ako sa kanya kasi kung meron mas nakakaalam sa mga ganito, siya yun.”

Given the increase in showbiz personalities running in the 2025 midterm elections, Marian admitted that she’s been approached to run as well in the past.

“Madami. My God! Ano ang i-o-offer ko sa kanila? Hahaha!

“I’d rather take care of my kids. I’d rather unbox my Labubu (toys),” she quipped.

Marian prefers to focus on her charity work because she believes that celebs or personalities can serve even without being in politics.

“You can help without running for office, you can help without telling anyone. You can also help while making it known, you know why?” she said.

“Because this is about awareness. Baka makadagdag ka sa tumutulong … and so lahat pwede, lahat OK. Sometimes lang, it’s hard because whether you show it or not, people will say something. But just do what’s right and what you think will really help.”