I saw one episode of this series on GMA News TV and was impressed. So even if this two disc set seemed a bit expensive at roughly Php400 each, I bought them anyway. I support anything Filipino made that’s better than the usual evening cookie cutter drama fare. Its fictional but faithful account of what would seem to be our nearly collective experience of recent history deserves applause.
Synopsis
Bayan Ko is the story of Joseph Santiago, the young, newly elected town mayor of Lagros. Visibly idealistic and highly principled, Santiago is challenged and frustrated first by unnecessary bureaucracy and petty employee improprieties, and then by deep seated corruption. The mayor hurtles headlong into the issues of illegal logging, illegal gambling, political dynasties and patronage politics.
Story / Themes
The series is fairly straightforward, no amnesia induced conflicts, sub plots of long lost heirs or even deep discourses on the meaning of life. There is this impression however, that the story was told exactly as it was intended. After all, its apparent purpose is to remind the usually forgetful common Filipino to strive to change the status quo.
True enough, when scenes unfold, we are reminded of real, recent events; illegal logging in Iligan, the flash floods in Cagayan de Oro, splintering political dynasties in Camarines Sur, and the illegal numbers game in Central Luzon. The inclusion of more drama twists and turns would have proven superfluous. When you want to convey a message for the common man to pick up and take action on, the simplest route is often the best.
Setting
Lagros is a representation of our common experience in governance and politics so that every Filipino will recognize in Lagros the familiarity of his own hometown. The place however, goes beyond grounding us in the here and now. Lagros also tugs at our heartstrings and subtly reminds us of an older, finer, simpler Philippines. We see glimpses of it in the capiz shell windows, the folk dancers at the governor’s party, the ploughing of the rice fields, the fishermen by the sea, the early morning tricycles; all made more poignant by strains of string music and the painfully beautiful ode, Bayan Ko.
Again, one senses that the visual hints are intentional. We are made to yearn for the beauty of what once was so that we may see better the glaring awfulness of present reality.
Characters / Cast
The series’ use of representation is made even more evident in its characters.
Joseph Santiago (Rocco Nacino) is the clean cut mayor of Lagros who doesn’t cheat or lie, follows the law and lives by example; a specimen of an endangered species of public servants. He is reminiscent of the late Jesse Robredo, who was perhaps one of Naga city’s best mayors.
Happily, Santiago is not made perfect or even overbearingly righteous. We see cracks in his character when he allows anger to overpower reason on the question of his father’s tragic death.
Nacino is the perfect choice for the lead role, projecting a youthful idealism tempered by the gravity of purpose.
Governon Antonio Rubio and Congressman Anton Rubio (Pen and Ping Medina) are the father and son team that gives us a crash course on political dynasties and their potential in perpetuating corruption. Surprisingly, it is one of them that delivers the message of redemption. While the older Rubio is beyond reform, the younger one eventually changes his stripes and we are left hoping that perhaps all is not lost for our younger generation of politicians.
I have always been in awe of Pen Medina and I am glad he has a son who appears to take after him. What I will probably never be able to get over however, is Pen in a bathtub with Cabral. No, just no!
Nena Santiago (Angeli Bayani) is the mayor’s wife, but is also, more importantly a crusading environmentalist from an NGO. From the start, one can’t help but root for Nena because she is more than just the wife that prepares the embattled husband’s meals. Here, Nena is as much into the thick of things as her husband and even takes more of a beating than Joseph.
Bayani as Nena delivers naturally and effortlessly, none of that profuse weeping and cursing at the moon.
Sylvia Rubio (Ma. Isabel Lopez) is the governor’s wife and is surprisingly the true representation of the Filipino people. She is aware of the perverseness of her situation and the evil that is before her but she has gotten used to the system and learns to live with it. After suffering one more bruised cheek and witnessing one more injustice, she wakes up and, like her son, redeems herself.
At first we cringe at the grating crudeness that Lopez channels into Sylvia. In the end though, we realize that it is Lopez’s natural raw beauty that is the secret to Sylvia’s appeal.
Eliza Bauer (Mercedes Cabral) is the governor’s mistress and partner in crime, the symbol of the ruthless businessman who will sell his soul to the devil for personal gain. She is also the mayor’s ex-girlfriend. Bauer is like 3-in-1 coffee, everything you need in one character, but even if this were the result of having to economize on characters, the arrangement works nicely for the story, allowing for a cleaner resolution of issues.
Cabral is Bauer. In my mind I cannot separate one from the other, a compliment to Cabral’s excellent portrayal.
Karen Canlas (LJ Reyes) is Santiago’s chief of staff and Congressman Rubio’s love interest. If you take a closer look however, you also see in her the sophisticated expert from the imperial capital, dead set on violently destroying old systems. Fortunately, she does this with the best of intentions and produces the excellent results.
Reyes here is all fire. She hardly smiles but that’s just the way I like it. My only beef with Reyes is her nails. They are so not cool when they change colors in successive scenes.
Betong Sumaya and Love Anover are Betong and Liway respectively. If you’ve ever been held up at a line in a government office, you might have seen them, stereotypical government employees that take ages to return to their workstations after a “short” break. When they do, they will barely help you. In this story, the good mayor manages to win them over.
Sumaya and Anover are the welcome comic relief. Luckily, they are also able to discharge their dramatic duties fairly well.
Conclusion
Bayan Ko is by no means perfect but you must watch it, if only to make you more determined to demand for and be part of the cure to the ailments that plague Philippine governance.
Production Notes
Network: GMA News TV
Created by: Nessa S. Valldellon
Directed by: Adolf Alix, Jr.
Produced by: Eliza Zamora Solis
Written by: Rody Vera
Bayan Ko Teaser
Bayan Ko Soundtrack
Composed by Constancio De Guzman
Version by Johnoy Danao
Titled After the Song : In this case, “Bayan Ko”, a popular Protest Song during the Martial Law era in The ‘. Fittingly, it’s also the series’ Thematic Theme Tune .