Mercedes Cabral: Portrait of an actress as the face of the OFW

FILIPINOS Sarah Pagcaliwagan (second from left), Joan Bugcat (third from left) and Mercedes Cabral (fourth from left) and the Kuwaiti TV series’ staff. Photos courtesy of Sarah Pagcaliwagan

Mercedes Cabral is certainly no neophyte when it comes to international productions.

Mercedes, who made a name for herself in Filipino indie films, has appeared in South Korean (Chan-wook Park’s “Thirst” in 2009), Danish (Frederikke Aspock’s “Rosita,” 2015) and Australian (Tom and Sam McKeith’s “Beast,” 2015) films, as well.

Now comes another first for the Filipino actress: She has a pivotal role in the Kuwaiti TV series, “Saq al Bamboo (The Bamboo Stalk),” which is currently being aired daily for a month during the Ramadan in the Middle East (on Al-Rai TV and MBC Drama).

It is customary for families to gather in the living room, to eat dinner and watch TV shows during Ramadan, when people seldom go out to work, Mercedes explains. “That’s why it’s crucial to have a strong beginning for a show—to hook viewers to follow it for an entire month,” she points out.

In the soap opera, which is based on an Arabic Booker prize-winning novel by Saud Alsanousi, she plays a Filipino maid who falls for her employer’s son. She is then left to raise her son on her own because her husband’s family disapproves of her.

Mercedes recalls that she shot her scenes in Dubai for two weeks. (The production couldn’t shoot in Kuwait due to its sensitive theme.)

The actress admits that the work system in the Middle East is different from the sets she has worked in in Asia and Europe. “We didn’t exceed 15 hours of work, but we shot every day in Dubai,” she recounts.

The most challenging part was memorizing her Arabic lines. Her fellow actors Wonho Chung and Abdul Mohsen, and producer Badih Fattouh came to her rescue. “They helped me understand the script. They tried their best to communicate with me, which was really sweet.”

She felt honored working with the series director Mohamed Al Qaffas. “He is well-known and -respected in the Gulf region,” she relates.

Due to the heat and the pressure, Mercedes got sick during filming. Luckily, the show’s Filipino line producer Sarah Pagcaliwagan was around. “Nay Sarah took care of me. She made sure I ate well and didn’t get stressed out.”

“Even big stars are expected to do their own makeup, prepare their own props and costumes,” Sarah remarks.

It was Sarah who recommended Mercedes to the foreign producers, Creative Venture and Sabbah Pictures.

Another Filipino, acting coach Joan Bugcat, also served as Mercedes’ confidante. “I talked to Joan about my realizations while I was in Dubai. She was the acting coach of Wonho, who has Tagalog lines in the show.” (Wonho plays Mercedes’ son as an adult. Some scenes were shot in the Philippines.)

Mercedes has yet to catch the series, but got to view snippets posted online by netizens. “You can watch it on Shahid.net,” she says.

She is “overjoyed,” reading the positive feedback so far. “Some foreign viewers thought I was from Kuwait. I cried. It feels good to know that people value your work.”

MERCEDES Cabral irons her costume in Dubai.

She concedes, “I feel more appreciated in the Middle East and Europe than in my own country. It’s not that I am craving attention. It’s just sad that Filipinos don’t see what we do for our country, the entertainment industry and the arts.”

As someone who frequently plays transplanted Filipinos, she is also disheartened by the fact that some Filipinos back home have little regard for the sacrifices made by their relatives who work abroad. “It will be awesome to give OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) the respect and recognition they deserve. They are real-life heroes. Saludo po ako sa inyong lahat! (I salute all of you!)”

This is precisely the reason why she feels strongly about “representing” OFWs well in her work. “International projects give me the chance to be the face and voice of Filipinos.” Especially those who are often ignored and pushed aside, she notes.

It is more than a movie or TV role for her; it’s a calling. “I want to share their experiences abroad because, more often than not, they don’t have the voice…I want to tell their stories to the world.”