Julie Anne San Jose as Maria Clara. Image: Instagram/@myjaps
Julie Anne San Jose is grateful for the privilege of starring in the GMA teleserye “Maria Clara at Ibarra” as the eponymous Maria Clara de los Santos y Alba, a character adapted from Jose Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere” who met a tragic fate in the hands of a friar.
Describing her role as an “honor,” the actress-singer bid goodbye to her character in a heartfelt Instagram post. On the show’s Feb. 10 episode, Maria Clara gave up her life for Simoun Ibarra (Dennis Trillo) when Padre Salvi (Juancho Triviño) was desperate to kill the latter with a gun.
“Isang napakalaking karangalan na mapabilang sa programang #MariaClaraAtIbarra,” San Jose said. “Maraming salamat sa @gmanetwork at @sparklegmaartistcenter sa tiwala at pagkakataon na mabigyang buhay ko si Maria Clara. Maraming salamat kay @zigcarlo sa paggabay sa bawat eksena, sa aking mga kasamang aktor na tunay na mahuhusay, sa mga manunulat na malikhain, at sa buong produksiyon ng proyekto na naging kaibigan at pamilya ko na.”
(It has been a huge honor to be included in “Maria Clara at Ibarra”. Thank you to GMA Network and Sparkle GMA Artist Center for the trust and opportunity to bring Maria Clara to life. Thank you to Zig Dulay for guiding me in every scene, and for my amazing co-actors, creative writers, and the whole production team for a project that has become my home and family.)
San Jose also thanked her fans for witnessing her character’s growth from start to finish, as she described the teleserye as a historical feat due to its impact to the viewers.
“Mas minahal ko ang aking larangan bilang artista sapagkat kami ay naging instrumento upang maipakita namin ang makulay at maalab nating kasaysayan. Para sa akin, isang obrang maituturing ang aming palabas. Ito ay siguradong kapupulutang aral, na maipamamana sa mga susunod pang henerasyon,” she said.
(I fell more in love with acting because we became instruments of showing the colorful and powerful history of our country. For me, “Maria Clara at Ibarra” is a work of art. It is a piece that is filled with lessons that can be taught to future generations.)
As “Maria Clara at Ibarra” is set to air its 100th and finale on Feb. 17, the Maria Clara star hopes that the teleserye has made its mark to viewers even after its conclusion.
“Matapos man ang palabas na ito, ang kultura at kasaysayan natin ay habang buhay na nakatatak sa ating mga puso’t isipan. Ito ang nagpapaalala sa ating mga karapatan bilang tao, at sa ngalan pag-ibig – sa sarili, sa kapwa, at maging sa bayan – tayo ay lumalaban at patuloy na lalaban,” she said.
(As the teleserye ends, I hope that our country’s culture and history will remain in our hearts and minds. It reminds us about our rights to be human and the true meaning of love to ourselves, other people, and our country, and we’ll continue to fight for what matters.)
Fellow celebrities, including San Jose’s “Maria Clara at Ibarra” co-star Barbie Forteza, real-life partner Rayver Cruz, Gabbi Garcia, Kyline Alcantara, Rodjun Cruz, Mavy Legaspi, Lexi Gonzales, Rita Daniela, and Sofia Pablo praised the singer-actress for a job well done.
“Lovely as always, mare ko,” Forteza said.
“Take a bow!!!! Super deserve!!!!! Congrats Julie!! Always rooting for you,” Garcia wrote.
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@myjaps
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@myjaps
As “Maria Clara at Ibarra” transitioned to its second season featuring Rizal’s other novel, “Eli Filibusterismo”, the series reaped a number of accolades not just from film critics but also from netizens with its retelling of the national hero’s famous novel, with interesting arcs. In the “El Fili” arc, Simoun (Ibarra) and Maria Clara had a chance to meet before the mestiza’s death — which was not featured in the book.
The teleserye also stars Dennis Trillo, Barbie Forteza, Khalil Ramos, and David Licauco, among others. EDV