A lot of characters may have already come and gone throughout the almost three years of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” yet there are few who have remained. One of them is Marites Dimaguiba, compellingly portrayed by award-winning veteran actress Cherry Pie Picache.
CCM Film Productions caught up with her to ask about her journey as one of its actors, as well as her reactions, opinions, and elucidations regarding the viewers’ usual comments and questions to her character.
She expressed how thankful she is that the audience supports her character, Marites. She supposes that the reason why they still hold on to her is because they’re able to relate to the hardships and trials she has been going through, especially as a mother who will do everything to keep her family together and show her unconditional love to her children.
“Nawalan ka na ng anak, nahiwalay na sa asawa, tapos nagpatawad na sa gumulo ng buhay niya, tapos nalaman niya kung saan siya talaga galing. Naglalaban ‘yong blood or ‘yong community na kinalakihan ko at minahal ko at nakasama ko,” she related.
Then she added, “So, I think, with all those challenges o sa lahat ng pinagdadaanan ni Marites, nakaka-relate ang tao kung saan mang parte ng life nila ‘yong ganoon. Kapag tinanggal mo ‘yon, kapag kinilig na lang ng kinilig si Marites kay Ramon, baka walang puntahan na ‘yong istorya.”
Since we tend to see her cry most of the time, many have been asking if she doesn’t ever get tired. As an actress, she said that she’s just following orders or what the directors and the writers tell her to do, as well as that crying is no joke because it’s done out of hard work. She went on to recall that there were actually taping days when she had to bawl her eyes out the entire day because the scenes being shot one after another required her to do so.
Thus, she’s happy that the audience appreciates how their tears and emotions are real, as well as the things they are going through. Since it’s part of the job, her only wish and prayer is for her to be able to do her job well at the end of the day.
Just in case you missed it, Cherry Pie’s incredible portrayal of Marites won her the “Best TV Supporting Actress” accolade from the PMPC Star Awards for Television last August 2025. And for her, it’s an affirmation for her hardwork and for the travails of everyone who is part of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” as she emphasized how the series is a product of collaboration among the artists, staff, and crew, as well as their collective efforts, in order to give audiences what they are due.
She then went on to talk about her experience working with her co-star Coco Martin, who is also one of their directors, saying, “If there’s one thing that amazes me up to now, ‘yong inspiration niya that he shares generously with everybody. Inspiration niya na talagang walang pinagtatagumpayan na hindi pinagtratrabahuhan, hindi pinaghihirapan, at hindi pinag-iisipan. What I'm saying is, paano tayo tatamarin kung ‘yong mismong head [ay] napakasipag?”
Thus, knowing how enormously and incomparably hardworking he is since they’ve already worked together on a few projects in the past, Cherry Pie would actually remind Coco to take it easy since health is wealth.
Three years into making the series together, she believes that the artists have already known one another on a deeper level. Thus, they have learned to understand each other, especially during those days when their exhaustion and stress due to work have gotten the best of them.
She may not have met them yet, nor will she ever have the chance to see them since we all know that the series has various plots comprised of different characters, but she still expressed her warm welcome to the newest members of the “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” family. At the same time, she hopes that they’ll get to enjoy their experience as much as the mainstays have been enjoying their experience.
With regard to what the viewers should watch out for in the story of Marites, Rigor (John Estrada), Tindeng (Charo Santos), and Roda (Joel Lamangan), Cherry Pie hinted about her character getting oppressed again by her husband, with whom she’s obviously not keen to go back to anymore. Besides, she also covertly mentioned the various effects of the recently concluded elections on the lives of Tindeng, Rigor, and Ramon (Christopher de Leon), as well as the connections of the new characters to their lives.
As the conversation veered towards Christopher de Leon and his character, Ramon, she remarked how impossible it is to not get kilig towards the veteran actor because of how absolutely good-looking he is and how easy it is to work with him. At the same time, she also couldn’t blame Marites for falling in love with him because of how he became her savior and anchor in everything that she went through.
She expounded, “I think, kilig ‘yon kasi for Marites to go through all that tapos mayroong isang lalaki na sasabihin sa’yo na, ‘Tama na lahat ‘yan. Halika rito, aalagaan kita, mamahalin kita, proprotektahan kita, akong bahala sa’yo. Sinong hindi kikiligin, ‘di ba? So, lahat ng babae, kikiligin talaga.”
When asked who between Rigor and Ramon is more deserving of a second chance, Cherry Pie uttered that it’s definitely Ramon for her. While she perceives Rigor as a person whose kindness has been shrouded by the things that had happened in his life, she believes that his pain should never be an excuse for him to also hurt and maltreat Marites. Just like what he did when he brought his mistress, Lena (Mercedes Cabral), into their house and let her live there with them, as well as when he treated their sons, particularly Tanggol, violently, which for her are some of the transgressions that women find impossible to forgive.
She ended the interview by thanking those who continues to support “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” and enjoining everyone to keep watching because they still have a lot in store for us as it enters its third year.
Show your love and support to Cherry Pie by watching “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” weeknights at 8 PM, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, TV5, and iWant.