Over the past decade that she has been part of the entertainment scene, we’ve witnessed how Maris Racal has evolved from a talented and endearing teen star to a versatile and outstanding actress, who has impressed us with her portrayals.
And from being a troubled gymnast in her critically acclaimed film, “Sunshine,” her fans were absolutely delighted to find out when it was announced last September that she was among the newest lineup of stars to join the cast of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” as it enters its new chapter and third year.
For weeks now, she has been impressing viewers as the feisty and morally upright Paula “Ponggay” Garcia, a newbie policewoman who’s determined to not just fulfill her sworn duty and fight for what she believes in is right, but to protect her loved ones for as long as she can.
As we look forward to seeing how her character will fare in the narrative, let us revisit via this Kapamilya Toplist feature the scenes through which Maris was able to showcase her action skills that we have not seen yet in the previous movies and shows that she had starred in!
Just on her very first appearance in the long-running action-drama series, she immediately wowed us with how Ponggay singlehandedly accosted the thief who stole the boat of one of her neighbors while she was on her way to work.
She further astonished us when she led one of the units of the Quiapo Police during their mission against the Montenegro family syndicate, as well as when they stopped Tanggol (Coco Martin) and his friends from taking away his father, Ramon (Christopher de Leon), from the hospital. As if her first day at work was not action-packed enough, Ponggay engaged in a scuffle when she saved a couple being hounded by a group of drunk men on her way to work.
Ponggay once again got into action during the Quiapo Police’s second mission against the group of Tanggol. There, she didn’t just exhibit her flair in handling a gun but also in doing stunts, as she figured in an intense skirmish with Andrea Brillantes’ character Fatima. From throwing punches and kicks at her and evading every swing of Fatima’s knives, she did all of them flawlessly and precisely.
Last, but definitely not the least, was when she swiftly took out her service firearm and pointed it at Tanggol upon seeing him and his friends at their abode after they saved her father, Mauro (Richard Quan), from being attacked by his enemies. Despite their efforts and genuine intention to help Mauro, as well as being told by her family to put her gun down since Tropang Tanggol was apparently nice, Ponggay still insisted that they are criminals who deserve to be incarcerated.
In an interview with CCM Film Productions last September, Maris expressed her excitement about working with Coco Martin and being part of the well-loved primetime program, which she considers a dream come true. She’s also thrilled to explore her character and to see how far her character can go, hoping that Ponggay won’t exit soon.
Are you as excited as us to see more of Maris Racal’s badass moments as Ponggay? Well, you better not miss an episode of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” weeknights at 8 PM on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5 and iWant.