Avid viewers of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” may recognize her as Aling Myrna—the loving, supportive, and selfless mother of Tanggol’s (Coco Martin) best friend, Enteng (Jojit Lorenzo).
However, not many of us are perhaps aware that the actress behind the character, Myrna Castillo, was actually once among the brightest stars of her generation, particularly during the 1980s. She appeared in a slew of notable films, which includes “Pag-ibig Ko, Hatiin Ninyo” (1980), “Ito Ang Babae” (1980), “Batikan” (1981), “Basagulero Ang Lover Ko” (1981), “Virgin People” (1984), and “Ligaya Ang Itawag Mo Sa Akin” (1997), as well as got cast in several television projects before joining the cast of the top-rating drama series.
And after three years of simply watching her bring Aling Myrna to life on screen, audiences finally got to hear Myrna open up about her journey on “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” and how being part of it has changed her life because of it via her interview with CCM Film Productions.
The 1980s actress shared how glad she is to be part of the teleserye, especially since it reunited her with several castmates she worked with on projects many years ago.
Before being cast as Aling Myrna, the former sexy star revealed that she had been living a very simply and low-key life, running a ready-to-wear (RTW) business from home. However, ever since appearing on the show, many people have started calling her “Aling Myrna” and “nanay ni Enteng.” It actually makes her happy that those who were previously unfamiliar with her have now recognized her through the series.
Reflecting on the opportunity, she remarked, “Malaking bagay, malaking tulong po ‘tong ginawa sa akin ni Direk Coco.” She then went on to acknowledge what the entire “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” team has done for her—from their brilliant directors Malu Sevilla, Darnel Villaflor, and Richard Somes, to the staff and crew, thanking them for looking after her and never making her feel left on her own.
“Nagpapasalamat po ako at nakasama po ako at nakasama ko po sila. Isang malaking kasiyahan ko. Hindi ko po ito malilimutan [na] nakalabas po ako sa telebisyon. Masaya po ako talaga. Nakita ko [at] nakasama ko ‘yong mga artista na dati kong nakikita at ‘yong ibang nakasama ko rin, nakita ko ulit ngayon,” Myrna stated. “Kaya Direk Coco, maraming salamat sa iyo sa tulong, sa pagbigay sa amin ng trabaho. Maraming salamat. I love you, direk!”
When asked how she made it to the series, Myrna revealed that it was veteran character actor John Arcilla who mentioned her name and provided her contact information to Coco. The actor-director immediately reached out to her, telling her to come to the set the next day because, by then, she was already officially hired.
Aside from the opportunity to return to TV and revive her acting career, Myrna also shared how thrilled she was to finally meet Coco in person at the time. She confessed about being a fan of him not just because of his accomplishments in showbiz but also because of his compassion and generosity, especially toward those in need.
“Gusto ko makatrabaho, makasama ‘yong mga henerasyon ng mga artista ngayon. [Noong] 80’s pa ako eh, so nakita ko sila ngayon, hanga ako. Nagulat ako kasi ang ganda. Bilib ako. Nagpapasalamat ako na kasama ko sila sa eksena, sa mga batuhan ng salita,” she related.
Myrna related that she has been very busy ever since joining “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” which allowed her to work and earn money, especially since the world just came out of the pandemic at the time. She then enthused how Direk Coco has helped not only her but many other former artists as well, leaving her with nothing but gratitude for him.
With regard to the most important lesson she’d learned from this stint, she said that it is to love and value whatever you’re doing and whoever you get to work with. She also emphasized the importance of saving money, especially for herself, as she’s not getting any younger and her children already have families of their own. As for what she learned from her character, she shared it was to do whatever you want as long as you know in your heart that it’s the right thing to do.
She then got a bit emotional as she conveyed her heartfelt message to Coco, repeatedly thanking him for everything he had done for her. Besides, he heaped praises on him, too, for being a brilliant, diligent, persistent, respectful, and kindhearted person. That’s why she and everybody in the series couldn’t love him any less.
The video, which also featured some behind-the-scenes clips and photos of Myrna with the cast and crew, concluded with her inviting everyone to keep watching the series.
Will her character, Aling Myrna, be spared from death and make it to the end of the story? Let’s see by not missing an episode of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, ALLTV2, A2Z, iWant, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL).