Tagalog-dubbed Mexican soaps air over BEAM Channel 31

Updated June 4, 2015 - 12:00am

CEBU, Philippines – Good news for lovers of classic Mexican telenovelas who are looking for an alternative to local and Korean standard drama fare.

Tagalog-dubbed hits like La Madrasta (The Stepmother), Palabra de Mujer (A Woman’s Word), and Big Love (Llena de Amor) now air daily over BEAM UHF Free-to-Air Channel 31 in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Baguio, Naga, Iloilo, and Zamboanga. The programs are also available on cable in NCR via SkyCable Channel 72, Destiny Cable Channel 80, Cable Link Channel 82, and CableStar Channel 4, and Skycable Channel 20 in Cebu, Davao, and Baguio. Airing starts daily from 5 a.m.-7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. with catch-up marathon on weekends on the same time slots.

La Madrasta (Monday to Friday 7:30 p.m.), which starred Victoria Ruffo and Cesar Evora, was an unexpected success when it was broadcast in Mexico back in 2005. The drama is about Maria who was wrongly accused of murder. After many years in prison, she returned to be with her children and exact revenge on her husband Esteban who turned his back on her during the ordeal only to later be torn between her desire for justice and finding the strength to forgive.

A Woman’s Word (Monday to Friday 8:30 p.m.), on the other hand, premiered in 2007 and is also the name of a TV talk show featured in the series. It follows the intertwined lives of Vanesa, Fernanda, Paulina, and Matilde who despite their very different social backgrounds, embarked together on an exciting adventure in search of their personal fulfillment as professionals, and more importantly, as women. It was top-billed by Edith González, Yadhira Carrillo, Ludwika Paleta, and Lidia Ávila.

Meanwhile, Big Love (Monday to Friday 9:30 p.m.) which was aired in 2010, tells the story of Marianela, who may be huge in weight but is very positive in life even though she lived most of her childhood without the love and warmth of a family. Played by Ariadne Diaz, Marianela experienced struggles in countless family intrigues that led her to live with her aunt in Spain. After her aunt’s death, she went back to Mexico filled with optimism and self-confidence, determined to find her big love.

The Spanish telenovela trend in the Philippines started in 1994 but began dwindling in popularity about a decade and a half later as Asian dramas took over. However, it continues to have some following particularly among young to middle aged women.

BEAM Channel 31 is a free-to-air TV being owned and operated by Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) and Broadcast Enterprises and Affiliated Media, Inc. (BEAM), owned by a joint consortium led by Bethlehem Holdings, Inc., an investee of Globe Telecom’s Retirement Fund.