Tony Labrusca, Thea Tolentino praise ‘Binibining Marikit’ star Herlene Budol

CEBU, Philippines — Tony Labrusca wanted to work with Herlene Budol the moment he saw her EDSA billboard. After his manager told him her name, he watched Budol on “Wowowin” where she first gained prominence as “Hipon Girl.”

“She had this funny and distinct attitude, and I could sense from the billboard that she is all good vibes,” Labrusca said during recent press conference in Cebu.

It would take around three to four years for Labrusca to finally work with the first Kapuso talent on his wish list.

“It’s been a long time coming, actually. There was another show I was supposed to do with GMA that didn’t push through. I think it was the perfect timing in my career to be working with Herlene,” he said.

The Fil-Am actor is one of Budol’s love interests, Drew, in “Binibining Marikit”, premiering February 10 on GMA Afternoon Prime after “It’s Showtime”, replacing “Lilet Matias: Attorney-at-Law.”

Budol plays the titular character, Ikit, an Indigenous girl from the Dumagat Remontado tribe, known for being funny and feisty. She is a vlogger and tour guide who often willingly showcases her sacred locale near the riverside and its culture.

Ikit faces two huge dilemmas. First, a wealthy family wants to acquire the land from her tribe, and they will do anything to get it. Second, Ikit falls victim to a love scam by her supposed boyfriend named Matt (Kevin Dascom), who she met online.

But Ikit is no quitter and is determined to resolve both problems. She does everything to protect her community and flies to Japan to confront her alleged scammer boyfriend. There, she encounters his mother, Mayumi (Pokwang), and Drew, who is Matt’s brother. From there, Ikit finds herself in a love triangle between Matt and Drew.

This scenario presents a different tone from Budol’s previous 2023 teleserye “Magandang Dilag”, a drama-heavy revenge series where her character, Gigi, underwent an “ugly duckling” transformation into Greta after a series of traumatic incidents.

With “Binibining Marikit” being more comedic in tone with dramatic elements, the show’s concept was tailor-made for the bubbly comedian by the show’s senior creative consultant Kit Villanueva.

“There was no one else but Herlene for the role,” executive producer Lenie Santos told The FREEMAN. “Her character matches her personality to the point that it doesn’t even feel like she’s acting at all.”

Labrusca described the story as one with a lot of heart.

“It’s about a woman who really fights for her spot and wants to make a mark. She meets different characters. Some are villains, some teach her life lessons, and others, like me, might win her heart. This show is very hip, trendy, sexy, and relatable, and I am sure the audience will appreciate it.”

After playing heavy roles, including lawyers in both the ABS-CBN/TV5 afternoon series “Nag-aapoy na Damdamin” and the 2019 drama crime series “Sino ang May Sala?: Mea Culpa”, Labrusca was happy to take on a much lighter role in his GMA Network debut.

“It’s been my dream for a while to play someone that feels closer to my age. With my character Drew, I really feel my youth,” he explained. “I am not complaining [about my past roles] because I am happy to play them. It’s just that my last character was a lawyer in a heavy drama, and that takes a toll on your mind and body. I’m glad to portray someone new this time.”

Labrusca also clarified that he is still under Star Magic. He is one of the actors from ABS-CBN’s talent agency who has jumped into projects on GMA Network, with John Arcilla playing an antagonist in the second season of “Lolong” and Vina Morales co-starring with Gladys Reyes in the upcoming drama “Cruz vs. Cruz.”

The actor admitted he was initially “nervous” to work away from his turf, but quickly got comfortable around his new colleagues.

“If there’s one thing I can say about my experience with GMA, everyone has been so nice to me, from the cast to the production. It’s been a good experience so far,” he said.

Tolentino, meanwhile, previously played a morally grey character in “Makiling.” She returns to playing a full-on antagonist as Angela Torres, one of the elite interested in acquiring the land that Ikit is trying to protect.

“My character in ‘Makiling’ may have had questionable moments, but she was still on the good side. Here in ‘Binibining Marikit’, she really has a bad attitude. I don’t know if she has any humanity in her because she is quite malicious,” the actress said.

Establishing their camaraderie off-camera and understanding what was needed in their roles were key to making her on-screen conflict with Budol work.

“Everything starts from the relationship off-cam,” Tolentino said. “If we are all relaxed, everything will follow, and our emotions for our scenes will be clear. That’s what we worked from, and that’s what I like about being in this show. We are so close and open to talk about everything, especially with Herlene.”

Another preparation for her role as Angela was improving her physique.

“Herlene has a beauty queen-like body, so I had to lose some weight before shooting so I don’t look bloated next to her,” Tolentino said. “This show has a sexy cast, so we had to physically prepare ourselves.”

Both Labrusca and Tolentino attested that Budol carried much of the show’s production with her positive attitude.

“Herlene is very approachable, and she makes everyone on set comfortable. I really like her work ethic,” Tolentino remarked.

Labrusca added, “Herlene is exactly who I pictured working with. She’s fun and makes everyone on set feel welcome with her good energy and vibes. What you see from her is what you get.”