‘The serene beauty with her trademark mole on her forehead had her first public exposure when she was named one of Manila’s Five Prettiest from 1971 to 1972, chosen from 26 nominees.’
In our recent trip to the United States, particularly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, we had the pleasure of meeting the actress of our youth – Luisa of the classic TV series of my childhood, “Gulong ng Palad” – Marianne dela Riva.
Marianne, who hailed from Daet, Camarines Norte, was the favorite leading lady of action king Fernando Poe, Jr. and other action stars in the 1980s.
Long before she was seen on the silver screen in blockbuster FPJ movies, and on TV where she found greater fame in a telenovela, she was a refreshing presence in fashion circles, social events and in the world of advertising.
The serene beauty with her trademark mole on her forehead had her first public exposure when she was named one of Manila’s Five Prettiest from 1971 to 1972, chosen from 26 nominees.
Fifteen-year-old Marianne was introduced at an elegant reception at the Manila Polo Club, celebrated alongside her co-winners Maricar Zaldarriaga, Baby Corcuera, Emmeline Veloso, and Malu Leuterio.
Fashion icon Pitoy Moreno, who discovered Marianne, showcased her in numerous fashion shows. She quickly rose to prominence as a cover girl for top women’s magazines, attracting the attention of advertising casters eager to feature her in campaigns.
Surprisingly Marianne only appeared in a few ads, and there are only 2 memorable commercial appearances on record — for Eskinol, a popular facial lotion from MetroDrug (J. Romero & Associates) and POND’s Cold Cream (J. Walter Thompson).
This became a springboard for her to enter showbiz, and her first film was “Love Song” (1973) opposite Victor Laurel. Her biggest break was becoming the leading lady of the “King of Filipino Movies,” Fernando Poe Jr., in such movies as “Ang Leon at Ang Daga” (1975), and of course, the legendary “Ang Panday IV” (1984). Soon after, Marianne did movies with other action stars, namely Dante Varona in “Carding Estrabel: Tirador ng Malabon” (1980), Rey Malonzo in “Kumander .45” (1982), Lito Lapid in “Zigomar” (1984), Rudy Fernandez in “Anak ng Tondo” (1985), Phillip Salvador in “Delima Gang” (1989), Anthony Alonzo in “Irampa si Mediavillo” (1990), and Eddie Garcia in “Mayor Latigo” (1991), among others.
Marianne became a household name when she played Luisa in the hit soap “Gulong ng Palad” opposite Ronald Corveau (as Carding). The series, created by Lina Flor, lasted from 1977 to 1985. Marianne’s last project was the television remake of “Panday,” shown on December 2005.
Marianne dela Riva married her “Gulong ng Palad” co-star Ronald Corveau in 1979, and had two daughter with him. The two later separated and stayed abroad. On a US visit to see her children, as fate would have it, Marianne was introduced by former actress and friend Edna Diaz to Dr. Oscar T Ortiz, a certified diabetologist and endocrinologist. Sparks flew and they were soon married in 2006. Marianne now resides in Toms River, New Jersey where her husband has his practice.
We had the pleasure of meeting Marianne and her husband Doc Oscar after watching Odette Quesada’s “All Hits 40th Anniversary Concert” and they both claimed to have enjoyed the show as it brought back a lot of memories in their past. Surprisingly, their favorite numbers were not Odette’s classic hits, but her new song “Miss You So” and her anthem for her husband, “Habang Panahon.”
“It’s like missing home. I was there last year and visited my relatives. Of course, I miss them,” Marianne said. Her husband, Doc Oscar, added, “I miss my family. I still have my brother there.”
But Marianne was quick to retort, “I miss everybody back home, but OK na ako rito. I’m with my husband, my children and grandchildren. Simple lang at tahimik na buhay. Masaya na kami nang ganito.”
She further shared, “I miss the food: the fresh crabs, the fresh seafood, I really miss those. I miss my friends. We watch a lot of concerts here. I hope to be able to catch Gary V here soon.”
Since Christmas is just around the corner and Filipinos have the merriest and the longest Yuletide celebrations, we asked Marianne about her Christmas memories.
“Iba ang spirit ng Christmas sa atin, ‘di ba?” she remarked, “When I was a kid, hindi ko ma-describe, more than masaya, iba talaga — the songs, the decorations, the get togethers and family reunions. Ang saya at nakakasenti.”
We asked if she will consider doing a good project in the Philippines in the future.
Her answer ranged from a quick, “I don’t think so,” to “Who knows? If it’s a good project, we’ll see,” she added.
Then we turned to Doc Oscar, who reassuringly said, “It’s all up to her, really!”
