By Kynesha Robles
“Nay, ayoko na po. Tama na,” was Narda’s first dialog in the pilot episode of Darna. In the scene, she was training with her mother Leonor to fight. A mentor of Narda, Leonor’s maternal powers were shown before any of her superhuman powers were, as the secret predecessor of Darna.
Chito S. Roño’s adaptation of Darna premiered on the small screen last Monday, August 15.
The first reboot of the comic superhero after 13 years, the 2022 TV series is now filled with nods that tie the show together as a tribute to mothers.
Rex, Mars Ravelo’s son, revealed in the Darna Grand MediaCon last August 8 that his grandmother, a single mom, inspired his late father’s creation of Darna. “Siguro, watching (his) mother raise them single-handedly, with the inspiration of Superman, he created Darna,” he said.
Iza Calzado
Foremost is Iza Calzado’s role as Unang Darna and the mother of Narda and Ding. Calzado, who first auditioned for the titular role in the 2005 adaptation, is now a pioneer in Darna history as the first Darna to pass on her legacy to her daughter.
Leonor, Calzado’s character, also shares the same name as Leni Robredo, a lauded single mom by Filipinos and whom Calzado vocally supported during the elections and campaign season.
Jane de Leon
Jane de Leon, to whom the Darna bato(n) is now passed, expressed during the Grand MediaCon her gratitude to her mom for her support during the early days of her career.
“’Yung naging Darna po para talaga sa akin ay ‘yung mga magulang ko: si Mama at si Papa.”
De Leon paid tribute to and called on her mom in the audience to stand up, and recounted their commutes from Laguna with only P100 in their pockets to attend acting workshops in ABS-CBN.
Janella Salvador
Janella Salvador has been getting love and praise for her femme fatale potrayal of Darna’s nemesis. The role of Valentina is a risk for Salvador, as it is her first ever villainess role and first big project after giving birth in October 2020. “This is actually my first big project after giving birth, so sabi ko, anong mawawala kung magbabasa ako for the role?” she said.
Narda and Leonor’s first fight-slash-training scene concludes with a motherly lecture.
“Narda, hindi ba sabi ko sa’yo? Kahit na anong gusto mong gawin, basta hindi ka sumuko, kahit ‘yung mga akala mong hindi mo kaya, magagawa mo. Pero dapat matuto ka rin kung kalian ka magpapahinga, para may lakas ka pang lumaban sa susunod na araw.”
“Darna” airs weekdays at 8 p.m. on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, Jeepney TV, and TV5 and will also be available on Kapamilya Online Live, iWantTFC, and The Filipino Channel.