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Ceritalah | Coco Martin is one of the Philippines’ biggest stars – because he’s an everyman

  • The 37-year-old is the lead in the nation’s biggest television show, Ang Probinsyano, and has become a trusted and admired celebrity
  • He has been spotted at campaigns for Senator Grace Poe, the daughter of his hero Fernando Poe Junior – but will Coco make a foray into politics himself?

Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Coco Martin. Photo: Carlo Gabuco

Coco Martin is a Filipino everyman. In person, he’s shorter than you’d expect. Disarming; he’s also trim, handsome (but not too handsome) with an empathetic smile and warm eyes. When you meet him, he’s immediately familiar. He could be the mechanic from down the road, the kindly hospital orderly or the overseas foreign worker. Nondescript. Ordinary, but trustworthy.

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Meanwhile, the Philippines is three years into President Rodrigo Duterte’s term in office and is fast approaching the all-important midterm polls – including the key senatorial races. The Republic is also face-to-face with the possible future of the Duterte legacy, as the first daughter and current Davao mayor Sara Duterte assembles her own slate of candidates while also dismissing the need for “truth-telling” in public life.

Now 37, Coco is the lead in the Philippines’ biggest television show, Ang Probinsyano (or “The Man from the Provinces”). According to Kantar Media, in February alone, the long-running ABS-CBN show had 41 per cent of ratings across the country – an incredibly high level of penetration in this celebrity-obsessed nation of over 105 million.

When the series (Coco is also creative consultant and occasionally directs) first kicked off back in 2015, it was an immediate hit. However, in 2016, as Duterte assumed the Presidency and imposed his macho approach to governing on the country, the show also shifted gear, responding to contemporary realities.

Coco Martin’s Ang Probinsyano tells the story of a policeman who’s avenging his twin brother. Photo: ABS-CBN
Coco Martin’s Ang Probinsyano tells the story of a policeman who’s avenging his twin brother. Photo: ABS-CBN
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Indeed, Coco Martin’s character Ricardo (or “Cardo”) Dalisay – a steadfast and incorruptible police officer – quickly became the cynosure of all Filipinos, reinforcing his popularity and huge commercial appeal. It all seems to have paid off: Ang Probinsyano has so far run for six seasons and some 900 episodes.

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