Nasaan Ka Maruja?

Komiks Presents: Mars Ravelo's Nasaan Ka Maruja?
Format	Horror, Romance, Drama
Created by	ABS-CBN
Directed by	Jerome Pobocan
Starring	Kristine Hermosa Derek Ramsay
Country of origin	Philippines
Language(s)	Filipino, English
No. of episodes	15 (Total)
Broadcast
Original channel	ABS-CBN
Original run	May 2, 2009 – August 8, 2009
Chronology
Preceded by	Flash Bomba
Followed by	Tiagong Akyat

Komiks Presents: Mars Ravelo's Nasaan Ka Maruja (English: Where Are You Maruja?) is an ABS-CBN weekly mini-series format adapted from the 1967 movie Maruja originally starred by Susan Roces with Romeo Vasquez and also played by Carmina Villaroel in the same title film in 1996. It remake again in 1978 by Phillip Salvador and Susan Roces played again the character of Maruja in the film "Gumising Ka Maruja" (Wake Up Maruja). This is one of the masterpieces of Mars Ravelo.

Origins

Earlier incarnations of Nasaan Ka Maruja?

Maruja is one of Mars Ravelo's masterpieces. He first published it in komiks during the 50s. In 1967, the first film entitled Maruja was released starring the Queen of Philippine Movies, Susan Roces. The movie was remade in 1978 with the title Gumising Ka Maruja. After almost two decades Maruja was once again remade in 1996, starring Carmina Villaroel as Maruja.

Series Viewership

In 2007, ABS-CBN bought the rights to make Maruja into a TV series. Maruja was supposed to be included in Sineserye Presents: The Susan Roces Cinema Collection, which featured Susan Roces' most classical films. It was supposed to star Sheryl Cruz and Ruffa Gutierrez. But even before production began, the Ravelos stated that Mars Ravelo's name should be included in the title because Maruja is his work and not the movie firm's. ABS-CBN then decided to put the show's production on hold until the problem was fixed. A year later, ABS-CBN then released Nasaan Ka Maruja? as part of Komiks Presents which featured Mars Ravelos masterpieces. New actors and actresses were also involved in the project, because of some problems.

Synopsis

Cristy dreams of a certain couple, Maruja and Gabriel, who had a hard time being together because of their different status in life. They were both killed after getting married. Little did Cristy know that she and Ross, her half sister's fiance, would bring back to life the unfinished love story of Maruja & Gabriel.

Reincarnation

The storyline deals with the concept of reincarnation: Maruja (Kristine Hermosa) reincarnated as Cristy & Gabriel (Derek Ramsey) reincarnated as Ross. Cristy Rivera (Kristine Hermosa) is a magazine columnist who possesses psychic & paranormal abilities that help her see ghosts. She has a half-sister named Helen (Karylle) who is engaged to Ross Lozano. Ross used to draw sketches of Maruja even before they met in real life. What is the connection of Cristy & Ross to Maruja & Gabriel? Will Ross totally leave Helen for Cristy? And what will be Helen’s move? Cristy having an open third eye means having the ability to see ghosts or dead people and to communicate and to talk to them.

Mediumship

Cristy believes that she has the ability to see the spirits or ghosts of dead people. This brings the idea of having a third eye but however is also able to dream the past or even see the future through dreams. Later, a ghost of her mother shows to her explaining what exactly is this ability and that she should use this gift to help other spirits to cross the light, at the same time, knowing her true identity.

Cast and characters

Main Cast

• Kristine Hermosa^[1] as Maruja S. Martinez/Cristy Mondes Rivera - Gabriel's love interest in the past when she was Maruja and as Cristy, a magazine columnist who possesses psychic & paranormal abilities and helps dead people who are not in peace. She falls in love with her sister's fiance, Ross. She is haunted by a persistent & vague dreams of Maruja & Gabriel.
• Derek Ramsay as Romualdo Santiago/Ross Lozano - Maruja's fiance in the past when he was Romualdo & when he is Ross, he's getting married to Cristy's half-sister, Helen. He falls in love with Cristy. He has visions of Cristy as Maruja. Ross also experiences dreams of Maruja & Gabriel. He has drawn Maruja when he was younger and then starts drawing Cristy. Ross confessed he has feelings for Cristy because he has a dream of her as Maruja. Ross reveals the truth to Helen (Karylle) that he is in love with another woman which is Helen's half-sister, Cristy. In the past, he killed Gabriel (Piolo Pascual) and Maruja and after that he killed himself. In the present, he accidentally killed Cristy but Cristy survived.
• Karylle as Helen Rivera - Cristy's half sister who is engaged to Ross. Helen discovers Cristy is the girl in Ross' sketches. She discovers Ross & Cristy's relationship. She died after knowing Ross' and Cristy's relationship. She has been ghosting Cristy but doesn't want to connect. Helen is willing to protect Cristy from Ross.
• John Estrada as Michael - an editor-in-chief in a magazine where Cristy works, who is also in love with her.
• Enchong Dee as Brian - Ross' brother: He learns the secret of Ross as Gabriel in the past.
• Gloria Romero as Lola Rosing - Cristy and Helen's grandmother. It was alter revealed that she also have the same ability as Cristy.
• Kitkat as Debbie - Cristy's best friend who works together with Cristy as a magazine columnist.
• Bing Pimentel as Shirley - Alfred's second wife. She finds it hard to accept Cristy as her stepdaughter
• Menggie Cobarrubias as Alfred - Cristy and Helen's father.
• Raquel Villavicencio as Mrs. Mirasol Lozano - Brian & Ross' mother. She divorced their father after knowing that he's having an affair with another woman.

Guests by episode

Episode 1: Stefanie

• Tirso Cruz III as Dr. Joselito L. Ocampo Jr. - a doctor who suffers miserably due to the recent death of his wife. He later committed suicide.
• Assunta de Rossi as Stefanie Miranda - Dr. Ocampo's wife, who wants Cristy to tell her husband that its time to move on and stop him from committing suicide.

Episode 2 and 3: Teddy

• Matt Ranillo III as Teodoro "Teddy" Lozano - Brian & Ross's father - Ross and Brian's father who rejected his family but recently came back for Ross' wedding. Unfortunately he died in a car accident and wanted to communicate with his family through Cristy.

Episode 4 and 5: Jenny

• Andre Tiangco as Raul Sandoval - Jenny's father who was trying to be strong after his only child's death.
• Yayo Aguila as Brenda Sandoval - Jenny's mother who still feels awful after her daughter's death.
• Angel Sy as Jenny - a ghost of a little girl who died in an illness. She stays in a hospital bed and cant move on unless she would be able to talk to her parents.
• Francis Magundayao as Myrno Alicante

Episode 6: Diane

• Dimples Romana as Dianne Gomez - she died with cancer and later found at as a ghost that her husband is having an affair with her best friend. She then started to startle every woman who comes near her husband including Cristy.
• Baron Geisler as Jeff Gomez - Dianne's husband. He loves his wife, but admits that he had an affair with his wife's best friend.
• Ina Feleo as Aimee - Dianne's best friend who had an affair with Jeff.

Episode 7: Caloy

• James Blanco as Caloy Rueda - a ghost of a security guard who was murdered in the same building where Cristy works.
• LJ Moreno as Linda - the security guard's girlfriend who he wants to warn that her new man is the one who killed Caloy.
• Ryan Eigenman as Jimmy - Linda's new boyfriend, who actually killed Linda's former boyfriend, Caloy.

Episode 8 and 9: Sammy

• Nicole Uysiuseng as Levi
• Mara Schnittka as Maura
• John Manalo as Lino
• Joshua Dionisio as Perry
• Quintin Alianza as Sammy

Episode 10: James

• Coco Martin as James - the ghost of Leila's ex-boyfriend, he is a drug addict and thinks that the ghost of a guy name Edgardo is ghosting him. He seeks help from Cristy after dying in overdose of sleeping pills.
• Maja Salvador as Leila - James' ex-girlfriend. She was supposed to leave Canada but after knowing that James died, she changed her mind.
• Joross Gamboa as Edgardo - the man who Leila and James accidentally killed after drunk driving. He have been ghosting James when was alive, forcing him to use pills and ending up over dosing.
• Nikki Bacolod as Sarah - Edgardo's wife, she received a letter from James before he died.
• Carlo Aquino as Randolf - friend of James and Leila.

Episode 11: The Real Gabriel

• Piolo Pascual as Gabriel Montero - the mysterious man who is in connection to the life of Maruja. It was later revealed that he was the man Maruja is running away with, and not the same man as Ross.
• Jairus Aquino as Young Gabriel
• Melissa Mendez as Maruja's mother

Episode 12: Romualdo

• Dante Rivero as Old Gabriel (present time)

Movies

1967 original movie cast Susan Roces as Maruja Isabel Sevilla Y Vira/Cristy Rivera Romeo Vasquez as Gabriel Eddie Garcia as Rodrigo Luis Gonzales Perla Bautista Mary Walter Angel Confiado Nello Nayo Caridad Sanchez Etang Discher Dely Villanueva Andres Centenera Paquito Salcedo Felisa Salcedo Jay Ilagan Marifi

1978 Movie remake cast Susan Roces as Maruja Isabella Sevilla/Nina Concepcion Phillip Salvador as Marco Mary Walter Mario O' Hara as Freddie Joel Torre Manny Ojeda Fritz Ynfante Peque Gallaga Laurice Guillen as Cristy

1996 Movie remake cast Carmina Villaroel as Maruja Isabel Sevilla/Nina Concepcion Rustom Padilla Eric Quizon Albert Martinez Jacklyn Jose

External links

• Nasaan Ka Maruja PEP
• Derek Ramsay crushes on Kristine Hermosa
• Nasaan Ka Maruja ABS CBN
• Nasaan Ka Maruja Kristine sees ghosts in NKM
• Nassan Ka Maruja PEP
• Nasaan Ka Maruja

See also

• List of shows previously aired by ABS-CBN

References

1. ^ http://www.pep.ph/guide/3775/Kristine-Hermosa-topbills-Mars-Ravelo&