Magkaribal

Production and reception

The show is set the fashion world and includes costuming and cameo appearances by local designers. According to several executives behind the show's production, the series was originally planned to stage the comeback of actress Donna Cruz. During the course of pre-production, Cruz was to play Angela Abella/Gelai Agustin, and Angel Aquino was initially considered to portray the role of Anna Abella/Victoria Valera. Christopher de Leon was also tapped to play the role of Manuel, and Cherie Gil was shortlisted as Vera Cruz. The series also included Derek Ramsay as Louie, Enchong Dee as Caloy, and Erich Gonzales as Chloe. After Cruz backed out due to her commitments in Cebu where she permanently resides, ABS-CBN tapped real-life sisters Gretchen Barretto and Claudine Barretto for the roles of Anna/Victoria and Angela/Gelai respectively. After the latter's transfer to GMA Network along with actors de Leon and Gil, the production was again delayed. It was only until Bea Alonzo's casting as Angela Abella/Gelai Agustin that the series continued to develop, with Barretto retaining the role as Anna/Victoria, and Aquino this time playing the role of Vera. Rosales and Hermosa backed out of the project after so much delay in production, and both actors were replaced by Enchong Dee and Erich Gonzales. Mark Gil took the role of Manuel in the final casting of characters.

Magkaribal received heavy promotion as competition for GMA Network's Endless Love, whose pilot aired at the same time (even though Magkaribal aired a little later than Endless Love). The show premiered on June 28, 2010, with a 25.3% national household rating against its direct competition, Diva on GMA Network with a 19.4% national household rating (Endless Love scored a pilot rating of 22.9%, which aired earlier than Magkaribal). Magkaribal posted a 30.0% national household rating on its finale against its rival show (direct competition in the timeslot), Beauty Queen, which only managed to score a 14.4% national household rating.

Synopsis

Angela and Anna's mother, Stella (Dimples Romana), was a seamstress while their father, Manuel (James Blanco/Mark Gil), went to Milan to work. While in Milan, Manuel met and fell in love with a wealthy model and a fashion designer named Vera Cruz (Alessandra De Rossi/Angel Aquino). When Manuel went back to the Philippines, Stella got very angry at him because he never replied to her letters. Manuel explained the situation and Stella just set him free to his new woman. Soon, Manuel decided to leave his wife and children to live with Vera. Angela and Anna witnessed Manuel and Vera hugging; this led to a confrontation between Anna and Vera where Vera pushed and injured Anna. In tears, Anna returned home and showed her wounded arm to her mother and later, Stella went to Vera's house to confront her but Vera avoided her. As Vera drove away, Stella was accidentally hit and killed by an oncoming vehicle; Anna was there to witness the tragedy unfold. Anna confronted Vera that resulted in her miscarriage leaving her unable to have children. This cemented the feud between the two.

Orphaned and on the run from people trying to place them into an orphanage, Angela and Anna lived on streets. Angela soon gets sick from eating garbage and was rushed to the hospital by her older sister, Anna. To earn money, the 15-year-old Anna worked as a prostitute. One day, she returned to the hospital only to see that it was on fire, with her sister nowhere to be found and most likely dead. As it turns out, Angela was actually kidnapped by men who made children work as beggars on the streets. This is where Angela became friends with a little boy, "Dos" (the future Louie), who was also a captive. Devastated and alone, Anna was adopted by Ronaldo Valera, a famous fashion designer (Robert Arevalo). She was renamed Victoria Valera and was sent abroad, studied fashion design and became a supermodel.

Angela was adopted by a couple in the textile district of Manila, Divisoria and renamed her Gelai Agustin. She continues both her and her sister's dreams of becoming top Philippine designers. Since she doesn't remember much about her childhood she aspires to be a junior designer at Vera Couture, Vera Cruz's fashion house. Victoria Valera arrives back from Paris to start her revenge. She wants to steal Vera's place as the "Queen of Philippine Fashion" and tries to take over Vera's company; all in the name of keeping her and her sister's dreams alive. But what will happen if the budding designer, Gelai and the new queen of fashion, Victoria, clash? Vera will use this opportunity to topple down the sisters by using the man they both love, Louie and her business schemes to place herself again as the fashion queen but in the end, the sisters will prove that blood is always thicker than water and only forgiveness could heal all the wounds of the past.

Main Characters

Supporting Characters

Special Participation