Why Ria Atayde turned emotional at 'Misis Piggy' mediacon

Ria Atayde

If there's one thing Ria Atayde learned in doing iWantTFC's early Mother's Day offering "Misis Piggy" is that she and her mother, veteran actress Sylvia Sanchez, "can be professional" when it's time to work together.

Ria said so in an interview right after the special screening of the series few days ago. The 30-year-old celebrity said that Sylvia respects her enough as actress that the latter gives her "space to do her own stuff in front of the cameras," and only gives advice when sought.

Despite being one of the better actors of her generation, Ria admitted there came a point when she questioned her career choice and direction.

"I asked myself, 'Is it still right that I'm doing this? Am I really meant to act?'" she said. "I'm my own worst critic and I had a lot of insecurities growing up. It takes time for me to believe in myself."

Aside from Sylvia and Ria's brother, award-winning actor Arlo, Ria gets validation from her peers, including Jake Cuenca.

"Iba pa rin syempre when the respect and praises come from your peers," she said. "Come to think of it, my mom Sylvia is also my peer---and she's not just any actress, but a good one. So, yes, her opinion matters to me very much too."

No wonder Ria got emotional when her mom commended her openly at a mediacon for the series.

"Na-overwhelm ako kasi hindi naman kami ganun ka-vocal about each other especially when it comes to acting," Ria admitted. "I mean pag may occasion, like birthdays, we say things to each other kaya naman nagulat ako sa mga sinabi niya about it. It was much appreciated." 

 “Misis Piggy” is a poignant love letter to all mothers who strive to shower their kids with all the love and care despite enduring their own seemingly insurmountable struggles and pains.

In the iWantTFC original series, Sylvia plays the role of Marivic, a selfless and strong-willed single mom of three middle-aged kids. Marivic wants nothing but the best for her children that is why she whole-heartedly dedicates her time in running a meat stall at the market. 

As her children get older, Marivic struggles to grapple with the fact that they are mature enough to live their own lives as they carve their own career paths in different countries. Her eldest daughter Lani (Ria) aims to boost her job as a nurse by going to Canada; Steffi (Iana Bernardez) is a teacher taking up a master’s degree and gets a scholarship offer in the United States; Jeffrey (Elijah Canlas), meanwhile, is Marivic’s youngest son who intends to pursue an internship in Australia as he finishes his studies.

Marivic’s relationship with her kids further gets complicated when they suddenly make an effort to reconnect with their estranged father Rupert (Ricky Davao). This leaves Marivic in an emotionally difficult situation - should she allow her kids to rekindle their relationship with their father despite their failed marriage? Or should she shut Rupert out of their lives forever for abandoning their family?

“Misis Piggy” is written and directed by Carlo Catu and produced by ABS-CBN Entertainment, iWantTFC, Dreamscape Entertainment, Nathan Studios, and Epic Media. A new episode drops daily at 8 PM beginning April 25 on the iWantTFC app (iOs and Android) and website (iwanttfc.com).