Viva Films announced on its Facebook account that the controversial film “Maid in Malacañang” has already earned P140 million in total gross sales.
Director Darryl Yap is overwhelmed: “Hindi naming inaasahan sa totoo lang. We thought na we will be supported but not at that level. We didn’t expect this kind of reception. Akala naming parang, 'Sige, ok lang. Parang ok na kami, may target lang kami. Pero the response of the people is just overwhelming.' "
Direk Darryl adds that in one cinema alone (SM Fairview), the movie earned P1 million in just one day. Last Aug. 3, 151 cinemas opened in Metro Manila, but as of Aug. 8, 216 cinemas have accommodated the blockbuster film.
On the film’s first day in theaters, Ruffa Gutierrez, who portrayed Madame Imelda Marcos in the much talked about feature film, sent me a picture of a survey made by News5 that showed that I was number 2 in the survey next to director Darryl, Ella Cruz was number three and Ruffa, number 4. The survey was entitled "Sinong celebrity ang pinag-uusapan sa social media (Who celebrities are being talked about in social media)." The actress-beauty queen told me not to worry. “God is good. He will bless us. We have been in the industry for a long time. Thank God we are still relevant.” In a few days, the blessing came through, the movie earned P140 million.
Ella Cruz, who portrayed Irene Marcos in the film, has been quiet after she was bashed by her statement “history is like chismis”. The actress and influencer told me how she handled her detractors. “I forgave them and sent them love and light.” I commended the actress for showing compassion and kindness in spite of the hurtful words they have thrown at the actress. I told her that that is a trait of a mentally strong person. The second trait is not to play victim. Don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself. The theatrical run of "Maid in Malacañang" in the Philippines has been extended due to insistent public demand. You can still watch it in over 200 cinemas. They will also have special screenings all over the world from Japan, to London to Dubai and other parts of the world.