In 2007, ABS-CBN decided to bring back to the small screen the 70’s classic RPN drama, Flordeluna, which starred Janice de Belen in the title role. The modern retelling tapped the then-child star Eliza Pineda to play Maria Flordeluna.
Also in the cast are Albert Martinez, Eula Valdez, Vina Morales, and John Estrada. Maria Flordeluna debuted on ABS-CBN’s Primetime Bida block on February 12, 2007, occupying the slot previously held by fantasy series, Super Inggo.
The series followed the story of Maria Flordeluna, an 11-year-old girl, and her efforts in bringing her family together against all odds. As GMA Network was still keeping its grip as the most-watched TV network in Mega Manila, the new series inevitably had challenges in proving itself in the rating game.
Maria Flordeluna’s strength was right away felt, registering a whooping, 36.4% in AGB Nielsen’s NUTAM scale. In the Mega Manila battleground, however, the victory belonged to Super Twins, whose pilot coincided with Maria Flordeluna’s debut. The Kapuso telefantasya, which had Jennilyn Mercado and Nadine Samonte in the lead, bested the Kapamilya drama, when it posted a 35.9% Mega Manila rating, against Maria Flordeluna’s 28.1%.
Super Twins’ lead in Mega Manila, however, wasn’t enough to keep it running long enough to end Maria Flordeluna’s reign in nationwide ratings. It bade farewell, three weeks before its Kapamilya rival. The action-fantasy drama, Asian Treasures (whose time slot was adjusted to confront the Eliza Pineda-starrer) dealt with then Maria Flordeluna’s already unstoppable momentum, towards its finale.
The Angel Locsin and Robin Padilla series; also went down to its last few weeks, and the showdown between the two shows–was undoubtedly sensational. Rumors about Locsin’s departure from GMA Network were already circulating. True enough, in August 2007, the Kapuso actress was already with ABS-CBN as a Kapamilya.
For Maria Flordena’s finale episode, the victory belonged to ABS-CBN, both in the NUTAM and Mega Manila races. The titular character’s death scene attracted massive attention, as reflected by its 49.3% AGB NUTAM (National Urban Television Measurement) rating), making it’s the most-watched television finale of 2007. In Mega Manila, Maria Flordeluna pulled off a 36.5% rating, against Asian Treasures’ 30.6%.
