On a rain-kissed Friday night at The Manila Hotel, an old-school action star stepped into a brand-new spotlight. Jeric Raval rose from his seat as the 73rd FAMAS Awards called him ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for ‘Mamay: A Journey to Greatness’. For a man whose career roared through the 1990s and weathered every turn of the industry since, the moment felt like a homecoming long in the making.
“It’s my first time to experience receiving an award,” Raval said simply, still a little astonished. “First time ko.”
The film that made the night’s biggest noise, ‘Mamay: A Journey to Greatness’ is the biopic of Nunungan, Lanao del Norte Mayor Marcos Mamay, turned out to be the evening’s winningest film. It brought home five trophies, ‘Best Supporting Actor’ (Raval), ‘Best Cinematography’ (Gilbert Obispo), ‘Best Production Design’ (Cyrus Khan), ‘Best Musical Score’ (Neal ‘Buboy’ Tan), and ‘Best Original Song’ (‘Hamon’, performed by Gerald Santos, composed by Vehnee Saturno). Mayor Mamay also received the FAMAS Presidential Award, underscoring the film’s cultural resonance beyond the citations it swept.
Directed by Neal ‘Buboy’ Tan, the film traces Mamay’s journey from a Mindanao childhood marked by hardship to public service anchored in reconciliation—tackling family feuds, faith, and second chances. Coverage around its premiere framed the movie as a hopeful message piece—regional pride told with craft and care.
A late bloom worth the wait, Raval has been candid about how surreal this win feels after more than three decades in showbiz. “I wasn’t expecting anything that night… nagulat ako nang tinawag ang pangalan ko,” he shared, the disbelief still fresh.
The actor also offered a gracious, very Jeric explanation for why his award was in the supporting category. The film devotes more screen time to the younger Marcos Mamay. “Tinanong ko kay Direk… mas mahaba ang exposure ng younger Mamay,” he said, without a hint of disappointment, only pride in the team and in the story they told.
That humility mirrors the career arc of a performer who once tried to enter the business not as an action star, but as a rapper—a delightful footnote he has shared in interviews. Fate nudged him to movies instead, where he debuted in 1992 and became a fixture of the golden age of Pinoy action.
Even now, Raval’s self-effacing humor endears him to fans, when pressed about his age in 2023, he quipped about not wanting to be boxed into ‘wheelchair roles’, then promptly signed up for another mainstream comeback—because Jeric Raval moves forward. Always.
Part of what made the FAMAS sweep feel special was where the story was centered. Mamay is uncompromisingly Mindanaoan, filmed significantly in Mamay’s hometown and built to honor Muslim culture with accuracy and respect. The mayor himself has spoken about the film as a vehicle for hope, for proving that ambition from the margins can become the nation’s conversation.
That intent seemed to ring through Raval’s own gratitude. After 35 years, he wasn’t just being seen again—he was being seen differently. He was the action star who chose stillness and sincerity, the screen fighter who let tenderness carry a life story forward. And for a one-time would-be rapper who became a household name by shouldering the weight of cinematic violence, this FAMAS felt like a soft landing after a long sprint.
Raval has kept the focus on collaboration. Director Neal Tan, the below-the-line artisans who painted the film’s world, and the real family at its center, Mayor Marcos Mamay and wife Hadja Alianur Mamay (portrayed by Ara Mina), with Teejay Marquez playing the younger Mamay. When the lights came up at the end of awards night, Mamay had quietly proved something big, that regional cinema, told with craft and conviction, can stand at the heart of the country’s most storied awards show.
Raval, for his part, sounded almost boyish in his delight—and deeply grounded in perspective. “Wala akong hinanakit sa showbiz kahit na wala akong natanggap na award and nomination for 35 years,” he said. There was no bitterness in the wait—only gratitude in the arrival.
