Pokwang

## About

**Marietta Tan Subong** (born August 27, 1970), known professionally as **Pokwang**, is a Filipino comedian, actress, television host and singer.

She started in a reality show on ABS-CBN and subsequently appeared in dramas and sitcoms of the network. She also received the Best Comedy Actress award from the Philippine Movie Press Club for her portrayal in the sitcom Aalog-Alog and the Best Female Comedian award from People's Choice Awards. She became a host of the variety shows Wowowee, Pilipinas Win na Win and Happy Yipee Yehey.

## Early life

Pokwang was born as Marietta Subong on August 27, 1970 in Iloilo City. Her family hails from Antipolo, Rizal. Her father was a drunkard and her mother had difficulties in raising Pokwang and her 11 other siblings.

## Career

### As a migrant worker

In 1990, Pokwang went to Japan as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) and worked as a group dancer, going home to the Philippines four times within the two years time she worked in Japan. Her contracts in Japan were for six-months each. She saved money to renovate her family's fragile house to one made with sturdier materials. Pokwang also learned how to speak Japanese due to her work. She stopped working in Japan after she got pregnant which was also the time when Japan started to impose stricter regulations after following an issue with OFWs in Japan.

Pokwang went to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to work as a domestic worker in 1998 after the gulf country started to accept OFWs. She worked in the country for six months. She wanted to go home immediately after she learned that her son who was then five years old was diagnosed with a brain tumor but her employer did not want to finance her plane ticket to fly back to the Philippines as she was still under contract. She was then forced to stay to raise funds herself. Her son later died while she was still in Abu Dhabi.

##### Return to the Philippines

Following the loss of her son, Pokwang decided to stay in the Philippines and tend to her daughter. Pokwang made her first appearance as a backup dancer in *Eezy Dancing* of ABC 5.

While performing as a guest in a comedy bar in Cubao, she met Eric Nicolas who was looking for a talent to work with ABS-CBN. She worked in a comedy bar named Funline and in 2002 moved to the Music Box. In 2004, Pokwang joined "Clown in a Million" a reality talent show segment of *Yes Yes Show* of ABS-CBN after she was convinced by Nicolas to participate and became the grand champion. After winning, she secured an exclusive artist contract with ABS-CBN.

Pokwang appeared in various dramas and sitcoms following her win at the reality talent show segment. She also had concerts both outside and within the Philippines and also had appeared in noon-time shows. She starred with other actors and actresses in various projects such as Dolphy which she considers her idol, Ai-Ai de las Alas, Willie Rivellame, Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, Claudine Barretto, Judy Ann Santos, Sharon Cuneta, and Kris Aquino.

She won the Best Comedy Actress award by the Philippine Movie Press Club for her portrayal in *Aalog-Alog* and the she garnered the Best Female Comedian award of the People's Choice Award. As a film actress she won the Bert Marcelo Lifetime Achievement Award twice.

Pokwang appeared in various films portraying supporting characters. Her first film where she portrayed a lead role was the 2011 film *A Mother's Story*, where she took up a role of an overseas Filipino worker named Medy.

In 2020, following the denial of ABS-CBN's franchise renewal, she signed to APT Entertainment and hosted two blocktime shows produced by APT, Chika, Besh! and Fill in the Bank. being aired on TV5.

In 2021, Pokwang officially signed up with Sparkle GMA Artist Center after weeks of speculation of her transfer to GMA Network.