AT LEAST two generations have grown up with Kris Aquino. From her early public appeals for Filipinos to vote for her father in elections despite his incarceration, as the shy president’s daughter after the 1986 EDSA Revolution, then as a horror, comedy, and dramatic actress, and then the campy showbiz icon we know today. A drive along highways, a surf through the television, and the flipping of a magazine reveals Ms. Aquino’s face at least three times in a day.

This year will see Ms. Aquino enters our computer screens in an original movie by Malaysian-based internet TV [otherwise known as Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD)] company iflix. Ms. Aquino’s status as the new ambassador of iflix and the movie she made with them marks the company’s first original movie (they already have a comedy show with comedian Ramon Bautista called Hoy! Bibig Mo).

The announcement was made in a press conference on July 27 at Shangri-La at The Fort.

Mark Britt, iflix Group cofounder and CEO said that that week, they had streamed 500 years worth of content in the emerging markets in which they operate, stretching from their Southeast Asian base to the Middle East. He also announced that in about two weeks, they would be able to penetrate the African continent.

While US-based Netflix and Singapore-based HOOQ have planted their feet firmly in the Philippines, iflix has no problems about the competition. “In the long run, I see that iflix as being very different from Netflix,” explained Mr. Brit. “Netflix is a great global product, that is appealing to a very small, wealthy segment of people in the Philippines. iflix is about reaching the mass market.”

As for forging a partnership with Ms. Aquino — she will also serve as a “key advisor” for iflix, playing role in jointly developing projects for iflix Original Productions — he said: “We wanted to make sure that we had enough data, about what people [like], and what was missing in the market.”

At the iflix event, Ms. Aquino held one of her signature no-holds barred interviews, speaking about several issues relating to her career and her personal experiences with iflix. “They’re also binge-watching me,” she said, and backing this up with data, she said, “You’ve actually given me 60 million minutes of your time. Thank you.”

Iflix is also offering the Kris Aquino Exemption, said Mr. Brit. This came about when Ms. Aquino was stuck in traffic one day, and therefore was able to watch all 10 of episodes of a show within her download cap, she appealed for Mr. Brit to lift or extend the cap to more than 10 episodes when downloading local content. “I don’t know if he was just pulling my leg,” said Ms. Aquino of Mr. Britt. Greeted by cheers, she looked at Mr. Britt and said, “He’s clapping! I guess it’s true.”

As for her movie, details of the release and its plot being withheld in the meantime. “Oh my God, it was real; it was worth the wait,” said Ms. Aquino, discussing her negotiations with iflix, which she called her “longest courtship” (which is really saying something, if you’ve been following her lovelife since she brought Randy Santiago to her prom).

Ms. Aquino was all praises for iflix, as she said that she believes in a company which “believes in our country.” With monthly payments of P99 for five devices, Ms. Aquino said: “They’ve practically killed piracy.”

She cited a recent incident when her internet connection was cut off when her homeowners’ association accidentally severed her fiber optic cable while pruning a tree in the neighborhood. She said the five days without internet was torture” for her sons. “We cannot live anymore without being connected… this is not just the future, this is now,” she said about working with iflix. — J.L. Garcia

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