Just on the very first time that he set foot on the stage of “Pilipinas Got Talent” Season 7 and showcased his formidable and astonishing flair in spinning his top or trumpo, everyone already had the hunch that the reality competition’s next grand champion was standing and performing right in front of us—and he’s none other than Ricardo “Cardong Trumpo” Cadavero.
While we had only witnessed the outcomes of his intensive training and rigorous preparations during his performances on the show, what we had not seen were the struggles, setbacks, and obstacles that he had to hurdle before he was able to make it to the prestigious competition and snag the coveted grand winner title. And a few weeks after his historic and momentous victory, Cardong Trumpo allowed us to take a peek on his life prior to fame via the latest episode of “Maalaala Mo Kaya” that featured his inspiring story of grit to greatness, in which he was portrayed by seasoned actor JM de Guzman.
He may have represented Cavite during his stint, but Cardo, who’s fondly called “Ricky” by his loved ones and other people close to him, originally hails from South Cotabato. Along with his parents Ruperto (Allan Paule) and Editha (Ana Abad Santos) and his two younger siblings Resty and Ranie, they apparently used to have a comfortable life back then.
However, despite their family’s socio-economic status, Ricky still didn’t have a beautiful childhood. Ruperto cheated on Editha by sexually abusing one of their helpers, Lanie, who happened to be just a minor. Even though what he did was very painful and unforgivable, Editha still chose to forgive Ruperto and agreed that they come with him to North Cotabato to start afresh.
Just when Editha assumed that her husband would finally change after their move, Ruperto once again committed the same crime, but this time with their remaining helper Tess (Julia Santiago). He didn’t just get her pregnant but he also ran away with her, leaving behind his wife and three children.
Due to the weight of the burdens that she had to face and process all at once, Editha almost lost her mind, to the point that she already wanted to die. As the firstborn, Ricky didn’t just watch his mom get deranged, for he was also compelled to step up and take on the responsibility of feeding his younger brothers. And during that time, he found solace and escape in playing his wooden spinning top, which he learned from his former playmates in their hometown.
Making matters worse for the four of them was when the bank had to seize the house they were living at after Ruperto failed to pay for the monthly amortization. With nowhere to go, they knocked on people’s doors to seek temporary shelter until a relative of theirs offered to adopt them into their abode in Dasmariñas, Cavite.
There, he and his mother worked as farmers, as well as met the love of his life, Malou (Jennica Garcia). Although her other suitors were totally better than him when it comes to being financially stable, it was still him whom Malou chose to marry and have children with. As he strived to become a good partner to his wife and a doting dad to their four brood—a total contrast to how his father was to their family—the ghost of Ricky’s traumatic past continued to haunt him, for there were instances when he saw Ruperto in other people.
After being fired from his job as a construction worker, Ricky didn’t waste any time and decided to sell fish balls and other snacks on sticks via his makeshift food cart. The income may be meager and inconsistent, yet he still preferred to do it instead of heeding Malou’s suggestion for them to seek the help of her father. It was because aside from it was her dad who provided their house, he didn’t want her family to completely look down at him.
Although they’re able to manage their daily needs and bills, Malou once again brought up the need for them to borrow money from her parents since their two older children already needed a laptop for their school requirements. Ricky once again refused the idea and assured her that he would find a way to buy their daughters a laptop, which he was able to eventually fulfill, much to the delight of Mariz and Rhea.
While it was already usual for them to get financially strapped, things got worse for them when their firstborn had to be rushed to the hospital after suddenly fainting during their lyre rehearsals at school. Since they didn’t have money then, Malou had to ask for help from her father for the hospital bills, which hurt Ricky’s ego since he failed to deliver on his promise of taking care of their family’s needs.
Along with that trouble, his fish ball business slowed down too and he couldn’t keep up with his family’s growing need, which prompted him to turn back to trumpo spinning as he planned to join a barangay talent contest. He trained so hard while sidehustling in construction and having to sell his fish ball cart.
Before Editha passed away, she asked Ricky to finally forgive his father not necessarily for Ruperto but for himself. A misunderstanding then ensued between Ricky and Malou, as he felt jealous upon catching her speaking to one of her former suitors.
Moreover, Ricky expressed his fear that Malou would end up leaving him as well like what his father did, for he wasn’t able to fulfill his promises to her before they got married. Malou chastised him for antagonizing her and reminded him that they’re supposed to be allies and be on each other’s side. She further told him that he was slowly becoming like him with how he easily lost his patience to their kids.
Since he was able to keep his winning streak in the barangay talent contests that he participated in, Ricky mustered the courage to compete on TV, specifically on “It’s Showtime,’ where he used the stage name “Trumpo Maskter.” Little did he know that that opportunity would lead him to face something that he had long been trying to forget.
While he was seemingly shooting something for his stint on the noontime show, Ruperto suddenly appeared out of nowhere and asked for his forgiveness for everything that he had done in the past. It might be painful for him to recall what his father had done and what his mother and siblings had to go through after he abandoned them, yet Ricky still chose to be nice towards him.
Instead of lashing out at him just like how he initially pictured their reunion would be, he instantly forgave him and even requested for them to hug, which was his way of finally setting himself and his dad free from his wrath after so many years.
Another surprise came to Ricky when he received a call from a staff of “Pilipinas Got Talent” to inquire if he would like to take part in a seventh season of the competition. He initially turned it down for he was overcome with fear, assuming that he was too old to even try and there was someone else more deserving than him. They invited him the second time so he could catch the last day of auditions and he finally accepted it, with Malou prodding him to join and encouraging him to believe in himself just this once.
He got standing ovation and four “yes” from all the judges during the auditions, as well as made it until the semifinals and grand finals, where he gave his best in playing with his tops.
In the end, Ricky attained the coveted grand winner title and prizes. He conveyed that he never imagined experiencing victory at the age of 55, but he believes that everything became possible because of the love and support of his wife and children who consistently believed in him. And that for him is already a huge win.
Takeaways from Cardong Trumpo’s life story
Around a year after the last time that we’d seen him in an ABS-CBN Studios teleserye, many had surely missed seeing JM de Guzman act on TV. Thus, we can all agree that his impressive portrayal of “PGT” Season 7 grand winner Cardong Trumpo in this episode of “Maalaala Mo Kaya” was indeed a perfect comeback for him.
Just like what he always does, the seasoned actor once again astounded us with his dramatic flair, heartfelt delivery of his lines, and compelling interpretation of his character.
At the same time, his onscreen partner Jennica Garcia was able to really complement him through her effective depiction of Ricky’s wife, Malou. Despite their limited exposures, veterans Ana Abad Santos and Allan Paule were all able to provide what their respective roles had required from them.
While Allan succeeded in making us upset over Ruperto, Ana made us feel the pain of Editha after everything that she and her children went through.
The inspiring story of Cardong Trumpo reminds us how important it really is for parents to not only be present in the lives of their children growing up, but for them to also treat their brood well and become good examples to them. As what we’re able to see on the episode, being abused and abandoned by his father when he was still young had indeed taken a toll on Ricky even until he became an adult. So, if we don't want them to carry the weight of their past experiences as they grow old, then parents must aim to raise and take good care of their children well.
Ricky is also proof that a man didn’t need to have a lot of money and be able to buy everything that his wife and children want just for him to become a great partner and father to his family. Regardless of their socio-economic status, fathers only need to be responsible, gumptious (or madiskarte), strong, loving, and determined for them to become good “haligi ng tahanan.”
There may be instances when he would get weak, stumble, and fall in life, yet that doesn’t mean that Ricky was not already a good dad. As host Charo Santos stated, true fatherhood is measured by how he never gives up and how often he continues to keep spinning—just like a trumpo.
Brilliant screenwriter Akeem Datol Del Rosario and top-caliber director Raymund B. Ocampo, along with the rest of the MMK team, once again succeeded in delivering a heart-warming, masterfully executed, and well-written narrative.
Here are some of the tweets posted by Kapamilya netizens on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the Cardong Trumpo Story episode of MMK:
Whose inspiring story are we going to see in the next episode of “MMK”? Find out by not missing fresh episodes every Wednesday on iWant and every Saturday on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, and ALLTV.