Ina Raymundo represents the . She survived the collapse of the studio system, the rise of reality TV, the death of FHM , and the migration to Netflix and YouTube. Her career is a living archive of the Philippine entertainment industry’s structural changes.
In the fast-paced, often-forgetful world of Philippine show business, few names have maintained a consistent glow for over two decades. Ina Raymundo is one of those rare figures. While her contemporaries have faded from the limelight, Raymundo has successfully pivoted from a ’90s matinee idol to a modern-day wellness icon and social media influencer.
In lectures on Media 101 or Philippine Popular Culture , students analyze how Raymundo managed her second act . In an industry that notoriously discards female stars once they reach a certain age (usually 35), Raymundo continued to thrive. One of the most discussed topics in UPD’s Mass Communication corridors is the rise of the Momshie (mother-friend) influencer. Raymundo is a prime example. She transformed her family life—her marriage to Brian Poturnak and her four children—into compelling popular media content.
Why does a former commercial model and actress warrant scholarly attention at UPD’s College of Mass Communication? This article explores the intersection of Ina Raymundo’s career, the evolution of Filipino popular media, and how UPD academics and students utilize her work as a case study for aging, branding, and digital transformation. To understand why Ina Raymundo is relevant to UPD’s curriculum, one must first look at her unique positioning in the entertainment landscape. She rose to fame in the mid-1990s as part of the "Softdrink Girls"—a generation of brand ambassadors who became celebrities purely through television commercials.
As the university continues to study the digital shift in , Ina Raymundo stands as a testament to adaptability. She is not just surviving the new world order of show business; she is defining it. And for that, she deserves a spot in the syllabus. Meta Description: Explore how Ina Raymundo’s career evolution serves as a key case study at UPD for entertainment content, popular media, feminism, and digital branding in the Philippines.