February is known as the love month.
T-Rex Entertainment is screening Moonlight Over Baler, a timeless love story encompassing two important events in the country: World War II in the ‘40s and EDSA Revolution in the ‘80s.
It tells of a love story that started during the Japanese-American War in the Pacific in the ‘40s and ended in the turbulent years of the last years of the Marcos regime in the ‘80s.
Moonligh Over Baler stars Elizabeth Oropesa, Ellen Adarna, and the love team of Vin Abrenica and Sophie Albert. Daria Ramirez, Menggie Cobarrubias, and Angie Perro also play important roles. Rex Tiri is the executive producer while Eric Ramos wrote the Palanca-winning screenplay upon which director Gil Portes based the film.
The pre-Valentine offering features the haunting “O Maliwanag na Buwan” as theme song.
Set in the scenic and historical town of Baler in Aurora Province, the film opens with a Japanese journalist (Kenji) visiting Baler after covering the EDSA Revolution. By strange coincidence, he is the spitting image of the great love of a retired spinster teacher (Oropesa), who was killed during the war, a soldier (Nestor and also portrayed by Abrenica). Albert plays the young Fidela (played by Oropesa in the 80s segment of the film).
Their paths meet, leading to a special friendship. The Japanese falls in love with the town’s beauty, Aurora, (played by Adarna). Fidela, now a retired teacher, approves of the relationship. Somewhere along the way, violence erupts when another suitor beats the Japanese black and blue, prompting him to leave Baler. He surrenders his love for the town’s belle over the objections of the retired teacher.
The events lead the teacher to reckon with her tragic past. She feels she was to blame for the death of her sweetheart and to date carries the guilt and the loss of love.
The ending is bittersweet, a once sad and happy, proving that love conquers all, that love is here to stay. As the song goes, “The world will always welcome lovers as time goes by.”
★★★★★
Pinoy showbiz fans rejoiced when they heard that Karylle bagged the lead role in Private Investigator (PI), a Singapore-based TV crime thriller in August 2016.
More than just a timely recognition of her acting prowess, the role was also a fitting personal triumph and career breakthrough for the recording artist and It’s Showtime host as it marked her initial foray in the Asian television circuit.
After a hectic two-month shooting schedule and post-production work, the series is finally premiered in Singapore via Mediacorp Channel 5 on Jan. 9.
“I’m very excited that the show is now airing in Singapore!” Karylle exclaims.
“All the hard work, all the prayers, and the production team’s trust and confidence in me paid off well, and I hope that our Asian-based kababayans will watch it.”
Karylle plays Maia, a pole-dancer-single-parent-cum private-investigator caught in a web of lies and deceit in the one season (13 episode) series produced by Mediacorp, Singapore’s leading TV network.
She stars alongside other established Asian actors including Carl Ng, Vanessa Vanderstraaten, Kathiravan Kandavelu, Joyce Ng, Najib Soiman, Shane Mardjuki, Terence Tay, and Kaidon Jinyan, The series is directed by Ian Seymour.
For the risqué role as a pole dancer, Karylle donned blonde hair and revealing outfits, as seen in the three-minute trailer. She also took a challenging crash course in pole dancing under her Showtime dance colleagues. And as can be gleaned from the show’s intense, gripping action scenes, Karylle also underwent rigorous physical training.
Despite taking a leave from Showtime for almost two months for the shoot, Karylle never felt homesick as she was always in touch with her Singapore-based Filipino fans, mostly in the F&B industry.
She also enjoyed the frequent visits of hubby Yael Yuzon, her manager Arnold Vegafria, as well as her Showtime co-hosts.
PI marks Karylle’s third time to work in Singapore. In 2011, she played Maddie in The Kitchen Musical (along with Christian Bautista) shown in 19 countries via AXN and for which she got a Best Actress nomination at the 52nd Monte Carlo TV Festival. Then the following year, she played the role of Tala in Point of Entry, also produced by Mediacorp.
PI airs in Singapore 10p.m. Monday to Thursday on Mediacorp Channel 5. The series will also be shown in other Asian countries.
Filipino televiewers based in the Philippines may also catch the episodes via: toggle.sg/pich5.
★★★★★
80s Idols’ Manilyn Reynes, Tina Paner, Sheryl Cruz and Kempee De Leon reunite in GMA’s Meant To Be top billed by Kapuso star Barbie Forteza with her four leading men Ivan Dorschner, Addy Raj with Jak Roberto and Ken Chan.
After more than 30 years, the Triplets join forces to add star power to GMA’s opening salvo for next year. Manilyn, Sheryl and Tina are all equally excited to work with each other and with the rest of the cast members.
They promised that this reunion project will be loved by their fans and will make them happy. “Sa social media, they are really looking forward to watching us,” Manilyn said in an interview.
In the early 2000s, they got separated because Sheryl decided to lie-low from showbiz and lived in the United States, while Tina stayed in Spain.
Even though they’ve been apart, they are still close to each other. “Hindi pa rin naputol ‘yung friendship namin. And your friends will always remain friends lalo na kapag nasa loob ng puso niyo ang bawat isa,” said Sheryl.
The actresses are really thankful to GMA Network for bringing them together to star in this drama series. “I was just hoping and praying na sana one day ‘yung Triplets mabuo. Thank you to GMA for this opportunity, “Tina said.
In the series, Manilyn plays the role of Amelia, Billie’s (Barbie) mother and twin sister of Suzy (Tina) who works as a municipal clerk. Because of a misunderstanding with husband Wilton (De Leon), she will bravely raise her children on her own.
Tina is Suzy, Amelia’s fraternal twin, is the mean and pushy mother of Mariko (Mika Dela Cruz). Since they were young, she has always been jealous of Amelia, hating her and her niece, Billie.
Meanwhile, Sheryl plays as Ethan’s (Ivan) driven and goal-oriented mother, Beatriz. She works as an assistant in a lifestyle magazine based in London but returns to the Philippines to head her own publication.
Amelia, Lucy and Beatriz were best of friends during college and a trio singing group back then. Unfortunately, their group disbanded and they took different paths in their lives.
Kempee plays a vital role as Amelia’s husband, Wilton, the cool and naughty father of Billie. After his separation with Amelia, he changed himself and became responsible until a big problem came his way.
Will Amelia and Wilton get back together? Or will things just get worst? How are these characters going to affect the story of Billie and her handsome princes: Ethan, Jai, Macoy and Yuan?
Know their stories and catch Amelia, Lucy, Beatriz and Wilton in Meant To Be on GMA Telebabad.