‘We feel that the Barbie-David love team deserves an original material like their Klay-Fidel characters in “Maria Clara at Ibarra”’
THE Barbie Forteza-David Licauco series “Maging Sino Ka Man” ran for less than two months and it failed to make a dent at the higher ratings of Coco Martin’s “Batang Quiapo.” Too bad since their “Maria Clara at Ibarra” had already established them as a major love team. Take note “Maria Clara” is an original show, unlike “Maging Sino Ka Man” which is an adaptation of a blockbuster 1991 movie.

We’re really wondering why GMA chose this as the follow-up project for Barbie and David, when the same title and the theme song had already been used by ABS-CBN in 2006 with John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo.
We feel that the Barbie-David love team deserves an original material like their Klay-Fidel characters in “Maria Clara at Ibarra” that captured the hearts of viewers even if it’s already common knowledge that Barbie has a boyfriend, Jak Roberto.
To begin with, the characters they played in “Maging Sino” didn’t fit them well, specially David as a sanggano-bad boy type that just doesn’t suit him. He is best playing a Korean type of executive, looking debonaire in classy suits and exuding a suplado image.
As one of our helpers said: “Si David, ‘di bagay na bad boy. Mas bagay sayang bebe boy.” And he just lacks the “angas” the role calls for. Sana, hindi nasayang ang success ng Klay-Fidel love team with Dino-Carding not doing well.
And while we’re at it, we hope GMA will take note their original shows like “Abot Kamay na Pangarap,” “Prima Donnas,” “First Yaya,” “Lolong,” “Royal Blood,” to name a few, all did well compared to the remakes they did, so we think they better come up with more original ideas thank just bank on remakes or adaptations.
***
Matteo Guidicelli’s career is on a roll. After not having acted for sometime, he now has a new TV action-drama series on GMA-7, “Black Rider,” that airs weeknight after “24 Oras,” and a new fantasy-action movie, “Penduko,” for Viva Films.
His last acting assignment on TV was “Bagani” on ABS-CBN in 2018, then he focused on hosting game shows like “Masked Singer Pilipinas” and “Born to be a Star” on TV5. He now enjoys working with the cast and staff of “Black Rider.”
On the big screen, he feels blessed to have been chosen to play Pedro Penduko in Viva Films’ official entry in the coming Metro Manila Film Festival opening in theaters this Christmas Day. He is asked if he’d ever invite his wife, Sarah Geronimo, to join him as a Kapuso.
“We never know,” he says. “She is officially with Viva and it’s up to Boss Vic del Rosario what his plans for her are. But it would be nice if we could work here together.”
He no longer wants to answer questions as to when they will have a baby. “A baby is a gift from above, so it all depends on the Lord kung kailan Niya kami bibigyan. We leave it all up to Him.”
***
Showing this Friday, November 10, is “Japino,” made for Vivamax by acclaimed filmmaker Brillante Mendoza as producer of his Centerstage Productions. This was filmed on location in Fukuoka and in the winter capital of Sapporo, Japan last January in the middle of the icy winter season.
“Sobrang lamig, nagne-negative zero ang weather,” says Denise Esteban, who is one of the four main stars of “Japino,” the others being Vince Rillon, Angela Morena and Ali Asistio. “I got so excited when they told me I’d be a part of this movie, kasi first time ko po lumabas ng bansa at mag-abroad. Tapos sa Japan pa at makakita ako ng snow for the first time din.”
But she almost didn’t make it because she was detained by the immigration official at our airport. “Nakatuwaan yata ako kasi noong tinanong kung ano ang gagawin ko sa Japan, akala yata magti-TNT ako roon. Pinatawag ako sa loob ng and I was interviewed for half an hour. Kabadong-kabado ako kasi baka lumipad na ang eroplano namin papuntang Japan nang wala ako. Tiyak na papalitan na ako sa cast.
“Kung anu-ano ang hiningi, hindi lang birth certificate ko kundi pati marriage contract ng parents ko, pati ID ng father ko. When they asked me kung anong work ko, sabi ko, artista ako sa Viva. Ano raw movies na ang nagawa ko? So I opened the Viva app and showed them my movies. Finally, they let go of me at umabot pa ako sa flight namin to Japan.”
Is there a possibility she might fall for a Japanese guy in real life? “Puede naman kasi sa experience ko, mababait sila. ‘Yung mga na-meet namin sa shoot, puro magagalang, yuko ng yuko to show respect. At napaka-honest nila roon. Mag-iwan ka ng gamit mo, hindi mawawala, pagbalik mo nandoon pa rin.”
She says she is proud to be part of a film like “Japino” that offers insights about the life of Filipino overseas workers abroad. “Dito sa atin, kapag nagtatrabaho ka sa abroad, akala nila, marami kang pera. But I realized hindi madali ang buhay ng mga kababayan nating nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa. Anumang kinikita nila roon, pinaghihirapan nila nang husto. At totoo rin ‘yung feeling na sobrang maho-homesick kasi lahat ng mahal mo sa buhay, malayo sa iyo.”