THERE is a scene in Mike de Leon’s Citizen Jake that has remained in my mind. Even months after I saw the film, I clearly remember the scene when horse caretaker Jonie (played by Adrian Alandy, formerly known as Luis Alandy) breaks down by a staircase, his betrayal made known to his childhood friend Jake (Atom Araullo). You can see it in every fiber of Adrian’s body when he made the painful realization that he’s just a servant to Araullo’s master.
It was a performance of Adrian that resonated with shame, fear, inequality, pain and outrage. It boggles my mind why he isn’t nominated for any award for that performance. He deserves to land more acting gigs if you ask me.
That’s why I am delighted to learn that Adrian is now part of the new afternoon soap Kadenang Ginto on ABS-CBN.
Kadenang Ginto is an intense family drama that shimmers with love but is tainted by hate. Adrian plays Carlos, the struggling but ideal boyfriend of Romina (Beauty Gonzalez). They were set to wed but the day before their wedding, Romina gets raped by an unknown man—a crime that will change their lives forever.
Carlos breaks up with Romina unable to handle the tragedy, even blaming Romina for what happened.
But Romina’s woes ain’t over. Alone and abandoned, she finds herself with child as a result of the horrific rape and finds refuge in Robert (Albert Martinez), the owner of the company she works for.
They will eventually become lovers, but Daniela (Robert’s daughter played with aplomb by Dimples Romana) will get in their way and do everything to tear them apart. Alas, Daniela is unsuccessful in her schemes and eventually runs away ending up with Romina’s Carlos (que horror!) and together, they have a daughter, Margaret.
Romina then gets married to Robert and have a daughter, Cassandra. Things get even weirder when Daniela and Carlos return to get their share of the company that is now run by Robert and Romina.
While the plot may be loopy and convoluted for some, the soap is actually a hit and is lording over the ratings for the network. No small thanks, of course, to the compelling performances by its stars, especially Adrian’s.
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THE viewing experience of SKY subscribers receives a boost as the service launches its all-new SKY On Demand box that enables access to HD cable TV and streaming from Netflix, YouTube, and its very own online streaming service for subscribers, SKY On Demand—all from the same box.
With the SKY On Demand box, subscribers can enjoy premium channels like HBO, Cinemax, Fox Sports, Food Network Asia and Discovery Channel, as well as exclusive channels on SKYcable like Cinema One and Metro Channel. Meanwhile, when they want to enjoy shows on either Netflix or YouTube, they can easily switch to their preferred platform with just one press of a button via the built-in access on the remote control. On top of this, subscribers can catch up on their favorite local and foreign cable shows using the SKY On Demand app on the new box.
Besides the built-in apps, subscribers can enjoy the many benefits of the SKY On Demand box.
Monitoring a different show while watching another channel on the same TV is made possible with the new picture-in-picture (PIP) mode, so subscribers can browse other content on their TV screen without missing out on the show they’re watching.
Subscribers can also take advantage of the multifunction personal video recorder feature so they can record multiple shows they would like to catch on their preferred time. Another feature is the SKY On Demand Box Remote app that enables subscribers to stream cable channels and do private listening so they can watch shows on TV without distracting other family members at home. The app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play.
The SKY On Demand box is initially available in Metro Manila for as low as P1,999. More information is available at www.mysky.com.ph/sodbox.