I chanced upon TV genius and one of the people behind the success of Los Bastardos, Ruel S. Bayani, in an elevator and before I could flash him a smile, he suddenly barked, “Jet Valle! Kailangan ko ba dalhin ang mga Los Bastardos boys sa opisina mo para lang masulat mo sila?!?!” “Direk, hindi naman po,” I replied demurely. “Busy lang po, but promise I will write about the show.”
And so here I am fulfilling a promise.
For those who don’t know, Los Bastardos is an intense afternoon drama aired on ABS-CBN on weekdays, after Kadenang Ginto. Based on the “Cardinal Bastards” series of Precious Hearts Romances, Los Bastardos tells the story of five brothers who must fight each other for the power and the money of the Cardinal family, led by its patriarch Don Roman Cardinal.
The story summation in the press kit goes: Don Roman will lead a happy life with his small family until tragedy strikes that will lead him to look for true love from four other women. He will sire five sons from five different women. There is Isagani, Don Roman’s long-lost son with his first love; Joaquin, the only son who’ll grow up under his care; Matteo, who will grow up with the rival family of the Cardinals; Connor, who will become a conman bent on destroying the Cardinal wealth; and Lucas, who will grow up not knowing the man he serves is his own father. Although they come from different worlds, they are bound together by the same blood.
If you love a good drama, enjoy the crackling tension of love triangles, heartbreak and sexual awakening, and think you can solve the mystery of who really deserves the Cardinal wealth, then you will adore Los Bastardos. It’s actually a smart sexy drama that manages to tackle issues while simultaneously weaving in a pretty engaging family drama.
While the show is sold on the strength of its male lead performers (and rightfully so), it’s the women and the veteran actors who add los trios of sugar, spice and everything nice in the show: Marijoy Apostol, Jane Oineza, Ritz Azul, Perla Bautista, Ana Santos, Joyce Ann Burton, Pinky Amador, Jeffrey Santos, Isabel Rivas, Lito Pimentel, Rosanna Roces and Bert Reyes. Standouts are Mica Javier, who just looks sublime in every scene she’s in; and Kylie Verzosa, who surprised me with her acting abilities. These two should be given more breaks, if you ask me.
Anyway, the male lead performers of the show that I regrettably passed on the chance of a personal visit are Jake Cuenca, Albie Casiño, Joshua Colet and Marco Gumabao.
Yes Jake, with his intensity and abs! Albie, with his impish smile and abs! Marco, who has the face of an angel and the body of a sinner because of those abs! And Joshua, whose mestizo features are just divine paired with those abs!
Direk Ruel, I hope you find it in your precious heart to forgive me and help me in finding romance by fulfilling your promise of bringing these gorgeous guys doing a meet and greet with me, the one and only Los Bastarda.
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Five years after Supertyphoon Yolanda, seven survivors from different walks of life who helped rebuild their communities share their stories of hope in a music video released by ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. (ALKFI).
The video, which featured the song “Pagka’t Nariyan Ka” by Star Music artist Sam Mangubat, was posted on the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya YouTube page on November 8, the anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda. Seen in the video are Imelda Padrigano, a baker from Salcedo, Eastern Samar; Fidelina Villagracia, a mother who works as a tour guide in San Juan by the Bay, Santa Rita, Samar; Rotchie Castil, a teacher and social-media manager from Sabang, Daguitan, who helps his community by publicizing their various tourism efforts online; and Imelda Eusebio, a health and sanitation officer from Dagami, Leyte, who worked to help provide clean and accessible water to her community. Joining them are Fe Bantigue, a midwife from Jiabong, Samar, who walked three hours to and from work daily before new health centers were built in remote barangays; Susan Austero, a woman who achieved her dreams of working in the food industry thanks to new educational programs; and Susan Cadaro, a Typhoon Yolanda evacuee-turned-volunteer who found her vocation in helping fellow evacuees.
These survivors are the direct beneficiaries of the projects of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya. Through its program Operation Sagip (formerly known as Sagip Kapamilya), ALKFI has reached 3.6 million survivors through immediate relief assistance; 425 individuals by installing water facility in Dagami, Leyte; and 9,994 families by way of building Barangay Health Units and installing health facilities in Jiabong and Hinabangan in Samar and Jaro, and San Miguel in Leyte.