First posted 10:05pm (Mla time) Mar 04, 2006
By Paul Daza
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on page A3-2 of the March 5, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

"SA PILING MO," ABS-CBN´S NEW soap opera starring Judy Ann Santos and Piolo Pascual, has a lovely vibe that sets it apart from other soaps on prime time television. The show makes full use of the onscreen chemistry between the two leads, who continue to shine though their love team is several years old-they´re virtual senior citizen in this age of instant stars. Not only that, it´s a "manufactured" love team, one that ceases to exist when cameras aren´t rolling.

In spite of this, fans can´t seem to get enough of the "Piolo-Juday" pair, as the show´s impressive ratings show. The story of "Sa Piling Mo" (With You By My Side) cleverly exploits Judy Ann´s martyr-for-love persona, and Piolo´s puppy-like, kawawa appeal. She´s Jennifer, a spunky girl who helps people place bets at cockfights in the rural town of San Dionisio in the late 1990s. He´s Adrian, a blind singer who serenades customers in a barrio restaurant. He and Jennifer have been friends since childhood and have recently

Adrian needs three hundred thousand pesos for an eye operation in Manila. If he doesn´t go under the knife soon, he will be blind forever. Jennifer must find a way to raise the money even though Adrian has forbidden her from ever going to another cockfight.

Yes, of course, there´s nothing original about the characters and their predicament. You get the feeling you´ve seen it all before in a Viva komiks melodrama from the ´80s, or even from another ABS-CBN teleserye. And Piolo Pascual as a folk singer? Didn´t he just play one in last January´s blockbuster movie "Don´t Give Up On Us," which also teamed him up with Judy Ann Santos?

Juday has never looked more radiant than in "Sa Piling Mo," but she simply doesn´t look like a barrio lass. Piolo is as handsome as ever, but he isn´t completely convincing as a blind person. And yet, when their characters profess their love for one another and (gasp!) make love in a scene that pushes the boundaries of the MTRCB´s PG rating, the scene sizzles and crackles with the flame of a passionate, idealized love.

So far, the show´s best scenes are those that present the young couple as being naively optimistic about their future together. The scene where Piolo rehearses his marriage proposal to Juday, not knowing that she can hear him, was quite moving. His line, "Hindi ka nakikita ng mga mata ko, pero nakikita ka ng puso ko," (I can see you through my heart) is an eloquent, economical summary of the show´s theme, and its characters´ sad but challenging plight. It may seem cheesy on paper, but Piolo´s delivery of the line and Judy Ann´s pitch-perfect reaction make it work wonderfully.

It´s too early to tell if "Sa Piling Mo" will become like just another soap populated by caricatures instead of characters, especially when the other actors, like Albert Martinez and Rica Peralejo, make their appearances. For now, all one can do is be as optimistic about the show´s future as Jennifer and Adrian are about their love life. At this point, all that can be really said about "Sa Piling Mo" is that it´s off to a very good start.