Forevermore Has Arrived

Sa pagbalik ko sa Benguet to resume my contributing writer duties for Forevermore, may napansin ako when I saw Enrique and Liza again: they are closer to each other already. Magkatabi na sa tent. Nagbibiruan at nagtatawanan na. Sabay na kumakain pag break. The rising Forevermore fever wasn’t just on the ratings game at trending topics… Pati sa mas gumagandang samahan ng LizQuen on and offcam.

At that time, the word of mouth about Forevermore was spreading like a wildfire. Kung gaano kalamig ang panahon sa location, ganun naman kainit ang pagtanggap sa serye. Most requested ang LizQuen na mag-guest sa  ibang mga TV shows. Pero dahil sa Benguet ang taping everyday, hindi namin ma-accommodate. Kahit nga mall show sa mismong SM Baguio, hindi namin nagawa. Naging tourist spot bigla ang La Presa. Andaming gustong makarating, at may mga nakarating. Dumami ang mga tindahan sa paligid ng location. Yung dating maririnig mo ang boses ni direk kahit malayo dahil sa tahimik, napalitan ng ingay. Masayang ingay na nagsasabing, “Forevermore has arrived.”

Forevermore's Creative Team with Marco

On the set with "Forevermore" geniuses, Mark Angos,
Jay Fernando and Generiza Reyes

The challenge for all of us in “Forevermore” then was how to keep the momentum.  I won’t call it pressure, but there was effort on everyone in the show na manatiling mataas ang mga bagay-bagay, especially ang kwento. We had to retain our audience’s interest, at mas dumami pa. Hindi lahat ng programa, nabibigyan ng ganitong pagkakataong mapatuloy sa inyong mga tahanan gabi-gabi. During that time, ang peg hanggang February lang ang serye, in time for Panagbenga. But with the rate of how things were going, malabo. It was most likely extended. At nagkatotoo nga.

Liza and Yves at the ukay-ukay store set.

What was amazing was Liza’s sudden rise to fame in just a matter of weeks. At hindi lang dahil maganda siya, as most would say, but more so dahil ang galing galing niya as Agnes. Hindi natin naramdaman yung twang niya, she talked and moved like a pure native, and if you didn’t know who she was before, hindi mo maiisip na mixed ang lahi niya. She suddenly turned into every boy’s dream girl, and every girl’s peg for beauty. Napatunayan yung “the leading lady to watch for” na binigay namin sa kanya. But up in La Presa, she remained the Liza we knew before the series’ pilot aired. Kahit andami-daming nagpapa-picture sa kanya sa La Presa, go at smile lang. She wasn’t letting the sudden fame get into her. Parang wala lang. She’d still wake up early in the morning to study her lines. She would mingle with everyone, especially the La Presa peeps, like she’s just your ordinary girl. Not Agnes or Liza the televiewers have come to love like their own.

Enrique, with Marco Gumabao, practiced shooting while on taping break.

We were so happy for Enrique din because, we thought, finally that role after Dasho Jao na in-embrace ng manunood. He did well in his past series naman before “Forevermore”. Pero yung tumatak, ito talaga. Through the serye, he was proving his “next leading man”, and more. He made Xander the most lovable prince charming on primetime. Xander na ang tawag sa kanya ng ilang nakakakita sa kanya on location. At may loveteam na siyang he can call his own in Liza. Yet just like his on screen partner, Enrique remained that guy we all loved from Princess And I. Nakita naming mas inspired at double ang hardwork niya for the show. He wanted to make it work - the serye, and the tandem.

The coat I was wearing that Enrique
made fun of.

Naglaro ng kadang-kadang sa set si Enrique.

Xander trying to catch Agnes' pageant.

My most memorable taping experience in Benguet was on the set of the “Run Xander Run” episode, to air the following day. Naalala ko, ilang beses naputol ang taping namin dahil nagkakagulo ang mga tao. And hindi lang sa isang location, marami-rami rin yun because ang kinukunan ay yung pagtakbo ni Xander para maabutan ang pageant ni Agnes sa story. I was supposed to be part of a scene nga, but it had to be cut dahil wala nang time to tape, may hinahabol pang araw. Liza was in another unit, so mas si Enrique ang nakita ko. He would catch naps in between takes, but once he opened his eyes, wala na, ang taas na ng energy uli. He would run, jump… Nakipagkulitan, made fun of my coat, at naglaro pa ng kadang-kadang with Marco Gumabao sa gitna ng kalye.

On the set with Quen

Later that night, nagsama na sina Quen at Liza sa isang unit. I was there when she was taping that scene when Agnes had to dance all by herself dahil hindi nakaabot si Xander. That was the point when I officially became a fan of Liza as an actress – ang galing niya nung lumuluha siya while dancing. I was moved. Naramdaman ko siya. Hanggang umere yung eksena, yung level ng paghanga ko sa kanya, iba. At mas na-move pa ako when Enrique joined the scene, when he was saying sorry na pero ayaw ni Agnes. The two were more than just a loveteam – they were good acting partners. They complimented each other, thus their tandem was working.

One of the things I did while in Benguet, to avoid "homesickness",
was to watch "Be Careful With My Heart"

But after almost 2 weeks, kailangan ko na uling bumalik ng Maynila. At hindi na uli ako pinabalik, hanggang matapos ang taon. I missed everyone in Benguet, especially the creative team and LizQuen. But it was better for me because I was with my family, and I resumed my “life” here. Naho-homesick ako. E silang mga natira, nag-stay na dun hanggang “forever pa more” as we put it. Hindi na sila bumababa even on weekends, pinapahinga na lang nila ang rest day. Unless important, or other commitments, like ang LizQuen if may endorsement shoot. December 23 going 24 na nga, nagte-tape pa sila. But I guess part of the reason why the series and the loveteam worked is na-maintain yung “mystery” – na malayo sila sa atin, at sa show lang sila nakikita. Para silang mga Koreanovela stars na gusto mong makita at dayuhin. We were curious what was going on up there sa tapings.

Kit Thompson (as Julius Saavedra) at La Presa set

Well, the everyday tapings, at yung layo sa Maynila at nakagisnang buhay, na kami-kami, sila-sila lang ang magkakasama worked well for Liza and Enrique, dahil na-develop ng husto… Ang friendship nila! Kayo ha! Seriously, they got to know each other so well, naging mas solid at kumportable na sila sa isa’t isa. Hindi ko man na sila nakasama na before the year ended, but sa rushes at sa mga kwento ng staff, you knew na nagkakaroon na ng special connection ang bawat isa. At hindi lang naman silang dalawa… Naging malaking pamilya ang “Forevermore”, from the cast down to its staff.

Dito sa Maynila, sobrang ramdam ang “Forevermore” fever. Level na pati mga kaibigang matagal akong hindi kinausap, biglang nag-message sa Facebook, asking for fan sign from LizQuen. May ilan ding gustong dumalaw sa La Presa at nagpapasama. At ang mga fans ng XagNes and/or LizQuen, sobrang ingay na sa Social Media. Hooked na sila sa kwento at sa chemistry ng LizQuen, level na when Sofia Andres’ Kate character came in and started haranguing the lives of the characters, dumami ang bashers niya. Pati naming staff especially the creative team.

Forevermore has indeed arrived.