Life on the Spot! Life and Leisure in Doha, Qatar

I’m crazy about Eli! Don’t get me wrong, he’s just one of the lead characters in the Filipino TV series, “Maging Sino Ka Man” (literally means whoever you may be) on one of the network giants in the Philippines, ABS-CBN. It premiered 2nd week of October and is being aired on The Filipino Channel (TFC), the international channel of the said network. Unfortunately, we don’t have subscription to TFC (we don’t have GMA either). Well, my husband gave made me choose before, TFC or DSL connection. I obviously chose the latter which was a rather good choice. If not for our internet connection I wouldn’t be able to update our blog as often as I want and do a lot of things. Anyway, thanks to the internet again and “You Tube”, I’m now able to watch the TV series. At least 3 people are uploading every episode. It may be a day or two late but it’s much better than not being able to watch it at all. Thanks to you guys, hope you continue to do so because I can’t get enough of this teleserye (TV series in Filipino).

Maging Sino Ka Man revolves around the lives of 4 individuals: Eli, Jackie, JB and Celine. Eli is played by John Lloyd Cruz, one of the most bankable young stars in Philippine showbiz. Eli is a poor guy who was orphaned when he was just a baby and was adopted by a very kind but poor family. He grew up in this loving family and he vowed that he would do anything to protect and make his family happy. Thus, he takes on the role of being the main provider for his widowed ailing father and older brother, who is a weakling.

Jackie, played by Bea Alonzo (John Lloyd’s love team), is the ideal rich girl whom everyone adores. In the eyes of everyone, she has the perfect life: born with a silver spoon, beautiful, intelligent, kind, and the girlfriend of the most eligible bachelor in town. Little did people know that Jackie felt like everything in her life is far from perfect because she longs to be free from people’s notion of what and how she should be.

JB is played by Sam Milby, a Phil-Am who was a former Pinoy Big Brother contestant and is now the newest heart-throb in the Philippines. JB who’s mother is a domineering, shipping magnate who wants JB to follow in her footsteps. The most eligible bachelor is in constant struggle to assert his independence from his overpowering mother.

Last but not the least is Celine played by Anne Curtis. She is a free-spirited and independent young woman who is often misunderstood. Her being carefree has worked to her disadvantage. People around her tend to mistake her for a flirt and she always paled in comparison to Jackie her cousin who’s very close to her.

At the start of the story, the characters go about their lives as normal as it should be, each minding their own business. Then the story takes a turn when Jackie is kidnapped, with Eli’s brother Pong as the get-away driver. The kidnapping is foiled as they get into an accident. Eli trailed Pong’s whereabouts and finds them in an accident. His brother then asks him to take Jackie and save her while the rest of the criminals are still unconscious from the mishap. Eli takes the wounded Jackie and escapes the scene. They both end up in a faraway barrio whose kind and trusting locals welcome them on the assumption that they are a couple who got lost and got into an accident. Jackie wakes up after a few days of being unconscious and doesn’t remember a thing. This unfortunate event makes it easier for Eli to make Jackie believe that she is Princess and his wife. In the episodes that follow, Jackie searches for answers about herself and Eli. As she does, Eli fabricates more lies about her and their life. Although he had wanted to tell Jackie the truth he has to wait till he’s ready to return Jackie to her family and make sure that his brother will not go to prison for what he has done. However the longer it takes, the more he struggles with his guilty conscience and the more he realizes that he’s falling in love with Jackie. Jackie on the other hand, not knowing who she really is, depends solely on her feelings and is also falling in love with Eli.  As all these happen, JB and Celine’s relationship is slowly blossoming into something more than friendship.

I am now on the 20th episode. This teleserye is so promising. It is so rich in emotions. As a viewer, I don’t only watch but empathize with the characters, especially that of Eli and Jackie. Makes you realize how blessed you are when you have found the love of your life without having to go through such lengths and troubles. It makes you grateful that yours didn’t have to be like a plot in a teleserye.