Powerhouse Cebuano cast in CCTN's "My Last Refrain"

CEBU, Philippines - CCTN Channel 47’s latest “Dear Tatay” special boasts of the most powerhouse Cebuano cast ever assembled for a local TV drama.

Directed and starred in by veteran TV and radio broadcaster Dante Luzon, “My Last Refrain” premiered over the Cebu channel last September 13 and was officially launched in a recent presscon at Geminos Society Coffee of Century Plaza Hotel with the complete cast in attendance.

The soap’s title is a song — which will play a central part in the story’s plot — especially composed by Agelio Ceniza just for this project.

“My Last Refrain is all about a song composed by the lead actor who gave it as a gift to the woman he loved. But he was afraid of commitment and responsibility, so he abandoned her, leaving her the song,” said director Dante, who is assisted in directing by Baby Cuenca.

Carlos Cuevas, played by Gil Maningo, is a middle-aged singer haunted by his past. Twenty years earlier, he wrote a song titled “My Last Refrain” for Amelia (Dr. Grace Balankig), a woman he felt he truly loved. Driven by his ambition to succeed in the music industry and also because of irresponsibility, Carlos left the pregnant Amelia and tried his luck in Europe as an entertainer. Amelia eventually married Renan (Dante Luzon) who gave her and her daughter Stephanie (Rutchell Borbajo) his unconditional love.

Twenty years later, Stephanie, now a pretty young lady gifted with a very beautiful singing voice, discovers the composition “My Last Refrain” that Carlos had written for her mother. This would eventually lead her to the painful truth about her real father. Once Stephanie stumbled upon her real father’s composition which her mother kept all these years, her life totally changes, as well as the lives of the other main characters of the story.

Meanwhile, Carlos had wasted all his opportunities and amounted to nothing. He is a singer of a small-time club and uses a woman’s blind love to live comfortably. The womanizing Carlos lives with Andrea (Rowena Duarte), a pretty businesswoman who would trade everything she has for the singer. While Andrea is madly in love with Carlos, he is in the relationship for the convenience.

Written for television by Debbie Sta. Cruz, the Cebuano teleserye airs Monday to Friday at 8:30 pm, with replays at 11:30 am. It will run until the second week of November.

Director Dante crowed about gathering what for him was the “perfect cast.” Some of them were his colleagues from way back whom he reconnected through Facebook and offered to join the show. “The good feedback and reviews I got from my previous soap inspired me to make another one,” he said.

If you watch the show and notice the old house where Amelia’s family lives, it’s actually former Cebu City Mayor Alvin Garcia’s house along Gorordo Avenue. The director chose the house because of its Spanish-era ambiance and the presence of a grand piano in the middle of the living room. The piano is where Stephanie will play for the very first time her father’s “My Last Refrain.”

The cast, who are mostly professionals who had full-time jobs, was asked what made them accept the project and alot a big chunk of their time for daily tapings inspite of their individual commitments.

“All of us have the passion for acting and the desire to improve the local soap operas,” Gil Maningo quipped. The long-time actor is the president of Kulas Ideas and Creations, Inc. and Tropikal Relik Collection.

His 25-year-old son, Jake Maningo, returns to television for the first time after his childhood stint in ABS-CBN’s “Ang TV Cebu.” He is also the male lead in Arts Council of Cebu’s zarzuela “Mini”. In “My Last Refrain”, Jake portrays Stephanie’s musically-inclined boyfriend named Jonas.

Celebrity dentist Dr. Grace Balankig announced that this will be her last acting project since she will be leaving for the States next year and will be staying there for good. The actress started with CCTN via Dear Tatay’s “The Scar” where she was also paired with Dante Luzon. It was followed by other shows such as “Parola”, “Beyond Forgetting”, and “Wild Flower”. She also co-hosts INTV-CCTN’s talk show “Bahandi” with Bong Gemino. Last February, she played the role of Beyonce in “Dream Girls” which was staged at the SM Cinema.

Another veteran talent among the bunch is Rowena, who’s had three TV commercials aired nationwide and appeared in the first episode of ABS-CBN’s primetime series “Agua Bendita.” She used to be a talent of ABS-CBN Cebu, starring in several of their “For Life” episodes and was host of the morning show “Sabado Na Gyud!” together with Neda Aviñante and Angela Calina.

The rest of the cast include Bong Gemino as Carlos’ bestfriend Butch; Regelyn Enriquez as Jessa, one of Carlos’ girlfriends; Venus Marie Labra as Lulu, Andrea’s confidante; and Lily Espina-Ymbong as Mamita, Amelia’s mother.