Late-night treats

I am not very familiar with ABS-CBN’s primetime programming, but the insomniac that I am I’m aware of the network’s late-night shows.

One program I get to see – but not on a regular basis though – is the Mexican tele-novela Mirada de Mujer, which is about a 50-year-old woman finalizing her divorce, but already in the throes of a passionate affair with a journalist a little over half her age.

What is appealing about this Mexican soap (dubbed in Tagalog, of course) is the very sexy voice of the woman (dubbed by Peewee Galvez – that’s what’s indicated in the closing credits) who plays the lead character Maria Inez. She reminds you of Pinky de Leon, who is still very attractive at – wait, I don’t know how old she is now (and I will not dare ask!). But whatever her age is, Ms. De Leon is definitely still quite a stunner.

Pinky could very well have been shipped to Mexico to do the part and she would have been perfect playing Maria Inez. She is definitely more desirable than the Mexican actress playing it, in fact.

Actually, I don’t get to watch Mirada de Mujer nightly because I refuse to be a slave to any soap opera now. But I have to admit that I have gotten addicted to two weekend very late-night programs on ABS-CBN: Trip na Trip and Urban Zone, which airs at past midnight of Sunday (already very early Monday morning).

Trip na Trip is a travel show – no, not as polished as Susan Calo Medina’s Travel Time (which marks its 20th year this month). Neither is its writing as elegant as Medina’s Travel Time series on Studio 23. But it has its own charm as a travel program.

Trip na Trip is hosted by Katherine de Castro and Pinoy Big Brother alumni Jason Gainza, Franzen Fajardo and Uma Khouny. De Castro is the knowledgeable one – providing bits of information about their current destination and she does it in a no-nonsense manner. No frills or anything. No romanticizing of the place the way Medina does. De Castro just gives straightforward information, which I appreciate because all she tells the viewers are very useful.

The three boys, on the other hand, are there for comic relief mainly. No, they’re not entirely useless. At least, they provide humor to the program and Jason – bulging stomach and all – can be very funny. From time to time, they also do interviews and are given their own segments. Sure they don’t do it CNN style, but you watch and listen anyway because they are quite entertaining.

What I like most about Trip na Trip is the fact that it operates independently and is not a mouthpiece of the Department of Tourism.

Basically, it is a TV version of this very useful travel guide The Lonely Planet because the show points out the good and the bad in a particular destination. You want to buy souvenirs in Siargao? Katherine de Castro warns you to be careful because prices vary from day to day – and depending on who the customer is. So beware. And please, sharpen your haggling skills.

But my personal tip to you is to try catch Trip na Trip late Sunday nights (or early Monday morning). With the young people there, it’s hip and refreshing. It’s a great trip to TV land even at such late hour.

If the hosts of Trip na Trip go on provincial trips, the people manning Urban Zone are confined within the metropolis. Surprisingly enough, you’ll find out that there are also wonderful places to discover within the city – thanks to this program.

Hosted by Daphne Oseña and Ito Kish, who are both perfect for the job (it’s a no-fuss hosting for them – just get on with it and they’re very effective), Urban Zone features private residences that are different from most other homes. Some houses are actually so grand you’ll end up salivating and questioning the fairness (or lack of it) in this life.

Only last Sunday, the show featured a house that had a swimming pool with saltwater and surrounding it is white sand. And then there was this other private home with its own helipad.

Urban Zone, however, doesn’t necessarily encourage viewers to be covetous by featuring these mansions in Metro Manila. The show also teaches us to be more creative. In one episode, for instance, Urban Zone featured the pad of the talented stylist Jigs Mayuga. The place isn’t really so big, but Mayuga was able to maximize the space. And the artist that he is, he managed to turn his home into a dwelling that is comfortable, functional and yet very pleasant to look at.

From this show, I also learned a lot about the Syquia Apartments in Malate – and how people are lining up just to be able to rent a unit there. So far, they’ve featured the Syquia Apartments twice. Last Sunday, they went to the unit of Apa Ongpin and we saw how spacious the place is – for an apartment, that is.

There are a lot of things you’ll discover in this lifestyle program. Frankly, I never appreciated Metro Manila until I started watching Urban Zone. If you are tired of the urban jungle and yet can’t do anything about it because you are a city mouse, just tune in to Urban Zone (after Trip na Trip) and you’ll find out that this metropolis isn’t really all that bad. It’s really just a matter of how you live your life – urban style.