May Bukas Pa: New Soap Opera Format for TV

In the past, soap operas in the Philippines lasted for many years, with the young character growing up on screen. Such actresses grew up under the scrutiny of the people are Judy Ann Santos, Gladys Reyes, and Janice de Belen. The stories then just revolved on who the network will add or kill, and it is no longer because of the story. Sometimes, the story no longer jives because they just have to fit the script on the actors or actresses present.

A few years ago, this format was changed and soap operas lasted for just several months. I think this had been a more effective format, as the stories are always new and alive, and not boring repetitions with appearances of the hottest stars at the moment. And I think it has saved the network millions of pesos worth of bonuses and compensations because the actors no longer play the roles longer than a year.

But more recently, ABS-CBN has come up with an ingenious way to keep their viewers glued to the TV set for their favorite soap opera. This is where May Bukas Pa comes in. It is the story of an orphan boy popularly known now as Santino (played by Zaijan Jaranilla) who has come to have miraculous healing powers because of his close association with the one called Bro, who is actually the Lord Jesus Christ.

In May Bukas Pa, Santino has many adventures. He gets to meet different people and each time, he touches and changes the lives of the people, either by being an instrument to heal their physical ailments, by bringing comfort and encouragement to the downhearted or bridging relationship gaps between family members.

And this is where the new set up comes in. As Santino meets new people, played by different actors and actresses, their story would run for a week tops. So the following week, the televiewers can look forward to another of Santino's activities as well as to their favorite celebrities who will have their short stint in the show. And the introduction of the new characters each week does not in any way affect the flow of the original plot and the main cast of characters remain throughout the season. Fascinating show format!

So far, some of the big names that graced May Bukas Pa are Lorna Tolentino, Susan Roces, Claudine Baretto, KC Concepcion, Gardo Versoza, Matet de Leon, and Boots Anson-Roa, to name a few.

Of course, the casting for the show is just impeccable. Dina Bonnevie and Albert Martinez are the perfect choices for the contrabida, while Desiree del Valle is effective as the slutty other woman. Then there is Lisa Lorena, as the snobbish matriarch, and Tonton Gutierrez and beauty queen Lara Quigaman as a loving couple and honest cops. Although Tonton is way older than Lara, the two still look good together as an onscreen married couple. And the priests, well, they are priests, but I like their choice of Jaime Fabregas as the parish priest because he resembles the friars of the Spanish era.

But most of all, the most effective actor is the newcomer Zaijan, who was first recognized in a laundry soap commercial. Now, everybody knows him as Santino, as he has effectively made his way into the hearts of Filipinos. His soulful eyes and innocent facial expression have made him very effective for the angelic role of Santino. He is like the son that every parent wants to have.

It is not known how long May Bukas Pa will last. But what I am sure of is that it has maintained its ratings from beginning to the end.