Friday, February 02, 2007 Lola Basyang's legacy lives on in GMA
SHE's a timeless Pinoy icon whose name has become synonymous to storytelling time or the delightful collection of folktales and other stories that have become inherent in Philippine culture. She's an amiable character loved by the young and the young at heart, the legendary lola who is always at hand to impart inspiring tales and words of encouragement.
In line with its First Quarter Explosion this 2007, GMA Network brings back the delightful stories of the beloved Filipino storyteller in Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang. Airing every Sunday starting February 4, the new program breathes new life to the classic tales of Severino Reyes, the brilliant creator of Lola Basyang and writer of an innumerable collection of stories and zarzuela plays.
Severino Reyes' Lola Basyang stories were serialized as prose in Liwayway magazine before they were aired as a radio series, afterwhich a movie was made featuring three Lola Basyang stories. Now, as the Pinoy legend makes a TV debut in a weekly program that presents the timeless tales in a new light, children of this generation will surely learn to appreciate Lola Basyang the same way their parents and grandparents did.
Mga Kuwento Ni Lola Basyang gives a fresh take to the traditional rocking chair storytelling by introducing a younger character who will continue the legacy of Lola Basyang. Singer-actress Manilyn Reynes stars as Gervacia Zamora Reyes a.k.a. Herbie, Lola Basyang's compassionately strong-willed and high-spirited granddaughter who has made it her personal advocacy to disseminate Lola Basyang's unforgettable stories. Together with her eight-year-old son Efren (Paul Salas), she drives around in a "rolling library" van packed with Lola Basyang's books and goes to various places to spread Lola Basyang's classic tales and golden values.
For its pilot episode on February 4, Mga Kuwento Ni Lola Basyang presents the story Ang Mahiwagang Kuba featuring Patrick Garcia as the hunchback Prinsipe Jorge, Jennylyn Mercado as the kind-hearted beggar Feli, Desiree Del Valle as the vain Prinsesa Lucinda, and Eddie Gutierrez as Haring Enrico.
Ang Mahiwagang Kuba communicates the importance of not judging people by their physical appearance. Parents and teachers alike will surely recommend the new show to Filipino children because aside from the improved production value and modern presentation of Mga Kuwento Ni Lola Basyang, the important values and golden lessons are subliminally inculcated in the minds of young viewers as they are entertained by the delightful stories presented every week. Mga Kuwento Ni Lola Basyang airs Sundays after S Files on GMA.
