ABS-CBN scored another primetime hit on Philippine TV with its modern retelling of the classic love story between Angelo and Yna in the 2015 remake of the worldwide hit series “Pangako Sa ’Yo” (“The Promise”).

Fifteen years after its original version aired on ABS-CBN, “Pangako Sa’Yo” made a grand comeback last Monday (May 25) and hit a national TV rating of 34%, or more than double that of its rival program, which only got 15%. Data from Kantar Media also showed that it was the most watched program in the country that night.

Even before it started airing, the show’s official hashtag already became the top nationwide and worldwide topic on Twitter, garnering more than half a million tweets from 6 PM to midnight.

Netizens praised the performances of the new Eduardo, Claudia, and Amor played respectively by some the country’s most sought-after actors Ian Veneracion, Angelica Panganiban, and Asian superstar Jodi Sta. Maria, who captivated global viewers with her role as Maya Dela Rosa in “Be Careful with My Heart.” The legions of fans of the show’s lead teen stars Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo also contributed to this uptrend as they went full force in tweeting about the program even if their idols didn’t appear in the pilot episode yet.

Aside from a stellar cast, the new “Pangako Sa’yo” also offers a top caliber production with scenes shot on different grand locations just to give its audience an unforgettable viewing experience the same way the original version did years back.

“Pangako Sa’Yo,” directed by its original directors Rory Quintos, Olivia Lamasan, and original writer Dado Lumibao, revolves around the promise of true and never-ending love from two generations— the love story of Amor (Sta. Maria) and Eduardo (Veneracion), who were separated by Claudia (Panganiban), and the young couple brought together by destiny, Angelo (Padilla) and Yna (Bernardo).

The show’s original version is a landmark series on Philippine television, raising the bars of locally producing soap operas and being the first to give Filipino audiences a cinematic experience right at their very homes. It is also the most successfully distributed Filipino series in the global arena as it was sold in 16 countries and remains the only internationally adapted Filipino drama, with format buys by Asia and Latin America.

“Pangako Sa’Yo” is only one of ABS-CBN International Distribution’s exciting offerings for 2015.
ABS-CBN International Distribution has been recognized in the global arena as a reliable foreign content provider. It has been a premier source of high quality Filipino programming in over 50 territories all over the world and has sold over 30,000 hours of content worldwide. Living up to this recognition, ABS-CBN International Distribution commits to add to its line-up of high-caliber programs and movies with cast and storylines that appeal to various cultures. For more information, visit ABS-CBN International Distribution’s official website at http://internationalsales.abs-cbn.com.

“There are two things that define the Filipino romantic comedy: ‘kilig’ and manufactured conflict. The former is the fuel that makes the engine run, the ephemeral feeling that fans of the genre will chase for the rest of their lives. The latter is a necessary detour to make the formula work; some strange contrivance that pushes the characters apart so they can get together in the end for more kilig. What is strange and ultimately so memorable about That Thing Called Tadhana is that it eschews both. Even with a premise that feels unlikely, it builds a relationship that feels so much closer to what people experience in real life.” – Philbert Ortiz Dy, ClickTheCity.com

For film writer-director Antoinette Jadaone, Cinema One Originals’ That Thing Called Tadhana is her “dream project” and described it as “more than 10 years’ worth of love stories, heartaches, heartbreaks, bitterness, and acceptance.”  

That dream won the prestigious 2014 Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature for Jadaone, Php 2 million budget granted by Cinema One Originals to produce the movie, sold-out screenings at the 2014 Cinema One Originals Film Festival late last year, Best Actress Awards for lead actress Angelica Panganiban at said filmfest and at the 13th Gawad Tanglaw (tied with Nora Aunor for “Dementia”), and Audience Choice and Champion Bughaw for Full-Length Feature awards aside from being nominated as Best Picture also at the 2014 Cinema One Originals filmfest.

But what went beyond Jadaone’s dreams was that her Php 2-million film grossed over Php 120 million in the Philippines in less than three weeks, making it the most successful Cinema One Originals film release yet.  Moreover, this little-film-that-could will now be screened internationally through TFC@theMovies which will bring it to 33 theaters in the U.S. starting this Friday, March 27.

Starring Panganiban and JM de Guzman as Mace Castillo and Anthony Lagdameo, respectively, and joined by Joem Bascon, the film – which takes viewers from a chance meeting between Mace and Anthony at the airport in Rome to their impromptu adventure to Baguio and Sagada as they converse about broken hearts – has become so popular among moviegoers that a 4-day “Tadhana Tour” of Baguio and Sagada was even offered by a travel group. 

Top Filipino critics sing a chorus of praise:

“What starts out as an innocent gesture of kindness, ends up as a road trip across Luzon. Like ‘Before Sunrise’, the film is a simple observation of two conversing individuals. There is no elaborate romantic setup, and no arbitrary goal. But in the latest film by writer-director Antoinette Jadaone, the story simply relies on words, time and two people.” – Zig Marasigan, Rappler.com

“The movie avoids the overly melodramatic scenes and loud confrontation scenes that have long been the norm in dramatic movies. It also avoids being just a Filipinized version of all the nice foreign rom-coms that have come our way. The acting is natural, the situations not forced. The ending, provocative then smart.” – Mari-Ann Santos, pep.ph

“The film has the right blend of romance and comedy laced with realistic, down-to-earth, and relatable dialogue. Angelica and JM deliver superb performances as they ignite and arouse the sensibilities of every moviegoer with their palpable on-screen chemistry.” – Isah V. Red, Manila Standard Today

“Another thing that it does right is focusing on these 20-somethings’ lives; they’re somewhat jaded, their early dreams faded or replaced by demands of reality. For all its spotlight on dreary life and treacherous love, the film has redeeming optimism. It fits all that in one talky, painful catharsis of a movie, and for that, those who relate to it have much to be thankful for.” - Oliver M. Pulumbarit, Inquirer.net

“And the greatest lesson of ‘Tadhana; is that we should not run away from heartbreaks because in the long run, it would make us better. Just look at Direk Antoinette. Not only did she discover her capability to write, she also produced a film that would help broken hearted people recover, or at the very least, laugh.” – Carla Bianca V. Ravanes, The Manila Times

“A dream came true for an industry colleague, Antoinette Jadaone, through That Thing Called Tadhana, and the spirit of that dream, which is hope in the face of the challenges of reality, is what makes this movie very special,” said ABS-CBN Global Head of Theatricals and acclaimed film, TV and concert stage director John-D Lazatin.  “This film is a perfect offering for spring in North America which is a season of change and a time for new beginnings.”

For more information including the theater listings in the US for That Thing Called Tadhana,visit http://www.tfc-usa.com/that-thing-called-tadhana/

About ABS-CBN International
ABS-CBN International was founded in April 1994 to be of service to all Filipinos. With the launch of The Filipino Channel (TFC), the company became the first and most successful Filipino content distribution company in the U.S. The company offers telecommunication, retail, theatricals, money remittance and cargo services, online audio and video streaming, IPTV, On Demand, along with philanthropic support for Filipinos and the communities they now call home.  Based in Redwood City, CA, ABS-CBN International is a subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corporation, the Philippines’ largest entertainment and broadcasting company, through ABS-CBN Corporation’s wholly-owned subsidiary, ABS-CBN Global Hungary Kft. For more information, visit www.tfc-usa.com.

“That Thing Called Tadhana” is destined to go places.

Aside from a slated US release on March 27 (Friday), the Cinema One Originals film is set to be screened outdoors at Boracay for Cinema One’s “Club C1 Movies by the Beach” on March 28 (Saturday) with Angelica Panganiban and JM de Guzman in attendance.

“Club C1 Movies by the Beach” will also feature performances from KZ Tandingan and DJ Tom Taus with hosts Robi Domingo, Gretchen Ho, and DJ Cha Cha at White House & Sur Boracay, 7PM. Early birds at the free admission Cinema One event will be given free mats from Lagu.

The Antoinette Jadaone-helmed romantic comedy film is  the highest grossing local indie film of all time, amassing a staggering 134 million pesos according to official reports – a breakthrough in Philippine cinema which is heavily dominated by films produced by major film outfits.

Angelica Panganiban and JM de Guzman, the lead stars of “Tadhana” also received nods of approval for their portrayal of Mace and Anthony, as both have bagged best actress and actor awards. Director Antoinette Jadaone’s film paved the way for Panganiban to win Best Actress award at the 2014 Cinema One Originals Film Festival, while de Guzman was named Best Actor at the Gawad Pasado. Jadaone’s phenomenal hit was also the Cinema One Originals Film Festival’s Audience Choice.

“Tadhana” is inspired by Richard Linklater’s 1995 classic, “Before Sunrise.” The Cinema One Originals film follows the story of two Filipino strangers, Mace (Angelica Panganiban) and Anthony (JM de Guzman) who bump into each other at Rome’s airport. At the check-in counter, a struggling Mace who made countless attempts to pass the baggage load requirements was saved with the help of Anthony. After landing in Manila, the two eventually decide to travel together up north to Baguio and Sagada in the quest to search for the answer to the question, “where do broken hearts go?”

For more information, visit Cinema One’s official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Cinema1channel).

The Cinema One Originals 2014 film “That Thing Called Tadhana,” has lived up to its hype as it reached the P100 million mark on Sunday (February 15), only less than two weeks since it hit theaters nationwide.

JM de Guzman, lead actor of the movie, was speechless and could not believe that the film is a box office hit, when he was asked of his reaction during the media interview at the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta with Jeepney TV on Valentine's Day (February 14).

(JM de Guzman at the Jeepney TV's Valentine Show in Clark Field Pampanga)

The Cinema One Originals breakthrough movie of Antoinette Jadaone is tagged as the “Ultimate Hugot Film” of the year, with thousands praising it for its simple yet exceptional storytelling. Angelica Panganiban and JM de Guzman star in the romantic-comedy hit, which bagged the Audience Choice Award and Best Actress Award for Panganiban last November at the Cinema One Originals film festival.

The sought after filmmaker has been making waves in the industry since her critically acclaimed Cinema One Originals 2011 entry, “Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay,” which won six awards at the Cinema One Originals film festival. For the 2014 film festival, Jadaone submitted “That Thing Called Tadhana,” which she calls as her dream film. Its screenplay received its first seal of approval even before it was filmed when it won the prestigious 2014 Don Carlos Memorial Palanca Awards for Literature where Jadaone won third place.

Jadaone’s romantic film was picked up for nationwide distribution by Star Cinema, ABS-CBN’s film outfit as its pre-Valentine’s offering for the year.

“That Thing Called Tadhana” is a story of two Filipino strangers, Mace (Angelica Panganiban) and Anthony (JM de Guzman) who meet in Rome and eventually travel together up north to Baguio and Sagada in search for the answer to the question: “Where do broken hearts go?”

For more information, visit Cinema One’s official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Cinema1channel) and Cinema One Originals Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Cinemaoneoriginals).

Angelica Panganiban and JM de Guzman—two of the most talented young artists of this generation—make a big comeback in the 2014 Cinema One Original romance “That Thing Called Tadhana.” It marks JM’s major movie in about a year and heralds Angelica’s return to Cinema One Originals where she won a Best Actress award for the film “Chinadoll.”

    (Photo Credit: Screenshot on Facebook)

This movie is one of the ten new Filipino films competed in the Cinema Originals Film Festival last November 9-18, 2014.

Currently, the movie is being shown in more than 120  theaters nationwide and is  doing very well in the box office.

Written and directed by Antoinette Jadaone (“Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay,” “Beauty in a Bottle”), “That Thing Called Tadhana” tells the story of a heartbroken woman (played by Angelica) who meets a man (portrayed by JM) who accepts her invitation to travel up north. It is a road movie shot in breathtaking Baguio and Sagada. The iconic romantic drama “Before Sunrise,” about two strangers who fall in love in scenic Vienna, was Direk Antoinette’s inspiration for “That Thing Called Tadhana.”

 (Photo Credit: Screenshot on Facebook)

Helping Antoinette shape her vision of a feel-good love story are award-winning editor Benjamin Tolentino and Urian Best Cinematographer Sasha Palomares.

The director elaborates that her new film seeks to answer the difficult question “Where do broken hearts go?”

Watch “That Thing Called Tadhana,” at your favorite theaters this Valentine's Day!