by Nestor Torre, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Last February 7, we caught the premiere telecast of TV5’s first teleserye “Babaeng Hampaslupa,” and were properly impressed by the station’s declaration that the landmark drama series’ first episode would be “shown with no commercial breaks.”

But, before we could be properly appreciative of the “commercial-free” viewing treat, a colleague rained on our parade by cynically speculating, “Hey, could it just possibly be that the new show is being telecast without interruptions not due to the channel’s artistic altruism, but because it hasn’t attracted any commercial placements just yet?”

To settle the issue, we tuned in to the show the following Wednesday—and found that exceedingly few spots were being aired. Go figure.

About the “Babaeng Hampaslupa” production itself: It has visual scope and dramatic scale, and that’s all to the good. This early, however, its action still doesn’t include the subplots involving the Susan Roces and young lead Alex Gonzaga, and concentrates on the character played by Alice Dixson, who’s making a comeback. She looks good for her age, a decided plus for her just-revived career.

In the show’s unfolding story, she plays a really impoverished woman who’s made to work like a dog by a nasty relative—until she’s rescued by a Chinoy who turns out to be the wayward son of a wealthy taipan (Freddie Webb). After reconciling with his father, he takes his wife to live the life of the rich and superstitious.

Huh? Well, it seems like the taipan is fixated on bringing good luck to his family’s troubled fortunes, and it is “divined” that the child the now pregnant Alice is carrying will be the key to that all-important reversal of bad luck.

Little princess

So, despite all the efforts of rival siblings to put Alice down, her baby is treated like a little princess—until, one terrible day, Alice faints after imbibing a “health” potion provided by an in-law. Horror of horrors, when she regains consciousness, her baby is gone!

In time, we figure, the child could resurface as a dirt-poor character played by Gonzaga, another “babaeng hampaslupa” who will avenge all the horrors and terrors heaped on the head of her poor mother, Alice.

Other initial notes: There are too many mestizo actors in the show who unsuccessfully try to pass themselves off as Chinoy—Freddie Webb, Bing Loyzaga, etc.

Couldn’t production have found more ethnically appropriate and credible actors to cast in key roles?