How My Super D made the stars cry

MANILA, Philippines – The invite received by members of the entertainment press — this writer included — for the grand presscon of ABS-CBN and Dreamscape Entertainment Television’s My Super D came with a request to e-mail a photo of them with their dads. Of course, everyone was clueless why a photo had to be submitted. But not until the presscon proper held last Tuesday.

It turned out that even the stars of the latest Kapamilya primetime drama-fantasy were asked to send theirs. During the presscon proper, they were asked, one by one, about what makes their respective dads “Super.” This was the moment when Sylvia Sanchez, Bianca Manalo and Dominic Ochoa turned emotional. They shed tears while relating their stories with dear dads.

When the picture of Sylvia’s father, Roberto Campo, appeared on the video wall, the actress was surprised and wondered aloud, “Saan ba nakuha yan? Tinamaan n’yo ako rito (puso).”

With tears rolling down her eyes, she continued, “I am glad to know that you have a wonderful time with your dad. Me, I was young when my dad abandoned us but I am his favorite. Seaman kasi siya tapos pag-uuwi s’ya sa Manila papuntang Mindanao, nakikita ko na may dalawang malaking supot na cheese curls s’yang dala. One was for me and the other was for my five siblings and our relatives; hati-hati sila. Kaya namulat ako na paborito ako ng tatay ko at sobrang close kami.”

She, too, recalled how her dad used to bring her to Luneta and Manila Zoo. “This is the first time that I will tell it to all of you that I hate taping at Luneta because it is the only place where I was able to share happy memories with my dad. Kaya umiiyak talaga ako pag nakikita ko ang Luneta.”

Sylvia admitted that she had a lot of anger in her heart after her father left them. “Nagalit ako di para sa akin kundi para sa lima kong kapatid.”

But Sylvia, nevertheless, considered her dad “Super” because she was challenged to take over her dad’s responsibility by working hard for her siblings. Thankfully, Sylvia was able to support her family well. “At Super ang daddy ko kasi dahil sa ginawa n’ya heto ako ngayon sa harap n’yo dahil nagpursige ako.”

In between sobs, Bianca said that she has nothing but fond memories of her dad who passed away April last year. She recalled how her dad never got tired of training her to become a beauty queen.

“Everytime he watched a beauty pageant, he would call me and during the question-and-answer portion, he would turn down the volume and ask me how I was going to answer it if I were the contestant. Nagtataka ako bakit kaya, yun pala he wanted me to join a beauty contest.”

She added, “When I won (2009 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe), my dad told me he didn’t know what good he had done to deserve children like us. But until the very end, he didn’t  want to burden our family. We didn’t know that he was ill. He wasn’t complaining at all. Pina-autopsy pa namin s’ya para malaman kung ano ang sakit n’ya.”

Dominic, too, wasn’t able to control his tears when he revealed that he was not close to his dad, Jose “Boy” Ochoa.

“Super si Daddy…well, I’m not really close to him. It’s just that when he got sick that’s when I said, ‘I love you.’ He’s very strict pero he made sure that he taught us everything — principles in life ’di mo yun mabibili ng pera. When he died that’s when I realized na tinanggap lahat, ’yung trabaho, mga tao. Nalaman ko lang ’yun when he died na ang totoong kayamanan namin sa kaibigan. That’s why I’m like this also — being friendly and caring to everyone because that’s him. He’s always professional when it comes to work. He’s expressive kung anuman ang gusto n’yang sabihin. He’s a man of principle and I think that‘s one thing na naipamahagi n’ya sa kin. Though we’re not close, super ang dad ko dahil sa nagawa n’ya kung anuman nakikita n’yo sa ’kin dahil po sa kanya yun.”

Dominic’s dad must be smiling from ear to ear now that the actor gets to play the lead role in My Super D that is set to air weeknights before TV Patrol starting tonight. He has been in the showbiz scene for two decades now yet this is his first time to be given a project with the story mainly anchored on his character.

“I’m very thankful and blessed when they offered me this role,” said Dominic who is often seen playing support roles in Kapamilya soaps. “It was Christmas last year when I was told that I’ll be doing this. S’yempre kinagagalak ko na gampanan ‘yung role. It didn’t matter to me whether the role is small or big. It’s fine with me whatever role they would give me. On my part, I always make sure to give my 200-percent effort and if others would think that I am not fit for this, well, I’ll make sure na gagalingan ko pa.”

According to Dominic, My Super D came at the right time because he need not act anymore as a father because he is one in real life. “Nataon na itong role ko, isa akong ama sa apat na taon na bata at ito yung tinatalakay sa istorya — yung relasyon ng isang ama at anak.”

Do his co-stars believe that he can live up to his superhero character? Sylvia, who plays his mom in the show, has no doubt about it. She sees in Dominic all the qualities his character possesses. “The only thing that we always discuss is how to convincingly appear as mother and son because honestly, we are only four years apart; magkalapit lang yung edad namin kaya pinuputian ko yung buhok ko baka kasi mapagkamalan kaming lovers imbes na mag-ina (laughs).”  

Besides, directors Frasco Mortiz and Lino Cayetano, together with the show writers, are bent on proving that everyone can be a superhero regardless of physicality.

“When I was offered to handle this project and learned that Dominic will play the title role, alam ko na agad kung ano yung approach na gusto nila (Dreamscape execs). When we say superhero, what instantly comes to mind is the conventional kind — strong and muscled body — but we must not forget that a superhero possesses a good heart, too, not just all muscles. And this show also aims to bring back the kind that will cater to the whole family. Medyo meron kasi tayong mga pang mature audience lang but Super D exactly fits for all ages. There are action scenes but the treatment is very light at makikita mo yung puso na nasa tamang lugar,” direk Frasco said.

Asked who his favorite superhero is, Dominic has nothing in mind but Ironman. “He is real; he is living a normal life but if there’s someone in distress, he goes out to help.” But he never really thought that he would be playing a superhero, not even in his wildest dreams.

“Nataon lang talaga and there was a time before the offer came that my wife bought my son (Zandro) superhero costumes because he needed them in school but eventually he wears them to bed; ginagawa n’yang pajama so I really got excited when Super D was offered to me. Naisip ko agad na pagawaan din sya ng Super D costume. And aside from that, I really look forward to teaching kids good values and sharing with them some lessons through the show gaya ng mga aral na wag kakalimutang magdasal,” said Dominic who was among the actors launched as part of Star Magic Batch 4 in 1996.