Eliza, Kristel in another grand showdown

ABS-CBN’s latest tearjerker Maria Flordeluna will be Eliza Pineda and Kristel Fulgar’s second face-off as their characters clash again on the small screen. The first was in the Nora Aunor drama Bituin where Eliza, playing the young Desiree del Valle, made life difficult for Kristel, the young Carol Banawa. She literally grilled Kristel and put her patience to the test.

In Maria Flordeluna, however, they switch roles and fate. Kristel will make Eliza cry no end.

"Afraid," replied Eliza when asked how she feels that finally she has her solo show. The same soap in the ’80s that put then child actress Janice de Belen to stardom. "I hope I will get famous, too. I will do the best I can for my role."

Snatching the title role is a sign that Eliza is cooking up something for her career this early. The young star bested 1,299 amateur and professional child actors including Goin’ Bulilit co-stars Sharlene (San Pedro) and Mikaela. Her ability to shed tears easily, Eliza says, made her win the hearts and got the nod of the show’s executives. Eliza clarifies that Sharlene and Mikaela are happy that she stars in the project. Besides, Mikaela has a weekly show, Goin’ Bulilit, while Sharlene had her solo TV series Calla Lily.

Although Maria Flordeluna is manna from heaven, Eliza is aware that this means a week of work – and not play. The show demands that she reports on the set for three to four days, plus a Saturday taping for Goin’ Bulilit. Having worked in films like Til There Was You and D Lucky Ones and on shows like Maging Sino Ka Man and Komiks, Eliza thinks she can adjust easily to the show’s erratic, challenging schedule.

"I attended three workshops and a solo one," Eliza recalls how she prepared for the role. "I also watched the English version of Princess Sarah. So far, I haven’t had difficulty fitting into the character, though I get hurt physically sometimes."

The Maria Flordeluna role involves heavy face slapping and hair pulling. Eliza says she is enjoying every bit of her character and has finished taping the five-week run of the show.

"I concentrate a lot," says Eliza. "I think of sad things to get into my character. By doing so, tears just fall from my eyes. I’m happy for the project because many hated me in Bituin."

Despite her schedule, Eliza still finds time for her studies. The 11-year-old is under home study or modular-based learning.

"I don’t like being a kontrabida," says Kristel, who will play Wilma, Eliza’s wicked stepsister in the soap. "But things will be different because I’m playing one. Everything on the show is acting."

Just like her friend and co-star Eliza, Kristel’s character is a big leap from what she used to be playing – the ever good and reliable daughter or confidante.

But she welcomes it with open arms. Clinching the role, says Kristel, means a series of rigid auditions and training. She even competed head-on with Goin’ Bulilit co-star Hopia for the part. Kristel doesn’t mind if she plays kontrabida after Bituin. Besides, everything is just a job.

Through the TV series, Kristel wants to prove she can shift from comedy to drama – and play different roles. On the set, she reads and memorizes her lines during breaks and tries to interpret the director’s insights. When the director says, "action," Kristel thinks she is Wilma a hundred percent and Kristel herself when she hears "cut."

Whether or not Eliza and Kristel’s face-off is a battle between these two young actresses, one thing seems certain: Maria Flordeluna will produce another Judy Ann Santos and Gladys Reyes someday.