In ‘Huwag Kang Mangamba,’ Eula Valdez portrays Deborah, a self-proclaimed spiritual healer who grows a following; while Nonie Buencamino plays Simon, a town mayor intent on staying in power to protect his businesses. ABS-CBN
MANILA — Depicting timely issues, from political propaganda to blind worship, the ABS-CBN drama “Huwag Kang Mangamba” ranked among the top trends on Twitter on Monday, as it premiered across eight platforms, including free TV and streaming.
In its pilot episode, Dreamscape Entertainment production introduced the lead characters Joy (Francine Diaz), a troubled teenager who feels isolated from her own family, and Mira (Andrea Brillantes), an optimistic blind orphan who ventures to find her mother.
The episode ended with a road crash where an upset Joy accidentally hit Mira — leading to their shared miracle of coming back to life after appearing to have died.
Leading up to their encounter, Mira and Joy met several characters who populate the fictional town of Hermoso, each with their own stories that reflect real-life issues.
Among them were Deborah (Eula Valdez), a self-proclaimed spiritual healer who has managed a comfortable life from her practice; Simon (Nonie Buencamino), Hermoso’s mayor who is intent on clinging to power to save his ailing businesses; and Barang (Sylvia Sanchez), a mentally challenged street dweller who warns Mira against staying in Hermoso.
Hermoso was also introduced as a familiar character, with the depiction of petty crime, gossiping neighbors, feeding programs credited to a politician’s name, and predatory men, among others.
“Huwag Kang Mangamba,” the latest in ABS-CBN’s tradition of offering inspirational stories, premiered across eight platforms: Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, TFC, Kapamilya Online Live, iWant TFC, WeTV, and iflix.
The unprecedented number of options to access the program — and other ABS-CBN primetime programs — helped push “Huwag Kang Mangamba” as a top trending topic on Twitter as its pilot aired. Its official hashtag, #HKMAngPagdating, peaked at No. 2 in the Philippines.
“Huwag Kang Mangamba” is directed by Jerry Lopez Sineneng, Emmanuel Q. Palo, and Darnel Villaflor.
Its cast also includes Kyle Echarri, Seth Fedelin, RK Bagatsing, Dominic Ochoa, Diether Ocampo, Enchong Dee, Angeline Quinto, Soliman Cruz, Mercedes Cabral, Paolo Gumabao, Aylanna Angeles, Mylene Dizon, and Dimples Romana.