We indeed admired and rooted for their romance in the early parts of Init Sa Magdamag. Thus, a lot of hearts were definitely broken when horrible circumstances got in their way and tore them apart.
However, as if struck by fate, the paths of Tupe (Gerald Anderson) and Rita (Yam Concepcion) once again crossed after some years, with almost no chance of getting back together as Rita had already moved on and got married with Peterson (JM de Guzman), while Tupe, who’s now a doctor, was still somehow stuck in the past and initially planned on exacting revenge against Rita for breaking up with him.
Even though he was indifferent and annoyed towards her, Tupe wasn’t able to hide that he still cares for Rita and there’s still a little love for her that was left in him. And as the well-loved series is now on its “Final Blow” finale week, let’s look back on the 10 moments when Tupe showed that he continues to care for Rita despite what happened to them in the past.
Who would forget their first kilig encounter after so many years of not seeing each other when he braved the heavy downpour and the dense and dark forest just to find her? As soon as they met and she expressed how thankful and sorry she was, he reprimanded her for making other people worry about her and told her to come with him going back to where they came from.
And it seemed that the universe was indeed conspiring for them to rekindle the flame between them as they once again met at the time when Rita was in dire need. As her car broke down in the middle of nowhere with no other people to help her, Tupe arrived like a knight in shining armor, but on his motorcycle. Even though Rita repeatedly rejected him, he refused to leave her and insisted on giving her a ride going to her destination – which she eventually accepted.
Despite trying to suppress her concern for Rita and display his coldness towards her instead, it was seemingly difficult for him to do so. Attesting to that were the number of times he caught her every time she fell – literally – and he came to her rescue every time she is in danger or in need.
But the greatest thing she has ever done for her was saving her from her abusive, possessive, and deranged husband Peterson (JM de Guzman), whose obsession with her and jealousy towards the men she’s with absolutely drove him nuts. Apart from simply treating her wounds and injuries, she also took care of her, with the help of her best friends Raymund (Albie Casiño) and Meggy (Kate Alejandrino), and protected her with all his might from Peterson.
From initially just wanting to see her happy, Tupe went on to become more present in Rita’s life again, especially with the arrival of their biological child Baby Andrew. Even though they’re just friends and Peterson still claims that he’s the birth father of the kid and he’s still the husband of Rita, Tupe firmly fought for his right as the biological dad – not only because he wanted to protect them, but he also loves them so much.
And he finally mustered the courage to confess it to her and told her that it has never changed despite everything that happened to them in the past. He told her, “Rita, mahal na mahal kita. Hindi ‘yon nawala kahit kailan. Kaya hindi ako mawawala sa tabi n’yo, hindi ako titigil na protektahan kayo.” As she expressed her worry that he might get tired or worried, he appeased her, saying, “Mahal na mahal kita kahit walang kapalit.”
Will Tupe be Rita’s end game? Let us all find out in the “The Final Blow” finale week of Init Sa Magdamag, weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live and A2Z Channel 11!