PhLaire endgame it is! 

Jane Oineza and JC de Vera are over the moon, with the success of their afternoon teleserye “Nag-Aapoy Na Damdamin,” of which the ending brought us a plethora of feels. 

Live on Kapamilya Chat, Jane and JC, who play Olivia/Claire and Philip in the story, watched the finale episode along with thousands of supporters who tuned in through various platforms including Kapamilya Online Live. We got to see the tandem’s real-time reactions, as well as hear their sincere comments via the live gap show. 

Things we could tell just by looking at them moments before “The Final Checkmate” aired: their excitement; the final episode is going to be awesome; they have grown close after working on the series. 

And as the first body started rolling, the two looked so comfortable with each other while sharing inside jokes. Reacting to the first part which highlighted Joaquin (Joko Diaz)’s road to redemption, Jane lauded the veteran actor's huge performance. JC added, “Maganda ‘yung first body kasi puro kapatawaran. Sine-secure ‘yung viewers na kahit ganito ang nangyari sa past, kailangan ng forgiveness.”

On the second gap, they gushed over Manang Loleng (Carla Martinez) and Minya (Malou Crisologo)’s tug-of-war over a piece of ‘upo’ in the market, eventually leading to their reconciliation. “Share na kayo sa upo,” was Jane’s cute remark. 

On that sequence of Philip (JC) hurrying up to finish his breakfast when Olivia (Jane) arrived, JC quipped, “Mas concern ko ‘yung naiwan na kanin, buti napahid.” Laughing out loud, Jane seconded, “Sinulit niya ‘yung food props niya.”

By the third gap, the pair was intensely focused on watching their romantic rooftop scene. JC joked about his brush-up hairstyle, Jane her full bangs. The latter was caught chuckling over her character’s romantic monologue, and then ‘kilig’ and loud applause filled the studio as the characters shared a passionate kiss. JC shouted, “Tapos na! Endgame!” to which Jane added, talking to fans who’ve been shipping Philip and Olivia/Claire, “Pinanagutan naman namin kayo.”

She dedicated the romantic PhLaire scene to those who fervidly prayed for the ex-couple's second shot at love, “Para sa mga PhLaire na lagi ko pong nakikita ang mga comments, tweets, messages n’yo, so thank you sa mainit n’yong suporta. Hindi namin kayo pababayaan ngayon ‘The Final Checkmate.’”

“Kayo lang, eh, muntikan kayong bumitaw, eh. Nawawalan sila ng faith,” humored JC. 

Jane stole the moment to express gratitude to those who supported her tandem with JC and have been invested in the narrative, “Thank you kasi napansin namain throughout the journey ng show, marami talagang into the story. ‘ Yung mga sumusubaybay sa palabas namin, parang nagiging critique sila, hinuhulaan nila kung ano mangyayari.” 

By the fourth and final gap, viewers were hit by bittersweet emotions as happy endings, hopeful beginnings, and redemption stories envelop each character. The finale episode concludes with Philip and Olivia ready to embark on their new journey as a couple. 

“’Yan ang favorite ko – PhLaire era,” exclaimed Jane, who couldn’t hide her being emo over the final sequence. “Huwag muna,” she begged. Same, Jane.

The duo was also able to read live comments from netizens, receiving numerous compliments for their undeniable chemistry which has made even older viewers feel ‘kilig.’ Netizens also aired their sentiments about missing the cast and characters, and their demand for a Book 3. 

JC shared that they went through hurdles along the way, as any typical teleserye production would, but their passion and commitment to the viewers triumphed over anything. 

“Ang daming obstacles talaga, like, we always have to detour kasi hindi kami pwedeng ma-stuck do’n sa hirap na ‘yun. Kailangan namin mag-detour para makalimutan namin lahat ng obstacles na ‘yun.” 

“Doing Philip, masasabi ko talaga na it was challenging, really heavy... Kung napansin n’yo, ngumiti lang ako no’ng last scene,” JC rehashed his character’s heartbreak dealing with both his parents’ demise, the weight of which he carried throughout the narrative. There was even an inside joke on set about him possessing an alter-ego named Mhilip, who, in contrast to Philip, was allowed to loosen up a bit. 
He gives credit to the production heads for tirelessly guiding them actors, and the creatives especially the writers for catering to the audience’s needs. He said that the writers made sure that viewers’ opinions and requests were put into the script. 

He also thanked all cast members for an unforgettable ride, “Behind the camera, ‘pag narining namin ‘yung cut, meron kaming kanya-kanyang way of having fun, so do’n nagkaroon ng pamilya sa loob. Puro tawanan, kwentuhan, kulitan, sharing of everything.” 

As for Jane, taking charge of her character’s different stories as Claire and Olivia was an experience full of learning, especially, “not everything is what we think or what it seems; learning to forgive, ‘yun talaga ang magpapagaan ng dala-dala mo.”

As she bids adieu to her first teleserye lead role, Jane will make sure to carry with her all the sweet memories she’s had on set. “Thank you for the journey. Thank you for the lessons learned. Thank you sa nabuong pamilya. Thank you for a draining but fun time,” she imparted. “Kahit nakakapagod, fulfilling siya.” 

As teleserye finales are endings and beginnings in one, Jane is also excited about the next chapter of her career.