Nine years ago, ABS-CBN took the initiative of turning bestseller Precious Hearts Romances pocketbooks into riveting, exceptional teleseryes.
Throughout its four-year run, PHR Presents and its spin-off Quikilig: Maiikiling Kwento ng Pag-ibig were indeed successful as both garnered huge throngs of viewers and were consistent top-raters and recipients of recognitions and nominations.
In its three seasons, we were introduced to 18 tales of love, sacrifice, and everything in between and to different characters that left indelible marks in our minds and hearts.
Rose Tan’s Bud Brothers, stories of how a diverse group of eight idealistic men were able to find the girl for each of them, opened the series.
It was succeeded by the funny romance between a naïve barrio lass Flor, played by Toni Gonzaga, and Derek Ramsay’s Zephy, a deadpan hotel owner, chronicled in Ang Lalaking Nagmahal sa Akin.
Somewhere in my Heart follows the journey of Femi (Kaye Abad), a woman who pretended to be a nun in order to seduce and make her college crush Aaron (Guji Lorenzana) fall in love with her.
Despite of its typical one-sided love narrative, Cristine Reyes and Jake Cuenca’s second team up for PHR in My Cheating Heart still captured a lot of hearts.
The most remarkable books of the series flocked in its second season.
Impostor exhibited the versatility of Maja Salvador as an actress for she had to portray the drop-dead gorgeous Mariz and mimic the funny expressions and gestures of Melai Cantiveros’ Devin as she took on the character in the latter parts of the story.
Denise Laurel and Rafael Rosell’s phenomenal pairing in Midnight Phantom, a tale attesting to how true destiny is, was succeeded by their appearance in Kristine, alongside Cristine Reyes and Zanjoe Marudo. The two leading ladies took on the role of sisters trapped in the den of their clan’s toughest rival.
Alyna came next, featuring seasoned actress Shaina Magdayao in the titular role, and her love interests Sid Lucero as Rex, the first guy she trusted with her guarded heart and the father of her child, and Jason Abalos as Dominic, the man who promised her everlasting love.
Melai and the other half of the MelaSon loveteam, her now husband Jason Francisco, headlined their first series Mana Po.
Certainly, the creators didn’t let Season 3 be left behind as they chose four well-written books for its lineup.
Lumayo Ka Man Sa Akin, starring Maja Salavador and Jason Abalos, revolved around the story of Janine who, in the midst of searching her real mother, bumped into barrio dude Jake and fell in love with each other.
Before winning the Miss World crown in 2013, Megan Young starred in Hiyas opposite fellow Pinoy Big Brother celebrity housemate Zanjoe Marudo.
Denise Laurel once again top-billed in a PHR Presents loveserye, but this time, with younger actor Martin del Rosario who played as her student to whom she had an affair.
Completing the temporary closing of the well-loved series was the Jessy Mendiola-Matteo Guidicelli-starrer Paraiso, a typical story of two strangers who fell in love with each other after being stranded in a deserted island.
Meanwhile, five novels made it to the spin-off dubbed as Quikilig: Maiikling Kuwento ng Pag-ibig – Love is Only in the Movies (Zanjoe Marudo and Mariel Rodriguez), The Substitute Bride (Paw Diaz and Rafael Rosell), You’re Mine, Only Mine (Will Devaughn and Denise Laurel), Piso Para sa Puso (Kristine Hermosa and Oyo Boy Sotto), and Love Me Again (Valerie Concepcion, Tom Rodriguez, Johan Santos, and Cathy Remperas).
Next week, ABS-CBN brings back the series we surely missed watching through its Season 4 opener Araw Gabi, which is based in Martha Cecilia’s El Paraiso and marks the comeback of JM de Guzman and the first lead role of Barbie Imperial.
Don’t miss its premiere on April 30, replacing Hanggang Saan on Kapamilya Gold.