A post shared by Dreamscape PH (@dreamscapeph) on Sep 11, 2017 at 12:03am PDT

MANILA -- "The Promise of Forever," ABS-CBN's newest afternoon drama starring Paulo Avelino, was off to a strong start with its pilot episode drawing in more viewers than its rival show.

The Monday premiere was viewed by 18.4% of country's total television viewing population, according to data from Kantar Media, nearly 3 percentage points more than its direct competitor, "Haplos" from GMA-7.

The number fell a little on Tuesday (18.1%), but it was still enough to hold the distinction of being the most watched show during its timeslot, airing just before the hit revenge drama "Wildflower," which marks the start of the day's primetime block.

During the pilot, fans were introduced to Lorenzo (Avelino), a man who gains immortality after being struck by lightning. Living his modern-day life as Nicolas, he meets Sophia (Ritz Azul), whose dream to help her family led to her becoming a seafarer.

"The Promise of Forever" is Azul's first project after signing with ABS-CBN, while the series is Avelino's follow-up to his successful stint in "On the Wings of Love" with James Reid and Nadine Lustre.

The series is under the direction of Darnel Villaflor and Hannah Espia, best known for "Transit," the country's official entry to the 86th Oscars.

In other rating news, "Ang Probinsyano" managed to maintain its stronghold at the summit, starting the week with both episodes hoarding 40% of the Filipino audience.

"TV Patrol" is a close second, followed by "La Luna Sangre" in third. "Wildflower" made it a top four sweep for the Kapamilya network.

Check out the full ratings result for Monday and Tuesday below: