Arzen Rose Dulzura

What Lorna Tolentino learned about love and happy endings from Amanda’s story in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo”

Article (news)

Liezel Dela Cruz

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1739252561778ENT-OD2(28).jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><br/></div><p>For viewers of &quot;<a href="http://abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/batangquiapo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>FPJ&#x27;s Batang Quiapo</u></strong></a>,&quot; Amanda was heartbreakingly human. Deprived of the time to be with the man her heart truly belonged to, she carried the weight of a love story filled with longing and pain.</p><p>And for Lorna Tolentino, playing Amanda was an experience that challenged her as an actress and gave her a fresh take on love’s complexities. Until the end, Amanda showed exactly what true love means when she didn’t think twice about taking a bullet for Primo. “Kung mahal ka, mahal ka. ‘Pag hindi kamahal, hindi ka mahal” she reflected, tying it back to her favorite line, “Kahit dukutin mo ang puso ko, hindi mapupunta sa&#x27;yo ‘yun,” which she once threw at Augustus (Julio Diaz), the man obsessed with her. And in a cruel twist of fate, it was Augustus&#x27; bullet, meant for Primo, that ended her life.</p><div><br/></div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABTXGukRpsl7kYqE&amp;activation=click&amp;vip_mode=playing&amp;vip_position=bottom-right"></script><div><br/></div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABUJtU1HaIfWHm_k&amp;activation=click&amp;vip_mode=playing&amp;vip_position=bottom-right"></script><div><br/></div><p>While she knows most viewers would have hoped for a happy ending for PriManda, Lorna pointed out that reality can be cruel—sometimes, two people who deeply love each other are torn apart by death, either too soon or when they least expect it. And in Amanda and Primo’s case, their happy ending could only be found in the afterlife. In her final words to Primo, she said, &quot;Hihintayin kita sa kabilang buhay.&quot;</p><p>“’Pag marunong kang madapa, marunong kang bumagon, at marunong kang lumaban sa tama lalo na kung para sa sarili mo, at lalo na kung maraming naniniwala sa’yo na kakayanin mo,” she shared when asked the life lesson she’s picked up from her character.</p><p>Lorna’s final sequences in the series were intense, packed with violent, high-stakes action, something she’s no stranger to, having already experienced action scenes in her previous teleserye, “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” which was also top-billed and directed by Coco Martin. And while physical scenes are always challenging, she pushes herself to give her best until the cameras stop rolling.</p><p>But there was one particular moment in ‘FPJ&#x27;s Batang Quiapo’ that she considers her most unforgettable experience. According to Lorna, she had asthma after catching the COVID-19 virus fresh from an overseas trip, making it difficult for her to breathe. So she suddenly had to stop in the middle of filming when they were shooting a scene where Amanda was being rescued by Primo while exchanging fire with Augustus’ men.</p><p>“Ang nangyari, action scene, sobrang init. Sabi ko ‘sandali, hindi ako makahinga’. Muntik na talaga akong himatayin. So, kailangan tumigil. First time nangyari na kailangan mag-stop. Kadalasan pinupuwersa ko &#x27;yung sarili ko. Dahil namutla na ako, hindi na ‘ko makahinga,” she recalled.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DF5MJOCyrBn/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=754&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A257644%2C%22ls%22%3A257198%2C%22le%22%3A257582%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="834" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>That’s why Lorna is incredibly grateful to CCM Film Productions for always taking care of the cast and crew on set. She’s also thankful to Coco, who never gets tired of giving her exciting and fresh roles to add to her repertoire, from the power-hungry Lily in &quot;FPJ&#x27;s Ang Probinsyano&quot; to the heartbreakingly human Amanda in &quot;<a href="http://abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/batangquiapo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>FPJ&#x27;s Batang Quiapo</u></strong></a>.&quot; Of course, she hopes they’ll get to work together again in the future.</p><p>And even though Amanda’s story has come to an end, Lorna still invites everyone to keep watching “<a href="http://abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/batangquiapo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><u>FPJ’s Batang Quiapo</u></strong></a>” because there’s so much more to look forward to, especially with Tanggol, who she admits is her favorite character in the series. She believes audiences connect with Tanggol’s motivation to stand up for what’s right. “Pinipilit ni Tanggol nalaging nasa tama ang disposisyon at paniniwala at kan’yang pinaglaban ,” she said during her final taping day, where she was showered with warm love and gratitude from the team, who surprised her with flowers.</p>