MANILA, Philippines, 16 June 2021 – A well-loved character from a 1987 comedy-fantasy film – PUTO – returns to continue his magical adventures, this time with his son and a cast of new and not-so-new characters.
This Saturday, June 19, the latest binge-worthy addition to your weekend premieres on TV5 as the story of Ivanhoe “Puto” dela Cruz continues in PUTO, the TV series sequel to the ‘80s hit movie of the same title.
TV5’s PUTO stars Herbert Bautista, reprising his role as Ivanhoe “Puto” Dela Cruz, the kind-hearted student who sells puto or steamed rice cakes in the original film. The series takes-off some 30 years after the 1987 hit movie, with Ivanhoe now a devoted father to his only son, Uno, played by promising young actor McCoy De Leon.
Whereas the original film showed a young Puto, shy and a bit unsure of himself brought about by the constant bullying of his more popular classmates, today’s Ivan is a more composed and wiser version, ready to defend Uno against the all-too-familiar bullying also present in his school. Herbert deftly brings a mature air to his character, as he portrays a dad desperately trying to save his son from the same fate he suffered as an unpopular kid in high school.
On the other hand, Uno, while not as outwardly awkward as his father was when he was a teen, nevertheless still finds himself on the lower rung of his school’s popularity ladder, owing to his dad’s humble means of livelihood. McCoy fits the role of Uno to a “T”, bringing a shy, yet charming onscreen vibe to the character, making Uno instantly likeable and definitely someone audiences will root for as he struggles to find the acceptance of his peers.
Coming off stints that have garnered for him the recognition as the Most Promising and Hottest Actor of the 3rd Asia Pacific Luminare Awards in 2020 and having starred in an explosive episode of TV5’s Wanted: Ang Serye, PUTO is a welcome opportunity for McCoy to further flex his comedic acting muscles in this hilarious yet heart-warming family-oriented series.
In the TV5 reboot, Puto and Uno embark on new adventures as their lives get intertwined with the colorful characters of the duwende realm. Beks Battalion’s Lassy Marquez, MC Calaquian, and Chad Kinis play The Mamitas, the three elves rescued by Puto in the movie now take on human form and help care for Uno. The Mamitas serve as Uno’s mother figures growing up.
As the series unfolds, Uno will have to come to terms with the revelation that he is half-duwende. As he struggles to lead a normal life with his peers, Uno discovers that he possesses mystical powers and finds that every action could either bring good or bad karma to him and the people around him.
Completing the cast of PUTO are Rafa Siguion-Reyna as Ramon, Uno’s professor; Andrea Babierra and Bob Jbeili as Alex and Elong respectively, bestfriends of Uno; Carlyn Ocampo as Joy, love interest of Uno; Andrew Muhlach as Nico, the school bully and rival of Uno for Joy’s affections; Caleb Santos and TJ Valderrama play Troy and Edwen, the good duwendes; Billy Villeta as Itaban, the bad duwende; and Giovanni Respal as Markadan, the leader of the bad duwendes.
PUTO will elicit nostalgia and throwback moments as it also brings back notable characters from the original movie such as Puto’s best friend Juanito (Janno Gibbs) and former schoolmates Mindy (Gelli de Belen), who is now a cook in Uno’s school’s canteen, and Tere (Bing Loyzaga), now a life insurance agent and self-proclaimed plantita.
The series aims to reflect the dynamics of Filipino families, with a dash of fantasy, making it an enjoyable viewing experience for families on weekends. Discover magic and mischief with Puto and his family on Saturdays, 6PM, beginning June 19 on TV5, with catch-up airing on Sundays, 5PM, beginning June 20 on Sari Sari Channel, available on Cignal ch. 3 and SatLite ch. 30. Viewers can also watch via TV5’s livestream on the Cignal Play app, available for FREE for iOS and Android users.
