Stairway to Heaven (Philippines TV series)

Stairway to Heaven is a Philippine drama adapted from a Korean drama with the same name; directed by Joyce E. Bernal and developed by Dode Cruz, their third team-up after the highly successful MariMar and Dyesebel.^[3]

The series premiered on September 14 and ended on December 11, 2009 in the Philippines via GMA Network, starring Dingdong Dantes and Rhian Ramos reprising the ill-fated lovers Cholo and Jodi - originally portrayed by Kwon Sang-woo and Choi Ji-woo - with TJ Trinidad and Glaiza de Castro.^[4] It was aired internationally with a two-day delay on GMA Pinoy TV. The series also aired internationally in Malaysia (TV3) and Vietnam (CTV). It will now air on Hawaii's KIKU Television.

The TV series also initially re-airs currently via cable channel Fox Filipino channel currently during its first quarter of 2012.

Plot

The story revolves on two characters whose love is eternal against all odds.....

At a young age Cholo Fuentebella (Joshua Dionisio) and Jodi Reyes (Barbie Forteza) have been the best of friends. They grew up next to each other and resided beside a beach house for a couple of years. But a time comes that both have to go on their separate ways with Jodi's father Jovan (Jestoni Alarcon), an architect who falls for and marries the character actress Maita Aragon (Jean Garcia). The liaison seems to be the picture perfect family Jodi has always wanted until all of a sudden, she must also deal with her step siblings Tristan (Jhake Vargas) and Eunice (Jhoana Marie Tan) from a past marriage. Eunice envies Jodi and considers Cholo hers.

The relationship of Cholo and Jodi takes on the first challenge when Cholo leaves to study in the U.S. Before he left, the two young lovers promised to wait for each other until Cholo has finished his studies. Their only way of communication is through letters, but Eunice is the one who receives Cholo's letters instead of Jodi. Jodi caught Eunice keeping the letters, and after which they wrote to each other every day.

Seven years later, Jodi (Rhian Ramos) awaits for Cholo's (Dingdong Dantes) triumphant return. With his arrival, the two couple reunite, and Cholo took the chance to make a wedding proposal to Jodi, to which she willingly accepts. However, Cholo still has to finish some negotiations in the States. When he was about to stay in the country for good, Eunice (Glaiza de Castro) hits Jodi with her car while waiting for Cholo. This caused the amnesia of Jodi, and Tristan took the chance to make Jodi hers. After Jodi wakes, he introduces himself as Charlie and tells her that her name is Jenna.

Eunice and Maita made it look an accident and faked Jodi's death. The two made the family members of Jodi believe that she is dead, while Cholo doubts it, and believes that she is still alive. For his recovery on his loss, he went back to the States with Eunice following him. Eunice persuades Cholo into a marriage proposal, and after five years, they came back to announce their engagement. But for Cholo, the five years that has gone by has not changed his love for Jodi.

Cholo revisits the places he and Jodi shared memories. One day, he goes to the carousel they used to ride as children and wishes to see Jodi once more. To his surprise, he sees her riding the carousel. Cholo rushes to Jodi (who thinks she is Jenna) and insists that she is Jodi. Jenna denies knowing him, but Cholo believes she really is Jodi and is determined to make her remember the love she had for him. Eventually, they became close. Cholo also introduced Jenna to Jodi's father, and he was shocked by her similarity with his daughter. Eunice and her mother, who both know the truth, are terrified that Jodi will regain her memory, so they planned on destroying Cholo's trust on Jenna. Cholo was deceived, and he realizes that he is mistaken for thinking that Jenna is Jodi.

Eunice, devastated on Cholo's rejection for her, nearly hits Jodi with her car again. With this, Jodi's memory returned and she rushes to tell Cholo, who believes her upon seeing the necklace he gave to Jodi before. However, Maita, Eunice's mother, blackmailed Zoila, Cholo's mother, to make Cholo marry Eunice. Zoila could not do anything but disown Cholo as her son.

Despite his lack of money, Jodi and Cholo tried to continue their love for each other. But one day, Jodi discovers she has eye cancer. Depressed, she goes to Tristan tells her to take her away from Cholo since she can't bear to see him in pain. Gradually, Jodi's vision deteriorates into blindness. Tristan discovers Jodi's disease, and since he doesn't want to see his step-sister in pain, he tells Cholo about it. Cholo pleads for her mother's assistance for Jodi's operation. Tristan also reveals the truth behind the accident, and Eunice is arrested and her mother is sent to a mental institute.

Cholo and Tristan became good friends. They both asked a doctor if they could give Jodi their corneas, but the doctor informs them that they are not allowed to take corneas from live donors. Tristan trusts Cholo's love for Jodi, and he considers Jodi's wish to see Cholo's face again. He wants to grant her wish at all costs and sets in motion his plan. He creates fake pictures of him and a girl in France, and writes letters for Jodi to be sent later, saying he is not sure when he will return. Tristan then creates a car accident to commit suicide to donate his corneas to Jodi. After his death, Jodi undergoes an operation and is able to see once more.

The next few days, Jodi and Cholo spend quality time together. One day, Jodi's eyesight falters again, and Cholo finds out that the cancer has already metastasized. Although Cholo wants her to undergo the chemotherapy treatments to live, she decides she would rather spend time with him that die in a hospital. They continued their plan to be married, but on the same day, Jodi dies at the seaside near her childhood house, in the arms of Cholo.

The epilogue shows Cholo playing a tune he used to play for Jodi during their childhood. He accepts that Jodi is gone, for he knows that one day, they shall meet and be in each other's arms again.

Cast of Characters

Main Cast

• Dingdong Dantes as Pocholo 'Cholo' Fuentebella
• Rhian Ramos as Jodi Reyes-Fuentebella
• TJ Trinidad as Tristan Aragon
• Glaiza de Castro as Eunice Aragon

Extended Cast

• Jean Garcia as Maita Aragon-Reyes
• Sandy Andolong as Zoila Fuentebella
• Karen delos Reyes as Bernadette Mallari
• Jestoni Alarcon as Jovan Reyes

Special Participation

• Joshua Dionisio as Young Cholo
• Barbie Forteza as Young Jodi
• Jake Vargas as Young Tristan^[5]
• Jhoana Marie Tan as Young Eunice

DVD release

Due to its popularity and reaching success in Philippines and globally, it was released on January 2010, on DVD with all complete episodes in 6 Volumes. The series was released onto DVD-format by GMA Records.

Awards

• It was nominated in the 37th Guillermo Mendoza Awards as "Favorite Television Drama" along with Tayong Dalawa, Tanging Yaman, Katorse, Carlo J. Caparas' Ang Babaeng Hinugot Sa Aking Tadyang, and Dahil May Isang Ikaw.
• On July 2010 in the issue of Starstudio (ABS-CBN), Jean Garcia became a runner-up in the survey with other female celebrities in the Stylish Kontrabida's (Anatagonist's) alongside Agot Isidro and Mylene Dizon.
• In the recent 23rd annual PMPC Star Awards for Television, Dingdong Dantes won Best Actor in a prime time series for Stairway To Heaven. He also won the Best Actor award in the Asian Television Awards for his role as Cholo Fuentebella.

See also

• List of shows previously aired by GMA Network
• Stairway to Heaven (TV series)

External links

• Stairway to Heaven at the Internet Movie Database

References