“Abot-Kamay Na Pangarap” headwriter discusses how they marry medical cases to dramatic plots
GMA-7’s afternoon series, “Abot-Kamay Na Pangarap,” continues to enjoy high ratings and online views since its premiere in September 2022.
With its success, the show’s original one-season run has been awarded several extensions. But with success also comes criticisms on social media, and lead star Jillian Ward knows that they cannot please everyone.
She says about this, “Alam niyo po, kada comment na meron sila, yung constructive criticisms na kino-comment nila, kaming lahat po nila Direk, lahat ng cast, very grateful po kami doon. Kasi meron po kaming nakukuhang insights sa kung anong nakikita ng viewers, ano pong pwede naming ma-improve sa acting, sa mga medical cases po na pinapakita po namin.”
Ward is confident in saying that she is not affected by these comments.
“Hindi po ako naapektuhan in a negative way. Sa totoo lang po, natutuwa po ako kahit ano pong comment nila, kasi wine-weigh po namin, talagang nai-incorporate po namin sa kung paano mapapaganda yung show.
“So, more than anything, grateful po ako kasi pinapanuod po nila at nagsa-suggest po sila ng mga dapat gawin at dapat ayusin.”
FreebieMNL spoke to Ward and the show’s other cast members in a Zoom conference for the show in April 2023.
READ ALSO: Jillian Ward Shares Experience In Working With Dina Bonnevie In “Abot-Kamay Na Pangarap”
The creative team’s process
Meanwhile, “Abot-Kamay Na Pangarap” headwriter Geng Delos Reyes-Delgado admits it is hard to infuse medical aspects in their teleserye.
She explains, “Pinag-iisipan din namin kung paano ibabangga yung medical cases sa takbo ng kwento, sa narrative. ‘Tapos, tinitimpla din namin kung kasi baka nakahiwalay siya sa nangyayari sa characters namin, baka masyado siyang distracting.
“At the same time, kapag gumagawa kami ng script dahil hindi naman kami mga doctor talaga lahat, except yung ibang writers namin, dating nurse although hindi na sila nagpa-practice ngayon.”
But the team has a medical consultant to assist them when they want to execute plots that involve medical cases.
“So, kapag meron pa ring naiisip, yung medical consultant namin, sobrang accommodating siya. Nagtatanong kami sa kanya, and in most times, nagsa-suggest din siya.
“For example, magtatanong kami, ‘Doc, ano bang magandang case, kasi ito yung gusto naming puntahang drama? Kasi ganito po yung mangyayari kay Analyn versus ito yung mangyayari sa isang character. Ito po yung pagdadaanan, kailangan po naming maikabit ng kaunti.’
“Magsa-suggest siya, ‘Ganito na lang gawin niyo,’ kahit hindi namin maintindihan yun, naiintindihan niya rin yung demand ng drama para maging exciting siya and in a way, relatable and hindi siya mukhang technical na parang masyadong out there na pang-doctor lang.
“So, as much as possible, yung creative consultant namin, nagsa-suggest din siya ng mas makamasang problema. Gaya nga nitong sa pagbobomba, not necessarily medical but a social callout about hospitals, about rich versus poor pagdating sa medical system.
“At the same time, siyempre, nag-iisip din ng medical term na medyo pangmasa, like, meron kaming sinugod na nalaglagan lang ng cast iron pan.
“Parang napaka-weird pero nangyayari naman siya pero it could lead to something else, pwede maapektuhan yung brain mo, mawalan ng pang-amoy, panglasa, kasi something to do with the brain.”
The cases they deal with also relate to the current plot with the characters of Jillian Ward and Kazel Kinouchi as neuro residents in the hospital.
“Kasi neuro resident na si Analyn ngayon at saka si Zoey, so, almost of the medical cases, neuro din. ‘Tapos siyempre, nilalagyan din namin ng mga entertaining lines para yung mga social services, mga natutusok ng lapis, nanganganak.
“Mahirap siya pero okay naman, natututo din kami in a way, medyo informative na rin siya for the audience.”
READ MORE: Kazel Kinouchi Narrates How She Got Her Role In “Abot-Kamay Na Pangarap”
But how do they address doctors’ criticisms and comments on social media saying that their series is not realistic enough in the world of hospitals?
Delgado answers, “Minsan tinanatong din namin straight sa medical consultant namin, ipinapakita namin yung screenshot ng actual comment, ‘Doc, tama po ba, ito kasi sabi nila.’
“And then, meron siyang ie-explain, kasi parang iba-iba sila ng kung paano nila iha-handle. Meron silang sariling diskarte and kapag kunyari, may sinabi naman ng ganito, ginagawa naman ng paraan na mai-correct siya.
“Kunyari, naalala ko, may isang nag-comment na doctor na ‘Sino bang doctor ang mag-iisip na maging chief resident?’ Kasi hindi daw nila pangarap yun.
“E, yung characters namin, yun ang ine-aim nila, maging chief res. ‘Doc, paano ba ito? Ipina-explain namin kay Doc Arvin yung benefits. Bakit ine-aim ni Analyn ang pagiging chief resident, it’s because of fellowship, mga ano sa abroad, mga medical events na parang mas may edge kapag chief res ka.
“So, doon na lang namin nilagay kasi ganun yung character ni Analyn, gusto niya ng ganitong standard, that’s why she aimed for this.
“So, parang sort of nasagot yung tanong kasi hindi naman lahat, ito yung aim. It just so happened that our character likes this, so, binigyan na lang namin ng reason.”
“Abot-Kamay Na Pangarap” continues to air every Monday to Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The show also headlines Carmina Villarroel, Richard Yap, Dominic Ochoa, Andre Paras, and Dina Bonnevie, among others.
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