Dimples Romana, Miko Raval show how age, distance don’t count when ‘love bites’

MANILA, Philippines — Viral Scandal co-stars Dimples Romana and Miko Raval are set to reunite in one of the episodes of ABS-CBN’s digital anthology Love Bites.

The upcoming segment titled Letters for Lea will explore a kind of love that “defies age, distance and space.”

“There are kinds of love (that) get stuck on you and just grow on you. Kumbaga merong mga kilig at pagmamahal na parang dumarating siya, ambilis-bilis lang dumaan sayo, pero it lasts. Something that has lasting effect on you,” shared Dimples during a virtual call.

The romance between Allan (Miko) and Lea (Dimples) in Letters for Lea is “a beautiful love story,” she remarked. “We have the notion that when it comes to love, you always have to be together, you always have to spend (time) together. But here comes Lea and Allan, both are telling us na pwedeng magkaroon ng pagmamahal somewhere out there, there is one person who loves you.”

“So, you are actually redefining love, really finding love and defying space and distance and time, and somehow parang for the two, naka-suspend yun. Isn’t that like one of the most romantic kinds of love na parang alam mo lang na merong nagmamahal sayo somewhere out there and maybe, just maybe, if the timing is right, you’ll find one another again,” she added.

The premise of Letters for Lea is something that is relatable to mature viewers. As the actress elaborated, “Marami sa mga in their 30s, 40s and even 50s who would find second wind in love, third wind in love because they felt they did not have that chance and the timing was always off. They always had to consider other things.

“But again, here comes a love that tells you that love can also be loving each other unconditionally because imagine, there are no expectations. Hindi naman nila nakikita yung isa’t isa and yet they really held on to that kind of love that made them feel so alive.”

She further gushed about their characters, “For me, ang ganda lang isipin na they (Allan and Lea) were trying to reach one another…na parang decades have passed and yet they were feeling so much for each other.”

“They always wanna reach out to each other like that. They are always longing for each other,” she added.

Miko says of Dimples as co-star: ‘Very professional and very passionate about her work.’

The Kapamilya star, who is married to non-showbiz husband of 20 years Boyet Ahmee, said that the craziest thing she did for love was to “take the leap of faith and really go with it.” Dimples and Boyet have three children — Callie, Alonzo and Elio.

She told The STAR, “Sometimes, there’s a tendency for us to overthink love. And because we have so many expectations of what it should look like, what it should feel like and what it should require of you knowing another person. But I just realized, you know, that love could be just very easy and very pure, very honest and hindi pretentious.”

She continued, “I just realized that siguro the craziest thing that I actually did for love was just to go with it without knowing where it’s gonna lead. That’s how it works. ‘Pag nagmamahal ka ng totoo, hindi mo tinitingnan kung saan ‘to papunta. I believe that love should be that way na nagmamahal ka kasi nararamdaman mo yun yung pagmamahal.”

She further stated that “love should be passionate, love should not feel like it is superficial. It should feel very easy (because) love always feels right.”

Dimples also recalled that “when I went for that kind of love that was honest and pure, it took me back to myself and that was the beautiful place for me.”

“Love will come to you regardless of age (and) gender. That’s what Love Bites is all about. It’s telling you that love is universal. That it’s OK to let love come to you and it’s OK to also chase it,” she declared.

Meanwhile, Miko is glad to be reunited with his onscreen partner in Viral Scandal. “Si Dimps, ‘pag nakatrabaho mo siya, first day pa lang talagang mag-o-open up ka sa kanya because the way she talks, the way… parang ilalapit niya yung sarili niya sayo in a way na hindi ka mai-intimidate,” he said of Dimples.

“To work with her, to open up to her as a friend, as an actor, it helped me…we became very close.”

He also felt “very lucky and blessed” to have done another project with Dimples after their successful pairing in Viral Scandal and he hoped to do more projects with her. He further praised his onscreen partner as “someone who’s very professional, creative and very passionate about her work.”

Love Bites is directed by Kevin Alambra and Dado C. Lumibao. Mela Habijan served as the host during the virtual media conference.

Love Bites is part of the Made for YouTube offerings, produced by RCD Narratives and streams every Friday at 8 p.m. on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel.