January 22 was no ordinary day for Sheila Dela Paz and Irene Lu, two lucky PEPsters whose wishes were granted by PEP's anniversary promo "PEP-a-Wish."
"Grabe, ‘di ko pa din mapaniwala na nanalo ako. Parang dream come true talaga ‘to," the winners exclaimed.
And what was the winning wish?
To meet Marian Rivera in person.
THE RIDE. The taping of Marimar that day was set in Carmenville Subdivision, Angeles, Pampanga.
On the way to the venue, Sheila and Irene were very excited. They're loyal PEPsters and devoted fans of the television series Marimar.
"Grabe, sobra akong fan talaga ng Marimar na parati akong nanonood habang binubuntis ko yung anak ko. Kay Marimar ko nga pinaglihi kaya maputi at maganda din ang labas ng baby ko," Sheila, now a mom of three, beamed.
Irene, an insurance broker, is also a passionate watcher of the teleserye. Despite her hectic schedule, she makes sure that she comes home on time to catch Marimar.
"Mga anak ko nga, parati nang nagrereklamo kasi ako ang kaagaw nila sa remote control kapag Marimar na ang palabas. Pero kami ng asawa ko, sobra kaming fan kaya ang family ko nagiging Marimar addict na."
And they instantly clicked. They talked nonstop: about their personal lives, celebrities, and everything showbiz from PEP. They even revealed their PEP usernames.
THE VISIT. It was a rainy afternoon, but the weather did not dampen the spirits of the winners.
"Totoo na ba ito? Sobrang maiinggit sigurado yung mga anak ko. Sayang lang may pasok sila, di ko maisama," said Sheila disbelievingly. Her husband, who accompanied her, couldn't help but agree.
A sight of newly-built houses in Carmenville Subdivision greeted Irene, Sheila, and the staff and crew of PEP and FANATXT. One of the houses was where Sergio Santibañez, the character of Dingdong Dantes in the said television series, lives.
The two excited moms were first toured around the set of Marimar. And as a big bonus, they caught more than a glimpse of the other cast members as well—Dingdong Dantes, Richard Gomez, Paolo Paraiso, Sheena Halili, and Arthur Solinap—who were inside the house seriously studying their scripts.
While they were waiting for their idol, Sheila and Irene got some pointers from GMA NMI segment producer Mike Factor on how to deliver their spiels for the webisode.
