Jennylyn, Mark, Jolina, and Marvin took a break from shopping on Manhattan's pricey 5th Avenue, where the posh designer stores are. On the first shooting day, while Marvin and Jolina were doing a scene, a police officer approached them and asked if they had a permit to film. "After ipakita sa kanya 'yong permit, he left na rin naman agad," says entertainment reporter Lhar Santiago, who was there to cover the taping for GMA-7 news and other programs.
Jennylyn in front of St. Patrick Cathedral in Manhattan. She bought six pairs of shoes to take back home in the Philippines. But self-confessed shoe addict Mark topped that, buying himself seven pairs of shoes.
The cast party was held at Perlas ng Silangan, a Filipino restaurant in Queens, New York. The restaurant is owned by Nel Castelvi (not in photo) who's related to former singer-actor Romano Castelvi, husband of singer actress Jean Lopez. "Pag tapos na ang shoot, tatawag na kami do'n to place our orders of ginisang munggo, adobo, tinapa, daing, and other Pinoy dishes," Lhar recalls. "A lot of times, hindi na kami pinagbabayad."
Mark in SoHo. "Kahit masikat ang araw, manginginig ka sa ginaw," he says. A shop-till-you-drop kind of guy, he used up his $2,000 pocket money in New York. At the airport, bound for Manila, he had to borrow $160 dollars to pay for his excess baggage. "Dalawa lang kasi ang allowed. E, tatlo ang luggage ko. Humiram din ako ng fifty dollars kay Jen."
Central Park, where this scene of Jen and Mark was shot, is considered the most-filmed public park in the world. It has been featured in more than 200 Hollywood films since 1908.
Jolina with lawyer boyfriend Bebong Muñoz. While dining in a quaint café in SoHo, Jolens had a memorable encounter with Hollywood actor Emilio Estevez. "Pagdaan niya, napalingon ako. Sabi ko kay Bebong, ‘Si Emilio Estevez ba ýon?' So punta ako ng C.R. kunwari iihi ako. Pagbalik ko, sabi ko kay Bebong, ‘Si Emilio nga! Kunan mo ‘ko!' [She meant: take a picture of her with Emilio.] Sabi niya, ‘Huwag na. Nakakahiya.' Sabi ko, ‘Minsan lang ‘to, ‘no! Hindi naman niya ‘ko kilala, e." Since her boyfriend wouldn't take their picture, the woman who was with Emilio snapped the photo. "Ay, nako, kinapalan ko na ýong fez ko. Nagpaka-fanchita ako at nagpa-picture!"
Marvin in Central Park. He liked hanging out in SoHo, with its rows upon rows of restaurants. "I love to eat kasi," he explains. "So bumili ako ng book na Cool Places to Eat in New York. And tatlo sa mga restaurant na nakalista do'n sa book, na-try ko. One place na talagang nagustuhan ko, 'yong Vietnamese restaurant called Peep. Sobrang sarap ng food at ang ganda ng interior."
Marvin and Jolens in Liberty State Park, with the New York skyline in the background. Lhar Santiago, who was sent to New York by 24 Oras, notes that one difference between taping a show in the Philippines and in New York is that, here, meals are catered, but there, cast and crew always had to look for a place to eat: "Kung saan kami matapat at may kainan, doon na kami kumakain."
Mark and Jen in Liberty State Park in New Jersey, with the Statue of Liberty in the background. Their most memorable moment in New York was when they saw snow for the first time. "Para kaming mga batang nagtatampisaw sa yelo," Mark recalls.
