BDO Kabayan Savings and BDO Remit produce Piolo Pascual videos that are spoofs of his famous movie scenes. These parodies of Piolo’s drama scenes are an attempt to bring laughter and respite to overseas workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, the three videos were launched simultaneously through the online channels of BDO.
Piolo Pascual Videos Help Overseas Workers Bear Mental Burden
Covid-19 left us all literally breathless. Many people, including medical professionals, have died while hundreds of thousands have battled this viral infection around the world.
Aside from health and wellness, Covid-19 has affected our lifestyles as well as the global economy. No more family travels for us. It is no wonder then that people worry about the future because there seems to be no end in sight.
Many experts all over the world have been warning us all along that COVID-19 will bring about a wave of mental illness. There seems to be no prevention because needless to say, people are anxious. They are afraid of the present as well as the future. Meanwhile, many also regret about many things in the past.
So many people, especially in the hospitality industry, have lost their jobs so their families face an uncertain future.
What makes matters worse is the depression brought about by collective isolation due to the lockdown mandated by the government. While we understand that this is for our own good, the dread and anxiety get overemphasized in our lonesome. In this difficult time, our overseas Filipinos (OFs) are particularly vulnerable.
Encouraging Overseas Filipinos
The Philippines is perhaps among the largest senders of workers overseas. Many of our fellowmen have sought greener pastures abroad so that they can provide a better life for their families back home. Hence, we have overseas Filipino workers or OFWs.
Actor Piolo Pascual calls for more support for OFs during this global health crisis. He said that overseas Filipinos are under tremendous pressure as they face emotional, physical, and financial challenges. Homesickness has never been this strong. Read: Who Are You Like in This Crisis?
It’s not surprising then that many of our kababayans abroad are starting to or have already developed mental health issues.
“For decades, our economy benefited from billions of dollars in remittances. At this time, it’s our turn to give back and support OFs now that they are going through both a pandemic and an economic downturn,” said Piolo.
Piolo’s OFW Roles in Movies and TV
In the past, Piolo has played several iconic OF characters in several of his drama films. Moreover, it is a role that he knows so well in real life because he used to be a security guard in Los Angeles, California.
And today, it was revealed that he again played the versions of these characters in three new videos by BDO. These funny online videos (OLVs) were especially filmed for our fellow Filipinos abroad and to the rest of the nation. These will be shown starting today in BDO branches, on BDO’s YouTube channel, and on the BDO Kabayan Facebook page for our entertainment.
The commercials were taken inspired from Piolo’s famous movie scenes are are interpreted in a light-hearted way. These three scenes were taken from his two famous movies namely, “Milan” (opposite Claudine Barretto) and “Starting Over Again” (with Toni Gonzaga). As the videos are released coinciding with the OFs’ current situation, they take on more significance for Piolo’.
“Mahilig ang mga Pinoy sa drama and comedy. Etong mga videos, parang pinagsama yan tapos may twist. Yung pangkalahatan na mensahe ng videos ay kailangan natin ngayon: yung kasiyahan at pag-asa.
Piolo laments that we are experiencing real-life drama because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Whereas a movie only lasts for two hours, nobody actually knows when this crisis will end.
“So we need relief, we need to feel lighter, to see that we can still smile. Ma-realize lang natin na, oo nga, okay pa rin tumawa, magsaya. Na meron pa ring pag-asa. May solusyon. We can always find ways,” said Piolo.
Reaching Out For Help
Mental health is still taboo in our society. But Piolo said that the most important thing that OFs need to remember is to reach out for help. He acknowledges that many of us put up a brave face and battle challenges alone.
“Masyado tayong matiisin. Akala natin puntos para sa atin yung magdusa. No, it’s not. Kung malungkot ka, o masama ang loob, call a friend. Makipag-usap sa kapamilya. Wala namang award na ibibigay sa iyo kapag sinarili mo ang problema mo. Nagiging delikado lang lalo ang mental health mo,” he tells the bloggers.
He also reminded OFs not to hesitate getting professional help if needed. “There’s still a stigma over mental health. Sa panahon ngayon, hindi na dapat ikahiya ang mental illness. Tratuhin natin na tulad lang ng ibang sakit sa katawan.” He further said that there’s no shame in getting help in order to feel better and get better.
The Videos: A Call for Bayanihan
Piolo said that his new online videos show us how to help our fellowmen during the pandemic.
“In all the videos, mapapansin mo na kahit light and funny ang approach, malinaw ang mensahe: kapag ang kapwa Pinoy ay nasa alanganin, kapwa Pinoy ang tutulong. Hindi naman kailangan na solohin natin ang problema. Ang lakas ng Pilipino, nasa pagtutulungan, bayanihan. Especially during this pandemic, which is a huge, global problem, we need to call on the best in ourselves. Let’s help each other,” he added.
Starting Over There
In one video, “Starting Over There”, a desperate man (named Marco Villanueva, played by Piolo) chases after a taxicab in the rain. He was running and calling after “Ginny” (the character played by Toni Gonzaga in the original film). Like in the movie, it is implied that Ginny is leaving Marco to work abroad.
Did you enjoy the video? We realize that Marco is doubly desperate as he kneels in the rain because Ginny seems to have brought his ATM card. He says that he needs it to access a remittance. Then old woman in curlers chides him, telling the fumbling Marco that he could access BDO services around the neighborhood with his card. Marco discovers that the ATM card was in his pocket all along.
Starting Over Today
Another video, “Starting Over Today,” still shows the same character, Marco. He is passionately delivering the classic lines from the original film and wifey and I both enjoyed Piolo’s performance here. It is so full of emotion!
We see that Marco is inside a bank, mortified that he wasn’t able to apply for a BDO Kabayan Savings earlier. Then he realizes that it’s just very easy because all he needed was an ID and P100. Watch the video below:
Mula sa Abroad
The third video is based on Piolo’s movie “Milan.” Marco asks the help of a fellow OF in order to send money from Italy to a BDO Kabayan Savings account. The lady is supposed to be a stand-in for Claudine Barretto, Piolo’s original leading lady.
All the new Piolo Pascual videos aren’t just fun and enjoyable to watch but also showcase how Filipinos are ready to help someone in need. During this public health and economic crisis, all essential services–including banking and remittances–have become crucial to our survival.
The pandemic and economic crunch may last longer than expected. But as Piolo’s videos show, we still have each other and we will survive this. That’s worth the effort to keep on fighting and living.
The BDO Remit Service
BDO Remit is made possible by the BDO Kabayan Savings, a BDO product for the overseas Filipino market. It is a special savings and remittance account that has become a lifeline for overseas Filipinos during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Even during the lockdown, BDO Remit has kept its services running to help Filipinos overseas and their families cope with our challenging lifestyle. They continue to evolve to help us survive during the new normal–no matter how hard it is. Life just moves on.
This new TV commercial of Papa Piolo bring back his famous lines to his movie “Starting Over Again” and “Milan”. No wonder he is the good actor now and then. ☺️
And good job to BDO too, for always find ways to make the life of many Filipinos and OfW more easier now with the BDO Kabayan Savings. ☺️
Yeah, Piolo’s online videos are just amazing and perfect for the times. Momentarily, we forget Covid-19.