Actors Kira Balinger and LA Santos seem to have jumped the gun, so to speak, on Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards.

Maple Leaf Dreams, the first team-up of Balinger and Santos, was shot in Canada where Bernardo and Richards also filmed their reunion movie, Hello, Love, Again, which is set to be shown beginning 13 November. 

Maple Leaf Dreams is slated to have its worldwide release in the Philippines beginning 25 September. By the 27th of the month, though, the film will start screening in Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton.

Just like the narrative of Hello, Love, Again where Bernardo and Richards portray OFWs, Balinger and Santos are migrants in the land of the Maple Leaf. A maple plant is either a tree or a shrub but the famous Maple syrup come mainly from the trees. Maple Leaf symbolizes the sweet good life Canada offers to migrant workers.

What the Maple Leaf symbolizes is discussed by the characters of Balinger and Santos towards the end of the film. We wonder if the forthcoming Bernardo and Richards will also yarn off about Maple leaf.

Balinger and Santos act incredibly well and maturely in the film. Santos has a tendency to sound childish in person when not playing a role. He is also fond of cracking self-centered jokes. The young man, 24, has admitted several times that he had ADHD in his childhood and was in the Spectrum.

In the movie, though, Santos acts absolutely mature and even self-sacrificing. It’s in this movie that both Balinger and Santos look smashing, no extra fats anywhere. We’ve seen Balinger in a recent film in which she is teamed up with another actor who also has too much self-importance. Balinger’s face and body seem bloated with her partner’s overbearing ways.

Balinger and Santos portray live-in lovers when their characters get to Canada. Did you think that would give the director the idea to have so many half-naked romps in bed?

No way! Mique makes them hug each other decently countless times. They hardly kiss each other. They share a light kiss towards the end of the film. That’s about it.

So feel safe bringing along your teens to Maple Leaf Dreams and discover that very sensible decent films are made in this country where some actors biggest dream is to cross over to movies in which they are fully clothed all the time.

Mique’s son and wife are in the film since they have been living happily there for years. Even Mique himself lived and worked there, but he seems to have no chance of becoming a full-length feature film director, so he packed his bags and came home to the Philippines. Some of his movies make it big in Netflix. He is set to direct next some horror films. We hope they are very decent and sensible, too.

Meanwhile, we don’t think Maple Leaf Dreams can supplant people’s keen interest on the forthcoming Bernardo’s and Richard’s Hello, Love, Again. They are more experienced actors than Balinger and Santos. And so is their director, Cathy Garcia-Sampana who has long been deftly wielding the skills to make movies with so much “kilig,” sense and depth.

Remember, tickets to the film are now selling online. No Pinoy film has sold tickets way ahead.

Kapamilya actress Sharlene San Pedro makes her TV comeback in an educational show to teach the importance of financial literacy, through Knowledge Channel’s long-time running financial series, EstudyanTIPID.  

In collaboration with the BPI Foundation, Knowledge Channel has launched the latest installment of EstudyanTIPID featuring three new episode.

The episodes aim to equip high school students with financial literacy and security, entrepreneurship, and basic economic concepts through the relatable day-to-day experiences of Marla (Sharlene). Also co-starring in the financial education series is renowned host and writer Stanley Chi. 

“Kung estudyante ka na naghahanap ng tipid tips at gustong matuto sa pera, para sa’yo ‘to! Abangan niyo ang Estudyantipid dito sa Knowledge Channel (If you are a student looking for tips on money, this show is for you. Watch out for EstudyanTIPID on Knowledge channel),” said Sharlene. 

The financial topics discussed in the show are aligned with the Department of Education’s curriculum on Araling Panlipunan for Grade 9 students. 

Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. (KCFI) president Rina Lopez expressed her delight in their new collaborative effort with BPI Foundation — further emphasizing the need to educate the youth with essential financial literacy skills, including budgeting, saving, making informed financial decisions, and protecting themselves from financial pitfalls.  

On the other hand, remarked Carmina Marquez, BPIF executive director: “Gaining insights on the importance of saving and budgeting at an early stage is crucial to have a strong foundation in financial literacy. EstudyanTIPID is consistent with our commitment to ‘kasama lahat sa pag-unlad,’ and our vision of helping build a better Philippines — one family, one community at a time.”

“Together with our partners from Knowledge Channel, we are equipping the next generation with the skills they need to make informed financial decisions, fostering a culture of saving, and promoting sustainable growth for all Filipinos,” she added. 

Before its premiere on 16 September (Monday), Knowledge Channel and the BPI Foundation introduced EstudyanTIPID to the students of Ernesto Rondon High School in Quezon City, where they also met one of its cast, Stanley. 

Viewers can catch EstudyanTIPID every Monday at 3:20 p.m., with replays on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday on Knowledge Channel — available on cable, direct-to-home satellite and DTT, and online through iWantTFC. It will also be available on Kapamilya Channel and A2Z. 

Video lessons are also available on-demand through its official Facebook and YouTube pages, plus educational snippets on its TikTok account.