How Viva's AshDres could put Pinoy love stories on the map

As new loveteams are being launched by traditional networks, Viva artists Andres Muhlach and Ashtine Olviga stand out thanks to the immense popularity of their Viva One series “Ang Mutya ng Section E,” which has built a strong following in the Philippines and overseas.

- By JANUAR JUNIOR AGUJA

“It's amazing to us that even though we are not from a major network, there’s so much support behind us. That’s a big deal because it inspires us to put out better work that we want people to be happy with when they see it,” Muhlach told interviewers before their packed mall show at Robinsons Galleria Cebu, held Saturday, September 13.

Dubbed AshDres by their “shippers,” viewers of “Section E” enjoy the strong chemistry between Muhlach and Olviga, who play Mark and Jay-jay — the latter serving as the series’ titular “jewel,” being the only girl in the all-boys section.

The 16-episode series has built a global fanbase that includes viewers from India, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia, paving the way for its upcoming second season, scheduled to premiere on November 21.

Since its January debut, the show has stayed in Viva One’s top 10 series and was later aired on TV5’s pre-primetime block. Its popularity also grew with the viral theme song “Daleng Dale,” performed by GAT — consisting of supporting actors Ethan, Charles, Michael, Derick, and non-cast member Hans — as their pre-debut track before launching last August.

“When we started shooting ‘Section E,’ it was just another project for us on Viva One. But it opened so many doors for us,” Olviga said, noting that they also landed endorsements following the series’ success.