an article by Nestor Cuartero, Manila Bulletin, Entertainment section, 6 November 1998

At a press launch for Viva Films' three young loveteams yesterday, the stars of "Honey, My Love So Sweet" admitted they are, indeed, in that exciting, heart-tugging, mind-boggling courtship stage. Yes, all of them: Dingdong Dantes and Antoinette Taus, Dino Guevarra and Kim de los Santos, Polo Ravales and Sunshine Dizon.

Never have a whole row of young actors and actresses come out in the open in such unison in their admission of various stages of flirtation and/or infatuation. Loveteams in the old days would shrink and shirk, tell people lies about their links with each other no matter if, right under the table, they were holding hands.

Since the young stars present were quite open about their romantic stories (how one partner would surprise the other with tons of roses and balloons in their vans to mark a birthday, sending "kilig" signals to their spines, etc.), I thought of asking them how they manage not to fall in love with their screen partners considering everything else that transpires between them off-cam.

The couples chorused they do not consciously avoid falling in love, but actually bask in its glory. Love, they claim, is such a beautiful feeling that must be cherished and enjoyed.

Kim de los Santos, the prettiest among the girls, said falling in love is cool, what's not cool is getting out of bounds. She said they know their limitations in the game of love.

Where did they learn about sex education? It seems things haven't changed between my generation and today's generation of young adults.

The actors present said what they know about sex they picked up from their friends, the media, bits and pieces in school. Polo Ravales said his father taught him about the birds and the bees.

Dantes prefaced his knowledge on the subject with a religious slant. That sex is something sacred between two people. Sunshine said frankly, she knows nothing of the subject. Sex education isn't mentioned in her home, something that she now thinks she should start asking her mother about.

The three young loveteams are launched simultaneously by Viva in "Honey" in an attempt to develop new faces in place of the now-retired Donna Cruz and Angelu de Leon. Antoinette, Kim, and Sunshine (who altogether co-star in the TV soap "Ana Karenina") are hopeful they can one day fill into the shoes left vacant by their predecessors, who have opted for romance instead of career.

The three girls similarly chorus they'll be extra careful in their dealings with boys... their teammates in particular. No one said she wanted to be a teenage mother, but Sunshine Dizon captured it best when she said, "I want to be famous and rich in this business." Well, I say good luck, and get a hold of that fluttering hearts of yours which can give you guys away any moment.