NEW nymphet Ataska was just introduced in “Bugaw” and “Bisyo”, and now she’s doing one project after another. So, after some friends and relatives chided her for going sexy, does she have any regrets that she resorted to doing Vivamax movies to gain more projects?

“None whatsoever,” she says at the zoom presscon of her latest project, “Secret Campus”. “I’ve never been happier in what I do and I’m glad that Viva is giving me a lot of work that I really enjoy doing. I’m just so happy to be this busy.”

The new series “Secret Campus” is directed by Jose Javier Reyes and she’s also shooting “Halo Halo X” for cult director Roman Perez Jr. So what is her role in “Secret Campus” that will start streaming on Sunday, August 27?

“I play Andi, a sweet girl from the province who gets a scholarship in a college in Manila,” she says.”Dahil wala akong family or friends in Manila, I feel so lonely being just myself at nag-develop ang crush ko sa professor ko, played by Arron Villaflor. The crush becomes an obsession and I seduce him.”

Aaron gives in but after something happened between them, he realizes that his job might be in jeopardy for having an affair with a student, so he backs out from their relationship. But Ataska will not hear of it and becomes even more demanding. A co-teacher who is also in love with Arron intervenes and confronts Ataska, leading to some tragic consequences.

“Actually, naaawa ako sa character that I play, kasi she’s such a lonely person,” says Ataska. “She falls for Arron as someone she really looks up to and she thinks he’d care for her but hindi pala. In this episode, makikita mo, laging yung babae ang masama, without knowing kung ano ang pinanggalingan niya. I’m also elated that I got the privilege to work with Direk Joey Reyes, whose works I really respect.”

Ataska and Angelica Hart were together in “Bisyo” and now they’re also both in “Secret Campus”, playing tragic characters. Angelica plays Clea, a poor girl who comes from a broken family and lives by herself.

“Sabi ni Direk Joey, yung character ko ang pinaka-tragic sa series kasi I’m forced to use my body para mabuhay,” says Angelica. “May boyfriend ako, si Aerol Carmelo as Ariel, pero siempre, hindi ko pinapaalam sa kanya kung ano yung trabaho ko. Pero yung isang classmate ko, nalaman ang secret ko and threatened to tell Aerol kung hindi ako magpapa-booking sa kanya. Di ko alam, dalawa pala sila and they raped me then took nude pictures of me. Si Clea, gagawa siya ng hakbang para makaganti sa rapists niya.”

She says she can relate with Clea. “I’ve met other women who are like her, kapit sa patalim dahil sa kahirapan. And ako mismo, I also worked to support myself sa school. So lahat ng emotions na ipinakita ko rito as Clea, totoo yun, galing lahat sa puso ko. This episode shows na ang babae, anuman ang pinanggalingan niya, anuman ang pinagdaanan niya, kailangan pa rin siyang respetuhin bilang babae at hindi pagsamantalahan.”

AUTHOR PROFILE

Mario Bautista