High School Life (TV series)

High School Life is a 2016 Philippines teen drama television series directed by Veronica B. Velasco and Jerrold Tarog, starring Gabbi Garcia and Ysabel Ortega are the leading roles. The series premiered on IBC and worldwide on Global IBC on September 26, 2016.

The school-themed drama received by the high school teenagers due to heartwarming scenes, moral values and valuable lessons in effort to target for teenage audience about the Philippine public grade school. The series has also been known to educate its viewers and empower Filipino learners about Philippine basic education for teens.

It is considered as the second school-themed drama series of IBC after the first ever school-themed drama and the first ever teleserye adaptaton of Korean drama Glory Jane (under IBC and Secarats Talent Management Services).

Plot
High School Life is a heartwarming high school drama follow the journey of Nicole (Gabbi Garcia) and Bianca (Ysabel Ortega), their two high school teenagers who are studying and learning the lesson for junior-senior high school as they became bestfriends in effort to teach our valuable, moral and academic education. Both of them study in different subjects are include History, English, Filipino, Science, Arts and Literature, Mathematics and Mapeh. During the lesson for classroom, Nicole and Bianca ruined their reputation by questioning the lesson of teachers and principals.

Their moral valuable in their parents – Nicole's daughter Ria (Kaye Abad) and her love interest and Bianca's father Albert (Paul Jake Castilo) – paired for love. After years of being separated from each other, Ria reunited her husband to pair Albert, her true love, to reunite her pursue in the moral student of Nicole.

Nicole and Bianca are loved to study in high school as they tried to learning for good.

Main Casts

 * Gabbi Garcia as Nicole Aguilar - One of the two main protagonists. Nicole is Bianca's real half-sister as a high school classmate, and Ria and Albert's teenage daughter. She later unveiled that Raymond is her foster father.
 * Ysabel Ortega as Bianca Aguilar - One of the two main protagonists. Bianca is Nicole's real half-sister as a bestfriend in high school, and Ria and Albert's teenage daughter.
 * JM de Guzman as Raymond Aguilar - the foster father of Nicole.
 * Kaye Abad as Ria Aguilar - Nicole's mother and Albert's real love interest.
 * Paul Jake Castillo as Albert Aguilar - Ria's real love interest and Bianca's father.

Supporting Cast

 * BJ Forbes as Ricky Garcia - Bianca's love interest.
 * Paolo Santiago as Gerald Hermoso - Nicole's romantic bestfriend in high school.
 * Aaron Atayde as Alvin Garcia - the foster brother of Ricky.
 * Paula Peralejo as Michelle Garcia - Ricky's elder sister.
 * John Bermundo as Paolo Hermoso - Linda's teenage brother and Nicole's friend in high school.
 * Elizabeth Oropesa as Linda Hermoso - Gerald's grandmother.
 * Joseph Andre Garcia as Patrick Rementilla - Ricky's friend in high school.
 * Heaven Peralejo as Nadine Ramirez - Nicole's bestfriend in high school.
 * Kristine Sablan as Andrea Ramirez - Bianca's friend in high school.
 * Jon Avila as Arjo Ramirez - Andrea's father.
 * Mara Lopez as Rizza Ramirez - Andrea's younger daughter.
 * Dale Baldillo as Carlos Alonzo - Ricky's classmate/friend.
 * Celine Lim as Lauren delos Santos - Nicole's classmate/friend.
 * Angel Sy as Abigail Bernardo - Nicole's classmate/friend.
 * Carlo Lacana as Enzo Paderna - Bianca's classmate/friend.
 * Hiyasmin Neri as Teacher Camille Estrada - the teacher in high school.
 * Louie Angsico as Benjie Miranda - the coach in high school.
 * Sherilyn Reyes  as Anna Alvarez - the principal in high school.
 * IC Mendoza as Mr. Butch - the effeminate drama and art teacher.

Guest Cast

 * Aria Cariño as Jenny Tobias
 * Nathaniel Britt as Justin Montenegro
 * Abigail Francisco Macapagal as Jenny Ramirez
 * Tom Taus as JM Martinez
 * Yna Uy as Linda Garcia
 * Paul Salas as Paolo dela Cruz
 * Franchesca Salcedo as Linda Raymundo
 * Slater Young as Efren Vargas
 * Nichole Baranda as Aira Mendoza
 * Kurt Perez as John Arellano
 * Ayla Mendero as Andrea Bernardo
 * Paulo Angeles as Ivan Palanca

Special Participation

 * Kendra Kramer as young Nicole Aguilar
 * Jana Agoncillo as young Bianca Aguilar

Production
IBC president and CEO Boots Anson-Roa unveiled the creation of a school-themed drama series recommended by the curriculum of the Department of Education (DepEd), a responsible for the K–12 basic education geared towards educating moral values and life lessons and particularly capture in high school education and the fascination of our students in a high school level in a mix of both public and private schools in terms of using a school uniforms (Filipino: uniporme or kasuotang pang-paaralan; Literally: our school attire in an effort to study and learn among the teenagers in junior high school and senior high school, ages 12-19 years old.

Teen actress Gabbi Garcia and Ysabel Ortega are the high school classmates involving their friendship, in a suitable for young audiences in terms of uniforms, term papers, and class cards. Gabbi is a consistent member of her student council. They also remaked the school-oriented storyline with a heartwarming scenes where they educate and target our struggles of teenagers and our students, valuable lessons and moral values about basic and public education, by giving a lesson in school.

Casting
After her numerous projects of IBC including Janella in Wonderland, Before I Fall in Love and her regular supporting role in Maya Loves Sir Chief, teen actress Gabbi Garcia landed as her leading role after she crossover topbill in the Kapuso telefantasya Encantadia on GMA Network. Garcia paired with Ysabel Ortega in her first lead role who landed as her third project after Janella in Wonderland and Anna Luna. It also marks the first time real-life couple Kaye Abad and Paul Jake Castillo are working together in this series, playing the role of Ria and Albert.

High School Life was launched during an IBC trade event on held on June 23, 2016 at the Metrotent Convention Center, Metrowalk, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City.

Filming
Filming for High School Life began in June 27, 2016 (two weeks ago after the opening of classes in high school as of June 13, 2016).

On September 24, 2016, IBC aired a 30-minute TV special entitled The Making of High School Life, featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes and interiews of the cast and crew on how the school-themed drama was created.

Ratings
During the pilot episode, High School Life garnered a national TV rating of 20.8%, considerable for the afternoon high school drama and topple its competitors like ABS-CBN's The Greatest Love and GMA's Sa Piling ni Nanay are only received 13.8% and 12.5%, according to data from Kantar Media. High School Life (3:45 pm PST) premiered strongly on September 26, 2016 on the afternoon block. Since then, High School Life gained in viewership as the #1 afternoon high school teleserye on on Philippine TV, according to the national ratings survey of Kantar Media.

Soundtrack
Due to the success of the high school drama, the original soundtrack album for the high school teleserye of the same title was released September 28, 2016 under IBC Records. The physical copy of soundtrack is available in leading music stores and digitally via iTunes and the digital copy of soundtrack also available on Spotify. It contains some ten songs, eight love songs in English, three dance hits (two original dance hits and one revival dance track) and one song in Taglish.

The theme song of the high school teleserye, Here I Am Again, composed by Jimmy Antiporda, was sung by The Lovely Diva Alyssa Angeles for the rendition of the teleserye. Another theme song, High School Life, the only Taglish song and the anthemic song about high school life composed by the songwriter George Canseco, was sung by Gabbi Garcia for the rendition of the teleserye. The song was originally sung by Filipino singer and actress Sharon Cuneta from the album High School in 1981.


 * 1) Here I Am Again (composer: Jimmy Antiporda) - Alyssa Angeles
 * 2) Whatever Happened To Our Love (composers: Kenneth Gamble, Terry Burrus) - Janella Salvador
 * 3) I Still Believe (composers: Antonina Armato, Giuseppe Cantarelli) - Alyssa Angeles
 * 4) For All of My Life (composer: Reggie Hamilton) - Janella Salvador
 * 5) Save the Best for Last (composers: Phil Galdston, Wendy Waldman, Jon Lind) - Gabbi Garcia
 * 6) You (composer: Richard Carpenter) - Janella Salvador
 * 7) Can't Keep Away (composer: Dante Bantuta) - Eurika
 * 8) Crush on You (composers: Jerry Knight and Aaron Zigman) - Gabbi Garcia and Ysabel Ortega
 * 9) Unusual As Usual (composer: Christian Martinez) - Alyssa Angeles
 * 10) High School Life (composer: George Canseco, arranger: Albert Tamayo) - Gabbi Garcia