Most people think of heartthrob John Prats as a Star Cinema creation, but the truth is that John was actually given his first big break years 10 ago in the Regal Films sci-fi hit Batang X. Through his latest film, MAQ Productions� Mano Po 3: My Love, the immensely popular Prats returns to the fold of Mother Lily Monteverde, who hired him for Batang X.

    In Mano Po 3, the handsome star of recent youth flicks like Jologs,Trip and My First Romance plays the teen version of Paul Yang. Yang will be played by multi-awarded Jay Manalo as an adult. John Prats will be seen romancing Angelica Panganiban as Lilia Chong in flashbacks set during the turbulent early Seventies. Showbiz legend Vilma Santos takes over the role of Lilia in the contemporary scenes.

    Prats plays Paul Yang at a time when the character is absolutely devoted to Lilia. But Lilia is in love with best friend Michael Lim (Carlo Aquino as a teen, Christopher de Leon as an adult). When Michael and his family are forced to flee the country during the Martial law years, Paul marries Lilia because he�s madly in love with her, even though he knows that her heart will always belong to Michael. Mano Po 3 shows us what happens when Michael re-enters the picture just when Lilia and Paul are about to celebrate their 25th Wedding Anniversary.

    John Prats knows that playing Paul Yang is a daunting challenge. Though he�s only seen in MP3�s flashbacks, it�s his most serious acting assignment yet. Explains MP3 director Joel Lamangan, "John�s job is to portray Paul�s absolute devotion to Lilia in the 70s flashbacks. If he doesn�t do this convincingly, the heartbreaking story of what happens to Paul, Lilia and Michael in the present will leave the audience cold."

    Direk Joel knows that John won�t disappoint him. The natural chemistry between John Prats, Angelica Panganiban, and Carlo Aquino was a given because the three young stars have worked countless times together on TV shows. What direk Joel Lamangan was more concerned about was whether Prats, the seeming epitome of a carefree 21st century teenager, could play a young man in the restless 70s.

    It came as a pleasant surprise to direk Joel to know that the heart of an activist was beating inside the teen heartthrob. Prats, it turns out, isn�t afraid to join rallies for causes he believes in, much like Lamangan! A year back, Prats donned a black shirt and joined dozens of other showbiz folk to protest the government�s plans to tax them even more. This, considering entertainers were already the most taxed sectors of the country.

    And Prats is smart enough not to rely solely on the fickle world of showbiz to get by: he�s now a junior at the Thames International Business School taking up BS Entrepreneurship.

    Hopefully, his unexpected turn as the multi-faceted Paul in Mano Po 3: My Love will make others see that John Prats is more than just a pretty boy who can pay the drums and guitar, and flash a flawless smile. Mano Po 3: My Love is MAQ Productions� official entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival Philippines. It begins its theatrical run on December 25.