MANILA, Philippines?Playfully, Carlo J. Caparas says he is the only one still ?alive and kicking? among the komiks masters given the Presidential Medal of Merit last year.

It?s an esteemed list of honorees that included Mars Ravelo, Tony Velasquez and Francisco V. Coching, says Carlo J.

?They were all my idols; they were the pioneers.?

Like Ravelo?s works, the Caparas komiks catalogue is continuously being mined by TV networks for fantaserye, sineserye and teleserye material.

GMA 7 recently acquired the TV rights to the youth romance-drama, ?To Have and to Hold,? originally serialized in the Inquirer, Carlo J reports.

He relates that the Kapuso channel has also clinched the rights to the TV versions of ?Totoy Bato,? ?Andres de Saya,? ?Angela Markado,? ?Ermitanyo? and ?Gagambino.?

Casting for these TV shows is ongoing, except for the ?Gagambino? superhero role, assigned to Dennis Trillo.

Carlo J believes Robin Padilla, who is currently essaying another one of his iconic creations, ?Joaquin Bordado,? will be perfect for the TV remake of ?Totoy Bato,? the tough boxer previously played on the big screen by Fernando Poe Jr.

Robin is also a shoo-in for the comedy, ?Andres de Saya,? which originally top-billed Vic Vargas and Gloria Diaz, Carlo J says, or maybe boxing champ Manny Pacquiao.

?Angela Markado? is also being developed by GMA 7, he notes. ??Angela? is special to me because it?s my first story that won in an international film festival.?

The movie, directed by National Artist Lino Brocka and which starred Hilda Koronel, won the Gold Montgolfier (grand prize) at the 1983 Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, France.

Top-caliber actors

Although Carlo J is eyeing someone like Iza Calzado for the film?s TV remake, Katrina Halili has already been attached to the project, according to Net reports.

Several Carlo J works are also being turned into TV serials by ABS-CBN, relates Donna Villa, his wife and producing partner. Among these, she says, are ?Valora,? ?Gabriel,? ?Alyas Paniki,? and ?Pieta.?

It?s been reported that Ryan Agoncillo will play the black sheep son in ?Pieta,? previously portrayed by Ace Vergel in the movie directed by Carlo J.

Donna reveals that top-caliber actresses Maricel Soriano, Dawn Zulueta, Rosanna Roces and Cherry Pie Picache are in contention to play the tormented mother immortalized by Charito Solis in the original.

Carlo J isn?t surprised that he?s able to shuttle between the Kapamilya and Kapuso camps.

?Even when I was still writing for komiks, I was never tied down to just one publication. I worked with Atlas, GASI, Journal, Liwayway, Ace, Affiliated...?

?And when we started producing movies, we worked with both Viva and Regal,? Donna points out.

Carlo J explains: ?An artist?s loyalty belongs only to his craft.?

(Email: bayanisandiego@hotmail.com)