MANILA, Philippines—It’s either an exercise in saturation or an expression of extreme faith in a star. We’re not talking about Marian Rivera.

“Rosalinda” has yet to wrap up, but its stars Carla Abellana and Geoff Eigenmann have been tapped to top-bill the GMA 7 miniseries “SRO Cinemaserye Presents Carinderia Queen.”

The two shows now overlap each other since “SRO” premiered last Thursday, while “Rosalinda” will conclude within the month.

Carla hopes viewers will not be confused by the double duty; her bigger concern is that she herself would get perplexed shuttling between the two shows.

“They are completely different,” she says of her characters on the two programs. “One is heavy drama; the other, romantic comedy. Rosalinda is lady-like, always crying; Juliet (her “SRO” role) is tomboyish and kinda jologs.”

She welcomes the new show because it allows her to act opposite real dad Rey “PJ” Abellana.

Her parents Rey and Rhea Reyes separated when she was a toddler, but he has kept in touch.

“It’s exciting. I don’t know what to expect,” she says.

What she should expect are insinuations that her dad is a “stage father” and that they’re a “package deal.”

“That’s not true. I think it’s a good decision to get my real dad. In any case, Geoff’s mom (Gina Alajar) is also in the cast,” she says.

It’s one big family affair.

She is aware that both Rey and Gina have publicly declared their approval of her reel- and real-life tandem with Geoff. Even her grandmother, veteran actress Delia Razon, approves of Geoff.

“He’s welcome in our house... and I’m glad that Tita Gina also likes me. Tita Gina and I used to only text each other, but now we’re working on the same show,’” she notes.

She describes Gina as a “good teacher.”

“She gives me tips on the set. She’d tell me to make my delivery of lines more animated, to add little gestures here and there. I value her input,” Carla says.

Of course, she constantly voted for Gina during her stint on “Celebrity Duets.”

“It’s unfortunate that she was eliminated recently. I really felt she deserved to be in the finals because she always gave 100 percent in every performance,” says Carla.

Again, the persistent question: Is she and Geoff already a couple?

“We’ve become closer. Our comfort level [with each other] is higher. But we’re not just doing it because of work. We don’t only see each other as partners. We regard each other as friends,” she asserts.

She also has a third assignment on the Kapuso network, as one of the hosts on the reality talent search “Starstruck.”

“I’ve been preparing for it with hosting gigs, in mall shows and on ‘SOP,’” she says.

E-mail bayanisandiego@hotmail.com.