This November 24, ABS-CBN and Dreamscape Entertainment unveil an action-packed teleserye that’s bound to shake up primetime, “Roja.” Directed by Lawrence Fajardo, Andoy Ranay, Raymund Ocampo, and Rico Navarro, the series blends mystery, action, and drama—all set against the breathtaking resort of La Playa Roja.
The directors and actors walk us through the secrets and behind-the-scenes in The Making of “Roja.”
A paradise with secrets
Director Lawrence Fajardo describes the heart of the series, “'Yung kwento ng “Roja” nagre-revolve sa kwento ng dalawang character na si Liam at si Olsen. Growing up, best of friends silang dalawa.”
At first glance, La Playa Roja is a peaceful island resort owned by the powerful Roja family. “Itong Roja is owned by Magnus and Greta Roja, parents ni Liam, who own the entire island. And the story evolves—isang araw may mga dumating na mga entities. Suddenly, magkakaroon ng isang event na magugulantang 'yung mga tao.”
Meet the cast of “Roja”
From island heirs and dreamers to mysterious guests and dangerous enemies, “Roja” introduces us to different personalities whose lives collide in La Playa Roja.
Starting off with the core trio, Donny Pangilinan plays the role of Liam Roja, a young man torn between family expectations and his dream of becoming a chef. “Maraming hugot si Liam,” Donny shares. “'Di na niya alam kung sino 'yung taong gusto niyang ibigay ang trust [niya].”
His best friend, Olsen Bonifacio, will be portrayed by Kyle Echarri. “Security guard ako ng La Playa Roja. [Si Olsen ay] isang very ambitious na tao, gusto niyang umangat 'yung buhay niya. He'll do anything it takes, absolutely anything,” Kyle says.
Maymay Entrata is Luna Javier, a local who grew up in La Playa Roja with Liam and Olsen and is best friends with the two.
Veteran actors Janice de Belen plays Rowena “Wendy” Bonifacio, Olsen's mother. Lorna Tolentino is Greta Roja, co-owner of La Playa Roja and a loving mother to Liam, and Magnus Roja is Raymond Bagatsing, the owner of the Roja Group of Companies.
The villain-enemies, with their codenames composed of numbers in Spanish, are Joel Torre, playing the role of Emil “Uno” Padua, who is a wrongfully imprisoned ex-cop seeking revenge on the Roja family. He is accompanied by Marc Abaya as Lucas “Dos” Esteban, Bernard Palanca as Dado “Tres” Menor, whose brother is Ian “Kwatro” Menor played by Harvey Bautista. There is Gello Marquez as Bobong “Singko” Aguas, and Gwen “Sais” Zaragosa played by Lou Yanong.
The La Playa Roja staff is full of happy and positive people, starting with the resort manager Happy Capinpin played by Rubi Rubi, Sophie Reyes as Joy Beltran, Inka Magnaye as Love Balastigue, Vangie Castillo as Grace Magno, and Rikki Mae Davao as Smile Dueñas.
Of course, La Playa Roja will not be complete without its diverse set of guests. There's a prominent doctor named Dr Jessie Morillo portrayed by Robert Seña. His wife is Coney Morillo played by Sandy Andolong. They are accompanied by Nurse Clair Alegre played by Rans Rifol, Coney's private nurse.
The family of the architect and engineer—Architect Minnie Del Rosario is played by Nikki Valdez, her husband, Engr. Mike Del Rosario, is played by Cris Villanueva, and they have a daughter, Maddie Del Rosario, played by Zia Grace.
Then there are the rich kids and influencers. Macky Maristella is Kobie Brown, Benedict Cua is Boss Topak, Iñigo Jose is Jabbas Cheng, and Maika Rivera is Rita Prudencio. The influencers are tied up in a love triangle: AC Bonifacio plays Jules Santos, a vlogger with an on-screen partner Bogs Lim played by Emilio Daez, who happens to have an off-screen partner Ice Mercado played by Kai Montinola. They came to La Playa Roja with Mama Ona Chan portrayed by Xilhouette.
The law enforcement men complete the cast. Levi Ignacio is Ruben Bonifacio, Olsen's grandfather and the Chief of Security of La Playa Roja. Closest to him and Olsen is Fin Muñoz played by Igi Boy Flores. Captain Jericho Jacinto, played by Floyd Tena, will handle the La Playa Roja siege.
Shooting in paradise
The filming took place in a stunning beachside location. Director Lawrence Fajardo shared that the way they shot the series had colorful cinematography. Director Raymund Ocampo is proud to share that we will get to see the beauty of the Philippines in this series.
The cast couldn't stop raving about their filming experience at the beach. “Sobrang nakakagaan lang,” Donny says of the setting. “Parang hindi siya trabaho,” Kyle adds, and for Maymay, it was the most beautiful location she's ever been to.
But paradise doesn’t last long. As the story unfolds, the resort becomes the site of a hostage crisis, turning the peaceful island into a battleground.
On action and training
To prepare for the show’s high-stakes scenes, the cast underwent rigorous action training. “Nagkaroon kami ng rehearsal time for fight scenes,” says Director Lawrence Fajardo.
Stunt Coordinator Erwin Tagle adds, “We played with all martial arts dito sa show na ‘to.” Behind-the-scenes clips show Donny and Kyle training with Coco Martin and Jake Cuenca, while Maymay dives into shooting drills.
The behind-the-scenes footage is proof of the cast's dedication to the show. “Hindi kami napapagod dahil we all have a certain kind of passion and love for this project,” Kyle shares.
What makes “Roja” special?
With its layered characters and unpredictable twists, “Roja” promises to keep viewers on edge. For Donny, “I think what makes it special is the fact you don't really know who'll still be there in the next episode, what's gonna happen.”
“Everything is fast-paced, moving, and with all characters, parang wala kang time magpahinga,” Joel Torre says.
“Kailangan subaybayan ninyo nang maigi,” Raymond Bagatsing warns. “Para maintindihan kung sino ang may kagagawan.”
“Roja" will paint the town red starting November 24 on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, and TV5.