While there’s definitely nothing wrong with choosing to spend most of your life on your own, there are some who firmly believe that our days here on Earth are best spent with people whom we hold dear to our hearts. Among them are our friends, who have become some of the most important people in our lives, as we get to rely on them through the highs and lows of life and obtain the support that we need from them in almost every aspect of our journeys.
And last year, six well-loved teleseryes of ABS-CBN had captured the beauty of genuine friendships and tight eternal bonds, which probably made some of us wish to have or experience the same kind of relationships that the characters, most especially the lead protagonists, harbor with the people around them whom they regard as friends.
As we either look forward to the continuation of some onscreen friendships we’d adored in 2025 this year or to seeing new ones bloom this 2026 via the much-awaited upcoming series, let us revisit the barkadahans or friend groups that we’d rooted for last year via this special “Paandar 2025” feature.
Tropang Tanggol, “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo”
First and foremost is the so-called Tropang Tanggol, comprised of Tanggol (Coco Martin) and his longtime friends Enteng (Jojit Lorenzo), Tanos (Big Mak Andaya), Bulldog (Mammoth Estroso), Dolfo (Ryan Martin), and Baby Giant Baña (Oweng), who have been together ever since their younger years.
Among the characters who have been part of the show ever since its Day 1 in February 2023, the solid barkada and partners in crime of Tanggol in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” have surely witnessed every painful and joyful moment in his life. From being rejected, brokenhearted, taken for granted, incarcerated, and almost killed multiple times to falling in love, getting reunited with his real biological paternal family, and even running to become the next and new mayor of Manila, Tropang Tanggol has surely gone through every aspect of his journey.
They may often get in trouble, but what we admire about their brotherhood are their “never say die” and “walang iwanan” spirit, which we have gotten to witness countless times already. Even though it was their lives that were at stake, they’re completely willing to sacrifice themselves to help anyone or their group in carrying out their missions.
Friends of Tanggol may probably have the option to not join his exploits and misadventures or to turn their back on him and just live their lives peacefully and out of harm’s way, yet they still opt to stay by his side and vow to be with him no matter what.
Kontraks, “Incognito”
Despite being chiefly action, “Incognito” had its fair share of lighthearted moments care of the motley crew of mavericks who comprised a covert, private military company that undertook high-stakes missions against criminal syndicates, which the government and its forces cannot tackle.
Recruited by “contractor” Colonel Gregorio “Greg” Paterno (Ian Veneracion), the six gutsy and brave soldiers, namely, JB Bonifacio (Richard Gutierrez), Miguel Tecson (Baron Geisler), Andres Malvar (Daniel Padilla), Gab Rivera (Maris Racal), Max Alvero (Kaila Estrada), and Tomas Guerrero (Anthony Jennings), saw this opportunity not just to earn money but to also redeem themselves by helping the people they’d sworn to serve and protect in spite of being out of the military.
Together, they faced victories and defeats that indeed strengthened their bond not just as colleagues and teammates, but as friends as well. However, although they could get really serious and dedicated to their hustle or their missions, the kontraks definitely knew how to play at the same time. Whenever they’re not on a mission (and sometimes even in the middle of one), one of the things they’d spend their time off was chilling together, without thinking or talking about work.
Each one of them may have troubled pasts and struggled to redeem themselves, yet the kontraks were able to find the support, solace, and strength that they needed in one another. Besides, apart from the sense of fulfillment that their every accomplished mission had given them, we can say that the solid friendship they had established was among their best takeaways in the awesome journey they’d shared together.
Samuel, Mael, and Paeng, “Sins of the Father”
Just when he thought that it was going to be him who would face the problem that his late father, financial guru and investment fund founder Mike Trinidad (John Arcilla), had left behind following his mysterious death, main protagonist Samuel (Gerald Anderson) was able to find not just one but more people who showed willingness to help him get out of his predicament.
Apart from his family, it was his loyal and dependable best friends, Paeng (Nico Antonio), a lawyer, and Mael (Jerald Napoles), a computer hacker, who were among the people who had stood by his side when others had turned their backs and hurled insults at him, as he was falsely implicated in his father’s sins. They didn’t just assist him with his legal and technical needs, but they also showed how ready they were to help him even in fisticuffs.
As Samuel expressed his desire to return the money that the investors had put into the “Yayaman Tayo” investment fund, it was Paeng and Mael who suggested for them to tap on the expertise of the tech-savvy group of friends comprised of Josh (Binsoy Namoca), Tine (Kolette Madelo), and Kenny (Dylan Yturralde). They were also the same people who helped Samuel in his fight against the other scams that emerged.
Mia, Patrick, and Matmat, “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay”
More than the love story of Mia (Anne Curtis) and Patrick (Joshua Garcia), it was really the friendship that formed among them and his older brother, Matmat (Carlo Aquino) that made the story of “It’s Okay Not To Be Okay” truly heartwarming and enjoyable to watch.
Even though each one of them was going through personal struggles, including family trauma and mental health issues, they were still able to support one another in their healing journey. Being a medical practitioner indeed equipped Patrick with the knowledge that he needed for him to be able to help his beloved brother, who’s on the autism spectrum, and his childhood friend-turned-partner Mia, who’s diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder.
Patrick may have tried to stay away from Mia because of how she became obsessed with him ever since their paths intertwined again, but Matmat’s fascination with her as an avid fan of her storybooks—not to mention that she hired him to become the illustrator of her next book—had brought them closer to each other. The working relationship between Matmat and Mia may not have been amiable at first, but they were able to eventually tolerate their differences and become besties.
The series ended with the three of them going on a road trip, which was something the three of them had dreamt of doing together, signifying the tight and unbreakable bond that was formed among them in their journey to healing, maturity, and discovering and embracing their authentic selves.
MABEL, “What Lies Beneath”
For sure, many will agree that one of the best things that will happen in a person’s life during their time in high school is meeting the people who are going to be an important part of our lives. Just like what happened to the main characters of “What Lies Beneath,” comprised of Mel (Sue Ramirez), Alice (Janella Salvador), Beth (Charlie Dizon), and Erika (Kaila Estrada), whose friendship started when they were still teenagers.
They used to be five in the group, which they fondly called “MABEL,” until their friend and fifth member, Louisa (Mutya Orquia), was murdered by a mysterious killer. From being mere classmates, they eventually became besties who enjoyed hanging out with each other in and out of school and randomly dancing to “Sabay-Sabay Tayo,” They were so tightly bonded that they planned on building a house where the five of them would reside someday, which Mel, Alice, and Beth were able to fulfill when they were already adults.
However, just like other friendships, theirs was not perfect as well, as it was laden with deep secrets, which were gradually unraveled when they became adults. Their bond was further challenged when Louisa was killed, which compelled the four remaining friends to come up with a decision to pin the blame on the innocent young man, Edong, despite not really seeing him do it or not having any evidence to prove that it was him who committed the crime.
This had taken a toll on their relationship, with Mel, Alice, and Beth agreeing to move forward in life and bury their secret in the past, while Erika, who was against the idea of framing Edong for the crime, decided to disconnect from them. She only got reunited with them after around a decade, as Edong re-emerged and threatened to exact vengeance on them. This forced them to join forces anew as they confronted not just Edong’s terrifying threat, but also their guilt, the truths, and their individual and collective pasts.
Liam and Olsen, “Roja”
The once strong and beautiful friendship that Liam Roja (Donny Pangilinan) and Olsen Bonifacio (Kyle Echarri) were able to establish ever since they were kids eventually got broken after the former learned that the latter actually knew about his father’s betrayal but decided to keep mum about it.
However, a dangerous hostage crisis staged by the armed group led by the father of Ayen (Yassi Pressman), the mistress of Liam’s father, Magnus (Raymond Bagatsing), at the resort owned by the Rojas compelled the estranged friends to work together in order to save the guests and employees in La Playa Roja and topple down the enemies.
As their journey went on, more secrets got unraveled and more conflicts arose, not just between Olsen and Liam but between their families as well. Is it still possible for them to things up between them?
Which among these onscreen friendships is/are your favorite, Kapamilya?