“Coco Martin’s Sigabo” is just around the corner! Just a week before Coco makes his much-anticipated return to ABS-CBN Studios’ Primetime Bida lineup—and reunites with reel- and real-life partner Julia Montes in the upcoming series—the two stars excitedly introduced their castmates through separate videos released by CCM Film Productions.
If the teasers weren't enough to highlight their contrasting backgrounds, these videos give viewers a closer glimpse into the lives of Gabo, a spunky and street-smart man, and Samantha, a tough and fearless law enforcer. Coco introduces the humble yet vibrant community that shaped Gabo, while Julia offers a look into the apparently affluent family and privileged world that Samantha calls home.
Based on their shooting location and wardrobe, it’s definitely easy to infer that the Jacinto family, where Samantha comes from, is wealthy. Their household includes a driver, played by Nonong Ballinan, as well as a gregarious helper named Twinkle, who will be portrayed by seasoned character actress Tess Antonio.
Veteran actress Carmi Martin is also set to bring her signature brand acting to “Sigabo” as Isobel, while Edu Manzano exudes an authoritative presence as Ricardo, the family patriarch. The video further reveals that Samantha is not the only one in their family who is part of the police force, as Arci Muñoz’s character, Maxene, is a policewoman, too.
“Sana po abangan n’yo po ang bawat karakter namin dito. At sana soon abangan n’yo rin po ang pagtatagpo ni Samantha at ni Gabo,” Julia said after they’re all done sharing the roles they’re about to portray. This prompted Carmi to tease her about Coco, joking that he is like her “son” since they share the same surname.
Carmi then quipped, “Handa na ba kayong tarayan ko kayo?” to which Edu enthusiastically responded, “Game na!”—a playful nod to the iconic ABS-CBN Studios game show “Game K N B?” that he previously hosted, before they broke into the signature “Papaya Dance” he popularized.
On the other hand, it’s going to be a completely different scenario in the world of Gabo, who is shown to be living in a slum community surrounded by family, friends, and neighbors who lead simple yet happy lives, as hinted in this video.
“Finally, sobra kaming excited at sobrang saya na nakabalik na kami sa pagta-taping after na huminto kami. And then ngayon, excited dahil talagang pinaghandaan namin at sinugurado namin na mas pinaganda ‘tong show na ‘to, kaya sinigurado namin na mas matindi [ang] aksyon, drama, romance, at comedy. Ibang flavor ito kumpara sa “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” at sa “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” Coco said at the start of the video.
We may see several familiar faces here, but they’re apparently going to take on roles that are totally different from those they played in the Kapamilya series, if ever they were part of both.
Jerald Napoles shared that despite being comedians, they take their roles seriously in hopes of earning more opportunities. Nikko Natividad, meanwhile, expressed his desire to have fight scenes with Coco, prompting Jerald to warn him to be careful with what he wishes for, joking that actors who end up in fight scenes with Coco often see their characters killed off. Realizing this, Nikko clarified that he would prefer his character to only be grazed or hit tangentially.
From playing a primary antagonist that viewers previously abhorred, veteran character actress Irma Adlawan revealed that her role in “Sigabo” is going to be nice. Her fellow senior actors Joey Marquez and Julio Diaz, on the other hand, displayed their comedic sides by jokingly bragging about traveling abroad as part of their preparations for their roles.
The Opilac Family, a trio of content creators comprised of Ahl, Aldrin, and Diana who made their TV acting debut in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” is expected to add humor to this series. Ahl, the youngest member, expressed on behalf of his family how thankful and happy they are to be part of the project. Composer and musician Lito Camo, meanwhile, takes pride in being able to call himself a certified “artista,” as he gets to showcase his acting chops through the series.
As he sports a different hairdo and wardrobe, former mixed martial artist Mammoth playfully confessed that he’s still in the process of adjusting to his new look. Meanwhile, from being enemies of Coco, Bassilyo and Smugglaz both feel super excited now that they’re on the protagonist side. Apart from their roles, Smugglaz also teased that viewers should watch out for the songs they will be releasing as part of the series’ official soundtrack.
Amid the familiar faces, two actresses new to the ensemble—Sue Ramirez and Ces Quesada—also join the cast. Sue expressed how thrilled she is to be working with Direk Coco again and the rest of the team, while Ces playfully imparted that she even worked out to physically prepare for the action scenes.
More artists are expected to take part in the star-studded teleserye as revealed by CCM Film Productions over the past weeks through its social media posts.
Are you just as excited as we are to meet them? Better keep your eyes peeled for more updates and don’t miss the highly anticipated premiere of “Coco Martin’s Sigabo” on June 22!
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Primetime TV intensifies with Coco’s return in “Coco Martin’s Sigabo,” premieres June 22