COCO MARTIN IS ‘BATANG QUIAPO’

After the successful run of “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” Primetime King Coco Martin is back on Philippine television with the newest action-packed series, “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” which is inspired by Fernando Poe Jr.’s 1986 film.

Since its premiere on Feb. 13, the much-awaited series, which Coco also co-directed and co-produced, has been garnering positive reviews and feedback from both critics and viewers. Its pilot episode was well-received, with 341,509 concurrent viewers on ABS-CBN's streaming platforms, and it accumulated a total of 44 million digital views within a week.

Acting and Directing for ‘Batang Quiapo’

In “Batang Quiapo,” Coco plays the role of Tanggol, a small-time felon who grew up on the notorious streets of Quiapo, Manila. Despite his harsh upbringing as a result of his parents’ traumatic past, he remains resilient in navigating through life’s struggles out of his love for his family, as well as his childhood best friend Mokang (Lovi).

The series is extra special for Coco. He acknowledged the difficulty of juggling the roles of an actor and director, but he is determined to do so because of his passion for his craft and his gratitude towards the industry, which has been very supportive towards him.

“Noong napamahal na sa akin iyong trabaho ko nakita ko na may oportunidad siya para maging totoong hanapbuhay kaya pinahalagahan ko siya at talagang nakinig ako, inaral ko talaga kung paano maging propesyon ang bagay na ito,” Coco said in the recently held media conference.

“Iyong pagiging direktor naman, mahilig ako na nasa labas ng tent, ang kakuwentuhan ko iyong mga staff saka mga cameramen tapos lagi ako nakikinig kung paano nagbibigay ng instructions iyong direktor pati iyong mga writers kung paano nila binubuo iyong mga storya, ‘di ko namamalayan na nakakapagaral na pala ako nang dahan-dahan,” he explained on how he got into directing.

Coco admitted that directing a series is not a walk in the park.

“Pero ang pinakamali ko sa buhay ko noong pinasok ko na ang pagdidirek kasi napakahirap pala niyang responsibilidad,” he said in jest. Kasi parang ikaw iyong kapitan ng barko, kapag nagkamali iyan ikaw at ikaw ang may kasalanan diyan,” he added.

He is also known for giving opportunities to old and new actors, citing that it is his way of giving back as he also started from the bottom.

“Mahirap ‘yung pinagdaanan ko bago ako naging ganap na artista. At noong hindi pa pag-aartista ang pangarap ko kundi magkatrabaho lang, ang hirap pa rin ng oportunidad because let’s say, I have work now and then after that, I will again be jobless for the next six months. I also did indie films where I was only paid Php2,000 even though I was the lead star.

“Ngayon na kahit papaano na may pagkakataon na ako makatulong, bakit ko ipagkakait? Iyon rin kasi ang hinihintay ko dati para mabuhay ko pamilya ko kaya ‘yung nakikita ko iyong mga tao na pwede kong tulungan at nakikita ko na deserving naman, bakit ko pahihirapan pa? Pero isa lang ang hinahanap ko – ‘yung commitment at dedikasyon sa trabaho,” he quipped.

Elevating the Series

Coco is fully immersed in the production and development of “Batang Quiapo” and strives to deliver a high-quality series that excels in all aspects, including the storyline, technical elements, and performance of the cast. He is motivated to come up with a show that can capture the attention of viewers from other countries, much like how Korean dramas have gained popularity and appreciation globally.

“Ang nasa isip ko po noong binubuo ko itong ‘Batang Quiapo’ na gusto kong kunin ang lahat ng mahuhusay na artista sa Pilipinas, that’s it. Gusto ko sila makatrabaho, gusto ko magsama-sama kami rito kaya alam ko kung sino iyong mahuhusay at masasarap katrabaho. Personally, ako talaga iyong tumawag, pumili sa kanila,” he emphasized.

The series also stars Lovi Poe, Charo Santos, Cherry Pie Picache, John Estrada, Christopher de Leon, and Irma Adlawan

Following the success of “FPJ's Ang Probinsiyano,” which was the longestrunning series that lasted for seven years, Coco emphasized that there is no pressure or strict timeline in making “Batang

“Hindi ako napi-pressure, hindi ko rin naiisip iyong timeline basta para sa akin ini-enjoy naming lahat iyong moment, iyong

“Ang makakasagot niyan eh iyong mga manonood kaya kami bilang mga artista, mga taga-produksiyon, kami iyong gumagawa ng teleserye na ito, pinagbubuti namin kasi alam namin na hangga’t pinagbubuti namin ang trabaho namin at napapasaya iyong mga manonood nandito

Coco is optimistic that “Batang Quiapo” will make a lasting impression in the hearts of the viewers.

“Sinisigurado ko na dapat iyong quality, iyong ibibigay natin sa mga manonood, iyong tiwala at oras na nilalaan natin dapat sinusuklian natin iyon dahil sila ang dahilan kung bakit tayo may trabaho.

“Kaya sana nangangarap ako, nagdadasal ako na hindi lang matapatan kundi malampasan kung ano iyong nagawa namin sa ‘FPJ Ang Probinsiyano,’” he said with all sincerity.