From pulse-pounding action and gripping suspense to heartfelt drama, laugh-out-loud comedy, and swoon-worthy kilig, the pilot week of “Coco Martin's Sigabo” lived up to the promise of its celebrated lead actor-slash-director of delivering a complete entertainment package for everyone—making the months-long of waiting really worth it.
The series wasted no time making good on that promise in its premiere episode, which aired on June 22. It commenced by giving viewers a glimpse of the plight of our newest primetime hero Gabo as an inmate, while also establishing why he's worth rooting for—not only because he's the show's protagonist and is portrayed by Coco Martin, but also because of his unwavering sense of integrity.
Despite being repeatedly urged by his fellow inmates to escape, as well as having several opportunities to do so, Gabo chose to stay behind bars and stand by his principles. Wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of a congressman, a crime actually committed by his longtime nemesis and former crime syndicate associate Django (Jhong Hilario), Gabo believed the only way to clear his name was to serve his sentence and prove his innocence through legal means.
The day after enduring torture at the hands of jail officers who accused him of inciting a prison riot, Gabo received an unexpected surprise from Jail Chief Macaraig (Jess Lapid Jr.): he had been granted parole. Filled with hope after eight years behind bars, Gabo eagerly set out to rebuild his life. However, his fresh start was immediately disrupted when the bus taking him home was hijacked by armed robbers.
True to his fearless nature, Gabo fought the robbers single-handedly and safely steered the bus after its driver was killed, saving the lives of his fellow passengers. NCIA agent Samantha "Sam" Jacinto (Julia Montes), who happened to witness the bus's erratic movements while she was driving on her way to work and called for police backup, initially mistook Gabo for one of the criminals. Gabo insisted that he had actually saved everyone aboard, as well as her.
As he started to walk away despite Sam’s warning not to move, Gabo was shot by one of the goons to the chest, prompting Sam to fire multiple shots at the assailant. At the request of a passenger, Sam performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Gabo, who cheekily took the opportunity to kiss her on the lips. The unexpected moment sparked a hilarious exchange as both accused each other of taking advantage of the situation, only to be interrupted by the arrival of the police led by Sam's sister, Max (Arci Muñoz).
Gabo's return to Barangay Ginintuang Lupa was met with a warm welcome from his family, friends, and neighbors, who happily celebrated his homecoming after eight long years. However, not everyone shared their joy and excitement as Django immediately challenged him to a one-on-one duel.
Although Gabo had promised his father, Rudy (Joey Marquez), and their friends that he would change his ways now that he was out of prison, he couldn't resist Django's provocation. Gabo easily defeated Django and his men, leaving his rival humiliated and even more determined to exact revenge.
Determined to honor his promise to his father, Gabo searched for honest work the following day alongside his loyal friends Tekla (Sue Ramirez), Ipe (Bassilyo), and Bong (Smugglaz). Their first attempt as online live sellers at a hardware store ended in disaster after they lost their tempers with viewers, damaged merchandise, and saw Gabo smash the phone being used for the livestream.
Undeterred, the group found another opportunity at a vegetable stall in the public market. Tekla was hired as the cashier, while Gabo, Ipe, and Bong worked as porters. Their first day initially went smoothly, but trouble seemed to follow them wherever they went. Gabo confronted Binoy (Nikko Natividad), Tolits (Jerald Napoles), and Daboy (Mammoth Estroso)—known henchmen of Django—after they snatched a woman's wallet. Meanwhile, Tekla got into a heated altercation with two men disguised as women who appeared to be trying to get close to Gabo once again.
Meanwhile, tension tensions flared in Ginintuang Lupa when Ricardo (Edu Manzano) and Isobel (Carmi Martin) Jacinto arrived with their business partners. They revealed themselves as the new owners of the land where the residents had built their homes and informed the community that the area would soon be cleared to make way for a hotel, resort, and casino development. Of course, the residents strongly opposed the plan and demanded the unexpected visitors to leave.
It was later revealed that Rudy had once worked for Ricardo's mining company. Sadly, their friendship fell apart after the chest of gold they had unearthed mysteriously disappeared, with each man accusing the other of stealing it. Their confrontation only ended when Betchay (Irma Adlawan) managed to restrain Rudy and pull him away.
As Ricardo and his group retreated, the angry residents pelted them and their entourage with trash, humiliating them in front of their prospective Japanese investors. Enraged, Ricardo vowed to return, drive the residents off the property, and settle his score with Rudy once and for all.
Following Rudy's orders, the residents of Ginintuang Lupa didn’t waste time putting up barricades in anticipation of the Jacintos' return. True enough, Ricardo instructed the NLEA chief assigned to the area to evict the residents before the day ended.
Upon learning about what happened to his parents, Sam rushed home to personally check their condition. While Isobel appreciated the sweet gesture, Ricardo was obviously not pleased that she left her work early. A heated dispute then broke out between them after Sam suggested that Ricardo postpone the demolition, expressing concern for both her parents' safety and the welfare of the residents who would lose their homes.
This infuriated Ricardo, who asserted that, as a former police general, he always got things done and would never allow anyone to dictate his decisions. Hurt by her father's harsh words, Sam found comfort in Isobel, who assured her that Ricardo loved her despite his cold demeanor.
Later that day, the police arrived in Ginintuang Lupa to carry out Ricardo's orders. Armed with improvised weapons, the residents bravely resisted the demolition team. As authorities struggled to control the increasingly hostile crowd, they resorted to using water cannons to disperse them.
Amid the chaos, Gabo and his friends suddenly showed up after getting a call from Tekla’s grandmother and courageously joined their neighbors and loved ones to stand up to the police. The commotion seemed to stop the moment the echo of a gunshot rang out. Unbeknownst to everyone, the shot came from Django, whose intended target was really Gabo. But he accidentally fired his gun, hitting Rudy instead.
As Rudy collapsed, Gabo and Betchay rushed to his side, desperately calling for help while the stunned residents looked on, bringing the action-packed pilot week to a heartbreaking cliffhanger.
Rave reactions from netizens
If its eventful and star-studded pilot week is any indication, “Coco Martin's Sigabo” is living up to Coco's promise of offering viewers an entertaining blend of action, suspense, drama, comedy, and kilig.
We had likely caught ourselves on the edge of our seats during the fight scenes of Gabo that proved that he’s indeed “Ang Hari ng Aksyon sa Ating Henerasyon,” as well as in bated breaths during his imaginary escape scene at the correctional facility. Whose hearts were not touched during Gabo and Sam’s moving conversations with their respective parents? Who wasn’t amused and thrilled during the totally memorable first-ever encounter between Gabo and Sam?
Aside from astounding the viewers with how they nailed their every scene, especially the action ones, Coco and Julia have also captivated us with their palpable, swoon-worthy chemistry that we indeed missed seeing in a teleserye. Jhong also wowed us with his compelling portrayal of Django, with some netizens expressing their delight to see him back in primetime again and as a kontrabida in another project being headlined and helmed by Coco. And it isn’t only Coco, Julia, and Jhong whose performances in the pilot week were commended, but also their castmates who’ve been doing impressive jobs in taking on their respective roles.
There are also netizens who are amazed by how CCM Film Productions manages to handle a huge crowd, not to mention that not everyone has experience nor training in acting.
On the technical side, it’s amazing how the production embraces a gritty and unfiltered approach, making the world feel remarkably authentic. One can practically feel the atmosphere, mood, and harsh realities of poverty coming through the screen.
More than just entertaining us, “Sigabo” also serves as an eye opener for many Filipinos, as it tackles common social and personal issues that are timely and relevant, such as the sudden surge in our electric bills.
The return of Coco to primetime proved to be one of most eagerly anticipated comebacks on television, as the first five episodes of “Sigabo” posted record-breaking viewership on Kapamilya Online Live (KOL). In fact, the first episode alone reached an impressive peak of 404,124 concurrent viewers, reflecting how much fans had missed his exceptional performances as an actor and engrossing storytelling as a director.
Excitement remained high throughout the succeeding episodes, as after Gabo's charming and hilarious first encounter with Sam in the premiere, viewers also tuned in for his surprise homecoming to Ginintuang Lupa, his action-packed clash with Django, and his amusing stint as an online live seller. Each of these episodes surpassed the 400,000 concurrent viewers mark, underscoring the show's strong debut and growing appeal.
Below are some positive, rave reviews from netizens who got to watch the first five episodes.
Is this already the end for Rudy? Or will Gabo be able to find ways to help his beloved father? Let’s find out by not missing an episode of “Coco Martin’s Sigabo,” weeknights at 8:00 PM on ABS-CBN sa ALLTV2, Kapamilya Channel, TV5, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), or stream anytime on iWant!
Jhong Hilario breaks down his intense transformation into Django in “Coco Martin’s Sigabo”
Buhay na buhay ang telebisyon sa pagbabalik-serye ni Coco sa “Sigabo”
Primetime TV comes alive with launch of "Sigabo;" Coco thanks TV networks