Ruru Madrid and 'Lolong' showrunners share glimpse behind one of the biggest shows in PH
When Filipinos hear the word "Lolong," the image of the famous crocodile in the Philippines usually comes to mind.
Once declared by the Guiness World Records as the largest crocodile in captivity, Lolong was captured in Agusan del Sur and was kept in an enclosure of a wildlife reservation center.
However, he later succumbed due to stress and pneumonia, something that was attributed to poor handling by caretakers which has since prompted activitsts to condemn animal captivity.
Now, a different kind of "Lolong" comes to mind, with the birth of the primetime television series that aims to raise awareness on caring for the environment and the protection of animals.
Boasting a star-studded cast of Ruru Madrid, Christopher De Leon, and Jean Garcia, Lolong is an action and adventure teleserye that has come a long way—from spending three years in production hell to becoming one of the biggest ongoing series in the country.
According to ratings data from Nielsen Philippines, from January to Sept. 4, 2022, Lolong ranks as the leading TV program in the whole Philippines.
In an interview with PhilSTAR L!fe, lead star Ruru and showrunners Neil Gumban, Nowell Cuanang, and Jaypril Jaring shared their thoughts on Lolong's immense success and what they want their viewers to learn from the teleserye.
More than a crocodile story
Every blockbuster project had to start from a simple idea to get it going, and in the case of Lolong, it came from multi-awarded journalist Jessica Soho.
According to Gumban, Soho got the inspiration for the series based on all of the crocodile stories she covered on her news magazine show, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho. She asked her program manager, Lee Joseph Castel, to pitch a story about a man who can talk to crocodiles to the network and Gumban's team proceeded to develop the story.
However, they didn't want to simply create a series about the fascinating but feared creatures without adding any depth and complexity to it.
More than showcasing a fantastical premise, they also wanted Lolong to raise awareness about environmental issues, most specifically the extinction of animals.
Which is why Ruru hoped more Filipinos would watch it, particularly the youth.
"Nanggaling tayo sa pandemya na for how many months, nastuck tayo sa bahay natin and we don't know what's happening outside. Itong team ng Lolong, we wanted to show lalong lalo na sa kabataan na marami tayong mga bagay na dapat na pangalagaan, or dapat na iprioritize natin," Ruru said.
He continued, "Hindi lang siya basta entertainment. Hindi lang siya basta masabi lang na action or drama. Marami siyang kapupulutan na aral, like 'yung pangangalaga sa kalikasan natin."
Other than environmental issues, Jaring said that Lolong also aims to shed light on societal injustices such as corruption.
How Lolong was chosen
While an exceptional story is needed for a show to become a hit, it would all go down the drain if there aren't any actors to breathe life into the characters with their believable performance.
Jaring said that choosing who to cast in the series was a long journey for them, to the point that they were still looking for the right actors a month before they started shooting.
However, if there's one thing they were sure of, it was that Ruru had always been the one and only Lolong for them, even before he knew what the series was all about.
"From the very start, si Ruru talaga 'yung Lolong. Siya 'yung first choice and only choice namin when we were conceptualizing the show," Gumban said.
Cuanang even joked. "Wala pang Lolong actually, si Ruru na,"
And it seems that their instinct for talent didn't betray them. With his thrilling action stunts, raw acting prowess, and not to mention his handsomely toned physique, Ruru managed to embody his character's bravery and unwavering determination to protect his tribe and his reptilian companions.
The 24-year-old actor wanted to give his very best for the show because it was his childhood dream to become an action star, and his heart couldn't be happier that he got the opportunity through Lolong.
"Sobrang sarap sa puso kasi before, parang pakiramdam ko suntok sa buwan siya. I just love watching action movies and seryes, 'yun lang 'yung hilig ko, and then sabi ko sa sarili ko, sana mangyari sa'kin iyan," Ruru beamed.
Though he initially lost hope that his ambition would be fulfilled due to his skinny physique, he was motivated by his network's trust on him to make his dream a reality.
"Ayoko silang biguin, so talagang nag-prepare ako, pinaghandaan ko. Hindi talaga ako kumakain, nagdi-diet ako, I work out almost everyday. Pero lahat nang 'yun worth it kasi pangarap ko ito," Ruru said.
"So 'yung pakiramdam ko right now, hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala. Ito 'yung pangarap na akala ko hindi matutupad, but because of GMA and the whole team of Lolong, nangyari 'yung pangarap na 'yun kaya I am very grateful," he added.
Pandemic hurdles
For the crew, Lolong's success is something worth celebrating, especially since it was almost a miracle for them to have finished the production in the face of the pandemic.
"Shinoot namin 'yung Lolong last year during the height of the pandemic [at] parang lahat ng classifications ng quarantine naabutan namin," Jaring shared.
He detailed, "There were a lot of postponements ng shoot, tapos there was also a time na ready na kami and then we had to cancel kasi there was a new announcement na bawal 'yung ganito. That is the biggest challenge, producing this big program at the height of the pandemic."
As the series is abundant with action sequences, accidents on the set were unavoidable. Ruru had to be hospitalized twice because he was hit by a nail on his left temple during one shoot and he also suffered a hairline fracture on his foot, which led to more delays in filming.
But as Ruru pointed out, their secret recipe to still emerge successful is teamwork.
"Lahat kami tulungan. Maraming beses nagkakaroon kami ng problema, lalo na kapag nasa lock-in taping ka, hindi mo maiiwasan na maging very emotional, but because of these people na handang tumulong sa'yo, gaganahan ka magtrabaho," he said.
Ruru highlighted that a significant factor on why the show captured the hearts of Filipinos was because the hard work wasn't soley focused on the filming. The crew gave it their all when it comes to making the visuals exceptional and marketing the series in all sorts of creative ways, such as parading their 22-feet long animatronic crocodile in several parts of the country.
At the end of the day, what's important for the crew is for Lolong to instill important life lessons to viewers about defying social injustices and confronting issues that are plaguing our environment.
"Si Lolong kasi, simple lang 'yung ginagawa niya—pagmamahal sa mga kaibigan niya, pagmamahal sa magulang, at pagmamahal sa environment. Ang message lang nito talaga ay anybody can be a hero in their own little way at nagagawa natin siya everyday, every hour," Cuanang said.
He continued, "Si Lolong, he also rises above injustice, and nakita natin 'yun sa journey niya na gusto niyang mabigyan ng hustisya 'yung pagkamatay ng parents niya at 'yung pagkamatay ng buwaya at ng mga wildlife sa Tumahan, and somehow, this gives hope sa mga audience natin, na sana may pag-asa pa sa society natin."