New ‘Sang’gres’ step into their roles with help from the past
- Balitang Marino
- Jun 16
- 3 min read

MANILA, Philippines, June 16 ------ The gems have officially been passed on, and a new generation of sang’gres — played by Bianca Umali, Faith Da Silva, Angel Guardian and Kelvin Miranda has emerged. From the looks of it or at least, based on the trailer GMA Network’s 20-year-old franchise, “Encantadia,” is in good hands.
But it’s been quite a long journey. After two years of filming, with major production changes in between, “Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre” finally debuts tonight at 8 on GMA. And for the lead cast, the moment is both a dream come true and a torch passed on to them from their predecessors in the 2016 edition and the original 2004 series.
Having to take the lead in the spinoff of one of Philippine TV’s most beloved fantaseryes comes with weight — and pride. For Bianca, Faith, Angel and Kelvin, stepping into the mythical world of “Encantadia” certainly meant more than donning the iconic warrior costumes, memorizing “ancient” words or mastering fight choreography. It meant honoring a legacy built over decades, with the guidance and blessing of the former cast members.
“Coming in here, malaki talaga yung pressure,” admitted Faith, who plays Flamarra, the keeper of the Fire Gem. “There was a time na it felt like parang nalulunod ako sa pressure.” That pressure eased only after speaking to the past “sang’gres,” particularly Glaiza de Castro, who is also reprising her role as the 2016 flame keeper Pirena in the new series. “Siya yung nagbigay sa akin ng magagandang advice for me to be able to portray the character of Flamarra. Ang sinabi lang niya sa akin, ‘You were put into that position because kaya mo yan,’” said Faith.
Angel, who plays the air gem bearer Deia, shared how she had the good fortune of working with Iza Calzado (the original Amihan) on a Regal Entertainment film. That unexpected meeting also led to some words of wisdom and the surprising discovery that her character was actually named after Iza’s daughter. “She was very generous in sharing and giving motivational words. Nakatulong talaga siya sa akin… Lalo na po na galing sa anak niya ‘yung pangalan ng character ko — another pressure po ‘yun for me,” Angel said. “So thank God na nakausap ko si Miss Iza. Kahit papaano, nabawasan ng kaunti ‘yung pressure na nararamdaman ko.”
Kelvin, who plays Adamus, the keeper of the Water Gem, also reached out to almost all the past sang’gres for guidance. “It was also out of respect. Ginagawa talaga namin ito hindi lang para sa amin. Kumbaga, ginagalingan namin kasi ginalingan nila noong mga nauna,” he said. “‘Encantadia’ is really a difficult project to do. It’s not a normal teleserye. May ibang mundo, may imagination kang kailangang paganahin habang may dala kang emosyon. Ang lawak.” He continued, “Kaya bilang respeto, nagtatanong kami — kumokonsulta kami sa mga nauna. Para rin makahingi ng gabay, para mas magawa namin nang pulido kung ano ang dapat naming adjustments for the new generation.”
For Bianca, who portrays Terra, the Earth Gem’s keeper and daughter of Danaya and a mortal man, the experience of becoming a sang’gre was emotional from the start. The first time they donned their costumes, she recalled, was unforgettable. It took a year of filming before they even got to wear them. “We were emotional the first day (of fitting). But it gave us another boost of energy for another year of filming,” she said. “Aside from all the noise around us — good and bad — tinapos po namin ito nang buo kami. At alam namin na ginawa namin ito ng buong puso at buong isip, na may kalakip na pawis at dugo.
“Now, finally, after a long wait, we’re about to show everything we worked hard for — and we really can’t wait. We can’t even describe exactly how we feel. “(During the journey) sometimes, we cried out of happiness. Sometimes, we cried because of the pressure. We would check on each other, asking, ‘Are we okay?’ “Despite everything — the pressure and challenges — here we are now. And we feel even more grounded knowing that we gave it our all,” said Bianca.
Source: philstar.com
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