Roda (Joel Lamangan)’s character development has been amazing. From being an enemy, he’s now a true ‘frenny’ to Marites (Cherry Pie Picache). And as a friend, he’s known for his fierce, sometimes funny, yet always touching words of encouragement.
His witty expressions and naturally sassy, magnetic energy make it impossible not to listen to his real talk. Revisit the moments when he mixed wisdom with entertaining commentary in his advice to Marites in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.”
First in this Kapamilya Update video montage is that time when everyone, especially Marites’ husband, Rigor (John Estrada), was questioning her abilities and morals as a mother. Roda was the only person who gave her comfort, telling her that no one should ever doubt her as a good mom because the truth is, it’s Rigor who’s at fault. Just when you’re getting serious listening to the conversation, Roda slips in a slight joke, saying that although Marites can be a bit ‘shunga’ as a submissive wife, no one can criticize her mothering skills.
When Marites replied that she made many mistakes raising Tanggol (Coco Martin), who’s considered the black sheep of the family, Roda’s opinion was both amusing and spot-on. He said, “Napaka-challenging na kasi alagaan n’yang anak mong si Tanggol. Kaya siguro ikaw ang naging Nanay dahil alam ng mundo kung gaano ka katibay na ina.”
What we love about Roda as an ‘adviser’ is his knack for dropping insightful guidance that feels more like a casual chat than a lecture, making even the heaviest topics feel light-hearted. When Marites was haunted by her past and wanted to run away from it, Roda was the only one who truly understood her. He told her that running from her problems wasn’t the solution. “Ano ka? Olympic runner ka ba? Dapat ang gawin mo, harapin at banggahin mo lahat ng bagay na gumugulo d’yan sa buhay mo,” he said, firing off his words like a machine gun. Then, in a softer tone, he gently asked, “Understand?”
In another scene, Roda noticed that Marites seemed to be carrying a heavy burden, so he kept urging her to open up. With sincerity, he encouraged her to lighten her heart by sharing her troubles, reminding her that they are true friends, and that’s what friends are for. It was one of those moments that made us go “aww” because Roda wasn’t just being funny—he was genuinely looking out for his ‘frenny.’
And then, he played the role of a fairy godmother in an episode when he brought out Marites’ hidden beauty, giving her a full makeover for a special occasion—Rigor’s pinning ceremony after his promotion to a higher rank. His words were both entertaining and sharp as he cheered Marites on to fight for herself and get dolled up to win Rigor back from his mistress, Lena (Mercedes Cabral).
But his best advice came when he told Marites to stop being a martyr for Rigor. “Hindi na uso ang martir ngayon. Dapat lumaban ka. Si Rigor naman talaga ang may kasalanan na nagdala ng kabit,” he declared. “Ipaglaban mo ang karapatan mo bilang asawa at bilang babae.” When Marites responded that she didn’t want her children to grow up without a father, Roda, dropping a truth bomb wrapped in humor, insisted that Marites was being foolish for Rigor only because of love.
Roda was truly impressed by the fearless spirit of Marites’ mom, Tindeng (Charo Santos), who boldly confronted Lena, the mistress. With his trademark humor, he told his BFF, “Frenny, hindi ko masyadong gusto ang ugali ni Tindeng. Pero hinihiling ko na sana ‘yung kanyang tapang ay mamana mo.” Don’t we agree with Roda? If Marites had even half of her mom’s guts, she’d be unstoppable.
Kapamilya, don’t you wish you had a ‘frenny’ like Roda? Someone who combines hilarity with wisdom and knows exactly how to hype you up while keeping it real!
Follow this new BFF tandem in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, TV5, and A2Z.