Loisa Andalio
Loisa Andalio and Alexa Ilacad, lead stars of the series “Pira-pirasong Paraiso,” claim they are both good at keeping secrets shared with them by close friends, but draw the line at keeping those that can potentially endanger the people they love.
“I can be trusted when it comes to keeping secrets, but it really depends on whether they’re good or bad. If it’s something that involves fooling, cheating or scamming other people, then I will ask this person to sit down with me first and talk about it,” Loisa told Inquirer Entertainment in a recent media junket. Loisa plays a con artist named
Baby, who takes on the job of pretending to be one of the long-lost sisters of a young and rich woman (Charlie Dizon as Diana Lamadrid). As she navigates a world of cunning and lies, she learns about right and wrong, love and family, and striking truths about herself.
“What I’m not good at is keeping quiet about surprises. I get so excited and I can’t keep it to myself, like the surprise party we were planning for KD (Estrada),” said Alexa of her onscreen partner.
“But with keeping secrets, I’m pretty good at that. When my friends tell me something, I don’t snitch on them because I don’t want to get in trouble. That’s the main difference between me and my character in this series.”
KD Estrada
Alexa plays Angela Medina, a multiawarded journalist. She is constantly struggling to uncover the truth and fight for what’s true. “Her piece of the story here is all about revenge,” Alexa pointed out.
“While I love Angela for fighting hard for what she believes in and for standing up for herself, I’m not like her at all. In a way, I do not like conflict or arguments, so I stay quiet most of the time.”
The actress continued: “Unlike her, I don’t always make the effort to find things out. Maybe that’s something I lack. It’s just that I like my peace and quiet more, and I just go through whatever I go through.”
The ‘gift’
Alexa, however, said she is able to determine whether or not KD, whom she has been dating since 2022, is being secretive to her. “I’m able to tell if he is keeping something from me, even if we’re just texting. I don’t have that ‘gift’ with anyone else. I guess this is why I always get backstabbed by people I trust—I’m not good at judging people. With KD, it’s different. I know his soul, so I know when he’s not telling me something. I can tell by the punctuation marks he uses, with the breath he takes. I think that should amount to something.”
6 years strong
Meanwhile, when Loisa and Ronnie were asked to share the secret to their six-year relationship, Loisa said: “Aside from patience, you have to have trust. It’s also important that you communicate to each other your inner thoughts and feelings. You have to be able to share with your partner if you’re worried about something. He or she can’t always guess why you’re feeling sad or disappointed. By being open to each other, misunderstandings can be avoided.”
Ronnie agreed with Loisa, but added: “Respect is another thing. To those who are new in their relationships, don’t expect everything to be easy all the time. You will not always be happy together. There will come a time when your love will be put to the test.”
Ronnie Alonte
Loisa added that surviving trials is part of maintaining a romantic relationship. “It will also help prove if you really love each other. Situations will force you to decide whether to stay or just leave that relationship. No matter what happens, you both have to remain strong,” she said.
In the series, Ronnie is Jonas Salvador, a young man determined to follow in the footsteps of his policeman father, who passed away early on in the story. He is also on a personal quest to find out the truth about his father’s mysterious death.
Meanwhile, KD is Diana’s stepson, Julius Lamadrid. He is determined to pursue a career as a journalist because he wants to distance himself from the family’s realty business. “On my way to becoming a reporter, I found Angela, and that’s how our story starts,” he explained.
Loisa, on the other hand, is thrilled that she and Ronnie are now taking on “more mature” roles. “Maturity doesn’t mean sexy. Here, we’re no longer elementary or high school students who are trying to look cute to each other.
We are now assuming characters that are goal-oriented and serious about life,” she pointed out.
Alexa Ilacad
Prior to playing Baby, Loisa said she watched a number of series and movies that had a similar theme. “Mostly stories featuring professional thieves, or those with characters preying on rich people.
I wanted to understand the dynamics in projects like this,” she said.
Ronnie, on the other hand, chose to interview his friends and their colleagues who are part of the police force.
“I was afraid that if I’d watch films, I would unconsciously copy these characters. I want my role to be unique and not just a copycat of Cardo Dalisay (in ‘FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano’), for example. Of course, I still had to observe my friends in relation to their mannerisms and how they talk,” he explained.
A coproduction of ABS-CBN Entertainment and TV5, “Pira-Pirasong Paraiso” premiered on July 25 and airs weekdays at 3 p.m. It also airs every Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Directed by Raymund B. Ocampo and Roderick Lindayag and produced by Dreamscape Entertainment, it also stars Sunshine Dizon, Markus Paterson, Epy Quizon, Snooky Serna and Art Acuña. Airing right after it at 3:50 p.m. is “Nagaapoy na Damdamin,” starring JC de Vera, Tony Labrusca, Ria Atayde and Jane Oineza. INQ