MANILA, Philippines — The young cast members of Sugat sa Dugo (Wounded Blood), the maiden offering of Dragon Entertainment Productions, are all making their big-screen debut in the film, directed by Danny Ugali. They auditioned for their respective roles and they are all excited about the first venture of their first-time producers.
Playing the male lead is promising newcomer Khai Flores, one of the artists in Dragon Talents Management. The young actor auditioned for his role with the film’s director.
The minute he read the script, Khai realized he would be working in a real tear-jerker of a dramatic film where he stars with Janice de Belen, who plays his absentee mom.
“Miss Janice helped me in most of our scenes together,” Khai granted. “We were always crying in our scenes. Everything was heavy drama. There was a scene where we were both hugging each other and crying, our lips almost locked together.
“It was a good thing I used mouthwash and I put on perfume before our scene. We were crying heavily. I felt her tears. I felt her face. Thank God, take one naman ang scene namin. That was our hardest scene together.”
Khai or Ezekiel Khairo Schofield Jarlos is honored to have worked with Janice. “I used to watch Miss Janice in Sis, with her sister, Gelli, before I would go to school,” Khai recalled.
“My lola watched that every day. I had an idea who Miss Janice really was before we started working together. Then, when I learned that I would work with her, I felt nervous. Of course, she’s Miss Janice de Belen. She’s not only known, but a popular actress.”
A self-confessed lola’s boy, Khai loved watching drama shows and teleseryes even when he was younger. “Sampalan, iyakan. Laki akong PBO (Pinoy Box Office) and Cinema One. I watched Tagalog channels.”
Khai formally joined Rex Belarmino’s Prima Stella talent management in 2017. He auditioned in the ABS-CBN afternoon soap, Kadenang Ginto, as the best friend of Kyle Echarri. “I got the role three years ago. I’m thankful for that role,” Khai said.
His parents were merely 17 and 18 years old, respectively, when he was conceived. Hence, now that he’s turning 20 in October, his mom and dad, although now separated, are merely in their late 30s.
In 2020, Khai played the best friend of Joshua Garcia in the horror thriller, Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan, directed by Chito Roño. The film has yet to be shown.
Khai also played a deaf mute in Huling Hibla, directed by Mel Magno. That was supposed to be his film debut, but that didn’t happen. Instead, Khai will be introduced in Sugat sa Dugo.
“I want to be an actor,” asserted Khai. “I don’t want to go the boy-next-door type of roles. I just want to play serious roles.”
Growing up in a blended family initially made 15-year-old Shira Tweg confused, especially when she was younger. “I learned to accept and adjust,” said Shira. “I love all my brothers and sisters.”
Understanding each other was perhaps the hardest part of growing up in a blended family. “I didn’t grow up with them, we didn’t see each other. I didn’t even know all of them. It was hard to adjust or even talk to them. We were not even close.”
Born and raised in Natanya, Israel, Shira was only five when she first came to Manila, not knowing a word of Tagalog. She speaks fluent Hebrew. A year after she arrived in Manila, she learned Tagalog, self-taught and picked up from the people around her.
“I learned how to play tumbang preso,” beamed Shira, who is the youngest among all the children of Michael Tweg and Cristine Areola. “There wasn’t much adjustment. I thought I would not like the culture or anything here. I felt then, I didn’t belong. I wanted to return to Israel. But as time went by, I got used to living here. I got to like it here.”
Now that she has been in the Philippines for 10 years, Shira attested she and her family members are all okay. On her mom’s side, she has three older brothers and a sister, who is in Canada. On her father’s side, she has an older brother, who is here, and an older sister, who is in New York.
Acting for Shira started in school in Manila. She was role playing and got to love acting. Then, Bambbi signed her up into a management contract. “Acting is hard,” disclosed Shira. “My first assignment, I did drama right away.”
Shira wants to play contravida like in Mean Girls or even Marga in Kadenang Ginto. “My parents are supportive of whatever I like or anything that interests me,” said Shira. “They don’t force anything on me. As long as I’m happy.”
Her role in Sugat sa Dugo is Ana, the younger sister of Jack (Khai Flores) and May (Christa Jocson). When she learned her brother has HIV, Ana would often worry about him and even broke down.
Emcel Abuso joined pageants in Quezon province where she was born and raised. She was supposed to be in college now, that she recently turned 20. However, her studies have inevitably taken a backseat to her budding career.
Since she was a child, Emcel was already inclined towards show business. No wonder, she joined a lot of beauty pageants, modeling competitions and tried acting opportunities.
“A coach approached me and told me Bambbi Fuentes was looking for talents to manage,” shared Emcel. “Even though I didn’t know her yet at that time, since I grew up in Lucena, Quezon, I submitted the requirements needed like VTR, sing-and-dance videos, acting.”
When Emcel was told she made it to the all-girl group Gandaras last year, she initially got worried since she didn’t know how to sing and dance. “But I really wanted to come out on TV,” she disclosed.
Emcel joined theater plays, like modern Sisa and Ang Batang Pulubi in school in Lucena. She also tried her hand at writing her monologue pieces and doing spoken word poetry. “Anything that will give me exposure, I will try it. I always convince myself that I could do it.”
Last June, Emcel joined Sexy Babe on Kapamilya Channel’s It’s Showtime and ended up in the finals.
In Sugat sa Dugo, Emcel plays the best friend of Christa, the female lead. Others in the cast are Mira Aquino, Esteven Dayrit, Moshelle Gerodias, Chelsea Magsaysay, Ash Carpio, Harley Li, Gary Guarino and Lindsay Magsaysay.