As family-oriented as Philippine society is, that aspect has shaped many stories about all kinds of families, not least those about mothers and daughters. Local media has carried many mother-daughter tales over the decades, and Balaraw aims to continue that legacy by exploring the complicated yet somehow relatable dynamic mothers and daughters face.
The Netflix series centers on Sabina (Janine Gutierrez) and her mother, Rebecca (Agot Isidro). The two don’t have the best relationship, particularly because Sabina feels like Rebecca’s mind is somewhere else. But when Rebecca goes missing, their bond is put to the test as Sabina’s search leads her to the island of Balaraw, which is just as mysterious and secretive as Rebecca. For Isidro, it was another complex character to add to her impressive repertoire, and one she gladly took on given the story she would help tell and the people she would work with.
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A Different Kind of Role for Agot Isidro
2026 has been a busy year for Isidro. Anyone who’s frequented the cinema or watched local titles this year has probably seen her face more than once. Among others, she played a leading role in the family drama Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon, the award-winning 2026 Cinemalaya entry Mag-iina, and a short role in the acclaimed black comedy Filipiñana. And now, Isidro looks to close the year with Balaraw, a Filipino mystery thriller that had no shortage of reasons for the veteran actress to say yes to.
“It’s a unique story. And then, I wanted to work with Direk Rae [Red],” Isidro tells MEGA, adding she and Direk Rae were once classmates in a scriptwriting class. “Also, I wanted to work with these two gorgeous and talented ladies,” she says, referring to her co-stars Janine Gutierrez and Charlie Dizon.
Like with her co-stars, Isidro found herself right in the middle of the action, especially given Rebecca’s connection to the wider story. Aside from portraying a morally complex character, Isidro also had to deal with the demands of the role’s physicality. But Isidro, just like Rebecca, doesn’t give up easily, and she credits the show’s impressive production and set design for helping her dig deep into the project.
“We were entering a whole different world. So, we were living the experience,” she shares. “It’s not like, aarte tayong pagod tayo or we’re running and running. We’re actually doing it. So, for me, I was carrying a heavy gun the whole time, the whole show until the sixth episode.”
When you’re surrounded by a dedicated cast and crew, which extended to extras and background actors who acted like island natives even when the cameras weren’t rolling, it makes it easy to pretend that you’re on a mystical island holding dark secrets. “It was really physically difficult. Pero, ang ganda kasi ng whole Balaraw and even yung mga tao, the way they were wearing makeup, as Balarawans, even their outfits [But, Balaraw is really beautiful and even the extras, the way they were wearing makeup, as Balarawans, even their outfits]. So, when you enter, you really don’t need to act.”
She’s Mother, Literally, in Balaraw
Oddly enough, Balaraw isn’t just Isidro’s second Netflix project of 2026, but also her latest mother role in a year filled with them. She’s played a mother no less than three times this year, following Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon, and Mag-iina, which coincidentally also saw Isidro play a mother to Janine Gutierrez’s character. It’s been a motherly year for Isidro, but Rebecca serves as a departure for her, one shrouded in mystery. “She carries mystery throughout. She didn’t give all the answers in one go; it’s really drops of answers. So, even with Janine’s character, to me, she’s always like, what’s going on, what’s going on?”
Rebecca isn’t going to win Mother of the Year anytime soon, nor will any of the mother characters Isidro has portrayed lately. But it also goes to show how not all mothers are the same, and that their roles and place in a person’s life are not a one-size-fits-all kind of situation. “I like this year because I play strange and difficult mommy characters. But then, not all mommies are perfect. So, it’s difficult, and it’s about choices also.”
Isidro sees Rebecca as far from heartless, as while what she did hurt her daughter, there are reasons why she did so that viewers will learn as the series progresses. And at the end of the day, she’s still Sabina’s mother. “It wasn’t an easy choice to leave Sabina, you know, but [Sabina] can do it, you’re old, you have a job, and then I’ll leave. And then, the fact na sinundan siya, so ako yung parang dapat hindi. In a way, she’s a non-mother, but lumalabas yung pagkamommy niya. “[And then, the fact that she followed her, so I’m like, you shouldn’t. In a way, she’s a non-mother, but her motherliness comes out.”
When viewers tune in to Balaraw later this month, they aren’t just going to watch a suspenseful drama rooted in Filipino folklore, but also a story of three different women who are more than capable on their own but also need each other in one way or another. As early as filming the show, Isidro already felt that female spirit. “Even getting into the production, we have a woman director, our cinematographer is a woman, AD namin is a woman. It’s very empowering for us.”
For a mystery series set primarily on an island in the middle of the ocean, the themes and issues tackled here aren’t that far off from what women today are facing. And Isidro hopes that audiences take these motivations and experiences from the show’s female leads. “Hopefully, people will see that yung can-do attitude. We can do it despite obstacles, even if, for example, society is very masculine-driven. Pwede pa eh. There’s always space for female empowerment. There’s always space for talented women to do the work.”
You can stream all six episodes of Balaraw on Netflix starting October 29.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Featured Image and Photos: Courtesy of Netflix
Frequently Asked Questions
Agot Isidro plays Rebecca, the mother of Sabina (Janine Gutierrez), in the Netflix Philippines series Balaraw. Rebecca goes missing, which leads Sabina to the mysterious island of Balaraw. Isidro describes the character as carrying mystery throughout, giving answers in drops rather than all at once.
Agot Isidro says Balaraw is a unique story, and she wanted to work with director Rae Red, a former classmate from a scriptwriting class. She also wanted to work with co-stars Janine Gutierrez and Charlie Dizon, whom she called gorgeous and talented ladies.
Agot Isidro says filming was physically difficult, with scenes where the cast was actually running rather than acting tired. She carried a heavy gun throughout the show until the sixth episode, and credits the production and set design for helping her dig deep.
Agot Isidro has played a mother no less than three times in 2026, in Ganito, Ganyan, Ganoon, Mag-iina, and Balaraw. In Mag-iina, she also played a mother to a character portrayed by Janine Gutierrez. Isidro says she likes the year because the mothers she plays are strange and difficult.
Agot Isidro hopes viewers see a can-do attitude, that women can do it despite obstacles even in a society that is very masculine-driven. She notes the production had a woman director, cinematographer, and assistant director, which she found empowering, and says there is always space for talented women.
