Jan Angelo Batongbakal

Hari ng Aksyon Sa Ating Henerasyon: Coco Martin dominates Primetime as an Action Icon

Article (news)

Jemuel Tandoc

Push Team

<p>After establishing himself as a sought-after primetime leading man, Coco Martin began shifting toward the action genre, taking on tougher and more physically demanding roles that would eventually cement his reputation as one of the country&rsquo;s biggest action stars. This career-defining turn would soon lead him to one of his most iconic roles to date.<br><br></p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788516498557796633305_1426938375946543_1074672457066203196_n.jpg" style="width: 500px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></div><div><br></div><div><strong>Longest Running Teleserye</strong></div><p>By 2015, Coco Martin had already proven that he could carry different kinds of roles, but it was <em>FPJ&rsquo;s Ang Probinsyano&nbsp;</em>that would completely redefine his career.</p><div><br></div><div><iframe width="976" height="549" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5WqGQmXAP3c" title="FPJ's: Ang Probinsyano Trailer One: Soon on ABS-CBN!" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br></div><p>Premiering in September 2015, the action-drama series put Coco in the role of Ricardo &ldquo;Cardo&rdquo; Dalisay, a character that would become synonymous with his name. What started as another teleserye soon became a television phenomenon, eventually becoming the country&rsquo;s undisputed No. 1 program and making history as the Philippines&rsquo; longest-running teleserye. The series remained on air for seven years before concluding in 2022.</p><div><br></div><div><iframe width="976" height="549" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lS5P2eSaJxM" title="FPJ's Ang Probinsyano: Unbound Anger (With Eng Subs)" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br></div><p>The series also featured a star-studded ensemble throughout its seven-year run, with Bela Padilla, Maja Salvador, Arjo Atayde, Yassi Pressman, and Julia Montes among the notable names who became part of Coco&#39;s journey. It also brought together industry veterans such as Lorna Tolentino and the late Eddie Garcia and Susan Roces.</p><p>Beyond its massive audience, <em>Ang Probinsyano</em> also earned major recognition, bringing home awards including Best Primetime Series, while Coco was recognized with the Best Drama Actor of the Year award at the PMPC Star Awards for Television.</p><p>Even when ABS-CBN&rsquo;s free-TV broadcast was shut down in 2020, <em>Ang Probinsyano</em> continued reaching audiences through digital and other platforms, proving just how strong its following had become.</p><p>After seven years of Cardo Dalisay&#39;s journey, Coco and the cast bid farewell to the series in 2022. But instead of stepping away from the action genre, Coco already prepared to take on another iconic character.</p><div><br></div><div><strong>Another Iconic FPJ Role Reimagined</strong></div><p>In 2023, he returned to primetime as Tanggol in <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/batangquiapo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em><strong>FPJ&rsquo;s Batang Quiapo</strong></em></a>, once again taking the lead in an action-packed teleserye. The series ran for three years and gave Coco another massive hit.</p><div><br></div><div><iframe width="976" height="549" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A1ibTNJoUqk" title="FPJ’s Batang Quiapo Trailer 1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br></div><p>The series also featured a roster of major stars throughout its run, including Coco&rsquo;s original leading lady and the daughter of the late Fernando Poe Jr., &nbsp;Lovi Poe. Her portrayal of Mokang quickly became a memorable part of the series, adding another layer to the show&rsquo;s connection to FPJ&rsquo;s legacy.</p><div><br></div><div><iframe width="976" height="549" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yoQk41V2E-k" title="Tanggol's dream is to have Mokang as his wife | FPJ's Batang Quiapo (w/ English Subs)" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br></div><p><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/batangquiapo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em><strong>Batang Quiapo</strong></em></a><em><strong></strong>&nbsp;</em>further proved that Coco&#39;s pull as an action star had not faded. In February 2025, the series even breached the one-million mark in peak concurrent online viewers, showing that his audience had followed him into the digital era.</p><p>The series eventually wrapped up in March 2026, closing another major chapter in Coco&#39;s action-star journey. But, true to form, he didn&#39;t stay away from primetime for long.</p><div><br></div><div><strong>Meet Gabo</strong></div><p>Just months after <em>Batang Quiapo</em> ended, Coco returned with <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/sigabo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em><strong>Sigabo</strong></em></a>, which premiered on June 22, 2026. The action-comedy series once again showcased his trademark mix of action and humor, with its pilot episode drawing more than 404,000 peak concurrent livestream viewers. Its succeeding episodes also surpassed the 400,000 mark during its first week.</p><div><br></div><div><iframe width="976" height="549" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UTO_FDjOiXU" title="Coco Martin’s Sigabo | Full Trailer" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br></div><p>The anticipation surrounding <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/sigabo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em><strong>Sigabo</strong></em></a> was evident even before its premiere, with Coco and the cast going on motorcades in Cebu, Cavite, Palawan, and Pampanga to meet and promote the series to fans across the country.</p><p>Much like Coco&rsquo;s previous teleseryes, <em>Sigabo</em> also boasts of a star-studded cast, with Julia Montes, JM de Guzman, Sue Ramirez, Irma Adlawan, Joey Marquez, Chanda Romero, Carmi Martin, and Edu Manzano joining him in the action-packed series.</p><p>Adding to the show&rsquo;s appeal is its official theme song, also titled <em>Sigabo</em>, performed by Pop Rock Royalty Yeng Constantino.</p><p>Currently, audiences continue to get their dose of kilig from the slow-burn romance between Coco&rsquo;s Gabo and Julia Montes&rsquo; Sam in <em>Sigabo</em>. Their unusual setup has made things even more interesting as Sam pretends to have lost her memory and plays along with Gabo&rsquo;s claim that they are husband and wife, all while secretly trying to uncover his connection to the Zafras, the syndicate long at odds with her family.</p><div><br></div><div><iframe width="976" height="549" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A1ibTNJoUqk" title="FPJ’s Batang Quiapo Trailer 1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br></div><p>But as Sam gets closer to Gabo, will she uncover the truth she has been looking for, or is there something more waiting to unfold between the two?</p><p>Get to know what unfolds next in <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/sigabo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em><strong>Sigabo</strong></em></a>. Following its successful launch, the series continues to air weeknights at 8 p.m. across ALLTV2, TV5, A2Z, and Kapamilya Channel, as well as online through <a href="https://app.iwanttfc.com/dFR6MWHAcVb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>iWant&nbsp;</strong></a>and Kapamilya Online Live.</p><p>PUSH SAGA is a series focusing on subjects that have captivated audiences. We delve deeper into that fascination each month with new stories.</p>

<p>In the final part of this <i>PUSH Saga</i>, look back at how Coco Martin cemented his status as one of Philippine entertainment's biggest action stars, from taking on iconic roles to dominating primetime television.</p>

In the final part of this PUSH Saga , look back at how Coco Martin cemented his status as one of Philippine entertainment's biggest action stars, from taking on iconic roles to dominating primetime television.