Arzen Rose Dulzura

How a random shoot in Sucat inspired the making of ‘Home Along Da Riles: Da Reunion’

Article (news)

Push Team

<p>It was not a boardroom decision or a carefully planned revival. According to the cast of <em>Home Along Da Riles: Da Reunion</em>, the film stirring nostalgia across the country began with two guys standing by a set of railroad tracks in Sucat, hoping to go viral.</p><p>Boy2 Quizon and Vandolph Quizon shared the story behind the reunion film during its media conference, revealing that what eventually became one of the most talked-about Filipino movies of the year grew out of a series of unplanned gatherings, a social media page, and a flood of comments from fans who never stopped missing the show.</p><p>For an entire generation of Filipinos, <em>Home Along Da Riles</em> was part of growing up. The sitcom ran on ABS-CBN from 1992 to 2003 and starred the late comedy legend Dolphy as Kevin Cosme, a widower raising his children in a community beside the railroad tracks. </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2026/5/6/watch-cosme-family-returns-in-home-along-da-riles-da-reunion-1952"><strong><u>WATCH: Cosme family returns in &#x27;Home Along Da Riles: Da Reunion&#x27;</u></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>For many families, watching the show became part of their routine, with dinner served as they gathered around to watch Dolphy.</p><p>The road back began, of all things, with a product endorsement. Boy2 recalled at the media conference that he and Vandolph needed to find a way to promote something online and decided on a whim to head to the railroad tracks. </p><p>&quot;Pumunta tayo dun sa riles,&quot; he said, describing how they positioned themselves near Sucat just as a train came passing through. They filmed it. It spread. They went viral.</p><p>One moment led to another, and then another. Weeks later, the cast reunited at a baptismal celebration for Smokey Manaloto’s child. At the media conference, Smokey himself was quick to point out that Nova Villa, Ces Quesada, and Linggit Tan were all present. The content spread once again.A subsequent gathering at an Italian restaurant with Claudine Barretto, Gio Alvarez, and other cast members produced the same result.</p><p>The cast eventually created a Facebook page called Home Along Da Reels to house their reunion content. It was there, reading through comment after comment, that the idea of something bigger began to take shape. </p><p>Fans were not only entertained but also vocal about how much they missed the show, with many openly asking for something new.</p><p>&quot;At first, never naming naisip na magiging reality ito,&quot; Boy2 said at the media conference. </p><p>That changed when Claudine spoke up. &quot;Ready naman ako, bakit hindi natin i-try?&quot; she reportedly said. And those words, according to Boy2, were what set everything in motion.</p><p>The next step was securing the blessing of ABS-CBN, who holds the intellectual property rights to the show. </p><p>Boy2 and Vandolph approached ABS-CBN Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Broadcast Cory Vidanes, and the conversation was candid. She pushed back, asking the hard questions: &quot;Who would play Dolphy? What about Babalu?&quot; How do you carry a show built on two people who can never be replaced?</p><p>&quot;’Hoy, anong klaseng <em>Home Along</em> yung balak niyong gawin, Boy2? Sinong gaganap na Tito Dolphy?’&quot; Boy2 recalled her saying. Their answer, he said, was that they were not trying to replicate anything. </p><p>&quot;Hindi naman namin kailangang tapatan,&quot; he explained.</p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2026/6/3/vandolph-thanks-abs-cbn-for-greenlighting-home-along-da-riles-da-reunion-1031"><strong><u>READ: Vandolph thanks ABS-CBN for greenlighting ‘Home Along Da Riles: Da Reunion’</u></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>The film was not meant to be a remake. It was intended to be a continuation and a look at the Cosme family now that the children are grown and the father, who once held them all together, is gone.</p><p>Tita Cory gave her blessing.</p><p>Vandolph echoed the same sentiment, saying that replacing Dolphy or Babalu was never even considered.</p><p>For him, the show was deeply personal, not just to him, but to many Filipinos who watched with their parents and ate dinner together as a family.</p><p>&quot;Siyempre, Dolphy, iisa lang yan. Babalu, iisa lang yan,&quot; he said. &quot;Para namang may tama kung papalitan namin sila.&quot;</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZH61_MA-X7/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A4681120.5%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="847" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>The film instead focuses on what the Cosme family is like without him. As longtime viewers will remember, Kevin Cosme was the moral and emotional center of the household. </p><p>He was the one who brought the family together, settled disputes, and kept everyone close. The story now follows how his children adjust to life without him, while Tita Nanay (played by Nova Villa), an aunt who became a mother figure to the family, also plays a central role.</p><p>When the early teasers were released, fans responded immediately, filling the comment sections with crying emojis and memories of watching the original show with their own families. </p><p>None of it, the cast maintained, was ever the result of a grand plan. It began with a viral video, grew through a series of reunions, and was shaped by the voices of fans who had been waiting for years.</p><p>&quot;Gusto lang naming ipakita na paano na yung mga anak ni Kevin Cosme nung malalaki na sila,&quot; Boy2 said. </p><p>“‘Yun yung gusto naming ipakita and then mag-focus dun sa tribute for Tatay and tribute to everyone who made Home Along,” he added.</p><p><em>Home Along da Riles: Da Reunion </em>opens in cinemas on June 17. </p><div><br/></div><p>—By Paolo Lim</p>

<p>Boy2 Quizon and Vandolph Quizon shared how the idea for 'Home Along da Riles: Da Reunion' came about.</p>

Boy2 Quizon and Vandolph Quizon shared how the idea for 'Home Along da Riles: Da Reunion' came about.