People create strong connections with each other in various ways. Some use their interests to form a deeper understanding of others. Hanging around and experiencing new opportunities also bring people closer together.
The same thing can be said of the bond that the seven members of the Philippine adaptation of the hit Korean variety show Running Man have formed.
For more than a month, Kapuso stars Kokoy De Santos, Angel Guardian, Ruru Madrid, Glaiza De Castro, Mikael Daez, Lexi Gonzales, and Buboy Villar traveled to South Korea to shoot their episodes for Running Man PH.
While there, they found numerous chances to learn more about each other. According to Mikael, one venue for their bonding sessions is the bus that took them to and from their missions.
“One of the more prominent memories na tumatak talaga sa akin, nung nagta-travel kami, and I think relatable ‘to sa mga nanuod ng Running Man (OG), ‘yung bus na ginagamit nila for the first few seasons, ‘yun din ‘yung bus na ginamit namin,” he said during a press conference for Running Man PH at Lugang Cafe in Robinsons Manila.
“Sa bus na ‘yon, syempre in between locations, before and after tapings, doon kami nag-uusap. Doon namin nararamdaman lahat ng after-effects ng mga mission na ginawa namin. I think ‘yung moments namin doon sa bus memorable.”
Mikael, also known as The Captain of the group, added that they all took photos of their time together, which they already released and will release gradually to continue promoting their show to the public.
He also shared that he enjoyed getting coffee with some of his fellow co-stars whenever they got the chance.
On the other hand, Kokoy and Angel enjoy going around the city during their free time. However, Kokoy admitted to getting lost initially because of the new environment. But once he got used to the city’s layout, he brought Angel along to sightsee with him (or get lost with him, whichever works).
Aside from cementing a newfound friendship, the Lucky Seven, as Kokoy dubbed them, also learned a great deal from the South Korean production team of SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System). Running Man PH is done in partnership between GMA Network and SBS, one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters.
Initially, the two networks agreed to shoot the scenes in select locations throughout South Korea and the Philippines. But with the lockdowns and other unforeseen incidents, the production got pushed back until both networks decided to shoot everything in Korea.
The Lucky Seven experienced a different setting during taping because everything, especially their mission instructions, had to go through a translator. They also saw how SBS kept the cameras running during production and had several of them capture everything.
Mikael even shared he was amazed at how the SBS team taped powerbanks to the go-pros to keep production ongoing. The GMA team also noted their partner’s approach that they can use in Philippine settings for their future projects.
Catch the first episode of Running Man PH tomorrow, September 3 on GMA Network.