“Ang lupit!” Papa Jackson heaps praise on Coco Martin as he talks about their “Sigabo” scene

Fans of highly popular seasoned radio disc jockey John “Papa Jackson” Gemperle were surely thrilled upon learning that he would be joining the cast of the acclaimed ABS-CBN Studios series  Coco Martin’s Sigabo

His role? Not too far removed from his real-life profession. He plays Papa Love, a radio DJ whom Gabo (Coco Martin) considers his “idol” because he loves listening to his show, “Dear Papa Love On Air,” along with some of his neighbors in Ginintuang Lupa. In what turned out to be a stroke of luck, Gabo unexpectedly found Papa Love riding in his taxi on his first day at work as an undercover agent-slash-taxi driver, much to his excitement.

Gabo seized the opportunity to seek Papa Love’s advice about the misunderstanding between him and his wife, Gloria (Julia Montes). However, with Papa Love in a hurry and their remaining travel time too short for a proper conversation, the latter simply invited Gabo to visit him at his radio booth later that day. Gabo enthusiastically accepted the invitation—and made sure to show up.

And the much-awaited guest appearance of Gabo on Papa Love’s show finally happened in the November 2 episode of “Sigabo”! Avid viewers saw our primetime hero recount what really happened between him and his alluring passenger, Misty (Ina Raymundo), which triggered Gloria’s intense jealousy and resulted in the severe conflict between them, leading him to turn to Papa Love for advice.

When Gabo asked for advice on how to earn his wife’s forgiveness, Papa Love suggested that he serenade Gloria in person and even offered to accompany him. Gabo was initially hesitant to take his advice, fearing that Gloria might throw things at him again. However, Papa Love reminded him that he would never know what might happen unless he tried. Before wrapping up that night’s episode, Papa Love even gave Gabo the opportunity to deliver a heartfelt message to his beloved wife.

In a reel uploaded by CCM Film Productions on its Facebook page, Papa Jackson fondly recalled how he landed a role in “Sigabo.” He shared, “Hinihiling ko sa kanya ‘to nang magkita kami sa isang event. Hindi ko inaasahan na maaalala ni Direk Coco ‘yong pangako niya dati na hiniling ko [rin] sa kanya.”

According to Papa Jackson, their conversation took place when they met at an event, where he asked Coco if he could make a guest appearance in his previous series, “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.” So, it really delighted him that the multi-awarded actor-director still remembered their encounter, which had likely happened a couple of years ago.  

Asked how he felt about the experience, Papa Jackson replied, “Excited na kinakabahan.” He went on to describe his first on-screen encounter with Coco, enthusing, “Grabe, unang salang ko nakaeksena ko si Direk Coco. Grabe ‘yong spontaneity ng utak. ‘Yong script nabalewala. Ang lupit! Hinahayaan ka niya na i-develop ang thought mo. Inaalalayan ka niya do’n sa eksena.”

The video ended with Papa Jackson earnestly expressing his hope of returning to “Sigabo” for another guest appearance. He also thanked Coco for giving him the opportunity to be part of the series, describing the experience as a “dream come true.”

Aside from the exclusive interview with Papa Jackson, CCM Film Productions also gave us a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes moments during the filming of Gabo’s visit to Papa Love’s radio program.

Are we going to see Papa Jackson again in the next episodes of “Coco Martin’s Sigabo”? Let’s all find out by not missing an episode, weeknights at 8:00 PM on ABS-CBN sa ALLTV2, Kapamilya Channel, TV5, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), or stream anytime on iWant!