His deliberations about his obsessions seems to have become more frequent as his well-followed ABS-CBN series Incognito comes to a close on 18 July on Netflix Philippines and various ABS-CBN platforms.
His are very positive obsessions, though. The 50-year-old action series director is obsessed not just with helming TV series that rate very well but also with helping the Philippines become a valued exporter to the world at large of superbly produced action series and films.
“I hope the Philippine action drama can break barriers and reach foreign shores. We’re hoping that someday, people from other countries will watch and enjoy our action dramas the way they’re enjoying the Korean and Thai dramas. Yun ‘yung pangarap natin (That is our dream),” Ong declared one afternoon at the Dean & Deluca restaurant at Scout Rallos Street in Quezon City.
The event was a solo media conference for him arranged by Star Magic, ABS-CBN’s talent development and management division. Only a handful were invited to the event, including two TV teams of just two members for each team.
Ong, who is sometimes referred to as Pimentel in publicity handouts, turned out to be more eloquent in small-group media huddles than in crowded ones in ABS-CBN studios or in hotel function halls. In those big media events, the former Wushu martial arts champion in global tournaments is probably unnerved by a crowd of journos and vloggers whose cameras and cellphones are decisively aimed at him as if by a firing squad.
He casually deliberated at one point in the small huddle: “The biggest challenge for ‘Incognito’ is raising the bar for Philippine action series. We wanted to close the gap between a Filipino action series and internationally produced series in other countries.
“Gusto kong ilapit kahit papano ( I want to equal) with our own limited resources. With quality, storytelling and entertainment value, we want to make it closer to them. The ones made by Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong.
“At least, we have modest goal, although I know, Koreans don’t have modest goal. Sobrang layo na ang productions nila sa atin. Sobrang laki ng budget nila (They have big budgets and productions). But I believe that if we somehow keep on improving, the money will come soon.
“The opportunities will come soon. The whole industry will benefit soon. We have to start somewhere.”
Incognito, a star-studded action series, started airing last January. The lead cast includes Richard Gutierrez, Ian Veneracion, Daniel Padilla, Baron Geisler, Anthony Jennings, Maris Racal and Kaila Estrada. They portray former military men and women most of whom were dishonorably discharged due to some faults in their characters or circumstances in their lives.
Ong seems almost equally obsessed with enhancing the image of the Philippines to the Filipinos. It’s the reason he shot some episodes in Tacloban, Leyte and in Marawi City. Leyte was once ravaged by a storm while Marawi City was devastated by a war between the military and clusters of dissidents.
“We wanted to show how the people of Leyte and Marawi have rebuilt their devastated territories and their lives. They may not be the wealthiest and most impressive communities now, but their achievements are worth seeing by their countrymen. We all should be proud of them,” Ong intoned.
He stressed: “They need to be given different highlights. You have to tell a story about them collectively and you also have to tell their stories individually. So it’s a big challenge for us — the creative, the production, the directorial team.”
The director worked “very, very closely” with his writing team. Head of creative and the writing team for Incognito is Henry Quitain, with Jay Fernando, Reese Fernandez and Maan Fampulme.
Ong’s journey as a filmmaker started as a stuntman in 1998 — and he might be the only stuntman in the country who is an international martial arts champion. He later became an action choreographer, then an action director in old films and series, like director Joel Lamangan’s ZsaZsa Zaturnnah Ze Moveeh (2006), the action scenes in the old series of Vhong Navarro like Lastikman and Jake Cuenca in Palo.
Before Incognito, he already helmed prominent productions such as ABS-CBN shows La Luna Sangre, Bagani and The Iron Heart. He has been with ABS-CBN for more than 15 years.
He has also produced and directed under his own company the Amazon Prime Video original series One Good Day and the Netflix romantic film Love You Long Time.
Ong’s career brings forward creativity, business success, and athletic skill, making him a positively obsessed personality in many fields. With his vision and determination, the Philippines may possibly be on par with the best of the world’s action entertainment within a few years.