THEY’VE been friends for more than three decades from the time they were in their teens. Last year, friends Janice de Belen, Carmina Villaroel, Gelli de Belen and Candy Pangilinan merely started with a podcast, Wala Pa Kaming Title. Up to now, the podcast is still untitled.

Thanks to Candy, who took an effort to write a screenplay back in 2018, after she enrolled in National Artist Ricky Lee’s scriptwriting workshop.

“It’s so hard to make our schedules gel together,” Candy offered. “Hindi naging hindrance ang mga chika namin. When it’s work, work. We easily have our own connection when we started working together. Very natural.

“My training is theater. Matagal na akong nakapila kay Sir Ricky for a workshop. Finally nagkita kami before the pandemic, so I began training under him.”

Two decades ago, the four actress-friends already planned to make a film together. It just really took Candy to finish her very first screenplay and she didn’t look for other artists,” Gelli said.

“Magagalit kami kung kumuha pa siya ng iba.”

Director Andoy Ranay was tapped to work at the helm of Roadtrip after the four friends finally decided to make a film.

“Maraming pinagdaanan ang project na ito,” confirmed Direk Andoy. “This was originally conceptualized during the pandemic. Their schedules were hardest to bring together.”

Candy finished the first draft of Roadtrip even before the pandemic. However, after the lockdown happened, the script needed to be revised to include the restrictions and what happened in the pandemic.

“Then, I needed to revise again to remove the pandemic,” Candy said. “It took me at least seven revisions. While we were already shooting, there was a need to revise some more even on the set.”

Candy was glad her friends gave their inputs even while they were already filming. “I’m grateful to them because I don’t think Roadtrip would happen if I didn’t write the script,” Candy said. “It’s a very challenging ordeal, location, everything.”

The locale took place from Manila to Mount Pulag, the highest peak in Northern Luzon.

“We didn’t shoot Roadtrip in one day,” Gelli revealed. “We were constantly transferring from one place to another. Surprise. It was one of the most challenging shoots I’ve ever did, physically.”

Since they are going on a Roadtrip, but no one was willing to drive among the four stars. Candy had to re-learn how to drive stick-shift again in order to get someone to be behind the wheels.

The most challenging was getting to the peak of Mount Pulag. “It would take you at least six hours to get to the peak if you are a first timer,” Gelli admitted. “It was not Baguio cold. It was colder than that.”

Candy added, “When we went up, it was very cold. The weather pierces through your bones. It took us a while to trek. We shot the summit first. It was difficult. We shot Mount Pulag for one whole day. We finished shooting last November.”

Including Mount Pulag to their itinerary brought vehement reactions from the girls. “Candy was bargaining in her screenplay,” recalled direk Andoy. “She was bargaining for Tanay, Rizal so it was closer and the trek would not be that difficult.

“I don’t think there was any actress who trek Mount Pulag before to shoot a film. I told them it was Mount Pulag or nothing.”

Filming out of town for nearly a month brought the four actresses even closer together. “Bonded na kami, mas naging closer pa kami while making Roadtrip,” Gelli said. “Iba talaga ‘yung magkakasama kayo sa trabaho, sa hirap and in another place.”

Getting the four of them to work together is another challenging thing. “All of us are busy,” Janice said. “Mahirap to get a common schedule that’s why it took us a long time to finish.”

Roadtrip starts its regular theater run on January 17.