What started as a conversation about a resort has now turned into a movie.

At Highland Bali Villas, Resort and Spa in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, cameras recently began rolling for Pamana, an upcoming romance-comedy-suspense film that brings together a lively ensemble of veteran performers, rising stars, and comedians.

But among the familiar faces on set, one stood out for a particularly personal reason.

For businesswoman Geng Rodriguez, this is not simply another project. It is the moment she finally gets to pursue a childhood dream of becoming an actress—while simultaneously taking on the enormous responsibility of producing her first film.

Rodriguez, the general manager of Highland Bali, never expected that a conversation with Director Rommel Penesa would eventually lead to a movie.

She had initially been exploring creative ways to promote the resort when she connected with Delia Flores. After hearing his ideas, she invited the director to Highland Bali so they could discuss a possible collaboration.

That meeting became the starting point of Pamana.

What makes the story even more interesting is that the resort is now part of the production’s identity. The same place where Rodriguez manages her business has become a gathering point for the cast and crew as they begin bringing the film to life.

The transition from business meetings to production meetings has been a learning experience for Rodriguez, but she has embraced the challenge.

For years, Rodriguez’s world revolved around business.

Now, she has to learn lines, understand blocking, face the camera, and perform scenes repeatedly until the director gets the right take.

It is a completely different kind of work.

Rodriguez admitted that acting has been challenging, which is why she underwent an acting workshop before filming. The preparation helped her understand that performing is not simply about memorizing dialogue—it requires discipline, emotion, timing, and the ability to remain focused through multiple takes.

Her experience on Pamana has also changed how she looks at professional actors.

Seeing the long hours and physical demands of a production firsthand gave her a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices that performers make behind the scenes.

And for someone who once dreamed of acting as a child, finally getting the opportunity now makes the experience even more meaningful.

Rodriguez’s character is Delia Flores, a woman with a personality that keeps audiences guessing.

Penesa saw something in Rodriguez while watching her vlogs and believed she could handle the role.

Delia is described as suplada, masungit, and mapang-api, but she also has softer and more humorous sides. Rodriguez describes her as having a personality that can shift depending on the situation—sweet one moment and a little chismosa the next.

The character is far enough from Rodriguez’s real-life persona to give her room to experiment.

It is also an opportunity for the first-time actress to show audiences that there is more to her than the businesswoman they may already know.

Adding to Rodriguez’s excitement is the opportunity to work with performers she has admired for years.

Among them is veteran actress Janice de Belen, whom Rodriguez has followed since childhood.

Her excitement about sharing the screen with one of her longtime idols reflects just how personal this project has become.

The film also features Herlene Budol, Gil Cuerva, Ashley Ortega, Paolo Gumabao, Kakai Bautista, Jelai Andres, Petite, and Negi, creating an ensemble that brings together different generations and styles of performers.

From dramatic acting to comedy and romance, the cast gives Pamana plenty of room to move between genres.

Guiding the ensemble is director Rommel Penesa, whose filmmaking background spans several decades.

Before becoming a director, Penesa worked as a cameraman for legendary filmmakers such as Ishmael Bernal, Lino Brocka, and Eddie Romero.

He later trained under directors from different genres, gaining experience in drama, comedy, and action.

That background becomes particularly useful for Pamana, which mixes romance and comedy with suspense and a moral lesson.

Penesa’s most recent work includes the action series Black Rider, making Pamana a return to the lighter side of storytelling after a very different kind of production.

The film itself had an unconventional beginning.

Herlene Budol originally approached Penesa about creating a vertical drama series. As the concept developed, the possibility of turning the idea into a full movie emerged.

The team considered the larger possibilities of the project, including a potential Metro Manila Film Festival run, but the realities of producing a film meant working within a more modest budget.

Instead of letting that become a roadblock, the production adjusted its approach.

The result is a film built around maximizing its available resources while keeping the story and entertainment value at the center.

For Rodriguez, the experience has also meant learning that producing a movie is not simply about financing a project.

There are schedules, locations, actors, production requirements, and countless decisions that have to come together before a single scene can make it onto the screen.

At the heart of Pamana is a story about dreams and the consequences of getting what you want.

Penesa describes the film as a romance-comedy with suspense and a moral lesson about greed.

The story revolves around the idea of someone dreaming about a particular future and eventually discovering that the dream may actually come true.

But instead of simply celebrating that wish coming true, the film asks a more complicated question: what happens when the things we desire bring consequences we never expected?

That gives Pamana a deeper layer beneath its comedy and romance.

Audiences can expect laughs and entertaining situations, but the story also encourages viewers to think about greed, choices, and the value of being content with what truly matters.

For Rodriguez, Pamana represents the convergence of two worlds.

Her business career brought the production to Highland Bali.

Her curiosity about entertainment led her to Penesa.

And her childhood dream ultimately brought her in front of the camera.

She is now experiencing filmmaking from both sides—helping build the project as a producer while learning the craft of acting as Delia Flores.

It is a challenging combination, but one that makes the project uniquely hers.

The cameras may have just started rolling, but Rodriguez has already gained something from the experience: a new appreciation for the people who make movies happen.

She entered the project as a businesswoman with an idea.

She is now leaving the first days of production with a much bigger role—as producer, actress, and one of the people responsible for turning Pamana from a conversation into something audiences can eventually watch.

With its mix of romance, comedy, suspense, and an ensemble cast led by familiar names, Pamana has the makings of an entertaining new Filipino film.

But behind the movie is an even more personal story.

Sometimes a childhood dream takes years to arrive.

For Geng Rodriguez, it arrived unexpectedly—through a conversation, a script, and a film set built in the middle of Nueva Ecija.

And now, after years of watching actors from the audience, she finally gets to hear those three words herself: “Action!” (with reports from Elle Grengia)