Director Jade Castro (Zombadings, Endo) returns to the small screen with his upcoming web series, All the Things I Leave You. Co-written with Lance D. Collins (My Partner), the series follows young Ilokano boy Jorge (Benedix Ramos) as he helps his aging grandfather Tino keep their family restaurant afloat. Jorge’s world takes an unexpected turn when he meets Kiko (Justin Paul Basobas), a struggling orphan who joins the restaurant’s team as its social media assistant and delivery boy. As Jorge and Kiko’s bond deepens into a budding romance, echoes of Tino’s own long-lost love story begin to resurface.
At a private theatrical screening of the series, Collins reflected on the story’s origins. “The script first came into being 15 years ago,” Collins shared, “when my lola died and my grandfather gave me a box of letters that she kept.”
For Castro, the series holds an even deeper personal significance. “This was the very first thing that I shot after I got out of jail,” said Castro. “I was unjustly arrested last year, so this project brought me a lot of joy and love, and it continues to do so to this day.” In 2024, Castro, along with a group of friends, was arrested without a warrant on suspicion of arson. Authorities accused them of setting an e-jeepney on fire in Catanuan, although Castro denied all allegations. After spending 40 days in detention at the Catanuan Municipal Police Station, Castro and his companions were released when the court ultimately dismissed the charges against them.
However, it might be some time before audiences get the chance to see Castro’s latest work. “We don’t know when it will be [released] yet,” producer Alemberg Ang told Rolling Stone Philippines. “We still need to find a proper platform, and the right festivals to screen the series.”
On Castro’s part, the director is just eager for audiences to see the series. “We did so much research,” Castro told Rolling Stone Philippines, “on Ilokano culture, attitudes, and behavior. All the places in the series were shot on-location, because that was one of my big requirements when filming: I didn’t want any of it to be fake. It had to all be Ilocos Norte.”
