Hilda Koronel: ‘Sisa,’ kakanin, and everything in between

Hilda Koronel on food, fans, and finding her way back through “Sisa.”

Probably with equal passion for acting, Hilda Koronel loves Filipino food.

Radar Entertainment discovered this during an exclusive Zoom interview with the LA-based actress, part of the promotion for her latest film, Jun Robles Lana’s “Sisa.”

“We had so much fun during the filming—too much fun,” she recalled, referring to the IdeaFirst Company team behind the film. “All we did was look for kakanin. Every day, we’d plan: Where are we eating today? What are we having now?”

Her sweet tooth came with a side of caution. “That’s why every morning, they’d check our sugar levels,” she said with a laugh. “Oh my God, I miss the malunggay pandesal. The pandesal here is terrible,” she added, clearly longing for the flavors of home.

Foodie adventures that never made it onscreen

Those foodie adventures, however, never made it onscreen. “Direk Jun would send us food every day—everything we loved, like halayang ube. And Ferdy [Lapuz, line producer], we’d wait for his kakanin, straight from Pampanga. And the sisig at the hotel! I tried to find sisig here in LA, but nothing tastes as good as back home. That’s why I’m really looking forward to it when I come back to Manila later this month.”

Hilda returns in February to promote “Sisa,” beginning with a special screening at the FDCP Cinematheque in Intramuros on Feb. 26. Asked if she has embraced the modern side of film promotion, now driven by multi-platform campaigns, she pointed to experience.

“I already told my producers what we used to do in the old days. Back then, we’d go to the main cities like Cebu and Bacolod and premiere in theaters. The goal was to get people excited, to make them want to go to the cinema.”

She’s eager to do it again. “Oh, absolutely! It’s fun. I used to do that for Lea Productions [a prominent film studio in the 1970s]. I want to see my fans in person. I’ve been talking with them on Instagram, and they’re all excited. They want a fans’ day. I don’t know if it can happen, but I’ll discuss it with Perci [Intalan, producer under IdeaFirst Company].”

As for TikTok, YouTube, or other “fun” promos, Hilda is open—within reason. “We’ve talked about it. They want to do stuff like that, so we’re scheduling everything. I talk to my fans on Instagram, but I’m not a techie—my son helps me. I don’t do TikTok. But for promotion, of course I will, if my producers want it.”

Dancing to trending tunes, though, is another story. “That’s where I draw the line,” she said, laughing. “Nothing like dancing or extreme challenges. Interviews are fine. I’d even do an hour of Q&A if Perci sets it up.”

She brightened while recalling a lighter moment on set. “Eugene [Domingo] and I did something on her vlog. It was hilarious. I told her I didn’t want serious interviews anymore, so we tried something funny instead. Hopefully, it comes out before the film so people can see a different side of us—something a little crazy.”