Netflix’s ‘Balaraw: Blood Island’ Cast (With Photos)

Netflix is preparing to introduce international audiences to a new brand of Filipino horror with ‘Balaraw: Blood Island,’ a folklore-driven mystery series from director Rae Red. The show follows a woman named Sabina who, years after her mother’s disappearance, travels to an isolated island where old secrets and darker forces are waiting for her.

Ahead of the premiere, Netflix has confirmed the ensemble bringing this story to life, pairing veteran Filipino performers with rising talents. Here is a closer look at the core cast members attached to ‘Balaraw: Blood Island.’

Janine Gutierrez

Janine Gutierrez leads the series as Sabina Tejeros, a woman who follows a mysterious clue to an uncharted island in search of answers about her vanished mother. The official Netflix synopsis describes Sabina confronting hidden dark secrets within her own family once she arrives.

Gutierrez has built a reputation as one of the more decorated leading women in Philippine entertainment. She previously earned a Gawad Urian Award for Best Actress for her leading performance in ‘Babae at Baril.’

Beyond that role, she has headlined major television dramas including ‘Dirty Linen’ and ‘Marry Me, Marry You.’ Her casting in ‘Balaraw’ places her at the center of what Netflix is positioning as one of its more ambitious Filipino original productions this year.

Gutierrez also comes from a prominent, multi-generational family of entertainers, a lineage that has followed her throughout her rise in the industry.

Charlie Dizon

Charlie Dizon plays Bulak Bernabe, described as the companion who accompanies Sabina on her journey into the island’s dangers. Dizon’s character travels alongside Gutierrez’s Sabina as the pair encounter the island’s supernatural threats.

Dizon, born April Rose Dizon Matienzo, has been steadily building her filmography since debuting in 2017. She made her acting debut that year in the film ‘Finally Found Someone,’ followed by roles in ‘Loving in Tandem’ and ‘Seven Sundays.’

She was introduced by Star Magic as one of thirteen aspiring actors in the 2018 Star Magic Circle and made her television debut in ‘Bagani.’ Her career has since been recognized with a Gawad Urian Award, a Metro Manila Film Festival Award, a Star Award, and two EDDYS Awards.

Most recently, Dizon appeared in the drama series ‘What Lies Beneath’ before joining the ‘Balaraw’ cast, continuing a run of television projects that has kept her consistently visible to Filipino audiences.

Agot Isidro

Agot Isidro plays Rebecca, whose disappearance sets the entire plot of ‘Balaraw: Blood Island’ into motion. Gutierrez’s character Sabina has spent years searching for answers after the mysterious disappearance of her mother Rebecca, portrayed by Isidro.

In the show’s teaser, it is the voice of Isidro’s character that asks Sabina if she is not worried about still dreaming of the island, setting an unsettling tone before Sabina’s own descent into the mystery begins.

Isidro brings decades of experience to the role. She has appeared in celebrated television productions including ‘Tayong Dalawa’ and ‘FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,’ and has received multiple nominations from the Gawad Urian and FAMAS awards throughout her career.

Beyond acting, Isidro has also built a long-standing career as a musical artist and stage performer, giving her a breadth of experience that stretches well beyond the world of television drama.

Ronnie Lazaro

Ronnie Lazaro rounds out the core cast as one of the island’s mysterious inhabitants, appearing alongside Gutierrez, Dizon, and Isidro in the show’s early teaser material. The veteran character actor has worked in Philippine cinema for over four decades, appearing in classic films including ‘Boatman.’

Lazaro’s career stretches back to the late 1970s and includes some of Philippine independent cinema’s most respected credits. He won the Gawad Urian for Best Actor for ‘Yanggaw’ in 2008, and has received nine nominations for Best Supporting Actor and two for Best Actor throughout his career.

His work has also been recognized at international film festivals including Cannes, Berlin, and Hong Kong. That international festival pedigree makes him one of the more decorated names attached to ‘Balaraw,’ even in a supporting capacity.

Lazaro’s roots are in theatre, and his decades-long career has made him a familiar face across generations of Filipino film and television. His presence in the ensemble adds another layer of dramatic weight to a cast already stacked with award recipients.

The confirmed ensemble also includes Romnick Sarmenta, Nonie Buencamino, Teroy Guzman, and Archi Adamos, though Netflix has not yet detailed each of their specific roles. With a cast this experienced and a premise built on Filipino folklore and family secrets, viewers watching Sabina’s search for her mother unfold will likely have plenty to say about which of these performers steals the island’s darkest scenes.