Rogal Brothers make a name for themselves

They were separated when they were kids. One was brought to Turkey, where he grew up with his Turkish father, while the other stayed here in Manila with his Filipina mother. Somehow, the Rogal twins managed to reunite after a decade.

Kane and Moses Rogal didn’t have the best years while they were growing up. Both Turkish-Filipino, they were born here in the Philippines. At seven, when their parents separated, the twins inevitably grew up apart.

Moses was raised here and Kane was brought to Turkey by his dad. But they did find themselves together again after many years of being apart from each other.

“We grew up in a broken family,” disclosed Kane, who was raised by his dad, Razzaq Rogan, in Adana, a city in south central Turkey. Moses, meanwhile, grew up with his mom, Bernadette Samonte, here in Manila.

Their mother was an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) who worked in Hong Kong. That was where she met the boys’ father. They fell in love and got married.

“Even after I returned to Manila in 2007 when I turned 16, I didn’t get to see my mother yet,” Kane continued. “She was not here when I returned. She was still working in South Korea. It was really sad. Naging sensitive ako when I was growing up because I didn’t have my brother with me, especially in the major events in my life. Nakaka-inggit. Mag-isa ka lang. No family. We were not in touch.

“I would see other families. ‘Yung mga anak were with their parents. Nakaka-lungkot. I always wished my mother was with me.”

It was in 2007 when Kane tried to fix his own papers to be able to return to Manila. “My father didn’t want me to return to the Philippines,” Kane shared. “I was studying and was a working student at that time. My father told me, if I could fix my own papers, he would allow me to return to the Philippines. He would give me a chance.”

“So I looked for a trusted agent, talked to him and paid maybe around 10,000 in Turkish currency (lira — equivalent to around P30,000 after conversion),” he added.

Kane returned to Manila successfully. “Now lang kami naging close ni Moses,” Kane said. “I still remember when I first returned to the Philippines. I didn’t speak English. Hindi rin ako marunong mag-Tagalog. We didn’t understand each other.”

Eventually, Kane learned how to speak English and Tagalog, so he could understand his family. “I also learned to adapt the Filipino culture and the ways. I tried to adjust. I got to love the Filipino culture.”

The brothers did get to finish their studies. Moses graduated at Fatima College in Valenzuela, while Kane obtained his diploma from University of the East in Caloocan.

Kane saw his mother for the first-time after 25 years. “Even if I didn’t grow up seeing her, I still respect her. Whatever she did, I never held a grudge against her.”

Their father passed on a decade ago when Kane was already back in Manila. Their mom passed away at 61 only last year.

Today, the twins are working together in the Rogal Brothers vlog. “We are focusing on full-time vlogging,” Kane admitted. “You will also see our songs there.

“We met China Roces at SM Mall of Asia a year ago. She suggested that we think about things we can collaborate on. We bonded and kept in touch. We started doing music with her.”

The actress-radio personality took the brothers under her wing and now acts as their manager. Recently, they released their first original single, Diwa ng Pasko by Rogal Brothers, a song they both composed. It was released on digital platforms.

The twins are now focused on their music. Apart from singing and dancing, they also write songs. With their good looks and fit physique, they even want to give acting a try.

“Anything that comes our way, we will not say no to,” Kane asserted. “If acting will be a good opportunity for us, we will not mind doing sexy roles.”

Like any other siblings, Kane and Moses have their misunderstanding and petty fights. “We argue sometimes. If he knows I’m angry, he would not say anything.”

Moses, meanwhile, previously worked in Japan as a dancer and construction worker for eight years. When the pandemic happened, he returned to Manila. He has a kid who is now 10 years old.

Kane had a Filipino girlfriend for six years. He previously worked as a fitness trainer in Riyadh for more than five years — from 2015 to 2021.

“I earned my own money,” Kane said proudly. “I grew up without my brother. We were not together for a long time. So when I returned to Manila, I bought a house. We now have a house for both of us.”