Being part of a teleserye that shows the best and worst type of love, the cast of “Can’t Buy Me Love” sure knows their thing about this topic.
In the recent episode of “Can’t Buy Me Love All Access” on ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube, Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano and their co-stars – Kaila Estrada, Joao Constancia, Alora Sasam, Gello Marquez, Vivoree Esclito, Karina Bautista, and Darren Espanto – delved into the complicated world of love and relationships, sharing insights and personal experiences that are sure to amaze you. We call this episode “Hot Take on Love with Can’t Buy Me Love Cast.”
“Sa panahon ngayon na maingay ang mundo, priority mo pa rin ba ang love?” was the first question, to which the cast members offered varying responses.
Some of them view love as essential, with Darren calling it the antidote to the toxicity brought about by surrounding noises. Also, Belle advocates for love being everywhere in many forms. According to Karina, love emanates not only from romantic connections but from oneself, friendship, family, and even pets as well. No matter the noise, Donny tells us to not let outside factors alter our definitions of love. Rise above these noises, Kapamilya!
On the other hand, Kaila, Alora, and Vivoree personally view love as secondary; they’d rather prioritize work and self-improvement at the moment. Meanwhile, Gello has a more relaxed approach, not actively searching for love but simply going with the flow.
They also had different takes on ‘situationships.’ While many saw it as a bit fuzzy and probably short-lived, Belle saw some upsides. She thought ‘situationships’ could be a way to get to know someone without a full-blown commitment. And Gello, well, he’s chill about it. He figures as long as everyone’s cool with it, why complicate things, right? But Alora gave a heads up: once you’re in a ‘situationship,’ keep your expectations in check.
In choosing a partner, we have a list of deal-breakers or qualities that will ‘disqualify’ someone as a potential lover and make us want to cut the connection right away.
Cheating tops the list of relationship deal-breakers for the CBML cast. They condemn lying and any form of abuse as well. Vivoree singles out verbal abuse, as she prefers a soft-spoken partner. Belle considers the lack of support for each other’s careers a major red flag, whereas Donny will likely lose interest in someone who doesn’t get along with his family.
When this group falls in love, they’re all in, willing to go the extra mile to make a partner happy. They agree that time is the ultimate form of investment in a relationship since it’s irreplaceable. For Kaila, this means being available on important occasions, and not just physically present but with wholehearted attention and commitment.
Naturally, they’ve all done crazy things for love. Kaila once begged for someone’s affection, which she now regrets and vows to never repeat. On the flip side, Gello isn’t the type to beg for love, believing that it only complicates things further, “’Pag ayaw na kasi sa’yo, huwag mo nang pilitin.”
But the wildest thing he did for love? He walked from Makati to Mandaluyong just to see his special someone – and he did it three times. Our hearts melted when Joao shared the time he waited all night for a girl who never showed up. Meanwhile, Alora has a cringe-worthy memory of helping her crush woo the girl he was really into – definitely a decision she wishes she could take back.
In today’s world, is it better to wait for love to come to you or take the initiative to pursue it? The cast had diverse perspectives on this. Donny suggests a balance: while you must be patient for the right person to come along, it’s not wrong to put yourself out there, either. You just have to know exactly what you’re looking for when you do take that leap.
Kaila echoed her “girl boss” character, Bettina Tiu, by asserting that everything worth having requires pursuit, “I feel like, in anything that you want in life, you have to seek it out.” Vivoree sees nothing wrong with that as well, as she would also be willing to seek out love if time permits. However, given her busy schedule and differing priorities, she’d rather wait for love at the moment.
Alora once tried to pursue love, only to find it elusive. Learning from experience, she’s now more laid-back while still keeping herself open to possibilities. “Feeling ko hindi pa binibigay kasi kailangan ko muna unahin ang aking sarili at ayusin ang mga bagay-bagay kasi, feeling ko, darating ang right one for you kapag right one ka na rin,” she expressed.
Meanwhile, our girl, Belle, believes that the right person shouldn’t be pursued because destiny will move for the two of you, “Kapag ‘yun naman ang taong para sa’yo, hindi mo siya hihintayin kasi siya mismo ang maghahanap sa’yo. You’ll find your way to each other.”
So, when is the ideal time to chase after love? Alora and Vivoree both imparted that it’s best to pursue a romantic relationship only when you’ve fully healed and recognized your worth. As Donny puts it, “When you fully accept and love yourself and you fully understand that you won’t find acceptance within yourself by looking for someone else.” Power women Belle and Kaila echo this sentiment. Love is worth pursuing when you’re stable and have a deep appreciation for yourself.
In the end, Darren believes, you just feel it. After all, love is a strong force that’s impossible to ignore.
