Blue Bear

With Daniel Padilla before we shot our scene together
in "Princess And I" at Enchanted Kingdom. 

SEPTEMBER 2012

The creative team of “Princess And I” were on the set as early as 8AM. Enchanted Kingdom ang location. We were there para mag-meeting, mag-revise ng ilang sequences, mag-enjoy sa rides… At maging part ng ilang eksena. So we spent the whole day touring, mag-meeting while on take ang mga artista, at maghintay ng turn namin para makunan.

Nandun na sina Kathryn at Enrique umaga pa lang. Daniel Padilla’s call time was early evening pa because all his sequences for the day were night time. E ang role ko ay ang tiketerong haharang kay Gino (Daniel’s character in the series) na makapasok ng Enchanted Kingdom dahil naiwan niya ang wallet niya kamamadaling mahabol si Mikay. So I knew I had to wait. Pero OK lang kasi masaya naman sa EK, at kasama ko pa ang PAI family.

Naging smooth naman ang taping namin (under Direk Rory Quintos, who is known na mabilis pero pulido trumabaho). Except for several times that the tapings had to stop dahil umuulan-ulan. E puro exterior ang eksena. So habang tengga, the team would discuss what will happen next sa show. At this point, nag-start na rin naming buuin ang concept ng “Got To Believe”. Nag-rides ako. At nakikipag-chikahan ako sa mga artista, especially kay Enrique.

Daniel arrived on the set during dinner break. Nahirapan pa siyang ipasok ng EK dahil nagkakagulo at ang daming gustong magpa-picture sa kanya. We knew it was gonna happen. Regular sight nay an sa bawat tapings: girls nan aka-abang kay Daniel. Pero for us, hindi na naming gaanong binigyan ng pansin yun kasi we saw DJ as one of us, a part of the team. At ganun din siya. Hindi niya hinahayaan ever since na pumasok sa kanya yung fame. Kung paano siya sa amin nung umpisa, ganun pa rin. He didn’t like VIP treatment, at all.

After the break, habang walang ulan, kinunan agad namin yung scene sa ferris wheel na naka-Blue Bear mascot costume siya. It was so hard for Daniel especially kasi, ang init ng costume. Maraming lights sa paligid niya. At maraming taong umuusi, sumisilip. He and Kathryn had to do the scene several times para sa camera angles. Unang scene of the day pa lang, pawis, lapot at hulas na si DJ. But there I saw how professional he was. Walang reklamo. Sige lang ng sige hanggang makuha nila ni Kathryn ang gusto ni Direk.

The worst part was, umulan ng malakas. 2 hours. So yung sanang before midnight matatapos namin ang taping, hindi na-achieve. We had to wait. The other creative team members had to go (tapos na ang eksena nila at mga revisions), at naiwan ako kasi yung scene ko with Daniel waley pa. Doon ko na-experience yung naghihintay ka without knowing kung kelan ka makukunan. Na ganun pala ang pakiramdam ng mga artista at talents namin.

But thank God for Daniel and Enrique na chinika ako ng bongga. Yes, sa dressing room nila ako naka-standby. Imagine the feeling. I was one of the stars! And I was with two of the hottest teen stars then (and until now). Nakakatuwa because, even if Daniel didn’t speak that much compared to Enrique, he was really listening. At naaliw ako sa mga punch lines at one liners niya.

Enrique’s scenes were the first to be taped after naming mag-resume, so I told DJ na matulog muna, to rest. To be honest, medyo sakitin si Daniel noon. Some tapings had to be packed up pa then, pero naiintindihan naman namin. First time din niya kasi mag-teleserye, at everyday pa ang taping at some points.

A giddy DJ during PAI's Thanksgiving Party. 

Though the Kathryn and Daniel loveteam created a huge following sa “Growing Up”, it was in PAI talaga na masasabing na-solidify ang tambalan nila. Naalala ko, naging running joke na among fans sa social media na sa “abangan” lang nakikita si Daniel. Week 3 na kasi ng serye siya nakapasok. Alam naman ni DJ (as we fondly call Daniel) na ganun ang mangyayari. Pero di rin namin maiwasang mag-worry na dahil late ang pasok niya, baka bumitiw ang ibang supporters niya.

But Gino’s character had become a regular household fixture since then. That “medyo bad boy” with a romantic heart you’d love to introduce to you parents as your boyfriend. Suddenly, primetime viewers started rooting for him. The Daniel Padilla phenomenon was born. Something we didn’t expect. Alam naming maghi-hit o kakapitan, pero hindi ganun ka-OA.

During Princess And I's first Royal Fair. Daniel's team, Team Gino,
eventually won the championship after three record-breaking games. 

From that guy na humihiling na kontian ang lines sa PAI everytime we’d see each other, Daniel rose to superstardom like a rocket. He was crowned Teen King. Sunud-sunod na ang endorsements. May movie na for MMFF with Kathryn, Vice Ganda and Kris Aquino. Binigyan ng solo album (which turned multi-platinum). I remember pa noong bago pa umere ang “Princess And I”, he requested to me “Hinahanap-hanap Kita” na kantahin niya if may chance sa serye. Well, it became his first and arguably biggest hit, nakakalimutan mong Rivermaya ang original nun. Dumating na sa point na, hindi namin alam kung mae-extend pa namin ang PAI because of his and Kath’s schedule. Everyday may ganap. That was how big Daniel Padilla became.

The busiest guy. He sleeps most of the time while waiting for
his turn during tapings.

But through all the successes he achieved, I can attest na hindi nagbago si Daniel. Ilang beses din akong dumalaw sa PAI set, and he has remained a kind soul, to me, to everyone. Mas madalas nga lang na tulog sa set pag break, but he still managed to smile, hug at chumika on the set when I was around. Kahit pabiro o patawa, natutuwa ako everytime he would say, “sana mahalin ka na ng bestfriend/labs mo” or “Susuntukin ko yun pag sinaktan ka! Sabihin mo lang!”

Ginising ko si DJ at around 1am dahil kukunan na kami. Finally. On the set, I was shaking. Imagine, sharing a scene with Daniel Padilla, and to be directed by Rory Quintos no less. But they were so supportive, DJ had to hold my hand, “Kaya mo yan!” with a wink. During rehearsals and blocking, conscious pa ako kasi… How can I look straight into Daniel’s eyes and pretend na di ako kinikilig or excited? Or worse, how can I say no to this guy? But when it was “take” na, thank goodness, one good take kami sa scene. DJ hugged me afterwards, saying, “galing ah!”

We wrapped at past 2am. He even offered to drive me kung hanggang saan pwede, but may service namang naka-save for me. Nahihiya din ako. Yet truly, it was an experience I won’t forget… Every fanboy or girl of him would wish na maka-eksena siya. Makapag-picture nga lang o mahawakan lang ang kamay niya. Poong Nazareno levels, with all due respect.

Visited Daniel backstage of ASAP. 

But more than anything, bilang isang dakilang fan, I would treasure the fact na nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataong makilala si Daniel Padilla on a level na… Nakita mo yung totoong siya without the cameras and lights surrounding him. That he’s just a normal young man like everyone else his age. Na-bless lang because of innate kindness, hardwork and sincerity towards what he’s doing, and the people around it.

At Quezon City Circle taping, when Daniel's
character Gino worked as hotdog vendor,