The Dawn of a Teen Queen

NOVEMBER 2010

My first picture with Kathryn Bernardo in November 2010.

It was a Sunday afternoon. It’s been awhile since huli akong dumaan sa ABS-CBN. At that time, “Mara Clara” has become a big hit on primetime, and the Kathryn Bernardo-Albie Casino loveteam of the series was fast gaining a very strong fanbase. And I was actually one of them. Kaya I got in touch with fellow fans online for the opportunity to meet them.

I don’t know. During that time, 2^nd year na ako sa aking Malikhaing Pagsulat sa Filipino course. I was surrounded by classmates younger to me by almost a decade. Mga teenagers. I guess that’s where I was coming kung bakit kinikilig ako sa teen love story nila sa show. A poor but very ideal young girl meets his knight in shining armour in a private school filled with rich and, um, mean girls. Besides, I was, and still am, a major sucker for young love stories. Ganun ata talaga pag NBSB, or No Boyfriend Since Birth.

With Kathryn's on-screen partner in "Mara Clara", Albie Casino.

All the while, I thought si Albie lang ang mami-meet ko since fan group niya ang nag-organize ng “meet and greet” na ito sa The Loop. To fans of newbie artists of ABS-CBN, familiar ang place na ito for sure. So to my surprise, just after their ASAP production number, I saw Albie coming to us na may kasamang someone familiar… Si Mara! It was Kathryn!

I saw myself speechless after seeing her. Ang ganda niya! Dalagita na! And her smile… It was so lovely and sincere. That point pa lang, naramdaman ko na yung natural na bait at eagerness ni Kathryn to meet supporters. She was even the first to approach and extend her hand to say, “Hello, I’m Kathryn po.” I was impressed.

Bumalik sa akin at that moment “Goin’ Bulilit” days niya na, nakikita ko pa siya minsan kapag nasa ABS-CBN ako, running around the hallways, nakikipaglaro sa fellow young stars niya. She has always been pretty. I knew na lalaki siyang magandang bata. There was a potential. Sa “Super Inggo” pa lang, I mean, nagmarka siya as that maarte kid na partner ni Makisig Morales, the show’s lead star. But the superstardom was something I, and most of us, for sure have unforeseen.

Kathryn took a 360 degree in her “Magkaribal” stint as young Victoria (Gretchen Barretto). I thought lilipat na siya sa kabila kasi kasabay nitong umere yung serye where she played young Marian Rivera. But her “Magkaribal” performance couldn’t go unnoticed. It was daring for her age. At napakahusay niya… Then I realized, potential teleserye leading lady siya. I would want to see her grow further as an actress. True enough, just months later, she landed one of the title roles in “Mara Clara”.

The Kathryn-Albie loveteam, called KathBie, was actually a major hit.

On that first meeting, I met a very polite, endearing and fun to be with Kathryn. I remember her asking me kung may plan ako mag-work sa ABS-CBN after I graduated. And my response was, “if kayo ni Albie ang makakasama ko, go!” At game na game siyang magpa-picture. Sa lahat. Na-realize ko, minutes after we were talking to her and Albie, napupuno na ang The Loop ng mga fans na gustong magpapa-picture. And the best part – Kathryn was accommodating everyone. All smiles. Walang trace ng reklamo o yamot.

That was also the first time I met Kathryn’s mom, Tita Min. And that is for another blog entry.

Masusundan pa ang mga pagkikita namin ni Kathryn. May pictorial na pinuntahan ko. May get together na ako pa ang nag-host.

Little did I know, by January of 2011, I would start a teleserye writing workshop under Ricky Lee. And by May that year, my first assignment on ABS-CBN would be Kathryn’s first solo teleserye.

Kathryn and I with Julia Montes in a photoshoot
for StarStudio Magazine in December 2010.

During a Christmas get-together organized by fans
in December 2010. I actually hosted it.