Raymond Bagatsing Gave Up American Girlfriend For Acting Career In Manila

RAYMOND BAGATSING nearly lost his green card because he overstayed in the Philippines. “Nang last punta ko roon, it was confiscated at ayaw akong papasukin sa U.S ng immigration,” he says. “But I didn’t panic. I just prayed to God at sabi ko, Siya ng bahala sa’kin. I was waiting there for three hours. Then a man cracked a joke at natawa ako. Yung iba sa harap niya, hindi natawa, so nagka-connection kami kasi I was the only one who got his joke. Yun pala, siya ang head ng immigration doon. Nang kausapin siya ng mga tauhan niya, he said, is he the one? He was pointing to me. Kinuha niya yung green card ko and told me, I’m giving you another chance. You can go, but you have to talk to your lawyer to fix everything. So, my prayer worked.”

Whatever happened to the Hispanic American girl he introduced here then as his girlfriend? “She went back to the U.S. She tried to have a career here as a singer-songwriter but it didn’t prosper so umalis siya. Sinasama niya ako. E, ako naman, nagkasunod-sunod ang offers sa’kin dito for soaps kaya nag-stay na ako rito. But I won’t give up my green card kasi sobrang pinaghirapan kong makakuha noon.”

While we were talking to Raymond on the set of “Carmela”, he was drinking from a jug of juice of mixed fruits and vegetables. “Matagal na akong vegetarian, 14 years na, and it’s working for me,” he says. “I’m also into yoga at balak ko ngang magtayo ng yoga school dito sa atin.”

So what happens to his character as Dante in “Carmela”? “Ayun, gustong-gusto ko si Marian Rivera pero ilang beses na niya kong binasted. Gustong-gusto rin siya ni Roi Vinzon as Fernando at binugbog nga ako dahil sa panliligaw ko kay Carmela. Kaso ang gusto ni Carmela, si Alden Richards as Yago. Magtatanan sila pero I won’t give up. Ibe-break ko yung girlfriend ko, si Rochelle Pangilinan as Yolly, kaya magwawala at aawayin si Carmela.”