“Ganyan sila, pinagtutulungan akong alaskahin,” says Ian. “Actually, I did have second thoughts nang sabihing makakapareha ko si Bea dahil I might be too old for her. Kami ni Iza, ilang beses na kaming nagkatrabaho and we are even paired in two new films together. Pero si Bea, talagang ngayon pa lang. Una kaming nag-meet, ang tawag sa’kin, Tito Ian. Sabi ko, ang lakas mang-asar nito. Buti nga, ngayon, na-upgrade, Kuya na lang. Noong una, akala ko, spoiled brat siyang pa-superstar ang dating kasi everyone treats her like a queen. Sabi ko, siguro, maarte ito, suplada. Pero sobrang mali pala ako kasi she turned out to be so down to earth. So I said, wrong yung impression ko kasi okay pala siya.”
How does he feel that in the second wind of his career, his leading ladies are getting younger and younger? “Very thankful, kasi lahat ito is totally unexpected. I thought father roles na lang ang gagampanan ko. Who would have thought puede pa pala kong maging leading man ng younger actresses. It feels great, so I’m very grateful to ABS-CBN and to the Lord for this blessing and the new opportunities coming my way.”
What does he think is needed for a love to really last? “I think it’s one that is based on mutual respect. Kasi yung love mo para sa isang tao, kung minsan, sobra-sobra, kung minsan naman, not so much. Kapag sobrang nakukulitan ka, you sometimes even hate that person. But if the respect is constant, always there, then your love will survive. Respect is really the golden ingredient for a love to last.”
