“It’s always nice to work with Barbie dahil wala siyang attitude at all,” she says. “She’s well grounded at totoong dapat siyang gayahin ng ibang young stars kasi kung anuman ang narating niya ngayon, nakita kong pinaghirapan niya yun nang husto.”
Manilyn’s own eldest son, Kyle, is almost as old as Barbie at 21. “Kaya puedeng-puede ko na talagang anak si Barbie and I’m very happy to be reunited with her after we did ‘Meant to Be’,” she adds. “Ang second son ko, si Kirk, is 15 at ang bunsong si Kael is 6 naman.”
She’s personally managed by her own husband, former actor Aljon Jimenez. Why didn’t she get another manager? “Naku, mas okay na sa’king si Aljon ang manager ko kasi anumang project ang ino-offer sa’kin, pinag-uusapan muna naming mabuti. Kapag ayaw ko, at least, madali akong makakatanggi.”
At the presscon on “Inday Will Always Love You”, Manilyn was asked to sing one of its theme songs, “Malay Mo Maging Tayo”, and she showed that she remains to be a very good singer. Her voice has not changed at all through the years. “Diyan naman ako talaga nagsimula. I was 9 years old when we left Cebu at dinala ako kay Mother Lily sa Regal na pinakanta ako agad at kinuha na akong Regal baby. I’m just happy to be here after all these years.”
She’s the original Cebuana but in “Inday Will Always Love You”, which is shot on location in Cebu, her scenes so far are all shot in Manila. “Yes, sa start ng story, na-demolish ang bahay namin ni Barbie as Happylou as squatters area kaya napadpad siya sa Cebu while looking for a job. But eventually, susunod din ako sa kanya sa Cebu at magkakaroon din kami ng scenes na kinunan ko roon, so this will be a special homecoming for me to Cebu, which will always have a special place in my heart dahil nandiyan ang roots ko.”
