Bea okay with or without a love team

MANILA, Philippines - Bea Binene is visibly amused every time she is being teased about making her reel love affair with Derrick Monasterio real. After all, Derrick reportedly had sent feelers to her in the past when the two got to work for the first time in a project. Bea even fondly recalls the first gift Derrick gave her.

“It was a Lacoste bag which could only fit this size (showing her cellphone),” reveals Bea. “But I appreciated his effort because he was just starting out with his career at that time.”

It was only recently when she received another present from Derrick. “He gave me a pair of Nike rubber shoes on my birthday para daw ma-motivate ako lalong mag-gym.”

However, Bea insists that nothing romantic is going on between them because as she puts it, “Pa-echos lang yun at pabigla-bigla like one time when he called me at 4 a.m. inviting me out just to eat Tapsilog ako naman hindi ah, alas-kwatro na yun.”

Her mom, Carina, also knows too well that Bea and Derrick are close and adds, “Hindi po sila nagliligawan, mga magkakaibigan lang.”

Still, Bea and Derrick click as a love team that is popularly known to fans as DerBea. The two are together again as part of the cast of GMA 7’s telefantasya Mulawin vs. Ravena. Bea is fully embracing the idea of being in a love team for good reason.

“For me, it’s okay to have a love team since most Pinoy viewers have this fondness for stories that would make them feel giddy or fall in love again,” says Bea on the advantage of having an onscreen partner. “But, of course, an actor should not depend on it. One needs to learn to stand on his own so he can handle every project even without a partner.”

Bea believes it would also be tough for any actor to be identified with a perennial onscreen partner because “nothing lasts forever in showbiz because it always evolves.”

Luckily, Bea is among today’s young Kapuso stars who do not solely rely on the popularity of a love team. She manages to go “solo” as host of GMA News TV’s Good News with Vicky Morales that allows her to express herself as natural and spontaneous as can be.

“I am not good at hiding my true feelings so whatever people see on the show is what I really am and I guess, mas gusto ng PM (program manager) ang ganun like there was one segment where I said, ‘Ay may pa-helmet si mayor.’ Natural lang talaga yung salita kaya naiintindihan ng lahat. Through the show, I get to travel and experience a lot of exciting adventures.”

Asked to assess her being an actress, Bea says that she is still in the process of learning, particularly in the drama department where one is required to cry buckets.

Good thing, her character in Mulawin vs Ravena does not require her to shed copious tears. “I will be doing more action scenes that need physical strength. And definitely, there is a lot of flying,” says Bea who will portray the grown-up Anya and is set to appear in the third week of the series.  

This early, Bea is feeling the pressure since Leann Bautista, who is playing the young Anya, has been receiving positive remarks from televiewers and netizens for her impressive performance. Bea hopes to sustain the good feedback on the character.

“Tapings have already started and I am enjoying every minute on the set because I love doing action. The harness hurts but I’m beginning to get used to it.” The wings, Bea adds, begin to feel too heavy when they are worn for a long time “pero tipid sa damit because of the costume. I only need to bring cycling shorts and socks.”

Although her character belongs to the new breed of Mulawin, Bea is familiar with the original story having watched the fantasy series when she was six years old. Small wonder she knows the background of every “old” character of the series. 

“That’s why I’m also interested to know how the story will go. Aside from the fight scenes and a lot of flying, the show also tackles issues about dictatorship, discrimination and bullying. Even if we are in a different world, we exist in the present time kasi alam namin na may cell phone and the modern way of living.”

Is there a role she looks forward to doing in her next project?

“I am a fan of action movies so if given a chance to choose what kind of role to play, I’ll be happy to portray as a gun-toting crime fighter,” says Bea who is also into target shooting.