Harvey Bautista and Criza Taa not pressured to be a couple in real life

MANILA, Philippines — The stars of ABS-CBN Studios’ youth-reality series “Zoomers,” Harvey Bautista and Criza Taa, shared how their onscreen partnership has helped them in building their showbiz careers. The show, which recently bagged the Best Asian Short-Form Drama/Series at the ContentAsia Awards 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan, served as the launch pad of their love team as Jiggs and Hope.

Harvey believed that the team-up with Criza helped them in forging their path in the entertainment industry. “I think so. I think in a way because I think love teams are meant to sort of launch two people in a group right, not in a group, pero yung dalawang pair. I think it really helped us, especially in a show like ‘Zoomers,’ which is very youth-oriented and so focused on our generation. So, I definitely think it helped us in launching our careers as artists,” the former “Goin’ Bulilit” star Harvey said at a presscon.

Asked if their onscreen partnership has blossomed into something deeper in real life, Harvey answered with a laugh, “Gusto niyo po ba? I don’t know. I’m very happy where our relationship is right now. And I don’t wanna ruin that.”

He stressed that they are “good friends right now” and doesn’t want to “ruin that connection with Criza.”

For Criza, she said that she entered showbiz after her “Pinoy Big Brother” stint to work. “I’m also a breadwinner. And I’m living alone, so I have plenty of responsibilities in life.”

“So, yeah, I guess you could say that we’re good friends now because I have a lot of responsibilities and I’m doing a lot of things. And I feel like I’m not yet like parang mas marami akong mga bagay na kailangang unahin.”

She and Harvey are “happy” where they are right now because the pairing worked for both of them. Criza stated, “I feel like in every love team, there’s different strategy. And since we’re in a love team, it means that we really have to work as a team. So, it depends on what works for both of you, and right now it works for us. So, I’m very happy for that.”

Criza added that they don’t get pressured with fans shipping them to be together. “Because we have our own timing, phases in life,” she explained. “I was raised na marunong akong sumunod sa sarili kong puso. Kumbaga hindi ako nakikinig sa ibang tao. So, I really just follow my heart and where it will take me.”

Meanwhile, Harvey, the son of actor and former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, asserted that he wants to carve his own path in show business and wants to get involved in it rather than in politics.

“I mean, let’s say there is a part of me na parang gustong humiwalay dun sa shadow ng dad ko as an artist. But the career choices that I’ve made, the projects that I’ve done, hindi siya consciously na, ‘OK kukunin ko ‘to kasi gusto kong humiwalay sa dad ko.’

“I think, speaking generally, I love the craft of acting, and figuring out my strengths and weaknesses. And I want to improve on those weaknesses. I would like to say (if I was offered a) comedy (genre),  di mag-a-adjust ako sa comedy or drama or whatever. No, I wouldn’t say it’s a conscious decision to split from my dad’s path. It’s more of just following what I guess what I wanted to do with my career.”