For Lovi, the best is yet to come

MANILA, Philippines - Is Lovi Poe changing home networks?

“No, no, no, I’m happy with GMA and I love my (current) show Yesterday’s Bride,” the 23-year-old actress addressed the persistent rumor that she’s transferring to ABS-CBN in a pocket interview set by the GMA Artist Center last Monday.

In Yesterday’s Bride, the afternoon soap airing weekdays, Lovi plays Andrea Manalo, a bride who suffers from amnesia after rousing from a coma caused by an accident on her wedding day, is thought to be dead by her heartbroken groom (Rocco Nacino), assumes another identity while being nursed to recovery by a doctor (Luis Alandy), whom she eventually falls for. But things become complicated as she begins to remember everything.

“I’m used to playing independent and strong women. It’s different this time around, (it’s) more of the martyr-type,” she said. “Sobrang ganda ng script. Every time I read the script for the coming week, I get so excited to (act my scenes).”

The teleserye directed by Gil Tejada Jr. has given Lovi her first-ever, not to mention overdue, solo-starrer on the Kapuso network. She considers Yesterday’s Bride as one of the highlights of her career for this year, along with the ensemble primetime series Legacy which run for 20 weeks, and the Brillante Mendoza-directed film with Nora Aunor Thy Womb which saw her and the rest of the cast gracing the Red Carpet of the Venice International Film Festival where the film competed and world-premiered.

She also scored the lead roles in two horror films Guni-Guni and Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles, and is part of two film entries in this December’s Metro Manila Film Festival, Thy Womb and Shake, Rattle & Roll 14.

“It’s really been a good year. But I don’t wanna say it’s my best year, because for me (I wanna) always think that the best is yet to come,” she said, adding that her attitude towards the coming year is to “just go with the flow. Kasi if I think about it too much, if I plan too much, I might get disappointed.”

How does Lovi intend to reward herself at the end of this year? “I’m looking for a time for a vacation, just a few weeks, not months, for a vacation. Simple lang. I just wanna go to a beach. Anywhere, as long as it’s a good beach.”

How does Lovi maintain her beach-ready figure? “Eat what you want, but moderately. Be sure to eat breakfast as metabolism is faster if you eat when you wake up. Then exercise like running at least 30 minutes. I try not to sleep late (or lose sleep) because it makes you want to eat more.”

Also during the interview, Lovi reiterated her willingness to lend a helping hand to the campaign of her half-sister, the Senatoriable Grace Poe-Llamanzares, who reportedly appreciated the gesture. “(I can help in) many ways, kaya hopefully mabigyan ako ng time. If given the time, isisingit ko talaga (the campaign).”

Lovi also happily related one encounter with Llamanzares. “I was very happy when she went to the Tik-Tik premiere night. Sobrang bait niya. Then yung sinabi pa niya after, ‘Papa (the late Fernando Poe Jr.) would have been proud.”  

Meanwhile, it’s no secret that one of Lovi’s closest showbiz friends is Heart Evangelista. Asked if she gave Heart, who’s in a relationship with Sen. Chiz Escudero, any tips on dating a politician, she gave out a laugh and said, “A lot, ha ha ha! But I can’t say what.”

“No (I didn’t encourage her to date a politician). It just happens, you don’t know who you are going to fall in love with,” she mused. “They’re good together.”

Lovi’s last relationship was with the controversial ex-congressman Ronald Singson. She’s been recently linked to Jake Cuenca, but it appears that her love life is not a priority at the moment. 

“My love life is on hold. It’s so unfair to the other person,” she said. “Yes, I’m dating — you know, meeting people, getting to know each other. Just for fun. Enjoy lang. Heavy yung last time. Medyo na-trauma yata ako.”