Her ‘heart’ is in the right place

Heart Evangelista is one actress who’s been through a lot. But thankfully, her life seems to be settling down to a quieter pattern these days. She seems happier and more relaxed, and by now it’s an open secret that she has reconnected with her father, although she’s still working on the one with her mother.

Although Heart confirms this, she would rather not talk about it too much. She has been very open about her relationships in the past, and thinks maybe this was where she went wrong. Now — and while she acknowledges the public’s right to know because she is a public figure — she considers it more important to protect their fragile peace. She has been very selective about what she shares now because she doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice. “I want to do the opposite by not talking so much because it shows more sincerity when you don’t put so much of it out there,” says the actress.

She says she’s “okay” with both her parents, although it is her father whom she sees on a more or less regular basis. With her mom, things are proving to be a bit more challenging. “We’re good,” is how Heart sums up her relationship with her parents. On the day that she was launched as one of the new brand ambassadors of TechnoMarine, Heart spent some time with her father. “I was just with my dad kanina. My mom, we’re okay, but we’re giving each other more time. It’s not like before, but we’re okay.”

Heart is currently very busy with work. Aside from her new endorsement, she works seven days a week. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, she tapes for her new soap, Magkano Ba Ang Pag-Ibig. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she’s busy shooting for Trophy Wife, a movie she’s making under the Viva Films banner and co-starring John Estrada, Derek Ramsay and Cristine Reyes. Saturdays and Sundays are also earmarked for work. “I’m very blessed; my hard work is paying off,” she says.

The only drawback is that this kind of dizzy, crazy schedule doesn’t leave her much time for a personal life, but somehow she manages. In fact, according to Heart, she and boyfriend Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero are doing quite well. The night of the TechnoMarine launch party at Resorts World, the Senator accompanied her, but kept a low profile and let Heart have the spotlight. However, he was constantly by her side, like a supportive partner.

Heart was thankful for this. “It was so nice of him to join me, he’s so supportive and it’s so nice to see that in someone,” she says. However, she debunked rumors that they are secretly married or heading in that direction. Heart just recently got back her independence, moving out of the condo located in a building where her parents also live and into a townhouse of her own, and she wants to be able to enjoy her independence for a while before settling down again.

“I want to get married but not anytime soon; I have to wait for this guy to ask,” she smiled as the conversation turned to the senator.

But with all the commitments she has — and Chiz being busy with work in the Senate — Heart points out that “I cannot get married right away. We’re both busy, we’re taking our time,” she says. “I just got back my independence, and now we’re doing what we really need to do. I need to do this; I owe it to my future child. But if and when I do get married, I’ll definitely announce it. You’ll see it on Instagram, I promise.” When that happens, a lot of people will be celebrating with Heart for sure.