Juan Karlos “JK” Labajo and Maureen Wroblewitz may have ended their relationship but the former admitted that he still has love for his ex-girlfriend. JK said this on the sidelines of the 18th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival press conference held Wednesday at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Pasay City.
He is part of the full-length film Blue Room, finalist at the Cinemalaya film festival directed by Ma-An Asuncion Dagñalan. It is about a group of teenagers who are members of a rock band who go through a “crazy, wild adventure.” He is joined by Elijah Canlas, Harvey Bautista, Nourijune Hooshmand and Keoni Jin.
“I’m doing better (after the breakup),” the Buwan singer said. “(I’m) having a lot of learnings and I’m in the process of healing as what you go through of something like that happens. I’m doing better. And now, we both have time to focus on ourselves and our careers, which is what is important now especially since we’re both so young.”
In what JK dubbed as “the most matured breakup I’ve had,” he shared that “it was really something that we both decided to do.”
“I guess, maling oras po siguro. Di ko alam kung may sequel. The thing kasi is mahirap isipin yung hinaharap kasi kailangan mong isipin yung ngayon. It’s really just that. She has so many things that she wants to do and she is actually a really great actress,” he described Maureen.
Last June 10, JK penned a heartfelt goodbye message on Instagram to the model-beauty queen that read, “Magka-ibigan na ngayo’y matalik na magkaibigan. Lagi mong tandaan na kahit pagbaliktarin mo man ang mundo, kahit saang lupalop man ng kalawakan, ikaw pa rin ang nag-iisa kong buwan. Maraming salamat, mahal kita, at hanggang sa muli.”
Maureen, 24, initially posted on Instagram, “Some things come to an end and that’s okay. But now it’s time for us to grow on our own.”
On June 30, JK dropped his latest track titled Kunwari with lyrics that go, “Ka-ibigan o kaibigan man/Ako’y maghihintay/Pagmamahal sa aking sarili/Ay aking ibibigay pero kung maaari/ Pwede bang kunwari/Ika’y may pag-ibig sa akin/ Pwede bang sabihin ko na/Ikaw ay akin.”
The former couple who are both half-Germans were rumored to be dating since 2017 and went public with their relationship two years after that.
Yes, they are still friends and they still talk, shared the 21-year-old actor-singer, “It’s really (a) healthy and mature actually (kind of breakup),” he commented, adding, “It’s really more of a professional thing, career-wise. We just felt that we really need to put more time in our attention to our craft.”
He acknowledged that he still has feelings for her, “Of course. I always will. Ako kasi personally I don’t believe that you can just unlove someone. Once you love somebody, that’s it. I will have nothing but love for her actually and at the end of the day, I want her to achieve her dreams, and I want her to be happy because that’s how I love.”
JK also admitted that their romance was his first serious relationship and he learned how to be “grateful” because of her.
What she loved most about Maureen was “she loved me for who I am,” he said. “And who I am as a person, I guess, what do you call this… (I am) transparent. I guess that has always been my issue ever since I started my career na parang I don’t have a filter and everything I just feel…”
He continued, “One of the best things that I really learned from this woman is gratitude. And to be mature as a person, I really learned a lot from her.”
On whatever the future may bring, he said, “I’m not scared of whatever may come, especially with this movie now, I did it because I wanted to do it. I have my plans for the future as well, but at the same time, I’m just enjoying whatever is happening now in whatever the universe is falling on the table. Whenever you feel like drowning, just always remember that life is teaching you how to swim.”
The Cinemalaya film festival will have a two-month run starting from Aug. 5 to Oct. 31.