Kathryn Bernardo:‘We need someone to give our generation a wake-up call’

MANILA, Philippines - Kathryn Bernardo is game, all day long. That’s exactly what she told me when I asked her for a one-on-one following her coronation as the latest face of a top haircare brand. We’ve all seen her grow in front of the camera. We hardly could have predicted that she was destined to be one of the most sought-after actresses and crushes ng bayan.

Apparently, the Teen Queen always leaves room for her royal subjects. She fixes her blush-hued dress and silky hair, and beckons me to sit with her on her throne — a fuchsia and white sofa — eager to tell me the tales of her victory. Love her or hate her, she has managed to rule while having fun. She is, after all, Kathryn Bernardo and not Kathryn Bernardon’t.

PHILIPPINE STAR: This year, you’re pushing 20. What have you learned so far from your reign as the Teen Queen of Philippine showbiz?

KATHRYN BERNARDO: A lot, actually, especially in 2015. Mas kilala ko na ang sarili ko, I think. I feel that I’m stronger and more mature now. Like, kung may problema, I handle things differently.

Were there any struggles, pressures and perks?

Of course, nandiyan ‘yan. Hanggang ngayon, hindi mawawala ang pressure. I think it’s a good thing, though, kasi yun ang motivation ko. Ngayon, sa every project, sa every show na ginagawa ko, nandoon pa rin yung pressure na kailangang it’s better than my last work.

I take it that, as a teen actress and a former child star, you’ve had and will always have a bigger share of grown-up problems than most of us. Plus, you have to constantly stay pretty. How do you cope with, say, Metro Manila traffic, given your ultra-fast-paced lifestyle?

’Wag kang magpaapekto sa stress. Sobrang stressful ng pagiging actress — maingay at mabilis ang lahat — pero ang secret dun ay dapat diyan ka lang, kalmahin mo ang sarili mo, planuhin mo kung paano mo magagawa ang schedule for the day, and you’ll get through it.

Do you keep a playlist handy to help you deal with it? Who are your top five musicians?

Usually kapag nase-stress ako, I listen to Michael Bublé, Norah Jones, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, and of course, Taylor Swift.

I know you get this a lot, but we’re going to ask this anyway just to get your final word on it. How would you describe your relationship with your peers, Liza and Nadine? What can you say about the apparent rivalry among the three of you and among your respective fan bases?

We all work for the same station, so I don’t think dapat lagyan ng malice o kulay. Kaming tatlo, we’re very okay. Wala naman talagang isyu sa amin, it’s just that ibang tao lang siguro ang gumagawa.

And haters? Can you give us tips on shaking them off?

Walang artistang walang hater. Ganun naman, eh. It comes with the package. Just ignore them. It’s the best revenge. Kapag hindi mo sila pinansin, wala silang makukuha sa ‘yo.

So it’s like you’re only flipping your smooth and bangong gigil hair at them. So how do you feel about being handpicked as the newest addition to the Sunsilk Hairkada?

I’m very happy and so excited about the upcoming projects. Kinikilig ako kasi I’ve been wanting to be part of Sunsilk for the longest time, and now eto na siya. I can’t wait to go on more adventures with them.

Just to test the product, we’re going to ask you something that some people may deem ‘masakit sa bangs.’ Moviegoers were abuzz recently about the controversy that was the MMFF. From where you’re sitting, if you could change a few things about the current entertainment landscape, what would they be?

Bigyan ng chance ang lahat ng tao, hindi lang yung dahil mas kilala ang isang tao o kaya related siya kanino man. Sana the entertainment industry would open more doors for these people na talented pero hindi nabibigyan ng opportunities.

Let’s talk about you in Pangako Sa ‘Yo. In terms of acting, how is your approach to Yna Macaspac different from all those other characters you portrayed?

Si Yna Macaspac sa tingin ko yung pinaka-mature na nagampanan ko so far. Nag-effort talaga ako, especially rito sa Book 2, na magmukha siyang independent woman and very self-driven. Pangako Sa ‘Yo yung pinakamalaking project din kasi na ibinigay sa amin ni DJ (Daniel Padilla). I’m very happy now because we’ve learned to adapt to our roles. Mas napaglalaruan na naming ang characters namin at mas madaling gumalaw.

What’s your dream role? Like, what would be the wildest project you’d do if you had anything to choose from?

Action! I’d like to take on action roles. Yun yung gusto ko kasi nakapag-drama na ako, romcom, horror, so yun na lang ang kulang.

I’ve personally been meaning to ask a young public figure about this. In recent years, we millennials have been obsessing about having a generational identity. Do you think we really need to hail someone to be the “voice” of this generation?

I think aside from having someone speak for us, we need someone to give us a wake-up call. Kasi iba na talaga ang generation natin. We’re very advanced because of technology at dahil sa lahat ng nakikita natin ngayon. Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes kailangan lang nating matutunan kung paano i-balance ang lahat para hindi tayo maging pabigat o masabihang spoiled at entitled, at ma-prove na kaya nating makatulong especially with the many resources we have nowadays.

What’s in store for Kathryn Bernardo in 2016?

Well, right now I’m still doing Pangako Sa ‘Yo. After that, I’ll be working on a movie with DJ. Yun ang abangan niyo. Surprise na ang iba.

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