Audiences might have been surprised with this move but they have learned to love Maybelyn as an "unlovable" character. The little girl is now a beautiful young lady and her talent is as evident as ever.
Although she is serious about her career, this smart girl definitely knows her priorities. She has forged a pact with her father and plans to honor it. She will finish her Business Administration course in St. Francis of Assisi College no matter what.
"Ang agreement namin ng daddy ko, hangga’t puwedeng pagsabayin (showbiz and her studies) okay lang sa kanya, pero ‘pag hindi na, I have to quit show business," the winsome actress confides.
Her schedule is so hectic that she sometimes goes to school without sleep. She is thankful that her teachers give her extra assignments to make up for absences. The desire to finish school while pursuing an acting career is a feat in itself what with many young stars opting to sacrifice their studies for fame.
"Ang gusto ko talaga mag-aral. I want to learn. Sa ngayon kasi I’m enjoying my work eh. It doesn’t feel like work at all. I’m having fun," she shares. "But if I feel that it interferes with my studies, kung kailangan kong pumili, pipiliin ko pa rin ang studies ko."
Credit her family for raising a levelheaded young woman. She says they have instilled in her values that keep her feet on the ground.
"Balanse pa rin ako. ‘Yung family ko kasi, ‘yung values nandoon. My mom always goes with me kahit saan para at least na-mo-monitor niya ako," she says.
"Every night specially kapag kumpleto kami at wala akong trabaho, nag-uusap-usap kami kapag dinner na," she narrates. "Yung parents ko nagpapaliwanag sa amin lalo na sa akin, protective sila sa akin kasi nandito nga ako sa mundo ng showbiz na magulo, exposed ka sa lahat ng bagay. Nandiyan sila para sabihin sa akin na hindi lahat ng nakikita ko tama."
She also cherishes the close relationship that she maintains with her former co-stars in "Home Along the Riles". She relates that she and Nova Villa (who played her mother Ason) keep in touch by sending each other text messages everyday. And when good friend Vandolph figured in a near-fatal car accident, she and her Home Along pals were there to show their support for the Quizons. "Nagpunta kami sa kanya lalo nung wala pa siyang malay and we offered prayers."
Life in show business is tough but she is thankful that she has never encountered any vicious rumor or had to defend herself against detractors. However, she is aware of how the showbiz world works.
"Showbiz is a cruel world. Kaya ko nasabing cruel siya kasi one day you’re up, people love you. Tapos biglang the following day hindi mo na alam kung saan ka pupulutin. It’s not a stable job. Everybody knows that."
"Siguro kaya maraming gustong pumasok dito kasi, once na mag-click ka dito, and yaman mo bigla," she says matter-of-factly. "It saddens me kasi kaya sila pumapasok dito, not to have fun, not to learn the craft but to earn money. Sana kapag pumasok sila dito, dahil gusto nila ‘yung ginagawa nila."
Maybelyn surely loves the craft so much that she lined up outside the ABS-CBN Studios for hours to audition for a slot in the roster of talents the station was building up. She was 10 years old and had nothing but the desire to act. She went to the audition with her aunt and told her mom that they would just be going to the mall. She didn’t exactly lie. They did go to the mall to change into better-looking clothes. Imagine her mother’s surprise when they got a call from ABS-CBN informing Maybelyn that she would be taping a pilot episode of a kiddie show.
"Ang TV" became one of the most popular teen shows in the land during the early to mid-nineties that most of its alumni are now established young performers, among them Maybelyn, Claudine Barretto, Angelu de Leon, Roselle Nava and Patrick Garcia.
Maybelyn has grown into a very charming woman but onscreen she is the vengeful "maldita". Like every other kontrabida on television, she gets her share of nasty looks and ill treatment from people who separate the reel from the real. One time she was on a buying spree with Sherwin Ordonez and a woman wouldn’t let her buy from her because she was "salbahe". This amused the young actress and saw the incident as proof that she is an effective actress.
With all the good things coming her way, Maybelyn is absolutely in control of her life and career.