Does Kaye Abad miss showbiz?
Heads up, “Tabing Ilog” fans! The show’s main love team—Kaye Abad and John Lloyd Cruz—are set to be seen together again on one screen!
Abad is set to guest in Cruz’s sitcom on GMA-7, “Happy ToGetHer!”
Director Badji Mortiz posted a photo of Abad and Cruz on the set of their show on Monday, April 17, 2023.
Before her taping day, Abad shared the news in a solo interview with FreebieMNL after the event proper of Mantawi Residences’ grand launch at Fili Hotel, Cebu, on Friday, April 14, 2023.
She happily tells FreebieMNL, “I’m actually flying back to Manila this Sunday, I’ll be guesting sa show ni John Lloyd on GMA. On Monday ang taping and then I’ll fly back again to Cebu on Tuesday, just for that.”
Abad says she will play Cruz’s bestfriend in “Happy ToGetHer.”
This is the first time that Abad will appear again on TV after her short appearance in the 2019 ABS-CBN daytime series “Nang Ngumiti Ang Langit.”
Despite not doing regular shows since 2015, what made Abad say yes to the guesting?
She answers, “It’s a sitcom. So, sabi ko, why not? And it’s just a one-day shoot. Actually, what’s stopping me from going back to work is yung matagal akong magse-stay in Manila because I still have two kids, I have a one-year-old and seven months, so, medyo mahirap pang iwan ng matagal.”
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Kaye Abad is also happy to say that she and Cruz are able to maintain their friendship despite being ex-lovers during their “Tabing Ilog” days. When the show ended in 2003, Abad and Cruz had not worked together anymore except in an episode of “Maalaala Mo Kaya” in 2015.
In fact, they were supposed to work on another movie together.
Abad narrates, “Actually, he planned to get me na mag-cameo role sa isang movie na gagawin niya. But, apparently, meron kasing part doon na hindi ko pwedeng gawin. Masyado na siyang wide sa ano ko, so, sabi ko, I cannot. So, hindi natuloy but okay kami, siya pa nag-contact sa akin na ‘Kaye, okay ba na ganito?’”
With her guest appearance and reunion with Cruz, Abad teases, “Makikita niyo ulit ako, si Eds ng ‘Tabing Ilog!’”
Eds is the character Abad played in the hit Kapamilya youth-oriented series, while Cruz played Rovic, Eds’ boyfriend.
Kaye Abad misses showbiz
It was in 2016 when Kaye Abad completely shied away from show business after getting married to former “Pinoy Big Brother” housemate Paul Jake Castillo. They then chose to settle in Cebu.
Even then, Abad remains as part of Star Magic, ABS-CBN’s talent management arm. In fact, it was not an issue to them that she will be doing an episode for Cruz’s sitcom in GMA-7.
“Since nag-start ang pandemic, hindi na naging issue sa kanila yung palipat-lipat especially noong ang franchise ng ABS [nawala]…so, I think, naging open na sila.”
Does she miss being in showbiz?
She says, “Very much. Actually, very very much. Every time na may magta-tag sa akin ng ‘Two Wives’ or lumang shows ko before, I would look back, sinasabi ko talaga, paano ko ito ginawa? Hindi ko na ma-imagine.”
She also waxes nostalgic every time she sees clips of her old shows like “Gimik” and “Tabing Ilog.”
“Ang daming nagta-tag sa akin ng mga lumang videos ‘tapos sabi ko, ‘Talaga, ire-repost ko ba?’ Kasi parang kung makikita ko yung hitsura ko dati, paano naging artista tong babaeng ito?! Nakaka-miss din pag nakikita ko na, grabe, artista talaga ako before!”
However, Abad, who started in showbiz in 1993, admits that she’s not seeing herself returning to doing long projects such as a soap opera.
“Mahirap pa kasi noong nagsimula yung pandemic, nagla-lock in taping sila. So, two weeks of taping, pahinga, balik uli. So, parang hindi pa anytime soon siguro, kasi bata pa yung youngest. Ang hirap at saka parang okay na ako sa ganito na pa-guest guest na lang.”
She also points out with a smile, “I’ve been in the industry for 27 years. So, I think, medyo okay nang pa-guest guest na lang.”
Abad believes that having a family plays a major role in the way she decides on things when it comes to accepting projects. “Lalo na siguro pag pamilyado ka na, parang mas gusto mo siyempre na mas more ang time mo with your family than magtrabaho. Siguro, yun na nga, pasingit singit na lang, raket, guesting.”
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Even then, she’s happy that social media keeps her on the radar of her showbiz fans. “Somehow, naging active pa rin ako dahil digital na lahat. Kahit papaano, meron pa rin, naging active pa rin.”
But despite being out-of-showbiz now, Abad is very much open to doing a reunion project with her co-stars in “Tabing Ilog.”
She tells FreebieMNL, “Alam mo, ang daming nag-aabang niyan! Open ako. I would look forward na magkakasama kami. I think mahihirapan but nothing is impossible. So, hintayin na lang natin, malay mo, na magkatugma tugma yung schedule naming lahat and we’ll see. Kahit one episode lang!”
Kaye Abad on Mantawi Residences
Kaye Abad is now happily settled in Cebu with her husband, Paul Jake Castillo, and their kids. They were also guests in RLC Residences’ launch of Mantawi Residences, its first property in Cebu.
Abad admits to looking forward to the property and sees it as beneficial to Cebuanos, not only the condominium itself but the planned retail center in the building.
Of this, she says, “I’m very excited. Pinag-usapan nga namin ng sister-in-law ko na this is more Manila style of living na merong mga stores na high-end brands. I think, Cebuanos are very excited for this kasi hindi na sila pupuntang Manila to buy mga luxury [items] and the set-up of the building, yung sinasabi nga ni Heart [Evangelista] na very into small details, na pinag-aralan nila. So, I’m actually very excited to visit, we’re planning—me and Paul Jake are planning to visit their showroom to see the sample units.”
When asked if they will buy a unit, she says, “Maybe! So, we’ll see!”
Banner Art Paulo Correa
