MANILA – Teen actress Liza Soberano and on-screen partner Enrique Gil had come back to the Philippines after the North America premiere of their film “Just the Way You Are.”
Upon their return, Enrique recalled how Liza and her American mother Jacqulyn Elizabeth Hanley had become emotional before their departure. Liza had not seen her mom for seven years.
Enrique also shared the parting words Liza’s mom told him.
“Nagkausap kami nung umalis na kami, nauna na si [Liza]. Umiiyak [‘yung mommy niya] tapos niyakap ako. Sabi niya, ‘Take care of her ha?’ Sabi ko, ‘I will tita.’ Sabi ko, come back here sa Manila, pumunta sila dito sa Philippines to visit next year. Ita-try daw nila. Kung hindi, kami ang bibili ng ticket para sa kanila,” he said.
(We were able to talk when we were about to leave. [Liza boarded the airplane first.] Liza’s mom was crying and she hugged me. She said, ‘Take care of her ha?’ I said, ‘I will, Tita.’ I told them to come back here in Manila, that they go here in the Philippines to visit next year. They said they’d try. If they can’t, we will be the ones to buy their tickets.)
Liza, for her part, was grateful for the time she had with her mom and siblings while in San Francisco, USA.
“Masaya po [ako na nakasama ko ‘yung mommy ko]. Marami kaming time para mag-bonding. Sumama siya sa premiere tapos nag-Great America kami and nag-shopping pa kami,” she said.
(I’m happy that I’ve been with my mommy again. We had a lot of time for bonding. She went to the premiere and we went to Great America and we also went shopping.)
Liza was also overwhelmed with her mother’s support in her career.
“Naiyak siya. Umiiyak siya sa tuwa. She said she was happy and proud of me,” she added.
(She cried. She cried out of so much happiness. She said she was happy and proud of me.)
Liza spent her childhood years in California with her mother before she moved to Manila at age 10 to live with his father, Filipino John Castillo Soberano. Her parents are separated.