Work first, love later

BIANCA Umali handles the household budget with grandma’s help.

Time was when child stars took a break during those awkward in-between years. Not anymore. Pubescent kids are now packaged and marketed as “tween” stars by their home studios.

Take GMA 7 young stars Miguel Tanfelix, 15, and Bianca Umali, 14—the Kapuso network’s newest love team.

Last seen in the soap “Mga Basang Sisiw,” they were introduced as a tween tandem in the nightly series “Niño” and the weekly sitcom “Ismol Family.” They were also launched as endorsers of the clothing apparel BUM Equipment.

Smart boy

Although their careers are blooming, the kids are in no hurry to get romantically involved, unlike some of their predecessors.

Miguel is firm: “We don’t think about love. My priorities are my studies and my career.” A high school senior at Cavite School of Life, he plans to take up engineering in college.

Miguel went to his recent junior-senior prom solo. “I didn’t bring a date so I could dance with all the girls.”

Smart boy.            

A runner-up in the 2004 “StarStruck Kids” search, Miguel admitted that shaking off his child-star precocity could be a challenge.

To prepare for mature roles, he took acting workshops under his mentor, filmmaker Maryo J. de los Reyes.

He recalled that he worked double time to correct a speech impediment. “I used to stutter. On the set of ‘Paroa,’ I kept practicing my lines until I improved.”

MIGUEL Tanfelix attended the JS prom solo so he could dance with all the girls.

He looks up to character actor Pen Medina. “He played a gay man in ‘Aso ni San Roque.’ I admire his professionalism. He was always focused on the set.”

Bianca agrees with Miguel: “Love can wait. We’re too young to get serious with each other. Also, I’m busy with work and school.”

Best teacher

She is enrolled in the home-study program of Learning Garden Montessori School in Parañaque City. “I’m in Grade 8,” she said. “I want to take up communication arts in college.”

Bianca, however, regards life as the best teacher.

Orphaned at a young age, she is being trained to be independent by her grandmother, who acts as her guardian. (Bianca’s mom died of cancer in 2005; her dad, of a heart attack five years later.)

She admitted that grandmothers tend to spoil their grandkids. “But my lola  tries to control herself. She doesn’t give me all the things  I ask for. She also teaches me how to handle the household budget.”