Celebs recall coping with their first heartbreak

What’s the best way to heal a broken heart?

What works for some people may not necessarily work for others. What’s important is that they learn from it and push them to be better—or, at the very least, in the case of celebrities, inspire them to write a song or help them act out a scene.

Ryza Cenon

My first heartbreak … I fell out of love. Wala, eh! I was about 18 then.

What I learned is that you have to love yourself … more. I don’t drink like other people. I go hiking. You can try traveling alone, so you can really focus on finding yourself. Also, magpa-sexy ka, paganda ka (laughs)!

Chariz Solomon

I remember my first love and heartbreak. He was my classmate back in elementary school, and I actually saw him just recently, because we had a class reunion. I had a crush on him when we were in Grade 4, then we became a couple in high school. It was almost a two-year relationship.

There were some “what-ifs,” but we have closure now. At least we’re friends! He now has a family of his own, as do I. And I think it’s nice, because he and my husband are OK.

How I deal with heartbreak? Inom, isang iyak na matindi, then hanap ng next!

Regine Velasquez

Eh isa lang naman ’yun (referring to Ariel Rivera)! Pero ang tagal na nun … Nakalimutan ko na (laughs)! At friends kami, ha! And I guess I could consider the death of my father as a form of heartbreak, too.

I work a lot and I find that it really helps you get over the pain, because it diverts your attention somewhere else. You don’t dwell on your situation as much. But, you have to face the hurt and loss, too. Talking about it helps. You can’t just keep things to yourself.

I believe releasing all those bottled-up feelings and talking to people you love will help you heal faster. Otherwise, you will get stressed and you’ll eventually explode.

Morrisette Amon

Now that I think of it … I called a friend and talked about my heartbreak, which was a few years back. Medyo fresh pa!

But before that, I was the type of person who didn’t show my feelings. I keep everything to myself—every hurt and experience I had. I was the type who would stay in my room and cry by myself. But my mother told me to talk to someone and let it all out. And it did help me. I felt lighter!

JC Santos

I was an overseas Filipino worker in Hong Kong. I thought my girlfriend then was the one I would marry. I was 26.

However, I eventually had to leave and fly to New York City to study and pursue my musical-theater dreams (at the Circle in the Square Theatre School). I dealt with that heartbreak by traveling. I’m a backpacker type of guy, so I went wherever I felt like it. I did some soul-searching and met new people.

Andre Paras

My relationship with a girl I liked didn’t move to the next level, because we lived far from each other. I cried because she was my first love. I was young. So, I just tried to move on and have fun. What I learned is that you have to be careful about being overly attached, because your schooling, work and time with your family could suffer.

But, a relationship can also inspire you to be a better person.

Aiza “Ice” Seguerra

It was with my first girlfriend, I was in high school. Wala, umiyak lang ako! It helped to have my mother around—I cried to her a lot. And music! I wrote songs and sang my heart out. I’m not a very showy person … I don’t really talk to other people about my problems, either. So I think working and doing music [were helpful to me].