Tom would marry Carla now if he won the lotto

Tom’s goal is to build a home for his and Carla’s would-be family.

“My significant other is a super woman,” declared Tom Rodriguez as he described actress Carla Abellana, his girlfriend of three years.

Tom said Carla has always been very supportive, no matter what he wanted to do. “She would always indulge me. Instead of putting a cap on me, she would encourage me to spread my wings and fly.”

He once told her that he wanted to make video games. “The next day, she already had a list of video game developers in the Philippines for me to contact,” the actor said during the press conference for his latest film, aptly titled “The Significant Other,” which opens on Feb. 21.

“Always, I’d think of something I want to do and she’d help me by coming up with references. I’m lucky. I can draw, write, explore and express myself,” the actor said.

Three years into the relationship, Tom, 30, said he and Carla, 31, were already thinking of taking things to the next level. “That’s why I am working hard. I’m trying to diversify, to branch out to my other passions so I can save up for our future,” he pointed out.

“There’s no question when it comes to the person I eventually want to settle down with. In fact, I’d propose marriage to her now if I won the lotto. It’s really just building towards that,” Tom said. “We don’t take it lightly, especially because of our personal experiences.” (Carla’s parents separated when she was young.)

Tom related: “We used to consider getting married in Europe, but Carla wanted it here. I’m hoping that it will happen very soon.”

While they were able to secure properties for themselves before, Tom said their goal now is to build a home for their would-be family. “I learned a lot from Carla, like getting insurance. She explained the concept to me in a way that I was able to fully understand it.”

Tom Rodriguez (left) and Carla Abellana

Sadly, Tom said he and Carla wouldn’t be able to celebrate Valentine’s Day together this year. “She said ‘yes’ to work in Dubai thinking that I could go with her, but I wasn’t allowed. This was supposed to be our third Valentine together.”

Tom said “The Significant Other,” which also stars Lovi Poe and Erich Gonzales, was his boldest film so far. “I have done a lot of firsts here. It’s my first with Direk Joel (Lamangan), also my first with many intimate scenes.”

He added that Lovi is “one of my favorite people. I enjoy working with her because she’s so giving. On the set, we ended up doing things that weren’t in the script.” He got goosebumps. “I didn’t feel drained doing emotional scenes. Instead, I got an adrenaline rush. If she wasn’t my partner, I wouldn’t be able to bring that out of myself.”