Katrina Halili
Actress Katrina Halili said that while she has no problem with being single for over seven years now, she does not want to end up being “an old maid.”
Rather than go out partying, Katrina said she preferred being neck-deep in work ever since she broke up with boyfriend, singer Kris Lawrence—the father of her 6-year-old daughter Katy.
“I’m open to dating. But, being single is not a big deal. My best friend has been single longer than I’ve been—10 years,” she told the Inquirer at the recent media gathering for Carlo Enciso Catu’s “Mga Anak ng Kamote,” an entry in this year’s ToFarm Film Festival.
“I’m busy with my career. I also need to save up for Katy,” Katrina said. Asked how she copes with cold, lonely nights, the actress quipped: “E ’di mag-comforter! I like turning the air-conditioner to its coldest setting. I sleep better when it’s cold.”
Giving birth to Katy changed her perspective in life, said Katrina. “I now have a purpose, which is to give my daughter a good life. While I used to not care too much about whether or not I have work, I’m more driven now. I need to provide for her.”
To single moms out there, the 32-year-old actress has this advice: “Hang in there! Pray harder and more often. It also helps if you are friends with your ex, and that you can always count on him to be there for your child in case you get too busy with work and can no longer fetch her at school, for example.”
“Katy is already used to the setup,” Katrina shared with reporters. “Either Kris or my mom takes care of Katy when I get too tied up at work. Katy rides the school bus, but there were times when Kris had to bring her to my mom’s place, where Katy sleeps when I’m not around.”
“Mga Anak ng Kamote” is set in the year 2048. It’s a time when the consumption of sweet potato is “regulated,” as part of the government’s campaign against illegal drugs. Those who are unable to control their appetite for kamote head off to the mountains to plant and eat it, out of sight of the authorities. Katrina’s character travels from the mountains to the city to look for her husband, who is captured by the police for selling illegal kamote.
“It’s my first lead in an indie movie. The story is something I haven’t done before. What’s more difficult was showing my character’s internal struggles on screen. It’s easier to express anger when you cry and scream, but she is the type who bottles up her emotions. The only way for me to express them is through my eyes,” Katrina explained. “In real life, I’m like that. I’d rather keep my feelings to myself than express them and feel vulnerable.”
The 2018 ToFarm entries will be shown from Sept. 12 to 18 in the following cinemas: SM Megamall, SM Manila, Robinsons Galleria, Trinoma, Greenbelt 1 and Gateway Mall.