How Andi has found the ‘best version’ of herself

Andi Eigenmann

It’s fun to fall in love on an island,” a sun-kissed Andi Eigenmann gushed about her “unexpected” romance with Siargao-based surfing champ Philmar Alipayo. “It’s paradise!”

The 28-year-old actress, who has been dividing her time between Manila and the scenic Siargao Island, related that one of the things she admired most about her boyfriend was that he inspired her to be the “best version” of herself.

“That was what really captured my heart. He showed me that I could live my life, be young and free and, at the same time, nurture my relationship with my daughter (Ellie). I’m with someone who supports me,” she told reporters at a recent press conference for the horror flick “All Souls Night,” which opens in cinemas on Oct. 31.

And it helps that Philmar and Andi’s 6-year-old child get along with each other nicely. “They’re friends. He teaches Ellie how to surf,” she added. “Together, they motivate me and cheer me on.”

While the couple’s relationship is just three months young, Andi can still “safely say” that what they have is “something serious.” But that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s already thinking about settling down.

“I will just go with the flow. What I know is that I’m happy with my life now,” she said. “Things can change tomorrow or in a couple of years. And it’s OK to change your mind.”

Asked how Philmar is finding the attention that comes with dating a celeb, she said it’s the other way around. “In Siargao, he’s the star. I’m just the one who takes his photos,” she said of her boyfriend, with whom she’s building a transient house for business.

Andi admitted that she’s not friends with Ellie’s father, Jake Ejercito, but that they have been doing a fine job coparenting their daughter.

“I stay here in Manila when it’s my time to be with Ellie, then fly to Siargao when she’s with her dad. We have a good setup. We text each other, if needed,” Andi said, adding that she has actually invited Jake to Siargao and see her daughter there.

“I want them to be comfortable with the idea that Ellie has a life and friends there. She’s happy in Siargao. It’s hard, because she studies here,” she said.

Andi’s dream is to relocate her family to a province, preferably near a beach, and lead a quiet, modest life. In fact, she has already sold a lot of her possessions, like designer clothes and bags, or anything that falls under luxury. “I don’t need them anymore,” she said.

Andi believes that having less can make one more appreciative of what he or she has. “Living this way has taken away all the insecurities and pride,” Andi quipped. “What matters is your heart and mind, and how you create meaningful relationships.”

Andi isn’t turning her back on acting, which she will “always love.” She can’t say if she will be returning to the regular grind anytime soon. But she’s keeping her doors open to “good projects.”

In “All Souls Night,” directed by Aloy Adalawan and Jules Katanyag, Andi plays Shirley, a college student hoping to make a quick buck from a three-day housekeeping job for an unhinged wife, her sick husband and their terrified daughter. Inevitably, Shirley finds herself trapped in the house and becomes witness to abuses and other unnerving incidents.

“It’s a horror film, but it doesn’t just aim to make you jump out of your seats. It has a good story—one that doesn’t need a leading man just to help get my character out of her predicament,” Andi pointed out. “It doesn’t work too hard to scare you. But there’s a pervading sense of creepiness.”