Why Bea Binene would rather not be part of a love team

Binene as guest storyteller in Inquirer Read-Along

I want to be able to stand on my own two feet,” said actress Bea Binene on why she said she was better off without a love team partner.

“It was both a network prerogative and a personal decision. I have been part of a love team for the longest time,” Bea told the Inquirer during a recent visit to the PDI office in Makati City. “I prefer the new setup—although having an onscreen partner has its pros and cons.

“If you’re a part of one, you and your partner can pull each other up the career ladder. You have a partner in crime, so to speak,” she further said. “It’s just that at a certain point, your name and identity get too tied to that other person. If fans see you, they will most likely ask where the other person is. Some even show their disappointment because it’s just you. It’s like you’re part of a buy-one, take-one promo.”

On what’s good about going solo, Bea (whose full name is Beanca Marie) said: “I can do anything I want. People know me as Bea, and not as the other half of a tandem. It’s like the world is so much bigger. There are so many things to do, so many paths to explore. I get to do different projects with other actors, and people don’t question this so much.”

Actress Bea Binene

Bea, who has been a contract artist of GMA Network since 2004, was first paired with Jake Vargas, who eventually became her boyfriend. In 2016, she then worked as onscreen partner of Derrick Monasterio in the drama series “Hanggang Makita Kang Muli.”

“In fairness to my former love team partners, we have become really close friends. I enjoyed working with them,” said Bea, but added that going solo, this time, in a comedy film titled “Ang Sikreto ng Piso,” had excited her so much more.

“I get to be a grade school teacher in this project,” she related. “I’m lucky to work on a feel-good movie. This will make you giggle, but at the same time touch your heart. The secret to making the Philippine peso is so interesting. A lot of us don’t know how the lowly coin is made and at what cost.”

The film, which will hit cinemas nationwide on January 30, also discusses the financial and emotional struggles of a normal Filipino family, she added.

“Ang Sikreto ng Piso” also features real-life couples Ariel Rivera and Gelli de Belen, Angelica Ulip, Nico Nicolas, as well as comedians Beverly Salviejo, Long Mejia, Ricky Rivero and Lou Veloso.

Bea was one of the celebrity storytellers at the Inquirer Read-Along team’s session in December.

Asked to recall her experience reading for street kids, aged 7 to 12, the actress said: “This really isn’t a new experience for me. I have joined charitable institutions in their outreach projects before, but this is really interesting because I got to interact with the kids in a different way. When I was their age, I was not into toys. I enjoyed reading books—I like their smell and flipping their pages.”

She added: “Being a celebrity isn’t just about glamor, or being seen on TV and the big screen. It entails a huge responsibility and obligation because people look up to us. I’ve grown up in this industry. It has been kind to me. It’s nice to give back. I want to be there for the kids to inspire them. That moment when I see their happy faces is priceless.”