Ai-Ai delas Alas
Maybe she just can’t help it. While Ai-Ai delas Alas prefers not to talk about certain celebrities (“Part of my new five-year contract with GMA 7 forbids me not to engage in anything scandalous, so behave dapat ang lola mo”), it isn’t easy for the 55-year-old actress-comedienne to keep her humor, candor and wit reined in. That, in a nutshell, could explain Ai’s strong presence and “very quotable” views.
“That’s just the way I am. That’s how people remember me, especially when I was just starting out, back in the day when show biz wasn’t dominated by social media,” Ai-Ai told us during our one-on-one chat on Zoom last week. “But I’m a little more careful now because you know how it is these days—anything you say can easily get blown out of proportion.”
Asked where her unlikely prudence is coming from, the actress explained, “It’s probably due to maturity. But sometimes you need to be careful about what you say because you know how people are in social media, minsan nakakarindi sila. No matter how predominantly positive your views are about something, doon sila nagli-linger sa negativity. I don’t want to live my life that way—positive vibes lang dapat.”
Ai-Ai said she arrived at some of her lockdown realizations after she was bashed for saying something unpopular—like her recent post on top Hallyu sensation Lee Min-ho’s latest series, “The King: Eternal Monarch.”
Ai-Ai didn’t mention the incident to agitate people, she just wanted to drive a point.
“I was bashed because I watched the show of Lee Min-ho, who’s my idol,” she said. “I just said I didn’t like the show, at talagang binomba ako ng mga tao. Huh? Ano’ng nagawa kong kasalanan? Hindi naman ako pumatay ng tao.
“But that recent social media lynching made me realize that [because of how frustrating the situation has been since the start of the lockdown in March] palaging naghahanap ang mga tao ng mapagtutuunan nila ng galit, pagkaburyong at pagkabwisit nila. Baka galit sila sa nangyayari sa mundo, ‘kaya i-bash na lang natin si Ai-Ai.’”
Her second realization is far removed from the toxicity of her first point.
“This whole thing has further strengthened my faith in the Lord… kasi Siya lang talaga ang sandigan natin,” Ai-Ai pointed out. “Because of the quarantine, I didn’t have work for a long time. Even if I saved something for a rainy day, iba pa rin ’yung may monthly or daily income ka. You can’t keep spending if you aren’t earning anything.
“But God is good, indeed. The quarantine period made me realize na marunong pala kong gumawa ng pandesal, and my husband (pilot Gerald Sibayan) also began earning from his online business. I realized then na totoo pala ang kasabihang, ‘God will provide.’ He listens to all of us, even if there are billions of people around the world who need His help. That’s why I’m so thankful na hindi kami nagkakasakit and we manage to survive, kahit may ECQ.”
Our Q&A with Ai-Ai:
Ai-Ai delas Alas
You really hit your stride as the so-called Comedy Concert Queen in early 2000s. Have you always known you were funny?
The year 2003, when “Ang Tanging Ina” was released, was crazy. Being funny comes naturally to me, but I didn’t realize till I was already in college taking up mass com at FEU (Far Eastern University) that I could really make people laugh. It was important in my classes to direct or know how to act.
Then, my professors kept casting me in “funny maid” roles, so I said to myself, “Hmm, nakakatawa pala ako.” But I wasn’t completely convinced, kasi ang feeling ko, ang ganda-ganda ko (laughs)—I wanted to become a flight stewardess! But I’m just 5’3”, and I probably just look taller because of my personality.
When I was already working in comedy bars, Arnell [Ignacio] told me, “You know what? You’re really hilarious,” lalo na kung nagkukuba-kuba ako (laughs). Para daw nakahulma sa akin ang pagiging komedyante. That’s when I knew I could be genuinely funny!
How different is your experience with GMA, compared to your years with ABS-CBN?
I was first a Kapuso for nine years before I transferred to ABS-CBN. I’ll be with GMA for the next five years. Without putting the other network down, happy ako dito because relaxed at chill lang ang mga tao. We work as friends—walang intriga, walang pulitika. Boy Abunda still comanages my career, so it isn’t true we’ve parted ways. My contract with GMA is written in black and white, but my contract with Boy is in my heart.
What can your fans expect from you in the coming show biz seasons?
I’ll be doing a teleserye and returning to Season 3 of the talent search “The Clash.”
While you’re an ace at comedy, you’re also very good in indie dramas—like Louie Ignacio’s “School Service” and “Area,” where you won best actress awards here (Cinemalaya) and in film festivals abroad (New York, Portugal and Malaysia). Where is your angst coming from?
It depends on the script and the role. It’s easier when I portray a daughter or a mother—they’re roles upon which I can pour my frustrations and fears into. Because I was adopted—so nandoon ’yung angst na hindi ako lumaki sa nanay ko. For other characters, doon ako sa ibang problema ko humuhugot ng emotion.
Is it easier for you to deal with problems, especially after your telenovela-like career and marriages (she’s had three, the first two were with Miguel Vera and Jed Salang)? You seem very much at peace these days, unlike how it was when there was reportedly “bugbugan, sigawan and habulan”…
Totoo ’yan (laughs)! You know, sabi ko nga sa sarili ko, if we already had social media in those days, matagal nang tapos ang career ko. Doon pa lang, durug na durog na ako. So, I’m thankful we didn’t have those back then (laughs). Kumbaga, tahimik na ang love life ko, thank God!
You’re older than Gerald. What have you learned from him?
We’ve been married for three years now, but we’ve been a couple for six years already. Gerald is very responsible for his age. I learned that one doesn’t need to be much older to take responsibility for his or her actions. Gerald has dreams for us and our future kids.
What’s your takeaway from your tumultuous previous marriages that informs your present one?
The first lesson I learned is, kapag nagsimula ang relationship mo sa mali, it will end badly. Kasi, in my first marriage, I was the second wife. Kumbaga, pangit mang sabihin, pero kabit ako eh (I was a mistress).
Then, in my second one, I wasn’t aware he was still living with the other woman while I was in a relationship with him. I knew he had a child with her, but I thought they were over as a couple—hindi pa pala. Sabi n’ya at ng side (parents) n’ya, tapos na daw sila, but the girl said otherwise. We couldn’t have gotten married kung sila pa rin talaga, right?
Along the way, naramdaman ko na ang gulo. I asked myself kung in denial lang ako or in denial silang lahat. But one month after the wedding, hindi lang basta may physical pain, I realized na hindi ko na kaya ang magulong buhay—araw-araw, ginugulo ka, araw-araw may commotion. I couldn’t understand bakit s’ya nanggugulo kung alam n’ya namang kasal na kami ng lalaki?But maybe that’s the downside of being successful. You can’t be too successful, and you can’t be too happy. Totoo ’yan.