For Jak Roberto, love in time of COVID-19 ‘like being abroad’ in an LDR

Jak Roberto (left) and girlfriend Barbie Forteza

They may have very well been in a long-distance relationship (LDR).

In their three years as a couple, Jak Roberto and Barbie Forteza have never been apart for anywhere near the three months they had spent under strict quarantine. But everyone’s in the same situation, Jak pointed out, and safety should always be the top priority amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s like being abroad. We’re both just here in Quezon City, but we couldn’t see each other. But it’s OK, because we all have to follow precautionary measures. We have to work together to get through this,” he told the Inquirer in a recent interview for the July 18 episode of “Magpakailanman,” where he plays social media personality DJ Loonyo.

Jak was initially hopeful that things would have improved by May 19—his and Barbie’s third anniversary. But it wasn’t meant to be; Metro Manila remained on lockdown. And so, he just had to make do with a virtual date.

“I had wanted to visit and prepare something for her. But then, it was announced that we still couldn’t go out. So, what we did was we logged onto Zoom, had a chat and played couples’ challenges and games. I then uploaded the video to my YouTube channel,” the actor related.

Jak finally got to see Barbie in person last month, after the easing of quarantine guidelines. But still, video chat applications and social media remain indispensable for the two GMA 7 stars. “We have regular video calls—sometimes, upon waking up, before eating, or before sleeping,” he related. “I message her about what I’m up to. We’re always updated about each other.”

There have been a lot of stories about couples breaking up or caving in because of the issues the pandemic poses. For Jak, it all boils down to communication and trust, especially now that people can’t meet as often as they would want to.

“I saw how supportive, trusting and understanding Barbie was,” he related. “I have her trust and she has nothing to worry about. I even offered her to have my phone tracked!”

Another thing that has made their relationship stronger is their willingness to resolve whatever arguments they have as soon as possible. “We don’t let small misunderstandings get bigger. When we can’t help but have disagreements, we resolve them right away,” he said. “And we apologize when we know we’re in the wrong.”

Jak is grateful that he and his sister, Sanya Lopez, had managed to save money before the pandemic crippled the entertainment industry.

“If you have enough savings, it’s better to forego work if you feel it’s risky to go out,” he said. “It’s scary. Nakakapraning.”At the same time, he acknowledges the fact that they can’t stay cooped up at home forever. They’ll have to go to work eventually.

“In that case, we just have to try to keep ourselves strong and healthy, so that we’re better prepared. Sanya and I have complete protective gear. Maybe we can just stay in our vehicles to minimize contact … or get our sequence guides through messaging apps,” he related.

Jak’s “Magpakailanman” episode is the drama anthology’s first new episode since the quarantine began. He was as excited as he was nervous. The production team took all possible precautions, he said, to ensure everyone’s safety.

“They looked for a place (Norzagaay, Bulacan) where there’s no reported positive cases of Covid-19. We all underwent testing for coronavirus. There are people in charge of disinfecting,” Jak said, adding that the number of people on location was limited, which meant that no drivers and personal assistants were allowed. “We’re on our own. You have to do your makeup, go there on your own. It’s double the effort. But the good thing is that taping was much faster,” he related.