Ruru Madrid prefers to keep love life private for now

Madrid (left) and Bianca Umali

Ruru Madrid, who’s rumored to be dating fellow GMA 7 star Bianca Umali, would rather keep details about his love life to himself—at least for now.

“I believe everyone’s different. There are some people who are OK talking about such things and are happy about it. But there are others who opt to keep things private and not publicize [the relationship]. But that doesn’t mean you don’t love that person; that doesn’t mean you’re not proud of that person,” he said in a virtual conference for the variety show “All-Out Sundays.”

While Ruru and Bianca would occasionally post photos of themselves or exchange sweet nothings on Instagram, the two actors have yet to formally confirm that they’re in a romantic relationship.

“Perhaps there’s a right time for that,” he said. “Like I have said, not everyone’s the same.”

Meanwhile, Ruru admitted that the gravity of the pandemic didn’t immediately sink in.

“I thought the situation would go back to normal soon. But as we go along, you start to ask yourself, ‘What’s happening to us?’ We don’t know what’s happening. But we have to be optimistic,” he said.

The 22-year-old actor tried to be productive early on, but couldn’t quite fully adjust to the sudden change of pace.

“Sometimes, when you’re at home, you just feel like resting or sleeping long hours … or playing video games. But then I realized that I should be maximizing my time,” he said.

Ruru Madrid

Ruru started working out again and watching shows for educational purposes. “I thought I wouldn’t see changes in my body if I do only home exercises; I thought gym equipment was a must,” Ruru related. “But I have started working out again and I’m seeing improvements.”

“That’s what helps me deal with my worries … I also try to watch television series and movies that can help me when it comes to acting. I tried reading books, too, but I’m more of a visual person,” he added.

And seeing that virtually every form of entertainment is going digital now, he also hopes to learn the ropes of content creation soon.

“I’m not tech savvy or creative when it comes to this. So I feel like it would be tough for me to get into [content creation]. But, hopefully, someday when I get the chance,” he said.

Aside from his hosting duties in “All-Out,” Ruru recently returned to acting via an episode of the drama anthology “Maynila,” with his sister Athena Madrid. He’s also set to begin shooting GMA News and Public Affairs’ coming action-adventure series, “Lolong.”

“We were on a long break from acting, so returning I had to feel my way back in. My body wasn’t ready to work, and we had to do a lot of heavy dramatic scenes,” he said. “But it did help that I was acting with my sister. It felt natural.”

The pandemic has sparked in Ruru a sense of urgency. From now on, he wants to plan his future more carefully.

“I try my best to do things … After the pandemic, I will do things I used to be wary of. I want to experience it all, before I settle down, relax and have a family in the future,” he said.

And amid all the challenges and disarray, Ruru chooses to be thankful for his blessings.“Spend time with your family and loved ones, and make them feel important … Make the people around you feel loved,” he said.