Self-love now a priority for Jerome Ponce and Jane Oineza

Jane Oineza (left) and Jerome Ponce

For actress Jane Oineza, there’s really no right time to fall in love. There is, however, only the “right person” to fall in love with.

“I don’t believe in waiting for the ‘right timing.’ There will come a point in your life when you’d say you’re ready to share yourself with someone, to be with him or her. There’s no right timing, just the right person,” the 24-year-old actress said.

Online buzz

However, Jane still wouldn’t say whether she has indeed found Mr. Right in her “I Got You” costar RK Bagatsing, whom she was rumored to have spent a weekend with on the beach in Caliraya, Laguna, in February. They created quite an online buzz when the two posted beach pictures that looked like they were taken from the same location.Meanwhile, Jerome Ponce, Jane’s costar in the youth-oriented series “Gen Z,” agreed with the actress, adding that the same experience has happened to him several times before. “When I was already done with prioritizing self-love—like buying a car and a home for myself—I was at a point when I was ready to be with someone. And just like in every relationship I’ve had, I was all-out,” he told Inquirer Entertainment in a recent virtual media gathering to promote “Gen Z.”

“Based on my experiences (being in romantic relationships), I would go all-out during the early stages. Sadly, we break up in the end when I realize that I want some self-love again,” Jerome said. “I eventually learned that there should be a balance between self-love and selflessness in order for a relationship to succeed.”

Jerome has been dating volleyball star Mika Reyes for four years now.

When it came to picking the kind of projects to take on as actors, Jerome and Jane, who are both the family breadwinners, make sure to practice self-love, too.

Not about money

“I wasn’t picky when I was starting, but now, I want to at least be able to read the script first before agreeing to be part of a project,” Jerome said. “It’s not about the money or wanting a job because I have bills to pay, but about the kind of work I will be putting out there. How I portray roles or do characters reflects how I am as an actor. There were times when I felt like telling my management, ‘You said I should just accept the project because I wasn’t doing anything, anyway. Look at what happened! What now?’ Of course, I didn’t say that. I just said, ‘Next time, let me read the script first.’ That to me is self-love.”

He explained further: “But you also have only yourself to blame if you keep saying ‘no’ to job offers. Again, there should be a balance between turning things down and just going for everything that comes your way.”

Challenging roles

Jane said she was never picky with projects, too. However, she would always be partial to offers for her to portray characters she has never done before. “I would first see if it’s a role that I find challenging to do. As an actor, your audience always wants to see a different side of you. But, in the end, I’d still say, ‘I’m game!’ to most projects, but would add, ‘Let’s make it work,’” Jane said.

Both Jerome and Jane said they found really interesting the story of “Gen Z,” written from the point of view of students of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde under the mentorship of writer-filmmaker Jose Javier Reyes.

It tells the story of brothers, Jojo (Jerome) and Kiko (Kent Gonzales), as they enter the world of adulthood with their friends Matet (Jane) and Rico (Darwin Yu). Part of their group are the rebellious Gina (Chie Filomeno) and upper-class sweethearts Migo (Ricci Rivero) and Michelle (Melizza Jimenez). The series will show how each character deals with life’s struggles while striving to achieve their ambitions.

Asked how he thought his character practiced self-love, Jerome explained: “Jojo prioritized self-love when he risked his life for something that he thought was important. He has been working so hard and has come to a point when he said, ‘Tama na. Ako naman.’ Although I should say that he did this without knowing the risk it entailed in terms of his relationships and career.”

Jane, however, couldn’t say much at the risk of spoiling the story. “Let’s just say that in the end, she finally accepted what she has. She eventually learned to be happy,” the actress said.

The new young adult series is a coproduction of Cignal Entertainment Inc. and Regal Entertainment. Joining the young cast are Joey Marquez, Angeli Bayani and Teresa Loyzaga. It will air every Sunday, 9 p.m., starting March 14 on One Screen Cignal TV CH.9 and SatLite CH. 35. It can also be seen on the Cignal Play App.