Carla and Tom on changes they will make for each other; Maja on why her relationship with boyfriend Rambo clicks

Tom Rodriguez (left) and Carla Abellana

In this time of social distancing, two hearts that beat as one can’t be kept apart. L’amour is more powerful than the pandemic, après tout. So Carla Abellana and Tom Rodriguez are taking the plunge soon. The gorgeous couple has been together for over six years.

Who can forget their portrayals as husband and wife (Vince and Lally) in the 2013 gay-themed Kapuso hit series, “My Husband’s Lover”? In that teleserye, Lally gave way to Eric (played by Dennis Trillo), the lover of Vince. Back then, little did Carla and Tom know that their roles were sort of a “rehearsal” for the real thing. But this time, it’s Carla who will be her husband’s lover for better, for worse—and for good.

Here’s my chat with Tom (T) and Carla (C):

What excites and scares you about marriage?

T: The prospect of spending the rest of our lives together. The reality of the world is what keeps us all in fear sometimes.

C: Excited to grow together and build a family. I’m fearful of many things because not everything is within our control.

What marriage advice do you intend to follow?

C: To keep God at the center of our relationship.

T: I agree. I even ask God for a sign. It was not something that came naturally to me. I’m thankful for that influence from Carla.

Is there anything you want to change in yourself because it kind of irritates the other?

T: Knowing my boundaries when to tease her and joke around with her.

C: Let him explain first before I speak. Not to contradict him right away. I will listen first to what he has to say.

How has the other changed you for the better?

T: She has helped me realize my goals of becoming a better person. A lot of things when it comes to my emotional quotient. I’ve benefited a lot from seeing how she reacts to stimuli and adversities, and how she manages her time and delegates responsibilities. I’ve learned to grow a lot from her examples.

C: He made me realize that you have to be OK with yourself first before you can be OK in a relationship. How can you be a better person for your partner if you have unresolved issues with yourself?

Give us an idea about what your wedding will be like.

C: Nothing over the top. Just classic, elegant, romantic.

T: Dreamy.

When the pandemic is over, where do you want to have your honeymoon?

C: We don’t think about the honeymoon much because our priority is building our house. But we would love to have kids as soon as we get married because my biological clock is ticking (laughs).

T: Maybe we can have it after we’ve built the house. I hope we will be blessed with twins since it runs in my family

How will you avoid temptation in the biz when you’re married?

T: It’s a given that we both work with attractive people, but like what Carla and Tita Coney (Reyes) said, love is a commitment and a choice. We’re humans and there might be urges here and there, but it’s really all about our dedication to the commitment we’ve made. Are we going to trade temporary temptation for a lifetime of building something beautiful together?

C: We always have to remember that we are committed to each other, that we said our vows in front of God. We have to remind ourselves that infidelity is a sin and we have to stick to our vows.

How do you settle arguments?

C: We give each other time and space before we talk things over.

T: We reset. Sometimes, we have emotional baggage individually that we bring into the relationship. And we realize that we must not dump it into the relationship. We don’t allow external problems to affect us.

How do you handle jealousy attacks?

T: It’s never been an issue in our relationship.

C: Thankfully, that never happened.

Maja Salvador (left)
and Noel Comia Jr.

‘Dramedy’ a challenging new genre for Maja Salvador

Maja Salvador is ready to reign again in “Niña, Niño” (NN), her first series on the Kapatid network where she plays Niña. Noel Comia Jr. portrays her brother, Niño. In order to survive, they resort to extraordinary measures as con-artists. But an event will change the course of their destinies. The series premieres on TV 5 at 7:15 p.m. on April 5, and will be shown Mondays to Fridays.

The dramedy genre is a first for Maja, who is known to portray titular roles in heavy dramas. The show’s vision echoes calls for hopeful stories, finding joy in life’s magical minutiae in the midst of these trying times.

Her Majesty Maja is out to show that even if her ABS-CBN days are over, she won’t be dethroned.

Here are quotable quotes from Maja during “NN’s” Zoom media con:

“Doing NN made me realize that it’s not easy to be a comedienne. I find it easier to make people cry than laugh. In the show, I have to find the right balance between drama and comedy. I make sure that I don’t come across as OA or epal.”

“I am overwhelmed that TV5 and Cignal have dubbed me as the Primetime Queen. It’s quite a huge responsibility. Although I’m thankful to be called as such, I think that ‘title’ rightfully belongs to Judy Ann Santos.”“I imagine that every role I portray will be my last one, so I give it my all.”

“My relationship with Rambo (Nuñez, her boyfriend) works because we are partners in every sense of the word. We are also business partners in Crown Artist Management. I hope we become lifetime partners.”

“One of the reasons why I accepted NN is because Piolo Pascual is one of the producers. How can you say no to Papa P?”