Jeric Gonzales and Rabiya Mateo. Image: Instagram/@jericgonzales07
Rabiya Mateo got candid and confessed that her boyfriend, actor Jeric Gonzales, still gets jealous over her friendship with her non-showbiz ex-boyfriend, Neil Salvacion, who she revealed had proposed marriage to her before they broke up.
The actress-beauty queen spoke about Salvacion during an interview with King of Talk Boy Abunda on Tuesday, Feb. 21. It was brought up in their conversation after Abunda recalled his first interview with Mateo, in which she confirmed her breakup with her then-boyfriend Salvacion.
“We are [friends] kasi mabait siyang tao, and kaya mo namang maging kaibigan with your ex. Kaya without feelings—ako, kaya ko,” she spoke of Salvacion. (We are friends because he is a kind person. You can be friends with your ex-boyfriend. It can be done without feelings [involved]—I can do it.)
When asked if Gonzales “minds” that she still maintains her friendship with Salvacion, Mateo admitted that the actor does but that he still gets jealous over it.
“Parang ngayon, I have my limits na. Siyempre iba na ‘yung priority ko,” she stated. (Now, I already have my limits. Of course, my priorities are different now.)
Abunda asked what specifically were the “limits” Mateo was referring to and made a follow-up, “Ibig sabihin hindi ka pwedeng makipag-usap kay Neil (Does that mean you can’t talk to Neil)?” to which Mateo answered affirmatively.
Mateo then set the record straight and stressed that she and Salvacion did not part ways because of her then-responsibility as Miss Universe Philippines titleholder, but because she was not ready to settle down at the time.
“I think this is the first time na sasabihin ko [ito] sa (that I would say this on) TV but he proposed to me. And I was so young that time, I wasn’t ready,” she disclosed.
“I have a lot of dreams for my family, and during that time he was ready to settle na because feeling niya OK na siya sa buhay (he already felt [fulfilled] in life). Pero ako, I want to aspire to be more so do’n kami nagkaroon ng conflict,” she further revealed. (But as for me, I [wanted] to aspire to be more so we had a conflict.)
The beauty queen clarified that the marriage proposal was not the main reason for their split, but their “conflict” over it led them to decide to end their relationship. Aside from this, Mateo also pointed out that she was the breadwinner of their family and that she needed to prioritize them at the time.
During the interview, Abunda asked Mateo if she is now ready to settle down and if she will say “yes” if ever Gonzales proposes to her anytime soon.
“Ngayon feeling ko na-fulfill ko na ‘yung pangarap [ko] for my family—nabigyan ko na ng bahay si mama, ‘yung savings nakapag-ipon na ako,” she stated. “Hindi agad-agad pero siguro in two years kasi gusto ko rin maging nanay na.”
(Now, I feel like I have already fulfilled the dream I have for my family—I have already given my mom a house, I have saved up. I will not [settle down] right away, but maybe in two years because I already want to be a mother.)
“So ibig sabihin (does it mean that) if [Jeric] proposes now, you’ll say [yes]?” Abunda asked Mateo, to which she replied, “Yes.”
Mateo and Gonzales first sparked dating rumors in 2021 and confirmed their relationship in March 2022. The couple were speculated to have broken up the following June after fans noticed that the pair unfollowed each other on Instagram. Months after this, the actor said that he and Mateo have stayed “good friends” despite the controversies and issues about them.
Mateo and Gonzales then apparently confirmed their reconciliation last Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, as they marked the occasion with greetings to each other. /ra