Tom Rodriguez after over 2 years in US to ‘recover’: ‘Buo na ako ulit’

Tom Rodriguez admitted that he used his more than two years’ stay in the United States to “recover” after his separation from actress Carla Abellana, with the actor declaring that he now feels “whole again.”

Rodriguez spoke about his return to the Philippines, saying he’s “good and happy to be back,” during his interview with “24 Oras” on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

“Two weeks lang dapat ako nando’n. Nawili din ako,” the actor said of his US stay. “Long story short, I really had to take time to really recover. Now, I do feel na buo na ako ulit.”

(I was supposed to stay there for only two weeks but I enjoyed it. To make the long story short, I really had to take time to really recover. Now, I do feel that I am whole again.)

Rodriguez underscored that he enjoyed his life abroad as he learned how to maintain a household, cook, do the laundry and such.

Meanwhile, the actor said he’s glad to have been offered a role in “Ibarra: The Musical,” saying he had been “yearning” to be back on the theater stage.

“Medyo hindi pa ako mag-social media ulit (I have yet to fully return to social media) so I’ve been trying to force myself to go back,” he told the news program, adding that he made a new Instagram account because his original page has yet to be retrieved.

“I’m starting to push myself to go out of my comfort zone kasi nakaka-spoil pala ‘yung wala. It’s nice din to reconnect with the people kaya I’m trying to push myself to go out of my ermitanyo mode,” he added.

Rodriguez and Abellana had been together for seven years before they got married in October 2021. Rodriguez then flew to the US in March 2022 and confirmed their divorce in June of the same year.

In a February 2023 interview, Abellana said she already filed a petition in a Philippine court to recognize the divorce decree obtained by Rodriguez, an American citizen, in the US. Both parties have yet to give an update on the matter as of this writing.