Daniel reveals when he plans to propose to Kathryn

Kathryn Bernardo (left) and Daniel Padilla

“I will propose marriage to her only when I know she’s ready. I will never put her in a situation where she’ll be uncomfortable or forced to do what she doesn’t feel like doing.”

Thus said actor Daniel Padilla, who is currently promoting a digital series titled “The House Arrest of Us,” where he gets to pop the question to real and reel-life partner Kathryn Bernardo.

“I will ask her the question only when both of us are ready. I have to plan that moment well because I will get to do it only once. I have to be certain that this person is ready to take our relationship to a higher level,” Daniel told reporters during the recent media conference to announce the premiere of the ABS-CBN-produced digital series on Oct. 24.

In the eight years that Kathryn and Daniel (collectively known as “KathNiel”) have known each other, Daniel said there were instances when he had to prove to Kathryn’s family that he was worthy of being with her, especially when he already started courting Kathryn.

“Nanligaw ako sa kanya ng tama. I visited her at home. Back then, I didn’t have her family’s vote of confidence. It felt like getting through the eye of the needle for me,” Daniel recalled. “Over time, I think they eventually learned to love me.”

“Yes, Mama loves DJ (Daniel’s nickname) very much,” Kathryn interjected.

Scene from “The House Arrest of Us”

“Tita Min takes care of me. There was even a time when she took me to the hospital when I was sick,” added Daniel. “When I visit their house, she would cook for me.”

“He has earned that through the years,” Kathryn pointed out.

“I realized that I only needed to show them who I really am,” Daniel concluded.

In the “House Arrest of Us,” Q (Kathryn) and Korics (Daniel) are newly engaged. They get to “try” married life by living together in one roof while quarantined with their loved ones. The problem is that their families hate one another; and all the bickering seems to be getting in the way of their love for each other.

The series also stars Herbert Bautista, Arlene Muhlach, Gardo Versoza, Ruffa Gutierrez, Dennis Padilla, Hyubs Azarcon, Anthony Jennings, Riva Quenery and Alora Sasam.

Kathryn and Daniel were extremely proud of the fact that their pet dog named Summer is also part of the cast.

The “KathNiel” tandem

Kathryn explained Summer’s inclusion in the story: “They asked me if she could go with me to our lock-in set. At first, I was hesitant because I didn’t have my assistant with me. But then, they explained to me the importance of Summer being there, and so I agreed. Summer represents DJ and I as future parents. How we take care of her will show how we are once we have a family of our own. A pet is like a child. Once you decide to have one, it’s your responsibility to raise and take care of him or her.”

Daniel, meanwhile, couldn’t be happier that Kathryn agreed to bring Summer along. In fact, during the interview, he kept hugging and kissing the dog as he answered questions from reporters. “Our lock-in set became an extension of home because of Summer. After work, we would play with her … She made everyone on the set smile. Napapawi ang pagod because of her,” he declared.

Asked what makes this digital series special, Kathryn said: “It’s very different from what people used to see from KathNiel. It’s the first time that we’re doing something this light and fun. In the beginning, I would worry. ‘Am I already becoming too serious? It’s a different genre for me,” she pointed out. “It helped that we’re in a lock-in set because I easily became comfortable with the cast—and that’s important in doing comedy.”

Daniel likewise has learned to appreciate working under a “new normal” situation. “Personally, I liked being in a lock-in set better. Now, our working hours are better managed. We don’t feel pressured creatively. We have more space now to move creatively. I actually think it’s a beautiful setup.”

He also noted that “writers now are given the respect they deserve. We are now able to just stick to the script they’ve written. I hope we could still practice this when we all go back to the ‘old normal’ way of living. We’ve discovered a lot of good work practices because of the pandemic.”

“The House Arrest of Us” can be accessed via ktx.ph starting Oct. 24, at 2 p.m.; and via iWantTFC starting Oct. 25., at 12 a.m.