Ai-Ai: I’m moving on

MANILA, Philippines - Ai-Ai de las Alas cannot tell yet whether her character Ate Vangie in the ABS-CBN Saturday night sitcom TODA Max will become a regular part of the show or not. Even director Malu Sevilla is clueless about the possible inclusion of Ai-Ai as one of the show’s mainstays. “It is only Ai-Ai who could give you a definite answer,” says direk Malu during a taping break on the set of TODA Max inside the ABS-CBN compound last Tuesday night. “If yes, then good because I can see that she’s enjoying the show, especially that barkada sila ni Angel (Locsin).”

The guessing game started when televiewers have been seeing Ai-Ai week after week playing Vhong Navarro’s cousin who helps him in putting up a tricycle wash business. Some quarters surmised that Ai-Ai has replaced Robin Padilla who made an exit from the show for an undisclosed reason, while others said that Ai-Ai is just filling the void that Pokwang left due to another acting commitment.

“No, it’s up to the management to decide if I’ll stay or not,” says Ai-Ai. “You know me, I will agree wherever (ABS-CBN bosses) CV (Cory Vidanes) and Charo Santos want to put me in. I’m just one of the workers (laughs).”

Asked about her reaction when TODA Max was offered to her, Ai-Ai says, “Well, sabi nila para may katuwang sina Angel at Vhong so okey naman sa akin; happy naman ako dito.”

Besides, the actress has no reason to turn down the role. She enjoys doing sitcoms since the start of her career. “For me, it’s okay here (sitcom) because we all know that it is easier to do than a soap. And I miss doing it. Sitcoms like Whattamen or noontime shows — these are the types that I do best.”

Still, Ai-Ai cannot tell what will happen next when Pokwang returns to the show. “I still don’t know because there’s a show that they are planning for me to do. I’m not sure yet if it’s a kiddie show or a comedy show.”

What Ai-Ai clearly knows is the happy feeling she gets while working with the show’s cast and crew. Laughing out loud has become her best tool to drive her sadness away. No doubt, most of us are familiar with her sweet love story that had gone sour.

“I’m moving on,” says Ai-Ai on the status of her heart these days. “Of course, it’s a (long) process. It’s impossible to forget (the pain) so easily. Probably, it will take six months, a year or maybe when all these matters have been settled that’s when I can totally move on.”

Work, Ai-Ai adds, helps put away the worries and the pain she’s feeling deep within her heart. “I’m focusing on work and I also spend time working out in the gym and playing badminton — my routine is like gym, badminton, work, instagram, paulit-ulit at palit-palit lang.”

She won’t deny that there are nights when she feels like crying buckets. “But I always tell myself that nothing is permanent even all these troubles are temporary.”

Will she fall in love again?

“I don’t want to give a definite answer. Perhaps, it would take some time because we never know what will happen in the future — pwedeng nagkagusto ako agad or you might be surprised that five years had already passed and I’m still loveless, so, di natin alam. I’m living one day at a time.”

And if there’s one lesson she has learned from this chapter of her life that is to be vigilant because “I became too trusting. I thought everybody is kind and sincere, hindi pala. But I remain optimistic. I know God has bigger plans for me.”