JoshLia, walang bitterness!

MANILA, Philippines — Kung meron mang mag-ex na walang kahit kapirasong bitterness, parang sina Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto ‘yun.

Tho may karelasyon na sa kasalukuyan si Joshua, isang golfer, habang si Julia ay walang confirmation ang diumano’y relasyon sa kapatid ng mister ng kanyang sister (Claudia), naging maganda ang kanilang pagtatambal, hindi lang ngayon, kahit sa nauna nilang reunion movie noong 2024, Un/Happy For You.

This time, mas naging comfortable sila sa Always Yours, Never Mine.

Ano bang masasabi nila tungkol dito: “ I think malaking factor din iyong respect and acceptance. Syempre you have to accept na people grow, ‘di ba?,”  umpisa ng actor.

“And the respect, of course, nandun ‘yun. I think ‘yun. It’s respect and acceptance. So you have to respect kung nasan estado ka na ng buhay mo ngayon.

“So, ang laking tulong nu’n na mapaganda pa ‘yung relationship namin. Right?”

Na sinagot ng host ng media conference na si MJ Felipe na “Right.”

“I was just looking at the camera. And nag-think out loud lang ako. Ang ganda talaga ng chemistry ninyo. Like, ‘yung tingin pa lang. I know, guys. I was just looking at the monitor. Isang tingin nga lang.”

Sagot naman ni Julia: “Love team na love team.”

Ano ang kailangan upang mapanatili ang respeto sa isa’t isa at peace sa kabila ng iba’t ibang chapter ng buhay? Truly enough, parang in the film, iba’t ibang mga panahon, stages, ‘yung pinakita sa trailer pa lang.

So, how would you relate and answer the question?

“For me aside from respect, as Josh has said, I think it’s just gratitude for what you’ve shared together. A good example of that is, you know, Josh and I, who have been in each other’s lives for how many years now, working together, I think there’s something bigger than just what had transpired in the past.

“It’s like, for me, Josh is more than a screen partner. There’s something so profound in having shared so many milestones together, having been through so much together that you could always come back together to do that one thing that you both love to do so much.

“And it just so happens that Josh and I love our job so much and we love doing it together,” paliwanag ni Julia na dinugtungan niya pa ng: “So I’m lucky that I have that kind of partnership and friendship in my lifetime. I’m just so grateful for everything that we’ve shared, all the hard work, the teamwork, the team effort, the good times, the bad. So I think gratitude above all else is the one that’s really going to keep the respect going.”

Pero aminado silang pinagpaguran nila itong bago nilang pelikula: “This is something that we’ve been working on for the past how many weeks. So we had blood and tears, no sleep, dedication, hard work. I’m just so thrilled, I’m so ecstatic that we get to talk to you guys about the movie tonight. Thank you so much for being here.”

Kung sabagay, 10 taon na rin naman pala ang kanilang tambalan – on and off screen at selebrasyon nga itong Always Yours, Never Mine.

Maaalalang una silang nagsama sa pelikulang Vince & Kath & James, sa 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival, kung saan gumanap sila bilang mga college student na nagkaroon ng romantic relationship.

At ito ang pinag-umpisahan ng kanilang tambalan – ang JoshLia.

Sinundan nila ito ng pagbibida Love You to the Stars and Back (2017), Unexpectedly Yours (2017), I Love You, Hater (2018), Block Z (2020), at Un/Happy For You (2024).

Sinusundan ng Always Yours, Never Mine ang kwento ng dalawang tao sa loob ng tatlong dekada. Paulit-ulit silang nagkakabalikan, pero hindi nagiging tama ang timing. Nagiging malapit sila sa isa’t isa, nagkakahiwalay at nagkakabalikan —palaging nasa pagitan ng “halos” at “sa wakas.”

“I think the concept for the film is new, not only for our audience but for us as a tandem. We’ve never done anything like it,” sabi ni Joshua.

“I think a lot of people will relate to it as it tackles the many facets of love, its different phases,” sabi naman ni Julia.

Isa raw itong medyo mature na pananaw sa isang relasyong minsan nang naging usap-usapan dahil sa iba-ibang mga dahilan.

Pero nang hingan sila ng reaction sa title ng pelikula para sa kanilang pinagdaanan –sa totoong buhay man o sa harap ng kamera – hindi nila napigilang magbiro nang kaunti.

Hango sa kanilang paparating na pelikula ang naging sagot ni Garcia: “Always Yours, Never Mine.”

Say naman ni Julia: “Once Yours...”

Hindi na niya itinuloy ang kanyang sinasabi.

Kaya naman, marami nang excited na mapanood ang pelikula.

Ang Always Yours, Never Mine ay mapapapanood sa mga sinehan sa Sept. 30.

Kasama rin sa pelikula sina Chanda Romero, Bianca Umali, Joy Barcoma at marami pang iba, directed by Cathy Garcia-Sampana.