The millennial generation has become more open in advocating mental wellness. In this episode of Kapamilya Chat, Paulo Angeles and Michelle Vito share how they keep a sunny disposition amidst the pandemic and other major debacles surrounding them.

The young stars of Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin explored new hobbies to keep themselves busy and productive. Michelle exercised her green thumb growing herbs and vegetables. Some of her plants–like ginger–are now ready for harvest.

Paulo is never absent in prayers and quality family time. He takes advantage of the quarantine period to make it up to them. Sometimes he goes on a road trip with his motorbike. The best thing about motorcycle riding is it relieves stress. The good view, outdoor weather, and layers of adrenaline help relax the mind. Paulo added that riding lets him forget all the problems and anxieties by keeping his focus on the road.  

Love Thy Woman star Karl Gabriel introduced Paulo to riding almost four years ago. When Paulo finally saved enough money, he decided to buy his own motorbike with his parents’ consent. The buddies used to go on spontaneous midnight rides to Tagaytay City prior to the pandemic. According to Paulo, his longest drive would have to be the Subic adventure with friends.  Of course, minor accidents are part of the ride- the last one happened before he started taping for Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin.  

But now that he has more time indoors, Paulo appreciates the moments spent with family. He learned to understand that life is short and there’s no need to worry, apart from realizing that, “Ang pogi ko pala.”  Michelle likewise embraced her power to always choose happiness. “Sa nangyayari ngayon, pipiliin pa ba natin na malungkot tayo?” she expressed.

Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin

Paulo and Michelle are thrilled to be part of the groundbreaking Kapamilya Series Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin where they get to share scenes with top-caliber actors. Michelle plays as the niece of Gabriel (Sam Milby) while Paulo acts as the family’s trusted houseboy. Paulo’s character is an orphan with a positive disposition in life. He will find his family under Gabriel and Ellice (Iza Calzado)’s abode. Paulo and Michelle’s characters will eventually fall for each other but their social status will add a layer of conflict.

This serves as their reunion project after six years, although they remained good friends and would often catch up. He’s even close to her mom. Especially at a time of ‘new normal’ on the set, Michelle is glad to be working closely with someone she’s comfortable with.  No more awkward moments or getting to know each other from zero.

But the show isn’t only about them as they are sharing scenes with some of the industry’s brightest. Michelle is admittedly nervous on her first day of work, still trying to learn the complexity of her character. Working with celebrated directors, like Direk FM Reyes who she already knew before, added more pressure. Michelle knows she needs to give threefold of her best to keep up with the cast and directors’ dedication.

Paulo felt the same amount of challenge portraying his sunny character and working with veteran actors especially with Maricel Soriano. “Pati bibig ko nanginginig,” he said, looking back on his first encounter with the Diamond Star.

Albeit challenged, Paulo and Michelle learn a lot from the project, co-stars and directors. Follow their love story in Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin on Kapamilya Channel and Kapamilya Online Live.

Dikitan Challenge

Paulo and Michelle’s friendship has grown deeper over the years. They seem comfortable with poking fun at each other, evident in this game called Dikitan Challenge. The pair showed strong chemistry even if the dare was simply done virtually.

The challengers were asked to choose a number (from 1 to 6) with a corresponding body part. To make the game more exciting, the players would alternately sing a love song.

In the first round, Paulo was required to touch his nose on Michelle’s cheeks, split-screen style. The lovely girl surprised us with a smooth rendition of the rap song “Kabet” (aka “It Really Hurts”).

Next, Paulo pretended kissing Michelle’s hands while serenading her. In the last round, Paulo acted placing his chin on Michelle’s forehead while the latter sang “You are My Sunshine” by Moira Dela Torre.
The players were game to take on the fun while keeping up with the ‘new normal’ protocols. Check out the video and let Paulo and Michelle bring you laughter and ‘kilig.’

 Compatibility Challenge

We are gauging Paulo and Michelle’s chemistry as they take on the Compatibility Challenge. The same preference gives them one point!

They both chose sinigang over adobo on the first round. She loves soup-based dishes while he likes sinigang best when a little spicy.

The good start turned sour in the next few questions. Not a fan of vegetables, Michelle would rather eat squash than ampalaya. On the other hand, Paulo said he likes to eat ginisang ampalaya.

They seem to have different tastes in food. Michelle chose Italian cuisine while Paulo wrote down Japanese food. She prefers pasta dishes over raw Japanese delicacies, though she likes the taste of ramen and tonkatsu. Meanwhile, Paulo described himself as “adik sa ramen.”  He always thinks of ramen or gyoza when invited for a food trip. But just like Michelle, he’s also not a fan of Japanese raw food like sushi.

Paulo and Michelle are both gamers, so they gained a point by choosing mobile games over PS4 games. The good friends even tried to outdo each other but Paulo’s ‘master’ rank is no matched with Michelle’s ‘legend’ status in the popular game Mobile Legends. 

The pair argued over concert and movie as the best idea for a first date. Michelle shared the she loves going to concerts, adding that anyone can watch films at home. Paulo, on the other hand, prefers a movie date simply because it’s cheaper. She has a wide concert experience while Paulo only had one. He was even sad to know that Michelle didn’t bother inviting him to Chris Brown’s concert.

On the next question, Paulo settled for the mountains while Michelle went for the beach. She’d rather hide from the insects in the mountains and chill at the beach than go on an exhausting hike.

Both night owls, the duo preferred sunset over sunrise. They further explained that sunset brings them a deeper appreciation for God’s beautiful creations. They also find the sundown more relaxing.

The nature lovers picked countryside over cityscape, especially Paulo who likes long motorbike rides. They both agreed that province life is more peaceful. Overall, Paulo and Michelle got a passing score of 4 over 8!

Bring me

This virtual Bring Me game surprisingly revealed Paulo and Michelle’s deepest thoughts about life, giving us the chance to dive deeper into their personalities.

When asked to share one item given by their special someone, Michelle got her copy of the inspirational book “13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don’t Do.” The Kapamilya actress is still halfway through the book but she has already gained a lesson or two. It taught her how comparison kills our joy and mental health. Michelle emphasized that being too critical of our own success and comparing ourselves to others can only lead to overthinking.

Paulo picked a pair of shoes, which he said symbolizes the strength to always move forward. “Don’t take it too fast. Take it slow, one step at a time,” he added.

In the next round, the players chose one item with sentimental value. Michelle showed the rosary she got since sixth grade and would always carry in her bag. Paulo likewise brings a bible inside his big anywhere he goes, especially when he’s on a road trip. But that wasn’t his entry.

Paulo showed another pair of shoes, the gift he gave fellow Hashtags member Franco Hernandez a few weeks before he died. But Franco forgot to take the shoes home, as if leaving it to Paulo’s care on purpose. Franco passed away in November 2017 due to a drowning incident. Through that pair of shoes, Paulo is always reminded of his good friend’s memories and their brotherhood.