With how radiantly beautiful and splendidly graceful she is, it’s definitely impossible not to notice Ara Davao, who currently takes part in FPJ’s Batang Quiapo as Catherine, the heiress of the Caballero clan, with Don Facundo (Jaime Fabregas) and Señora Bettina (Tessie Tomas) as her grandparents and Pablo (Elijah Canlas) as her older brother.
While many are already aware that she is one of the children of actors Ricky Davao and Jackie Lou Blanco, there’s definitely a myriad of things that we probably do not know about her yet. And just recently, she uploaded a vlog on her YouTube channel in which she enthusiastically responded to the questions sent in by her followers on Facebook.
She started off with her dream project, which, according to her, she has already achieved through FPJ’s Batang Quiapo. From simply meeting director-actor Coco Martin several times in the past and watching his acting projects, she is grateful to finally be given the opportunity to work with him. The last time they chanced upon each other was at the ABS-CBN Ball last year, wherein she expressed her desire to work with him and it came true a few months later.
“I’m just super thankful sa tiwala and I’m just looking forward to more taping days and learning more sa show,” she conveyed.
However, apart from the series, Ara also wishes to star in a romantic comedy since that’s the genre she has been watching growing up, with Star Cinema flicks “She’s Dating the Gangster” (2014) and “Starting Over Again” (2014) as among her favorites. Besides, she believes that it could unravel a different side of her, too.
Apart from having them as her beloved parents, Ricky and Jackie Lou also serve as mentors for the up-and-coming actress ever since she started doing acting workshops and now that she is working on her first-ever teleserye. Since her dad is a director, she disclosed that his perspective often differs from her mom. He would commend her for nailing her scenes and give his suggestions with regard to her acting and other technicalities, which he considers as a “super blessing” for her first-ever project.
Ara also commented on questions related to FPJ’s Batang Quiapo such as the brewing romance between Catherine and David (McCoy de Leon) and the amicable relationship of her character with Tindeng, compellingly played by Charo Santos. She imparted how such a joy it is to work with the veteran actress, who has always been kind to her and guiding her. Meanwhile, she heaped praises as well to McCoy for his superb portrayal of David, as evidenced by how enraged viewers are at his antagonistic character.
When quizzed about her favorite scenes in FPJ’s Batang Quiapo, she imparted that the first one would be that scene wherein Catherine was being scolded by her grandparents in the living room of their abode after she was caught sneaking out to go to a party at late night. She shared that it was actually the very first time that the Caballero family was complete and that they got to show the dynamics of their family. The second one was that scene when she was looking for someone to talk to, but Tindeng chose to stay away from her after Don Facundo forbade the latter to have any interaction with her.
Ara also answered questions wnich are mostly personal ones, and even replied to the compliments that she received from her followers.
Just in case you’re among those who are wondering how old she is, she divulged that she just turned 27 last April and is a proud Aries baby. She is cousins with Dirty Linen star Janine Gutierrez and her siblings Jessica, Diego, and Max, with whom she’s able to establish tight and unique bonds. While many people comment that she totally looks like her mom, she believes that she is actually a combination of her parents’ physical features.
But it was not only to her parents with whom she’s being compared, but to actresses Anne Hathaway, Drew Barrymore, and Sofia Andres, too, because of her resemblances with them. She disclosed that she is actually often mistaken as Sofia’s sister, which she denied yet she hopes to work with her someday since she admires her on-and-off-cam.
Being the rom-com girl that she is, her all-time favorite movies are “Notting Hill,” “Crazy Stupid Love,” and “Princess Diaries,” while if there’s one song that she won’t get tired of playing over and over again, it is “Palagi” by TJ Monterde.
She is also a self-confessed “nature girlie” and would live to explore New Zealand someday either solo or with a companion/s. Meanwhile, the best place she has ever been to in the Philippines was Coron, Palawan for she admires its greeneries, landscapes, and rock formations.
With regard to the best lesson she ever learned in life, it would be the oft-quoted adage, “Everything happens for a reason,” which she’s able to prove a number of times already in her life.
Believe it or not, Ara doesn’t have a boyfriend at present as she wants to focus on herself and her career for the meantime. However, she’s not closing her doors once the right person comes along at the right time, especially if the guy is genuine, funny, and respectful. Aside from possessing these qualities, she also gets attracted to men who are Asian or chinito features and have an athletic build, just like her crushes Kim Soo-hyun, RM of BTS, and Carlo Aquino.
Catch Ara Davao as Catherine Caballero in FPJ’s Batang Quiapo, weeknights at 8 PM on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, TV5 and A2Z.
*Photos credit to Ara Davao IG