From being the “Miss Independent of Isabela” of Pinoy Big Brother Otso, Karina Bautista has indeed already come a long way, for she is now one of the most promising actresses of her generation. Thus, she nothing has but gratitude for everything that’s happening in her career at present, which she conveyed during her guesting in the September 22 episode of Hotspot.

“Looking back, parang sinasabi ko talaga na worth it lahat ng iniyak ko, worth it lahat ng pinagdaanan, and tiniis at linunok ko. ‘Yong mga times na parang gusto ko nang gumive up, pero lumaban ako. Sabi ko, ‘ah, ito na ba ‘yon, Lord? Parang ito na ba lahat ng kapalit no’n’? So, nag-post na ako sa Instagram, sabi ko, ‘With you, Lord, nothing is ever unpaid.’ So, parang lahat ng dinadanas mo ngayon, sooner or later, merong magadang kapalit dyan.”

When asked how she feels that Hoy, Love You is now on its third season, she revealed that the cast regards it as an “answered prayer” since it’s seldom for an iWantTFC original series to be given more than one season. Even though they initially had problems with the actors’ schedules, but their producer Linggit Tan-Marasigan and their collective prayers were able to make it possible in the end.

And now that they’re already in the third season, Karina disclosed that her character Kara is going to be more mature yet more demure as she now becomes a full-fledged lady. At the same time, her relationships with Aljon Mendoza’s character Charles and Brenna Garcia’s JR are also going to progress, as they have to confront the issues and problems usually faced by people their age.

She also teased about the newest additions to the ever-growing Hoy, Love You family, which includes newbie actor Race Matias, Donna Cariaga, and Kate Alejandrino. Karina imparted that she’s already able to form a deep bond with the two actresses as she’s able to open up to them regarding girl problems.

If given the chance to switch roles with one of the cast, she divulged that it’s going to be with Brenna, who plays JR, as she also wanted to experience playing a boyish character to whom she’s able to relate with since she used to be like that when she was still in high school. She shared as well that JR is going to have a transition and would eventually become girly. At the same time, she’s also interested with Carmi Martin’s rich and sosyal character Madam Elizabeth as it would surely gauge her versatility as an actress.

Just like in other lock-in taping, it’s not all work for them in the Hoy, Love You bubble as they get to play and enjoy the amenities and the clear blue waters of the beach resort that serves as their shooting location. And they have its owner and their producer Linggit Tan to thank for being so accommodating.

With all the projects that she and loveteam partner Aljon Mendoza have done in the years that they’ve been in the industry, both of them are thankful that they are able to already try out various roles and measure their range as young actors. Besides, their exploration has enabled them to figure out their strengths and weaknesses, as well as in what area they still need to improve.

Catch Karina on Hoy, Love You 3, which is set to premiere this coming September 30 on iWantTFC!