Coming from a celebrated showbiz clan, Andi Eigenmann’s entry to the entertainment world wasn’t surprising. But she found more bliss in the simple province life away from the limelight. And as she opens up on her new journey, fans couldn’t get any happier seeing her happy.
Andi clarified, though that she doesn’t have bad blood with showbiz. She simply felt that life didn’t fall on its rightful place due to starting young in the industry until she felt lost and unhappy. She decided to take a break. And the thirst to find herself again led her to the island.
Now that she’s finally discovered where she belongs, Andi learned how to just keep it real. The bad times truly do not compare to the joy she found. She’s also grateful to the supporters making her feel that she made the right choice.
The island life, her dream since she was a little kid, now gives her freedom and peace. “I get to be who I want to be or who I really am without anybody judging me. Being in the public eye for so many years with everyone seeing me make every single mistake in my life as I was growing up, it’s really refreshing,” she said.
More importantly, the ‘buhay-probinsya’ led her to partner, Siargao-based champion surfer Philmar Alipayo. She has known Philmar quite a long time already even before they became a couple. She was a fan of his sports. They started out as friends for quite a while.
The island of Siargao kept pulling Andi back until she became friends with the community of surfers there. Andi won’t deny that he was attracted to Philmar’s exceptional surfing skills but more than that, they just clicked.
“We like the same things. Our conversation would grow deeper kahit hindi naman sinasadya. We just find ourselves really meshing well together, I guess. We share the same dreams and goals in life,” she added.
She was drawn to his simplicity. He doesn’t give in to pressure. Because she’s tired of the competitive showbiz life, Andi started wanting to live Philmar’s way of life as well. “Having him really makes it seem so easy. Parang, ‘If it’s really what you want, it should be something that you shouldn’t be afraid to do. You shouldn’t think of what other people thinks.’ I think that’s why ‘yung connection namin and ‘yung pagkakagusto ko sa kanya, nag-bloom.” Philmar brought out the best in Andi without even trying to change her.
Having had failed relationships in the past, Andi learned to listen more to her heart. She would admit that she was uncertain of her past relationships, however she wished them to last. But with Philmar, everything just feels right, clear, and peaceful from the beginning. She never had qualms about their love. With Philmar, it’s easy to dream about the future she’s always wanted.
“I guess I still have fears but I have no doubts and with him, I know that I can surpass any struggle in life. And I want to share my life now and the life that I will have in the future, with him,” expressed Andi.
She described their relationship as “very simple in every sense of the word.” They rarely fight over petty things and if they do, it still won’t damage what they have. They work together as partners, be it in taking care of the children and achieving their dreams. More importantly, he’s supportive of her goals and gives her freedom.
“Tumanda sa isla,” Andi enthused when asked about their biggest dream as a couple. They initially wanted four kids but her current pregnancy might be the last. Andi joked that she’s starting to feel tired of the mommy duties somehow.
They recently ventured into vlogging as a way of inspiring people and making the joys of a simple life be known to many. For Andi, success is when you feel genuinely happy. “It’s not about the job you choose to take but being happy doing it,” she added.
With everything she’s been through, Andi learned that kindness goes a long way and that she always has a choice. “I made these changes in my life because I chose to. I am happy because I chose to be happy and what gave me a successful journey through it all is because I chose to be kind to anything, not just to people. I chose to be kind to myself. I decided that love begins within myself.”
Before the interview ends, Andi got three surprise questions from Philmar. He first asked her the thing she likes most about their island life together. For Andi, they live in paradise – crystal clear water, white sand, fresh food. But the most amazing part is she gets to share all of that with him. “I won’t see and love the island as much as I do now, if I didn’t get the opportunity to see it through his eyes… It’s the life that I want and he’s the partner I’ve been wanting to have,” she added.
When she wakes up in the morning beside him, she can’t help but feel happy. Just seeing him makes her happy. Andi would admit that she had a lot of questions about her choices in the beginning. But having Philmar as her support system and the rock in her life soothes the fear.
“He told me that my happiness is his happiness and it’s the same for me. Parang in a sense na kahit saan pa kaming ilagay na lugar, hindi na nagma-matter. Kung nasa Siargao man kami o hindi, having each other is enough,” Andi stressed, when asked how she’d react if Philmar decides to stay in Manila instead.
Andi has finally found the inner peace that she always wanted to have. “My soul is so happy. So, it’s so easy for me to live humbly, to live simply, to live authentically,” she said. Her happiness is so pure it can’t be broken by any stranger.
Andi believes the love she found in the island is worth fighting for because she never felt this way before. More importantly, we all deserve love and a worry-free life.