Kapuso stars Barbie Forteza and David Licauco are grateful for the huge followings of their tandem, popularly known as FiLay, a play of the names of their characters Fidel and Klay in the blockbuster primetime series "Maria Clara at Ibarra" on GMA Network.
But Barbie and David maintain that they are just good friends.
At the media conference for their latest endorsement for Ishin held in Quezon City recently. Barbie said she cherishes her friendship with David, adding she's still very much in love with her boyfriend actor Jak Roberto.
"Aside from David, I've been paired with other GMA leading men na naging kaibigan ko rin naman talaga. I cherish my friendships with them and so sabi ko nga kahit napaka-unexpected ng success ng FiLay, hindi ko naman makakalimutan yung lalaking nagpasaya sa akin for the past five years and still counting. Yung lalaking kasama ko noong pandemic na natatakbuhan ko ng personal struggles ko. The one who I share my victories and struggles with. Kumbaga in-accept niya ako ng buong buo and ganun din ako sa kanya. Hindi ko naman makakalimutan yun because of FiLay," said Barbie.
She added: "But then I'm so grateful for this blessing and success with David right now. We've very good friends and to be honest, dito lang kami sa Maria Clara at Ibarra naging close dahil pareho kaming introvert. Nagpapasalamat ako dahil sa FiLay, I gained a new friend. Ang dami kong natututunan sa kanya in terms of business."
Asked if Jak ever got jealous of David, Barbie said: "Malaki naman ang tiwala sa akin ni Jak tungkol sa ganyang mga bagay at hindi ko kinailangan na patunayan sa sarili ko. Naiiintidihan naman ni Jak yung trabaho kasi ganito rin ang trabaho niya. So I'm just lucky to have him."
But Barbie recalled that Jak got a bit jealous of actor Dennis Trillo, her biggest crush in showbiz, when they shot during lock-in.
"Mga pa-cute na selos. Mga patweetums niya. Naghahanap ng cuddle ganun. Mga ganun lang naman pero nothing serious. Alam naman niya na crush ko si Dennis Trillo. So yung mga time na marami kaming scenes together nasa lock-in kami nun. Sabi niya kumusta ka naman dyan? Kumusta naman kayoi ng crush mo? Ayun, crush ko pa rin. Ganun lang naman. Napaka-understanding niya at very supportive," Barbie also said.
David, 28, who is single these days, said he respects the relationship of Jak and Barbie.
"Malaki ang respect ko kay Jak. Lagi kong sinasabi kay Barbie napakabait na tao ni Jak. Nakatrabaho ko na sya sa 'Heartful Cafe' noong nag-guest siya. Masipag siya at pinaghirapan niya kung nasaan man siya ngayon. I admire Jak as a person kaya respeto lang talaga. Hindi naman ako yung type ng guy na kahit alam ko na may boyfriend yung girl, I'll make my move. I was never like that. Respeto lang talaga sa relationship nila. Sa FiLay naman, it's part of the job and Barbie is a good friend. Alam naman namin sa isa't isa yung boundaries namin. Alam ko naman na maiintindihan ni Jack yun at saka artista rin siya. So I don't think kailangan ko siyang kausapin kasi understanding at mature siyang tao," David added. "Hi, hello lang naman kami pag nagkikita sa labas. At saka nagworkout kami together sa taping."
Barbie, 25, also said that she still has no plans of getting married because she wants to achieve more in her career.
"I really need to be ready once mag settle down na ako. It's no joke. I can see from my sister na may sarili ng family. Nagkukuwentuhan kami palagi how it is to have a family. So kailangan talaga physically and mentally ready ka, aside from being financially ready. So dapat ko talagang malaman sa sarili ko na handa ako kasi it will be another chapter in my book. So hindi siya dapat agad agad. It's a different matter talaga and a very serious thing to do so kailangan talagang handa ka," the Kapuso star said.
Prior, Barbie said she wants to get married at the age of 28 but now her plan has changed.
"Before lagi kong sinasabi na sana by the age of 28, I'll be ready to settle down.That was before. Now sa nakikita ko every year, I need to maximize my career as an actress, parang iniisip ko pa kung kailan ako bubuwelo. Kasi there's so much to do. Ang dami ko pang gusto ng ma-achieve talaga as an actress before I settle down. Now I'm not so sure (at what age I will get married)," Barbie also said.
Barbie and David are also the brand endorsers of Ishin, one of the most successful and best-selling whitening and immune-boosting food supplements in the market today, as announced by young power couple Mario Miguel Bautista and Shirleen Bautista.
When asked why they get Barbie and David to endorse the brand, Mario Miguel said: "We saw them with our products in their social media accounts and we are happy to note that they are using Ishin. This is the first time we are getting celebrity endorsers for our product and we're excited that Barbie and David are joining our team."
Shirleen added: "There is no doubt that the FiLay love team is the most popular on-screen tandem today as their characters, Klay and Fidel, are both loved by the show's avid viewers. We are sure that their endorsement will help further boost the sales of Ishin tremendously."
"We are glad to be endorsing Ishin and its various variants because of its effectiveness in helping us have great glowing skin and good health. They are a big help especially for busy actors like us na napapagod at napupuuyat sa taping to regain our glow and energy," said Barbie.
David said: "Ishin is a big help as it does not only give us smooth skin but also boosts our immune system lalo na kapag pagod na kami sa trabaho. Barbie and I are both thankful to GMA for pairing us in 'Maria Clara at Ibarra' that truly helped in forwarding our careers and to Ishin as our first endorsement as the FiLay love team."
The Bautistas launched Ishin in October 2022 in the midst of the pandemic. Their intention was to help small business owners and provide them with a high quality glutathione at a very affordable price. The strategy paid off as Ishin now has more than 3,000 distributors nationwide.
Ishin is also distributed internationally in various countries such as Japan, India, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cayman Island, Hong Kong, Italy, KSA, UAE, Australia, Canada, Taiwan, Kuwait, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, Zimbabwe and USA.