Let's mind our own business and think about the feelings of others. This was the appeal made by matinee idol Daniel Padilla to netizens amid rumors linking him to young actress Andrea Brillantes and the alleged break-up with his long-time partner, Kathryn Bernardo.

"May mga bagay na di ko na dapat alam, nalalaman ko pa. Yung mga business ng ibang tao na di tayo dapat nagko-comment, nagko- comment pa tayo. We should relax pag hindi natin business at wag na tayong nakikisawsaw sa mga bagay. Let's be mindful sa feelings ng mga tao," Daniel stated.

(There are things that I shouldn't know, but I still know. We shouldn't comment on other people's lives but still comment.  We should relax when it's not our business and stop meddling. Let's be mindful of the feelings of others.)

As the other half of "Kathniel" - the most bankable love team in local showbiz - the young actor remarked that he was never a fan of social media. "This world is not even real. Hindi mo na alam kung ano ang totoo sa hindi." (We don't know anymore what's real and what's not.)

"Hindi natin masisisi ang mga lolo't lola natin, pag sinabing may panic attack ka,  hindi nila naiintindihan yun kasi wala silang source ng too much information eh. Before the time of the phones and  the social media, parang wala kang pino-problema na di mo kailangang problemahin di ba? Ngayon kasi may mga bagay na 'di ko na ito dapat iniisip eh'," he pointed out.

(We can't blame our grandparents if they don't understand it when we say these days that we have a panic attack. Back in the day, they didn't have a source of too much information. Before the advent of phones and social media, we didn't worry about things. But now, sometimes I ask myself why I'm thinking of some things I shouldn't think about.)

Back with vengeance

Daniel admitted to feeling "burned out"  early this year, after his series with Kathryn, "2 Good 2 Be True" wrapped up, As a result, he kept a low profile to protect his "peace of mind" and his "personal space."

"Nitong 2023, chill muna ako kasi kailangan ko i-refresh ang sarili ko, medyo na burn-out. Medyo  di ko alam kung saan ako pupunta - my career, my life. Now na refresh ako nandun na lahat ang drive ko uli so i'm just ready to go" he said in an interview after being named the endorser of RKitchen, a gourmet brand selling bottled tuyo, tinapa and other products. It is owned by young couple Ryan and Reese Regua.

Daniel revealed that his three upcoming movie projects will not pair him with Kathryn. He reasoned that they would use this time away from working with each other to pursue "self-growth."

"Ang dami naming ginawa eh. Gawin muna namin ang mga solo para pag bumalik, mas heartfelt ang comeback," he stressed.

The Kapamilya actor hopes to release a Christmas song before the holidays. Then it's off to work for  "Nang Mapagod Si Kamatayan," a movie about "life and redemption" which will be directed by Dan Villegas from a script by National Artist Ricky Lee. He said he and his co-star Zanjoe Marudo are "very excited" about the film.

Another project will pair Daniel with award-winning actor John Arcilla, and it will be a thriller. Details about the third film are still  "a secret." 

Dispelling reports that they are no longer together, Daniel said he and Kathryn give advice and work together on their projects, even if it's not part of their love team. This happened when Kathryn did "A Very Good Girl," which did well at the box office.

"Ginagawa pa lang ni Kathryn yun, nag-aayos na kami ng script. Binubuo palang niya ang character, kami na ang nag-uusap ano yung mga gagawin niya," he revealed.

(We were fixing her script and discussing what she would do before the movie began.)

Kathryn and Daniel have been together for nearly 12 years, and both approach settling down with a practical mindset.

"Tapusin muna natin ‘to, lalo na at mag-re-renew pa kami sa ABS-CBN. Latagin natin ng maigi, tapos next level na, yung wala ka nang iniisip. Hindi yung mag-next level, tapos ang dami naming pinupukpok, alam mo yun? Ang hirap pagsabay-sabayin so lalatagin lang natin ng maigi," Daniel declared.

(Let's finish this first, especially since we'll renew with ABS-CBN. Let's lay everything out carefully and then move to the next level, where we don't have to worry about many things. We want to take on only a little at a time, you know? It's challenging to juggle everything, so we'll lay it out carefully.)