Three years after “hard-launching” their romance on social media in 2021, real-life sweethearts Jane Oineza and RK Bagatsing found themselves portraying more mature roles in their latest flick, the Cinemalaya 2024 entry “Love Child.” Mature not in a way that we usually deem it to be, but in the sense that their characters, couple Ayla and Paolo, carry an absolutely heavy responsibility of raising a child, not to mention in the autism spectrum.

And in the latest episode of Jeepney TV’s online talk series “Stars On Stars,” the two talk about their individual and collective journey in making the movie, from what made them say “yes” to the project to the process that they went through in order to deliver to the requirements of their respective roles.

While reading the well-written script and finding out what the story is all about immediately made them fall in love with the movie, it was knowing that they would be working alongside each other that further thrilled and convinced them to accept it. Jane mentioned that they actually manifested it in their conversations, as working on independent or indie films has been a part of their bucket list as individuals and as a couple.

In regard to the preparations he undertook for the project, RK immersed himself in the role and story by watching movies that tackle family and fatherhood, as well as taking the script to heart by reading it over and over again. He really strived to do his best in this film, as he dedicates it to his beloved parents, especially to his dad, Ramon “Boy” Bagatsing, Jr.

“Gusto kong gawing tama kasi he’s 80 years old and I’ve been trying to find ways to make him proud throughout the years and this is a good idea na maipakita ulit sa kanya na I care about them and sana kapag napanood niya, maging proud siya sa akin,” he stated.

Meanwhile, when it comes to her portrayal of her role, Jane disclosed that she drew inspiration from her experience of taking care of her two younger siblings as the eldest child. Just like her, her and RK’s characters were not fully prepared for what happened to their relationship, their child, and everything that happened to their family. Thus, she had to figure things out on her own and went through self-doubt regarding her competence in taking on her responsibilities, which she used to pull off her character well.

After being together for three years and seeing their performances on the film, the celebrity couple admitted that they see one another as “parent material.” With how she takes care of her siblings, her cat, and him, RK said that he got to witness her nurturing side, kindness, sacrifices, and determination in order for her loved ones to feel comfortable. And that is what makes him believe that she could be a great mom someday.

Likewise, Jane also thinks that RK will make a great father someday because of how apparently enthusiastic he is about playing with the kids and how he’s able to enlighten her through the knowledge and wisdom that he imparts to her.

When it comes to the relevance of “Love Child” to society at present, RK related that through working on this film, he actually learned a lot about the lives of those with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as of the people taking care of them, especially the parents.

“’Yong pelikula natin, what I like about it is ‘yong sinulat na script ni Direk Jonathan Jurilla nagbigay ng mga information for us to be aware, unang-una doon sa condition na autism as a spectrum. Na hindi siya pare-pareho pala at iba-iba rin ‘yong approach to deal with it. ‘Di ko alam ‘yon going in. And ‘yong naturo sa akin about kakulangan ng suporta na nakukuha ng community from the government, kulang sa budget. So, gusto ko sanang magkaroon ng more discussion about it,” the actor said.

He went on to convey how lucky he feels to be part of this project, since they could serve as instruments on raising awareness about this mental condition. Jane echoed this when asked by RK about the takeaway that she wanted for people to have after watching “Love Child,” adding that she wishes for this movie to reach more people and to touch more hearts.

*Photos credit to Jane Oineza and RK Bagatsing IG