MANILA - Actor Buboy Villar opened up about how being a father at the young age of 17 changed his life forever.

In an interview with Toni Gonzaga for the latter’s #ToniTalks vlog series, Villar admitted that what happened between him and Angillyn Gorens, the mother of his children, was something really unexpected.

“Love at first sight, tapos gusto ko talaga siya. Hindi namin talagang plano mag-anak noon. Plano lang namin was mag live-in kasi partners kami,” he said.

Saying Gorens is his first true love, Villar asked her to live with him here in the Philippines so they could be together.

“Lakasan ng loob po yun, kasi nasa America na siya noon. Sabi ko, ‘Parang hindi ko kaya na ganito yung set-up natin.’ Nilakasan ko yung loob ko. Sabi ko, ‘Uwi ka na lang kaya dito sa Pilipinas, magsama na lang tayo.’ Nagulat siya,” Villar recalled.

While Gorens was initially hesitant to uproot her life in the US, she came to the Philippines without her parents knowing.

“Alam namin na mali yun. Ginawa namin yung gusto lang namin. Hindi namin pinakinggan yung mas nakakatanda sa amin,” he said.

“Alam ko na nagkamali man ako sa mga past na nangyari sa akin. Pero hindi ko na kailangan tignan pa yun pabalik kasi naging aral ko na yun. Sa buhay na ito, may mangyayari talagang hindi maganda or puro maganda. Pero hindi ako pwede mag-expect na sa buhay ko na ito, laging magaganda ang mangyayari,” he added.

Thankfully, Villar and Gorens have come up with a good co-parenting set-up, although their two kids are currently with his ex-girlfriend’s parents while he works.

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Now 23 years old, Villar considers having kids as the best thing that happened to him.

“Sa awa ng Diyos, ngayon okay naman na. Yung mga chikiting ko, mga makukulit na rin at masaya. Sa lahat ng laban ko sa buhay na ito, isa lang ang masasabi ko: Isa yun sa pinakamagandang nangyari sa buhay ko, yung mga anak ko,” he said.

When asked what’s the greatest lesson his kids taught him, he said: “Unang una sa lahat, dapat ingatan natin yung sarili natin kasi kapag hindi, paano na yung mga anak natin? Paano na yung future nila? Ayaw kong lumaki yung mga anak ko [at pagdaanan nila] yung mga pinagdaanan ko.”

Villar said he wants to impart to his kids the value of not giving up on life’s challenges and always look for the silver lining in every situation.

“Kailangan nilang tibayan ang loob nila at huwag masyadong magpapadala sa problema. Lagi lang sila ngingiti dahil doon sila maganda at gwapo. Lagi nilang titignan yung positive side. Huwag natin tambayan yung mga negative,” he said.

Gorens and Villar revealed their decision to end their four-year relationship in October last year.

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Gorens, who is already in the US, said that she and her former boyfriend have already agreed on a co-parenting set up and are hoping to make it work.

Villar and Gorens started dating in 2016. In an interview that same year, Villar, best known for his portrayal of a young Manny Pacquiao in the acclaimed film “Kid Kulafu,” said that he had planned on marrying Gorens.

They welcomed their first child in September 2017.