MANILA – Andrea Brillantes feels she did not experience a normal childhood, having been her family’s breadwinner since she was young.

Speaking with Karen Davila, Brillantes admitted that she did not come from a well-off family.

“Sa squatters’ [area] lang din kami nakatira before. May work naman both parents ko dati pero lumaki kasi talaga ako sa grandparents ko hanggang five years old yata ako. Simple lang po kami. May mga times na sobrang hirap na magbebenta ng mga gamit. May mga times naman na hindi. Hindi ako talaga laking yaman,” she said.

Brillantes was seven years old when she got cast in ABS-CBN’s “Goin Bulilit.” At 10, she already assumed the responsibility of financially providing for her family even if she is the youngest.

Opening up about her struggles at that time, Brillantes said: “Ang naging mahirap para sa akin is ako 'yung bunso tapos bata din 'yung mga kapatid ko noon tapos parang hindi pa sila aware na ako 'yung [bumubuhay].”

“'Yung struggle ko dati, since bata sila, hindi pa nila alam kung gaano kahirap kumita ng pera. Ako kasi bata pa lang ako, naranasan ko na, namulat na ako na ang hirap hirap kumita ng pera,” she added.

Brillantes said she had to sacrifice a lot of things that she actually lost her childhood.

“May mga dream school ako na kaya ko naman pero kapag pumasok ako sa school na 'yun, magugutom kami. Kaya isa-sacrifice ko 'yung ganun. Mostly sa friends ko kasi, mayayaman sila. May konting inggit sa akin nung bata ako na kung hindi ko ba shine-share lahat ng money ko, mabibilihan ko din ba 'yung sarili ko ng mga ganitong bagay?”

For this reason, Brillantes felt like she matured early because of the responsibilities she had to shoulder. This, however, was also the reason she regressed to acting like a child sometimes.

“Dati litong-lito ako kasi ang aga ko nagdalaga tapos nung nag-15 ako, nag-breakdown ako na, hala five years na lang 20 na ako. Nung nag-15 ako, bumalik ulit ako sa pagkabata kasi natakot ako.”

“Yung pagbe-baby talk ko na laging trending, voice ko talaga siya. Pero hindi siya 'yung napipili ko subconsciously. Bigla lang siya nagswi-switch kasi nung bata ako, kulang din ako sa pansin… 'yung pagka-baby voice ko, sometimes good or bad. Lalabas siya kapag komportable ako sa 'yo or feeling ko may nakikita akong father figure ako sayo or kuya figure or ate figure kasi lumaki ako sa broken family,” she added.

Nonetheless, Brillantes stressed that she does not get offended when people bash her because of her baby talk, saying it’s something she does not have control over.

“Hindi ko rin siya naiintindihan. Bumabalik at bumabalik talaga siya. Nababago ko lang siya kapag may role ako kasi trabaho yon at kailangan. So feeling ko part talaga siya ng childhood ko na nawala,” she said.