During the recent Kapamilya Strong 2022 event, nine Star Magic artists renewed their contracts with ABS-CBN: Jolina Magdangal, Ronnie Alonte, Loisa Andalio, Jake Cuenca, Sam Milby, Zanjoe Marudo, Shaina Magdayao, Gerald Anderson, and Erich Gonzales.

As they looked back on their unique journeys in the entertainment industry, they were overwhelmed with gratitude for having been given more opportunities by the Kapamilya network despite the pandemic and the challenges ABS-CBN is facing.

The past couple of years have been difficult in different ways for different people, but there are definitely brighter days ahead. For Star Magic, the country’s premier talent management agency, this year marks their 30th anniversary—a milestone that ushers a new era where the magic lives on and their stars shine even brighter. These nine artists are embarking on a new journey with Star Magic, and they are more passionate and stronger than ever.

Of the wonderful opportunity to renew a contract with ABS-CBN, Shaina perfectly put it, “Hindi naman natin mapapagkaila na we are in the middle of a pandemic and the world is full of uncertainties di ba, so mahirap ipagkatiwala ang next few years... I truly believe that now is the perfect time to sign a contract... I think this is my most courageous move in professing my loyalty and my gratitude to the network and to the people who have always believed in me and supported me. I will always be a Kapamilya.”

Related Story: The Star Magic Artists At Kapamilya Strong 2022

Before they get busier this year, with all the projects ABS-CBN and Star Magic have lined up for them, we chatted with eight of these artists and asked them what a stress-free day is like for them.

JOLINA MAGDANGAL

What is a stress-free day like for you? “Ang stress-free day for me ay ’yung naluto ko na lahat ng dapat lutuin [para] sa pagkain ng mga anak ko, napaliguan ko na sila, tapos nakahiga na lang ako and katabi ko sila. ’Yun. Parang feeling ko ’pag nagawa na lahat ’yun, okay na ako. Hindi na ako stressed.”

What’s your favorite comfort food? “Longganisa, beef steak. ’Yung mga Pinoy, Pinoy food talaga sa’kin. Tapos sasamahan mo pa ng mga biko.”

What would you wear on a laid-back day? “Duster! O kaya malaking shirt at tsaka shorts. ’Yun talaga ’yung ang sarap ng feeling, ’yung ganun. Kasi nga dahil araw-araw may ginagawa, ’pag stress-free day, kailangan ganun ’yung suot ko para di ako nai-stress.”

How do you spend your me-time these days? “Diamond painting. Nag-start akong mag-abstract painting tapos nagre-research tungkol sa camping. Lately ’pag ’yan ang ginagawa ko, kahit buong araw yata ako—or nag-o-online shopping, ’yung mga ganun, kahit na tingi-tingi lang—kahit buong araw lang yata ako nasa kama, okay na ako. At tsaka K-drama, ’yun talaga! Ah, ’yun pala! Okay lang ako mag-isa kung nanonood ako ng K-drama. Pero ’yung halimbawa, walang-walang anything, hindi ko kaya mag-isa. Pero ’pag kaharap ko ’yung gusto ko panoorin, [okay na ako].”

What K-dramas are you currently watching? “Ngayon medyo bumalik ako sa medyo matagal nang napalabas, ’yung Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. Tapos kakatapos ko lang ng All Of Us Are Dead, na ako lang mag-isa ’yung nanood kasi ’pag tulog ’yung mga anak ko, dun ko na sila pinapanood. At tsaka hindi ako naka-let go sa The Red Sleeve. Gusto ko na umpisahan ’yung Thirty-Nine pero ang konti pa ng episodes so ayoko mabitin.”

RONNIE ALONTE

What is a stress-free day like for you? “Ang ginagawa ko ’pag walang work, s’yempre kailangan natin maging stress-free, so more on kung ano talaga ’yung libangan mo kapag off-cam… Ako, ’pag wala talaga akong [work na ] ginagawa, basketball, nagmo-motor ako. Nood ng Netflix, ganyan. Tapos chill chill lang sa gabi… And nagpapapunta ako ng friends ko, showbiz friends ko na malaking tulong sa’kin. Tipong ’pag kasama ko sila, nagiging back to, parang dating Ronnie kung saan talaga ako nagmula.”

Who do you usually spend a stress-free day like that with? “Ang hirap din kasi nu’ng naging trabaho ko is ’yung pag-aartista eh kasi parang andu’n ka sa mundo nila. Medyo magulo, minsan hindi healthy kasi sa mga ginagawa. So, para sa akin ’pag kasama ko ’yung mga non-showbiz friends ko and ’yung mga totoo kong kaibigan talaga, ’yun ’yung tipong nakakapagpabalik sa utak ko na tipong eto talaga ako eh. Ito ’yung nakakapagpaapak [ng mga paa ko] sa lupa uli. Kasi ’pag masyado kang nabulag sa pag-aartista at lumulutang ka… sila, ’pag kasama ko, sila ’yung ‘Oy, Ronnie, dito tayo.’ Pare-parehas tayong tao. Pare-parehas lang din kung saan tayo nanggaling.”

What is your favorite comfort food? “Kasi mahilig talaga ako sa mga silog-silog lang talaga. Minsan pagka wala na ako mabilihan ng silog, ako mismo ’yung nagluluto ng itlog, pork chop. ’Yan ’yung mga kinakain ko pero soon magiging healthy [na ako], mga gulay, gulay. Kasi hindi ako nag-gugulay talaga. ’Yun talaga ’yung gusto kong pagkain: adobo, mga lutong bahay, sisig.”

LOISA ANDALIO

What is a stress-free day like for you? “For me, ang stress-free day is ’yung kasama mo ’yung mga dogs mo, and ’yun, magbre-breakfast ka. S’yempre kasi minsan ’pag may work, minsan wala ka nang time mag-breakfast. ’Pag talagang stress-free, ang dami mong time, kumpleto ’yung healthy lifestyle mo. Kasama mo ’yung family mo, friends. S’yempre kailangan mo pa rin sila pampawala ng stress. Unwind. So, for me, ’yun lang, sapat na!”

What is your favorite breakfast? “Egg. ’Yun lang. Kasi diet ako ’pag morning. Para lang magkaroon ng laman [ang tiyan ko].”

What is your diet or workout routine like? “Intermittent. And workout, tina-try ko talaga ngayon mag-workout kasi before talaga, hinihingal kasi ako sa workout eh, hirap na hirap akong mag-workout. Pero ngayon, hangga’t maaari nagwo-workout talaga ako kasi important ’yung pawisan kahit sayaw-sayaw.”

How do you spend your me-time these days? “Siguro ’pag nakakapag-nails ako. Nails, lashes. ’Yun lang. Nakakapag-me time ako kasi sobrang simple ako; sa bahay lang, masaya na ako. Netflix and chill. Kasama ang mga dogs.”

What are you currently watching on Netflix? “Ngayon, All of Us Are Dead kasi kamukha ko raw si On-jo, sabi nila. So sabi ko, sige nga, panoorin ko nga itong All of Us Are Dead. Hindi pa ako tapos. ’Yun ’yung mina-marathon ko.”

JAKE CUENCA

What is a stress-free day like for you? “A day na hindi nai-stress? That would have to entail me running, working out, listening to an audio book, at the same time seeing my girlfriend wake up, and eating good, clean food. For me, that would sum up a stress-free day.”

What is your favorite comfort food? “To be honest, my cheat meal is carbs. Basta pasta or paella or potatoes, that’s my cheat meal ’cause I don’t normally eat carbs. And I always do cardio, so when I eat carbs, parang it feels so good.”

What is your workout routine like? “Depends! It really depends on the role that I’m doing, so for the last show that I did, ’yung Viral Scandal, I had to be very, very thin. So, I might have lost 18 to 20lbs. To do that, you gotta do fasting. What I did was fasting, eating once a day lang and a lot of cardio, a lot of running, a lot of cycling. And even on the set, I would have my treadmill and my bike and then just upkeep with vitamins so that you don’t get too haggard.”

What would you wear on a laid-back day? “My style changes from here and there, but I do like just wearing sweats and maybe a pair of Yeezys. Keep it comfortable. That sounds like a chill outfit.”

SAM MILBY

What is a stress-free day like for you? “A stress-free day is one na walang traffic. I’m sorry, I get so stressed sitting in traffic and just stuck there. I get so stressed. Stress-free? For me, it’s feeling your peace. Wala ka masyado iniisip na problema. Stress-free is being with loved ones, enjoying time, kahit nasa bahay lang, just enjoying time with loved ones, even more traveling, obviously. Just feeling at peace. I know that’s so vague... [But] what puts me at peace… I know it sounds spiritual but it’s knowing that everything is temporary in this life and knowing that God is in control, and fully trusting Him, honestly. Kasi may mga times na sobrang busy tayo sa buhay natin and we forget that God is the Alpha and the Omega. He’s the beginning and He knows what’s going to happen, and we kind of forget that He’s in control. And when we forget that, we lose that peace.”

What is your favorite comfort food? “I don’t believe in cheat days. If I feel like eating it, I’ll eat it. Ang problema sa comfort food, ’cause people say that ‘life is short, enjoy what you eat,’ right? But para sa akin, I enjoy life more, knowing that I have self-discipline and I’m taking care of myself. So ’yung parang i-enjoy ko ’yung fries, burger, whatever, but ’yung feeling na, ‘Oh, sana hindi ko kinain ’yun.’ I don’t feel peace at that, so I’d rather ’yung self-discipline ko sa pagkain, I’ll stop myself. I’d rather feel good about my self-discipline in what I eat rather than to give in to something. [But] things that I struggle with are French fries, ice cream, cheesecake. Hindi ako masyado ma-dessert pero those are things I struggle with. I’m the type na, ‘No, I’ll just take one bite.’ Hindi ko kaya ng one bite eh. If I take one bite, ‘Isa pa, isa pa.’ ’Yung parang ‘once you pop, you can’t stop,’ dire-diretso na. So, it’s better for me if I don’t even give into that one bite.”

What would you wear on a laid-back day? “Naka-PJs lang. Shorts, t-shirt, sando, just baggy… relaxed lang.”

ZANJOE MARUDO

What is a stress-free day like for you? “Ang stress-free day para sa akin, siguro on a Sunday, gigising ka ng 5am tapos hintayin mo mag-sunrise, mag-coffee ka. Gawin mo siguro ’yung pinaka-favorite mong pampatanggal ng stress. For me, I play golf para makawala ako sa mundo or naka-focus lang ako dun sa game ko, with friends also para mas enjoy, mas fun. ’Yun para sa’kin ’yung pinaka-stress-free day lalo na after mo gawin ’yung hobby mo, eh kainin mo ’yung paborito mong pinakamasarap na pagkain, na gustong-gusto mong kainin.”

What is your favorite comfort food? “Turon. Sa dinner naman, siguro mag-tulingan ka, ’yung mga nami-miss kong pagkain sa probinsya, like gulay. Konting bonding sa family bago matapos ’yung araw. Kakain kayong sabay-sabay, sama-sama sa ilalim ng puno.”

What would you wear on a laid-back day? “Slippers, shorts, ’yung pinaka-relaxed siguro. Kasi sa probinsya, hindi naman ganun kalamig ’pag daytime. Alam mo ’yung hindi mo kailangan mag-isip?! Kung ano ’yung shirt na nasa top [ng cabinet ko], ’yun ang gagamitin ko.”

SHAINA MAGDAYAO

What is a stress-free day like for you? “A whole lot of peace. P’wedeng dalawa ’yun eh. It can be a day spent with my family or a day spent alone. I value my solitude and siguro kasi I’m always inside the bubble, I’m always around people, so my quiet time is really precious to me, so that can be a stress-free day, anywhere preferably on the beach. Or maybe out of the country. It’s my time for myself. Or it can also be a day with my family and my good friends.”

How do you like spending your me-time? “Nu’ng wala pang pandemic, it’s always during my birthday, so I travel. I would go to Europe on my birthday, spend maybe three weeks there, exploring the countries and the different cultures, food. And just really exposing myself to another world kasi di ba whenever you travel, parang ang laki-laki ng mundo and all of a sudden, your very chaotic life in Manila doesn’t matter anymore. It humbles me whenever I travel. So, that’s my ultimate me-time.”

What is your favorite comfort food? “Italian or Pinoy, so sinigang soup. And ’pag Italian naman, it’s carbs on carbs on carbs.”

What has been your favorite outfit during the lockdowns? “Actually, I’m not a fashionable person. I don’t follow trends, so I’m more into basics and classics, so walang nagbago kasi even pre-pandemic, ganun na ’yung itsura ko. I’m almost just in earth colors, black and white, very basic, maybe kasi when I’m at work, like now, I dress up every time I go to work. So kumbaga parang, whenever I get a break or whenever I’m at home lang, parang mas nafi-feel ko ’yung days off ko whenever I do not glam up or do not dress up. So kahit papaano that’s my way of de-stressing and relaxing also.”

GERALD ANDERSON

What is a stress-free day like for you? “Siguro ’yung hindi mo kailangan gumising nang maaga. And then straight to the gym. Play basketball. Go home. Eat pa pala. Kain muna ng masarap. Go home. Relax more. Rest the body. Watch Netflix, or watch a series, a movie. And ’yun, para sa akin, ’yun ang pinaka-relaxing, just staying stress-free. Doing things that are still active but then resting after, eating after.”

What is your favorite comfort food? “Simple lang. Siguro pizza or hamburgers. ’Yun ’yung masarap kainin after work, ’pag gutom na gutom ka.”

What are you currently watching on Netflix? “Documentaries. I like watching documentaries, mga ibang series din na masasabayan kasi for work, kasi you see these actors and how they work, how they attack the roles, ’yung storytelling na ginagawa nila. When I watch something good, a movie man or a series, parang nai-inspire ako to look for inspiration also. Medyo old school ako eh so ’yung mga [napanood ko recently eh] Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Manifest. Kasi it’s just good to watch different kinds of stories and how the actors attack their roles. In a way, inspiration din. The feeling na nakukuha ko ’pag nanonood ako ng magandang series, ’yun ’yung feeling na nakukuha ng audience ko kapag may napanood sila sa akin. So the responsibility of always providing good content, quality content, malaking responsibility din siya.”

Photography by Oly Ruiz and Erron Ocampo of Metrophoto for Brands

Creative direction by Chookie Cruz

Sittings editor: Grace Libero-Cruz

Set design by Gideon Hermosa

Shoot assistant: Keith Flor

Layout by Raff Colmenar