“I honestly didn’t expect to be in the middle of two love teams,” the 23-year-old actress says, her tone calm but certain. “The connections I built with both Dustin and Will were real in different ways. I learned a lot from both of them, and I’ll always be grateful for that. But I kept reminding myself: my voice matters too. Hindi lang ako leading lady sa story ng iba [I’m not just a leading lady in some- body else’s story]—I get to write my own.”
It’s not defiance; it’s clarity. Bianca is grateful for the love teams that helped introduce her to a wider audience, but she resists being defined by them. “Being in a love team or being solo shouldn’t diminish your self-worth as an actor,” she explains. “At the end of the day, ako si Bianca. Whoever I’m paired with in the future, buo kami [we’re whole] as individuals. People should know us as two different people before anything else.”
That sense of self didn’t happen overnight. Bianca recalls stepping out of the PBB house with a stronger spine, emotionally and mentally. “Inside, you’re stripped of everything external, so you learn to rely on what’s within,” the It’s Okay Not To Be Okay actress says. “But my heart stayed the same. I still lead with empathy, still love deeply, still overthink but now with more grace.”
In an industry that often forces women into neat boxes: sweetheart or rebel, lovable or formidable, Bianca is intent on blurring the lines. “I think I’m carving out space for girls who are soft but not weak. Who feel deeply, love hard, speak gently but never let anyone step over them.” She has, in her words, “cried on national TV, opened up about heartbreak, stood my ground, and still walked out with my head held high.”
And as she eyes the roles she wants next, she’s thinking less about romance arcs and more about creative challenges. “Pumasok ako sa industriya hindi para maging artista, pumasok ako to be an artist [I entered the industry not to be an actress, I came in to be an artist],” she says. “I want roles that would break my spine.”
Bianca may have been introduced to the world as the other half of something. But she’s making it clear that her story, and the way she tells it, will always be wholly her own.
Photographed by CENON AT MAV, Creative Direction by PATRICK TY, Art Direction by CLARE MAGNO, assisted by TROY NONATO, Fashion Direction and Styling by ROKO ARCEO, Beauty Direction by AGOO AZCUNA-BENGZON and MARA GO, Produced by THESSMAR LECTURA, Sittings Editor PEEWEE REYES-ISIDRO, Makeup by JAKE GALVEZ, Hair by ARIES MANAL. Nails by CATHERINE BALINGASA, GENEVIEV PIOQUINTO, JENNIFER PASCUAL, and OGIE RODRIGUEZ of TRIPLE LUCK NAIL SALON, Production Design TIPPING POINT, Fashion Assistant KRISSIE TERUEL, Producer for CaM LOUGIE DELA CRUZ, Lighting Assistants MIGHT MERCADO, RUEL CONSTANTINO, GABRIEL JEFFERSON OLMILLO, SAMUEL PILLON, and ANTONIO BAYLON, Written by LAURD SALEN.
Shot on location at RED APPLE STUDIO
Special Thanks to MIGUEL LAURETA, ELLA TAGACA, ANA YLALIM, and KEN OPIÑA of VIVA ARTISTS AGENCY, THESS GUBI, LAUREN DYOGI, ERIK MIRAS, JEFF RODRIGUEZ, PATRICIA RIGODON, and FRANCES JOSON of STAR MAGIC, CHESTER SINGIAN, JASHLEY CRUZ, and ROCHELLE TUAZON-CHAVEZ of SPARKLE PR TEAM and SPARKLE GMA ARTIST CENTER
