Derrick Monasterio admits he gets affected whenever Elle Villanueva gets hurt on set: 'Masakit sa’kin ‘yun'

Derrick Monasterio and Elle Villanueva are set to share the TV screen together anew for their upcoming series, “Makiling.”

In a media conference on Friday, the stars talked about how it was like working with each other once again, sharing how proud they were of each other for their improvements.

“First po kasi, si Elle, nakasama ko siya sa ‘Return to Paradise,’ ‘yun ‘yung first lead role niya. Masasabi ko lang, ang galing ng taong ‘to. As in para sa baguhan na nagagawa na niya ‘yung mga hindi pa magawa ng mga ibang artistang matatagal na,” Derrick said.

He continued, “So, wala akong masabi, proud na proud ako sa kaniya, and I’m just really impressed kasi ang galing niyang umarte.”

Elle then commended Derrick for his patience, saying he’s always willing to wait for her to finish shooting her scenes.

“‘Yung qualities po na na-discover ko kay Derrick is sobrang patient po niyang tao. Kasi halos sabay na po kaming pumapasok ng taping eh and pauwi. So kahit meron pa akong eksena na natitira, hinihintay pa rin niya ako,” she said.

The actress also applauded her boyfriend for his eagerness to improve his craft.

“Grabe na ‘yung hunger niya to learn sa craft niya. Siya na mismo nag-aaya din sa’kin pumunta ng workshop kahit minsan, siyempre, tinatamad ako paminsan, siya na ‘yung nagpu-push sa’kin ngayon. So, big improvement to kay Derrick,” she said.

The Sparkle stars admitted that being a real-life couple helps them do their job.

“Fortunately po, mas madali po siya sa amin. Wala pa naman po kaming disadvantage na nakikita except sa ‘yun nga po, naghihintayan po kami kapag hindi pa tapos ‘yung eksena ng isa’t-isa,” Elle said.

She also shared that it serves as a big advantage for them as they are open to each other.

“We are very straightforward in terms of our work. So, ‘pag may nakita kaming mali sa isa’t-isa, sasabihin namin kahit hurtful siya so there’s room for improvement for us two,” she said.

However, Derrick confessed that there are times he gets affected whenever Elle gets hurt while shooting intense scenes.

“I think ‘yung disadvantage lang po siguro is ‘yung naaapektuhan ako kapag nakikita ko siyang sinasaktan kahit na halimbawa, ‘pag pauwi po kami tapos galing siya sa iyakan, galing siya sa binugbog siya, tapos makikita ko sa kaniya na sobrang ‘yung mukha niya, parang umiiyak tapos gulo-gulo ‘yung hair niya, tapos parang, ako, as a protector sa show and as the protector ni Elle, masakit sa’kin ‘yun,” he said, acknowledging that all of it was just part of their job to make the project better.

“Kasi ibang klase po itong show na ‘to eh. Napaka-creative ng ways ng mga pangbu-bully dito, hindi lang siya basta high school ‘yung pangbu-bully, pwede ka nang makulong,” he said.

In February last year, Elle admitted that Derrick was courting her, and two months later, they opened up about their “no label” relationship and their commitment to each other.

In August of the same year, Derrick revealed that they are now officially a couple and that he has already met Elle’s family.

“Makiling” marks their return to GMA Afternoon Prime following “Return to Paradise.”

Other cast members include Thea Tolentino, Myrtle Sarrosa, Claire Castro, Kristoffer Martin, Teejay Marquez, and Royce Cabrera.

The series will begin airing on Monday, January 8 at 4 p.m. Watch the full trailer below:

—CACM, GMA Integrated News