Teen actor Bugoy Cariño is already a dad at 18 years old and it has definitely changed his life enormously.
Being a young dad to his daughter has made Cariño more mature, and this he talked about during his guesting in the second season of the digital show “I Feel U” last week, Oct. 17.
So, how does it feel to be a dad at 18? Cariño said he initially had a hard time adjusting to his new real-life role.
“Siyempre kasi hindi ko naman po alam kung paano maging daddy, kung paano po alagaan ‘yung baby. Siyempre hindi ko po alam,” he said.
(Of course, I did not know how to be a daddy, how to take care of a baby. Of course, I did not know.)
But after a while, the young actor got the hang of it, with support from his family.
“Habang tumatagal po siyempre natututunan ko na, kasama ko po ‘yung mama ko, ‘yung family ko na nagga-guide sa akin. So ‘yun, habang tumatagal naman po natututunan ko and mas nagiging madali naman po,” he explained.
(As the days passed, of course I eventually learned how. With help from my mother, my family who guides me. I learned how and it eventually became easier.)
The biggest lesson Cariño learned from being a young dad is how to save money. He soon realized that he had to sacrifice luxury for the sake of his child. He also recalled how happy he was to see his baby for the first time, via Viber.
“Hindi ko po kasi siya nahawakan noong una, noong pagkapanganak. Hindi ako nakapunta sa ospital,” he narrated.
(It so happened that I was not able to hold my baby right away, when she was born. I was not able go to the hospital.)
Cariño only saw his baby in pictures which were sent to him through the messaging app by the mom of his girlfriend.
“Pagkakita ko sa Viber, napaupo ako tapos iyak ako nang iyak. Hindi ko alam ang nararamdaman ko noon, eh. Parang nanlambot po ang puso ko. Parang ang bilis,” he recalled.
(When it saw it from Viber, I had to sit down and I cried and cried. I do not know what I felt then. It was like my heart softened. It seemed so fast.)
Ultimately, he knows now that the welfare of his child is his top priority, and he hopes to give the child a good life. He also dreams of building their own home.
The former Hashtags member’s relationship with the child’s mother, volleyball player EJ Laure, has sparked widespread controversy due to Cariño being only a minor at 15 years old when he first got involved with Laure, who was then 19 years old. JB
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