Actress Giselle Sanchez has learned a lot from Kim Chiu’s character, Emerald, in “Bawal Lumabas: The Series.”

Chiu plays Emerald in the iWant TFC series, an overseas Filipino worker who has worked in different countries just so she could feed her family. Sanchez, alongside Chiu, stars as Kapitan Cheska, the mother of Kevin (Kyle Echarri), who is fond of social media.

One of Sanchez’s takeaways in the series is understanding the realities that OFWs experience.

“My takeaway for this [series] is napakahirap pala ng buhay ng OFW at talagang sinasaludo ko sila kasi talagang nakita ko dito ‘yung character ni Kim na talagang lahat na yata ng bansa pinuntahan niya,” Sanchez said in an online press conference for the series, Dec. 8.

(My takeaway for this series is that life is really hard for OFWs and I salute them because I witnessed Kim Chiu’s character go to different countries just to work.)

Among those jobs which Chiu’s character took were that of a cashier and maid.

“Pagkatapos, pag-uwi niya, very ungrateful pa ‘yung kapatid niya kasi hindi siya binigyan ng time,” Sanchez said. (After that, when she comes home, her siblings are very ungrateful because she did not give them her time).

She added this happens in real life and commended all OFWs for their personal and emotional sacrifices.

20201229 Giselle Sanchez — Image: Instagram/@gisellesanchez

“Sana din maging lesson din ito, maging takeaway din ito sa mga kamag-anak ng OFW na bigyan natin ng pasasalamat at respeto ‘yung mga OFWs nating mga kamag-anak na naghihirap para sa inyo,” she said.

(I hope that this will be a lesson, that this will be the takeway of those relatives of OFWS, that we should thank and respect our OFW relatives who work hard for you.)

The cast were also asked about their “bawal lumabas moment” during the online press con.

“Hindi ko natiis, lumabas talaga ako (I couldn’t help it, I really went out). As [the] mother of the family, I really have to go out to buy [the] necessities,” she shared.

While out, Sanchez saw homeless families in the streets. This led her to start her advocacy by partnering with the Daughters of St. Anne convent to cook food for these people.

Another “bawal lumabas moment” for the actress was when she renewed her marriage vows with husband Emil Buencamino in the same convent, which she shared about back in November.

“We just wanted to renew our vows. Kasi ‘yun talaga ‘yung plano namin kaya lang hindi na malaking event, kami lang talagang family,” she said. “Ang importante naman is ikinasal uli kami, ma-renew namin ang vows namin at saka maipakita namin sa mga anak namin na may forever.”

(We just wanted to renew our vows. That’s our plan, but it wasn’t a big event, we’re just a family. What’s important is we wed again, renewed our vows and showed our children that there is a forever). CC/JB

WATCH: Tirso Cruz III, Lyn Ynchausti make dance moves for Kim Chiu’s song ‘Bawal Lumabas’